Boy on Fire (Chapter 2)

Maia steps into the chambers and tosses her bag to the four-poster bed, the curtains are drawn back and billow ominously in the wind. She slowly walks to the window and looks up at the luminous moon, its full form casts the world in silvery shadows. Below she can see the gardens with flowers swaying gently and the cages that once held exotic animals from all corners of their world.

She pauses for a moment, pondering an idea, then whistles into the chilling night air. Extraordinarily a call answers from across the grounds, a sweet melody from her forgotten past. She smiles and whistles again, more persistently. With the rustle of wings a silver falcon lands on the window sill.

It eyes her warily before letting out a quiet chirp and moving closer, she holds out her arm and the bird settles on its master's shoulder with a click of its beak. "Luna," Maia whispers running a finger over the bird's velvet feathers.

With Luna still perched on her shoulder, she glides over to her old desk, a perch for Luna rests beside it and a candle lay waiting to be lit. Luna flies to the perch and begins cleaning a talon. Maia runs her finger over the dust-covered scrolls and feather quills littering the desk.

She can see the thick scrawl that was her own, she sighs and lifts up the candle and takes it to the nightstand. The drawer contains no matches or flint to light the candle, with a sigh she reluctantly begins to pull off her gloves.

Red scars swirl across her once alabaster skin, a cruel reminder of why she fled from this place. She stares at the candle and grimaces, pointing at the wick she shuts her eyes and draws on the power deep within. The fire seems to flow from her heart to her hands in a single instant, through her eyes she can see light flickering.

Nervously she opens her eyes and is relieved to see only the candle was lite. "You really do have an amazing gift."

She startles and turns to see Ikarus standing in the doorway. Luna lets out a sharp caw in frustration and flies out the window. Maia swears under her breath and looks at him with disdain.

"You scared my falcon off," she mumbles and walks around the bed to where he stands. He bows his head and mutters an apology.

"What do you want Ikarus?" she asks, crossing her arms. He looks at her skin and an intense sadness washes over him.

He shakes his head and says, "I came to wish you a good night and to light your candle but you seem to have that under control."

He murmured, head still bowed.

She looks to the candle glowing by her bed and sighs, "I thank you for your concern but I am not a child Ikarus, I am perfectly capable of lighting my own candle."

"You were never a child," he says, looking up. For a moment their eyes meet and the fire seems to burn brighter. He closes the distance between them silently and reaches out to touch her face

She jerks her head away and mutters, "I bid you good evening."

She turns from him.

He stands there for a minute before hesitantly brushing his fingers over her bare neck then leaving her chamber. A single tear runs out the corner of her eye and she rakes her fingers through her hair. The feel of him touching her was a sweet burning and she ached for it but she couldn't give in to her feelings.

Silently she undressed and changed into her white sleeping gown. Eyes still wet she curls under the soft blankets and draw the curtains. Darkness surrounds her and she feels sleep take her.