Typhon's Revenge

Chapter Thirty-Four

FIRE

I knew I was dreaming. I had had enough dreams in the last couple of months to know when something was real and when it wasn't. And right now, this felt very unreal to me. It was a memory.

It was the day I had started to doubt Noah's intentions.

I could see everything unfold in front of me as if it were a movie playing inside my mind. I could hear my laughter distantly before Thunder came into view with me on its back and Noah appeared a moment later riding another gray horse. He had said something that made me laugh and I had been too busy enjoying the moment that I didn't notice the way Noah's eyes seemed to darken as he looked at me. 

"Hye, we need to cross the bridge, remember? It's almost sundown and I want to be back in the castle and have enough time to clean myself before dinner," I said as I turned to look at Noah.

He smirked and shook his head. "We have enough time for that. Why don't we stop and let the horses rest for a bit? We have been riding them nonstop and not all of them are used to the exercise," Noah replied as he pated his horse's mane. 

The horse huffed but he did look tired. 

"Okay, if you're sure we still have enough time to get back," I agreed as I slowed Thunder down to a stop and jumped off of him. 

Noah smiled as he watched me and followed my lead. "You've gotten good at this. Riding suits you," he said in awe and I blushed slightly. 

I didn't know why I was feeling so nervous or feverish. It was as if something were clouding my thoughts. I couldn't think clearly and suddenly, I was beginning to feel very tired. 

"Thunder helps a lot," I said with a shrug as I sat down on a rock under the shade of a tree.

Noah chuckled and sat down next to me. Neither of us said anything for a moment as we looked at the two horses that were now gracing on the grass. 

"Everything has changed since you arrived. It's more exciting and... fun. I actually look forward to something when I wake up," he said softly without looking at me.

Somehow, his words seemed to wrap around my mind and cloud my thoughts. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me as I gently nudged him. He smiled and his eyes fell on mine. His gaze was so deep and enchanting that I couldn't seem to look away. 

"That can't all be because of me. I mean, the others are also part of the group," I said with a shrug and he shook his head.

"The others are lost without you. You're their leader and they look up to you. You're a natural leader. The rightful heir to the Underworld. A powerful princess," he commented and my blush intensified. I wasn't used to having someone praise me so much.

"I've had help. I also have my low moments," I said as I started to fidget.

Noah chuckled and slowly moved his hand closer to mine before wrapping his cold fingers around my hand. I shivered but didn't pull away. I couldn't. My mind wasn't working as it should. 

"Aileen there is something you must know," Noah whispered as his eyes trapped me again in his gaze and I could no longer think of what was happening. 

"What is it? Did something happen?" I asked slowly and I saw him hesitate.

He thought about what to say and before I knew it, he was leaning towards me and I was watching everything in slow motion. My eyes widened as my mind processed what was happening. What was he doing? A part of me was too dazed to react but another part of me was screaming at me to move, to push him away. It told me that if I kissed him then I would lose everything. 

That voice was strong enough to knock me to my senses. At the last second, I was able to push Noah back and move my head to the side so his lips only grazed my hair. He seemed taken aback and surprised by my change in mood. It was as if he knew I couldn't pull away.

"No, Noah. What are you doing?" I demanded as I got to my feet.

Noah's wide eyes stared at me, perplexed. He was tense as he looked at me trying to figure out what had happened. 

When he didn't say anything, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and shook my head in disappointment before turning away. 

"Wait," Noah called after me and I froze with my hands on Thunder's saddle. 

"We should go back," was all I said as I jumped on Thunder.

As if feeling my emotions, Thunder huffed at Noah and flicked his tail angrily. I turned us around and started leading Thunder away.

Noah said something under his breath but I was too far away to hear and he quickly got on his horse and followed after me.

"Aileen, let's just talk about this," he said. His voice had softened and his eyes were begging at me to listen to him.

"Noah, I don't know what kind of impression you think I gave you, but I certainly don't want this. I'm not interested in starting any kind of relationship right now," I said with a sigh and he nodded his head.

"I know and I'm sorry. I misread the whole thing. But the truth is, I do like you, Aileen. Since the day I met you, I knew there was something different about you. I felt and still feel a very strong connection with you. I know you must feel it too," he urged and I clenched my teeth together.

"No, Noah. I don't. I'm sorry, but you did misread the whole thing," I said as I turned to him. "Let's just get back to the castle and after that, I'm sorry, but I don't think we can be friends again."

Noah's body stiffened and he opened his mouth to say something. "Aileen-"

Just then the loud ring of my alarm made me jump in surprise. My eyes quickly flew open and I was sitting on my bed as the room around me started to spin. Rubbing my eyes, I tried to focus but I still felt confused.

I woke up still feeling tired and dazed. My blaring alarm clock had managed to wake me up from my deep sleep and I groaned when I saw the time: 5:30 am. 

Aileen, do you really need to get up at this time? I thought to myself with a groan as I shook my head. The last thing I wanted was to get up. 

The dream I had seen right before I woke up had managed to make me feel uncomfortable. It was a memory of something I wished hadn't happened. Especially because of everything that had happened with Kalani. He had been there for me. He had taken care of me those hours that I had felt so ashamed and confused. Not once had he judged me for what had happened. But something had seemed off about him. Because after he tried to kiss me, I made sure to keep my distance from him and only to reach out when it was absolutely necessary. And yet, he always seemed to be lurking in the shadows, waiting for me to need him. It was as if he were always present at the worst times, ready to help me. 

A part of me thought it was weird, but I decided to ignore it because I wanted to know the reason why my instincts seemed to be alert when I was near him. I didn't know why I had dreamed of this. It was a memory I made sure to block.

With a sigh, I raised my arms over my head as I stretched before pushing the blankets away and getting up. Quickly, I got my running clothes and a sweater. The Underworld was always surprisingly warm but in the mornings I always felt a certain cold breeze. 

Walking out of my room, I headed towards the backyard where the artificial moon was still shining above me. After closing the zipper of my hoodie and tightening my shoelaces I took a deep breath and started my jog. The trail was lit up with lanterns and small lights fixed on the ground.

The cool breeze was enough to keep me going and the warmth that radiated from me subsided. Since we got to the Underworld, I rarely skipped my daily runs, it was what kept my mind at peace. I also made sure not to push myself too much since I couldn't risk getting hurt.

This run made me clear away all the fog in my mind. I had to clear all the nerves away for when we left to go meet the Oneiroi. 

I quickened my pace and took in deep breaths when suddenly, I heard rushing steps behind me. An uncomfortable sensation crawled up my spine as I stiffened and ran faster. After what had happened with Kalani, we still couldn't be sure that this place was safe. 

Raising one of my hands, I conjured up a flame that illuminated all my surroundings. I turned around and came to a stop when I saw the person behind me was none other than my cousin.

"Mason, gosh. You should have said something. You scared me," I said with a slight glare as I looked at him.

Mason chuckled and nodded his head. "I'm sorry. I thought you had heard me calling your name but you were too lost in your thoughts. Did something happen? You look... distracted." He eyed me closely but I was grateful he didn't try to read my mind to find out what was going on. He trusted me enough to hear the truth from my mouth.

"I'm nervous about today. After what happened with Kalani last night, I don't feel entirely safe here. We need to find out what happened to her," I said as I continued with my jog and Mason trailed after me. 

"I know. I went to check up on her become coming out here. Her fever is gone but her brain is still a bit swollen. I don't think she'll remember her memories today," he said with a sigh.

"There must be another way. Maybe the Oneiroi will know what to do," I said and he only shrugged.

We didn't say anything for a moment but Mason was the one to break the silence a couple of breaths later. "Why did you come out here?"

"I needed to blow off some steam and to relieve some of my anxiety. And you? If I remember correctly, you hate running," I teased slightly, and Mason let out a burst of laughter.

"Hey, I never said I hated running. But I have said that I prefer to avoid it," he said with a smile and I rolled my eyes.

"But to answer your question, I'm here for the same reason you are. This will be my first mission as a fully-trained Elemental and I don't want to blow it because of my nerves," he said sheepishly and I chuckled. 

"Don't worry. You're ready for anything. Just remember, we're a team and even if Kalani isn't going with us, we can still manage," I reassured him just as the lights from the castle started to come to view. I hadn't realized so much time had passed. I had been too lost in my thoughts to notice I had jogged half of the trail before Mason caught up to me.

"I hope you're right," he murmured and the two of us walked out of the forest and stopped to take a breath before we went inside. 

Mason was breathing heavily but he didn't say anything as we sat down on the grass while we waited for our hearts to stop racing. The silence between us was comfortable and I didn't mind being like this with him. The two of us looked at the horizon as the sun's first rays started to appear and soon, it was upon us. 

The clock on my wrist started to beep signaling it was 10 minutes to seven. "Come on, let's go back inside. We still have a whole day ahead of us," I said as I got to my feet and offered him my hand.