Bring Forth a Fire (Book 1)

Three - Invisible Threat

The true impact of what had happened the night of my initiation whas whispered throughout the halls in the days following. It spread like a virus, that story. Did you hear? The new girl, Emma Haywood, ended the Reign of Terror the other night. Thrashed the Finishers.

That's what all the other girls were calling it. Apparently mine had been of the milder initiations, but the moment I'd shown them my true powers, it had evidently banished all thought of making it worse. Thank goodness. And suddenly the girls who had wanted nothing else but to torment me now wanted me to join them, not only because of my power, but because they'd have one of each Elemental.

At first I refused. They could go bloody hang that notion, as far as I was concerned. If they wanted me just because I'd intimidated them, that was no way to earn a group of friends. But they kept asking me, and dropping hints, and passing me notes. Eventually, I had to accept, just to stop their pestering. Something had to be done, after all, and the other girls were starting to notice. And the one thing I didn't want was more unwanted attention.

"On one condition only," I said that night after dinner, when they'd managed to corner me in the reading room. "You have to let Celia come along too. That or you stop making fun of her and leave her alone."

"Anything you say, Emma. Anything you say." Margaret, who I'd learned to remember by the odd slightly lazy-eye, said. "You have our word. Swear on it."

"And mine," Samantha, the one with the shorter nose and mud-brown hair, nodded vigorously.

The ladies protested too much, in my opinion, but it was better than having them whispering and snickering about me. It was all relative.

Catherine said nothing, for a change. All she did was give me a single, stoic nod in my direction.

It was definitely the strangest way to find a group of friends that I knew of.

||

Weeks after I'd been fully accepted into the community at Allerton, and I no longer had to worry about midnight bullying sessions, the headmistress called me to her study. I thought at first it was because I had gotten in trouble, but the other girls had insisted it was not.

"From that boarding school only five kilometers from here. St Mark's something-or-other," she said when I was standing in front of her, sliding an envelope across her desk towards me. There was stern disapproval on her face. "Those rowdy boys don't learn anything in the way of manners."

My heart leapt into my throat as I scanned the envelope. It was indeed from St Mark's School for Boys. This could only mean one thing. Sebastian had found me.

"Thank you, Headmistress, ma'am. Thank you." I dropped into a quick curtsey before rushing out, relieved.

I didn't open it until that evening, after Celia had fallen asleep and I was sure everyone else had too. Even then, I waited. I sat there with my knees hugged close to my chest just staring at it. I hadn't the slightest idea what could be contained within. When the temptation became too much, I snatched it up and tore it open.

Dear Emma, it read. Wherever this letter finds you, I hope it finds you well. I haven't forgotten about you, and I wonder how you are every day. I heard about your father, and you have my condolences. You two seemed close, although the only times I ever saw him was when he was angry at you. I have some news that I got wind of couple days ago that you may want to know. I can't share it in this letter, so I'm only going to ask you to meet me, this coming Friday, at half-past ten. There's a grove of trees at the halfway point between our two schools, off the main road, and that's where I'll wait for you. Sincerely yours, Sebastian.