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Authors: Crymsyn Hart
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it. Illiana placed her hand over the flames.
“What are you doing?” Coret asked her as she grabbed her hand and tried to pull it from the fire.
She turned to her aunt and said flatly, “Doing what you told me to do. Taking control of my powers.” Illiana pulled her hand from her aunt’s grasp and peered into the heart of the bonfire. The longer she stared, the more she could make out the individual flickers that comprised the whole fire. It hit her then. She had only been talking to one or two of the spirits and not all of them. Concentrating, she saw there were stronger spirits inside the flame, each competing for dominance as they ate up the fuel they lived off. When she touched upon them, they woke from fighting over one another and paid attention to her. Her hand started to burn from the heat, but she fought against the pain.
“Will you work with me from now on?”
The embers sparked, sending ashes into the air. The fire spirits jumped together. The smaller ones died off after being consumed by the bigger ones, until they were one element. “Why should we?” it asked her back.
Illiana was surprised because she had never actually expected it to talk back to her—the air did not. “Because we can help one another.”
“You think because you’re able to speak to us that we should listen to you.” The fire leaped up taller than it had been before and touched the underside of her wrist. She bit her tongue but did not pull her hand from the fire.
“Maybe I am special, but you have no right to be snarky with me , ” she replied and exerted more of her will, feeling as though she were wrestling a snake. All it wanted to do was slip from her grasp, but she held onto it . “I promise not to use your element for harm .”
The fire broke apart into individual flames for a moment, crackling again, whispering amongst themselves. Whatever they said was beyond her understanding. The wind curled through the coals, and they burned brighter orange than before. The bonfire sounded like creaks and groans, with a couple of pops in between until finally it burned down and became one voice again. “You speak to us and understand us. The mark of the fire has already been branded upon you from what the air has told us. Step into the flames and be baptized to ignite the hunger in you.”
Illiana glanced back at Coret and saw the panic in her eyes. She felt it with her racing heart. If she stepped into the fire, she could suffer serious injury or worse. But that was the point, conquering her fears and taking control of her life. It all went along with her accepting who she was. Her aunt shook her head, but Illiana ignored that and swallowed her terror. She stepped directly into the heart of the fire. Once her foot crossed the threshold of the hearth, the blaze swallowed her whole. The heat seared her flesh. She prayed that when she emerged it would be without any marks. Coret was at the edge of the fire, yelling at her and beckoning for her to come out. She could barely hear her aunt the flames were so loud. They wrapped around her arms and twined through her legs, building their heat, claiming every inch of her flesh. It hurt, but it did not scald. Illiana inhaled the smoke. It scratched her throat, drying out her mouth and piercing her nostrils. The flames seemed to light up her insides. When she closed her eyes, she saw that the darkness that had always hidden the wolf had now cleared away. Her other animal stood before her. It was larger than any wolf she had seen before, even Christopher. Its pelt was black with a hint of purple in it, giving it the same sheen that her feathers had. Its eyes were silver instead of gold. It stared at her, and she felt welcomed by the animal. This time it did not fight her. Before Illiana could take in all of its beauty, the fire flared to life again and she opened her eyes.
The flames had formed shackles around her arms and legs, pinning her in place. She tried to stay calm, but the
“What are you doing?” Coret asked her as she grabbed her hand and tried to pull it from the fire.
She turned to her aunt and said flatly, “Doing what you told me to do. Taking control of my powers.” Illiana pulled her hand from her aunt’s grasp and peered into the heart of the bonfire. The longer she stared, the more she could make out the individual flickers that comprised the whole fire. It hit her then. She had only been talking to one or two of the spirits and not all of them. Concentrating, she saw there were stronger spirits inside the flame, each competing for dominance as they ate up the fuel they lived off. When she touched upon them, they woke from fighting over one another and paid attention to her. Her hand started to burn from the heat, but she fought against the pain.
“Will you work with me from now on?”
The embers sparked, sending ashes into the air. The fire spirits jumped together. The smaller ones died off after being consumed by the bigger ones, until they were one element. “Why should we?” it asked her back.
Illiana was surprised because she had never actually expected it to talk back to her—the air did not. “Because we can help one another.”
“You think because you’re able to speak to us that we should listen to you.” The fire leaped up taller than it had been before and touched the underside of her wrist. She bit her tongue but did not pull her hand from the fire.
“Maybe I am special, but you have no right to be snarky with me , ” she replied and exerted more of her will, feeling as though she were wrestling a snake. All it wanted to do was slip from her grasp, but she held onto it . “I promise not to use your element for harm .”
The fire broke apart into individual flames for a moment, crackling again, whispering amongst themselves. Whatever they said was beyond her understanding. The wind curled through the coals, and they burned brighter orange than before. The bonfire sounded like creaks and groans, with a couple of pops in between until finally it burned down and became one voice again. “You speak to us and understand us. The mark of the fire has already been branded upon you from what the air has told us. Step into the flames and be baptized to ignite the hunger in you.”
Illiana glanced back at Coret and saw the panic in her eyes. She felt it with her racing heart. If she stepped into the fire, she could suffer serious injury or worse. But that was the point, conquering her fears and taking control of her life. It all went along with her accepting who she was. Her aunt shook her head, but Illiana ignored that and swallowed her terror. She stepped directly into the heart of the fire. Once her foot crossed the threshold of the hearth, the blaze swallowed her whole. The heat seared her flesh. She prayed that when she emerged it would be without any marks. Coret was at the edge of the fire, yelling at her and beckoning for her to come out. She could barely hear her aunt the flames were so loud. They wrapped around her arms and twined through her legs, building their heat, claiming every inch of her flesh. It hurt, but it did not scald. Illiana inhaled the smoke. It scratched her throat, drying out her mouth and piercing her nostrils. The flames seemed to light up her insides. When she closed her eyes, she saw that the darkness that had always hidden the wolf had now cleared away. Her other animal stood before her. It was larger than any wolf she had seen before, even Christopher. Its pelt was black with a hint of purple in it, giving it the same sheen that her feathers had. Its eyes were silver instead of gold. It stared at her, and she felt welcomed by the animal. This time it did not fight her. Before Illiana could take in all of its beauty, the fire flared to life again and she opened her eyes.
The flames had formed shackles around her arms and legs, pinning her in place. She tried to stay calm, but the
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