Flame (Fireborn)

by Arden, Mari

  My heart is hammering, and I hear it in my ears when I spot Damien. He's in the distance, jumping and soaring like a magical predator. Soon he will be next to us. I look around, frantic for a plan.

  "What's your power?" I shout to Kaiden as the wind starts to pick up.

  "Don't have any."

  "You're human?"

  "Sort of," he replies. "Mostly."

  I shake my head, too anxious to sort out what he means. "I have fire."

  "What?"

  "I can shoot out fire with my body. Something about a crystal…" Unexpectedly, he stops, nearly dropping me.

  "What did you say?" His voice is quiet, and I'm not sure if he's happy about my power or if he's upset. Just thinking the word power brings shivers down my spine. It still feels so unreal I almost want to use it again, just to prove it to Kaiden and myself. He sets me down on my feet, gazing at me with a look I can't decipher.

  "What did you say?"

  Impulsively, I show him my birthmark, remembering what Damien had said. He touches my palm, holding it like a piece of china. "Is this where it entered you?"

  I'm assuming by "it" he means the fire crystal. "I don't know. Damien thought so."

  "How long have you known?" he demands, angry.

  "Maybe fifteen minutes."

  His face tightens. "Crap, Kenna! I can't teach you how to use your powers now! It takes a lifetime to master it!"

  I glare at him, almost regretting I told him. Before I can make a smartass retort, every single plant around us shatters like glass. Within seconds Kaiden and I are out in the open as vulnerable prey. He curses, grabbing me.

  "Let's go!" He tries to carry me, but I resist, pushing his hands away.

  "No! We can't outrun him, not with me injured. We have to face him, Kaiden."

  He looks unhappy.

  I can see him thinking in his head. I almost wish he would say "no", and think of something brilliant. His eyes are darting around, searching for an escape route. When his eyes go back to Damien's sprinting form, I see his lips tighten in resolution. Every ounce of hope disintegrates, and I try to stand taller, even though I feel small inside.

  Kaiden pushes me behind him. "Do exactly as I say. I might not have a power the way that you do, but I know a lot about magic."

  Damien is plowing through, destroying everything in his path.

  Fear overwhelms me.

  "From what I know about Saguinox warriors, they all have a killing power. If Chloris is right, he will need to get into our minds and take our fears out. We need to keep moving so he doesn't get a chance to do that." Kaiden is talking fast, trying to explain everything as rapidly as he can. "He will probably try to take me down first, and take the crystal from you last. I'll distract him, and you use your powers to kill him."

  Kill. An apprehensive shiver goes down my spine. "Yes," I agree, but I'm trembling so hard Kaiden looks back at me, worried.

  His face softens. "Hey, you're the only one in this universe with a crystal. Your magic knows no bounds. You can and you will defeat him." I really don't understand what he's saying, yet, something in his eyes captivates me. Kaiden looks at me like he believes every word. His confidence gives me a desperate surge of strength, but it also makes me want to puke.

  "All right, here he comes, Kenna," Kaiden warns, completely hiding me with his body. For a split second I'm safe, and then everything around me erupts.

  I scream as the ground starts to rumble.

  "Shit!" Kaiden curses.

  Damien runs toward us, and Kaiden braces himself before jumping up, meeting him halfway. They both fall to the ground with a thud. Limping to the side, I try to follow them. Kaiden doesn't have a power, but he's strong. He takes every punch Damien delves him, and reciprocates it back just as violently. The wind and rain play together in a fierce dance, urging their aggression on. Curling my fists, I close my eyes imagining a dozen perfect arrows, filled with venomous fire. Swiftly raising my hands, I aim. The arrows appear from thin air, gathering in front of me. With a grunt, I push them forward. They fly, some hitting the ground and others hitting both Damien and Kaiden.

  The fire hits Kaiden first and I hear him shout. He's violently flipped to his back. I scream when his head hits the ground. A loose arrow plunges Damien from behind and he screeches, arching his head toward the sky. It's a death cry, and desperation fills me as I plunge ahead. Damien pulls the arrow from his back. For a moment his palms glow, and he breaks it in half. Instantly, the broken arrow disappears.

  Mid- stride, I recoil back in shock, uncertain of what to do next. My palms are aching, but I lift them anyway, discharging as much fire as I can, aiming for Damien. Seeing Damien's exposed neck, Kaiden takes his chance, seizing him by the throat. Damien is too fast though, and in less than a second they both are suffocating each other. Damien is trying to stare into Kaiden's eyes, attempting to bring his greatest fear to life.

  "No!" I move as fast as I can, shooting fire. The pain is so intense my arm might fall off at any second. With his other hand Damien stops me in mid-stride, his invisible grip holding me in place. My fire stops, frozen.

  Abruptly, Kaiden stops struggling, gazing at Damien, transfixed.

  "No!" The grasp on my neck tightens. Something small and bright catches my eyes, and I look up. A star. A single star. Shutting my eyes tight, I picture a burning star. I give it a multitude of colors, red, orange, and blues. I make it into a moving fireball, rotating and turning like waves churning. When I open my eyes again, it emerges in front of me, faint at first, and harder and brighter as I hold the picture in my head. My hands grab the invisible rope on my neck, and I see all my fingers are flaming red. Burning the rope with my fingers, I gaze into the fiery star, silently commanding it to devour the alien. When the rope slowly loosens, melting underneath my onslaught, I shout with every ounce of energy I have left: "Go!"

  With a roar, the flaming star sends itself through the short distance to Damien. It launches itself onto his back, thick like liquid cement. Cackling, the fire melts the metal on his body. With a shout, Damien jumps off Kaiden, flailing his arms wildly to put it out. The rain is steadily coming stronger, but it's no match for my fire, and the star burns brighter, consuming more.

  Kaiden looks dazed on the ground, staring at Damien's burning form. I limp to him, tugging his shirt. "Kaiden! Let's go!" It takes a moment, but he seems to snap out of his haze. He shakes his head like he's trying to get rid of something in his head, and takes my hand. Damien is howling, and still alive. I want to go back to finish him.

  I don't get my chance though because something is suddenly roaring from underneath me.

  "Watch out!"

  Chapter 26

  I hear the snapping sounds first.

  Repetitive and fast, they're an undercurrent to the screams. Immediately, the taut grip on my throat loosens, and the invisible hand burns. I hear a low growl of pain, and something heavy drops.

  When I open my eyes, I see Mia's pale body, lying completely still on the ground. Bruised skin and muscle hang out. Gagging, I cover my mouth to stop the vomit from rising. Damien hisses, clutching his hands. They're smoking, and a slight sizzling sound is heard.

  "Fire," he says with awe, staring at the smoke on his hand. Abruptly he looks at me with glee, making his handsome face crazed. "Do it again!" he urges in a low fanatical voice. He tries to move closer.

  Quickly, I put my hand up. "Don't!" I shout. "I'll- I'll burn you!"

  "That's the idea."

  My hand remains up, warning him to stay back.

  Damien's eyes concentrate on my palm with rising intensity. Thin curls of smoke rise from it. I want to press my hand against the cool ground underneath me, but I'm too afraid to try. His glowing eyes suddenly widen with shock. "The mark," he whispers. "That's where the fire crystal was first placed on you, burned into your body." His eyes rake down the length of me, devious and hungry.

  It's enough to make me snap. I picture an orange blaze shooting from my hand, and wi
th a burst of force, I unleash it. He yells, jumping back, but it's too late. My fire scorches part of his left side.

  I'm stunned.

  "Oh yeah," he says as if he's in ecstasy. "Here. We. Go!"

  He jumps, soaring up.

  Something ancient comes over me. My mind is numb from fear and shock, but my body is flawless, sprouting something fierce from my body. Somehow I aim for him, shooting an array of fire. It's coming out like a flood of stars. Waves of energy pour through me, and despite my injuries I feel more powerful than ever. I think about every person lost to the crystal, and the desperation of the other prisoners, and a rage greater than anything I've ever felt consumes me.

  He comes at me fast, and when I blink his fist connects with my jaw. I see black spots when my face hits the hard earth. His hands grab my hair, and he twists the strands into his fist, creating a tight ball. He jerks me up, and I fly ahead, landing in a heap on the ground.

  I touch my head, feeling as if it's been sliced open. My fingers stroke a thick wetness that can only be blood. I feel a few bald spots, and even from the distance I can see strands of brown intertwined in his fingers, flailing in the wind.

  "The first crystal we took was over a century ago," he tells me, drawing nearer. "The water crystal. The carrier was a girl like you. She was a dwarf and she hid here on earth, thinking this place would keep her safe from us. But it didn't. Our prince found and annihilated her." He pauses, watching me struggle as I try to get up. "The second crystal, air was found ten years after from a healer. He begged us to spare his family. He tried to hide them, but we found every single person that mattered to him, and we let him watch as they died. Slowly. We thought that would show the universe no one can hide from us."

  He's almost to me now, and I crawl back. My hand is hot, like I've been electrocuted and my whole palm is black.

  "Thirty years ago we found the third crystal, tierra. A shape shifter had it. A plant shape shifter." He laughs. "Needless, to say we took that one with ease. We proved there is nothing and no one stronger than us." He stops. Abruptly an angry look comes over his face. "Imagine our surprise when we were told someone had been keeping a secret from us. Someone had hid the fire crystal."

  Damien is next to me now, and his hand lashes out, gripping my neck. I think of fire, and both my hands clutch his arm, fiercely trying to burn him. The metal is sizzling, melting in my hands, but his grip stays firm. He's looking into my eyes, and abruptly his go black. He's searching my mind, and Chloris' warning comes back to me. He digs into your mind, and pulls out your darkest fears, then he makes it come to life. Your heart, your mind, your body, your soul, dies. Every part of you dies. Unable to move, I stare at him, hypnotized. Dark blue mists form, and I glimpse the sheer sapphire fog from the corner of my eye. Pungent, it smells like a sweet poison. Almost in slow motion, it drifts into my nostrils, teasing softly before floating. When it touches me, I'm blinded by azure colors, surrounded by smells I can't place. He's searching in my memories, and the first pull from his mind makes me dizzy. Many pictures flicker in the fog like flashing lights. It's as if I'm watching multiple cameras at once, and my whole life is literally passing before my eyes. The iridescent images are moving so fast my stomach feels like I'm on a roller coaster ride. It heaves with each new picture, but I'm motionless, suspended in Damien's grip. He finds what he's looking for because all the other picture screens suddenly disappear until a single one is left. It sprints to the front.

  Murky water flickers on and off. Flying above the ocean, I suddenly remember this memory. Unable to control myself I scream, but it's quickly cut off when I'm brutally pulled into the image. Flying head first, I plunge into the cold water. Before I can move, a dark weight lands on me, pressing me down. Drowning me. Suffocating me.

  Even though I'm dying in my mind, Damien's breath is hot on my cheek. Unable to move, I whimper helplessly in terror. "A little fire doesn't scare me, girl," he whispers.

  "Maybe this will," a masculine voice retorts.

  I hear something vibrating, and the weight on me freezes. Suddenly, the darkness disappears, and my body jerks out, pushing through water and blue mists, back into my own mind.

  When I open my eyes Damien is frozen on top of me. His pupils are no longer black. He's still, completely motionless. For a moment I feel a second of deep relief and bottomless terror as I gaze into his manic face. Someone pushes him off me. I'm so relieved I start crying.

  Kaiden gathers me in his arms, clutching my body tightly. " It's all right, Kenna," he tells me softly, his face in my hair. He embraces me for many seconds. He pulls back, holding my face in his hands. "This only freezes him for a few minutes. We have to go now!" He notices the way my body is twisted, and maneuvers around it, pulling me up. Half carrying and half dragging me, Kaiden pushes through thorn and trees, and into a forest.

  "Chloris!" I manage to yell out, narrowly avoiding a low hanging branch. I grit through the pain of attempting to run with a broken ankle.

  "Nymphora's taking care of her," he replies, not breaking his speed. I'm trying to follow him, but everything feels so excruciating that I cry out, falling to the ground. Something sharp slits my cheek.

  "My ankle's broken," I confess tearfully.

  Without breaking his stride, he hauls me over his shoulders, breaking leaves and branches to do it. No, I try to tell him, you can't carry me and run. But I'm so relieved to be putting pressure off my leg that all I can do is grasp him tighter.

  Within minutes I hear a terrifying sound behind us. Looking up from Kaiden's neck, I brush past thick leaves. One moment I feel the rough texture against my forehead, and the next it's gone, fading into brown ashes. Blinking, my arms reach out for the trunk of a squatting tree. The barest touch from my fingertips releases its death, and the tree crumbles, breaking into a hundred pieces.

  "Shit!" Kaiden yells, seeing what just happened. "What the hell is this place?"

  "Escape is an illusion," I whisper more to myself than him. "He will find us." The Saguinox warning passes through my lips like a poison. "He uses our fears against us," I inform Kaiden, recalling what Chloris confided. "Chloris told me he sucks our life and our soul."

  He doesn't say anything, but his body shivers.

  I feel a bubble of sadness burst, wetting me with the inevitable.

  "Kaiden," I say his name, depressed and resolute. "We can't run. We have to face him." My voice breaks. "Kaiden!" I shout louder, when he begins to move faster. "Stop. Just stop." He doesn't, but maybe he hears something in my voice because he slows down.

  My heart is hammering, and I hear it in my ears when I spot Damien. He's in the distance, jumping and soaring like a magical predator. Soon he will be next to us. I look around, frantic for a plan.

  "What's your power?" I shout to Kaiden as the wind starts to pick up.

  "Don't have any."

  "You're human?"

  "Sort of," he replies. "Mostly."

  I shake my head, too anxious to sort out what he means. "I have fire."

  "What?"

  "I can shoot out fire with my body. Something about a crystal…" Unexpectedly, he stops, nearly dropping me.

  "What did you say?" His voice is quiet, and I'm not sure if he's happy about my power or if he's upset. Just thinking the word power brings shivers down my spine. It still feels so unreal I almost want to use it again, just to prove it to Kaiden and myself. He sets me down on my feet, gazing at me with a look I can't decipher.

  "What did you say?"

  Impulsively, I show him my birthmark, remembering what Damien had said. He touches my palm, holding it like a piece of china. "Is this where it entered you?"

  I'm assuming by "it" he means the fire crystal. "I don't know. Damien thought so."

  "How long have you known?" he demands, angry.

  "Maybe fifteen minutes."

  His face tightens. "Crap, Kenna! I can't teach you how to use your powers now! It takes a lifetime to master it!"

  I glare at him, almo
st regretting I told him. Before I can make a smartass retort, every single plant around us shatters like glass. Within seconds Kaiden and I are out in the open as vulnerable prey. He curses, grabbing me.

  "Let's go!" He tries to carry me, but I resist, pushing his hands away.

  "No! We can't outrun him, not with me injured. We have to face him, Kaiden."

  He looks unhappy.

  I can see him thinking in his head. I almost wish he would say "no", and think of something brilliant. His eyes are darting around, searching for an escape route. When his eyes go back to Damien's sprinting form, I see his lips tighten in resolution. Every ounce of hope disintegrates, and I try to stand taller, even though I feel small inside.

  Kaiden pushes me behind him. "Do exactly as I say. I might not have a power the way that you do, but I know a lot about magic."

  Damien is plowing through, destroying everything in his path.

  Fear overwhelms me.

  "From what I know about Saguinox warriors, they all have a killing power. If Chloris is right, he will need to get into our minds and take our fears out. We need to keep moving so he doesn't get a chance to do that." Kaiden is talking fast, trying to explain everything as rapidly as he can. "He will probably try to take me down first, and take the crystal from you last. I'll distract him, and you use your powers to kill him."

  Kill. An apprehensive shiver goes down my spine. "Yes," I agree, but I'm trembling so hard Kaiden looks back at me, worried.

  His face softens. "Hey, you're the only one in this universe with a crystal. Your magic knows no bounds. You can and you will defeat him." I really don't understand what he's saying, yet, something in his eyes captivates me. Kaiden looks at me like he believes every word. His confidence gives me a desperate surge of strength, but it also makes me want to puke.

  "All right, here he comes, Kenna," Kaiden warns, completely hiding me with his body. For a split second I'm safe, and then everything around me erupts.