Heir of Nothing (The Light-Bringer Trilogy, # 1)

Nine

Matias stepped aside, letting Cal step inside. He shut the door behind him. Cal seated herself at his desk.

Matias sat down on the edge of his bed. Cal couldn't help but oggle at him. Couldn't help oggling  at his broad shoulders, at his carefully sculpted muscles. He looked older than nineteen. Thankfully, his bed hair lent him a little bit of boyish youth.

"When did the magic hands start?" he asked.

"After you left."

He jerked his chin at the candle on the desk. "Light the candle. Without matches."

Her jaw dropped. She held out a hand. "This is sun—" She laughed. She looked at both of her hands. They were normal, not shining sunlight. 

Matias smiled. Her heart fluttered.

She turned to the candle and squinted at it. Light on fire, she thought.

Nothing.

You will light on fire!

She scowled. "The gods damned thing won't light on fire," she said, turning back to Matt.

Matt's eyes widened as firelight illuminated his face. "You're her," he muttered in awe. "You're the Light-Bringer."

"The Light-Bringer?" she scoffed.

"You can't deny it, Cal," Matias shot back at her. "You wield both light and fire. Maria said in her letter to Miles 'If she wields both light and fire, she may be the Light-Bringer.'"

He had a point. If anyone found out that she wielded light alongside fire, gods knew what kinds of accusations would be flung around.

"We need to hone my fire," she said. "No one can find out about my light. We need to uphold House Pyro's reputation of fire-wielders."

Matias nodded. "We start tomorrow. Meet me in the courtyard at dawn."

—

Cal dragged herself out of bed before dawn and dressed in a simple tunic and pants. She braided her hair back and tugged on her leather boots. She lit a flame in her hand as she ran down to the courtyard. She diminished the flame when she saw Matias standing in front of a row of targets. 

He still looked tired, but at least he wasn't dead on his feet.

"What are those for?" she asked as he approached. "Target practice?"

"Of a sort. You're already a warrior in hand to hand combat, so we just need to work on your magic." He moved to the side. "Let's see what you can do!"

Cal planted her feet shoulder-width apart. She summoned flame into her hands and threw it at the target. The flame hit the target, and guttered out, leaving a scorch mark behind. 

"Again," he said. 

They continued like that, throwing fireballs at the targets, until well after the sun was up. Matias rearranged the targets so that they were at different distances. Slowly, Cal grew more tired—more drained—with each fireball she threw. 

Cal summoned a fireball in her hand, the flame flickering and guttering. Cal threw it at the farthest target. The flame licked the target.

Cal swayed on her feet, light headed. Matias ran over, steadying her. 

"Okay," said Matias, leading her back into the castle. "I think it's time to call it a day. Let's go eat some breakfast."