Red String {EDITING}

Battling Blaze

"Dammit." Lyra muttered, scowling as she skidded backwards, colliding rather harshly with the grey brick wall behind her.

"Come on, Lyra!" Rylan yelled from the side-lines. "Kick his arse!"

"I'm trying!" She growled, charging at the smug blonde for what must've been the hundredth time that afternoon, only to be blown away yet again by another explosive gust of wind. "Stupid Wind Ability..."

"It might not be as flashy as fire, but it still packs a punch." Blaze grinned, staring at the numerous holes he'd already made in the high grey brick wall of the arena-like courtyard they'd been practicing in for the past hour or so.

"I can still zap you." Lyra said, letting lose a bolt of red lightning, gritting her teeth when the blonde flew up out of the way. "For crying out loud stay in one place so I can hit you!"

"Not happening, Ly." He said, smiling widely at her stormy expression. "Do you really think your enemy will just stay put?"

"Yes!"

"You're funny." Blaze mumbled, dodging another of her bolts. "Stop being predictable, Lyra." Green eyes met hers, serious for once. "That way you might actually get a hit in before you move onto doing combat training with your beloved mate."

"You want me to be unpredictable?!" Lyra grumbled, her whole body sparking with her usual red lightning. "Fine!"

She bounced from wall to wall, becoming little more than a blur to the eye as she circled around Blaze from behind, slamming her elbow into his throat. At least she would've, if Blaze hadn't grabbed her arm, hauling her to a stop.

"Pre. Dic. Ta. Ble." He sung, wrenching her arm behind her back. "Blimey. I'm surprised Thorn didn't bring you down when he ran into you a few years ago..." He mumbled. "You shouldn't have been a problem for him at this level..."

"I'm out of practice." Lyra spat. "That's all."

"Anyone would think that Thorny boy was taking it easy on you..." Blaze said, pushing her away, sending her sprawling with a well-placed gust.

"Don't forget she had her two friends with her."

"Oh yeah." The russet skinned Alpha stepped forwards, waving around a rather large envelope. "You're friend in the Amira Region has been sending stuff back for you here."

Lyra was in front of the man in seconds, taking the envelope from him.

"From what Dusk has told me, it seems she's found her family, and now they're going on a big holiday in the Elder Region..."

"The Elder Region?"

"It's a place southeast of here, on the coast." Rylan said, watching as she pulled out a load of postcards and a handwritten letter. "It's where Stonewall Castle is."

"That's where the previous Alphas – the Elders – are currently living." Blaze chimed, slinging an arm around Lyra's shoulders much to Rylan's displeasure. "Ry will probably be taking you down there at some point to meet his parents."

"Will I be able to see Gwen if we go?!" Lyra shook her mate by the shoulders.

"I suppose we'll be leaving tomorrow, then." Rylan smiled. "I'll go and pack us some stuff, and make transport arrangements." He stood, giving her the thumbs up. "You stay here and try and beat Blaine to a bloody pulp."

"Sure thing." Lyra grinned, her entire body crackling with red lightning as she grabbed a hold of Blaze's arm.

"No fair!" The blonde grumbled, after he'd stopped shaking.

"Oh really?" She smirked.

"I'm not going easy on you this time." Blaze growled, running a hand through his hair, freezing when he realised that it was all spiked up. "You..." His green eyes locked on her. "You... You messed up my hair."

"Yup."

"You are soooooo dead!"

A gust of wind knocked her back, sending her skidding back into the wall a good hundred metres away. Red lightning sparked around her feet as she sprinted around the large courtyard, narrowly avoiding the powerful gusts Blaze sent her way. "You're the one who's going down."

***

"Wow." Electric blue eyes gazed between the two of them. "You both look like hell." The familiar blue-haired Alpha mumbled, staring at the black eye that was starting to form on Blaze's face.

"You might want to go to Hunter." Blaze said, yanking a book free from one of the shelves in the reading room. "I'm fairly sure some of your ribs are cracked."

"My ribs are fine." Lyra grumbled, collapsing down on the sofa opposite Blu. "You should go. You wouldn't want that black eye ruining your delicate features now, would you, pretty boy?"

Blaze spun. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Just shut up." Lyra scowled.

"Happily." He plonked himself down next to her, holding out the book. "Wanna look at some baby photos of Ry-Ry?"

Brown eyes flickered to the book. "What's in it for me?"

"You get to see a cute little Ry-Ry..." Blaze opened the book, and then Lyra was peering over, curiosity plastered over her face. "As well as a rebellious Blu."

"But he's the most law-abiding Alpha around." Lyra said, blinking in surprise as she spotted a struggling young Blu being held in the group photo. "Wow..."

"That's a moody Thorn." He pointed at the pouting boy holding a white teddy bear. "And there's a fabulous me."

"Do me a favour and don't show her my page." Blu scowled across at them from the opposite sofa.

"The pages are the reverse of the order we were found in, so we'll have to go past it to reach Rylan's." Blaze smiled devilishly, watching as Lyra turned to the next page.

The book hit the ground with a small thud, her brown eyes wide, and then she was sprinting up to her room, burying herself under the covers.

"What was that about...?" Blaze asked, staring at the open door.

"It was Thorn's page." Blu said, lifting up the book, blinking as he spotted the picture that had made Lyra run. "No way..."

"What?" Blaze peeked over his shoulder.

"Thorn's friend... The one who was like a sister to him..."

"You've got to be kidding?!"

"I never would've guessed..." Blu mumbled quietly.

"Lyra was that cute when she was younger?!"

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ILLENIS HERE

Well, the cat's out of the bag.

Three guesses what's coming up in the next chapter.

I'll give you a hint: it starts with Flash and ends with back, and I write it in italics.

Until then.

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