8. SEVEN

SEVEN

T he last rays of the sun had been replaced by moonlight for some time now. He was supposed to go to Castellum to help with the social event for the Prey. The event was over by then.

The mattress engulfed Ron as he was comforted by the warmth of his weighted quilts. He rubbed his temples, yet his eyes remained wide open.

Ron's stare was glued to the ceiling of his chambers, dark circles hovering below his eyes. Part of him longed for the curly-haired girl he had come to care for, but shame locked him down to his bed.

He yearned to lay in her arms. Since that night, when they were wrapped in each other's embrace, he realized that she had the magical ability to hold him together when he felt like he was falling apart. He wished to smell the sweetness of her hair, which was a candied mixture of hibiscus and vanilla. He'd always think of her whenever he would walk by the Petal stores stocked with flowers.

The weight in his chest had become stronger than his will to live.

He'd mistakenly allowed Davina to see how much his dormant powers affected him. Hopefully, she didn't notice his absence today, or else he'd have to find answers to questions he wasn't ready to respond to.

For years, perseveringly, he'd practiced and practiced until he realized that nothing would ever come through. He wanted to be more than a pair of hot hands. After years of no abilities manifesting, he gave up. He decided to be the best warrior with dormant abilities there could ever be. He learned to master every weapon, every punch, every kick, and every height.

Yet, nothing filled the void because of his lack of magical competence.

Davina seemed like the right person to understand. She had powers of her own, but her powers were different just like he was. And she was such a good person. He'd hoped that she could be a friend to speak to about his troubles, but when he knew of the tribulations she suffered at home with her parents and from the bystanders of the world, he retracted from ever sharing his truth with her.

The truth of his depression. Ron didn't desire to be one more headache for her.

He could never forget the night he found her hiding in the woods, drenched in water and with bruises covering her arms. That was when he realized the abuse and neglect she had suffered since she was a child. He offered his home as refuge and money so she could find her own place. He asked her if there were any other family members for her to live with, but she politely declined everything. Ron remembered how he had asked her to stay away from her parents, but she held a dutiful heart for her siblings.

He loved that she was responsible for them, yet he hated how she would get hurt. Davina was always there to protect them, but no one was there to protect her.

Memories of that foggy night rushed back to him.

On his usual nightly stroll, he was able to capture the small sobs of a girl resounding from deep inside the woods. He left the cobblestone path and immersed himself in the trees, following the direction of the quiet whimpers. These cries were strange to him. It seemed to him as though the girl who was crying was trying to force herself to remain silent. Ron could hear her gasp for air, her pain forcefully clogging her windpipes. His heart clenched.

Ron found the girl with her shoulders shaking, sitting on a log.

He approached her quietly, reaching for her shoulder. "Are you alright, miss?"

Her curly hair whipped almost immediately at his touch. She fell off the log she was sitting on. The moonlight shined over her beady eyes—so beautiful, yet so sad.

Ron recognized her as the girl from Valerie's birthday party, Davina. His eyes rushed to the dark purple spots over her arms, her curly hair weighed down from the top, and the dried mud that coated her dress. The warm smile that captivated him was long gone, replaced by only despair. She stood.

"No, don't worry," he began. "I'm Ron, Beacon's brother. We met at Valerie's party."

Her cheeks flushed. Ron asked himself, what could ever embarrass such a beautiful girl like her?

"What troubles such an enchanting maiden like yourself?"

Davina's eyes paused on him. Ron watched her brainstorm for an answer. He couldn't help but fall in love with her pondering face, even if it was because she distrusted him and came up with an excuse to end their conversation soon.

"I would not like to burden you with my problems, sir," she said, avoiding his gaze.

"Please, don't call me sir. It makes me feel old." Ron laughed, rubbing his neck.

She chuckled.

"There's that smile." He smirked.

She smiled wider, her hands rushing to dust the pieces of mud off of her skirts. As if she even had to try to look beautiful. Ron fought the urge to stop her from ruffling with her appearance so much.

"Just some issues at home is all. Nothing too serious." She shook her head. Ron noticed how Davina forced a smile onto her lips. He could see right through the mask she was working to lift at that very moment. Was this something she always did?

He'd heard rumors about the Elio and Almenara families. The Elios were known to be vile, prideful, and crazy, but their reputation was nothing when compared to the Almenara family. He wasn't one to pay any mind to gossip, but the rumors were confirmed to be valid. Nico Elio and Mae Almenara were bad parents, and Davina got the worst of it. No one cared enough to mention that. Only that she must've been exactly like her crazy parents.

"Come, sit with me," he said as he sat down on the log that she had been sitting on.

"If anyone saw you talking to me, you'd be put to shame."

"I find that I don't seem to care," he stated. She hesitated before slowly sitting next to him. "Tell me all about your pain and the weight of the world that has been over your shoulders. I'll help you carry it."

Davina's eyes slowly made their way to his. He felt like his heart stopped. The moon cast its light onto her beautiful face. She made the moonlight much more enchanting, that's how magnificent she was. Ron reached for a strand of her hair, pushing it behind her ear and letting his finger softly caress her cheek. The girl beside him held questions in her eyes. There was something so magnetic about the Aurisan girl that sat before him. And he didn't ever want to be far from her.

Castellum was deserted. There only rested the Leaders, Soldiers, and Apprentices to remove the tables and pick up any leftover waste.

The torches that surrounded the wall of the castle cast a dim light across the seashore. The scene before Davina seemed to be an accurate depiction of the state of the people of Bellatorm. The life inside of the hearts of the Bellatormans was dim. They had abandoned all faith in their King and their gifted abilities.

How she wished she could change that circumstance into a better one.

Davina noticed the young girl she'd spoken to earlier, Cara. She had a cloth sack in her left hand while she kneeled to pick up trash with her right. Davina smiled, but the smile was short-lived as she pulled her gaze to the tall silver building beside her. There had been several windows surrounding the stoned edifice.

"Certainly our Majesty can see what's happening to us," she whispered. "When will your silence end? Haven't we learned our lesson?"

Tears stung her eyelids. She gulped as she felt a tightness in her throat.

"I know that I'm no one to ask you this, considering who my ancestor is, but I didn't choose my family. So please, help me in some way, give me something. A sign that your Era of Silence will end soon. So that I know whether it's worth it for me to fight for my family and your people in the upcoming war."

Davina let out an exasperated sigh as her eyes scanned her companions of war. "Who am I kidding? I'm an Almenara, I don't have a right to anything."

She could've sworn she glimpsed a bright figure pass by the highest window of the fortress from the corner of her eye. Quickly, her gaze rushed to the window but there was no one there. Her eyes remained glued to the window as she kneeled, reaching for some wooden pieces that were spilled across the sand.

"Davina!"

She turned toward the people who had been cleaning up with her. No one seemed to be calling for her.

Glancing to her left and saw Ron rushing to her. His face had been pale with dark circles under his honey and gray-flecked eyes. Davina saw the anxiety leave his heart the moment their eyes met.

Ron collided with Davina, wrapping her into his embrace. Davina felt the tremors radiating from his body, causing her heart to pound. She immediately wrapped her arms around his torso, making sure to squeeze tightly, allowing herself to savor the way it felt to be held by Ron.

"I was so scared something happened to you," he croaked. "Everyone just started talking about how you went to meet the Predators face to face. I was so afraid."

"I'm okay," she said, her arms held tighter onto him.

He let go of her, his hands reaching for her face as he seemed to be staring deep into her soul. He looked exhausted like he hadn't slept in days. His hair was a mess, which was odd for him.

"I'm sorry for my reaction. It's just… you're the only person I'm afraid of losing."

She had a firm grip on his forearms as his frantic gray-flecked eyes scanned her for any wounds. Davina didn't know what to say. The words didn't seem to come. Instead, she asked, "Where were you, Ron?"

Ron seemed to be searching for an answer, his eyes frantically scanning her face. Davina noticed his hesitance which caused a heavy maelstrom to birth in her mind. What was he hiding?

"I'm quite well myself, brother. Thank you for asking." Beacon approached them with Val right beside him.

"Beacon, thank the King you're okay too," Ron muttered, letting go of Davina and immediately rushing into his brother's arms. Valerie turned to Davina with a solemn look.

"Where were you? You missed out on all the fun." Beacon chuckled. "Davina, did you inform my little brother, or should I?"

Beacon firmly set his hand on Ron's shoulder.

Ron turned to Davina with confusion. "Inform me about what?"

"About the attack," Davina began.

"What about it?"

Seeing his muscles tense, Davina couldn't find the right words to explain what had happened.

"We have finally deciphered the name of the Predator commander," Valerie explained.

Davina continued to watch him, his demeanor, his frantic looks, his fear.

"Her name is Raven, little brother," Beacon explained. "It seems that Davina is the number one target of the witch and she intends to put an end to our beautiful home that is Bellatorm."

"So what does that mean?" Ron asked.

"It means that war is near," Davina said.