Page 41 of Her Ivory Flame

“Testing my reading skills?”

“Maybe.” she smirked.

“Odin granted the Ivory flame, which fed off life, to his Valkyrie in order to help win the long drawn-out war. When Odin gave it to his warriors, Loki took an opportunity to grant his own power to the rebels and gave them the Ebony Fire that feeds off death.” He took in a long breath and she watched him shift. “Odin got angry and placed a curse on the Ebony Fire’s magic that made it unusable unless someone innocent in his eyes died who wielded it, passing it to the next of kin. Since he thought none of the rebels were innocent, it lay dormant in the lineage for centuries now.”

“Impressive.” She nodded. “My mother had told me stories of it but we all think the line died out and there was no kin left to pass it to.”

He just stared at her for a long moment, the maroon in his eyes changing slightly to a lighter color before he cleared his throat and broke eye contact.

“Time to quit stalling,” he nodded “Put your hands on the ground and concentrate.”

She did as she was told and felt a pulse from the ground as soon as her palms touched the dirt, another small crack chipping at the wall built around the rest of her magic. A jolt of hope pulsed through her and she let a smile form on her face.

“Concentrate.” Kaden mumbled.

She let her body relax and took in a long deep breath to try and quiet her mind. She could hear the slight breeze moving the tree branches around them, small birds chirping and even a small deer nibbling on the grass at the edge of the meadow.

Her mind cleared quickly and she focused on the energy she could feel from the earth itself, the trickle of power flowing from the dirt and up her fingertips.

“Af Óðins nafni, kalla ek á móður til að nærða logann ljóssins og vernda saklausa heimsins. (By Odin's name, I call upon mother to nurture the flame of light and protect the innocents of the world),” she whispered, the chant she was taught to use to call her power.

She had never thought of doing this when she was in hiding, but then again she wasn’t sure she wanted her power when she was alone. If she had her powers, she would be easier to find.

She could feel the pull of power from one arm to the other, a warm feeling spreading down her body and all the way to her toes. It wasn’t enough to break her entire wall down, but she could feel a small recharge of the small amount she had gotten back, and it felt refreshing.

She snapped her eyes open, Kaden staring at her with a curious look and she lifted one hand from the ground, a small white flame flickering in her palm. It was a speck of what she would normally be able to do with her full power, but seeing still gave her hope she would get it all back.

“Good,” he said plainly and started to stand.

“That was it?” she said, staring up at him.

“You needed to get your head straight, I figured this would help. We don’t have time to frolic in the field all day.”

She stood and crossed her arms while staring at him with an annoyed look. He just stared back, unbothered by her glare and it made her feel even more irritated..

“Have you ever taken a day off?” she asked sarcastically.

“No.” He scoffed.

“Well, maybe you need to get your head straight and take a day to unwind,” she chuckled. “Or get laid, whatever works for you.”

She heard him grunt and start towards the horses, a clear indication she had struck a nerve with her last part.

“Ah, so it's been a while, I take it?” She chuckled again while following him back to the horses.

“I don’t talk about my personal life, unlike you.” he snapped.

“Well maybe you should, it can be therapeutic.”

He just glared at her over his shoulder and grabbed the reins of his bay horse, his eyes glancing around the clearing before mounting.She just sighed and mounted up on her grey mare, giving her a soft pat on the neck.

No words were exchanged while making their way back to the castle grounds, their trip very short but extremely useful. She knew she looked like an idiot with a childish smile plastered on her face watching the flame dance on her palm. She noticed Kaden glance her way but didn’t say anything until they got inside the outer gate.

They went straight back to the castle in silence, her eyes trying to study him as they rode.

He was not the friendliest guy around, but she was able to see a few glimpses of humanity in him. He was nothing like Silas, and she supposed that was a good thing.

He glanced back at her as if he could feel her eyes on him and she looked away quickly, her stomach feeling a tug as they continued.