Ren Curran and Emi Griffin are both mages, born from the extremely powerful and prestigious Curran and Griffin families. Despite their families' similarities, they have never met. Ever. That changes in the year that they turn sixteen.
As expected of...
As my feet pounded on the street, my heart raced, and the image of Ren kissing that girl flashed through my mind. Even though I knew that there was no love between us, it was like the ultimate rejection. I would never be good enough, for anyone. He'd been kissing her like it would be the last time, and he had looked so passionate.
"I guess it just goes to show," I thought. "After all, why would he care about someone like me?"
Finally, I arrived at my house, and sat in the chair in my room, opening the new grimoire that Altair had given me. I read a few pages, but then they began to blur up. I closed the book in frustration, and glanced out the window of my room. The sun was just beginning to set.
"Emi," my father called. "Come down here. I have something to discuss with you."
I sighed, and stood up, walking to his office. My father's office was always incredibly neat, with tall bookshelves full of research and official documents in frames hanging from the walls. A fire roared in the hearth in the east corner of the room, and a red armchair stood beside it. His desk was in the center of the room, coated with stiff but smooth leather to eliminate any indents in the wood. It usually had several papers scattered over it, as well as a jar full of pens.
"Emi," my father said, resting his chin on his hands.
"Father."
"You do know why we're marrying you to Ren, yes?"
"Of course," I bit my lip. "I'm a failure to this family, so marriage is the only way that our bloodline of powerful mages can continue."
"That is one reason," my father nodded, taking a deep breath. "But we also believe that it could produce a new type of magic."
"A new type... of magic?"
My father picked up a leather-bound book and opened it up to a specific page, before handing it to me. The page had a large drawing of two hands that were intertwined and encased in bright white light. The caption under it read 'The union of wind and fire shall create Light."
"Light magic? But it's purely hypothetical!"
"No one has ever tried before," my father took the book out of my hands. "The elements don't normally mingle in such a way."
"So, I'm a lab rat."
"Was there any possibility that you'd be something else?" he raised an eyebrow, his voice cold.
The words struck home. That was all my parents thought of me now. I was an animal, to be taken care of and/or experimented on. The choice was not mine to make. I clenched my fists, remaining silent for him to speak.
"May I take her now?" my mother leaned into the office.
"Go ahead," my father gestured towards me.
"We're going to design your wedding dress."
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