Author's note: I am not sure, whether or not to put a warning for mature stuff. But you've been warned, I guess. Also, it's a long chapter, so do bear. See you on the other side. I am nervous as eff.
***
"Okay, relax. I was just having some fun, like you did in the dungeon."
Dylan gulped, as he composed himself back, and stood with his staff in position and legs wide – stance of a soldier. His eyes horror-filled and chest heaving rapidly.
"So, how does having a dual life work out for you?" Doran asked, sitting down on the high chair behind his desk.
"Y-Your Highness, I don't know what you're talking about," Dylan gulped, not raising his eyes.
"Really now? Dylan, right, assuming that indeed is your real name?" Doran smirked, impassive and the soldier raised his head ever-so slowly that I felt sorry for him. I shot a glare at Doran.
"Thank you for saving her life, Dylan." Doran said in a gentle voice. That seemed to fluster the soldier even more. His eyes met mine once, and all I saw was accusation flaming high and wide. I had in a way betrayed him. Given his identity to his Lord.
"Water?" I asked, feeling my own throat parched and Dylan shook his head violently, his breathing still uneven. He looked like an animal trapped in a cage with two predators.
Doran got up from his seat and walked over to him. I watched Dylan take a small step back, but still hold his position intact.
"You have nothing to be afraid of," I heard Doran speak in gentle firmness, "Eleni is out here because of you and I cannot thank you enough for that. Your secret is safe with me. You have my word, mate."
At that Dylan, raised his fearful eyes and life seemed to return back to him. Doran patted his shoulder once, and moved aside. He tilted his chin at me.
"Dylan, we need your help." I said, taking a step towards him.
"Yes, My Lady, anything." Dylan dipped his head.
No. Lady? Me? He bowed?
"No, no. Heavens no. Just Eleni. And why would you do that, we are friends, come on." I scratched my head and laughed nervously.
Doran chuckled, as he leaned his back on the huge bookshelf. I threw him another glare.
"Dylan, you need to tell me, how to find a protective ward," I paused already afraid of his reaction, "A protective ward made by Eclipses."
He snapped his head at me so quick, that I thought he might've broken a bone. He would never give such a confidential information so easily. "Listen," I spoke, flustered, "Celia told me, that some Eclipses were going missing. Isn't that correct?"
He looked from me to Doran and gave a hesitating nod.
"I think, we know where they are." I took another step forward, as I realized that I had his full attention. "Someone is using them as slaves, Dylan. We need to find out where they are all being kept. I don't need to tell you how dangerous their powers could be if fallen into the wrong hands."
"What? Slaves? How? But who..." Dylan shrieked, the color to his face returning.
"Long story short," Doran prompted, "Your army is in danger and so is the whole of the Four Realms."
I pulled a chair for him, and urged him to have a seat. He did. "I-If what you say is true then who is making them slaves?" The redhead asked, his face white.
Prince Neo. I shut my eyes close as I realized, he would go berserk if I told him the truth. For the whole world, the evil twin was dead. "Prince Nova," I said, my jaws clenched.
A boyish-laugh wheezed out from him at that, reminding me of his playfulness, "Is this a joke?"
I looked at Doran just to see him throw his hands up in exasperation. No one ever believes Prince Nova would do such a thing.
"It's...um... it's complicated. But true."
Dylan stood up abruptly, his chair screeching back. "If you're done, I'd like to go now, My La - sorry, E-Eleni." He narrowed his eyes and I glared at him right back.
"Sit. Back. Down." Doran had his eyes fixed on the frightened soldier and Dylan hurriedly pulled his chair. "Now you listen to me," Doran came closer and leaned on to him, his face impassive, "You can walk away like nothing happened or tell us what the Lady asked of you. If the Throne of the Four Realms is compromised, it will be on your head. You tell us now or we find some other way, that may or may not include the entire Eclipses being compromised. The choice is yours, my friend."
In the moment, I didn't recognise Doran. I needed the Throne to bloody bless me and help me focus on the real issue at hand.
Doran patted his shoulder again reassuring, "I would have said - take your time, but time, unfortunately, is not our friend. Eleni here is an Eclipse; I know and I wouldn't dream of getting in the Chief's way." He raised a brow and Dylan nodded, understanding flickering in.
He swallowed hard, and I could see the conflict dancing in his eyes.
"We would never use this information to find out where you and your army lives, it is just for finding the missing Eclipses and Prince... Nova." I added.
"Okay. Okay. You are the Chief's daughter, I kind of forgot." Dylan searched my eyes and I nodded at him – even your Chief had forgotten me, Dylan – the words stuck in my throat.
He added with a sigh, "It's, um, a little tricky bit of magic, but between me and you, I think we can manage fine.
"You have no idea, how relieved I am to hear that." I said and stumbled back. A chair hit my ankle and I sat back down, nursing my forehead.
And realization dawned on me, that I had landed myself on Doran's high chair. I sprung up from it, my eyes wide. I wasn't supposed to sit on a Lord's chair.
"Oh, for the love of the Throne, will you people just stay seated? Why do I have to keep repeating myself?" Doran rolled his eyes.
I looked at him, slightly guilty. I had been groomed, as a Corresponder, to be forever respectful towards the royals as part of the job, to bow, to curtsy, to smile, but the whole training now seemed futile.
Doran was frowning at me. "You go and overthink everything, Eleni. Please just sit down. It's just a very fancy chair, that's all," he turned to Dylan, "And you drink some water, mate. You look white as a ghost."
As I reluctantly took the chair back, I heard Dylan murmur to himself, "The Chief is going to murder me." He swigged down the whole glass.
***
"Can you scry?"
"Can I what?" I asked, Dylan, my face twisted.
"It's like, um, sitting right here and being able to see miles away."
My eyes widened, "What? We can do that?"
"We experiment with um...some help," Dylan said sheepishly, "But mind you, it can go horribly wrong."
I nodded, cackling my knuckles, which didn't really cackle. The Eclipses were far more magical than I'd have ever guessed. "Well, what do we need?"
"Hold on," Doran intercepted, now sitting on his chair, "How horrible are we talking?"
"As horrible as, the magic or the person we are scrying for, recoiling on us. And if we are looking for a person, then they might sense our magic. Simply put, if we see them, then there is a possibility that they might see us too."
"Is this like a portal?" I asked. And I felt Doran going stiff. His brother had died in the making of one, and I felt a pang of regret for mentioning it.
"We simply call it a 'window', since we cannot travel through it." Dylan said.
I nodded taking in the otherworldly magical information.
"Eleni, we cannot have Ne- Nova seeing you here." Doran said, his eyebrows squeezed in concern.
"I am sure, I can handle it without it going wrong. Eleni, you just need to power me up with your Earth Magic. It works best with scrying. Can you do that?" Dylan asked, his red hair flowing with the wind that flew from the window behind.
I fisted my own long breezy hair, putting them over one shoulder and stood perplexed for a while, wringing my fingers. Can I do that? Without messing it up? Stealing a glance at Doran, I found him looking at me intently.
"It must have been long since you last used your powers, Eleni," Doran said, reading me like his own personal book.
My hands shook and I clutched them tighter. Somehow admitting it to him was easier, "It has been so long, Doran. Should we ask Una to do this instead? I am not sure about it. What if I mess this up?"
Doran's eyes softened, "You know you don't have to do it, if you don't wish to."
"No. No. I want to."
Doran nodded, a finger scratching his temple, "Well, in that case...Dylan, can you give us a moment, please? There's a library across the room. Make yourself comfortable."
"Of course, Doran." Dylan stepped out of the study, giving me a sly smirk. Ever since Doran asked him to call him by his name, he had turned into his jolly laid back self. That cheek!
From the corner of my eye, I watched Doran recline back on his chair, his fingers drumming the wooden table. I leaned against the desk, my back facing him, the loose cloak slipping down my shoulders. It smelled like him, maybe it was Doran's.
"You know," Doran said, his voice silvery, "When I and islander met after you...you were in the dungeon, she kept repeating how big of an idiot you were."
"Great." I said, rubbing my numb hands on my thighs.
"She also said, that she has never seen Earth magic as powerful as yours. And you were an idiot who kept fainting with its every use, but it wasn't your fault. You had been a Vacant all your life. She also said that – if you two were to duel, she might have to give it all, like she does in the Conquest."
"Okay, now, you're just making it up," I mumbled.
There was a mild noise of chair scraping behind and I sucked in a breath. Doran walked over, the sound of his boots tapping closer, made me gulp. He stood in front of me, while I stood rooted against the table. His light peach-hued tunic, with long-sleeves puffed till the wrists, was breezy with the wind that flew from the window behind us. My hair flew across my face and Doran put his palms over my head and gently swiped all my hair back, behind my ears, clearing them off my shoulders, his eyes affixed on my hair and mine on his perfect-soft-brown eyes.
"What if I tell you," Doran spoke, his right hand going inside the pocket of my, no – his cloak, and fetched out a black kerchief, "that when you attacked me at the royal ball, with those scary branches, I was shook to the core. Not only because you exposed your Earth power but also because, I was literally stunned with the magic. Just couldn't move."
He put his hands behind my neck again, and my heartbeat quickened, as he leaned closer. He bundled up my hair in a fist and tied them all slowly with his kerchief. In between his second-knot, he continued, "You wanted to stop Una and me, and you did just that. We couldn't have freed ourselves on our own. Well, we could've but it would've taken a long while. Even I wouldn't dare duel against you. And mind you, I'm quite good."
How was I supposed to focus on his words, while his fingers brushed against the back of my neck like an intoxicating feather, while his breath touched my ear like a spring breeze, while he caressed my now-perfectly tied hair, and tucked in some loose wisps behind my ear, while he leaned back and looked at his handiwork with the most beautiful male smile, I had ever seen?
I swallowed hard, as the cloak slipped down my shoulders again and his eyes caught the movement. Doran put two fingers each on either of my shoulders, and flicked the cloak further down. I sucked in another breath as shivers arose on my neck. He peeled off the cloak from my arms, and I found myself shifting ahead for it to fall down to the ground. He swiped the fabric away with a swift flick of his boot, eyes affixed on me. Just the cloak, but still it made me hug myself closer. I had to control. This was not supposed to happen. I needed to go. Away from whatever was brewing between us.
His eyes darkened, and two large palms suddenly gripped my waist. I might have not weighed anything, for Doran lifted me up and the next moment I was sitting on his desk. I blinked and pursed my lips.
"Why are you so afraid of everything?" He asked, voice drugged.
"Why are you not afraid of anything?" I whispered in the now silent room, save for a few pages of a binder flapping. My hands and gaze on my lap.
"The only thing I am afraid of," he put a gentle finger under my chin and tilted it up, "is not being good enough for you."
If I hadn't been sitting, I might have collapsed. His palms squeezed my waist once and I melted like a glob of ice under his fire. A cold breeze blew again from the window behind, and I shivered. Observant, as always, his warm hands left my waist and sprawled up against my arms. A thumb brushed against the sensitive part of my neck, and my heart throbbed. What was this sorcery?
"I love your starlight-like eyes," he said staring deeply into them.
"I love your smile." My eyes peeked a look at his enticing lips.
"I love when you laugh."
"I love your handwriting."
"I love your Earth Magic."
And I froze. Out of all things he could have said, the Fire Prince had admitted that. Was he saying this just to cheer me up, to encourage?
But when he spoke again, it was raw and open, "I...I have always been told, that this magic is something to be wary of, that the feud is to be taken serious. But ever since I met you, I learnt how ridiculous it all is. Earth magic. Enemy magic. Enemy weapon. No."
Doran paused, staring into my eyes, peering into my heart - "You waltzed into my life and made me fall in love with yours."
And you just made me fall in love with you. Again.
His gaze dropped to my lips. A pull, I felt a pull so strong that it shook my very being. My breathing quickened, and body tingled just under his gaze. With him so close, all my senses converged onto him. Him and him alone.
And when I found his eyes looking into mine – with question – waiting for me to let him in, waiting for me to let go, waiting for me to lose all of my control, I knew he was the sunshine to my morning, starlight to my night and -
Fire to my Earth.
I leaned in, or maybe he did. He was so close. So close that our breaths mingled together. It was happening and I let it. My control dropping down like his cloak.
And then he kissed me.
His lips, soft and feathery met mine and I knew how the meteor showers would look, for I saw them all, with my eyes closed. Stars broke loose, shooting down from where our lips met, and traveled down to my chest where the beats of my heart carried only his name.
One hand balanced on the table's edge close to where I sat; his other hand encircled around the back of my neck, pulling me into his warmth. He drew back just a little and looked down between us, and raised a brow. Shy, I spread my knees apart, and he walked in closer. His chest inches apart from mine, and I still felt our hearts beating together like one. I put my arms around his neck, hesitating and rested them on his hard shoulders. I relaxed when my fingers grazed over the spot below his ears, where he constantly scratched when nervous. His skin under my fingertips felt just the way I had imagined it to be, soft and sensual. Alive and alluring.
I forgot everything, when his mouth moved against mine, easy and unhurried. He wanted this, just as much as I did. Doran was kissing me. Open-mouthed, soft-lipped. Assuring yet demanding. And I was kissing him back. Only he remained. Only we remained.
Surely this wasn't a dream, because dreams didn't smell or taste this good. His lips traced mine as if he would pick up a pencil off his table and draw their shape, and I tasted him like I would write about this moment in my most beautiful inscription.
The wetness of his mouth teased me, and I pushed mine harder on his, sucking and challenging. He was being gentle, but it wasn't gentleness that I wanted not after waiting for so long, not after finally getting a taste, the taste of the mystery called Doran. I fisted his tunic and pulled him closer. And knowing where I was headed, he smiled against my lips. Smug and pleased. He pulled apart just a bit, and bent his head to look at my flurried face, his eyes hazy and fiery. I bit my lip, suddenly shy, and a groan rumbled through his chest.
And this time he let go, pulling me flush against his chest, with a strong arm around my waist. Our chests clashed, and a gasp escaped my lips. The control snapped from my grasp and he took hold of it. Hungry and soft, consuming and enlivening, his kisses were beyond anything I had imagined. I let my fingers graze in his velvety hair and returned his kiss, stroke for stroke, skin against skin, a pull for his every push.
My knees weakened when he squeezed my waist. My toes curled, when he sucked on my lower lip. My back arched into him, when he curled my long hair around his other wrist. My eyes fluttered when his hot mouth traveled down my jaw, and grazed against my cold neck. My whole being shook, as his teeth slightly teased a nibble below my ear. My body went limp yet bloomed against his, when he angled my face and overpowered my lips, fiercer than before.
The stack of manuscripts to my right, got knocked off by his arm, and he didn't spare it a thought. The air in the room turned warmer, and I felt like I had moved from the coldest Realm to the hottest – his Realm.
He whispered my name like a spell and I came undone like the fire in his veins.
I clung to him, while his arms drew me even closer, no space left between us, all inhibitions dropped down dead. His insistent searing mouth plunged into mine – repeatedly, guiding me – gratefully, conquering me – entirely, sending wild tremors all over my body, invoking delirious sensations that I never knew I was capable of feeling.
Doran leaned back again, breathless like me. I raised a finger to trace his handsome olive face, a face that I could look at for eternity. The tuft of brown hair that fell over his forehead, a straight nose between high cheek bones, long eyelashes that always made me envious, his perfect lips which glistened by our kiss.
What did he see when he saw me? But if he was here, in this moment with me, then whatever he saw, might be enough for him. My heart perked up at the thought, and I sighed. Happy and content. Peace.
He let me touch, he let me explore and closed his eyes, his breathing fast. I placed a hand on his bare chest, the part he always kept unbuttoned. And he pressed his forehead against mine. It was peace that I had never known, that only he brought into my broken life. Every single time that I had met him, I relaxed, I smiled, I laughed, I had... lived. And I would be returning the favor – I'd make him happy.
And in the moment, as I looked at the man in my arms, my heart so full, I was scared that I'd be addicted to him, I'd be losing my control, this wasn't supposed to happen, there were laws, rules... how would I make him happy if I'd never be his...
And he felt my fear like always.
He took my face in his palms, gentle and careful, and pressed light kisses on my eyelids – A promise that he'd break all the rules for me.
On my cheeks – A promise that he'd always find me.
On my forehead – A promise that this wasn't the end.
Claiming my lips again, he pressed another promise – A promise that this was just the beginning.
***
"I am ready when you are, Dylan." I said, grinning wide.
Dylan raised a brow at me and then looked at Doran, who simply shook his head, trying his best to not smile and failed spectacularly. A rosy tint visible on his ears, similar to the one on my cheeks. And I glared at Dylan, when I saw him grin wide. The nerve of this guy.
"Well, I like the enthusiasm, Eleni." Dylan said, suppressing a knowing smile, "But remember, you need to focus. I'll open the window with my Water element, because it works better in the Winter Realm. And you need to guide your Earth magic, right when you see the opening. Command your power to 'show you' the person you want to find and I will look for the ward's magic. We both scry for different things and converge on the spot where they are both present together. Got it?"
My confidence shook a little as Prince Neo's face flooded in my head. I blinked rapidly and let out a huge breath. They looked the same, the twins.
"Got it."
The redhead Eclipse closed his eyes, and started to move his right hand in a slow circle. I kept my fists balled up, at the ready. One glance at Doran, and I found him even more nervous than me. But he morphed his face into an encouraging smile. And right then, the air around us flew violently. The windows slammed open the binders on the desk fell down. I was glad that Doran had tied my hair with his kerchief, for they would have wreaked havoc by now.
My eyes widened with horror as a glittering bluish rip appeared mid-air. The opening of the Window. A few books fell down the bookshelf and one huge portrait flung down the wall. The magic was powerful. Ancient Sorcery.
"Now!" Dylan screamed.
And I unleashed my Earth power. Or maybe it unleashed itself. Gliding and thriving. Green light, speckled with golden, slipped out from my fingers like vapor and formed a circle around the rip. Easy, steady, beautiful.
"Scry!" Dylan screamed again; his voice muffled in all the raging whirlwind. I closed my eyes and conjured up images of Prince Nova.
The one for whom I had voted in the polling booth. His golden curl dangling on his forehead. Eyes a bright hazel, and a polite smile on his lips. The one in the library. The one in the duels. The one who Amelia was head over heels for. Prince Nova. The good Gemini Prince.
A sudden sharp pull at the back of my head, made me snap open my eyes. And the Window, suddenly seemed to become a real one, for it flickered with life. My eyes widened, as an image of a clear evening sky came into sight. I reminded myself to keep my focus on Prince Nova's face, no matter what.
The green string of magic suddenly seemed to shudder under my control. I willed it to steadiness. And as the rip in the air stilled, my breath caught in my chest.
It was him.
His golden hair ruffled, head rested back to a black stony wall, eyes a deep shade of melancholic hollowness, the sleeves of his white tunic rolled up. My heart clenched at the image.
He suddenly snapped his head up and looked straight at me.
The Window vanished.
The howling of the air and the whirlwind in the study, all stopped. I dropped my hands down to my sides, my breathing heavy. Had he seen me too? My heart pounded in my chest as I looked from one man to another in the study, both their faces, stricken white.
"Underground." Dylan announced, panting, his eyes aghast, voice hoarse.
Doran had come closer to me and his arm securely would around my shoulder. "Where exactly?"
"Under the mountain Nixus." Dylan answered, his hands trembling.
The devil indeed loved dungeons; I was right.
I looked sideways at Doran, before speaking, "I saw him." He raised both his brows, his eyes gliding over my face, etched with worry and question.
Dylan got in, "But did he see you?" I nodded; my mind numb.
"Did you get the right one?" Doran whispered. Did I get the right twin?
"Yes." It was Prince Nova. Imprisoned. Slaved. Broken.
Doran squeezed me closer to his chest, and I felt the rapid beating of his heart, like mine. And when he spoke, his voice was an iron-rod of resolution, "You both did a great job. Now let me take care of the rest."