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The heat around me had simmered down to a low burn, enough to remind me it was there but not enough to do any further damage—for now. I took a deep breath, feeling this new, bizarre reality sinking into my skin.
“Okay, so let’s say I can use this... whatever this is... against Zayne.” I gestured vaguely toward the devastation around us. “What’s the worst that could happen? I accidentally roast a villain kebab?”
“Or you could become the hero Dallas didn’t know it needed,” Niko replied, his voice tinged with something that sounded suspiciously like pride.
“Hero, huh?” I mused. “Well, every good hunter needs her tricks. Looks like I just found mine—playing with fire.”
Still, I eyed the charred remains of Niko’s office with a mix of awe and horror. The scorched edges of his desk were still smoldering.
I could practically feel it, a feral energy begging for release, and I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to let it out again.
“Practice,” Niko said suddenly, snapping me back from my reverie. “You need to get a handle on this new ability, Tessa.”
“Practicing sounds great in theory,” I said. “But in practice...” I gestured at the destruction surrounding us. “I’m more likely to end up on Dallas’s Most Wanted for arson than as its savior.”
“Every power comes with risk.” His gaze remained serious despite the smile lines around them deepening. “But if you don’t get control, the risk is greater. We can’t have you sparking up every time you get a little heated.”
“Little heated?” I quirked an eyebrow at him, the irony not lost on either of us. “I’m pretty sure I just gave ‘hot under the collar’ a whole new meaning.”
“Then consider this your training montage,” he said with a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. They were still scanning the ruins, calmly assessing the damage like only a billionaire werewolf whose office I’d just torched could.
As if it was no big deal.
“Right.” I crossed my arms, feeling the heat pulse beneath my skin in a rhythm I had yet to understand. “Because when I think of a montage, it usually doesn’t include destroying valuable property.”
“Montages skip the boring parts. This”—he gestured around us—”is the part they’d cut out.”
“Fantastic,” I muttered. But he was right. If I was going to face Zayne, I needed to know what I was capable of before I accidentally turned someone into a human torch.
“Okay, I’m in,” I said finally, but my voice wavered like the heat waves emanating from my body. “But if we’re doing this, we’re doing it my way. No bystanders, no buildings, and definitely no paperwork in sight.”
“Agreed.” Niko nodded solemnly, though the twinkle in his eye betrayed his amusement at my terms. “We’ll find somewhere... less flammable.”
“Less flammable would be good,” I echoed, and together we stepped out of the ruins, ready to turn the sparks of potential disaster into a controlled blaze.
Squinting at the horizon, where the city’s silhouette cut into the evening sky, I racked my brain for a place that could handle a bit of spontaneous combustion. “What about a field?” I suggested.
“Too flammable.” Niko’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “We can’t risk a wildfire. What about an abandoned quarry? The stone walls could contain the flames.”
“Could work.” I chewed on my lip, turning the idea over. “But it’s gotta be remote. I’m not keen on becoming the next viral sensation: ‘Local Bounty Hunter Sets World on Fire.’”
“Understandable.” A smirk played on his lips as he pulled out his phone, fingers dancing across the screen. “Give me a second.”
While he scrolled and tapped, I fidgeted, feeling the restless energy crackle beneath my skin, eager to escape. I had to learn how to harness this thing before I accidentally barbecued someone’s pet chihuahua.
“Got it,” Niko announced, snapping me back to the present. “There’s an old iron foundry on the outskirts of town. It’s been shut down for years, walls thick with smelted rock—perfect for a little fireball practice.”
“Lead the way,” I said, trying to keep the mood light despite the anxious flutter in my stomach.
The drive was silent, punctuated only by the hum of the engine and my jittery leg bouncing to a rhythm only I could hear. When we arrived, the foundry loomed, its darkened windows staring blankly out at us.
“Here goes nothing,” I muttered, stepping into the open maw of the foundry.
“Remember, small bursts,” Niko advised, hanging back by the entrance, his posture all calm control—a stark contrast to the wildfire I felt inside me.
“Small bursts,” I repeated, focusing on the simmering heat. I raised my hands, imagining a spark, willing it to life. Nothing happened. I tried again, frustration mounting.
“Relax,” Niko called out. “You’re tensing up.”
