Sunthread

The Girl and the Fire

     “Hey," Eden said, running to catch up to Elena. 

     "Go away."

     "Why did you lie about killing all the Eveila monsters?"

     "Don't talk to me."

     "Seriously, Alec thinks you suck at fighting, but you lied about that, why--"

     Elena whirled around and stared straight at Eden with a burning look. "I want him to think that, do you think I'm stupid?"

     Eden blinked. "But...why?"

     "Why?" Elena scoffed and crossed her arms angrily. She walked a few steps, despite the rain pouring down, her back turned. All the other Valiants of Eirene had gone back to their headquarters, leaving Eden, Elena, and Hete trailing behind. If the sky hadn't been permanently blackened, Eden would say it was getting close to seven PM.

     "You said the Sunthread reminded you of a memory," Eden went on, since Elena wasn't talking. "But that was a lie, right? It reminded you of your own power. So if you didn't want anyone to know, why'd you show me?"

     Again, Elena didn't say anything.

     "You said...every time you think of it, it makes you really emotional. Why is that?"

     Elena hesitated. "There are things about me...that you'd be better off not knowing," she said at last.

     Eden studied the back of her head. He hadn't noticed it before, but she looked thin, pale. Like frail glass that would break if you touched it. Her brown hair looked dark against her skin. And when she finally turned, he saw that her deep sapphire blue eyes were dark with a burning flame. He hadn't seen it, but he believed her when she told him there were things about her better left unsaid. 

     "Well," Eden began, hesitating himself. "Thanks for saving me, by the way. You might not like it, but I think your power is awesome. You're really strong, Elena. Maybe if you used it more, you'd learn to like it, too."

     Elena's eyes softened, but she still didn't look convinced. She sighed loudly, sat down, and folded her thin delicate hands, white in the icy rain. "You don't get it," she said. "My power isn't awesome. You don't know what I am. I don't even know. But I know that I'm not normal. There's something wrong with me."

     Eden blinked. "You don't seem weird to me," he said truthfully.

     "I don't?" Elena asked, bewildered. 

     "Of course not! I've got a weird power too, but I'm not weird."

     "But your power was given to you," Elena pointed out. "Mine is...a part of me. I can't get rid of it."

     Eden waited for Elena to keep talking.

     "When I first found out about it, I was so upset. What person can create white fire out of nothing?" She looked down at her hands. "I started to wonder about my past, tried to dig up some memories. But I couldn't remember anything. Just a bright white light, like my fire. I was stolen from my home in Branwen when I was little...so I figured that maybe I'm not normal at all. I'm a witch...an evil thing."

     Elena's eyes were dull as she stared into her lap. Eden cocked his head to the side, walked over to her, and laid his hand on her shoulder. "Hey," he said assuringly. "Maybe I don't understand everything, but I know that you're not an evil thing. Look." He pulled him up by both her hands. "Powers aren't bad. You were born with a gift! I think it's a beautiful gift. And if you were born with it, you're probably meant to use it. So instead of hiding it from everyone, I think you should be proud."