Hell Fire (Wild Fire: 2) (FINISHED)

8 - I Forbid You

Ember walked downstairs to get a snack from the cupboard, finding her sister at the counter, eating cereal.

"Don't you need to sleep?" Ember asked her.

Alice gazed up at her, jaw clenching.

She shut up then.

Alice was still pissed...

"I'll sleep when I feel like it," she hissed, and Ember threw her hands up, claiming innocence.

She then stepped over to the cabinet to make herself some cereal for breakfast.

When she was done pouring the milk, Alice then spoke with a leveled tone, "Come here. Sit next to me. We need to talk."

Oh, no.

Ember sighed and stepped over to her sister, settling in the chair with one empty seat in between them.

"Ember," Alice said then, something cold in her tone, "do you know Max that well?"

"Kinda," she responded, eating her cereal.

"Well, I hate him," she said then, making Ember want to facepalm, but she held back. "Max is the kind of guy who girls dream of. Max is what you call 'bad boy', right?"

"Sure," Ember stated, not wanting to have this conversation.

"Ember," Alice said then, "Max is a womanizer. I've seen guys like him date girls like you, have sex, dump them, and then move on."

Ember closed her eyes, trying not to sigh in annoyance.

"I don't trust him, he gives me bad vibes, understand?"

Ember nodded.

"I've met him before, talked to him, yes, he told me nice things about you. And I trusted him with you for a couple weeks while I was at mom's funeral. But me-as your guardian-knows that guys like him know to be kind and sweet to the girl's family. I've seen him around you, he's dangerous, Ember."

She just sat and listened, eating her cereal while watching the counter lazily.

She had no idea how bad Elijah was, did she?

Ember wanted to throw all these things in her face.

Alice, I'm a phoenix, okay? Max is a fallen angel. Max is trying to protect me from a psychotic werewolf who wants me dead! You can't save me! You're human!

But she remained silent, knowing that Alice wouldn't understand, for one, and that it would put her in danger, for two.

Who knew how many enchanted beings were out there? Who knew how many were evil like Elijah? If Alice knew this world, she could be in immediate danger. She would be prayed on.

Humans weren't usually prayed on when they were oblivious to the world.

Alice would've been.

If she found out, that is.

"Ember, are you listening?" Alice questioned.

"Yes," she lied.

"Does Max have a temper?" Alice questioned then. "What is his history with women, do you know?"

Uh, yeah. He was dating Scarlett and murdered her because she tried to kill Ember out of jealousy.

"He currently has no exes," Ember stated.

It was partly true... His only ex was in hell now.

"Are you sure?" Alice said.

"Pretty sure, yeah."

Alice let out an impatient noise. "Ember, you're stuck in an infatuation, do you understand? Max is manipulating you. He's dangerous, do you hear me? DANGEROUS."

Ember nodded, trying not to roll her eyes.

"So..." Alice said then, hesitating, "I know you'll hate me for this, but it's for your own good." She gazed up. "Ember? I forbid you to see him again."

She shot up from her seat. "What?"

"It's for your own good," Alice stated, making Ember's eyes harden. "He's dangerous, Ember."

She clenched her jaw. "You can't do this."

"I just did," Alice stated, keeping her expression calm. "You-are-not-allowed-to-see-Max, understand?"

Ember threw her bowl into the sink and stormed upstairs, slamming her bedroom door shut behind her seconds later.

She collapsed onto her bed and screamed into her pillow.

So many things she wanted to tell Alice! So many things she couldn't!

What was she supposed to do? Max was keeping her safe!

She scrambled to a seating position when anger started boiling her inside.

She took a couple deep breaths before the fire started igniting in her eyes, holding her face in her hands and rocking back and forth to soothe herself.

When she was calmer, she glanced down at her phone.

It was one-thirty.

She gazed up at her window.

I'm sorry, Alice. But... I can't do this.

She shot up from her mattress and opened her bedroom window.

She didn't care how angry her sister would get for sneaking out to see him one last time, but Ember had to tell Max face-to-face that she wasn't allowed to see him again.

She had to ask him what she should do. How she could stay safe with Elijah still out there-with all the people sneaking through her window to kill her.

If Max wasn't there last night... she'd be dead.

She then hauled herself out from her bedroom window and slid down the roof tiles, jumping off and catching onto a tree branch outside her window.

She slid down the branches seconds later.

And then... she ran.