Author's note: I did not steal this chapter title from he title of Cassandra Clare's City of Ashes. I did not know about the Mortal Instrumrents before I started writing.
As I wait for my friends to come over, Aiden is constantly fussing over me as if I am a newborn child, brushing my hair (which I can do for myself, thank you very much!) and braiding it; a kind gesture, although it's something I can do on my own. He is a good boyfriend, but sometimes he's just too good.
I look at him for about the nth time and tell him "You've outdone yourself, honey." For the first time since I woke up this morning, he smiles. I can understand his pain. I mean, it's not every day that your girlfriend gets chosen to go on a big adventure.
"Aiden, honey, can you look at me?" He was staring at the floor, with its mesmerizingly intricate mosaic tiles, but now he looks at me. "What is it? Are you hurt? Any cut, bruises, gouges, scrapes? What's wrong?" I pull away from him and stare at him in awe. "I'm fine. I want to say a few things. The first thing is that I wanted to talk to you about this."
"What do you want to talk to me about?" He gazes at me, puzzled like a deer in headlights.
"You've been fussing over me as if I'm a three-year-old. I'm eleven and five, Aiden, not three." In Maurasia, your "real" life starts after you are 11 years of age, so when I say that I am 'eleven and five' I mean I am sixteen.
"I'm sorry. I just want you to look nice when your friends come over."
"That's okay, Aiden. I love you."
"What else did you want to say?"
I hold my breath for a minute. "I want you to come with me."
"Come with you?" His face brightens up a little. "Where are we going?"
"Marie, Ayla, Violet, and I are going to see the Royals this afternoon. We just wanted to know if you boys would like to come with us."
"I will most certainly come with you."
I can hear the phone. Ring! Ring! Its deafening tone starts to annoy me, so I run and grab it. "Hello?"
"Katie? Is that you?" It's Marie, my friend from the Earth Realm. "Yeah, it's me" I reply. "I got a letter from King Egan saying that we can bring our boyfriends along on the journey if we so choose." As I say this, Aiden's facial expression changes from one of worry to a look of relief.
"Same here, but my letter is signed by King Ilmatar. I'm pretty certain Ayla and Violet got their letters from Queen Amethyst and Queen Brook." She says our names and the Royals' names respectively, matching the correct Elemental with their ruler each time. Then again, we do take Maurasian History classes twice every day, so it wouldn't make any difference.
An hour later, Marie, Ayla, and Violet arrive at the house. The expression on Violet's face is akin to that of a homeless puppy that has just been kicked in the streets. I notice this right away and ask "You okay, Vi?" She nods. I guess she's just shocked to have made it this far into the Fire Realm, and surviving the whole way here.
I look at Marie and Ayla this time, both of them wearing worried expressions on their faces. "What happened; is she okay?" Marie answers me, her wind-chime voice ringing in my ear. "She's okay, I think; just going through temporary shock." Marie knows all kinds of illnesses and diseases and other such things because of her Auntie Kellie's occupation as a doctor. I
look at Violet again and ask her "Would you like a drink of water, Vi?" She nods once more, a wordless consent to my query. Being closer to her element might make her more comfortable in such an opposite Realm. "Aiden?" I ask.
"Yes? What is it? Are you hurt now?" After he says this I roll my eyes and reply "No, I'm not hurt. I was just wondering if you could go and get Violet a drink of water. That way she might feel more comfortable being here."
"Okay." He sidles over to where my shaken friend is sitting and asks her what flavour water she wants. Violet replies "Do you have Waterberry flavour?" Aiden nods, ruffles Violet's hair, and grabs a bottle out of the fridge. Once he gives it to her, she thanks him, takes a sip and her tense shoulders relax.
Marie's eyelids start to sag. She moans "Are those boys ever going to get here?" I know right away that she means River, Adam, and Ciro, the other boyfriends. Violet looks at Marie and says "River told me he'd be a while in getting here. He was spending the day with Ciro and Adam the last time I heard from him."
Marie gives a quick nod, rubs her temples, and asks Aiden "Why didn't you go with them, Aiden?" He replies "I'd rather hang out with you girls." Ayla also speaks for the first time since she's been here as well. "Aww, Aiden, that's so sweet of you. Had Ciro heard that, he'd probably make fun of you."
The next thing we hear is a loud Bang! Marie sighs. "Oh; there's Adam." Crash! It's Ayla's turn to groan. "And speaking of Ciro, there he is!" The next thing we hear is... nothing. Violet responds "I wonder where River is." Ayla, Marie, and I can barely stifle a giggle. Violet looks back to see what's so funny, and she's nearly scared out of her wits in the process. "River! Oh, for Brook's sake, you scared me! How did you-?"
"I came in through the window. A very easy route, if you want to surprise your girlfriend." Then he lifts her chin and gives her a kiss. A half hour later, we hop into Ciro's van, and begin our journey to Middle Maurasia, the very center of our world.
