Page 12 of Heiress of Fire

He raised his arms, Mae followed. Blaze discharged from their palms.

They acted just like the Predators. Wild, unpredictable, and savage. All her parents needed to be exactly like the Predators would be the loss of color in their faces, becoming brainless like the undead, and the black saliva that spilled from their lips.

Genevieve and Emmy let go of each other as they slowly walked toward Davina, their eyes glued to their enflamed parents. All four of them stood still and watched the fire that blasted from their parents’ hands.

The flames were beginning to travel past their forearms, but their concentration never faltered. Sparks of fire bounced off from their unnatural fire and into the living room. The specks of fire began to grow in intensity as they landed over the walls.

Their orange and yellow blaze began to flicker.

Mae and Nico never went to their activation ceremony at Castellum, the manifestation of their fire was forced. Her parents did not know how to channel their abilities.

Strained powers cause malfunctions, Davina thought.

There wasn’t enough time to get out. She wouldn’t be able to run out with all three of them unscathed. The girls were glued to their place and Davina didn’t blame them. Because to this day, she still felt the same weight in her bones, which immobilized her, whenever she saw her parents fighting.

But she pushed against the heaviness in her legs, sliding across the chipped floorboards to her siblings.

Davina wrapped her arm around Micah and rotated. As she turned, she was able to push Genevieve and Emmy into her own body, her arms wrapped tightly around them. All four closed their eyes.

She would rather burn than let anything happen to the kids.

She hoped that the children wouldn’t notice her shakiness, they had to see that there was nothing to be afraid of.

What an imposter she was.

Davina felt a harsh shove against her back, yet she didn’t feel her back sizzling into flames. She remained still before slowly opening her eyes.

A bright violet arched wall hovered over her and the kids. Lines of lilac and mauve mixed into the violet sphere that surrounded them. They crackled and covered them with a blanket of warmth. The wall had plumes with little purple fire particles escaping from them. The feathers were long and broad, tall in length and width. Her eyes widened as her lips parted.

A silhouette appeared by the window, she was able to glimpse it through the corner of her eye. Her head snapped in the direction of the window and saw dark smoke dispersing into the orange afternoon air.

A thud echoed through the living room.

Davina turned to find that Mae and Nico had collapsed on the floor. She sighed, relieved that they had not seen the wings of fire that were attached to her back. The kids were still huddled together, heads low. With her mind, she commanded the wings to stretch. They were mighty as they extended across the living room. A small smile formed on her lips.

Davina directed the wings inward, and they disappeared. As if they were never there.

“It’s okay, we’re okay. Everything’s fine now,” she reassured them.

“No, it’s not,” Emmy cried.

“Look, they stopped fighting. It’ll be fine now. Let’s help them up,” Davina said softly.

Genevieve and Emmy remained in their spots, trembling. Davina sighed, wishing that she had the power to absorb their pain. She yearned to have the necessary equipment to fix their little broken hearts.

Micah followed Davina’s instructions and headed for his father.

Davina approached her mother, carefully moving her short black hair off of her face, and shaking her. “Mother?”

Mae jerked up. “What happened?”

Nico was already sitting, rubbing his temples.

“You and Ni—father fainted,” she stuttered, hoping Nico hadn’t noticed her hesitation. He would burn her alive if she failed to address him as her father.

Nico believed that Davina was indebted to him for having married her mother, despite her mother having birthed Davina from another man before meeting him. Nico never failed to throw it in her face how he provided for her without being of his blood.

Mae turned from Davina to her husband who had crimson drops drying on his pale cheek. Tears began to well up in Mae’s eyes. Davina furrowed her eyebrows and then held out her hand for her mother to stand, Micah did the same for his father.

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