Ignited

KENDRA

The tiny blue flame danced in my palm.

“Excellent Kendra,” Astria praised. “Close your eyes and feel your magic wrap around the flame, shrinking it down to the tiniest of embers,” she encouraged.

I did as she instructed, feeling my magic contract until I could barely feel the fire anymore. Astria, our coven leader, has been working with me to master my control over fire. She was the only one brave enough to try other spells with me. Any time I try anything not related to fire, I fuck it up. Every. Single. Time. But fire, fire danced through my veins and across my skin. Fire came to me naturally. It was my element.

Even the protection spell Astria taught me had a fire element to it. It’s not supposed to, mind you, but Astria said it’s fine, and the added fire will be a deterrent. At eighteen, the others in our coven have given up on me, relegated me to watching the younglings, the ones too small to learn magical control. At the same time, everyone else either trained their magic or protected our little coven village. Most people in our coven saw me as a drain on resources—a waste. Not Astria, though. She said my fire was beautiful and mentored me a few times a week to strengthen my control. She always said that wild magic is willful and mischievous and that if we were strong enough to tame it, it would be our ally, our weapon.

“Great job!” she remarked, pulling me from my thoughts. Her bright blue eyes beamed with pride. “Now, with your magic intertwined with the flame, expand it, either as high or as wide as you can. Just one, not both.” At just over five feet tall, Astria was easily the smallest adult member of our coven, tiny but fierce. The tips of her shoulder-length black hair sticking up in all directions were the only thing in this coven brave enough to defy her.

I nodded silently, my eyes still clamped shut. I pictured myself grabbing hold of the top and bottom of the flame and stretching it as high as my fingertips could reach. I breathed deeply as the tall, thin flame burned in my mind.

A hiss from just in front of me broke my concentration, and my eyes snapped open. Smoke rose from the ground, and I sighed as I realized I didn’t contain my fire well enough. It must have jumped to something else, and Astria had to put it out, cheeky little flame—Still willful.

She clapped her hands across my column of fire, extinguishing it. “Come now, Kendra, accidents happen. No one was hurt,” she cooed. “Your control is impressive. I’m certain I couldn’t form a column of fire that large at your age.” She cupped my chin and smiled at me. “You’re doing really well. Keep practicing and we will meet again in three days, ok?”

I nodded and returned her smile. Astria always had a way of putting me at ease.

“Good. See you then,” she chirped as she walked away.

I called my fire to me, and this time, a deep red flame appeared in my palm. I smiled. Red always seems to obey with less reluctance. Astria told me she didn’t know why my fire changed colors. She said she had never seen anyone’s fire abilities react the way mine did.

I closed my eyes and focused on my magic and the small flame, no bigger than an apple. Apples? Damn, now I’m getting hungry. Focus Kendra.

I blew out a long, slow breath, picturing my magic playing with the red flame, twisting and spinning as it coaxed the fire to play with me. When I sensed my magic and the fire fully integrated, I stretched my arms out, feeling the fire expand. Then, slowly, I brought my hands closer together, focusing on shrinking the flame as the gap between my hands got smaller.

I yelped as strong arms wrapped around me from behind. I slapped my hands together, extinguishing the flame, and spun around. My soulmate Mozzy smiled down at me, those golden eyes of his momentarily mesmerizing me before I remembered I was supposed to be irritated with him.

I smacked his chest, scolding him with my best scowl, “Mozzy! You could have set the entire forest on fire or, worse, the village!”

“Nah, my little mage had it under control,” he said, bopping my nose with his finger. “No one controls fire like you do, Kendra.” he leaned in, dropping a lingering kiss on my lips.

I rolled my eyes. “You’re the only one who feels that way, Mozz. Even Astria only trains me out of pity. She’s too nice to tell me I’m awful,” I muttered.

Mozzy barked out a laugh, “Astria? Too nice? We are talking about the same Astria, right? The woman who pushes me until I pass out at least once a week, That Astria?” He shook his head like what I just said was too incredulous for him to believe.

“You know what I mean. Astria may be strict and tough when it comes to magical training, but she is a softie with a big heart. She shows it with the crones and the younglings,” I dropped my hands to my sides and exhaled harshly, “and silly little fire mages that hold no real power.”

Mozzy placed his hands on my cheeks and lifted my face to his, “Don’t talk about my mate that way,” he scolded gently. “She is amazing. I have seen what she can do with fire. It won’t bode well for you to criticize her. She might just set that strawberry blonde hair of yours on fire,” he smiled down at me, gently combing his fingers through my hair.

I could see the love and pride he carried for me shining in his golden-hued eyes, and every stroke of his fingers across my skin soothed my restless spirit, the one that always whispered that I’m not quite good enough.

Mozzy dropped to the gravel next to me. His sandy brown hair was messy and damp. He must have just come from training. “Why don’t you show me what you’re working on,” he said, waving his hand in the air to mimic my fire.

I focused on my palm, and another red flame swirled into existence, appearing in my hand. I glanced at Mozzy to find him wearing a lazy smile, enraptured by the small ball of fire.

I closed my eyes and focused on manipulating the fire exactly as I had been doing with Astria. She says that one day, I will be able to stretch my flames out beyond my physical space. Right now, I can only direct it between the tips of my fingers. According to her, one day, I will form walls of flame, whips, arrows, and other cool things. For now, I practice expanding and contracting my fire, reveling in the sense of awe I feel coming from Mozzy through our mate bond.