Human Wings of Fire

Interrogating Kaida

Maya walked down to her father's office and knocked on the door. "It's Maya."

"Come in," Chief Martin replied.

Maya opened the door and said, "Colton's innocent, but his daughter Kaida might be the culprit. I might need to..." She trailed off at her father's sharp burst of annoyance.

"Sorry," she nearly whispered as her father grabbed the phone book from a high cabinet and flipped to a page.

*. *. *.

"So, lemme get this straight," said the young woman over the phone with Maya. "Some dude who claims he's my dad pointed to me as a suspect for the kidnapping of my sister, who by the way has been one of MY BEST FRIENDS since the eighth grade?"

"Um... yeah, pretty much. Sorry."

"You're just a kid prank-calling me, aren't you?" Kaida nearly shouted.

"N-no! I mean, I am a kid, but that's not my fault! I can get an older officer on if that'd make you feel any better..." Maya was beginning to panic. If a lead wasn't being followed by the end of the day, her father got mad. So. Very. Mad. She shuddered.

Kaida seemed to notice Maya's discomfort. "Sorry. That would make you the telepath, right?"

"Yes, that's me." Maya replied. "I promise it won't take too long if you cooperate. I'm sorry. I believe you, but there still might be something helpful you caught only subconsciously."

Kaida sighed. "Fiiine. Just lemme get over there."

*. *. *.

Five minutes later, the woman from Colton's mind got out of an olive green sedan. Her short ombré red-and-orange hair was draped over one of her electric blue eyes, and she wore a red halter top, dark jeans, and thigh-high black combat boots.

Maya looked up from the book she'd been reading, a middle-grade fantasy novel titled Creeper of the Lost Kitties.

"H-Hello, Kaida," she said, surprised by the woman's stature. She'd seemed much smaller in Colton's mind. "Let's begin."

Maya led Kaida into her little room. "Were you around when Ruby disappeared?"

Kaida shrugged. "Around where?"

Maya smacked herself in the head. "Oh, um, Washington Park, sorry."

"Ohhh," Kaida said, nodding. "Lemme think..."

Maya nodded. "Take your time," she said, mentally preparing herself. After about three seconds, she dove into Kaida's mind. Another three seconds later, she visibly recoiled, clutching her head.

Kaida blinked. "What?"

Maya grimaced. "I think my head's on fire. Internally. What on earth did you do?"

"Nothing, I swear!" Kaida quickly drew her arms back and palms up as though being held at gunpoint. "I promise you I didn't mean to do that! If it was even me that did that. I dunno. I'm trying to cooperate I promise-"
"Kaida..." Maya interrupted.

"WHAT?!?" Kaida shouted, still panicked.

"Your hands are on fire."

Kaida looked at her hands. True to Maya's word, they were, in fact, on fire.

"Dang it." Kaida glared at her hands, and the fire went out, leaving no sign of ever having been there at all.

Maya stood there, open-mouthed, for a very long few minutes. After a long, awkward silence, she said, "Oh, so that's what people mean by firebourne. That explains your mental state, then."