a wolf. It stepped closer into the light, and she saw the full majesty of the creature that dwelled inside of her.
“Illiana.”
She heard her name through a long tunnel but found her way back to herself. When she did, she blinked and stared at her aunt. “I’m okay. Sorry, I was listening to the fire.”
“The same way you listen to the air? Can you control it?” Coret asked.
“It’s the same way I listen to the air, but I can’t control it. The wolf inside of me responds to the fire almost as if the two are linked.”
“Maybe it is. Look, I can’t help you with the elements, but I can help you draw out the other part of you. What do you say?”
Illiana thought about what her aunt said. If she could figure out the wolf, let it come out of the shadows, then she could figure out how to change into it at will. Maybe then . . . she let the thought drop because she did not want to give it hope. For now, she had to keep it a secret. Had to play things close to the chest. Her aunt would help with that because if she alerted her mother, then all hell would break loose. But still one other thing bothered her.
“I would like that, but answer me one other thing first.”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Mother always said my father was dead. You just said that he left and he was alive. Why would she tell me he was dead?”
“That was part of her idea to keep you safe. She didn’t want you to run off and try to find him.”
Illiana nodded. “That sounds like my mother. Thank you, Coret. I’ll make sure to come over, and we can work on this.”
Chapter Four
Illiana sighed and studied the dancing flames. The fire before her was starting to die out. The breeze she summoned tried to fan the flames, but the blaze refused to be stirred. She reached out, hoping to convince it to blaze higher, but it fought against her like a naughty child struggling to get away from its mother. The bonfire seemed to giggle, which sent sparks bursting into the air. The exasperated breeze gathered up the ashes and scattered them to the four corners of the land.
“Still having problems controlling the fire element?”
She glanced up and saw Coret emerge from the dark forest. They had planned to meet hours ago in a secluded area that many of the flock deemed to be sacred. Their clandestine meetings had been going on for three months. Illiana wondered if they were making any progress. Sometimes no matter how much she went headfirst into the darkness of her mind, the wolf did not want to emerge. Every time she tried to entice it to come out, it would not. The frustration was beyond anything she had known, and she wondered if it was at all worth it.
“You’re late.” Illiana poked the embers with a stick and watched the end catch on fire. The little flame crawled up the branch, and a growl rumbled her throat. The frustration boiled her anger, and the fire jumped when she snarled. Coret laughed and sat across from her. She shot her aunt a glare.
“Sorry. One of the priests needed some guidance, and that turned into a long discussion. I didn’t think it would take that long. It appears she’s having a crisis of faith. Those are normally the ones who ask silly little questions when all there is, is faith. Then your mother came by to ask if I had seen you. She’s worried about you, Illiana.”
She sighed. Her mother had not taken kindly to her coming back the day after the initiation into the flock. Lelana had asked a lot of questions that she had ignored. What good would it do to tell her mother that Christopher had rejected her? That her heart had gotten ground into the dirt? And what was the point listening to her mother say it would be okay when it would not be? There was too much at stake. Her mother had hurt Illiana too much by keeping the past from her. Maybe one day she would be able to tell her the truth about what she had discovered.
“She can worry about me all she wants. All she needs to know is that I’m training with
“Illiana.”
She heard her name through a long tunnel but found her way back to herself. When she did, she blinked and stared at her aunt. “I’m okay. Sorry, I was listening to the fire.”
“The same way you listen to the air? Can you control it?” Coret asked.
“It’s the same way I listen to the air, but I can’t control it. The wolf inside of me responds to the fire almost as if the two are linked.”
“Maybe it is. Look, I can’t help you with the elements, but I can help you draw out the other part of you. What do you say?”
Illiana thought about what her aunt said. If she could figure out the wolf, let it come out of the shadows, then she could figure out how to change into it at will. Maybe then . . . she let the thought drop because she did not want to give it hope. For now, she had to keep it a secret. Had to play things close to the chest. Her aunt would help with that because if she alerted her mother, then all hell would break loose. But still one other thing bothered her.
“I would like that, but answer me one other thing first.”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Mother always said my father was dead. You just said that he left and he was alive. Why would she tell me he was dead?”
“That was part of her idea to keep you safe. She didn’t want you to run off and try to find him.”
Illiana nodded. “That sounds like my mother. Thank you, Coret. I’ll make sure to come over, and we can work on this.”
Chapter Four
Illiana sighed and studied the dancing flames. The fire before her was starting to die out. The breeze she summoned tried to fan the flames, but the blaze refused to be stirred. She reached out, hoping to convince it to blaze higher, but it fought against her like a naughty child struggling to get away from its mother. The bonfire seemed to giggle, which sent sparks bursting into the air. The exasperated breeze gathered up the ashes and scattered them to the four corners of the land.
“Still having problems controlling the fire element?”
She glanced up and saw Coret emerge from the dark forest. They had planned to meet hours ago in a secluded area that many of the flock deemed to be sacred. Their clandestine meetings had been going on for three months. Illiana wondered if they were making any progress. Sometimes no matter how much she went headfirst into the darkness of her mind, the wolf did not want to emerge. Every time she tried to entice it to come out, it would not. The frustration was beyond anything she had known, and she wondered if it was at all worth it.
“You’re late.” Illiana poked the embers with a stick and watched the end catch on fire. The little flame crawled up the branch, and a growl rumbled her throat. The frustration boiled her anger, and the fire jumped when she snarled. Coret laughed and sat across from her. She shot her aunt a glare.
“Sorry. One of the priests needed some guidance, and that turned into a long discussion. I didn’t think it would take that long. It appears she’s having a crisis of faith. Those are normally the ones who ask silly little questions when all there is, is faith. Then your mother came by to ask if I had seen you. She’s worried about you, Illiana.”
She sighed. Her mother had not taken kindly to her coming back the day after the initiation into the flock. Lelana had asked a lot of questions that she had ignored. What good would it do to tell her mother that Christopher had rejected her? That her heart had gotten ground into the dirt? And what was the point listening to her mother say it would be okay when it would not be? There was too much at stake. Her mother had hurt Illiana too much by keeping the past from her. Maybe one day she would be able to tell her the truth about what she had discovered.
“She can worry about me all she wants. All she needs to know is that I’m training with
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