Chapter 8

"What do you think you're doing? What is she, like twelve?" A women's angry voice floated down the hall from the room Tinny instructed was Fuegoleon's private office. Cyan blushed as she walked up the hall hoping no one was around to hear the loud exchange between brother and sister.

"She's twenty, Mereoleona." He sounded tired, his voice dry from a night filled with nightmares.

His sister, Mereoleona apparently huffed. "She looks twelve."

Cyan reached the door and sighed. More short jokes. She couldn't help that most children were taller than her or that the Vermillion family were titans.

Not sure if she should let them know she was outside, Cyan paced and pulled at her clothes or the drapes of a window. They apparently didn't care that everyone in the palace could hear them, so she didn't feel like she was eavesdropping.

The women hissed and something broke against a wall near the door. "Do you know who she is brother? Just look at her face and you'll know she is the daughter of that monster!"

Cyan's pacing stopped as her blood suddenly ran cold. The daughter of a monster? There was only one person they would be talking about, only one person that she looked like.

Her mother.

Fuegoleon's voice darkened and Cyan fought every instinct to burst into the room. "I knew who she was the first time I met her. She can't be held responsible for the actions of her mother."

"Does Dorothy know she's in the capital?" Mereoleona asked.

"She went back to sleep as soon as the battle ended. It's hard to tell how much she hears while in that state."

There was a short pause and his sister spoke in a hushed voice for once. "Does this girl know about Dorothy and her mother?"

Who was Dorothy and what exactly were these people accusing her mother of?

A chair scrapped the floor as someone stood up. "I don't know what she knows, and it doesn't matter. But she will meet with the Wizard King today and he will decide what should be done about her." He sighed. "She saved my life sister, don't forget that before you go rampaging through the palace."

Mereoleona's voice softened slightly. "And I will forever be grateful for that but…" She trailed of suddenly as if she was trying to find the words to convey her worry. "She is an untested mage with dangerous power, the same power of her mother from what I gathered, and after this morning I have cause for concern. Fuegoleon, she isn't just a commoner, she's the daughter of a witch and a mage from the Diamond Kingdom. You can't be with her."

"Since when have you cared about social standings?" He barked.

A familiar dark presence filled Cyan's mind. The writhing dangerous presence she hadn't felt since that day Everett had dared to touch her. The darkness filled her lungs and for a moment she lost all sensation outside the chilled evil filling her.

"I don't have to care about it. You as the heir of the Vermillion family have to care, you will marry nobility not a girl ten years younger than you with questionable family ties." Mereoleona's voice drew closer to the door.

Cyan panicked as the voice drifted closer, snapping her out of the strange trance the dark energy had plunged her in. She couldn't be caught now outside the door after everything they talked about. That and she feared the sister's wrath if she found her lingering outside.

Cyan reached for the shadows around her and cloaked herself near the curtains of the window across from the door. The massive women threw the door open and stalked past her hiding place, her face threatening violence as she passed.

Cyan couldn't breathe for a moment, the revelations of the conversation were like a slap in the face. Her father never told her where her mother went or why she left. What had she done to earn the title of monster?

As she fought through the acrid taste of shock, Fuego appeared in the door and looked directly at her hiding place. "You can come in now."

She didn't drop the Shadow Cloak right away. Cyan felt safe in the dark folds of her magic and if she left then she'd have to deal with the aftermath of the argument. He stood in the door and patiently waited till she caught her breath and let the magic flow away.

He reached out a flamed hand to her and produce a small comforting smile. Shaking, she grasped his hand and allowed him to pull her into the room. The sparking warmth of his magical arm danced along her hand, pushing away the chill the dark presence. She wanted to wrap the arm around her and disappear into its delicious warmth.

He shut and locked the door before pushing her to a plush red chair and handed her a cup of water. She drank the whole thing in two gulps and motioned for more. He grabbed the pitcher off the desk and filled it again.

He perched on the edge of the desk and watched her silently till she could pull herself together.

She had a million questions and a million emotions rushing through her mind all at once. She wanted to yell at him. She wanted to throw things. She wanted to cry. Mostly she wanted to know why he hadn't told her about her mother.

She knew he hadn't said anything about her mother because he assumed she knew. Or he hadn't said anything because he didn't care who her mother was. Either way he hadn't earned her ire. Her ignorance was the fault of her father.

Cyan's eyes slid to the door where a blue vase lay shattered on the ground where Mereoleona had thrown it, water still dripping off the wall. Cyan had a temper but this women's temper was something to be feared all on its own.

He followed her line of sight to the broken vase. "I didn't mean for you to hear that. My sister is passionate and protective but that doesn't excuse her behavior." He murmured after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. When she didn't speak, he knelt on the floor and grasped her face, forcing her to look him in the eye. His face suddenly filled with worry as she met his gaze. "Are you okay?"

"You knew my mother?" Her voice broke as she looked into his eyes.

"Yes." He stated simply.

She swallowed and asked the question she had asked her father a thousand times during her childhood. "What was her name?"

Shock and confusion ran across his face, he jerked back like she'd struck him in the face. "Her name is Melda Unsworth. After she was married, Melda Conway." He swallowed as he searched her face for any sign that she might be deceiving him regarding her mother. "She was also known as The Witch of Nightmares when she was a magic knight."

A tear escaped Cyan's eye. She was too numb to wipe it away, her limbs completely useless as she ran the name through her mind over and over again.

"What do you know about your family? What has Temlar and Sheila or even your father told you about her?" He asked gently and ran his thumb along her jawline, whipping the stray tear aside.

More tears poured began to pour down her face. "Temlar and Sheila know who she is, was?"

She was suddenly swept into Fuegoleon's arms, his crushing embrace felt just as safe as her Shadow Cloak. In the circle of his arms there was no pain, no looming horror of knowing what information everyone in her life kept from her. Cyan buried her head in his chest and gripped his jacket as she composed herself. His flamed hand rubbed small circles on her lower back, the tingling of its magic felt nice against her cold skin.

"I'm sorry, little one." He whispered. "I assumed there were things they kept from you, but I never would have guessed no one told you her name."

She pulled away from him and grabbed his face, forcing him to look down at her. " Fuegoleon, what did they keep from me? What did she do that was so bad she left me and my father?" When he didn't speak, she squeezed his face and stood up trying to look imposing. It was hard to be scary or demanding when the kneeling man was almost the same height as her on her feet. "Please, what happened?"

He took a deep breath and spoke robotically as if he was reciting a story told to him long ago. "Before Temlar and I became magic knights The Witch of Nightmares lost control of her power and nearly destroyed half the Clover Kingdom. The Wizard King and the Silva house managed to stop her and turned her over to the Queen of Witches. As far as I know she was sealed away in the witches forest."

Cyan swallowed. "And everyone knows who she is? Everyone who knew her knows I'm her daughter?"

"You are the spitting image of her. No one who knew her would think you are anyone else." He replied quietly as his arms dropped around her waist. He pressed his face to her neck, his lips brushing her skin tenderly.

Instinctually Cyan ran her fingers in his hair, her eyes finding the window and her reflection. She had always assumed people didn't like the way she looked because her features were off putting or just strange. Now she couldn't help but wonder how many people looked at her and saw her mother and therefore wanted nothing to do with her.

Was that why her father moved her to Clear Water? A village far enough away from the city that people might not know about her mother and the apparent destruction she caused.

Cyan found her questioning every interaction she had with every person in her life till her head spun.

"Is that why you approached me that day?" She asked suddenly and pulled his head back so she could see his handsome face.

His violet eyes stared back at her, honest and caring. "I approached you because you were lost and terrified. Sure, I knew who you were but that wasn't why I helped."

There was no deception in his face, nothing to suggest he was being untruthful with her. Her heart pounded as she looked into his eyes. All she could feel was the same impulse she always had whenever she was around him. Cyan would give anything in her life to be with him, near him.

Fuegoleon never cared about her family status, he didn't care that her father was from the Dimond Kingdom or that apparently her mother went insane and almost killed everyone. He would never hold anything like that against her as Everett had held her father against her.

And so far, he had been the only one to be honest with her about her history.

As they stared at one another he ran his hands up her back slowly and sat back, pulling her onto his lap. Cyan allowed him to pull her down, straddling his hips as he sat back against his desk.

"I wonder why I'm so drawn to you." He mused lightly, his eyes never leaving hers.

She smiled slightly and gripped his hair tighter in her fingers. "I was wondering the same thing. I'm sorry I got so emotional. Thank you for telling me the truth."

His lip twitched and a crooked grin appeared on his face. "Don't apologize. I can't believe your still going after all that's happened. I don't think I'd be able to handle dying, facing down a Salamander and having my personal history revealed like that all in a week." He winked at her. "You're amazing."

She should feel embarrassed for crying in front of him or her ignorance at her own history, but she didn't. If it had been anyone else, she might never show her face again.

Another thought sprang forward suddenly, freezing her smile.

"Your sisters right though. I shouldn't have pursued you like this, I never even stopped to think about how it would affect you or your standing." It was selfish of her to think she could have him, even a little piece of him. He was a Vermillion and heir to one of the three noble families; she would never be allowed to be at his side in any official capacity.

He frowned and dug his fingers into her hips. "Stop." He whispered before crushing his lips to hers, silencing any further protests.

His mouth was hot and demanding, his tongue sliding between her lips to trace her hers. Cyan moaned into his mouth and grabbed the edge of the desk with a free hand, pinning him the dark wood. Her body completely relaxed in his grip as she pushed her chest to his.

He tasted amazing and though his grip on her hips was painful, his mouth was gentle. Her stomach filled with pleasure as his touch chased away all her worries for a moment. For the briefest second all that existed was his hands on her body, his mouth on hers and the taste of his tongue.

He pulled back suddenly and smiled. "I would love to spend the day on the floor here with you, but we have a meeting to get to."

Cyan licked her lips and struggled to catch her breath. If he wasn't holding her, she'd probably collapse. "Right." She stammered which earned an even bigger smile from him. "Just as long as were not flying there, no brooms."

"Finally, the hero of the Crimson Lion Kings has arrived!" The Wizard King, Julius Navochrono, exclaimed as Fuegoleon and Cyan walked into his office. His face and hands were covered in bandages, he was evidently hurt after the battle with the light mage. Cyan didn't immediately look at the man, instead she was distracted by a young boy that sat at a table in the corner drinking tea and reading a large leather-bound volume.

Fuegoleon didn't seemed to be fazed being near the Wizard King but Cyan felt uncomfortable and anxious. She was emotionally drained after the events of the morning, first waking up with him then the reveal of her mother. It was a strange feeling to be both depressed and horney at the same time. She had no room to be in awe of the Wizard King.

"Don't call me that." She murmured, earring a hard look from Fuego. He mouthed for her to behave but his eyes remained soft as he looked down at her.

"I apologize I'm just so excited to meet you. I would love to see your magic sometime, maybe even run some tests if I could." His excitement felt fake as if he was reading off a script or someone had instructed him to act that way.

Cyan narrowed her eyes. "No, I would rather you not perform test on me or my magic."

"I'm sorry, My Lord, she's still recovering." Fuegoleon stated quickly, his voice taking on a business-like air. She'd never seen him in the role of Magic Knight captain but notice the subtle shift in the way he carried himself and spoke.

It was attractive. She forgot that the man she knew might not be the man everyone else knew. Around others he seemed stern and focused at the task on hand. But for her he smiled, winked and did dirty things in the morning she wished to explore more.

The Wizard King clapped his hands and motioned for her to take the seat next to the boy. "Right again, please have a seat."

Cyan sat down only when Fuegoleon grabbed her shoulder and maneuvered her to the empty chair as he'd done earlier.

The Wizard King looked over at him, a strange glint in his eye as he watched them. "I think it'll be alright for you to leave now. I'm sure your busy with catching up on paperwork."

"No. He's going to stay." Cyan stated quickly, jumping back to her feet. She didn't want to be left alone with people she didn't know. She was feeling to exposed and raw to be left without help.

"Umm, that's fine." Julius murmured, watching Fuegoleon push her back into the chair. "Here have some tea." While her pored her a glass she looked the boy whom no one bothered to introduce. He was watching her grimoire snuggled in her leg carrier. Fuegoleon also wasn't watching the Wizard King but watching the boy instead.

Cyan might not be the cleverest of people but she was pretty good at reading atmospheres and this one was unnervingly tense. The boy's eyes were intelligent and calculating. Even though he hadn't spoken, Cyan could feel the old soul that dwelled behind his blue eyes.

"I love magic, might I have look at your grimoire?" The voice was young, yet the words were meticulously chosen to sound childish. He was genuinely interested in her magic, not like the Wizard King that only asked because someone had instructed him.

Cyan met the boys eyes and glared. "The Wizard King is a time mage."

The boy blinked at the sudden change of topic. "Yes."

"And he was hurt during the attack."

"Yes." He repeated, his eyes never leaving hers.

"And this idiot doesn't feel like a time mage." She lowered her voice menacingly and pointed at the supposed Wizard King.

"What does a time mage feel like?" The childish sound to his words vanished.

"I don't know but it doesn't feel like that."

The boy jumped to his feet and clapped his hands. "Well done, you are truly the most marvelous thing I have seen since that boy with Anti Magic." He grabber hands and smile. "How did you know? Can you really sense magic and magic types?"

Cyan swallowed and pulled her hands away from him. "No, I was bluffing but no child your age would be reading that book."

The boy looked at the book in question, a copy of the Imperious Emphatica, a book she once read about the Spade Kingdom magic classifications. In fact, she bought a copy when trying to track down the source of her strange magic. He blinked and smiled even wider. "A bluff."

"I'm to take it your Julius and that man is a stand in?" She asked irritably.

The boy burst out in laughter and retook his seat. "Lovely, just lovely. A mind as sharp as your mothers."

Cyan and Fuegoleon stilled at the mention of her mother and everything from an hour ago came crashing back.

Julius sobered and looked between the pair. "Was it something I said?" A he paused then sucked in a deep sharp breath. "Right, you probably don't like talking about her. I didn't mean to bring her up."

Cyan shook her head but it was Fuegoleon that answered. "She didn't know her name until today." He gripped her shoulder, reassuring her that he was there.

Julius looked between the two and narrowed his eyes, obviously curious about the nature of their relationship. Cyan was curious also but wasn't about to bring it up in public. "You didn't know who she was?"

Cyan shook her head. "But I'll make a deal with you, I'll let you do whatever tests you want if you'll tell me about her."

Fuegoleon's fingers drug into her shoulder as the words left her mouth. "You're still recovering." He growled reminding her that she had literally just promised that morning to not endanger her life again.

"My counterpart hadn't worded that correctly. I want to learn about your magic since only one other person in history shared it. I would love to tell you about your mother but there is someone better for that job. You need to speak with Dorothy." Julius' large boyish face smiled sadly at her as he spoke.

"Who the hell is this Dorothy everyone keeps talking about?"

"Dorothy Unsworth, the Captain of the Coral Peacocks and sister to Melda Unsworth."

Cyan's heart stopped, and her throat closed. "I have an aunt?"