I don't own any of the Tamora Pierce characters
Ivy and Matthew returned home the next afternoon. Almost immediately, the two of them went to their rooms, both falling asleep instantly. Ivy only woke up when there was a soft tap on the adjoining door between the two bedrooms. She grumpily opened the door, rubbing her eyes wearily and forcing them open to look at Matthew.
"Ah, good you're awake," he grinned. Ivy grunted something and stood back to let him through. "I spoke to your Uncle Numair a few minutes ago. He said he'd be happy to explain the pyrotic thing you told me about but that you should probably be there too." He frowned. "Any ideas why?" Ivy shook her head.
"Does it have to be now?" she groaned.
Matthew smiled at her. "Yeah, he said it should be away from loads of people and at a time when nobody would be about. He wants us to meet him and the King in the throne room in twenty minutes." he reached out a hand. Ivy froze, then growled as he tugged on her matting hair. "Sort this out before you go, I don't want a reputation as the Knight with a tramp for a Squire."
Ivy stuck out her tongue. "Full of compliments aren't you!" she turned around then went to pull her shirt over her head. She shot him a dirty look. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all." Matthew said, leaning against the door frame. Ivy glared at him, then headed behind the changing screen, muttering curses on him.
"Don't curse me Squire, I might have to come and teach you some manners!" He grinned as he straightened up and messed with a small strand of hair that hung down from his face. "Do you think you can sort my hair out for me? I think its a bit wild today." he smiled at her muttering. When she came out, he stared at her with pleading eyes. "I'll be very nice to you!" he winked. She said something under her breath that he didn't quite catch, then walked over with a bowl of water.
"What wrong with it?" she asked sweetly.
"It won't lie flat!" he moaned. "Whatever I do, it just flies back up again!"
Ivy grinned to herself. "Alright. Crouch." he did as she said, waiting for her to start fiddling with his rebellious hair. She never did, instead a bowls contents of water fell onto his head. He gasped and shook his head. Looking up he saw Ivy standing with her hands on hips.
"What was that for?" he asked, jumping up and running a hand through his sopping wet hair.
Ivy smiled at him. "You asked me to sort it out. Its flat now you know, look in the mirror!"
Matthew clenched his jaw. "But I wanted to have dry hair."
"You never said that, I think your exact words were 'do you think you can sort my hair out for me?' and I have, so don't complain." she patted his arm with a smile, then shoved him back into his rooms. "You might want to get changed." she stated.
Twenty minutes later Ivy and Matthew were sat opposite Ivys Uncle Numair and Uncle Jonathan. After bowing to the King and nodding to Numair, they had sat down at a small table with a pitcher of apple juice and a bowl of fruit in the middle of the table. Ivy cast Jonathan a look, wondering what was so important that he needed to be there. All she had ever heard of pyros was insignificant, there had to be something more to the small amount of what she knew.
"I need to know exactly what happened last week. Exactly what made you mad, and exactly what you did." Numair stared across the table, hands clasped together, elbows resting on the wooden table top. Matthew looked across at Ivy, then looked back again.
"Its like I told you before." he said, looking down.
"You simply errupted in flames when you looked at the Spidren?" Numair asked quizzically. Ivy frowned, casting Matthew a small glance. He didn't look at her.
"Yeah, pretty much." he said with a shrug.
"So nothing was going through your mind, there was no strange emotions when it happened? No feelings that you didn't know of until that exact moment?" Numair dragged his chair closer to the table and looked at the younger man. "I need to know. All you have told me is that you were angry at the spidrens. What had they done? How was your anger fuelled so much you burst into flames?"
"They'd . . . hurt the people in Meron." Matthew croaked, he reached out and grabbed his glass, downing its contents, then coughing slightly.
Numair lifted an eyebrow. "You're sure thats it?" Ivy tried not to notice the fact that Numair looked at her strangely at that point. She gulped, but said nothing. If Matthew didn't want to say about her, then she wouldn't say anything.
"I think so." Matthew said quietly.
"What about you Ivy? What were you doing?" The King, Ivys adoptive Uncle, looked across at her, stroking his short beard.
Ivy looked down. "Nothing Sire." she muttered. She ignored the look Matthew gave her, one of thanks and appreciation.
"Look at me Ivy." Jonathan ordered. Ivy gulped then looked up, meeting his calm blue eyes. "What were you doing?"
Ivy gulped and knew she couldn't lie to him, he could read her like a book, and if she lied, he would be able to tell, she could thank her Uncle George for that. Matthew looked at her and nodded his head reluctantly.
"I was unconscious." she said. "I . . . don't know exactly what happened." Jonathan held her gaze for several seconds, then he and Numair turned their eyes on Matthew. He rolled his eyes.
"Alright!" he said, exasperated. "They pissed me off a bit ok?"Jonathan raised an eyebrow. Numair hid a grin. Ivy just looked at her hands.
"How so?" The King asked. Matthew bit his lip.
"Its a good thing to know what made you so angry, and it could help prepare you for several things." Numair said slowly. Matthew stared at him.
"What do you mean? What kind of things?"
Numair sighed. "Tell us what happened, then we will be able to tell you something."
Matthew nodded. "Alright." he said. "I'll tell you." he risked a small smile at Ivy then began. "The spidren said he'd kill Ivy. Then he said he'd get her to breed with his . . . filth." Ivy, Jonathan and Numair all saw sweat gather on his brow, his fists clenched and Ivy saw the unmistakeable glow of fire. . . red fire.
Numair stood and held out his hands, muttering something. Black fire sparkled and flew to cover Matthew. There was a flicker of light, then nothing. The black fire disappeared, and Ivy saw her Knight-master sweating, steam rising from his skin. She was silent, confusion in her thoughts. Matthew hadn't told her how close she had come to being raped by a spidren. Ivy didn't understand why. What was done was done, and he'd helped her. So why was there anything to keep from her? Of course, he didn't want to scare her, he didn't want her to be worried and feel vulnerable, but she was a girl, every girl was aware that there was a possibility of rape in their life. You'd have gone nuts though, if he'd told you,she thought. She grabbed Matthews glass and held it to his lips, pouring the juice down his throat. He smiled weakly at her.
"Sorry." he muttered. "Looks like I'm hot on you again." Ivy grinned.
"Very. Now drink this." she poured him another glass and held it to his mouth. After several glasses, Matthew was able to talk normally again and the only hint that anything had happened was the thin sheen of sweat all over his face.
"So whats it mean then?" Matthew said, holding another glass in his hands.
Ivy looked at her Uncles, waiting for them to explain.
Numair sighed. "You're a Pyro." he stated.
Matthew rolled his eyes, "and I don't know what that means."
Numair shook his head. "A Pyro hasn't been found in over a thousand years, they're very rare and very dangerous."
Matthew frowned. "Can't we say you instead of they, I don't want to forget about it." he said wryly.
Numair shrugged. "Fine. Nobodys ever found the extent of a Pyro's power, all of the previous ones have burned up, most of them when they tried to cause a great explosion. Pyros can only use their powers when they're angry. All Pyros discover their powers around someone important to them. More than that. Someone who is their other half. Their soulmate."
Ivy choked on her mouthful of apple juice, Matthews glass suddenly cracked and fell apart in his hand.
"What?" they said, simultaneously.
Numair suppressed a grin at their reactions. "You're soulmates."
I'm thinkin this may be a bit stupid, but again i can delete, i need to know what you all think though, dont be scared of being mean, i like harsh criticism :P
Mage of the Heart
