Page 51 of The Mating Fire
“You’re something else, Harper Ashley.” He sounded weary. “Let’s get back to work. But know this, there will come a time when you stand ready to use your powers to save something other than a rock. Maybe save a Skin’s life, or your own life, and you’d best be prepared to do whatever it takes. There’s much more at stake here.”
“You sound as if the world is going to end.”
“It may.”
She studied his grim expression. “Jared, what’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”
“My conversation last night with Xavier was more than gleaning information about your origins and your parents. He warned you need to harness your powers and soon for your own protection, and the protection of others.” Jared squatted down, picked up some soil and sifted it through his fingers.
“Why?” Her stomach began to tighten as a knot formed in her chest.
“He was evasive, but I could tell. I’ve seen a glimpse of them… zombies.” Jared stood and dusted off his hands. “TheDark Lord is taking over the minds of weakened Skins and creating human zombies to do his bidding. The wizards are planning for an all-out war.”
Fear congealed in her. Jared was correct. Babbling about trying to conserve coral rock was wasting time.
“Maybe it’s better that Char doesn’t remember me, and all memories of me at the university are wiped out. Will that protect them?”
“Yes.” Jared’s expression softened. “I know it’s hard to lose everything you know, but the wizards have a reason for doing what they did. In losing their memories of you, they are not only protected, but your friends and colleagues won’t be used as a weapon against you.”
She stuffed the fear down, deep inside, where it became a tiny, winking beacon. Not quite extinguished, but small enough to motivate.
Harper rubbed her hands against her jeans. “Let’s do this.”
For the next hour they worked on honing her powers and Harper’s ability to react quickly to threats.
Drained and tired, she sat at a nearby picnic table. “Can we take a break? I’m wiped out.”
“Demons don’t take breaks, Harper.”
“There’re no demons here, Jared. Five minutes, please.”
Suddenly he vanished. Panicked, she looked around. How could he disappear into thin air? This was not good. Was another demon approaching? She sniffed the air and smelled nothing, but there was a heaviness, a thickness on the breeze that felt unnatural.
Cold, oh, so cold.
A tingle rushed down her spine, a threat. Kind of felt like the hairs rising on the back of her neck, but this held a greater intensity. Something nasty and dangerous approached.
The crackle and sizzle of fire warned her before she smelled it. Harper whirled and saw a flaming ball of fire the size of a bowling ball zipping through the air toward her.
Without thinking, she flung a bolt of coldfire at the fireball. Her magick engulfed the threat, surrounded it and the fireball didn’t shatter. It remained in the air, bouncing like a child’s red rubber ball ringed by cobalt blue.
What if I could take it into myself and become even more powerful? Use something evil and make it into something good?
She waved her hands toward herself and the fireball/coldfire gently floated over to her. It sank into her chest, leaving a warm, tingling feeling. The soaring rush of power made her laugh. So much energy, she felt as if she could fly through the air.
Staring at her hands, she marveled at this newfound ability.I can do this. Not merely destroy things.
Could her powers actually be used for good and not merely for defense?
Jared materialized, sitting on top of the picnic table.
“Now you may take a break.” A smug look crossed his face.
Harper glared at him. “You’re a beast.”
A shadow crossed his face and then he shrugged. “So what if I am?”
She joined him at the table. “You can summon fireballs? Is that a demon thing?”
