A reaping for what he tried to do, and for hurting Asher. No action is without consequence, and I will deliver his detriment.
Heat engulfs me right as the whole wall made of windows explodes out. Shards piercing the air with the power of my flames and I revel in the destruction. Already most of the space is ashes. The rest of the house safe as I pour every ounce of my anger into my blue flame.
Blood movement catches my attention but they’re still outside. Walking through the flames, I make for the balcony andinto the cool night air. The dark sky glittering with stars you can only see because there is no light from the moon.
I tilt my head back as sounds of cracking and crumbling echo into the night just as thunder does. It sounds closer than it did before, and towards the main building of the university the sky is completely dark. Though, within that darkness streaks of light flash. Lightning the color of my eyes right now fracturing the sky.
They come closer, devouring the visible stars, and bringing the scent of rain.
A roar splinters the air and I grin at it. Shadows begin curling around the edges of the balcony and I watch, almost transfixed, as forms solidify within them. A single white marking is etched on what I assume is their brow.
Nana did tell me about this kind of magic art. Demon runic magic influenced by shadow magic.
Detaching my flames from my aura, I wrap my aura back up within. Cinching it so tightly within, stuffing it back into the confinements of my veins, until you can’t feel a single thing. Until that door is sealed shut and the lock turned. Until there is no fluctuation that could possibly be made because I fade my aura into my blood and let the poison mask it. Hidden from senses while also being in plain sight.
The shadow monsters inch closer. Twisting their heads in odd directions no regular being should be able to. My flames still consume and my grin doesn’t fall even as the shadows jerk closer to me. Right before the closest one can sink its claws into me I close my eyes and reach an inner part of myself into the ether.
Thunder rumbles and in a fraction of a second lightning strikes directly where I’m standing. Burning, all-consuming,blood-red lightning latching onto my body and then letting go. It didn’t even feel like my feet left the ground.
I open my eyes and I’m facing familiar tree trucks and foliage. Glancing to my left is crumbling bricks and an ivy covered wall.
Turning around, thunder cracks right before silence and then like a clap rain begins pouring. From here I can’t see any flames or smoke, but I can still feel it. I can also feel the exact moment they’re all doused. Not that it does anything because everything is already gone. There’s nothing left in those rooms except ashes.
I skip towards the front of the dorm and for once Ricka isn’t sitting in her chair behind the desk. I’m sure she’s probably still at the ceremony. All that is something I’ll have to deal with tomorrow. Maybe I’ll get lucky and no one will ask about how I knew the Willow of Lore’s symbol and the spirits song of old. It’s not like the teachers are allowed to teach it anyway.
I hum as I take the stairs up. Remnants of the spirits song still stuck in my head. It’s the same melody my music box played that Ms. Elaycia gave me. The song and the lyrics to go with it the same one I would hum to myself when I was with the sun devil.
A song said to be needed to be passed down in order to know it. But no one ever says if it needs to be passed down from another physical, alive, familiar person. Afterall, there are other realms between the past and the after.
Opening my door, I’m greeted by darkness and I help the pumpkin cat onto the latch of the window. Then I toe off my shoes and don’t bother changing before face planting into my head. For some reason it’s softer against my cheek and smells like embers and wood.
That’s when I remember Callahan and everything that happened before the ceremony. I still need to find a way to rip my soul out. But that can wait till tomorrow.
Curling around the blanket, I wrap myself up in cackling embers and cedar and drift my eyes shut. That night I’m glad for Asher creating a sound barrier around our room and for Jullia spending the night in his rooms. The comforting and calm from the scent of a warm fire surrounded by serene woods does not help this time.
For the first time neither does the hum of music.
. . .
Burning.
It never matters how differently the story begins, it always ends the same.
Sometimes I am a watcher in my own nightmares. I view it through a screen as it happens to me. Other times there is no screen and I experience it as I have before. And on occasion, from the ground between episodes of pain, I will look up and see blood-red eyes instead of icy blue ones. I’ll see long dark hair ending in blue and pink instead of cropped black hair.
Those times the pain feels worse and lasts a lot longer even after I wake up.
It’s like that now. Though I don’t burst up with heaving breaths and wet cheeks. I open my eyes slowly to a blank ceiling. A point of light cuts through it and I slide my eyes along it to where part of my blackout sheet over my window is smoking.
A bullet sized hole was burned through the material allowing the small slice of light in. The rest of the room is darkand Jullia’s scent is fainter. She hasn’t been in here for at least a day.
Sitting up in my bed, my bones creak. My blood feels stale in my veins and it feels like ash coats my throat. Thankfully, as I survey the room, it doesn’t look like anything was destroyed. Nothing. . . except my bed.
Most of my mattress is burned away to nothing along with my sheets, pillow, and Callahan’s blanket. Just. . . great.
Gritting my teeth, I slide my legs over and off the edge of what’s left of my mattress and let bare feet touch wood. I had taken my shoes off but I had climbed into bed with my clothes and socks on. Looking down, I’m as bare as the day I was born.
Well. . . almost. I doubt I had a body covered in scars, but same principle. My clothes had burned away to ashes as well.