Heart [ON HOLD]

Chapter 21: The Burning

The world is burning and we are the flames.
-Michael T. Coe

Cora related their tale to the dwarves in the morning. Alastor hadn't told them much, preferring to leave it to her. For once, Tark was stonily silent, and Corazon with him.

“And then I, uh, passed out,” she finished. There were three moments of uncomfortable silence before Tark spoke.

“Ordinarily I would be angry, and I am, make no mistake, but...I had an apprentice once who tried things before she was ready.”

His glare did not go unnoticed.

“I don't want to be Queen, Tark,” Cora said. “I’ve seen how far she’s fallen. And I don't want to take down her regime either. It's too big for me to change. All I want is a real heart.” She glanced over her shoulder where Alastor hovered in the shadows. “And I want his heart back too,” she said, turning back to the dwarves. She lifted her chin and crossed her arms, ready for a challenge, but none came and Cora relaxed a little. There were a few raised eyebrows and nods, but no disagreement.

“We're just glad you're okay,” Corazon said, standing up. “Welcome back.”

Cora coaxed a smile out of hiding.

“You used magic,” Tark said, leaving the unspoken question hanging. Cora nodded.

“I'm...not really sure what I did.”

“You broke a binding spell,” Tark said, his words heavy. “Do you understand how incredibly difficult that is?”

“It took a lot out of me,” she said.

“What were you doing right before you broke it?”

“The Queen just appeared out of nowhere. I was terrified. I- I thought I was going to die.” She snuck a glance at Alastor, who was looking at the ground. She hadn't told them about his betrayal.

“So it was fear? You thought you were going to die and that unlocked your magic?” Tark stood, brushing off his frock and examined her closely. “We never did try fear, did we?”

Cora’s fist clenched.

“Tark,” Corazon said, “I don't really think that's necessary.”

“I don't know what triggered it really, but it wasn't because I was scared,” Cora said. “I was angry.”

Tark shook his head. “We tried that already-,”

“Cora, why were you angry?” Corazon asked.

She fiddled with her skirt and glanced at Alastor again.

“She, um…” Cora felt heat rising in her cheeks, a combination of embarrassment, and anger at being embarrassed when she thought she shouldn’t be. “She was torturing him.”

Tark raised an eyebrow.

“The Wolf triggered your magic?”

Cora squirmed internally. She hadn't told them what had happened in the tower when she'd used her magic to heal him. She hadn't been angry then.

“Well if you put it like that...”

Veo, who had been sitting quietly, leaned forward, seeming more interested now.

Tark turned and beckoned to Cora, walking into the circle of stones. She followed, acutely aware of the eyes of six dwarves and one wolf on her back. Valkryn followed, leaning against one of the monoliths. Beneath her feet, the ground seemed to pulse. Tark turned back to her.