Page 19 of One Last Wish (The Elder World)

M y hands and arms were so bright, I felt I might catch on fire. The warmth was comforting, though. My whole body hummed and rumbled as power seared through me, but I couldn't control it.

“You need to channel the power, Alora,” a female voice chimed. I’d never heard the voice before, and in my dream she had no face. “Don’t lose it. Feel it. You can do it.”

“It’s going to burn out. I’m losing it!” I stressed, tears coming to my eyes.

“This is the first time we’ve seen it. Your power hasn't manifested yet. It could take centuries ! You know this. You must give it time,” the voice sighed.

“I’m sick of feeling so useless !”

“Alora, you are far from that. Try again. Can you feel anything?” Forcing all I had left inside me, I tried to force my power back, but it was too late. It was gone.

––––––––

I ’D BEEN HAVING STRANGE dreams like these the last few days. If I could remember half of the things I'd dreamt of, I would have had a good plot for a fantasy book.

It was Thursday, Darce had annoyingly been able to keep his hands off me since Monday. Theo and I were going to lock up Bookends tonight. It made sense since we were heading out on our date once we’d finished. I had no idea what Theo had planned, but I was over it already.

“Do you want to change?” Theo asked me while Darce was closing his till down so he could leave.

“Umm...yeah, sure.” I’d only brought a different sweater with me to get changed into. I hadn’t planned on making much of an effort. Despite Darce’s hopes, this date wasn’t going to be enjoyable for me when all I wanted was him. Still, I was humouring him, as he had asked.

As I was grabbing my sweater out of my locker, Darce joined me in the break room. “I’d wrap up warm if I were you,” he mused, giving me a smile I didn’t completely trust.

“Do you know what Theo has planned?”

“I might know a few parts, yes. You’re going to have a great time.” Thinking he had the upper hand, I pulled my work shirt over my head right in front of him. Standing there in only my jeans and bra.

“Did you want to help me put my sweater on?” Darce tried not to look, but his eyes were ravenous as he took in my chest. “You could make sure I’ll be warm enough, too.”

“Such a dangerous creature,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head at me. “I’m sure you’ll be warm enough. Have a nice date.” With that, he grabbed his things and left. Damn it! I was hoping he’d take the bait.

I slipped on my sweater, then checked my face in the small mirror and let my hair down, knowing it would keep the chill from my ears.

Theo was ready and waiting for me as I made my way back upstairs. He was holding a picnic basket.

“A picnic ? In this weather?” I frowned, putting my gloves on.

“It’s a picnic with a twist. You’ll see. Come on. Our carriage awaits.” Carriage?

Standing on the sidewalk, I couldn’t quite fathom the white, horse-drawn cart covered in clear fairy lights, waiting for us outside Bookends. The carriages never came this far into town. They usually only went around Central Park.

“What the hell ?” I was actually smiling when Theo helped me up into the carriage.

“A good first surprise?” Theo asked, tucking the blanket around us that had been left on the bench seat.

“It’s pretty damn good. The only thing that would make it perfect would be some hot chocolate to drink.” At my words, Theo went into his picnic basket and pulled out a thermos. “Holy shit. You didn’t!”

“Darce helped with this one. This hot chocolate is apparently a family recipe of his. When I tried it last week, it was so delicious that I accepted his help.”

“I wasn’t aware that Darce spoke to any of his family.” Well, I didn’t know anything about Darce. That was the problem.

“Yeah, he keeps his cards close to his chest. That much is true. I think he’s a really interesting guy, though. He seems wise for his years,” Theo mused, pouring us both a cup of steaming hot chocolate. He was right, it was delicious. It had just the right amount of sweetness and wasn’t too watery. “It’s good, isn’t it?” As I nodded, I noticed we seemed to be making our way towards Central Park.

“How did you get the carriage to pick us up this far out?”

“That would be telling. You agreed to one date with me. I need to make sure I get a second one.” Where had this sudden confidence come from?

“Don’t get your hopes up, Theo,” I sighed, looking out at all the people on the sidewalk that were watching us. To them, it must have looked so romantic. It was far from that. None of this was about how I felt for Theo. If I was ever capable of having feelings for someone, it wouldn’t be him.

“You don’t know what I have planned. I know you more than you realise, Alora. You might joke that I’m like a stalker, but I take notice of you, that’s all. I see all the little things about you. All I’m asking is that you’ll give this date a chance.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Finishing his hot chocolate, he smiled at me.

“That is true.”

Several minutes later, we pulled into Central Park. It looked magical dusted in snow. Strangely, I felt pretty carefree as the carriage turned towards a quieter area of the park. In the distance, I could make out a small, lit up pod with tea lights and lanterns.

“Is this the second surprise?” I asked him.

“I know you’re not a fan of big crowds, so I thought a picnic in a heated pod would be a good idea.” Well, Theo had me there. He was right, crowds weren’t my favourite thing.

Taking the picnic basket with us, Theo and I made our way into the pod. It was decorated with frosted glass and the shape reminded me of an igloo. It had a square, small oak table and two chairs with fluffy white cushions on them. The whole dome was covered in fairy lights, and soft classical music was playing on a small speaker. How could he even afford this on his wage?

“How much did all of this cost?”

“Alora, can you stop asking questions? Simply enjoy the date.” Placing the basket on the table, he began to take out the contents. All my favourite chocolates appeared first, followed by strawberries, cured meats, cheeses, freshly baked bread, and finally, my favourite can of soda. I gazed at him blankly. These were all things I loved. It was impossible that Theo knew that. “I know you like to graze when you eat. You never eat one thing at a time. It’s always several things simultaneously.”

“Your stalker tendencies are a little scary,” I joked as he poured us another hot chocolate.

“We might as well finish this before it gets cold. We’ve got the pod for a few hours, so there’s no rush to eat all of this.”

We talked while we drank the last of the hot chocolate. It was another two cupful’s each, but it really did warm me up. It must have been the sugar, but I felt a little light headed once we had finished it all.

“I’ll need to ask Darce for the recipe,” Theo hiccupped. “Do you think there was alcohol in it?”

“Probably. Knowing Darce, I wouldn’t be shocked.” Oh, maybe Darce thought if Theo and I got drunk , things would happen ... He really had no clue how I felt about him, did he? Felt? As in feelings ? My heart constricted in a strange way, yearning painfully. Fuck, what was that ? But the more I thought about Darce, the more it twisted. It was like heartburn, but deeper. An ache that I couldn't quite decipher, but it was there.

“Are you okay?” Theo asked, watching me clutch my chest.

“I must have drunk that last cup of cocoa too fast. I’ve got heartburn.”

“Did you want some water?” He dug around his basket, grabbing a bottle of water and handing it to me. The cool liquid helped a little, quenching the fire raging in my throat. “Better?” When I nodded, he started to open all the food. Suddenly, I was starving.

––––––––

I HAD NO IDEA WHAT was happening, but I was laughing and hanging on every word Theo was saying a few hours later. Why had I never noticed how interesting he was before? He was telling me funny stories about his family. One Christmas, he and his sister had stayed up until four in the morning, hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa. I wouldn’t have found it so endearing if he hadn’t told me that he’d stopped believing in Father Christmas three years earlier. His sister was starting to doubt, but Theo wanted her to feel the magic one more time.

“You and your sister are close, then?” I questioned, resting my face on my hands as I smiled at him. Actual smiling . What the hell was in that hot chocolate?

“Yeah, there’s only four years between us. She’s my best friend most of the time.”

“You’re lucky.”

“You should come over to my house and meet her sometime. She knows all about you.”

“Do you have any hobbies other than me?” I teased, taking him in. Theo was actually a good looking guy. I’d always believed he wasn’t my type, but watching him being serene and so self assured, it made him look handsome. Handsome? What was I thinking ? I shook my head to clear it.

“You’ve been my favourite thing to talk about since I met you.” Theo blushed. Looking at his watch, he stood up. “Have you had enough to eat? I have one more surprise for you.” There was more ?

“What is the deal with you and Darce?” he asked once we were back on the carriage. We were still in central park. The winter wonderland that lay in front of us was mesmerising. It could have been picked from a dream or a romantic movie.

“We’re friends, that’s it.” Because that was all we could ever be. Darce had made that perfectly clear.

“I worried there might have been more between the two of you. You guys seemed to instantly click when he started at Bookends.”

“Darce is a complex character. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever understand him. I like him, that much is true, but the guy gives me whiplash most of the time.” Where was my honesty coming from?

“What are my chances with you, Alora?” I turned to look at him, taking him in. It was like I was seeing him for the first time. “If you need time, I’ll give it to you. We can have as many dates as you want until you’re sure, but you must know, I’m obsessed with you. You’re all I think about.” I was sure Theo had quoted that straight from a book I’d read. “Please consider me as an option. I can make you happy, I know I can.”

“I’m not an easy person to be with, Theo. Getting mixed up with me is not a great idea. I keep my distance from people for a reason.”

“You’ve treated me like shit for three years and I’m still here. Doesn’t that tell you something?” The carriage stopped and my eyes widened at the view in front of me. There was a small, frozen lake decorated with lanterns, and fairy lights lit the trees surrounding it. The entire lake was outlined with tiny tea lights. Theo couldn’t have done this alone. Who had helped him?

“I thought we could do some ice skating.” He held his hand out to help me off the carriage. As I took it, the contact made my skin tingle a little. Music began to play, but not just any music, one of my favourite pieces. The River Flows in You. Such a simple, yet elegant piano piece.

“Theo...H...How did you know? This song...is...”

“Take a chance on me, Alora. All you have to do is take my hand. It could be as easy as breathing.” Were these really his own words? This didn’t seem like the Theo I knew.

I took his hand without even thinking. Something inside me clicked, and my chest soared, but not in an aching way like earlier.

Two pairs of skates were waiting for us, and before I knew it, we were gliding effortlessly across the ice.

“Is this safe?” I questioned a few minutes later. “I don’t want to have to jump in and save you if you fall in?”

“Oh, and why do you think I’d fall in first?” Theo chuckled, pulling me with him.

“You’re the clumsy one,” I teased as he spun me around to the music. “How did you even do all this? You’ve been working all day . ”

“I have magic elves,” he breathed, looking down at my lips. “I really want to kiss you, Alora.” Theo moved slowly towards my lips. I was too stunned to object, but the moment his mouth pressed against mine, something felt wrong . My legs felt too warm, Some strange force seemed to be pooling at my feet, gripping me so tightly that I could hardly breathe. I pulled away abruptly as Theo and I both looked down. The lake was filled with a strange, bright white light that was gradually getting brighter. This had to be real ! My mind couldn't make this up.

“You can see this, right?” I stressed, watching a bewildered Theo.

“What the hell is happening ?” He tried to pull away from me, but we were locked in place. “Alora! Your hands!” I looked down to see what he was talking about and gasped at the warm firelight that covered my hands and forearms. Those golden, swirling sun marks I’d seen in my dreams were visible to my naked eye. This was happening ! This was actually real! “Put them in the ice. It should put the fire out!” If I could move, I might have tried it.

“It doesn’t burn,” I muttered, feeling the power fill my body as my hands began to burn brighter. I don’t know how, but I knew I’d be able to break the ice-white light with the power from my hands. Pushing my fingers down toward the ice, I let the light go, letting my power diffuse the ice-white light. Warmer yellow light pooled at our feet and freed Theo and me.

Theo was the first to rush to the side of the lake and drop to his knees as he reached land. “What the fuck is going on? I must be dreaming! Did we get high on something?” He was freaking out.

As I walked slowly back onto the land, I took in the fairy lights in front of me. My hands still had a soft, warm glow to them, almost like flames on my fingertips. I reached out to the lights in front of me, calling to them, pulling their energy towards me. I was mesmerised by the fact that I could make them dance in front of me, weaving them around with the power at my fingertips, using the tiny lights like sparklers to make patterns in the night air.

This was real ! It was that, or I’d gone crazy ! I was wielding light.

“That’s enough , Alora,” came a voice.

Everything was plunged into darkness.