Mage Academy

Boiling Hot

That's it. 

It takes all I have not to shoot at her. I restrain myself because if I did do something, I'd be confirming everything she just said about Fire majors. I'd be giving in to her. She would win.

Instead, I turn and walk briskly away from her, past all of the shocked girls, and out the door. I turn the corner and when I'm away from sight I run, fast, down the winding wooden steps of the tower. I pass hordes of girls on the way, all looking at me like I've gone mad, and maybe I have. I don't know where I'm going. All I know is that I want to be as far away from Lauren as I can. 

Gibby clings to my shoulder as I rush down the massive, empty corridors leading away from the tower, through ginormous ballrooms, past tall doors in every direction, leading on to more of the same. 

I feel my body starting to heat up, getting hotter and hotter and hotter until I can't breathe properly anymore, and it's not due to my lack of fitness. I stumble, the heat blinding my eyes, through an open doorway and out into an quiet courtyard filled with plants. Staggering, I sit down heavily on the ground. 

I draw rasping breaths, and Gibby pokes my neck, worried. 

"It's alright Mal, she's just an ignorant idiot, don't listen to her."

I throw my head back, gasping for breath. My skin feels like its tearing away from my body. Pain shoots through me as I feel a thousand tiny burns dig into my flesh. Its almost as if my magic is turning against me.

"Mal? Calm do-- you're boiling hot!" Gibby yelps and leaps off of my shoulder.

That stupid, stupid girl. Who does she think she is?! Does she think she can get away with being so mean? Does she think she can get away with insulting all Fire majors? Does she think she can get away with insulting MY MOTHER?!

I can breathe again. The pain has gone, and has left me feeling stronger, angrier, more powerful than ever before. I take a deep breath in, and when I exhale it comes out as a deep, throaty growl. Fists clenched, I picture Lauren again-- her mean, ruthless eyes, her arrogant expression. Her words come to me, as clear as if she were saying them to me right now. I clench my eyes shut and feel my body shaking.

In the distance I hear Gibby, yelling at me to calm down. But I'm past calm now. I'm furious. 

As if I'm just going to walk away from Lauren. As if I'd let her get away. As if...

I open my eyes, ready to go back to the dorms and find her. I open my eyes and see... 

Max. 

Max crouched in front of me, looking at me. His deep, dark eyes expressionless. His hand is covered in his Fire. I don't know why he's here, but I have no time for him now. I start to stand up, but to my surprise Max reaches out and grabs my arm, stopping me. 

He reaches out with his hand of Fire. That should burn me. That should hurt. Why isn't it hurting me?

I look down, and my heart leaps, the breath taken right out of my lungs.

I am on fire. 

My very skin is alight with flame. My entire body is one huge ball of Fire. 

I make a noise, I don't know if it's a gasp or a cry or a scream, and I fall backwards, pulling, trying to get away, but Max holds on to me tight. 

"Breathe..." I hear him say, his voice miles away. I have nothing to do but try. My breathing has turned shallow again, and I try my hardest to even it out. I breathe and breathe until my rib cage hurts. Slowly, everything becomes louder, clearer. 

"Breathe.." Max says again, and this time his voice sounds closer. I focus my eyes on his and breathe until the feeling of maximised power has gone. Until I feel like an empty shell. Until I feel like me. 

His eyes are drawing me in, hypnotising me, and all I can think about is breathing, breathing, breathing. Somehow, I manage to tear my eyes from his, and look down at myself. The Fire has gone. I take one final deep breath and collapse onto the plant pot behind me, leaning back, closing my eyes. 

When I reopen them, Max is gone.