Shadows of Ash and Gold

Chapter eleven

I noted how the Devara changed when we were here. Something like sadness had taken over. Maybe even nostalgia or jealousy. They missed their home, I realized.

We were led to some sort of royal room. The ceiling stood high, gold and white pillars surrounded the rooms and two whole walls weren't even walls, they were stained glass windows.

Five people sat on what I could only describe as thrones. I didn't quite understand why the elders were on thrones considering they were not royalty they were basically a court.

Each of them looked like a different level of intimidating. My eyes started from the left and raked slowly to the right, observing each and every one of them. The one on the far left was a girl, to my surprise she looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old, creepy. The girl had short copper hair and somehow looked almost naive, I had to remind myself that she was probably over one hundred years old. That wasn't the thing that creeped me out about her, no it was the fact that her eyes were white it was the color of Bash's when his glowed, except her's seemed to be her only eye color.

Next to her was a man who looked maybe mid-thirties. He had silver-white hair that touched his shoulders. He was staring straight at me and his eyes were orange. I quickly averted my gaze, feeling frightened.
   
In the center was a woman with long black curls, her appearance seemed as if she were seventeen but I knew that wasn't the case. She was the most intimidating. She felt important. Not to mention her eyes were yellow, like yellow. The shape of her eyes were fox-like, it reminded me of Kaida. Actually now that I think about it she was almost identical to Kaida. The woman was also staring at me, except her stare was different. Hers was careful, it was thought out, it was strategized. Everything about her screamed power. Authority. Her gaze clashed with mine. Slowly but carefully her lips formed into a smile. I felt a shiver crawl up my spine.
  
Next to her was Taven, he looked like he couldn't care less about anything but I had a feeling he meant to look like that, like he wanted to seem like this meeting was no big deal. I still got the feeling he was hiding something but I couldn't figure it out. Beside him was another man and he was the only one who looked old. Maybe around the mid-sixties or seventies and the funny thing was he seemed the least frightening.

"This is the human?" The yellow-eyed elder asked with almost a sneer on her face.

Bash stepped forward and I had a feeling he was the only one permitted to speak. Bash smiled, that obnoxious totally fake cocky smile of his. "Nice to see you too, Enyo."

Enyo, the black-haired elder merely ignored Bash and kept her gaze on me. "What is your name?"

I will not be afraid of her. "Avaryn."

"Taven tells me you are the daughter of Elyndaeda?" her question seemed as if it had a double meaning. I had the feeling Enyo was the one truly in charge here. And I never wanted to find out why.

I kept my eyes strained on her even though I was tempted to look to Bash for guidance. "That's what they say."

"Come forth, Avaryn."

Instinctively I looked at Bash with a questioning gaze. His emerald eyes seemed puzzled even though he tried his best to conceal it, he slowly nodded his head at me.

I strode forward until I stopped in front of Enyo's throne.

I caught a glimpse of a wicked smile on her face before she inclined her head and said, "Aradia? Come see if what they say is the truth."

"No!" erupted from Ever. My head swiveled to him in an instant. He made a step as if to come towards us but Bash put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

"Stay out of it Everson." I knew Ever was short tempered but his reaction had me unsettled. Bash seemed calm like always but I could tell that wasn't the case. The way his posture tightened and the way his fists were clenched tightly at his sides.

"That redheaded demon will go nowhere near her," said Everson, but it was more like a protective growl. I gazed at the rest of the group and although they were quiet I could tell they all felt the way Ever did. I felt something in me warm. They cared.

Was Ever-? Was he talking about the little girl? My heart pounded, how could a little girl make the devara of all people frightened?
The girl stepped down from her throne and strolled toward me. I suddenly felt panic seize me. If they were afraid of this girl I definitely should be. My hands trembled. What was she going to do to me? I won't let them scare me. I stubbornly kept my chin up as Aradia stopped in front of me.

Bash and the others stayed where they were and I knew it was because they had no other choice. For some reason, maybe loyalty or fear, the Devara would obey the elder's orders, especially Enyo's.

Aradia lifted her hand up as if she were going to touch my forehead.

"Stop!" This shout surprisingly came from Kaida. She appeared in front of me at the speed of light, I flinched back. I would never get used to that. Kaida looked angry, no, she looked furious. So furious her amber eyes began to glow. Kaida's hand shot out and gripped Aradia's throat.

I gasped, so loud it was kind of embarrassing. I knew the odds were Aradia was older than Kaida but it was still strange to see Kaida strangling a twelve year old looking girl. Aradia didn't scream or struggle; she simply just let Kaida grip her throat. "If you touch her I'll snap your little neck," Kaida threatened with a vicious smile on her face, then she taunted, "You know I can Aradia."

Enyo didn't look pleased with this interruption but she didn't seem surprised by it either. "Must you always cause problems, sister?"

Kaida growled at her words, she sounded lethal. The sounds that came from her were something that was closer to animal than human. I guess I now knew why they looked almost identical. "If you weren't such a raging bitch Enyo I wouldn't have to."

Enyo didn't look the least bit insulted at this. "Mind your mouth, sister, I'm still your leader."

"Like hell you are." It was clear how Kaida felt about her sister. If not because of the rage in her eyes it was for the way her hands trembled but not because she was scared, because she was itching to hit something, hit Enyo.

"Tsk, tsk Kai. You're beginning to sound like a human." Enyo was taunting her. There was some unresolved conflict between them that went deeper than this conversation, you could tell from the hatred on their faces."If you don't release Aradia, I'll have the guards do it by force."

Kaida chuckled at her sister's words, perhaps with a little arrogance. "Please, they could never restrain me, plus they do like me a lot better than you."

"Kaida," Bash said but it sounded like a warning. He was being the peaceful one, the calm one, like always. "We didn't come here to fight."

Kaida's glared hardened, for a second I thought she was going to ignore Bash but then, seconds later, she let go of Aradia's throat and slowly retreated back to her spot next to The Devara.

Enyo cleared her throat and held back a smug smile. "Now that that's over, Aradia?"

Aradia lifted her small fingers to my forehead, she smiled, it was soft and warm, it made me feel as if she had wrapped a cozy blanket around my shoulders. She whispered, "It'll only hurt a second, I promise, Ryn."

I wondered how she knew my nickname ... And then, I screamed.