Sahara Ashdell: The Son of Evil (Book 2)
Chapter 4 - Path to Destruction

Sahara soon hears someone knocking on the door to the room she is pacing in at Holestroy Castle. She wants to be alone so she does not answer. “Sahara?” She hears Tari Nathila calling her name. That is one of the three elves she is not interested in seeing right now. She glances over toward the door noticing it crack open. Tari Nathila steps in and Sahara tries to tame the anger inside her as the tari speaks. “Brystol explained what happened and I wanted to..”

“Lie some more?” Sahara says feeling her anger bubbling.

“No.” The tari says not seeming ashamed for lying to Sahara. “I wanted to explain.”

“Let me guess, it was for my own protection.” Sahara says still pacing the floor.

“It was for all of our protection.” The tari says moving further in toward Sahara. “We wanted you to get acquainted with our ways and our world before you were told.”

Sahara feels her anger start to spark into something more. “It is always about everyone else, never about me.” She says seeing the tari begin to turn orange.

“You are part of everyone here.” The tari says giving Sahara a concerned look.

“Did you perhaps ever think I could make my own decisions. For once?” Sahara feels her anger intensifying as her vision turns more red and her voice begins to transform to an unfamiliar demonic tone. “Am I so untrustworthy, my own so called family turns on me?”

“Turns on you?” The tari says sounding confused. “We would never turn on you.”

“That is what lying is!” Sahara roars fighting the anger inside her.

“Sahara.” Aran Rayterbay is now in the room and is holding out his hand toward Sahara. “Just calm down.”

“Calm down?” Sahara roars as she mentally causes a chest of draws to fly across the room and just barely miss the aran.

“Don’t let the darkness get inside you Sahara.” The aran says calmly but Sahara finds his words confusing and it causes her to feel more angered. She causes electric currents to pulse out of her hands and wrap around the tari. She lifts the tari off the ground.

Sahara’s vision is still red as she notices the aran has his hands up toward her in defense as if he is about to do something to her. She quickly causes the electrical currents to curl around him too and pull his arms down to his sides. She throws the aran across the room and causes him to hit the wall with a loud thud before he falls to the ground. “You’re all liars!” She roars.

“Sahara, stop.” Brystol says causing Sahara to look behind the tari and see the startled expression on his face. She looks back toward the aran who throws his hands out toward her and a wave of blue light begins to move toward her but she throws her hand up pushing the blue light back toward the aran. The blue light hits the aran and causes him to slam back up against the wall. “I know you are mad,” Brystol speaks again stepping closer toward her with his hands up in defense. “But you have to calm down because your hurting them.” Sahara looks at the aran who is laying on the floor motionless.

“You’re right!” The tari says toward Sahara. Sahara looks over toward the tari seeing her pain from the volts of electricity, still wrapped around her. Sahara feels her anger lessen slightly as the tari continues, “We should have trusted you at the beginning and told you about the way to break the betrothal.”

The once red color in her vision is now orange and she realizes she is letting the anger control her like she had with Fazor in the woods. She releases the tari from the electrical currents as she fights her tears. The tari thuds to the ground as Sahara feels her heart and breath increase in pace. “I’m sorry!” She says as her vision clears.

Brystol is helping his mother up from the ground, as he watches Sahara cautiously. Sahara isn’t sure what to do as she remembers the aran. She looks over at the aran and begins to move toward him in concern but Brystol stops her by jumping in front of her before she can get to close to the aran. “Don’t touch him!”

“I didn’t mean to.” Sahara says gasping for air. She had never seen Brystol look so scared of her before and it makes her tears break free. She looks behind him to see the tari bending down to look at the aran. “Is he okay?”

“I think it was just a sleep spell he cast at you.” The tari replies as she waves her hands over the aran’s face. A moment later the aran jumps to his feet with his hand out toward Sahara again. “It is alright.” The tari says as she tries to calm the aran. “She has calmed.”

Sahara feels her chest tightening from the lack of air she is consuming. “I am sorry!” She says backing away from the trio who all are looking at her with a mix of fear and caution. “I didn’t mean to.” Sahara knows she needs to get away from them, so she teleports.

She tries to relax herself as she gasps the fresh human world air, she feels the cold snow hitting her skin as she looks around the woods. It looked much different in the snow, as if she is in a place she has never been before. She finds comfort in the idea, and knows there is no way for the elves to find her here, even though she had brought Brystol here last year by accident. She hugs herself trying to warm her skin as she walks through the deep snow toward the cliffs overlooking the river. She had always found peace at the cliffs as she watched the river rumbling below. Even in the darkness she found the view peaceful and comforting.

The daylight wakes her as she feels her stomach growl. She was less confident about how she would get food than she had been about using her magic to build a nice little shelter last night. She had even built a small chimney that kept her warm all night. She was not into hunting and there was sure to be no growing wild fruit this time of year. She steps out of her small cabin and looks down from the cliff toward the frozen water below. She wonders if fishing would be an option. She looks at her fingers for a second before snapping them and suddenly a fish is flopping beside her on the ground. She smiles knowing she can prepare it since she had done so many times at the Craig’s house.

Sahara is feeling cold as she is walking through the woods looking for something else she could eat, since she had grown tired of fish the past three days. “Finally.” A males voice startles her as she jumps and turns to meet eyes with Verdiwild, the aran, and Brystol.

“No.” Sahara says in surprise as turns and begins to run away from them toward her small cabin. She knows she is a good half mile from it at least, so she teleports to it. She quickly tries to figure out what to do as she paces inside her cabin. She can’t think of another place to go. She thinks about teleporting to the Craig’s but knows they would be sure to find her there.

“Do not even think of teleporting again.” The aran scolds her as his voice sounds through her walls. “For you’re not in trouble.” She jumps as the door opens and Brystol steps inside.

She feels her breathe panting from surprise as she asks,“How did you..?” She cannot fathom how they found her.

“Brystol said you teleported here to avoid the binding last year.” Verdiwild pats Brystol on the shoulder in a proud manner as he motions for Sahara to join them outside. “And your smoke signal was helpful.” Sahara looks up to her chimney as she exits the cabin and sees purple smoke bellowing from it. She had not realized her magical fire was smoking a unique color.

“Did you build this?” The aran asks peeking inside the small cabin. Sahara just nods her head in reply as she wonders why none of them seem mad at her. “Impressive. Verdiwild, you must come see inside.”

“Did I hurt you?” Sahara asks pointing to the aran’s arm that is bound by a bandage.

“Oh, this is nothing. No harm done.” The aran says politely. “And Nathila is alright as well.”

“Why am I not in trouble?” Sahara asks looking toward the aran curiously and feels her nerves pulsing.

“It is our fault you were provoked. You had every right to be angry with us, though I wish you had told someone you had electrovibe ability. And that you were still having emotional magic issues.” The aran says sitting down on a fallen tree that overlooks the river. “I see why you come here, it is nice.”

“Electrovibe?” Sahara asks looking over at the unusually distant Brystol.

“Yes. The electrical currents you used on us the other night.” The aran says patting next to him for her to come sit. She quietly moves over toward him and sits down. “You have obviously been practicing it to be so good at directing the currents.”

Sahara shakes her head in honesty. “That is the first time I have ever used it.” She wonders though if that were actually true as she recalls using it multiple times in her dreams. “Well, awake.”

The aran gives her an odd look before he speaks. “You have done it in your dreams?” Sahara nods her head as she remembers the other magical things she had done in her dreams, and she wonders if she can do them as well now. “Why would you do such a thing in your dreams?” He asks in concern.

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“I do many things in my dreams like that.” Sahara says feeling ashamed of how cruel she was in her dreams when she killed other elves.

“Will you show me.” The aran says as he swallows nervously.

Sahara glances back at Brystol, who is still keeping his distance and still looks nervous to be so close to her. Sahara looks back at the aran before she stands and move back away from him. She slowly bends down to the ground and places her hand on the cold snow. Closing her eyes, she focuses on the water she senses on and under the ground around her. She causes it to slowly rise up as small droplets and forms them into one large ball of water over her head. She looks up at the massive ball of water before she looks back toward the aran, who is watching the mass of water with his mouth open. Verdiwild is standing silently next to the door of her cabin, and Brystol is just staring at her in a painful manner she does not understand. She causes the ball to rotate above her head until it grows faster and faster and turns into a large raging tornado. The roof of her cabin is beginning to rip away as she watches the three ellon hunkering down in fear of what she is creating. She causes the wind to grow around them as the trees begin to sway and the snow begins to melt from the heat she is creating.

“That is enough Sahara!” Verdiwild’s words cause her to slow the winds as well as the spinning tornado over her head. The great ball of water stops spinning, before she causes it to break back apart into rain droplets and fall to the ground as if it were raining. She makes sure to keep it from touching the four of them as the ground around them soaks with the water.

“I kill elves in my dreams.” She says in shame. “My friends.” Sahara says feeling a tear run down her cheek. “You.” She says looking at Brystol. Though she had never seen the figure she had always killed in her dream clearly, she somehow knew it was him, every time.

“They are only dreams.” The aran says not sounding as confident as Sahara had expected.

“Then, why can I do the things I practice in my dreams, in real life?” Sahara asks feeling panic rise inside her.

“It is alright.” Verdiwild says holding his hands up toward Sahara as he glances above her. “Just calm your nerves.” She follows his eyes to see the limbs of the trees behind her bent down above her as if they are protecting her. “Don’t let the emotions control you.”

“Why is this happening?” Sahara says feeling her panic intensify as she looks back toward Verdiwild and the aran. Verdiwild steps closer toward her but he suddenly jumps backward as the top of one of the trees above her slams into the ground in front of him, barely missing him. The aran, Verdiwild, and Brystol all move back in fear.

“Think of something happy.” The aran says.

“A time that made you feel good.” Verdiwild says sounding calmer than he looks.

Sahara tries to think of something that makes her feel good and happy. She thinks of school, but that is stressful. She thinks of plorksol, but that too was aggravating since she had been so distracted and not played well. She glances over toward Brystol remembering how his kissing her had distracted her from their game. The way he made her feel wasn’t happy but it did feel good. “That is good.” Verdiwild says pulling her attention back toward him. “Just think of whatever that thought was when you start feeling yourself drift toward anger or fear again.”

Sahara looks above her realizing the trees are standing straight up again. She glances back toward Brystol feeling odd that he was her calming thought. “Why does no one else’s emotional magic come out like mine does?” Sahara asks realizing she had never seen any of the other elves act in such anger as she has, or had fire in their eyes, other than Brystol.

“Many elves have emotional magic and cause mishaps often. They are usually just less powerful than you.” Verdiwild says sitting down on the fallen tree that the aran is sitting on again.

“Do many have flames in their eyes when angry?” Sahara glances toward Brystol as she walks over toward the two older ellons.

“Only the more powerful elves.” The aran says glancing back at Brystol curiously before looking back toward Sahara. “Have you seen someone else flame?”

“Flame?” Sahara asks wondering if that what it was called.

“Son? Has someone else flamed?” The aran asks Brystol intentionally ignoring Sahara.

“No.” Brystol shakes his head and motions toward Sahara, “We had only talked about it before. After she flamed when she fought Frazor.”

She is not sure why he is lying but she assumes she has to go along with it. “We must assume that he already knows.” Verdiwild says in a normal voice.

“Not only does he know, but it is part of his plan I fear.” The aran says thoughtfully, “Why else would Frazor teach her.”

“Patreek?” Sahara asks realizing they are talking about her emotional magic. “How am I part of his plan?”

“You must learn to tame your emotional magic. And quickly.” The aran says rising back up to his feet. “Can you put out your magical fire and take us back to Holestroy?”

“Why would Patreek want me to be more powerful?” Sahara asks realizing she felt more powerful using her emotions than when she just did magic normally.

“I am not sure.” The aran replies, but Sahara can tell he is not being honest.

She waves her hand causing the fire in the cabin to extinguish before she causes the cabin to come apart. Each piece of wood from the cabin, she forces to join back together into their original form of being fully formed trees in the ground. After she finishes, she turns toward the shocked faces of the three ellon and focuses on the aran. “Don’t lie to me again. I will not take us back until you tell me.”

Verdiwild moves over inspecting the trees she just formed back together before he looks toward the aran in shock. “It is alive. As if she never cut them down in the first place.”

“Did you learn that in your dreams as well?” The aran says also inspecting one of the trees she just put back together.

“No.” Sahara says. “Please?” She asks trying to tame her emotions. “Why would he want me more powerful? That is a good thing because, wouldn’t I be able to defeat him?”

“Was anyone with you in the dreams?” Verdiwild asks keeping his eyes from her. “Teaching you?”

“Um..” Sahara had not thought of the evil laughing ellon teaching her before.

“What did he look like?” Verdiwild says briskly grabbing Sahara by the arm.

“I don’t know.” Sahara says feeling confused. Had she actually been seeing Patreek in her dreams. Why would he be coming to her in her dreams to teach her.

“How long has he been teaching you in them?” Verdiwild asks still sounding concerned.

“I don’t know.” Sahara says trying to remember to tame her emotions as she glances toward Brystol.

“Stop it.” The aran says pushing Verdiwild away from Sahara. “You’re going to stoke her emotions.”

“I have had them since the beginning of summer.” Sahara says before she pauses for a moment thinking about the ellon in her dream. She had never really seen him clearly. “He is taller than I and young, because his ears are not fully formed. Dark long hair.”

“A teen elf?” The aran asks.

Sahara nods her head in response. “He is always standing next to me. But I don’t give him much attention.”

“How would a teen elf know how to enter dreams and teach such magic?” Verdiwild asks looking at the aran.

“And through such protective shields, unless he is disguising himself in the dreams.” The aran answers.

“It began at Kinderton?” Verdiwild asks Sahara, who nods her head. “Then, it must be someone that was at Kinderton and is now at Malorsty.” The aran only nods his head in agreeance.

“Perhaps he is learning how to use your power by teaching you how to use it, so that not only will he be able to defeat you, he will be prepared to defeat us all quicker.” Verdiwild finally answers her question.

The aran stays silent as he looks around the woods in thought. “So, teach me how to defeat him.” Sahara says.

The aran laughs at her with his response. “If we knew how to defeat him, we would not be in this situation.”

“Besides, from your display of magic in the past two days, you have far surpassed anything we could have taught you in that department. Emotion control is what you need to learn.” Verdiwild says giving her a loving smile. “Now take us back to Holestroy please, unless you would like to travel by portal.”

Sahara shakes her head remembering how portalling makes her nauseous. “I will teleport us.”

“My stomach thanks you.” The aran says with a nod.

“No more lies though.” She says looking at the aran and then over to Brystol. “I won’t be lied to.” She notices Brystol look away from her as if he is ashamed before she looks back at the aran.

“Agreed. No more lies.” The aran says extending his hand toward Sahara. She takes his hand in agreeance.

She releases his hand before she closes her eyes and teleports the four of them back to her room at Holestroy. She notices the mess she had made the other night is already cleaned up. “I am sorry about your arm.” She says to the aran, who is walking toward the exit of the room.

“It is alright.” He nods to her. “Verdiwild will accompany the two of you back to Malorsty and be staying to tutor you on emotional control.” The aran briefly looks over toward Brystol and nods a short goodbye before disappearing into the hallway.

“I will meet you both in the carriage after you clean up.” Verdiwild says before he too exits the room.

Brystol meets her eyes for only a second before he moves towards the door to leave, but Sahara stops him with her words. “Why are you being so quiet?”

“I don’t know what to say.” Brystol says standing still by the door and keeping his back toward her.

“Why didn’t you tell them you flamed when you attacked Slagwart?” She asks in a quiet tone.

He quickly looks at her with his reply, “I didn’t want father to think I was more powerful than I actually am.”

“But what if you are?” She asks curiously.

“I’m not.” He says in a short tone before leaving her alone in the room.

“Aranel.” Verdiwild bows to her as she arrives to the carriage at the entrance of the castle.

“Is that all you are taking?” She asks looking down at the small old cloth bag he is holding.

“It holds more than you think, and besides, it is only a few days until holiday break. We will be back by weeks end and then I will do the heavy packing.” Verdiwild says proudly scrapping his hand across his bag and causing dust to escape it’s fabric.

“You will be back by weeks end. I shall be in Kinderton.” Sahara says stepping up into the carriage.

“You are to spend the holiday here, at Holestroy.” Verdiwild exclaims.

“I have already invited guests to spend the holiday with me at Kinderton.” Sahara says crossing her arms as she sits down. “And they accepted.”

“What guests?” Verdiwild asks seeming alarmed.

“The Slagwarts.” Brystol says from behind Verdiwild.

“For what purpose?” Verdiwild asks looking obviously confused by the news.

“Because he and I were dating before Brystol got him kicked out.” Sahara says moving away from Brystol, who is sitting down next to her.

“Well, that will need to be cancelled. I will inform them.” Verdiwild says holding his finger up toward someone outside of the carriage Sahara cannot see.

“What? No you will not. It is not being cancelled.” Sahara demands.

“And did you speak with the aran of this plan?” Verdiwild asks with a smirk.

“Why do I have to answer to Aran Rayterbay when I have my own kingdoms?” Sahara asks defensively.

“You are not yet eighteen, so you do not have your own kingdoms. They are ruled by him and thereby you are also ruled by him.” Verdiwild says stepping aside from the door. “Shall we go speak with him on the matter?”

“I mentioned it to him.” Brystol says avoiding Sahara’s glare. “He said we would be going to Kinderton for the holiday to join them.”

“I didn’t invite you!” Sahara says feeling annoyed.

“Ah.” Verdiwild says sounding relieved as he finally climbs into the carriage. “Very well then.”

“My parents consider you one of the family, so they would never allow you to spend the holiday alone.” Brystol says.

“I wasn’t going to be alone.” Sahara says turning her eyes to look out of the carriage window hoping to keep her anger quiet.

“You weren’t going to be with family.” Brystol corrects her.

“Family? No. Family doesn’t lie to you.” Sahara says with a huff.

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