Hot Flush

"Concentrate Red, don't get distracted by my beautiful presence." Archer said.

Such a narcissist, she thought.

She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate but her mind wandered elsewhere.

It played so vividly in her head, the night she won.

The herald had beckoned her forward when suddenly the flask as well as her timepiece from her pocket disappeared. It mysteriously appeared in the herald's hands and she saw how meticulously they peered into the fragile container. Inspecting the flask and touching every detail carved into the handheld clock. The herald descended from the tree with a light foot, its robes and hair fluttering in mid-air.

'Congratulations Ruby Rose Springfield, you have bested four other candidates in this trial. You weren't the first to collect moon dust, but you have gathered more than what was enough to last you a year. I have examined the flask and its contents and you have passed without a single doubt.' It offered the items back and Red took them gingerly.

"Thank you. What am I to expect after this?" she boldly asked the herald.

'Keep your pocket watch at all times. When the right moment comes, it will lead you to the next trial. As is with the other candidates.' It told her without moving its lips, devoid of emotion as it had always been. The herald then spoke to Ari who was behind Red.

'Dear warrior, you have served and shown valiance for your future queen. Remember your sworn duties and the favor will be yours for the taking.'

Then the herald slowly faded into the darkness of the night. Its realm soon vanished and the blue floating lights had gone on with the herald and disappeared. She took a look at her pocket watch; a new bud had sprouted from the vine-shaped outline of the clock. One out of seven down, six more death traps to go.

Their surroundings gradually returned to normal where every floor of Floruchna Control Tower was lit and Chadrons from all departments and subgroups continued to work for their daily needs. The glass walls looked as if nothing happened. Crystal-clear without a single scratch. Red peered onto the flask she held containing the moon dust that continued to glow.

That was probably the craziest night she ever experienced in her entire life, she thought to herself. For the meantime at least. They don't have any clue what laid ahead.

"Red… hellooo Red are you listening to every word I am saying here?" she heard Archer complain. "You are unquestionably going to end up running out of luck with your spells if you won't listen."

Red snapped out of her contemplation and saw Archer propped casually in front of her, his face too close and unbearably difficult not to look at. His eviction last time didn't last more than half an hour and Ari called him back in the apartment to teach Red the basics of magic since apparently it was his specialty. He had been teaching her how to control her magic over the past days and she learned pretty much quickly the basics.

But what is with these brothers and their weird habit of pushing their faces at a disconcerting distance? Red could see his lips slightly opened, his breath smelled of menthol candies. His eyes - beautiful emerald eyes - were looking at her fixedly, his annoyance obvious by the way his thick brows formed a bridge and his forehead wrinkled. He was like a man-child both too young for his kind and too old for his childish demeanor.

Not to mention he was a freaking six-footer!

He's like a giant baby, she thought.

A picture of tall, broad-shouldered Archer in baby diapers and a rattle toy flashed in her imagination and she mentally slapped her face for even thinking such a scene.

A hot flush of blood rushed to her cheeks at the mere thought and she quickly turned herself away from his gaze. Ari was observing from afar, ready to break their engagement as soon as both might start fighting again like cat and dog.

"Why are you suddenly so flushed?" he asked.

"I don't know." She made an excuse. "Maybe it's the summer heat."

"Bruh, how about some cool breeze over here, eh?" Archer suggested.

Ari looked at Archer as if he asked such a stupid request and he disinterestedly blasted him with air from his palm. The younger only laughed at his brother's reaction.

His hair had sticked out everywhere like crazy which kind of made him look silly.

And kinda cute too.

'Goddammit, what am I thinking?' thought Red.

No spells were chanted when Ari did that spell though, she noted. It was another level of mastery of your affinity as what Archer explained to her on their first lesson.

Most of what she mastered in a short span of days were Low Magic as what the Faeys call it. They were basically magic that could be used even by Faey children on a day-to-day basis for expediency like how humans use technology.

She had to admit, technology in itself is like magic. You push one button and your food cooks. Flip a switch and light comes. Turn a knob and voila clothes spin clean. The list is endless.

"I think it's time we go on a training camp don't you think?" Ari proposed out of the blue.

"Woah just the three of us?" she asked as she frantically scrambled for the exact words she wanted to say.

WHAT THE FUCK ONE GIRL AND TWO GUYS ON A CAMPING TRIP!?

"Duh obviously future queen." said Archer. "I'm the best in spells and Ari here is a fighter. You need both of us."

She had never been in the company of men for too long and she kind of feel ill at ease with all the attention they give.

This trip scares her.

Yet at the same time excites her too.