Touch of Flame

Ares looked around at the destruction caused by the dragons. They were still waiting for a second attack. The black dragons, the Azar clan, and the biggest dragon clan were known to be ruthless. Their previous king, Khaos was a merciless being and now his eldest son Malachi who took over the throne was imprisoned.

That wouldn’t be taken lightly. They would not accept this because capturing the king of the largest and the most ruthless clan would be seen as a weakness.

Ares had wanted to see Malachi, wanted to know if he was anything like his father. He was struck first, by the son’s resemblance to his father. Maybe it was a dragon thing but otherwise, there wasn’t much else he could observe except for the man’s strange behavior.

He looked ahead at the destroyed village. Many had left their destroyed homes to find somewhere else to live.

This was one way Ravina’s father had gotten him involved. He had taken him around and shown him the reality of the world he lived in. The cruelness his kindred faced.

Ares hadn’t cared at that time and sometimes today he wondered if it had been better to never know. To live in the dark and continue his adventure on the ships. To still have a chance at life, have a family and children, and live happily with them. But he had sacrificed all of that.

‘Think carefully Ares before you decide. It is hard to resist the desire of living and wanting more, especially when that thing stands right before you. Within reach.’ Ravina’s father had told him.

Now he understood. Those desires were coming alive. He didn’t just want to marry Ravina to protect her. He wanted to allow himself more, but it was too late.

Ares wished he could find her someone else to marry but both he and the king knew that her inventions were what kept her alive. She was suicidal and from what the king told him, she could very well take her life without even being aware.

He frowned. Witnessing the brutal deaths of her parents on the same day when she was only sixteen… he could only imagine. He could never truly know.

At least if he found her sister, he thought maybe he could give her something to hold on to but that would very much depend on what condition he found her sister in.

He mounted his horse and rode back to the castle. He then went to the inventory to look for Ravina. She wasn’t there. Nor was she in the laboratory.

“Where is Ravina?” He asked Bram.

“She never came down here today,” Bram told him.

Ares went to knock on her room. Her handmaiden answered the door. “Her Highness is not here.”

Ares became thoughtful and made his way down to the cave, worried that something might have happened. From the look on the guards’ faces, he knew she was inside.

He went in and to his surprise he found her collapsed on the ground.

“Ravina!” He rushed to her side, taking her by the shoulders he shook her lightly. “Ravina!”

She was very cold and pale. He hurried to pick her up and take her back to her room.

Ester became shocked when she opened the door. “What happened to her?”

“Bring Bram.” He told her.

She left quickly.

Carrying her to bed, he laid her down carefully and covered her up. Taking her bag of tools he just pushed it under the bed knowing she wouldn’t want to be discovered. Then he sat beside her on the bed, taking one of her hands in his as he waited. A feeling of worry began to grow in his chest. He wasn’t someone to even fear for his own life, but now he was scared.

He looked at her fragile hand in his, remembering when her father first asked him to marry her.

“Ravina is turning seventeen next year. I am looking for a husband for her. I thought about you.”

“Me?” Ares had laughed. Marriage had been far from his mind. He didn’t want that restricted life. He liked to enjoy his women freely and he liked them experienced. He didn’t want to deal with the whole “innocence” thing. “You are giving your daughter to a pirate?”

“I want to give my daughter to a man I know and I know you well Ares.”

He did. The man was very sharp. Too bad he had to sacrifice himself in this war. He was so happy with his family, a good father, and a husband. The sacrifices he made were too great and Ares wondered if Ravina would understand one day.

Bram arrived quickly at the room. As if used to the situation he had his medical tools ready and began to run some tests. He then shook his head. “I need to give her some fluids. She has low blood pressure.” He said and began to put a needle in her vein.

“Does this happen often?” He asked Bram.

“Well, it was more frequent before but yes. It happens from time to time when she is in too much distress. Her uncle has to force her to eat. She doesn’t eat otherwise. She overworks and she doesn’t get enough sleep because of nightmares.”

Ares felt some unfamiliar heaviness in his chest.

“She has become much better over the years.”

Much better?

“How is this better?” Ares asked disturbed.

Bram sighed. “You would think the same if you saw her the first two years after she lost her family.” The old man looked at her with such painful sadness while recalling those memories, that Ares couldn’t help but ask.

“What happened?”

“She isolated herself. Especially at night when there was fire and shadows, she would be scared of her own shadow. I found her in the hall once, sitting in a corner, not moving because her shadow moved with her.”

“Why a shadow?”

“It has to do with the day she lost her parents.”

Ares nodded. His frown only deepened as he continued to listen.

“She wouldn’t eat and whenever she ate she would vomit all of it. She would wake up screaming every night and I needed to give her something to sleep. She would harm herself excessively, often while being unaware and sometimes she would almost bleed to death.”

Ares felt sick.

“I tried everything. I couldn’t help her. It was only after she found her father’s notes that she began to leave her room. See people and talk again. Having a mission is what keeps her sane and alive.” Bram said. “I am glad you are here so you can take her away. Show her that there is more to the world.”

Ares wasn’t sure if he could do this anymore. He would suffocate every day.

Ravina began to wake up, her face twisting, her eyebrows furrowing. She turned her head from one side to the other.

“Ravina?” He touched her face gently but she didn’t wake up.

“She will keep doing that for a while,” Bram said. “She is distressed about something and she has to fight it before waking up.”

Ares tightened his hold on her hand. It must be because she went down to the prisoner. She was putting herself through this because of her sister.

“I’ll leave you with her,” Bram said. Packing his things, he left.

Ares turned to Ravina. Stroking her head gently while she was in this state of distress. She mumbled a few words he couldn’t understand and then a tear fell down her temple. Ares wiped it away. He should leave before getting entangled in this, but he just couldn’t.

He stayed beside her, making himself comfortable. That was when he felt something strange beneath him. He reached under the pillow beneath the sheets and pulled out a notebook. As he opened it he realized it was professor Ward’s notes about breedmates.