unfinished pleasure another time. Now you must find a thought that is peaceful. Soothing. Focus on it, to the exclusion of all else, and then tell yourself to turn down the heat until the flames fade.” He reached out to caress her cheek. “You can control this, Aziza. You are made to. It’s in your blood.”
First he’d told her to burn; now he wanted her to cool down. How could she? How in the midst of this insane day could she possibly find a peaceful thought?
Out of the chaos in her mind it came to her.
“Hot air balloons,” she murmured. A memory from years before. She and Greg had tagged along with Joseph and his friends for the annual balloon festival. They’d actually gotten to go up that day. She remembered the feeling of floating, watching a fleet of colorful balloons dot the sky around her. She’d looked down and marveled at how beautiful the world seemed from that vantage point.
That’s when she’d seen her. The woman dangling below one of the balloons ahead of them on a kind of metallic hoop. A fearless trapeze artist, she twisted her body around the metal ring in a sort of sinuous dance that seemed dangerous and yet…it was the most beautiful thing Aziza had ever seen.
Freedom. Out of the basket and into the air. Hanging by a thread and carried by the wind. Aziza couldn’t tear her gaze away. She imagined she was that woman. How, if she just lifted her arms and ignored the boisterous males behind her, she could do what the trapeze artist was doing. Be her for just a moment. It would almost be like…
“Flying.”
“I think it’s working, Aziza.” Penn was hovering nervously, as if unsure, and Aziza knew she’d been truly frightened.
Stay calm , she told herself. Turn it down. She studied her hands and saw that the glass had stopped warping and the flames were merely flickering on her fingertips.
She kept her thoughts on that day. The balloons. On the wind that had whipped her braid around as if trying to undo it. On Joseph laughing with Greg, both of them insisting she had a wild imagination and that they didn’t see what she did. Didn’t see the woman at all. Both of them watching over her protectively when she leaned too far over the edge of the basket, desperate to get a closer look at the female daredevil before she drifted completely out of sight.
That had been her favorite day.
“There.” Not-Greg clapped his hands together in approval. “That was easier than we imagined, yes? I know I’m relieved.”
“You’re the only one.” Aziza took a calming breath. Then another. “I know you were with me today in the garden. I need you to tell me what you are. Who you are. Then you can tell me what you did to me.”
“What I did?” Greg raised his hands to his temples and groaned while Penn’s voice took over. Not Penn. “What I did was help a Fireborne without permission. Twice. It’s not my job, you know. I protect, I don’t instruct. In fact, I put myself in danger of being recalled, and I gain nothing but your favor, which I hope will be substantial and sexual in nature.”
Not-Penn slid Aziza’s hair over her shoulder and kissed her neck. “Unless that’s not what you’re talking about. Do you mean what I did to you in the garden? What you did to me before we were interrupted?” Another kiss fell on her temple and then the mouth hovered. Hesitated. “Love your earring, by the way. All of them, of course, but that one there? Right on the top? That one was obviously a gift from someone who didn’t know what you would become. What you are. It is pointless in your case. It only protects humans. And it’s far too plain for such a beauty.”
“What?” She moved away from the touch and stood, crossing her arms defensively. “Never mind. I saw you, which means you have the ability to show yourself. So why talk through the people I love and take away their voices? Why scare them? If you want to terrorize me, fine. They aren’t a part of this.”
Not-Penn held
First he’d told her to burn; now he wanted her to cool down. How could she? How in the midst of this insane day could she possibly find a peaceful thought?
Out of the chaos in her mind it came to her.
“Hot air balloons,” she murmured. A memory from years before. She and Greg had tagged along with Joseph and his friends for the annual balloon festival. They’d actually gotten to go up that day. She remembered the feeling of floating, watching a fleet of colorful balloons dot the sky around her. She’d looked down and marveled at how beautiful the world seemed from that vantage point.
That’s when she’d seen her. The woman dangling below one of the balloons ahead of them on a kind of metallic hoop. A fearless trapeze artist, she twisted her body around the metal ring in a sort of sinuous dance that seemed dangerous and yet…it was the most beautiful thing Aziza had ever seen.
Freedom. Out of the basket and into the air. Hanging by a thread and carried by the wind. Aziza couldn’t tear her gaze away. She imagined she was that woman. How, if she just lifted her arms and ignored the boisterous males behind her, she could do what the trapeze artist was doing. Be her for just a moment. It would almost be like…
“Flying.”
“I think it’s working, Aziza.” Penn was hovering nervously, as if unsure, and Aziza knew she’d been truly frightened.
Stay calm , she told herself. Turn it down. She studied her hands and saw that the glass had stopped warping and the flames were merely flickering on her fingertips.
She kept her thoughts on that day. The balloons. On the wind that had whipped her braid around as if trying to undo it. On Joseph laughing with Greg, both of them insisting she had a wild imagination and that they didn’t see what she did. Didn’t see the woman at all. Both of them watching over her protectively when she leaned too far over the edge of the basket, desperate to get a closer look at the female daredevil before she drifted completely out of sight.
That had been her favorite day.
“There.” Not-Greg clapped his hands together in approval. “That was easier than we imagined, yes? I know I’m relieved.”
“You’re the only one.” Aziza took a calming breath. Then another. “I know you were with me today in the garden. I need you to tell me what you are. Who you are. Then you can tell me what you did to me.”
“What I did?” Greg raised his hands to his temples and groaned while Penn’s voice took over. Not Penn. “What I did was help a Fireborne without permission. Twice. It’s not my job, you know. I protect, I don’t instruct. In fact, I put myself in danger of being recalled, and I gain nothing but your favor, which I hope will be substantial and sexual in nature.”
Not-Penn slid Aziza’s hair over her shoulder and kissed her neck. “Unless that’s not what you’re talking about. Do you mean what I did to you in the garden? What you did to me before we were interrupted?” Another kiss fell on her temple and then the mouth hovered. Hesitated. “Love your earring, by the way. All of them, of course, but that one there? Right on the top? That one was obviously a gift from someone who didn’t know what you would become. What you are. It is pointless in your case. It only protects humans. And it’s far too plain for such a beauty.”
“What?” She moved away from the touch and stood, crossing her arms defensively. “Never mind. I saw you, which means you have the ability to show yourself. So why talk through the people I love and take away their voices? Why scare them? If you want to terrorize me, fine. They aren’t a part of this.”
Not-Penn held
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