Finding Fire -Book 1 of the Finding the Element Series

Chapter Six

I woke up to the sound of scraping metal and jingling. It rang like bells and sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

My hand found Cal's on the cold concrete floor where we slept with prison bars between us.

His fingers felt cold and his hand hard as my fingers pushed to intertwine with his. His breathing was normal and his heart beat heavy and loud. His chest rose gently up and down like any other normal boy's chest would, but Cal isn't normal, he's some type of unseen fairy.

My throat was dry and sore; it felt like ash. I wiggled out from under the potato sack blanket that laid over me, keeping me warm. I don't remember bringing it with me when I crawled over to sleep by the bars, but I don't remember a lot of things obviously, because last time I checked I didn't have any siblings, I wasn't a queen, Cal wasn't King of Water, and Fairies didn’t exist.

But I agreed with myself to play along with this dream, this nightmarish dream, until I woke up safe and sound in my dorm in the institute.

"Time to train," a voice echoed off the walls behind me. I sat up, aware of my head spinning and my body not acting right.

The man was at least five feet tall and hunched over so he appeared shorter. His grey beard ended at his knees in a tangled mess. His eyes were a clouded over blue and about the size of a walnut. It looked like he was opening his eyes wide in shock but when they didn't move or shrink I assumed that's just how they were. He wore brown layered shirts made of scraps of old clothing and pieces of leather. It looked like a patched quilt. He wore a brown jacket where the sleeves went way past his hands which looked to suffer from extreme arthritis.

"Well are you deaf girl?" He growled and unlocked the cell door. I looked once more at Cal and released his hand. I stood up as the man hobbled over to me, looking weary and deprived.

"What's your name girl?" he poked a finger at my arm.

"Fiona," I said jerking away from him. His eyes ran over my legs and my stomach and right up to my chest. He paused and grinned, looking up at me he laughed.

"I don't know what the King sees in you to make you his master slave."

"Neither do I," I rolled my eyes and looked away from the old man's gleeful expression. His teeth were yellow and black from probably years of lacking hygiene.

"Well whatever he saw, we will make it more visible, because at this moment I see a terrified little girl who doesn't know how to take care of herself."

My lips parted to say something but I shut them. He is just trying to get you worked up to see how you will react. It is no reason to lash out at the old man. He doesn't even know me so how can he see that I can't take care of myself, which for a matter of fact I can.

A bony finger slid across my stomach as he walked in a circle around me, like a predator circling his prey. "Yes, very skinny."

He knelt on one knee and ran his hands down my legs. I shuddered and he snorted a nasally laugh. "I aint doing this to say I touched some young girly."

I nodded and looked as he continued. His fingers left shadows of chills on my calves and on the tops of my feet. Then his fingers traced over my collarbones and under my arms and around my neck.

"Mmhmm," he sighed and stepped back around. "Come we will worry about this later."

He picked up the dress the knight had brought in last night and handing it to me he opened the cell door once more and motioned for me to follow.

I stepped into the darkness as his fingers wrapped around my wrist. And without looking back at Cal I left. "Come, and stay quiet."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see. It was quiet when we stepped into the foyer. The glass windows sparkled like stars and looked out over a brilliant wave of people in the village below.