That afternoon, I took a hot bath and debated with myself over whether I should attend Peter's gathering. I couldn't help it if he was my tutor, but I could decide to forgo a political rally.

Should I team up with the Defenders and break my promise to Bragda? Or should I knuckle down and hit the books?

I had so much work to catch up on for all three classes. But my curiosity kept eating away at me.

Peter said we were all in danger. What if I found out some useful intel for Bragda? What if I could help our country? She pledged to keep me safe, but what if it was my turn to help?

Fine, I'll go. What do I have to lose? It's just one gathering. Maybe I'll finally get some answers.

With a contented sigh, I climbed out of the tub and dried myself off with a fuzzy towel. The door creaked, signaling Bragda's return from combat training.

"Hurry up, sis! I feel like someone has beaten every inch of my body, and I need a bath," she said with a sigh as she slumped into her chair. "Where in Hades are you going?"

"Nowhere."

"Bullshit! Don't lie."

"I'm not--"

"You haven't taken out your fancy dress satchel in forever," she said with a groan. "Come on, out with it. Where are you headed?"

"Never mind, Mother," I hissed in reply.

"Don't you have work to catch up on?"

"I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Uh-huh."

With a sly smile, I smoothed my hands over my ankle-length, emerald-green velvet dress. It was fairly revealing attire, but it made me feel beautiful and confident even if no one else could see it. It felt daring. The world seemed no more than an ant in my palm, on the verge of being devoured by my fire.

"For chaff's sake, hurry up!" Bragda shouted outside the door.

"Just gimme a minute, stars above!"

With a little shimmy, I put on my stockings and my black leather granny boots. While I was weaving my hair into an elegant braid, I heard Bragda banging her fist on the desk and yelling.

"One more minute! Just a bit of patience, please," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Get out here right this fucking second, Liselle Carolina Alta!"

I finished the braid with a hair tie.

Ugh, what is it now?

Wrenching the bathroom door open, I gaped at a flurry of white paper fluttering through the air. Bragda turned to me, her face even redder than her hair.

"Where in Hades do you think you're going dressed like that?"

"What on Paxus is your problem, Bragda?" Realization struck, and a venomous fury burned inside me. "Is that...my invitation?"

"You bet your ass it is," she sneered. "You promised me, damn it. You promised not to see him."

"You went through my things? How dare you?"

"You're not going! Sit your butt down and catch up on your work."

"I beg your pardon, but I can go wherever I like."

"You just got out of the hospital." She folded her arms across her chest, her sapphire eyes flared in anger. "It ain't happening, certainly not with a Defender freak."

Without the card, they'd never let me in. My card. My invitation. My answers.

Gone.

My face flushed crimson as I raced towards her. "You...you...you..."

Her sapphire eyes flared as she whipped towards me. "Yeah? What, Liselle? What am I?"

"You're a wench!" I spat. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

"Jealous? Are you crazy?" Bragda crossed her arms. "The normal Liselle would be hunched over a pile of books right now. Who are you?"

"You're pissed because no one wants to ask you out with your beard and your big muscles," I seethed. All rational thought flew out the window, and I hurled whatever ridiculous insults came to mind. "You look like a man. Not like a lady. Not like me."

"You look like a whore! Even with your stupid white ribbon!"

"Go...take a hike!"

"You wanna swear?" She approached me until her face was a foot from mine and grabbed my shoulders a bit too firmly. I yelped in surprise. "Do it right, like a man, or don't do it at all."

"Why are you doing this?" I cried, trying in vain to back away from her. "Stop trying to control me. It won't bring them back, you know."

Bragda was almost panting with anger. "Who?"

"Mom and Dad!" I said, furious. "That's what this is all about. You blame yourself for not being there, for not protecting them. For not protecting me. You're driving me mad."

"Screw that chaff!" Bragda roared from the doldrums of her chest. "You're not going to a pub alone and staying until the wee hours of the morning with a psycho Defender."

Adrenaline was roaring through my veins so forcefully that I managed to push her away from me. "You can't tell me what to do, Bragda. He has the answers I need. It's my turn to protect us!"

"You almost got killed less than a month ago," she yelled. "I'm not going to let you go, and that's final. Even if you get pissed. At least you'll be safe! I swear to the gods, I won't lose you, too."

"Chaff off!"

Against my will, a pulse of magic burst forth from my receptors like an invisible shockwave. The backdraft was so strong that I fell to the ground with a shocked yelp. It thrust Bragda against the wall, which caved in upon impact. She slumped forward with a groan.

I gasped and covered my mouth. Oh, gods! What have I done?

"Sis!"

We both stared at each other, stunned. I'd never sworn--let alone attacked anyone with magic, even by accident--in my entire life. Soon came the poisonous sting in my soul as regret burned a hole in my heart.

Tears welled in Bragda's eyes.

My sister never cried. Ever. Not when her family died. Not when Dad died. Not when Mom killed herself in her grief and left Bragda in charge of me.

I offered her my hand, which shook like a leaf, but she slapped it away.

"Go," she gasped, her voice choked. "Go, now."

"Sis, I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose. It just--"

"Leave now," Bragda said, her voice breaking. "If you attack me again--on purpose or not--I swear you won't have hands afterward."

"I'm--"

"I said go!" Bragda roared as she stumbled to her feet, plaster dust settling on the carpet like a blanket of snow. "Before I do something I'll regret."

"Sis--"

Her face flushed crimson, and her sapphire stare pierced me like a dagger. She sauntered towards her wooden desk chair, heaved it through the air, and smashed the window with a roar.

Transfixed and unable to move, I stood behind her like a deer near a predator. As soon as I came to my senses, I snatched my leather satchel and my keys and practically ran out of the room. Behind me, I could hear Bragda smashing all the furniture in our room.

My insides melted into fiery lava.

❄️🔥❄️🔥

Halfway down the street, a chill cascaded down my spine. My anger had broiled inside my veins so fiercely that I hadn't realized I'd forgotten my modesty coat.

A couple of lecherous Rogues ogled my bosom as I walked towards the entrance to The Hungry Goblet. In a vain attempt at decency, I folded my arms across my chest.

I can't go back now. Bragda will kill me.

"Hey, babe, you look cold," one of the men hissed at me, fondling the black ribbon resting on his dirty shirt.

"Yeah, maybe we could warm you up," the other one said as he stared at me from head to foot.

"Get away."

"Or what, sweetheart?" He made a suggestive hand gesture as he grew nearer. "Are you going to shoot us with a bolt of lightning? I can do that, too."

"I'm celibate."

"And I'm not," the other man said as he approached me. "Maybe it's time to convince you that our way is better."

"You're both drunk. Just go away."

"Oh, babe, you ain't seen nothin' yet."

"Ignite," I whispered under my breath, and a flame sprang to life.

The older man watched the flame dancing on my palm. "What the--?"

Both men's faces blanched as I played with the flame, shaping it into a tiny ball in my hands. "Go away, gentlemen," I said in a calm, deadly voice, "or we're going to have a little game of catch."

"Come on, Fred, it ain't worth it," the first guy said, his voice cracking in fear. "Leave the bitch alone."

"Yeah," he said as he slowly backed away from me. "I think you're right."

After they'd sprinted down the road away from me, practically tripping over their own feet, someone began to clap. I turned around to see Peter sauntering towards me.

"I was going to impress you by smiting them," he said with a grin, "but you awed me instead."

I clenched my hand into a fist, converting the fire back into mana, and the flame disappeared. Over his heart, Peter wore a black and a red ribbon.

"What a beautiful use of fire magic, Liselle."

Peter shrugged off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. I almost melted into its seductive warmth. It smelled like him--like mint and the smoky scent of burning embers.

"There, now," he cooed, snaking his arm around me. "Let's get you a nice warm cup of tea."

Peter had nearly a foot on me and a broad, muscular chest. So his oversized black leather jacket hid away my curves as I wrapped it around me and pulled the tie.

"Thank you," I whispered. "I'm afraid I lost your invitation. Can I still attend the meeting?"

"Don't worry," he drawled in a deep, alluring baritone. "You're going to fit right in with the Fireborn."

I recoiled when he said Fireborn. My fiscas flashed before my inner eye, threatening to drag me down into another vision. Swirling shadow. The horned demon. The swirling red chemicals.

They burned, burned, burned...like liquid lava. 

No please, not here. Not again.

"Liselle?" I drew a sharp intake of air, and Peter gave me a puzzled look. "Are you all right?"

"The Fireborn are real?" I asked, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.

Peter curled his lip. "You'll see."