The Dream Keeper's Dragon

40. I Love Him

It had been two weeks, and Kirin had yet to return. The thought of him hanging somewhere by a noose around his neck came to her daily. Well, that and, of course, whether or not he had broken his engagement.

She sat behind the inn, her back pressing against the wall, and played with her fire by letting it pass through her fingers in a small ball. No one could see her from here unless they were searching.

They were not to leave the cover of the protection, not after she dragged an intruder to their doorstep, that is. So she found another place to get away from the hordes of people. Aurelie could barely step outside without a warning of caution from those who assumed leadership in Kirin's absence. She was mainly talking about Orken. So, she used her window to sneak outside.

She made the fire expand. Goosebumps rose on her flesh with the pleasure of using her magic. As much as she wanted to enjoy it fully, Sasha's words kept crawling around her mind. She calmed the flames and let the fire flow only through her fingernails.

Footsteps approached, soft and gentle sounding. Before she could get up and extinguish her fire, Daerious peeked from around the corner.

"Don't bother," he said and sat down beside her. "I'd ask why you were so difficult, but I don't think I can blame you. I hope that you know what you are doing."

"Do any of us?" she said and shrugged.

Daerious smirked. Shifting into a different position, he turned to her and stared for much longer than necessary. "We all worry, you know," he said.

Aurelie sighed. This was a conversation she would rather avoid, especially with Daerious. There was nothing he could say that would change her worry or her guilt. Kirin was gone – dead or alive – they had to wait and see.

"I know," she said, his eyes burned through her. She turned her head away, her fingers digging into the dirt. Please leave.

"You can do it, you know, I won't judge," he said, finally looking away.

"Do what?" she asked, confused.

"Your fire," he answered, stretching out his legs and crossing them. "It makes you forget. About everything, that's why you do it? It's not consuming your thoughts or anything like they're saying, right?"

Sasha was involved in his sudden arrival. Aurelie was sure of it. She did, after all, say that she would no longer lecture her.

Aurelie sighed. "No, it isn't."

Daerious nodded as if her answer had been a gamble, and he was holding the winning hand. "That's what I told them, but they wouldn't believe me. They think you're on some fire high," he said and chuckled.

Aurelie bit her tongue. A tantrum and confrontation would take up energy that she no longer had. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm not getting high on fire," she said and forced herself to unwind. "You're right, though. It makes me forget. It takes up all my focus without me even noticing. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy it and use it to forget everything that's happened, but I don't always want to think about it, you know?"

Daerious dragged his hand through his curly hair. "I wish I had that."

She did not know how to respond. He never seemed sad before. While she knew about his family, his actions never quite showed that their deaths still tormented him. She had seen him angry, goofy, and worried, but never sad. They stayed silent and watched the woods. Daerious looked at her a couple of times, ready to say something, but stopped each time.

"What is it?" she asked, tired of his back and forth.

"Are you in love with him?" he asked.

Aurelie opened her mouth to speak but found herself gaping like a fish above water. She blushed, her skin feeling hotter than the day that it had burnt in the fire. "I don't know," she said after a long pause.