Luna Dea

23) Heat

And she knew that her fate wasn't set by how or where she was born, but the decisions she made and the battles she fought. It didn't matter if she had eight toes or ten, amber eyes or blue. What mattered was what she set out to do.
- Robert Beatty

Avalon pov

Fire, heat. It clawed its way around me, in to my skin. I could see the flames licking at my feet. The smoke was suffocating me. I tried to move, run from the fire, but I couldn't. It followed me.

The flames clawed their way up my feet and to my legs. I screamed, screamed for air. Screamed for release. The heat had my arms and legs in its firey grasp. I couldn't move. The fire forced its way up my body and in to my mouth.

I was swallowing flames. I was breathing fire. I was heat. But I would never get that sweet release. It kept me in its grasp. The fire was whispering in my ears. It told me that there was no escape, that I would be trapped in flames firey grasp forever.

"Ava." a distant voice called.

It was comforting, it gave release to the fire. I reached out for it, but it was too far way.

"Shit, Ava." there it is again.

It sounds worried. I want to tell it that everything will be okay. I want to comfort it.

"Shit. You're burning up. We have to get you in some water." it says again.

It is closer now. So close, yet not reachable. I want to call out to it, but my throat is dry and won't form any words.

I feel the voice get closer, but not as a voice anymore, as a being, a physical being. It wraps me in its warmth, giving momentary relief from the fire. But then it comes back again, worse than before. I scream again.

I hear things in the background. My name, voices. But I can't make anything out, the fire has me in its claws and won't let me go. I feel myself surrendering to the fire when I feel myself submerge in a cool, wet body of water.

It is nice and cold. It slows the fire down. The fire recedes and I can hear again. I hear a worried voice telling me everything's going to be okay. My vision becomes clear.

I can see the outline of a bath, someone put me in the water. I look around and see Jaycob standing over the bath. I blink a few times until his figure becomes clear.

"Ava. Has it stopped?" he asks.

Just as he says that, another wave of fire comes on. My vision goes blury, all I can hear is this ringing noise. The fire claws its way through my body, demanding to be felt. I scream, I want - no, I need it to stop. I need release.

I turn to Jaycob once my vision is cleared. The look in his eyes tells me what I dreaded, I'm in heat. Its killing him, that I'm in pain, but there is something he can do. He wants to do it too.

He makes eye contact with me. His eyes tell me everything, what he wants to do, what I dread for him to do. I violently shake my head, begging him not to do it.

"Please, Ava. It will help." he begs.

I shake my head. I shake it until I get dizzy, until I feel as if it's going to fall off. I shake it until he knows how much I don't want it.

He looks distraught, torn. I look at him with pleading eyes. He sighs and gives in. At least I thought he gave in. He stormed out of the bathroom, leaving me in this state.

I guess he couldn't deal with it. I understand where he is coming from, but I can't help but feel abandoned. Why did he leave me when I was at my most vulnerable? Even his mere presence helped the fire die down, now he is gone, it comes back, full heat.