Fire

Chapter Thirty Eight

"How are you feeling?" I ask Conny as I sit down on a chair beside her bed in the infirmary.

"I'm fine. I'm just here for observation. Whatever you did, it worked. I'm more worried about you. You looked like you were trying to rip your own heart out," Conny says, biting her lip.

"Yeah well I don't really have an answer for that. Though my chest is starting to hurt again."

Without another word, she picks up a bell that was sitting on a table beside her. In less than a minute a man I didn't recognize appears.

"Can you please bring Lady Ember some pain killers and salve for the scratches on her chest please," Conny asks the man. He nods and disappears as fast as he appeared.

"Now, what's on your mind?" She asks. I go to say that there isn't anything but she cuts me short. "Do not say that there is nothing bothering you. I was told that you went to the training room this morning and beat the crap out of some dummies. Not that you don't do that normally, but you didn't use your powers. So, I'll ask again. What's on your mind?"

"I was just frustrated this morning but I'm fine now," I evade.

"What was the meeting about that occurred after Emil came to pick you up."

"Damn, do you have someone stalk my every move?"

"Nah, I have an underground spy ring," she jokes. We both laugh but then she gets serious. "What happened?" She demands.

"The engagement was broken off."

"Isn't that a good thing? You've been wanting to get out of the engagement and out of here since you got here. So what's the problem?"

"Then, after I got into the hall on the way to see you, Seb caught up with me."

"Okay?" She asks confused. "You and Seb are friends. I fail to see the problem."

I fail to answer and she makes the connection.

"Oh my gosh! You like him don't you!" She whisper yells.

"Yes," I mumble.

"Okay and what does this have to do with you and Seb talking?"

"He asked to court me," I rush out.

"HE ASKED YOU OUT?!?!?"

"Shhhh."

"Okay fine. He asked to court you. This is great!" She says. After looking at my face she gets confused. "Isn't it?"

"I suppose it is. I mean, I like him. He's great and I know he won't try to restrict what I do like Emil would have. It's just... I literally got out of an engagement less than 10 minutes before he asked. I mean, it wasn't one I wanted to have in the first place but, it's the same principle."

"You're afraid, aren't you."

"Me? Pff no."

"Yeah, you are. Sebastian is a good man, Ember. He will treat you right. He's not a king so he won't demand children from you. I mean, you may have to deal with him going away because he's a general but other than that I don't see anything that would be a problem. At the very least, it would be like living the rest of your life with a close friend."

"I know he's a good man, Conny. It's just... I'll miss my family, my home, my sevgi... the life I had before this."

"Ember..." Conny trails off with a small smile. "He had talked to me about this before. He was afraid that you would chose Fenrir over him because you could go back to your old life and your family. So I asked him, why can't you see your family and have your old life while being with him. And, of course, he said he hadn't thought of that. He then went on to say about how if you agreed he'd make you a house in your village so you guys could live there and one here in the caves as well. So then you have both of your lives, the one you started making here and your old life. He even said that he would adopt your son."

"My son?"

"Viktor. Your sevgi. I don't think he actually realizes that he's not biologically yours."

"Probably not," I chuckle.

"Ember... This man is willing to do anything for you and he understands you the way no one else will. He'll always be there whenever you have problems with your powers and will help you to not be burdened by them. Please Ember. At least give him a chance. But if you aren't going to commit, do not play with his heart. If you know now that you will choose Fenrir, do not make Sebastian have to go through the torture of having him think you are growing to love him, and then see you run off with Fenrir."

"Why does everyone keep bringing up Fenrir?"

"Because you two obviously care for one another," she says slowly as if she is talking to a child.

"What I feel for Fenrir is nothing more than that I feel for Jokull. He is my brother and my protector, not my lover. I don't know why people keep assuming otherwise."

"Excuse me, my ladies," the man from earlier say.

"Yes?" Conny asks.

"I have the painkillers for Lady Ember," he says, gesturing to the cup in his hand.

"Oh, yes. Thank you," I smile as he hands me the cup. Taking it from him, I raise it to my lips. As soon as I finish swalloning my first gulp, Dalla barges in.

"Don't drink that!" She screams.

"Why? It's just painkillers," I tell her.

"It's painkillers laced with poison."

Handing me an empty bucket near her bed, Conny demands, "Make yourself throw up. Now."

I nod and go to oblige her as my brother, Fenrir, Aurora, and Sebastian come running in.

"Really guys, it's not that big of a deal guys. It was only one gulp," I assure them before leaning over the bucket.

"Someone catch her," I hear Aurora whisper. I continue on trying to get myself to throw up while I see Jokull rush towards me out of the corner of my eye. The next I know, my vision goes back and I feel myself fall into the arms of my brother and descend into darkness against my will for the second time this week.