28. TWENTY-SEVEN

TWENTY-SEVEN

N ight reigned among the islands of Bellatorm. Davina observed the moon and its craters through the branches of the tree in which she was hiding, amazed by how beautiful the moon could be even with its imperfections.

A dark silhouette passed by the cobblestone path. Davina hid deeper among the vines and branches, holding tightly on the bough that she sat upon.

She watched as Ron fumbled with his keys, his shoulders were slouched while his eyes remained low as he entered through his front door.

Davina sighed quietly.

He seemed more miserable than ever. As soon as he closed his mahogany front door, she double-checked the pathway that led to his house for any night strollers. She jumped down from the tall oak tree.

Davina was careful in her steps and watchful with her eyes. She examined his house, her heart clenching at the recollection of the last time she had been here; the day she broke his heart, the day he turned into someone she could barely recognize.

Davina approached one of his windows, his silver curtains allowing her clear vision through the transparent glass.

She knew that it was unwise to be there, but she needed to see him. He stumbled into the chair in front of his desk with a glass filled up with what she presumed was liquor. He slammed it onto the bench beside him. Davina flinched, surprised the glass cup hadn't broken. There was a quill in his hands as he violently scribbled on the parchment paper below him.

Davina covered her mouth as she saw his shoulders trembling, but he continued to write on the page. A sob erupted from his lips before he downed the last of the alcohol. His chair screeched against the wooden floor as he balled the parchment in his hand. Davina's eyes widened, Ron was walking toward the window where she had been snooping. Quickly, she dropped to her knees and hid between the hedges.

Davina held her breath as he unlocked the ledge of the window and threw out the balled piece of paper near her boots. Once she heard him slam the window shut, Davina snatched the paper and put it into her satchel.

She should have left just then. But she decided to glimpse the window one more time and immediately regretted her decision.

Ron launched his glass into the fireplace, causing the flames to roar wildly. He then yelled a deep cry of pain as he kicked the table, leaving a splintered dent at the top, and slammed his chair into the nearest wall.

His hands ran furiously across his face as his back collided with the beige panel of his house. Ron slid down the wall as he let out a shaky breath. Davina focused on the tears that ran from his bloodshot eyes.

He seemed so emotional but emotionless at once.

It was her fault. It was her fault that he was like this. She had caused this pain in him. She had decided to be cruel to him. And she hated how much she couldn't tell him that she still cared for him. Her hands reached for the window as if she could touch him and comfort him for all the damage she had caused.

A loud boom echoed in the night sky. Instantly, Davina raised her gaze to the dark clouds that surrounded Auris, her eyebrows furrowed. The day had been sunny, there hadn't been any weather predictions from the Neptulans or Mistrans of an upcoming storm.

"I wish I didn't have to go," Davina whispered, wishing that he could hear her. "I really don't."

With confusion about the sudden storm still bubbling inside of her, her hand parted from the window, recalling the moment when she turned her back to him many moons ago. The heavy raindrops fell over the crown of her head and her simple lavender dress, making the linens stick closely to her figure.

Davina ran off of Auris Bridge and into Castellum which was mostly deserted. Only a few Leaders and Soldiers stood guard by the entrances of the Bridges.

Before she reached Basalt Bridge, she heated her body enough to dry her clothes.

As she bid goodnight to the Bellatorman warriors by Basalt Bridge, she thanked Magnar that her satchel had been made of leather, protecting the crumpled paper Ron had written.

With a heavy heart, Davina pulled out the wrinkled parchment.

"At times, I believe I've been too kind for my own good. Always listening to what others have to say about me and my life that I feel like I haven't lived at all. I act like I don't care that I'm a miserable excuse of a Mistran man, but it does. Each word has been like a knife to my heart.

I've let people take advantage of me. They've taken more than what I was willing to give. I gave everything of me only for me to feel like the undead. I'm nothing. Everything I work so hard for never comes out right.

I'm exhausted in keeping up the appearance that I'm fine when I'm not, hiding behind the mask of hate and contempt. I hate this sickness of revulsion that I have harbored in my heart, it has contaminated my very bones.

I refuse to continue indulging in alcohol and women. I feel so disgusted after every sip and flirtatious comment.

But I struggle with my constant remembrances of her. And I need someone to make me forget about Davina.

I miss her so much. My best friend, someone I could talk to and who would listen. I hate that it ended. I hate that the only person that I have loved the most, I can't have. I can't have the only person whose smile has saved me from death.

I hate that she's to marry someone else and that she still thinks of me and there's nothing either of us can do about it.

I simply wanted her comfort, her friendship, and her warmth for the rest of my days. I write this as I feel the pain become so great that I begin to feel nothing but a void within."

As her salty tears reached her neck, she realized her violet fire eyes had come forth. Quickly, she closed her eyes to put them out.

The boots of her heels clicked on the stoned pathway that led her to her house, she hid the page back into her satchel and found Isaiah and Leilani standing outside, conversing with one another as he fixed his cuff links.

Davina quickly cleared her face of any remnants of her yearning for Ron before faking a smile as she approached them. "What are you guys doing out here?"

Leilani had her hands over her hips as Isaiah observed Davina's damp clothes.

"The real question is where were you, D?" Leilani asked as she lifted a brow. Davina was able to glimpse Leilani's emerald nightgown under her bulky green robe.

Her tone was sharp. They hadn't spoken much since she had tried to warn her of Sadoc and when Davina almost melted his face off.

Davina looked between Leilani and Isaiah's serious look. "I felt nostalgic, so I went to visit my old home in Auris but suddenly it started to rain."

She wasn't lying. She missed her old home.

Isaiah hummed as he nodded. Davina sent him another forced grin. "Isaiah, it's late. Is it wise for you to be seen at my house at this hour?"

Isaiah chuckled. "I am here to commence your birthday celebration. You only have an eighteenth birthday once."

"At midnight?" Davina asked.

"Today is special. I felt it in my obligation to make it even more spectacular for you. I'll have you back home before sunrise and we can start again after a good eight-hour sleep." Isaiah grinned. "Come with me."

Davina was sure that Isaiah had good intentions, but she couldn't help but believe this was one of his tactics to make her fall in love with him.

She tried so hard to love him the way he did with her because he had kept his word in each of his promises. Like she had once told the King that she would. Exactly how she told herself that she could.

But Ron continued to hold that place in her soul. She tried so hard to shut him out, but all her efforts were never enough. Especially after what she saw that night.

Isaiah held out his hand for her. She hesitantly reached for it.

"Don't keep her out too late," Leilani called.

"I won't. Do not stress for it," Isaiah said.

Isaiah began to lead her down the same pathway where she had come from, his hand in hers.

He began to chat about the construction of the walls, the gossip about the new Leaders, and how more activation ceremonies were being set for the upcoming month. Her mind was stuck on the written words on the creased page in her satchel that she responded with simple words like, "Really? That's great. I didn't know. That's wonderful."

At some point, he released her hand and she was more than thankful for it.

As their boots met with the sand of Castellum's shore, he told her, "From this point forward, I'm going to have to cover your eyes."

"No."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because… That's weird," Davina argued.

"It's not weird. Just trust me." Isaiah laughed.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes.

Davina closed her eyes as she felt his clammy fingers. She felt like gagging, but she held onto her composure.

"Where are we going?" Davina asked.

"You know, I never knew you were this impatient. I don't know what I'm going to do once we wed," Isaiah joked.

Davina knew his eyes were on her, so she remained with her smile. Although her insides screamed and cried as she imagined having to bind herself for life to this man.

Davina tried her very best to pay attention to the audible noises of her surroundings, but it seemed like Isaiah was using his ability of air currents to cause a breeze to follow them, canceling out any sounds for Davina to discreetly investigate their location.

Isaiah removed his hand from covering her eyes. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Her eyes fluttered open, finding a lilac hue washing up on the shore from the aurora borealis twirling in the starry sky. The wind no longer pressured against her ear as she welcomed the calm waves cascading over the sand.

The waves were beautiful as bright lavender formed different shapes above the water. She beamed with a bright smile.

"Do you like it?" Isaiah asked.

"Of course I do. Isaiah, it's wonderful. How is this possible?"

She laughed as her eyes watched the colorful waves splashing closer toward them.

"Let's say I know someone who can create Borealis at will."

Davina turned to Isaiah who was already looking at her, a smile on his face. The moon shined through his black frames and above his brown eyes. For some reason, Davina felt her cheeks heat. Perhaps all his efforts were finally paying off.

Davina lowered her eyes as a small smile crept onto her face. Isaiah slowly reached for her chin, softly.

"I'm so happy you're here. That you're okay and that you've made it this far. Happy birthday, Vivi."

Davina's eyes froze the moment his lips pronounced a forgotten nickname that she hadn't been called in so long, her lips gaped. He called her Vivi . Just like Ron used to call her. Used to. He no longer did.

Perhaps if she just closed the space between them, she would be able to forget about the youngest Levina.

But she was terribly wrong. Isaiah's lips were soft yet vile, delicate yet foreign. His hands wrapped around her waist as she embraced him. How she wished for this moment to end. It felt so strange and unpleasant. But she felt like he deserved at least this much of her. If her heart could not belong to him, then she could do him this favor of sharing a sweet moment under aurora borealis lighting up their night.

Hopefully, he couldn't decipher her draining strength as she stiffened a smile onto her face, forcing it upon herself for his sake. This was the most that she could give him after everything he'd done for her.

"Thank you. I truly don't know what I did to deserve you," Davina said, still having her arms wrapped around his neck.

"The past few months have been a wonderful adventure with you. Fighting the Predators and winning over Bellatorm's support. I've never felt this connected to someone else and I've never been so certain of my future until I met you," he began.

"Isaiah." Davina let go of him.

He quickly grabbed onto her hands. "Truthfully, since the moment I saw you walk in through Castellum, you captivated me. The moment I saw your unique power manifesting during your activation ceremony, during training, and in battle, you won my heart. Each day that passes you continue to do so."

Isaiah caressed her bruised knuckles. "I want to move forward in our relationship. I want to make you my wife. I want to share my life with you and start a family. I want to settle down after the war and just live a peaceful life with you."

Davina was left speechless. Tremors ran down her body.

"You're shaking. Are you okay? Are you feeling cold?" he asked. He began to shrug off his brown jacket.

He didn't know that she never felt cold because of her fire abilities. Except for when she felt anxious and scared. If fear and anxiety were not present when she felt cold, then something was terribly wrong with her.

"No, no, don't worry. I'm not cold," she began. "It's just…that I'm not ready for the next step."

His shoulders slumped as his lips dropped to a frown.

"Yet," she added. "I will be soon. I promise."

"I guess I understand. It is your eighteenth birthday today," he whispered.

"Yeah, I just turned eighteen. You're nineteen, almost twenty, we're young. There's no rush. I'm sure with time, I'll start feeling ready little by little." She smiled.

Davina recalled the words she told Ron.

I can't be the perfect bride who sits by the window in a nice dress, waiting for her husband to come home. I need this war, I need to fight. I need to do something with my life.

Ron denied wanting this from her. At first, she hadn't believed him, but she was beginning to fear that this was what Isaiah wanted of her.

Davina knew of many mothers and wives from Bellatorm who were happy with what they did, and it mustn't be an easy job to be a housewife. Yet, she didn't believe it to be the calling for her. She had to be out there, fighting in battle.

It was exhilarating to be able to slice her sword through the air as she overpowered the Predators. Each dead Predator brought her closer to having the privilege of slamming her blade into Raven's black heart. Being able to do that was what gave her strength to get up from bed every morning.

She couldn't be what Isaiah wanted her to be.

And as they walked home, she fought with herself to find a way out of this engagement before it became anything permanent.