Air {Elements of Power 3}

Chapter 25: Jasmine

The eerie, clinical silence which had hung upon the castle for many months was shattered amongst a tumult of cries, prayers and the clanging of pots. The castle had been transformed into an infirmary-come-soup kitchen, to cope with the minor injuries the hospital had neither time nor space for and to provide a warm meal for those who had already lost everything.

Grace and Caleb stood at the centre of the chaos, directing people to various corners of the castle and personally escorting some already too weak to stand. In a world of unending change and instability, they had become constants, beacons of hope and reminders of the better world of yesterday, not just to me, but to hundreds of citizens, who came as much to see them as they did for aid.

Grace had stationed both Brae and me in the hall, where we were kept busy carrying trays of cakes and baskets of bread rolls to tables where steaming meals had already been served. Grace said that it was invaluable for citizens to see Brae among them, helping them to survive. They needed to be reminded that they now had a leader who was young, fit and healthy. One who could put their needs above everything else and who was staying strong in the face of danger. If Brae could appear calm and jovial as he handed out Noni's iced buns, the people would relax a little too. Grace's insight never ceased to amaze me. We would never have survived this long without her.

"I think we're out of the plain rolls," Brae told me as we met in the space between two long tables. Every space at the tables was filled with hungry Arcans. One citizen was turned in the direction of Brae and me now, a cap pulled low over his head, presumably impatient for us to stop chatting and resume serving.

I sighed. "There are plenty of lavender ones left."

"Because no one is that hungry!" Brae's smile turned down at the corners as he added, "Yet."

I squeezed his arm reassuringly, trying to ignore the buzz I felt as my fingers made contact with his skin. "We will be okay. We will all be okay. Our plan will work and the people will be saved and fed-without having to resort to flowery bread!"

My attempt at humour was met with a weak, but grateful smile and we parted once more to go about our rounds.

Back in the kitchen, I found Roxy sighing as she stirred a huge vat of soup, ready for the second wave of diners who would be arriving within the hour. She had tied her hair back into a tight bun, making her look even fiercer than usual.

She may have been helping, but she definitely wouldn't be winning any awards for charity work; her nose was scrunched with distaste and the hand that wasn't holding a ladle was tapping impatiently on the work surface. It was a good job she was out here, hidden away from the Arcans. Grace had felt that her presence might make some feel uneasy; I believed Roxy just didn't have it in her to look compassionate. Once a Helian Princess, always a Helian Princess... What was Brae thinking?

No. I shook my head. I shouldn't think like that. She was my sister. And she was trying. When we had first met her in the Helian Realm, there was nothing in the world that could have made Roxy stand here in this kitchen, cooking for the hungry. She wouldn't lift a finger to help her own people, let alone anyone else's. So what if she wasn't total reformed and humble yet, she was still a lot better than she had been. And I should be proud of her for that. I should. It was just really, really hard when she looked so much like she wanted to hit someone over the head with her ladle.

I forced myself to smile and walk towards her. "Hey, Roxy. How is it going?"

Her face said it all. Lips pursed. Nose upturned. Eyes almost slits. She looked so much like her mother it was terrifying. There was no way I was telling her that though. Not when I was in ladle-hitting distance.

"Not well."

"Oh, come on. It's only a little bit of stirring. How hard can it be?"

"You have no idea what it's like in here!" she hissed. "No one will talk to me, even to tell me what to do. I'm not even convinced they are going to serve this soup because I think they've all decided I must have poisoned it. Why couldn't I help serve, like you and Brae?"

"If you think these guys don't like you, imagine taking a step out there. Go on. Do it if you really want to. I dare you. You won't be worrying about soup in a pot anymore though-you'll be wearing it."

"Arcans," she announced, her voice haughty, "Are incredibly racist."

"Because Helians are famed for their campaigns against xenophobia." I rolled my eyes.

We paused at an uneasy impasse, neither of us yet quite sure where the line between sister and rivals fell. Were we jesting, or attacking? It was making my head spin. She at least hadn't taken my suggestion for the new plan as an attack and had instead readily agreed to help us lure Cinaer out of hiding; she was just desperate to get a shot at taking him out.

"Hey, girls, how is it going?" Brae asked, coming between us, for once dispelling the cold instead of bringing it.

"Perfect," Roxy told him with a smile.

"Wonderful," I echoed, my eyes still narrowed. "Time to get back out there."

"Enjoy the company!" she called afterme. 

{Thank you so much for following! Here is the latest chapter early, as promised. I hope you enjoy the tension between Roxy and Jasmine. Please vote and comment to let me know what you think.}