Burning Key

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Time. That's what Adeena had asked Cleo to give her, though they knew they were running out of it when the Summer Solstice festival was just mere days away.

Adeena had heard all about the seasonal festivals Arloerin had thrown four times a year, each one of them blowing the other Larian kingdoms' out of the water. Cleo had learned from the best when it came to parties with Kalla being the one to raise her alongside their grandmother, but there seemed to be another something special going on she didn't know about.

"Is something else we're celebrating other than the Solstice festival?" Adeena asked. She paid no mind to those all around them, stopping in their tasks just to watch the two sisters walking slowly along. What she did gaze at were all the brightly colored decorations and touches of the colors of Dalcaine, navy and silver.

"It's also Dessa's nineteenth birthday," Cleo explained, looping Adeena's arm through hers as they walked down the street toward the main square. "And since she's not home to celebrate with the rest of her family, I figured we'd throw her one of the best parties she's ever had here. If I know Lyv and Jai, which I totally do, they're going to be upset about this being the first birthday they're unable to be with her, especially when it's a special day in general. Not only is it Des's birthday, but it's also their anniversary. She was born one year to the date they got married."

"It definitely is a special day then, huh?"

Cleo smiled and nodded as they slowed their pace. "I was there the day she was born, too. It's one of those days I'll never forget. I'd gone to Ayveri just a few weeks before, knowing she was going to be due any day at that point. Trust me when I say it took me by complete surprise to see Lyv with a huge belly leading the way whenever she came out of the palace. Even before Dessa was born, she, Jai, Elys, and everyone else loved her completely. And when the day finally came, everyone stayed outside her and Jai's room other than him and Bridget. We were all so excited and scared, especially with every groan and scream from her. It lasted for hours all through the night until the next morning when relieved laughter and newborn cries sounded through the door instead."

"But that wasn't the only thing that happened that day, was it?" Adeena asked, knowing what else had occurred.

"No," she answered with a shake of her head. "Even though it was the start of the Summer Solstice, snow fell from the sky as soon as Dessa started crying. It didn't happen only in Ayveri, but all throughout the lands of Dalcaine, Escarral, and Ethran. Of course, it was her magic, both light and dark, displaying itself for the first time. The only thing is her true magic didn't come until just a few months ago."

"She seems to be getting the hang of it fairly easily."

"She's always been a smart one. Takes after her mother."

Adeena had only spent a few hours with her cousin's eldest daughter, which included them seeing just what she could down with her light and dark magic. For all three of them being born with it, it still amazed her as to how it displayed itself differently. But while Adeena and Cleo were comfortable with their magics, Dessa was more than hesitant. She didn't even have to say why she didn't want to push herself, having known from Elys what happened whenever she'd touched the fabled grimoire. It remained in her magically extended bag for safe keeping, though everyone knew it was only a matter of time before they needed to see it for themselves.

Cleo sighed, rolling her eyes. "Well, I say she's smart and yet it took her long enough to realize she and Elys weren't just best friends all their lives. Rest assured, I'm never going to stop teasing them relentlessly. Too bad they both had me swear not to send word to Lyv and Jai or even hint at the bond between them now. Sure, they've always known about it, but it's different now that it's whole. Jai's a little too overprotective of the females in his life...and I'm willing to bet he's not going to like knowing what happened between them to solidify the bond they have now. Jai will always think of her as his little baby girl, not the stunning and powerful female she's grown up to be."