Air {Elements of Power 3}

Chapter 10: Roxy

The castle was quiet today.

Empty.

Deserted.

Even the usual Air Head Protectors on guard duty had been replaced with Arcans who were even more mundane and useless.

I sparked a flame in my fingertips and watched it glow, revelling in the small amount of warmth it produced.

It was too cold over here.

How had I ever thought that I could live like this? It wasn't right, wasn't natural.

I needed the warmth.

That was why I was planning.

Of course, I could have escaped from the room itself with relative ease. The guards would run at the first sign of fire and even the Protectors didn't pose much of a threat. But there was no point... Yet.

I needed to plan how to return home first, how best to take out Cin and reclaim my place with my people.

In the meantime, there seemed little point in leaving a constant source of food and relative comfort.

Besides, it helped, just a little, to think that I was close to him. To put off, for now at least, having to leave his presence forever.

I hadn't seen him again since his brief appearance three days ago. But I still savoured the sight. It was imprinted on my mind whenever I closed my eyes.

I found myself sitting here, imagining what he was doing in the rooms around me, wondering if he was walking past, if he was considering coming to see me again. And speaking this time.

I was torturing myself. I knew that. He was probably too busy with her. He had probably forgotten all about me: the Helian inconvenience.

Tristan had stopped by once or twice. He hadn't forgotten about me. He seemed pleased with his progress so far. It didn't sound like he had achieved anything to me, but they had allowed him to stay, which was something, at least. His plans of world dominance were on hold though - Brae's dad had just died. The Arcans were a nation in mourning.

Tristan was content to wait. Silly Sephan. Didn't he realise that this was just the first of many excuses? Did he really think the Arcans would go to war against my people with him? "Something needs to be done," he kept telling me. "Someone needs to teach them a lesson." It was as though he had forgotten where I came from. What I was.

Perhaps I could change Tristan's mind? Maybe I could get him to help me - I could promise to make the Helians pay for their crimes if he got me back home and helped me take out Cin-and my mother too while we were at it. I could promise to convince the Helians to change without violence and war. Idiot Sephan that he was, he'd be likely to believe me. The Arcans would be likely to latch onto it too, as a peaceful solution. The Air Heads didn't like unnecessary violence.

The plan had promise. I would pose it to Tris next time he stopped by.

My head jerked up as a knock came at the door. Perhaps that was Tris now.

{Who do you think it's going to be? Tris? Brae? Or someone else? Sparks are definitely going to be flying in chapter eleven, but you'll have to wait until next Friday to find out why. In the meantime, please vote/comment to let me know what you think.}