Skylor's POV

"Oh your highness, you are absolutely jaw dropping. I have never seen a more beautiful sight in my life!" one of the attendants that's applying the finishing touches to my hair fawns, meeting my eyes in the mirror.

"Oh you're exaggerating, but thank you," I give her a smile as I fold my hands in my lap. "I do feel that this event is quite extravagant for the occasion, though, and I apologize that you all must get me ready. I would much rather spend my birthday with friends and family than with a room full of strangers."

One of my ladies in waiting's hands flies over her mouth. "But your highness, your birthday is one of the most important occasions in the whole kingdom! Everyone wants an opportunity to see your beauty and grace firsthand as we have. You are the most beautiful woman any of us have ever laid our eyes upon."

"You flatter me. Both of my sisters are effortlessly gorgeous. They deserve your praise far more than me," I hold my place as an attendant clasps a necklace around my neck. With a small smile, I draw my hand up to my necklace and gently touch the amber pendant. It's the amber that Kai got for me on the journey that solidified my theory that he's my soulmate, and when he came back, I finally put it to the test.

Not only does my necklace remind me of him, but it also reminds me of my mother. She died when I was a toddler, so I never got to know her, but I still can feel the absence of her in my life. Melisa was by no means a mother figure to me before she got shipped off to Shintaro, so while I have (with some failure) tried to fill that role for my younger sisters, I have been deprived of it myself. From what I have heard from everyone, she would have been a great mother to me.

"Nonsense! They might be stars, but you are the Sun, outshining them all!" one of the attendants cheers as another one reaches out for my gloved hand and helps me out of my seat. There, she turns me to face the full length mirror that adorns the wall so that I can take in my appearance. My hair is tied back into a bun with two small braids leading back to it and some hair left out to frame my face. A tiara sits atop that and matches the silver hue of my earrings, necklace, and bracelet. My dress makes my jaw drop. It is sleeveless with the bodice tailored inwards to hug my curves before it cascades outwards at my waist in a magnificent waterfall of tulle. It is a deep shade of orange with diamonds embellishing the bodice.

"Let us escort you to where your date for the evening is staying," one of the ladies curtsies at me as another opens the door, and without hesitation, I allow them to lead me through the winding halls of the castle until we reach the common area of this wing.

Kai standing by a window on the far side of the room, gazing out of a window. Even though I can only see him from behind, my heart still flutters in my chest. From the way his suit hugs his shoulders, back, and arms from behind, I can only dream of how it must look from the front.

"You are all excused," I tell my attendants, and I'm marginally aware of them curtsying to me before they rush off. Instead, I'm more focused on the way Kai's head immediately snaps in my direction and how his jaw goes slack as he looks at me. He looks astonishing, his hair styled exactly how I like it and his hazel eyes sparkling as he wears his suit that makes my knees weak.

When I hear that the attendants are far enough away, I close the door behind me. "Sorry to keep you waiting." I walk over to him, and his eyes are glued on me the whole time.

He finally regains his composure, grabbing my gloved hand and bringing the back of it to his lips. "You are well worth the wait," once he puts down my hand, his hands are immediately at my waist, burning a hole through any formalities that I'm supposed to put up with others. "You are so fucking gorgeous."

I got showered by compliments from my ladies in waiting tonight, but this is the only one that stirs my insides and actually flatters me. "So are you. You and this suit are a dangerous combo for me," I lift a hand and place it on his left pec, right where his tattoo lies.

He brings his right hand up and starts to trace the visible portion of my tattoo that's peeking out of my low neckline, sending shivers throughout my body. Desire for him builds up inside of me like a volcano about to erupt as we look at each other. My insides melt at his touch.

"And you and that dress is a dangerous combo for me," he leans down so his mouth is right next to my ear. His hot breath gently fans my neck, making my eyes flutter shut. "If neither of us want to go, then how about we skip? You can say that you got the flu."

I sigh and pull away so that I can look at his face. "You and I both know that we can't do that. It's my birthday party after all. We can spend some alone time together afterwards," I press a kiss to his lips, and his warmth envelopes me and fills me with both an intoxicating buzz and a tranquil calmness. "We're already late since my father insisted on it to make my entrance 'more grand' since everyone else will already be there. That means that we have to be on our best behavior."

"Pfft, I'm always on my best behavior," Kai sticks out his arm for me to take. "See, I'm a total gentleman. Don't worry about it, Babe." I raise an eyebrow at him. "What I meant to say was 'dearest princess Skylor."

I take his arm with a smile on my face. "There we go. Now, let's get moving."

The two of us make our way out of the room and towards the main ballroom where my party is being held. My heels click on the tile floor as we navigate over. "You know that the former queen consort is going to be here tonight, right? Father said that although he doesn't want to see her as much as I do, the people would begin to question the whole situation if 'their current queen' didn't come down from Shintaro for her successor's birthday."

Kai lets out a groan. "Yep, PIXAL told Zane who told me. She has no right to step foot in this castle ever again after she tried to hurt you. I personally think that the king should have exposed her to everyone, but I understand why he didn't considering how it might affect your sisters."

"This entire event is entirely for appearances, so acting as if I don't loathe her will just build on that. I believe that I can be cordial with her for the small time that we have to interact," I take a step closer to Kai, enjoying the comfort of having someone that I can openly talk to beside me.

"Melisa sucks. I'm sorry that you never really had a mother. Queen Amber loved you a lot when she was around. You were all that she ever talked to Jay about in the last few months of her life. I'm sure she'd be proud of who you are today," he talks softly, looking over at me with his warm eyes.

"It is what it is. While I wish she could be here with me, I wouldn't have had my sisters otherwise, and they mean the world to me. My life would be incomplete without them, even if one of them doesn't feel the same way," I shrug it off, trying to look at the big picture. "Speaking of mothers, how long until your mother gives birth? I can't believe you're finally getting a sibling after 150 years."

The corner of Kai's lips turn upwards. "My sibling should be here in a few weeks. You can come see them with me too, if the kingdom can spare you for a few days."

"I'm sure that they'll be able to. Your parents are always so welcoming when I see them."

"They adore you so much. Last time we visited them and you had to leave early, they wouldn't stop talking about you for the rest of the time I was there. They can see that you make me happy...in a way I've never felt before."

His words set my chest alight and puts a giant smile onto my face. I slightly go onto my tip toes since I'm already in heels and place a kiss onto his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Once we turn down the next hallway, we reach the doorway to the ballroom where several guards are standing. At the sight of us, they immediately bow. "Good evening, Princess Skylor and Master of fire. We shall inform the king of your arrival, and you may make your entrance."

---

"Oh, a new dress! Thank you for the gift," I smile at the woman who just presented me with a birthday present. For the past hour, I have been sitting on my throne as people gave me their gifts. Practically everything has been either jewelry, shoes, or a dress. I appreciate the effort everyone put into their gifts, but it is a bit monotonous to sit here and feign shock each time.

I glance next to me and see Kai deep in his own head, not that I fault him for it. He's had to stand there this whole time and just watch me open gifts. This is only proving to him that we should have skipped this entire event.

"Of course, your majesty! Your radiance will shine even brighter in that dress. I wish you an amazing birthday," the woman curtsies and scurries off, revealing the last group of people in line.

"It appears that I saved the best for last," I smile as Cole, Jay, and Aria, Jay's girlfriend, walk in front of me. Although I told all of them to give me their presents when we celebrate my birthday together in a small group, Jay and Cole need to leave early tomorrow morning to complete an errand for my father, so they're going to miss the celebrations. I told them that they could give it to me at a different time, but it looks like they're giving it to me now.

"I can guarantee that it is not a dress or jewelry, Princess Skylor," Cole smiles as he hands over the box and takes a few steps back to where Jay and Aria are standing.

I gently untie the ribbon around the box, allowing me to lift off the lid. Inside, there is a beautiful ombre quill that is red at the bottom and fades into orange then yellow. My jaw drops at its elegance. I have never seen anything like it.

"This is stunning. Where did you acquire a quill this beautiful?" I examine it, turning it around in my hand.

"Well, Cole and I traveled into Primeval's Eye and fought this massive enchanted firebird for one of its feathers. Then, when we came back, Aria treated it to turn it into a quill," Jay explains. "I take it that you like it?"

"I love it. Thank you all so much."

"Princess Skylor, was bringing a present a requirement for entry?" I jump in my seat, shocked when Kai randomly starts talking.

I look over at him, but he's looking out at the party. "Yes, why?"

"I was tracking people's heat signatures just for safety, and I found several people who are loitering at the edges of the room, not really interacting with anyone. They didn't bring you a present, either. I can't lock in on them all because there are too many, but I just found it odd," he speaks quietly so that only Cole, Jay, Aria, and myself can hear.

"Hmm, we can't make a scene about it..."

"I can check them out to make sure they aren't dangerous. I'll use a little current as a metal detector to make sure that they aren't armed," Jay offers, and I let out a sigh of relief that this doesn't have to escalate any further.

"But Jay, you said that we could dance right after this. You wouldn't dance with me before Kai and the princess showed up because 'they could come at any minute'. You wouldn't dance with me since then because 'we have to wait in line'. Now, you're pushing it off again. I just want to dance with my soulmate at a ball," Aria crosses her arms, and I have to fight rolling my eyes.

I don't know how Jay's dating luck has been so bad, but this time, he managed to get himself duped into dating a girl who believes they're soulmates since they have similarish tattoos, and her's "is only differently because she was born prematurely." However, over the past several months, I'm pretty sure that he realized his mistake of believing her and is slowly trying to pull away. Every single girl he has been with has been awful. He deserves someone who will give him healthy love, who doesn't just push him around, and who actually understands him.

Cole is in the exact opposite position of Jay. Instead of even trying to date, Cole has sworn off dating until he finds his soulmate. He's watched both Jay and Kai try to date, and nothing outside of a soulmate relationship has worked out for either of them, so he doesn't see a point in trying to find something now when he can be focusing on making himself and the team better. It's commendable, but I can tell he gets lonely when all of his teammates have someone special, but he doesn't.

"Darling, this is for your safety, too. I promise promise promise that I will dance with you as soon as I'm done. In the meantime, Cole can dance with you. Can't you, Cole?" Jay looks over at his best friend, pleading for help.

"Oh? Oh yeah, of course. Jay shouldn't take too long anyways," Cole answers, offering out his hand.

"Fine, but you better be dancing with me soon," Aria sighs before giving Jay a long kiss on the lips and walking off with Cole.

"Can you just lock into their heat signatures and let me read your mind? That will be way easier than you having to point them all out to me," Jay asks, and Kai nods. Soon, they're both zoned out and using their powers.

"My my, what do we have here?" Melisa strides over, putting in the effort to talk to me for the first time tonight. She is wearing a gaudy, colorful dress with way too many gemstones on it. It is low cut with the neckline taking a deep v and cutting all the way down to her belly button. In her hand, she has a folding fan that is also adorned with far too many gemstones to be tasteful.

"I just finished giving Princess Skylor my gift and was about to head off. Have a good evening, your majesty," Jay bows and walks away, escaping this mess quickly.

Kai quickly snaps his focus back to his immediate surroundings and looks at her with no emotion. "Good evening, your majesty."

"Oh Kai, no need to be so formal! I would say that we are closer than that, no? You do look absolutely titillating tonight, by the way," her eyes scan him up and down, and any desire to be respectful towards her flies out the window. My jaw clenches, and it takes so much self-control to contain the rage that immediately flares up at her being so brazen when she was barely let back in in the first place.

"Oh yes, Kai does look very astonishing tonight, but he looks astonishing every night...and every morning, for that matter," I can't help but smirk a little as she scoffs at my words. "Did you walk over here solely to provoke me or was there an actual purpose?"

"I thought it would be improper if I came all the way down from Shintaro and didn't wish my own step daughter a happy birthday," she shrugs, looking at her nails like she doesn't care. "Have you seen my daughters on the dancefloor tonight? They are absolutely captivating. It's a shame that neither of them are heir to the throne. It would put my mind at ease. I fear for this kingdom," she sighs, putting a hand on her forehead in woe.

"My sisters are beautiful. I was actually hoping to join them on the dancefloor, so Kai and I should get going," I give her a clearly fake smile and rise from my seat. I instantly take Kai's arm and walk away, leaving her in our wake. All eyes are on us as we near the dance floor.

Kai brings his mouth close to my ear again, "and you told me that I had to be on my best behavior." I can hear the smirk in his voice.

"Well, I thought that I could be cordial," I joke back quietly, deciding to not get too worked up about it. As we reach the dancefloor, I spot both of my sisters dancing.

PIXAL, dressed in a silver gown with amethyst trimmings, dances with Zane. Both are naturals, gliding across the floor with elegance and poise. On the other side, Rumi, in her own cute little green gown, dances with Lloyd. Lloyd is still shorter than her since he hasn't hit his growth spurt yet, so it's adorable to watch her have to duck so that he can spin her.

When I look back at Kai, he has his hand out for me and a playful smile on his lips. "My princess, may I have this dance?"

"Certainly, my elemental master," my heart is light as I take his hand. He instantly twirls me once before he places a hand on my waist and pulls me closer. My free hand goes back to his shoulder blade as my other hand intertwines with his, and our arms touch all the way down to our elbows. We step in sync, the space one of us vacates instantly being filled by the other.

"It's moments like this where I'm extra happy that we got drunk that one night and I forced you to learn how to properly ballroom dance," I whisper in his ear which makes him quietly laugh.

"You were so frustrated at how bad I was doing. It was hilarious," he recalls then places a kiss on my cheek. "In my defense, my coordination wasn't at its best."

"Hey, I could still do it, and I was just as out of it as you were. In your defense, I did learn how to dance in high heels, so it's like the same thing as being intoxicated."

"Yeah but..." suddenly, Kai jerks me around and let's go of my hand. He turns and grabs the wrist of the closest guy to us before twisting his arm backwards and throwing him to the ground. As the man lands, a knife falls from his pocket and clatters onto the ground. Immediately, the man's arms and legs are stuck to the ground by ice. I look up and see Zane facing us with his hands directed at the man.

Kai quickly darts around me and tries to do the same maneuver on another guy, but he dodges it. However, Kai quickly follows it up with a hard kick to the man's side, making him stumble, before he kicks him from the front and the man falls down. This time, the man's limbs are pulled downwards and captured in stone. The hilt of the knife can be seen sticking out of his pants.

My heart pounds in my chest as I look at the two men on the floor. Kai's head whips over to mine, and he rushes back over to my side, grabbing the sides of my face as everyone else in the room watches. His eyes are wide. "You're not hurt, right?" I shake my head, and Kai instantly pulls me into his chest, one arm wrapped around my waist and the other on the back of my head. I feel tears start to well up in my eyes as the situation hits me.

"They wanted to kill me, right?" my voice barely escapes my throat. Even in Kai's arms, I still feel the fear, even if it isn't as intense. The guards rush to detain the two men, but none of them approach us.

"Yeah. Jay searched these two last and warned me that they had knives on them. I acted as soon as I found out," his voice is quiet and gives me something to focus on besides the dread in my stomach. The tears start to leak from my eyes against my will. Kai feels my body start to quiver and pulls me closer. He places a kiss on the top of my head. "Don't worry. You're safe. I've got you."

I jerk upwards, my heart racing in my chest as I reach up to my face and feel tears wet on my cheeks. I take a deep breath and try to reground myself. I've had to do this every time I've gotten these hyper realistic dreams that I can remember in full. In these dreams, everything that I am doing makes perfect sense to me. I know everyone even if I don't know who they are when I wake up. I've been getting them for a while, but they're always a lot more vivid right after I receive my injection. However, tonight was the longest and clearest by far.

My chest feels empty, and I can't help but allow more tears to slip out of my eyes. From all of the sensations to the ease of interactions to him, it all felt so real. The master of fire always treats me with care in every single one of my dreams. He looks at me like I am all that he cares about and like he would give up everything for me.

My tattoo always throbs when I wake up, and I ache for him. It's agony because that's not him. I wish I could be the me in my dreams because even if she works hard, she is so happy and in love. She knows who she is and has a support system. I, on the other hand, am completely alone, and the person that I can't help but long for, the person that I can't help but want to be near despite everything, killed my sister.

Tonight's dream, aside from the increased intensity in my residual feelings towards the master of fire, was significant in another way though, something that has never happened before. Master showed up in my dream, and I have no idea what the hell that means.

A/N: Hi everyone! I hope this longer chapter helps compensate for the wait! I felt like this chapter was needed before the storm that is going to be next chapter! 

I doubt that I'll have a chapter up before next Thursday because that's my last day of finals so I should proooobably study haha.

Any questions or comments?

Thank you all so much! We currently have 13 chapters left, so buckle up! Things are about to pick up