Free Soul Fire by Aprille Legacy Page A

She waggled a cloth covered parcel. “I’ve
got food!”
    I grinned and closed my door. After a gruelling two
hour detention in the kitchen, I was starving.
We spread the cloth out over the floor of her room,
which was a carbon copy of mine. Rather than sit at the
table, we sprawled out on the rug. Dena lit the fire and we
chewed pensively on cheese and bread rolls.
“How was detention?” she asked, tearing a bread roll in
half.
“Boring. I tried to reason with Eleanora again but she
just ignored me.”
“It’s understandable,” Dena said, and I glared. She
sighed. “Sky, if they really have lived this way for
thousands of years, they’re not going to change their
minds overnight.”
I sighed heavily, picking a bit of cheese apart.
“Where’s Theresa?” I asked finally.
“Asleep. She didn’t much feel like staying up.”
I began to build something out of the cheese.
“What’s it like having a soul mate?” I asked quietly.
“It’s fantastic! Have you ever had a really good friend
that seemed to know everything you were thinking?”
“No.”
“Well it’s like that. We never fight,” she leant back on
her hands. “It’s great. It really is.”
My heart sank and the cheese structure in front of me
crumbled. Dena noticed my expression.
“He was worried about you today.”
“Yeah, for a split second. Then he just went back to
normal.”
Dena didn’t reply, and we sat together in silence until I
left, unable to take the silence any longer.
~
    The next morning, instead of sitting with Dena and the
others, I put my tray down in front of Phoenix and sat
down.
    “Hi, hey, hello,” I said, beginning to eat. “Remember
me? I’m your soul mate.”
He observed me for a few moments and then went back
to eating.
“Of course I remember who you are.”
We ate in uncomfortable silence for a few moments.
“Look, have I done something wrong?” I asked him.
“No.”
“So why don’t you talk to me then? You’ve hardly
spoken a dozen words to me!”
He continued eating. Just when I thought he wasn’t
going to reply at all, he said:
“I don’t make friends very easily.”
“So why don’t you even try?” I asked, giving up all
pretence of being interested in my food. “You’re giving off
a pretty bad vibe.”
“Leave me alone, Sky.”
That stung. To my surprise, tears burnt in my eyes, and
I stood up hastily, lest he spot them.
“Fine. Wish granted.”
The next week passed with little change. Phoenix still
ignored me, Eleanora remained cold and Larni still refused
to let me speak to Netalia or Iain on her behalf.
I continued getting fitter and my magical skills
continued to be honed. It was a relief when Iain
announced that this weekend we’d be allowed into Keyes.
“You’ll ride into town and spend the day exploring the
local culture. Of course, you’re welcome to stay here if
you wish.”
Many of the Lotherian mages were doing just that,
having been to Castor and Keyes many times throughout
their lives. Dena and the others were planning to go,
however, and I eagerly tagged along with them.
On the morning of the trip, I woke up earlier than
usual, doing my routine sit ups and push ups. Larni
brought me my uniform but left before I could even say
‘good morning’. As it was, I made my way to the stables
with a shadow hanging over my head; I missed Larni’s
companionship.
We set off just before midday. I rode next to Yasmin,
chatting about our life back in the human realm.
“I left behind my dad and younger sister,” she told me
sadly. “I wonder if they know what happened to us.”
I thought of my mother who was now all alone in our
house. The shadow above me became a rain cloud and we
rode in silence for the rest of the trip.
The landscape was beautiful. Green pastures were
bordered by thick, lush forests and a clear stream burbled
along next to the road. As we neared Keyes, I noticed that
it was quite a bit bigger than I originally had thought. We
hitched our