A/N: Double updating as promised! Here's the second chapter. A baddie has returned :P
"Aydin!" Sephirah chastised, punching his arm as she continued her trek through the sand. Her cheeks flamed, tingling with the rush of blood and her magic ruffled with agitation.
"What?" Aydin widened his eyes, feigning innocence as he rubbed the spot she'd punched.
"Focus on your training, not on...on..." Sephirah stuttered, the sensation in her cheeks spreading down her throat as she struggled to say the words.
In the Nix Kingdom, there were no such discussions. Sephirah wasn't used to hearing remarks alluding to discrete bedroom matters. However, it was a topic that Aydin was clearly well-versed in. He openly hinted at everything he wanted to do, especially when it came to women.
"The euphoric, addicting, pleasure that drives women and men to collide in a sensual dance of epic proportions," Aydin offered, a slow smirk stretching across his face as Sephirah's nose wrinkled. "Forgive me if I would prefer to focus on that rather than the dreadful training awaiting us."
"Well, I would prefer if you stopped talking to me about it," Sephirah snapped. She shoved down the roar of magic surging through her veins.
He was and would forever be a womanizing prick.
"Okay." Aydin raised in his hands in surrender, shrugging slightly. The smirk slipped off his face as he turned his eyes away from her, staring at the backs of the men they were following.
Silence fell over the pair. Sephirah blew out a long breath as she finally managed to calm down. Behind them, she could hear the quiet shuffling of Alethia and Ren. She opened her mind shields when she felt Nova's light prodding.
I will hunt.
Be safe. Don't go too far, Nova. Sephirah smiled as her bird cawed briefly from the skies. Her bright feathers drifted away as she turned sharply in the opposite direction.
"I apologize," Aydin spoke lightly, drawing Sephirah's eyes back to him. She lifted her eyebrows in surprise. It wasn't often the prince offered apologizes, and it was even rarer for him to direct them her way.
Aydin pushed back the hood of his cloak as he ran a hand through his hair. "I genuinely didn't mean to upset you. I was trying to distract myself."
"From what?" Sephirah edged closer to hear his lowered voice over the gusting winds.
"I messed up, Rah." Aydin's eyes shifted to the sand beneath them; his voice grew raspy with pain. "What if I fail again?"
Sephirah's heart constricted in sympathy. Aydin was always the confident one. No matter how many times they'd wrestled and she'd dominated their flights, he returned the next day with a new technique. He never stopped trying. The arrogant smirk never slipped, and his contagious laughter after a defeat was just as loud as it was when he finally won.
Losing his kingdom and his father had changed him in ways that pained Sephirah to observe. The man he used to be had withered away, leaving behind a shell of a person. Smiles that were once abundant had become rare. Sobriety was a struggle to maintain, and confidence was slim.
But Sephirah knew him, perhaps better than he realized. She refused to sit back and allow his former self to drift into the abyss.
She wanted her Aydin back. And patience wasn't particularly Sephirah's strong suit.
Despite the empathy tugging at her heartstrings, Sephirah decided it was time for drastic measures. Anger began to build as she considered his words, the sound of his voice, and the downcast of his eyes.
Sephirah paused in their walk, forcing Ren and Alethia to slow to a stop. The men ahead turned their heads, brows furrowed in confusion. Aydin stared at her in confusion, jaw tight and shoulders slumped down.
Her magic quivered at the rise of her ire. Before she could consider her actions, her hand flew out and smacked Aydin's cheek. His head snapped to the side. Her palm stung from the action, but she ignored it. Aydin's eyes narrowed as he turned back to her.
"What the hell was that for?" Aydin questioned. "Here I am pouring my heart out to you and you slap me. And for what? Honesty?"
"No, because you're an idiot," Sephirah shouted, her nails pressing into the skin of her palm. She rose onto her toes, leaning in so their faces lined up with each other. He drew back, staring at her with a mixture of shock and hurt.
She planted her hands onto his shoulders, shoving him backwards. "While you're busy feeling sorry for yourself, your people are suffering."
Aydin opened his mouth to speak, but Sephirah repudiated his chance. She pushed him again as she stepped forward, leaving trails of blue flames in her wake. "While you're busy drowning yourself in ale and gawking at women, your people still have hope that you'll return—stronger and ready to fight with them."
Sephirah's hands paused in their motion to shove him again. She rested them lightly on his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat beneath his clothes. "You speak of failure as something to fear, something to be ashamed of and to run from. Yet, you don't realize how much it can aid you. Use it, Aydin. Use your failures to overcome everything and everyone who stands in your way. Learn from them."
His light hazel eyes gleamed wetly as he stared down at her. His mouth was still agape as if he was going to speak and had forgotten how. Sephirah's hands ignited in blue flames as her eyes glowed brighter.
Aydin flinched, but remained still. Her flames wouldn't hurt him. She knew in her bones that her magic would never wound him.
"Don't lose yourself, Aydin," Sephirah's voice lowered as she considered him, taking in the flecks of browns and greens in his eyes and his sharp jawline. His shoulder-length, platinum hair was slick against the beads of sweat running down the sides of his face. "I admired and respected the prince you used to be. Don't let that be for nothing."
Aydin reached up and grasped her flaming hands, holding them tightly to his chest. "I won't. I promise you, Rah." He leaned forward pressing his forehead against hers. "Thank you."
Blood rushed upwards, filling her face and the tips of her ears. The heat of his forehead burned with its own fire against her temple. His breath mingled with her own as he stared into her eyes, as if he'd never seen them before. Sephirah's lips pursed together as her magic cooled to a pool of icy embarrassment.
She yanked away from Aydin just as Ren spoke, "I'd rather let that old bag force feed me boatloads of that godforsaken tea than watch anymore of this lovers quarrel."
Aydin let her slip away, turning to smirk at Ren. "Jealous, huh? Little miss ice princess hasn't been giving you any attention, has she?"
Sephirah groaned as she saw Ren's scowl deepen. She glared at Aydin. "You are so insufferable, Aydin."
He returned his eyes to her, a gleam in them that hadn't been there previously. Aydin reached out in an attempt to grasp her hand as he responded, "Don't worry, Rah. You can have my attention and then some. Do you want to hold hands while we walk and reminisce about our childhood days?"
Sephirah pulled away, puffing out her cheeks and huffing out a frustrated sigh. "No, you buffoon!"
She turned away, storming ahead to catch up with the men still waiting for them. Behind her, she could hear Aydin's loud laughter. Against her will, the corners of her mouth tugged into a wide smile.
But she walked faster, refusing to let the womanizing prick behind her know that he greatly amused her.
‡
"Alright, this tent is for the healer," Weylin spoke as he tapped a finger to the light blue tent. The group paused in front of the large tent, curiosity building and mingling with the tension in the air.
"I will be your trainer," Weylin continued, face unreadable.
"That sounds as pleasurable as lying in a bed of snakes." Ren scowled at the tent as if it'd committed a heinous act against him.
"Good luck!" Sephirah called after him. He ignored her as the flap of the tent closed around him. She could only imagine what was going through his mind—perhaps a unique combination of vulgar words. Tension rammed its way into her chest as she considered Weylin, who made no move to enter after Ren.
Instead, he turned on his heels. "I will show the rest of you to your designated spots."
Kai lingered, glancing up at the sun. "I must meet with the elders. Kaleb, you know—"
"I know, I know, lisanhos." Kaleb twisted his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Keep the boring details to yourself, would you? The oldies await you."
"Kaleb—" Kai's face tightened with displeasure.
"Aw, yes, respect the elders," Kaleb finished for him, rolling his eyes to show how he felt about that.
Kai's lips drew into a straight line, but he made no other remarks as he walked away from the group, back toward the center of the camp.
Sephirah glanced between the distancing brothers with interest. Was there a rift in their relationship? Curiosity bubbled to the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it back down.
It wouldn't be the first time her inquisitive mind brought her nothing but trouble.
The group began to walk to the next tent further down, this one a light grey and in the shape of a triangle.
"For the dragon prince," Weylin said with disinterest.
Sephirah grinned as she watched Aydin stalk into its confinements, wishing him luck. He waved at her before disappearing inside.
By the time they reached the next tent, a dusty pale pink, the sun had moved across the sky and the heat was pushing the limit of unbearable.
"This one is for the phoenix princess."
Sephirah clapped her hands together in excitement. "Finally, my turn."
Alethia glanced at her before looking away, her lips thinning to form a line. Sephirah shrugged before entering the tent.
She had been subjected to rigorous training in the Nix Kingdom. Even today, she shuddered at the memory of being thrown into the pits of Mount Ashstorm swimming with molten lava.
But at the sight in front of her, Sephirah paused, shock shattering through her core.
She was vastly unprepared for what awaited her.
‡