Page 44 of Wings of Lies
The more I replayed her words, the more I understood and felt the unfairness of it all. I wanted her to take it all back. I didn’t want any of it to be true.
I laughed. It was humorless and dark, like the coils that curled in my stomach. My nostrils flared, and my laugh turned into a feral scream stemming from my pent-up emotions. Bile invaded the back of my throat as a crashing tune vibrated in my ears, pulling forth an incessant itch.
Pounding the ground, welcoming the pain, I tortured my vocal cords again. My breath turned to fog before my eyes. The white flame flickering along my body changed to a deep purple, and sleet bounced off my face, settling on the ground.
Ice?
The puddle beneath my hands froze around my legs. I stilled, eyes wide, watching the ice spread. It blanketed the forest floor in a frost, freezing any water droplets on the vegetation around me.
Our burned house didn’t look like this. The only time the purple flame ever created ice was the first time it ever surfaced on my skin. I never thought that power had come from me. I had always thought it came from the stranger. But no vengeful man whispered in my mind this time.
The purple flame undulated, surrounding a black core, dancing and curling together. I grazed my finger against the shiny, hard puddle. From the brush of my flame, a second layer of ice formed. I touched my arm, but the flames were neither cold nor hot, just a soft hum of energy against my finger.
This was why he carved permanent scars on my back, why my mom and I were in such danger, and why she always did everythingshe could to hide us and drug me with her touches. It was all because of this purple flame that didn’t burn but froze.
The thought snuffed out my power, leaving me numb and empty.
I was left naked and exposed to Earth’s stormy clouds. Ice turned back to rain and struck me and the melting puddle. Exhausted, I curled into myself, laying in soppy dirt and leaves. Grit rubbed into my arms, and sticks jabbed my back.
Who cared?
I wasn’t sure how long I lay there. My eyes refused to register the world around me or the pain that crept into my naked limbs. At one point, a flash of light sparked in the distance, then vanished. It didn’t matter. My empty thoughts were so much better than the turmoil from my mother’s words.
A shadow shifted in my peripherals. I ignored that, too. Animals roamed these woods constantly. It was probably the large black wolf I saw sometimes. It wasn’t normal, neither the size of the beast, its odd fur, nor how it always returned to the same spot. But it kept its distance, so I was never threatened by the wolf. I never told my mother about the times I saw it. I figured she’d cart us away again if I did. So, I kept one secret from her, nothing compared to what she kept from me.
The forest, a gloomy, dismal place, shifted. Dark boots stopped two feet in front of my face. Unfazed, I stared at them and ignored the fact no one came through these woods. This was my mother’s worst nightmare, and yet I couldn’t care less. A repeated tinking sounded as rain hit something metallic. Even the tangy scent of apples and pine wasn’t enough to lift my head.
The shadow spoke. “Who are you?”
I didn’t care to answer. Not after today. Not ever.
“Where’re your clothes?”
That was an easy question. “Burned.”
“How?”
That was too much to explain, too much thinking.
“Are you cold?”
“Maybe,” I said.
But I was. My fingers and feet were numb, trying to keep my organs warm while I lay there, uncaring about the potential of hypothermia.
It was funny I wasn’t immune to the elements unless my powers covered me.
The air shifted. Something dark and heavy blanketed me, protecting me from the rain.
“Your lips are blue.”
I brought my hand up to my lips, curious. It was my first movement in a while. I smiled after the fact. My hands were frozen. They couldn’t feel my lips.
A pulse resonated, and a flash of light sprung from the darkness. The light got brighter as it came closer, and warmth brushed along my skin as a sizzling sound whispered in my ear. I closed my eyes as pain prickled my hands and feet. My teeth clenched to keep from groaning, surprised by the strange warmth.
“Stop,” I said, voice tight with unshed tears.
“No. You’ll freeze.” They snapped, tucking the fabric tighter around me.
