Guardian of Calandria | ✔️

Chapter Fifteen

           Flames licked the wood, flickering with the cracks of embers bursting free. A face formed in the fire, smiling at first, before opening its mouth into a roar. Another face emerged from within the mouth before following the same routine. Kira's lips twitched as four more faces followed in the same pattern. She loved that she could sit openly in Addricks house, using her magic, and not fear someone walking in on her. The longer she found herself around the Wilders, the more comfortable she became. Despite the black of her pupils consuming her iris, she didn't need to keep her eyes closed to hide them. Life suddenly seemed complete, like she'd been missing a part of herself since birth and it had returned to her.

One hand twirled in the air, calling the flames to her. They spun together in a thin stream, their heat brushed against the tips of her fingers. Her other hand rose to hover above her fire hand. Fingers danced in rhythm when snow fell from her palm. The stream of fire turned to ice which fractured and splintered as a frosty spike stretched into the hearth. Her smiled widened at the sound of the shattering ice cracking from the heat.

"Must be nice."

The sound of Ry's voice caused Kira to jump, the magic releasing with the smashing of the ice against the hard surface of the floor. She glanced over her shoulder to see Ry leaning against the wooden couch. He grinned before jumping over the back and sliding in beside her. Kira swatted at the strands of his hair which hit her in the face. Her hand curled around some of the greasy strands and threw them back in his face.

"What must be nice?"

"Being able to use magic without worrying if the villagers will find out and turn you in to the guard."

Kira shrugged. "I found my people." She raised a hand to Ry's cheeks and rubbed her fingers through the beard. "You look better without it . . . and without the girl hair."

"Girl hair?" Ry gasped, grabbing a hand full of the black strands. "This is high quality horse hair woven by the Wilders magic. It'll grow like normal hair and—"

"Save me the traders pitch." She laughed. Kira slid off the couch onto the floor. Both hands waved back and forth. A square of wood appeared from within a puff of thin smoke. Black and white checkers alternated the surface. Ry joined her and grabbed the ivory carving of a horse Kira conjured. More pieces emerged from within the board's squares.

"Chess," he said, his gaze lifted from the horse to Kira's eyes. "You know, now that I've seen you and Addrick both conjure magic I wonder about something."

"What?" she asked as she lined up her black pieces along her side of the checkered board. Ry followed her lead with the matching ivory set across from her.

"Your eyes turn black when you do magic, but Addricks doesn't. Neither did the Wilder's eyes that cast a spell on Sabina and me. Why is that?"

"Maybe because they're able to use their magic more where I had to keep mine hidden and had to hold back." She shrugged. "I don't know. As Addrick keeps reminding me, I know nothing about magic except how to use it. And I suspect he doubts I even know how to use it."

Ry sighed. "I don't get you and him."

"Ry—"

"I'm not jealous. Really, I'm not."

Kira raised an eyebrow as she grabbed one of her pawns and slid it one space forward.

Ry laughed. "I love you. Always have and always will. When I proposed to you at the Coming of Age dance, yes, it was out of convenience for us both, but that doesn't change the fact the love is there. Sure, you're more of a sister to me. Hell, sometimes you're more of a sister than my actual sisters, but it's there. You know that isn't a word I say lightly. The problem lies with Addrick. He's a complete and total ass. Why him? Of all the guys that have ever noticed you, why him?"