Air {Elements of Power 3}

Chapter 35: Jasmine

This beach would always be my safe haven. With the sensation of fine, white sand beneath my feet and the waves lapping round my ankles, I could feel at peace. So much had changed since the last time I had had the chance to come down here; when I had been stood in this very spot waiting for Brae to return from his first solo trip to the Brizan Realm.

Then, as now, I had let the wind whip through the dark ringlets of my hair, swirling it into a tangled frenzy. However, on that last trip, I had needed to carefully retie my hair before leaving the beach, concealing the few strands of violet that had started to appear. Now, although almost a third of my locks were an electric purple, I had no need to hide them.

I was also no longer waiting eagerly for Brae's return. He was already here, back up in the castle discussing plans with Tristan. I no longer had any secrets from him, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. It didn't seem to have done me any favours. I sighed deeply; I was about to take the same risk with Tristan and I wasn't sure that it was going to end well.

"Hey, Jasmine. They told me I might find you down here." I spun around, a smile already spreading across my face as I saw Tristan walking towards me through the growing darkness.

Tristan. He was no Brae. And he would be no 'forever' like I had always assumed Brae would be. But he was a good 'now'. And that was what I needed.

Sunlight sparkled in his hair as he approached, the easy smile on his face betraying no hint of concern about what was to come. I wished that some of his confidence would rub off on me. At the moment, it was all beginning to feel a bit too much.

As he reached me, Tristan shivered and pulled his coat more tightly across his chest. "Somehow, I feel you are getting the better end of this deal."

"How so?" I asked, hugging my own shawl as a crisp breeze blew in from the ocean.

"Well, you are heading off to the balmy Helian Realm, while I'm not only stuck in the land of snow, but heading deeper into the wilderness, where it could only possibly be colder."

"I don't know... There's another pretty scary element to this trip which you haven't been filled in on. Another reason why I'm the one accompanying Roxy on this trip."

"Other than your awesome lightning skills?" Tristan cocked an eyebrow, a smile spreading across his features as he took my hand and lowered us both onto a rock by the water's edge. The tide was coming in and the water lapped against the rock, sending a light mist over us as it made impact.

"It's kind of to do with those skills actually..." I began apprehensively. I had been trying to keep my 'relationship' with Tristan light, but I didn't think that I could go away without first explaining some of the secrets about my past.

"And who your parents are?"

I nodded. "My mother is Aurelia, the Brizan Queen and my father... My father is General Emmerich LeMarc."

"Roxy's dad?" His voice had raised an octave; he was shocked.

I nodded again, unable to speak.

"Wow. That... complicates things between you and Roxy somewhat."

"That's putting it mildly!" I looked across at him briefly, unsure what I was going to find. He seemed to be taking it reasonably well; his brow was furrowed slightly in concentration, but his hand was still on mine."

"And the Brizan Queen... I guess that makes you the heir to the Brizan Realm?"

"Well, not really; no one over there knows about me and they would be pretty unlikely to accept me if they did. I'm still just Jasmine; the Arcan who doesn't quite fit in!"

"I guess I should have realised that you would have origins as remarkable as you are. I really shouldn't be this surprised." He laughed and took his hand from mine, putting it instead around my shoulders and drawing me in towards him. I breathed a deep sigh of relief. He hadn't freaked out. Not yet, anyway. "It also explains why you are so apprehensive about this trip. Meeting your dad for the first time, that's big. Something I gave up on doing myself a long time ago."

"You don't know your dad?"

"No. My mum brought me up by herself. When I was a kid I used to wonder... But now, I've achieved so much without him that I no longer care. You though... You have a chance to get to know your father and you should take it."

"But I have no guarantee that he is going to want to know me." I let my hand trail over the water, lifting a spiral of liquid up around my fingertips.

Tristan kissed my forehead, keeping me held tightly at his side. "It's going to be okay. He is going to be overjoyed to find out that his daughter is the most powerful girl in the world."

"I'm not sure that's quite accurate. And I don't think it would endear me to Roxy if it was true."

"Roxy could do with some healthy competition-it might help her to get over herself."

"Or it might lead her to toast me."

Tristan grinned. "You could take her." He winked to show that he was playing. "You've got this. You're going to be amazing," he added with another reassuring squeeze. "And we'll be reunited before you know it, ready to take down Cinaer and grind some Helians to dust."

{Thank you all for waiting so patiently for this chapter while I sorted out my internet issues. Because I'm now a week behind, I'm going to post chapter 36 tomorrow morning. Hope you enjoy this one. Vote/comment to let me know what you think.}