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I sometimes could command wind, but that would have the same effect as opening a window. The room would explode as the fire finally got what it needed to grow. Air and wind were not an option now.
I needed rain.
I did not dare to get up from the bed. The stone floors would be hot, and my feet would be bare. The tempestarii books I’ve read always depicted the spell caster using magic standing up, but I decided it had to be a stylistic choice.
I raised my hands and directed my fingers toward the fire. I could feel the power in the room underneath my skin. Willing rain with this much fire in the room was supposed to be easy; when I first used air, it had come naturally to me, back at the trials when Lady Cara had pushed me down the bridge. My air had come to my aid, pushing me up, so I did not fall down to my death.
And now, fire was my enemy. Water was supposed to come to my help in the form of rain.
Shaking my fingers and willing rain did not work as fear grew in me. The fire was now slowly reaching the bed. Soon, the bed would be too hot for me to stand on. Already, sweat was pouring out of my forehead. It was too hot, and I was about to die.
Nonetheless, rain did not come. I closed my eyes and tried again. No.
The thought of burning to death was a scary one. I wondered if it would be wise to let go of the air inside my lungs so I could drown in smoke instead. I wondered if a blast pushing me out as I broke the window would be preferable to a slow death in the scorching heat.
Rain would not come. Being a tempestarii meant nothing if one could not use her power properly. And I’ve never been a proper tempestarii.
I lay on the bed and prepared myself to push the air out of my lungs. The fire would catch that source as soon as I released the air. It would grow, and I would die. I did not try to trick myself into thinking it wouldn’t be painful, but it was the option with lesser pain.
I readied myself.
Here it was.
“Casja!”
I was about to push the air out. I had been so close. The air was in my mouth. I had to gulp it down as I heard Xira’s voice.
Speaking or shouting back was out of the question. The air would come out, the fire would grow. So instead, in haste, I knocked on the head of the bed frantically. My fingers hurt as I felt my skin burning.
The wooden head of the bed was too hot to touch. It hurt.
“I can hear you!” Xira shouted. “Wait!”
I did. I had no other choice, even though I wanted to alert Xira that if they were to open the door to my room now, it would create a blast. But Xira was a fire elemental. She would know how to deal with fire.
“Get away from the fire!” She shouted again. “I’m coming in.”
It was stupid. I wanted to tell her that, but it would kill me on the spot if I let out the air inside my lungs. So instead, I pushed myself off the bed and hid behind it as I heard the loud crashing sound at the door.
The blast followed quickly. Someone screamed; the voice sounded like it belonged to a man. I was crouched on the other side of the bed as I heard the sound of fire growing.
“Where are you?” Xira’s shrill voice reached me.
I straightened to look over the bed.
Xira was surrounded by fire. Her hands were extended to each side as she attempted to control it.
“It’s too big for me,” she said. “We have to run.”
I did not make her say it twice. I jumped from the bed and ran to her despite my feet burning from the stone floor. When I reached her, she met my eyes. There was pain and fear in her gaze.
“Get ready,” she said. “I’ll open a path for us, but we must be very quick.”
I nodded.
“Now!” She shouted.
I darted after her as the fire crackled against my skin. We got out the door. Despite the burning sensation on my feet, I ran until it stopped feeling so hot.
