Page 43 of Ashes of Gold
“Yes.” Bri nods.
“Someone’s commanded their magic to take fire arrow form. And when triggered, follow the target, right?”
“Yep.”
“But how?”
“Uhm, the magic could be bewitched to cling to like-energy like a magnet would? Maybe it senses any other magic and seeks it out?”
“No, because you wouldn’t trigger that, Bri. You don’t have onyx anymore. I would have. Itwasseeking though….”But seeking what…?
The vehicle rattles.
“Oh my god, heat! It was seeking heat.”
Zora’s eyes flicker with recognition. “And the heat we’re generating by all four of us hiding in here”—she coughs into her arm—“means those arrows are not going to let up.”
“We have to get out,” Jhamal says. “It’ll burn us all to a crisp.”
“Then the only way to get it off of us is to give it a hotter source to chase,” Bri starts.
But I’m out of the car before I hear the rest of what she is saying. I spot a boarded-up furniture shop with a glass sign.RICKY’S,it reads, the letters glitching on the screen.
“Sorry, business owner person, but I have to,” I whisper, conjuring flames in my palm. Fire spins in my hands like a turbine and I pull my palms apart. “Forez’o.”
The blaze swells in my grip, my face burning in its heat. Jhamalshouts but I tune him out, focusing on holding the flames there, best I can. But it’s like trying to grasp a cyclone. Whistling somewhere behind me makes me whip around. A flaming arrow tip sails past the car with Bri and Zora in it, pummeling straight toward me.It’s working.I plant my feet.Wait for it.Its blinding glow is all I see. The arrow grows larger, and larger, sensing the incendiary vortex in my hands.
One…
I force my eyes to stay open.
Two…
I’m blinded. Everything’s orange, glowing.
Three…
I heave my ball of fire at the building nearby and throw myself down, my head banging the pavement. Intense heat brushes my back as the arrow zips past, slamming into the building.
Boom.
I curl in a ball, my head throbbing.Boom boom!Someone’s yelling when something heavy sets on my back.
“Not yet, Jelani,” Zora says, on top of me, arms barred around me so I can’t get up. “Stay down.”
The building is up in flames, black billowing above us like clouds. I try to move under Zora’s weight. “If… you’d…” I grunt, “let me up, I could…” I manage to rotate and raise my hands. “Poi y’ska,” A transparent barrier hardens between us and the burning building.
I exhale.
Zora exhales, too, releasing me.
“You okay?” I ask.
“I’m good.” She stands, dusting herself off.
The flames recede and I break the spell. “You sure? You could have been killed putting yourself over me like that.”
“I am here to see this mission all the way through. Whatever it takes.” She tugs at her sleeves.
