I reached for my Flame in a panic, and this time it came at once, immediately understanding that I was not arming myself to harm Caelan. It poured into every limb, every nerve ending, and even when it burned beneath each fingertip I felt it spilling forth. Endless waves of magic, more than I’d ever known I held, unspooling into every cell until my entire being was humming with magic and my jaw creaked with the effort of holding it in place. Fischer tilted his head as he closed in, leaning forward so slowly I could almost imagine he meant to kiss me. His huge, hairy hand closed around my jaw, and though my heart felt poised to shoot through my chest like a hummingbird, I held fast to the boundless fire simmering beneath my skin, waiting for Caelan’s word even as Fischer lifted his blade and–
“Glow for me, Rosie.”
I let go.
The explosion of firelight was so blinding that even I had to screw my eyes shut as I burst from Caelan’s embrace, Fischer’s screams ringing in my ears. I fell to the ground in a burning heap, and rolled just in time to see Caelan lunge blindly forward, sword raised, aiming for the one part of Fischer not encased in bronze armour – his throat. But Fischer turned and caught the blow on his back, and though the force of it sent him sprawling facedown he remained whole. He had a frightening advantage over Caelan, who had chased after me with such haste that he’d never donned his own Captain’s armour of steel.
“What the fuck?!” Fischer shrieked, but there was not a moment to spare for his confusion.
He and I scrabbled to our feet in unison, a scream ripping through me with another burst of Flame as he flew at Caelan with his dagger held high. Caelan swung at his armoured arm this time, knocking the dagger from his hand with such vigourthat it went spiralling across the tavern floor.
Fischer gave a vicious snarl, but even unarmed, he still had the protection of his armour and it gave him the mad courage to dart into Caelan’s space and land his grip over his former Captain’s fingers. They grappled over the sword hilt for a moment, grunting and hollering before Caelan caught sight of me in his peripheral and his head turned, attention splitting.
“Rosie,run,get out of –”
Fischer’s fist sent his head snapping back, the sword wrenched from his grasp. He was entirely exposed, and at the sight of Fischer’s triumphant sneer, I leapt. The decision hadn’t registered until I was already wrapped around his broad bronze back, my flaming arms tight around his neck and my teeth bared at his ear.
“I’m going to roast you alive, you flaccid little fuck.”
Even with his roaring I could hear the skin crackling beneath his armour as it heated and glowed, and my magic soared with vicious delight. The glory of it was too short-lived; Fischer stumbled back into the bar and knocked us into it with all his might. I fell off him and rolled backward off the counter with a thud, the air whooshing out of me as I landed behind the bar.
“Rosie,” Caelan roared.
My head was ringing, my spine screaming even beneath the fire. But I gritted my teeth and rolled over, crawling beneath the entry plank and dragging myself back onto the tavern floor, past the bronze armour that Fischer had discarded like a burning shell. I staggered to my feet as I cleared the bar, but my vision was washed out with the glare that still shone from every pore. I could just about make out the struggle before me, the two large figures spinning about the floor fighting fist to fist. Then one of the figures lashed out and the other –shrank.
Fischer’s fist swung through thin air where Caelan’s head had been, barely ruffling the hair of the little boy who stood in his place.
“I knew it,” Fischer hissed. “Slimy fucker.”
“You didn’t know shit,” laughed the boy in Caelan’s familiarlilt.
His laughter distorted and deepened as he lunged forth again, his skin shimmering as he moved, rippling like iridescent scales until he was Caelan once more and his fist connected with Fischer’s face. They fought on and on, Caelan’s form shifting and shimmering between one skin and the next each time Fischer managed to catch hold of him. He was a gangly soldier I half-recognised, then a young woman, then a child, then a wizened and stooped old man.
It was so mesmerising I was almost tempted to stop and watch – and I might have had his life not been on the line, had my magic not been thrashing out ropes of panicked flame. I darted around them, blasting out streaks of fire whenever I had a clear shot at Fischer – but they were so closely entwined that my magic kept arching wide rather than risk hitting Caelan with its damaging intent. Still, I took aim and sent wave after wave of pure flame after them, too desperate to notice the shimmering heat in the air until my lungs were raw and burning. I finally glanced around in horror. Fire climbed the pillars and glittered from the rafters. Little pyres were forming all around us and the air was thick with smoke. I whipped around and saw two figures darting past behind a veil of smog.
Fuck fuck fuck.
I was losing sight of them and it wasmyfault.
I tried to spool the fire back to my chest, but it wasn’t all mine – not anymore. My panicked bursts of flame had brought forth fresh fire, fuelled by the wood and alcohol that was in no short supply. This inferno was of my making, but it didn’t answer to me.
“Caelan,” I screamed, his name choking off in a cough.
“Rosie, get out of here,” Caelan’s hoarse voice snarled back.
The words came from somewhere to my left, and I swung around toward his voice. My head swam like a turbulent sea before cold fear sliced through the dizziness. If I was struggling this much in the rapidly crumbling heat, what would it do to a body thatwasn’ta natural home to flame? I staggered blindlythrough the smoke, panic and instinct driving me toward the sound of increasingly laboured grunts even as my vision blurred and my lungs tightened to the point of pain.
“Caelan,” I called again.
No sooner had his name left my tongue than a pair of strong and gentle arms wrapped around my middle – and for a moment, my heart soared with relief. But my Flame was still spiralling outward, still wild with panic, and I forced my eyes to focus on the arms that were now dragging me backward. Not Caelan’s arms – not Caelan.
“No,” I tried to scream, but my throat burned and the man was not listening.
All too soon I was thrust into the cool black night, wet air flooding my swollen lungs. I fought weakly against his hold, straining for the burning tavern.
“It’s gone, Miss Roz,” the voice behind me shouted over the roar of the growing inferno. “It’s gone. Let it go, girl.”
“No,” I choked, the word ripping out this time, slicing my throat raw on the way up. “Caelan.Caelan!”
