Their voices were hisses and crackles as they spoke, condemning. ?Too brash. Too reckless and sure of himself. Arrogant.? ?Dangerous. The younger ones follow him.? ?He relies on the quick, hot flare of pitch and naphtha ? he does not appreciate the slow molten burn of lava.?
And then a disagreement, a dissenting voice, not crackling with fire but filled with soothing warmth. ?He does lead the younger ones. He can charm when he wishes. His temper flames hot and then fades as quickly ? and he is strong. He does not misuse his strength for harm. He is not like them.? Grudgingly, the other voices conceded the point. ?Are we agreed?? There was no sound.
Devin paced in the anteroom as the elders met to decide his fate. Sparks whirled and flung from his shell as his control faltered with agitation. When he noticed that he frowned, and the expression carved lines into the already harsh planes of his face. The sparks faded as he resumed pacing. A fire confined and brought under control was useful. Wild, it was destruction.
The elders, Renan?s aides, were sitting in judgment for his latest loss of control. His besetting fault, and the last time it had frightened one of the few mortals who resided in this realm into a panic. Resira had cast him off, when usually he was the one to end a relationship gone cold and stale. And they all went cold so quickly. He didn?t care deeply for Resira, but for her to cast him off was infuriating.
Lashes of fire beyond the yellow and gold, beyond blue into white, had turned the wall of a mortal?s house to cindered ash, and the woman within had run screaming. Now Devin faced judgment for yet another loss of control. He had never harmed a mortal yet, nor one of the other elementals ? it was a frail defense. The respect he had worked so hard to earn would vanish like a snuffed candle flame if the judgment was public.
Already the community had doubts. He would have to work harder, and keep even stricter control. The door to the judgment room opened silently, and Devin entered it to face the elder?s decision.
And then a disagreement, a dissenting voice, not crackling with fire but filled with soothing warmth. ?He does lead the younger ones. He can charm when he wishes. His temper flames hot and then fades as quickly ? and he is strong. He does not misuse his strength for harm. He is not like them.? Grudgingly, the other voices conceded the point. ?Are we agreed?? There was no sound.
Devin paced in the anteroom as the elders met to decide his fate. Sparks whirled and flung from his shell as his control faltered with agitation. When he noticed that he frowned, and the expression carved lines into the already harsh planes of his face. The sparks faded as he resumed pacing. A fire confined and brought under control was useful. Wild, it was destruction.
The elders, Renan?s aides, were sitting in judgment for his latest loss of control. His besetting fault, and the last time it had frightened one of the few mortals who resided in this realm into a panic. Resira had cast him off, when usually he was the one to end a relationship gone cold and stale. And they all went cold so quickly. He didn?t care deeply for Resira, but for her to cast him off was infuriating.
Lashes of fire beyond the yellow and gold, beyond blue into white, had turned the wall of a mortal?s house to cindered ash, and the woman within had run screaming. Now Devin faced judgment for yet another loss of control. He had never harmed a mortal yet, nor one of the other elementals ? it was a frail defense. The respect he had worked so hard to earn would vanish like a snuffed candle flame if the judgment was public.
Already the community had doubts. He would have to work harder, and keep even stricter control. The door to the judgment room opened silently, and Devin entered it to face the elder?s decision.