Page 1 of Flames

1

NOVA

For one long, quivering moment, everything goes black. My racing heartbeat fills my ears. Embers ignite in the pit of my being. They snake up through my body, filling the cracks between my bones—every sinew and every fiber.

When my eyes snap open, sounds come rushing back. Sam’s voice echoes in the air, bouncing off the outer walls of the mansion, hanging in the trees, bleeding into my skin.

But he is gone.

Like a rapidly healing wound, the deep slash that swallowed him is closing. Kayla scrambles away from it. Briefly, a look of triumph crosses her face. Then she remembers; she attacked Sam because Nico sacrificed himself to save Sam’s life.

Nico is gone too. She is now a mother without a child.

In an instant, Kayla is no longer human. She’s a wolf. Sitting back on her haunches, she howls up at the hazy night sky above us. The sound of her distress catches on the fire that’s growing inside me and, like lighter fuel, enflames it. I let out a roar. It rattles my rib cage and drowns out her howling. She looks at me, takes in my arms and legs—still bound by Eve’s spell—then flees for the woods.

The rest of the werewolves have shifted too. They’re gathered in a baying pack, guarding the fountain as Ragnor lowers his corpse bride into the water.

I turn my gaze on Eve. She is waving her arms, fluttering her fingers against her chest, singing words I don’t understand.

Kole and the others are yelling at one another, desperately trying to free themselves from Eve’s spell—but it’s no use. As powerful as they are, they’re helpless against her.

I am too. Powerless to escape.

As grief swirls through me, I screw my eyes shut again. Sam’s face is all I can see. A sob escapes my lips. The fire is fading. My body folds in half as searing, visceral pain grips my insides.

“Nova,” Luther’s voice breaks through. “Find the fire. Latch onto it. Don’t let it overwhelm you, but don’t let it go. Use it.”

“Nova, we’re here.” Mack’s voice finds me too. “It’s going to be alright.”

“Nova, we’ll get him back.” Tanner sounds hoarse—like he’s barely able to speak through the emotion that’s circling him.

Little Star, you can free us. Only you. Kole’s dark tone fill my head.

Only me… only me.

I slow my breathing. I ignore whatever the fuck is going on over at the fountain. Ragnor can have his zombie bride; that’s of no concern to me now. I need Eve. I need her dead.

Before the fire can fade completely, I capture it. I picture it flickering back to life, licking my insides, becoming an inferno inside me. The flames grow and heat moves like liquid glass through my veins. This time, when I open my eyes, I’m on fire.

White hot flames have engulfed my arms, my hands, my body, my legs. Eve’s eyes lock onto me. She tilts her head and stops singing, then she stumbles backward like something has barreled into her stomach and knocked her off balance. I flex my fingers then my toes. My muscles burn with the need to move. With a yell that makes the wolves fall silent and the fountain shudder, I bend Eve’s restraining spell and pull my arms up in front of me.

Eve’s eyes widen. She seems almost impressed. She watches as I rise to my feet. It’s like moving through concrete. I tremble with the effort of it, but slowly I rise. Finally standing, with one last cry, I fling my arms to my sides and feel the invisible restraints snap like overstretched elastic.

Flames fall from my limbs, peppering the ground with sparks.

For a second, Eve simply stares at me, but then she nods at the wolves and shouts, “Seize her!”

They hesitate. They’re scared of me but when Ragnor echoes Eve’s request, they come for me. I turn on them and smile as they race across the small expanse of lawn between us. When they reach the scarred earth which marks the place Sam disappeared, I throw a wall of fire at them.

It comes forth like a tidal wave. Scorching hot air and tall orange flames roll toward the wolves. A couple are hit. They yelp and scramble backward. The rest are trapped. Casting a forcefield of fire around myself, I walk until I am just a few steps away from them and all that separates us are my flames.

“What are you waiting for?! Seize her and the fire will die!” Eve screeches.

I turn to her and cock my head. “Why don’t you come get me yourself?” I ask.

Eve’s eyes flicker. With her arms outstretched, she floats toward me like a harbinger of death. “You’re going to regret asking that, Fire Bird,” she sings.

“I don’t think so,” I mutter as I roll a ball of fire in her direction. She rises up and avoids it, but I send another, and another, and another. Finally, one catches her. In an instant, her clothes are alight. She tries to put them out, but I don’t let her.