A flutter, a waver. Like I was breaking down. The threads holding me together were tearing faster thanks to a blaze fanned with the flames of a magical fire. The same kind of earthly magic irritating me from the inside was now tormenting my outside too. It was too much.
As he burned my skin, more was igniting with it. I was unraveling, my spirit was breaking down.
"If…if you keep going,” I managed. “We’re both gonna go up in flames."
"Please, I’m a pyro.” He smirked at my concern. “This isn’t my first out of hand fire. It’s always dicey but my exit’s still clear. I’ll make it out."
"No, my powers, its, its—"
The flames extinguished as Kyle peered at me, circling me and looking from all angles for any trace of something. "Oh, has someone decided to wake up?"
"It’s too strong, too hurt.” I panted between getting as much soot-free oxygen as possible. “We’re both gonna blow up."
Kyle laughed the warning off. "If you think that Ihaven’tbeen prepared to die in a fiery explosion for a long time, then I question how much of a working relationship we could even have since you don’t get my vibe at all."
"You won’t rescue your friends," I reminded.
"If we blow, we blow. I’ll risk it. What about you?"
Nope, he wasn’t getting rid of me that easily. "Bring it on."
"You sure?"
"I won’t give up, but I’m not lying. Wewillblow."
He whooped in delight, clapping his hands together. "What a way to go."
Some of the rope holding me weakened when met with the fire. But I doubted I’d be able to get far in this state. And I didn’t want the fire getting nearer to any of the ignition points he’d set up.
Images filled my mind, some of places I’d seen before. And one place in particular, I saw something hidden there…
“Y-nnngh.” My words were strangled as he burned me, he hit a new area, a new stretch of charring flesh. Clenching my fists and gritting my teeth, the movements probably registered as pain. Hell, Iwasin pain.
But I was also excited.
Not because fire thrilled me how it did for him, because he finally, finally landed on the right spot, the spot I needed him to hit.
He saw me react and thought he’d struck a sensitive spot. He reached out and twisted his hand, igniting a magical fire around my left hip. Yes, that burned truer and quicker than regular flames.
Breaking down, bloody, and burning, I couldn’t stop my reaction. I smiled.
If we were shielded, I didn’t know if anyone could find me. I didn’t know if they were even looking yet. But if I could just send the right signal to the right person…
"I’m here," I coughed through soot clogging in my throat.
Kyle smiled cruelly. “Not for long.”
I smiled back as it all burned, my clothes, my wallet, probably some of my skin, everything melting, including everything in my wallet. Like the feather Frost gave me.
He told me to break the feather when in trouble. Even if he couldn’t find me with the shield in the way, the feather was connected to him. All he had to do was follow that, follow the piece of himself right to me once it activated. Probably.
"I’m right here," I croaked out. “Come and get me.”
The flames fell away as Kyle cocked his head. "What?"
"Frost,” I called, “Frost, hurry the—"
Kyle dropped to the floor, almost like he’d randomly decided to stop standing up as he met the ground with a forceful swiftness. He groaned and twitched, about to rise up, and then something collided with his head—a fire extinguisher.
