Chapter Twenty Two

Aerilyn

“Aerilyn, you are more special than you’ll ever realize. I do these training sessions for you. This isn’t meant to be torture. You will understand one day,” her father’s voice was calm as he tried to reason with her. Aerilyn had her arms angrily folded across her chest, a scowl glued to her expression. Her hair was stuck to her brow and the back of her neck from the sweat soaking her skin. Orissia’s summers were hot, especially when her father made her continue to train. He always insisted on daily training, even after they had both tortured themselves in the heat working the day away. The moment he returned from the wall, they would start their lesson which would continue until sundown.

“It won’t ever be useful to me. I’m a Floral, I work in the fields. If I get chosen, I won’t survive anyways,” the small girl snapped, the attitude and frustration pulling in the tone.

“Don’t speak that way, Aerilyn. You have a chance of surviving out there if you take these lessons seriously. I don’t want to hear negative words like that ever leave your mouth again. You’re stronger than you think,” her father moved closer, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “I will protect you until my final breath. I want you to be able to survive even when I'm gone. I never want you to feel weak or defenseless in this cruel world,” he kissed her forehead before pulling her into a tight hug. They both stayed silent, embracing each other as the sun disappeared behind the wall. Aerilyn was about to reply to her father when she heard a voice calling out her name in the distance.

“I am not weak,” she whispered to herself, causing her father to smile.

The room Aerilyn awoke in was one that she’d never seen before. It was set up similar to the one she’d been staying in, but much larger. She no longer felt pain in her skull, only a dull throb remaining. Her nightgown had been changed out for a new one, the fabric no longer soaked in blood. The healer had done their work while Aerilyn had been unconscious. She could tell from the small scar that now marked her wrist. She examined it, her eyes running over the pink raised skin. Just another scar to the list . She sat up in the bed, the room spinning with the quick position change.

“You’re awake.”

The voice startled her, but she knew exactly who it belonged to. Beside the bed sat Azazel leaned back in a chair, a glass with a dark liquid resting on his knee. He didn’t make any attempt to move to help her, only lifting the glass to his lips to take a sip of the drink. “I want to go back to my room,” she glared at him, quickly trying to push back the blankets that covered her body. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he warned, cocking his brow in a challenge. “Not everybody likes to obey your orders,” she threw the challenge right back at him, gritting her teeth. “I’ve never heard that protest from any woman in my bed,” he chuckled, giving her a wink.

Aerilyn’s face went hot at the comment. She knew what he was trying to imply with the sexual reference which only frustrated her further. “I didn’t willingly choose to be in your bed,” she tried to defend herself, her fists balling at her sides.“Yet here you are,” he waved his hand out in a gesture over her body. “You’re an arrogant piece of shit,” she hissed, her eyes narrowing at the man. His ego was even higher than she had realized. “Now that’s not how you speak to the man who just saved your life. What have I said about that tongue of yours? If you’re going to use it to say such dirty things, you may as well put it to better use,” he looked down at his lap before smirking at her.

“Go fuck yourself.”

“Only if you watch me do it,” he replied easily. He seemed to always have a comeback on the tip of his tongue. Aerilyn felt her anger surging, her skin heating up with the new rush of emotions. “Not this again… Doll, I need you to calm down before you burn my bed to the ground,” he slowly stood, downing the rest of the drink before setting the empty glass on the side table next to his bed. He sat down beside her, placing his hands on both of her cheeks, his thumbs rubbing delicate circles. “What’s happening to me?” She whispered, her eyes locking with his. “Has this never happened before?” He questioned. She assumed he was referring to the light that had burst from her skin. She slowly shook her head, pressing her lips together.

Azazel bit down on his lower lip before nodding in understanding. He seemed to be contemplating how to respond, his brows creasing. “The Sunnlings have only ever been a tale that had been told to give hope during the plague. It was said that they would come with their light and healing and save everyone. That tale has been long lost since the hounds came. The people lost hope after that. I can’t say I’m too surprised. Something about you seemed different,” he studied her with a curious gaze.

“But I’m a Floral, how would this even be possible? Aren't the cuffs supposed to mute my powers?”

“The Sunnlings don’t only summon light. They’re able to heal others and I’m assuming your floral abilities were mistaken. A plant may grow with extra sunlight or maybe you hold two separate powers. I’m not entirely sure what the answer is here, doll. This is unheard of. As for the cuffs, I have no idea why they didn't work on you. I've never had that happen either,” he let out a soft sigh, dropping his hands from her face. “Did I kill them?” Her voice was shaking as she attempted to get the words out. “We don’t have to talk about this…” he trailed off, a frown tugging down the corners of his lips. “Did I kill them?” She repeated, her voice stronger this time. “Mostly. I finished them off. The light burned them, their skin was almost completely gone,” he looked at his lap, not wanting to meet her eyes.

The feelings that hit her were a mixture of emotions that she couldn’t sort out. The fear of what she was capable of was one of the strongest things she felt. She had harmed those two men unintentionally, she had killed them. She tried to reason with herself that it was self-defense, but she couldn’t accept the fact that she ended someone’s existence. “It wasn't your fault. You didn’t know what you were capable of. We can find a way to control it, to use it for good. You just have to trust me with this one thing. We can’t let anyone find out about this, Aerilyn. Do you understand?” Azazel’s voice turned to stone as the king seemed to return to him. She nodded her head quickly, trying to wrap her mind around everything that was happening. “I need to hear you say it” his voice came out even harsher.

“I understand, Your Highness, ” she used the title as an insult to the man. She wanted to ask for more details, to understand why he wanted her to keep quiet about her newfound power. Instead, she let it go for the time being, knowing he wasn’t going to provide her with the details. She held the snide remark on her tongue, mentally noting to return to the conversation when she had more strength. His face changed, a flash of emotion coming through before it disappeared once again. He stood and paced the room for a moment, running his hands through his hair. He was as put together as usual. His hair was perfectly placed and his button-up didn’t have a single crease. If she didn't know any better she’d assume that he never looked out of place. He cared too much about his appearance as if it were his mask to hide himself from everyone else. A mask of perfection.

“I’ll do any research that I can to try to find more information on how to control this. I’ll send word to you when I find anything. For now, lie low. The next test is coming up shortly, you won’t need to physically fight this time. Do not use your powers if you can control yourself,” he barked out the orders as if they hadn’t just been eye to eye. It felt as if she was back to being dirt on the bottom of his shoe. She let out a sigh of annoyance and stood, fixing her nightgown to ensure it was still covering her.

“Am I allowed to leave now?” She crossed her arms over her chest waiting for his reply. “You’re dismissed,” he turned his back to her and put his focus on something beyond his window.

Aerilyn wanted to snap back at him. She didn’t want to be dismissed from him in a way that felt so degrading. Instead, she bit her tongue and got herself out of his room as quickly as she could. Once she slammed the door behind her, she took off running down the hallway to put as much distance between them as she could.

Part of her longed to knock on Everett’s door and explain to him what had just happened, but she knew he needed rest after the day they’d had. She stood before his door, her hand hovering over the knob. A war within her mind raged before she finally turned and slipped back into her room. The bodies were no longer lying on the floor, the blood had been cleaned. It was as if nothing had ever happened, but the memory remained.