Vivian was running before she even knew it. People gasped and hurriedly stepped out of the way as she sprinted down the street. The ones that didn’t move in time found themselves nursing a bumped shoulder or a stomped foot, which was followed by an apology from a moving, red blur. She heard Cyrus calling from behind, telling her to wait, but she didn’t stop.

  She’d just got a new home. She wasn’t going to lose it.

  She saw Peri step out of the inn as she passed by, his gaze immediately locking onto her. He glanced up at the smoke billowing into the sky. He didn’t say a word but joined in her sprint towards their home, though he fell behind quickly. She had left the city behind and was tearing through the fields when Vivian glimpsed the fire.

  The entire forest front near their cottage was on fire, the lit branches leaning a little too close to the house. They were one broken branch away from their cottage going up in flames. And as if that was bad enough, added to them were the groans of pain from more than a hundred druscans being burnt alive, echoing around her head. Vivian clasped her hands over her ears even though she knew it wouldn’t stop the noise. The cries grew louder as the fire raged.

  Help… please… IT BURNS!

  ‘What do we do?!’ she gasped out through the cacophony in her head, her fingers squeezing her temples. ‘Gods, I can’t think.’

  She looked back to see if anyone had followed her, but they were far behind. From her position she could see small spots leaving the city and moving through the fields towards her, but it would take too long. A groaning druscan with a cracking trunk leaning dangerously close to the cottage roof enforced this point.

  What to do? What to do?! She bit her lip as she anxiously shifted her weight from one foot to another, not knowing what to do but unable to stand still. This is fire. I’m a fire mage. Surely, I can do something!

  But the fact was that she hadn’t learned how to use her magic. She had pulled off a single bout of accidental magic back in the Sentinel’s auction, but she had no idea how she did it. She tried to recall what had happened, remember how it felt. It’d felt like she was pulling something into herself, something warm and powerful…

  Maybe I can do the same to this fire. But I exploded right after, and I don’t want to do that so close to the house.

  She glanced at the leaning druscan. Any second now it was going to snap in two. The groaning had turned into screaming and her head felt like it was being carved into with a sharp, hot knife.

  Alright new plan. Draw all the fire in, and then run like hell away from here and then explode.

  She held her hands up trying to concentrate on the feeling she had experienced back at the auction. She focused on the fire, roaring, raging, burning. It was like a beast going on a rampage. She imagined pulling that beast into her body, forcing it to enter her body and contain it there.

  Nothing happened.

  She let out a frustrated noise and shook her hands out before trying again, but she got no response. In fact, the fire burned brighter, its flames leaping up to the sky, as if it sensed her attempts to contain it and it wasn’t happy about it. The druscan gave another ominous creak followed by a loud crack.

  Alright. Maybe I shouldn’t force it. It wasn’t forced the last time. It just flowed into me… Gently now, little by little…

  She forced herself to calm down before holding out her arms. This time, she held them out like she was trying to give a hug rather than dominate the fire.

  This time she coaxed the beast to move into her veins, gently prodding it in her direction. The fire was hesitant at first, like a child that didn’t like being told what to do. But eventually it gave in, listening to her soft nudges. Vivian slowly started to siphon off the fire, at first only a few wisps bleeding through her fingertips and into her blood. But the stream quickly grew larger. She could feel the heat entering her body, spreading through her veins and warming her all over. The heat wasn’t uncomfortable, at least at first. It slowly built up as more of the fire was pulled into her, growing hotter and hotter, until she felt like her brain would melt. Still, she kept at it, drawing in every lick of flame, her eyes scanning the forest to make sure she hadn’t missed any flickering embers that could start the fire again. The heat was almost unbearable now, roiling around in her blood, boiling her from the inside.

  When the last flicker of fire had disappeared under her skin, she collapsed on the ground, digging her fingers into the grass. The groaning was quieter now, but she could still sense that the druscans were in pain. A smoky smell reached her nose and she realized that she had just burned the grass she was grasping. She quickly jumped up, a head rush following her as she stood up too quickly. She stumbled back and was about to fall, when a hand on her back steadied her, before quickly being withdrawn with a hiss of pain.

  ‘By the gods, you’re burning up!’ Aiden exclaimed. He glanced at the smoking forest, not a hint of fire to be seen. ‘What did you do?’

  His voice was muffled, like it was coming from the other side of a door. She leaned down on her knees as she tried to speak back. The fire rolling around inside her veins was making it very difficult for her to formulate her thoughts.

  ‘I need… to get away from here.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I’m going to explode.’

  Aiden eyes widen in shock at her revelation. He took an unsure step forward to help, just as the others reached them. He held out an arm as Felix tried to grasp her shoulder.

  ‘Don’t. She’s burning up, as hot as the fire.’

  Felix quickly withdrew his hand. ‘Well, what do we do?’

  ‘I can’t hold this fire for long.’ Vivian clutched her heart as the heat pierced through it. ‘I need to move somewhere else, somewhere… where I can release it.’

  ‘What?’ Dixie asked. ‘What do you mean release it?’

  Thankfully, Peri stepped forward and took charge. ‘I’ve seen this before. She’s going to release all that fire in a single explosion. We need to get her to the lake. It’s the only place where we won’t run a risk of damage.’

  ‘You still have that chariot in your stable?’ Cyrus asked, moving towards the back of the cottage. Peri nodded in response. ‘Good. Dixie, turn into something fast. You’re going to have to pull it.’ He sprinted for the back of the house. Dixie crouched down her form turning into white smoke once more, before shaping itself into strong, slender, winged figure. She took off after Cyrus.

  ‘A stag… with wings?’ Felix wondered out loud. ‘What is that?’

  ‘It’s called a peryton.’ Peri’s eyes were fixed on Vivian, his gaze never wavering. ‘There are herds of them in the Druscan woods.’

  A chilly breeze flitted across Vivian’s skin, providing her a small relief as the wind cooled her down a bit. She looked up to see Felix with a look of deep concentration on his face, his hands stretched towards her.

  ‘Thank you.’

  He grinned. ‘Don’t mention it. Just trying not to get blown apart.’

  ‘You could just-’ she let out a grunt of pain as the fire shot through her stomach. ‘You could always leave.’

  Felix shook his head. ‘Nah, I think I’ll stick around. You’re the most interesting thing to happen ever since I got here.’ He nodded at Aiden. ‘Captain Repressed thinks so as well.’

  Aiden scowled. ‘I am not repressed.’

  Stolen story; please report.

  ‘You define repressed.’

  ‘Repressed is your student.’ Vivian smiled through the pain. ‘It learned from you.’

  A loud creaking interrupted their bickering as their attention was drawn to the druscan that was leaning towards the cottage. The fire had done too much damage, eating away it at its once strong trunk, and it was barely standing. As she watched the tree’s trunk finally snapped and its top half fell right onto the roof, crushing the attic underneath its weight. Dust, tiles and stones crashed down as the druscan groaned once, the voice loudly echoing in her head, before it went quiet. Vivian swallowed against the lump in her throat, a small sense of grief worming its way into her heart as she realized that she had just listened to the druscan’s dying cry. It was a very strange sentiment since she had seen trees felled before but had never associated the action with death. She blinked out the beginning of tears in her eyes, trying to concentrate on containing the fire, but turmoil had taken root in her. She let out a shuddering breath as she tried to calm herself down, her agitation causing a few sparks and flames to dance along her skin and burn the grass under her.

  ‘Easy now,’ Aiden’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. He quickly stomped out the fire that had started around her. ‘You’re losing control. Keep yourself calm.

  Felix surveyed the destroyed roof. ‘At least it’s only the attic that’s gone.’ The chilly wind picked up speed as he tried to cool her down further. ‘It can be easily fixed.’

  ‘That’s not why I’m-’ she grunted as another wave of fire rode through her veins. She glanced at the fallen druscan.

  Felix followed her gaze. Understanding bloomed on his face. ‘Ah… yes. You did say that you could hear them.’ He looked at Aiden for support who merely shrugged. ‘That is unfortunate.’

  ‘It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?’ Vivian let out a slightly unhinged laugh. ‘This is isn’t the first time I’ve seen a tree felled. Why does it feel worse now?’

  Vivian was spiralling, she knew she was, but she didn’t know how to stop it. She closed her eyes and tried to reign in her thoughts which were affecting the fire she was containing, causing it spike and rumble in response to her distress. She gasped as a particularly painful jab almost made her lose control. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes in pain.

  ‘I don’t think… I can…’

  Peri grabbed both Aiden and Felix and tugged them back. ‘She’s becoming unstable. Both of you, step back.’

  Aiden shook off his tight grip. ‘Wait. Let me try something. Felix, talk to her, try to calm her down.’

  Felix nodded. He cautiously stepped closer to her; his hands held up in a peaceful gesture. ‘Vivian, listen to me. This must be distressing. We’ve all seen tress felled before, but this wasn’t a normal tree.’ His voice was calm, soothing, like a mother trying to lull a child to sleep. The wind blew gently across her overheated skin. ‘It was a druscan, and while we couldn’t hear them, you could. To you, they were sentient beings, creatures that could feel and think. And their death affects you just like the death of another human being, even if they were a stranger.’ He placed a hand as close to her shoulder as he could without burning himself. ‘But right now you need to concentrate, or we’ll be joining him… Let us help you.’

  She felt a light presence in her head, little wisps of consciousness nudging her mind away from the melancholy that was building up in her. She glanced up to see Aiden calmly looking at her, his eyes radiating a stability that she desperately needed. She nodded her thanks, indulging in his calming presence, allowing him to control her emotions for the time being.

  Peri prowled nearby, ready to pull the boys out of the way if it seemed like Vivian could no longer control the raging inferno in her. ‘Where is that damn princess?’

  As if he had summoned him, the sound of a wagon reached her ears. Dixie, in peryton form, came cantering towards them, pulling behind her a sleek, black chariot with Cyrus at the reins.

  ‘Quickly now,’ Cyrus ordered. ‘Climb in the back.’

  Vivian awkwardly climbed into the chariot, her hand sizzling against the wood wherever she touched it. Aiden and Felix climbed in behind her, retaining a safe distance from the ready-to-detonate girl, their magic still working to keep her calm and cool. Peri stayed back.

  ‘Sith will be here soon, along with others from the council. I’ll explain the situation to them. Now go!’

  Cyrus didn’t hesitate. He whipped the reins and Dixie took to the sky, pulling the chariot with her. There must have been some kind of magic placed on the chariot as it didn’t immediately tip over and spill out its passengers. Instead, it glided along with Dixie as she beat her wings as fast as possible, shooting through the sky towards the lake. Vivian looked longingly at the waters as they approached, itching to sink herself into its cool grasp.

  ‘We’re almost there,’ Felix encouraged. ‘Just hold on a bit longer.’

  ‘Don’t you dare explode,’ Aiden threatened her. ‘I didn’t survive mage hunters just to be blown up by an idiot who bit off more than she could chew.’

  Felix raised a disapproving eyebrow at him. ‘Is that how you encourage people?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Try harder… and better. Especially, when we’re sitting a foot away from someone ready to explode. Literally.’

  Vivian gasped for breath. ‘I would rather you just didn’t talk. Silence is golden when it comes to you.’

  ‘Alright, we’re almost there,’ Cyrus called out from the front. ‘We don’t have time to land, so you boys are going to have to push her out.’

  Vivian’s eyes widened. ‘What?!’

  Aiden and Felix, completely unfazed with tossing someone out of a flying chariot, nodded in unison. ‘Alright.’

  ‘Wait! Wait a minute! I can hold it long enough-’

  ‘Now!’ Cyrus shouted, yanking on the reins so that the back of the chariot was facing the lake’s waters below.

  Without missing a beat both Aiden and Felix kicked Vivian off the chariot, the leather of their boots smouldering as it came into contact with her skin. Vivian screamed as she fell through the air, her hands flailing in thin air as she tried to slow down her descent. The scream turned into a cascade froth and bubbles as she hit the water that obscured her vision. She quickly closed her mouth to preserve what air she had left in her lungs. Despite the panic, the water felt cool and soothing against her skin as she sank. She twisted around in the water, thrashing her arms and legs, trying to reach for the surface. The fire was still roiling under her skin, ready to be unleashed. Remembering that she was to detonate once she hit the waters, she took a moment to calm herself before finally letting go of the fire.

  ………

  Up above, on the surface, Cyrus had landed the chariot on one of the school terraces overlooking the lake. A few students and teachers had come to see what all the commotion was about, curiously poking their heads out. They sure weren’t expecting to see a chariot pulled by a peryton three storeys above the ground. Felix grinned and waved at them. ‘Nice day for a ride, isn’t it?’

  The spectators stared back blankly, still trying to understand what they were looking at. Felix joined the others at the railing to watch the lake. A moment passed and no head popped up above the water’s surface.

  Felix scratched his chin nervously. ‘… Did she know how to swim?’

  ‘It’s a bit late for that question.’ Aiden kept his eyes fixed on the lake, looking for any sign of a redhead.

  ‘Oh, please tell me we didn’t just-’

  Felix was interrupted by a large explosion of water which burst out from the depths of the lake, spraying water as high as fifty feet into the air. The ground rumbled as the shockwaves hit the shore, causing the onlookers to grab onto railings and pillars as their footing became unstable. Steam hung suspended in the air, dense and warm, making it a bit difficult to breath. Even though they were standing as high up as the third floor, everyone was drenched in lake water by the impromptu fountain, showering upon them like heavy, pouring rain. It took a few moments for the ground to stop shaking, allowing them to regain their footing. The waters below still rippled out from the explosion, disturbing the once peaceful surface of the lake.

  ‘Well, that’s done,’ Dixie commented, yelling to be heard through the momentary deafness that had settled on all of them. The noise had momentarily deafened everyone within hearing range. She was back in her child form. ‘Let’s go see if she survived.’

  The group rushed down the stairs, making their way out of the school and around to the shores of the lake. The students they passed either looked dazed or confused, snapping their fingers against their ears to clear their hearing.

  ‘I guess it was pretty loud!’ Felix yelled.

  ‘You think?!’ Aiden snapped back, equally loud.

  Cyrus was scanning the waters before them. ‘Do you see her?!’

  They stood for a moment, waiting for a redhead to pop out of the waters. The final ripples were settling and the lake was returning to its tranquil state.

  Aiden let out a frustrated sound. ‘Stupid peasant!’ He took off his boots and jerkin, ready to jump in.

  Dixie grabbed his arm before he could wade into the lake. ‘Wait! Look over there!’ She pointed out far into the lake. ‘That’s her, isn’t it?!’

  Aiden followed Dixie’s finger to see a head of bright, red hair bobbing along the waves, making her way to the shore. Aiden let out a small, inaudible sigh of relief, before his face returned to its usual stony appearance, trying to hide his concern.

  ‘Nice try, but I heard that.’ Felix grinned at him. ‘You care.’

  ‘Oh, so now your hearing is fine.’

  ‘Miraculously so.’

  Vivian was within hearing distance now, and she took full advantage of it. ‘You idiots! You didn’t even ask if I could swim!’

  Aiden shrugged. ‘We took a chance based on extensive risk calculation.’

  ‘You didn’t calculate anything!’ She waded out of the water, heaving for breath as she placed one foot in front of the other. The shortness of breath, however, didn’t stop her yelling at them. She pointed accusingly at Cyrus. ‘He said push, and you pushed!’

  ‘Yes, you’re right,’ Felix agreed a little too quickly. ‘So doesn’t that make this whole situation his fault.’

  Cyrus glared at Felix before putting on the most elegant and wise expression he could muster. ‘Vivian, you must understand that under the circumstances, it was our best choice.’

  Vivian narrowed her eyes at him. ‘Just because you say something in a calm and elegant manner, doesn’t mean it’s actually right.’

  Cyrus shrugged. ‘Worth a shot.’

  Vivian groaned. She was too tired for this. ‘How did I get involved with someone as insane as you?’

  ‘Blame Peri,’ Dixie suggested. ‘He’s the one who introduced you to us.’

  Vivian wobbled; her legs having lost the last of its strength. ‘Alright, I’m about to pass out. When I wake up, I better be in the softest bed ever invented, being waited on hand and foot. And remember… this conversation is not over.’

  Saying this, Vivian promptly collapsed into a dead faint.