Flame (Fireborn) (29 page)

My hands are hot, and I
lift my fist, but the sound of something smoldering distracts me.
What the--

I gasp as I look down,
seeing my small fist
smoking
under the water. I shout out, but
the water overpowers my cries. I look frantically around to see if
anyone notices, but no one does, enjoying their last bit of comfort
before the doom. Nymphora is beside me, and she looks curious at my
frantic expression. I raise my fist to show her, but the smoke is
gone, devoured by a torrent of water. Her expression is puzzled, and
I turn back, shaking with a new fear.

Something's wrong with
me. Rhys's voice in my head, and the strange hotness in my body. I
try to cover every inch of my skin with water, desperate to drown out
the heat inside.

Nymphora walks by,
wrapped in a red towel. She hands me the one in her hands, and I wrap
it securely around my chest before stepping out. The first things I
notice are the other girls. Some are taking showers for a second or
third time, basking in the little comfort. Others are lounging
around, sitting on the ledge of the fountain. They don't talk much
because there isn't much to say. For an instant, the sight looks
normal like a bunch of girls having a spa day. Nymphora, with her
blue skin steps into view, and the picture breaks, replaced with a
more stark reality.

The second thing I
notice is there are no guards in sight. I stop short, blinking, but
no glowing eyes appear. I'm not stupid enough to think of escape, but
my mind is anxious as another idea sprouts.

"Nymphora," I
talk casually, standing beside her. "Do you see what I'm
seeing?"

She glances around
nonchalantly, lazily turning her head. "No guards."

"Exactly," I
murmur. We both catch each other's eyes, thinking the same thing.

"We probably don't
have much time. But it's not likely we'll get another chance."

She's nodding. "Yes.
We'll need someone to watch for us, warn us when they come."
Simultaneously, we both search for a spot of green. It doesn't take
long to find Chloris. She's off to the side, away from the group. Her
eyes are half closed, and she looks deep in thought.

"Maybe I should be
the one to ask her," I glance at Nymphora. "Something tells
me you two aren't the best of friends." Her nostrils flare out
in agreement, but she doesn't elaborate further. There isn't a lot of
time so I don't hesitate, strolling with determination forward.

"Hi Chloris."

She opens one eye to
look at me. "Aren't you supposed to be plotting something stupid
and deadly right about now? No one's around to catch you."

It doesn't surprise me
she's noticed the absent guards.

"Funny, you should
say that," I begin, trying to sound light.

Both her eyes open, and
she's staring as if she can read my mind.

"I was hoping that
maybe you could do me a favor."

"No."

I swallow because she's
definitely mad at me. "Chloris," I try again. "You
know as well as I do what this means." I hold my hands out,
gesturing to my newly cleaned body. "You heard her. We're
offerings
. We're not meant to ever leave this place." She
flinches, and I press harder, coming closer. "There
is
hope. We
can
escape. But we can't do it without your help."
I plead. "We're as good as dead here, Chloris. Can't you see
that?"

She's looking away from
me, staring at the floor.

Precious time slips
away with each passing moment.

"Help us," I
urge her. "Help yourself. Help this
world
."

I didn't mean to sound
as dramatic as I did, yet when the words leave my mouth I know I'm
right. "If we stay here, no one will make it out to warn the
people. The Saguinox will take us all." I shake my head.
"Nothing will ever be the same."

That seems to jolt her
a little bit, and she glances up at me. "Nothing will ever be
the same for you no matter if I help you or not."

I look away because
she's right. Even if I make it out of here, I'll never be able to
live the same life, knowing there are creatures like Chloris and the
Saguinox out there. My dad's face drifts into my mind, and a fresh
pang of homesickness stabs at my heart. "Help me. Just give us a
chance."

Her eyes are
unblinking. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into
with her," she finally says, nodding to Nymphora.

Something cold comes
over me with her words. "It doesn't matter. We have to get out
of here."

She gives me a look
that says
you've been warned
. "I'll help you," she
agrees.

I breathe a sigh of
relief and I almost hug her. "Thank you."

She doesn't say
anything and she doesn't look happy.

"We need you to
watch for the guards, and warn us when they come. We're-"

"I don't need to
know what stupid thing you're about to do," she interrupts. "You
just do what you need to do, and I'll play my part."

"Can you give us a
whistle or something if you see them?"

She whistles, and the
sound is perfect: low, but high pitched enough it travels. Another
whistle answers back, and we turn. Nymphora is giving us the thumbs
up. This seems to distress Chloris more, and without a word she walks
off, moving slowly to the entrance.

I rush to Nymphora.
"Ready?"

She gives me a hard
look and says with a smirk, "Of course."

I point to the door on
the opposite side of us. It's behind the fountain, and is barely
visible inside the wall. I'd only notice it because there was a black
line as thick as a piece of hair visible in the light. "It's a
door. They're good at disguising entrances."

"Wouldn't doubt
it."

"I'm good at not
being seen," I inform her, still amazed something I hated my
whole life might be the only thing keeping me alive.

She lifts a perfect
blue eyebrow. "So am I."

We smile at each other
in understanding. "Let's go."

My heart is pounding,
and adrenaline is pulsing from my core, but I manage to move with
casual nonchalance. It feels like forever, but I'm sure it's only
several seconds before we reach the white wall. A few girls are
having whispered conversations, yet it's too quiet. My eyes find
Chloris to reassure myself she's there, and I spot her almost
instantly, leaning against the door, head bowed. She looks so alone.
A stab of regret hits my conscience. I look at Nymphora's blazing
eyes and I know I've done what is best.

I signal with my hand,
and Nymphora moves forward, blocking my small body with her taller
one. Fingers fumbling, I try to find something on the wall to hold
onto; maybe a latch or handle, anything. I press both my palms on
where I think the door might be and push it sideways, like I'm moving
a sliding door. A soft click, and I still, sucking in a fast breath.
I push again, harder this time, and the door moves.

"I got it," I
whisper to Nymphora.

"Go in. Quickly!"

I don't wait to be told
twice. I slide the wall, wincing when it makes more noise than I
want. When the space is wide enough, I slip my body through.

"Nymphora," I
whisper urgently. "Come in."

She does, struggling to
fit her tail in, and I slide the door further back. When she's
inside, I push it until it's an inch from being closed.

Alarmed, I voice a
sudden thought in my head. "What if we can't hear Chloris?"
It's too late now, and I want to kick myself for my impulsiveness.

"We will,"
Nymphora assures me. "She saw you go through. She knows where we
are. She'll come here to warn us," she says confidently. I close
my eyes in relief. So Chloris
was
looking.

Suddenly, I smell
something burning.

The scent is sweet and
smoky at the same time, like rotten beef over a frying pan or burning
rubber in syrup. The smell is so pungent I taste it in my mouth.

Flesh.

We're in a hallway, and
it's elaborately carved with swirling designs inside and on the pale
walls. The design's so exquisite I can't help but wonder if corridors
in Heaven are like this. When I peer closely I notice stained glass
pieces decorating one side of a wall. They're meticulously cut out,
each piece a perfect puzzle part to another. The colors are stunning,
flashing deep jewel tones that make my senses ravenous for more. I'm
so busy looking at each individual part I don't see the whole picture
until I move, taking a step backward. What I see makes my skin crawl.
I hear a sharp intake of breath and I know Nymphora has seen what I'm
looking at.

Eyes. A dozen haunting,
glowing eyes peek out from every which way, all looking up at one
thing: a crystal. The eyes are staring at it, worshipping the
precious stone like a god. Maybe it is. The crystal reminds me of the
Washington monument with its elongated sides, and triangular top. It
glitters brighter than the eyes, and I'm transfixed by its startling
clarity. I lift a finger to touch the glass, and it's hard, cold-
unreal.

Nymphora shudders.
"Something so beautiful shouldn't be so evil."

I can't tell if she's
talking about the crystal or the Saguinox. Maybe both.

The terrible smell
continues to assault my senses. I want to gag. "Do you smell
that?"

She sniffs the air, her
blue nostrils flaring out. Something's burning. She looks at me, and
I'm sure we're thinking the same thing.

"I think it's
coming from over there." I point to a double door at the end.
It's wide and like the one we slid from there are barely any lines to
indicate an entrance. Even though I don't want to, my body ambles
over, hesitant. Briefly, I wonder if there are cameras, but I doubt
it. From what I'm learning about our captors, their arrogance
prevents them from thinking anyone can do what we're about to try.

This time there are
handles, one on each door. I pull at the golden bars, grunting from
the effort. "Locked," I say with aggravation. "Damn
it."

I move to the side and
let Nymphora try.

She tugs at it, pushing
back on one side of the door with one hand, while pulling the side
next to it with the other. She struggles, but the double doors remain
still. She hisses. "If only my powers worked."

I scan around,
searching for anything of use, but the corridor is empty. I look at
the stained glass painting. "Hmm."

I walk over, and
attempt to take a piece off.

"What are you
doing, Kenna?"

I'm too focused on what
I want to do to answer. The little pieces are glued tight together so
it's hard to tell where one begins and the other ends.

"Kenna?" she
prods again.

One hand is flat
against the glass, and the other is delicately trying to pry it
apart. "I'm trying to get a piece out so we can use the edge to
pick the lock."

She makes a sound from
behind me. I turn back, letting out a breath.

"It's worth a
shot," I say, a bit defensive when I see her incredulous
expression.

She shakes her head.
"
Not
your best idea."

"Desperate times
call for desperate measures. Do
you
have a better idea?"

"Actually."
Nymphora glances at the lock underneath the handles again, pensive.
She turns back, smiling deviously. "I think I have something
that might work." She lifts a finger up, and I watch in utter
amazement as one blue fingernail starts to elongate slowly, the tip
thin and pointy like a needle.

I take in a sharp
breath. "I thought you said your powers are locked."

"They are."
She looks at the shiny blue nail. "
This
isn't my power.
It's a part of my body."

"You have six inch
claws inside your body?" I ask in amazement. "That would've
been nice to know before."

She snorts. "What
can I do with these? Scratch the Saguinox to death?"

"Maybe."

She rolls her eyes.

I kneel beside her as
she gently maneuvers the pointy end of her nail inside the keyhole.
I've never picked a lock before, but I don't reveal that. "Just
poke around until you hear a click or a gear shift," I advise.

Her eyes narrow in
concentration. She jerks back, yelling "Ow!" She pulls her
nail out. She looks annoyed, as she picks the broken piece off with
her other hand. "It broke."

"It'll grow back,
right?" I ask, worried.

"Yeah. By tonight,
probably."

"We can't wait
that long!" I shriek.

She sends me a cool
glance. "Relax. I got nine more." She flashes me her hands.
Her pinky is growing, unsheathing like a fragile sword. The end is
even smaller and pointier than her index nail had been.

"Oh." I
wonder if I look as sheepish as I feel. "This place is making me
dumb," I mutter.

She's laughing when she
says, "The jury's still out on that one."

I give her a look, but
I don't reply. Within moments, this nail breaks too, but I don't
freak out because her other pinky expands, elongating until it's
touching the door.

"I think I'm
pushing too hard," she thinks out loud. I hold my breath in
anticipation.
Come on,
I think.
Work!
Then there's a
heavy click, followed by a heavier, relieved sigh from me.

She gives me a
triumphant smile. "One for us, zero for the glowing aliens."

"Um, I think you
mean
five
for the glowing aliens, and one for us," I
correct, thinking about the people lost to the crystal.

She shrugs. "If
you want to look at the glass half empty…"

"Shh." I hear
sounds. Something is sizzling from the inside. I open the door a
crack, just enough to see through. A soft breeze hits me and I'm
reminded I'm naked beneath my red towel.

The female guard who
took us to the bathing room this morning is standing with her hands
behind her back, inspecting two figures in red robes. My heart jumps
to my throat as I recognize the two men from before. Both are
standing with their heads bowed, still as statues. I see a door, half
opened from behind them, and I know they've been "cleaned"
in preparation for this moment. The robes look fresh and the scarlet
color is brilliant against the white walls.