Invictus

Chapter 5

APRIL

I got home and headed straight to bed, all this power thing drains a girl.

After tossing and turning for like three hours, I decided that a good meal would help me sleep. The sound of the TV stopped me in my tracks.

What now?

I crept to the living room, Hestia had her legs thrown over the arms of the couch.

"Oh, good. You finally realised that you won't sleep " She said, without even turning

"How did you know? " I asked "and how long have you been here?"

"I'm a goddess, and I was here when you went into the room." She said, barely looking at me.

I run my hand through my hair, briefly admiring the flames.

"Fire is beautiful " Hestia said softly "a good servant but a horrible master."

I sit across from her, she had changed from her tunic to a red hooded cloak, her red hair matching it. As red as blood.

My hair was almost orange compared to hers.

"the powers are controlled through emotions and thoughts" She made a flame in her palm. I stared at it, it called to me.

"It has that effect,but don't let it control you. " She passed it to me and I cradled it in my palm. I stared long and deep into it. When I raised my head, I was alone .

The flame was still in my hand, I stared at it and went into the bathroom. I took a deep breath and focused on it, then I shifted my hand away from it. It floated mid air. Using my mind, I moved it around the bathroom, warped the form, created objects. I let it run over my bare skin, it didn't hurt at all. I expanded it, pulled it, shaped it. It felt like molding clay. I tried to extinguish it but I couldn't. I walked into the kitchen, the fireball trailing behind me, I brought up a baking pan and let the flame sit in it. As soon as it touched the pan, it transformed into a little fiery dog.

I popped some left over pizza in the microwave and pet the dog, running my fingers through its fiery fur.

"What will I name you? " the dog wagged it's tail. The beeping of the microwave distracted me and I turned away from the dog. The thought of melting cheese made my mouth water, and I reached for a slice without thinking of the heat. I paused halfway to my mouth and looked at the dog. It had its tongue out, so I gave him the slice in my hand.

He gobbled it up slowly, as flames consume a piece of paper. Then he doubled up, he filled up the pan, his tail sticking out of the pan and tapping the counter top. I kept the pizza away, reached into the oven and pulled out the large pan. He leapt into it as I dropped it on the ground, I gave him another slice of pizza and sat on a chair, munching the rest.

He padded after me as I walked to my room, amazingly the carpet was untouched, barely even singed. He jumped into bed with me and I paused, waiting for my sheets to go off in flames. He had fallen asleep, the red and orange flames turned a bright blue.

The next day was a Wednesday, it was school policy that all Wednesday would be half days, and the student body agreed happily.

Something warm was kicking my cheek, Fireball. I ran my hand through the fur on his head and opened my eyes, the sun was probably high in the sky, but I had gotten blackout blinds so I didn't really have an idea of how bright it was outside, I went to the bathroom while Fireball
padded around on my bed.

When I emerged, I spotted blue flame. He's asleep. I went across the room and opened the door to my closet, then I looked at my wrist, the flames were blue, I was probably connected to Fireball. I dressed quickly, a plaid shirt over a white one, jeans and sneakers. I picked my bag, grabbed an apple from the fridge, then I heard Denise's car horn.