Chapter 17

Well, I certainly hadn't fucking been expecting that. Sono and Volaris said they could help me, so I left with Sono. It was nice being held, but I seriously thought he was taking the piss when he was telling me what was going to happen. The whole thing sounded ridiculous, but when I decided to submit to him and let him, it felt so good.

And I appreciated what he didn't say. If this was going to happen to me every year, the chances of me staying on Idric after Belisarus told me the truth were pretty slim. There was a lot about this mating thing I didn't understand, but I was pretty sure all the tribes would have a problem with me staying on Idric and just flying to Nestran to mate. I liked Sono. He smelled amazing, and I wanted to bite him, but he was going to marry someone who was just Farkhi.

I sighed. I wanted to sit here and just enjoy this for a little while. I was more relaxed than I'd been since I landed on Nestran. There was something about Sono. I barely knew him and he helped me in a way that I could enjoy it. He didn't smell like where I grew up, but he still smelled like home. Still, if we stayed here too long, the boats would stop running.

Leodos was going to be pissed, but my secret was already out. We hadn't run into any humans except the ones with us and I really wasn't all that fond of Esylle's dresses. Belisarus had showed me drawings of the robes the tribes wore and I'd been making them ever since. They were less restrictive and what I preferred wearing.

"That's a neat trick," Sono said. "I was pretty sure one of us was going to have to walk back naked. No one at your camp is going to understand this, and they'd get really mad at me if I brought you back naked."

"Oh, yeah. Leodos and Esylle would lose their fucking minds. I think the rest of the guys would get it. Esylle thinks I'm her missing child."

I appreciated that Sono didn't just not bring up staying in Idric would be difficult. He didn't say a damned thing either way about me being Lisana. When we walked into the clearing, Leodos and Volaris seemed to be sitting further away from us talking about Belisarus. I knew Leodos knew him, but I didn't know Volaris would.

"You know Belisarus?" I asked.

"There is not a single tribe member who does not know Belisarus and despise him. He shouldn't have taken you away from the tribes from wherever it was that he found you and he should have trained you properly. I know you want to stay when you get back to Idric Island, but we would all cherish you and teach you how to use all of your gifts.."

"I can't let her leave with you. She needs answers from Belisarus why he hid everything from her and we need to know if she is Lisana. I was sure she wasn't, but I'm starting to have my doubts," Leodos said.

"We don't know why she came as this girl and did not appear fully formed, but Belisarus shouldn't have hidden her from us for so long. She needs to be taught what she was sent here to do."

"What am I sent here to do? What am I?"

They were all planning my future like I wasn't even here. In case they had forgotten, they couldn't make me do anything. Nestran was beautiful. The food Esylle served at the palace was spicier than what I was used to, but better than what was available on Idris. I was pretty sure I could call the four humans with us friends by now.

I liked Leodos and Esylle when they weren't talking about Lisana and I wanted to watch it play out if they ever admitted they were in love with each other. I wanted to get to know Sono better, too.

If I stayed, it was going to be because I chose to and that was all going to depend on what Belisarus told me. I'd figure out the whole Senso thing and stay on Idric out of spite if Belisarus told everyone I wasn't Lisana and they still had that stupid idea about me being Esylle's heir. I was going to lose it if they didn't stop talking about me like I wasn't here.

Volaris looked like he was about to say something, but Leodos cut him off, which was weird because he was usually a lot more understanding and better at reading me than most people.

"I will agree to let her come back with you and learn whatever it is she needs to learn, but you must send someone to warn Joron so he can leave before they hurt him. And I won't let you leave with her until after we've gone to Idric and gotten our answers from Belisarus."

"What she is is more important than finding out if she's the missing princess."

I could feel my fire rising and I was trying so hard to contain it. I couldn't explode right now because I was too close to people, so I really needed them to stop being fucking idiots.

"What am I?"

"If she is who you think she is, she's still a flesh and blood girl. If she does what you say she will do and she is Lisana, then she will need to rule when the fighting is done."

"Dad, stop," Sono said. "Stop planning her future and answer her questions."

Sono was at least understanding what was happening right now.

"I will agree to travel with you to Idric so we can confirm who she is and why it was hidden from her. I would like to ask that old fool why he kept her from us. After that, she needs to come back with us so I can alert the other tribes."

"They don't know?"

It happened. The heat erupted from me and blew everyone back. I was able to keep it contained, so they weren't burned. The only thing that got hurt was that they might have a sore arse later. I let it surround me so they couldn't get anywhere close to me, but I was barely holding on. Honestly, at any minute, this could turn into a fucking disaster.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, and I had no plans to leave Idric when we got back there. I'm not coming back with you until you explain to me exactly what I am and what you mean when you say I'm meant for something!"

"Sorcha, he can't explain anything to you until you calm yourself. You're going to burn us alive!" Leodos yelled.

"Both of you are planning my life for me and you keep saying I was meant to do something, but you haven't asked what I want to do!"

They were inching away from me because I was losing control of the bubble of heat I was holding onto.

Volaris called to me. "I will give you all the answers you seek but calm yourself before you burn everything. If you burn me, I can't tell you who you are!"

I had to leave. They were probably going to yell, but if I stayed here any longer, I was going to burn these men alive. I was upset with them, but I didn't want to hurt them. Sono hadn't even done anything wrong. He tried to help me again.

I turned into an eagle and flew off.