Drowning with Fire #3 ✔

Chapter 2 - Ember

[Warning: this chapter contains some mature content] 

The flames that devoured us died away and I felt solid ground beneath my feet.

Lurching forwards, I squeezed my eyes shut and choked out the obligatory lumps of char – its cloying smoke-like residue clinging to the roof of my mouth.

"Are you okay?" Theo's hand was on my back in an instant.

Not trusting myself to speak, I simply nodded my head.

"Woah..." Ryder stumbled around after we landed.

"That was amazing, Ember." Thea stood up straight and smiled across at me, before a look of disgust came upon her face.

"Thea, what's wrong?" Theo was quick to notice the change, but his hand kept rubbing my back slowly all the while.

Family or me – what comes first?

Much to my surprise, Thea also coughed up a few smouldering lumps of char; causing both Theo and Ryder to rush over to her. Concerned, I straightened up and frowned.

"How is this happening to her too?" Ryder asked incredulously, "Sometimes, supernatural shit is so complicated, I swear to God..."

"It must be because she's got fire in her system too." I spoke my thoughts aloud.

"I'm okay, guys." Thea coughed once more then stood up.

"We can't travel again today." I realised, my head suddenly feeling heavy on my shoulders.

Ryder swore under his breath and rubbed his face with his hands exhaustedly. He snapped out at me, "How long is it going to take us to get to the UK? What's the point in teleporting if it's going to take days instead of a few hours on a plane?"

I think Theo snapped back at him, telling him to back off or something, but I didn't hear. Black spots started appearing in my vision, making my head fuzzy and my thoughts blurry.

"Theo..." I muttered, before I felt my legs give way from under me, sending me crashing to the ground.

~

I came to in a bed full of springs that were digging into my back and I instinctively could tell that I was naked under the covers.

"Hey, you're awake now." I heard Theo's voice before he came into vision, "It's gonna be okay."

A frown creased my forehead and I felt my eyebrows furrow. "Where are my clothes?"

"They were burnt off your body not long after we got you to this motel." He explaining, seating himself on the edge of the bed.

We.

Suddenly aware that Ryder and Thea could also be present, I dragged the covers up to my throat.

Theo's words slowly began sinking in, and I manage to form the question, "Burnt off my body?"

"Yeah, you've been a hot mess since we got to Lake Lanier." His worried eyes flicked over my face and it dawned on me that I was covered in a light sheen of sweat.

"I need a shower." I spoke my first thought aloud, running a hand through my suddenly greasy hair.

Damn, I must look like shit.

Making a move to get up, I held the covers to my chest before the world started spinning around the bed. "Woah..." I had to swallow hard to force down the rising bile in my throat and grasp onto the side of the bed to keep sitting up.

"What's wrong?" Theo edged closer to me, the edge of the bed I was grasping moving with him – I'd grabbed onto his thigh instead of the bed.

"Oh, sorry, I..." I apologised but didn't move my hand away.