Girl on Fire

Chapter 10

"I feel weird." Ali said, plucking at her new skin-tight black suit. "I want my pyjamas."

Our suits were both amazing. A little symbol appeared on the top left corner of our chests when we put the suits on and they actually moved! Mine was a fire and Ali's was a gust of wind. I still didn't understand how they worked. We hadn't seen River and the twins in their suits yet because they were taken off to their lessons before we were done.

"I know..." I said distractedly, studying my timetable that each of us were given.

"You've got a break." A voice behind us said. We turned around to see a timid looking girl with blonde hair and glasses. She smiled shyly.

"I've been told that I have to show you around, Ash. And Ali, right?"

"Yeah, that's us!" Ali said proudly.

"And I'm Kathryn." The girl said. "Do you want to come over to the common room?" her eyes flickered momentarily down to the symbols on our chests.

"Wait... you're fire and air?" she said, her eyes widening.

"Umm, yeah..." I said, looking down at hers. It was a pearl that is slowly rotating.

"Pearl?" I said.

"Oh, its nothing..." She said self-consciously. "I'm not very powerful, not anywhere near your level... I mean, fire... and air..."

"What's so special about us?" I said.

"You don't know?" She said, looking slightly bewildered. "Come on, I'll take you to the common room. I can explain there." she started walking away and we followed her. I noticed as she walked that she moved with real grace. I put my hand on her shoulder and she jumped around.

"What power do you have?" I said gently, "It can't be anything to be ashamed of."

She sighed, "I have the power of purity. Whenever I touch something and think 'clean', it is just clean. How is that a good power compared to anyone else's, it is pathetic." she turned around again and stomped ahead of us.

We didn't stay as close that time, realising that she probably needed space. She turned into a room that had an open door already and we peeked around the corner. The room was HUGE. In it was a bunch of sofas, TVs, some games tables, and a carpeted floor (something that was no-where else in this place). There was a bunch of other kids in there, all of different ages. A couple of the boys our age made silly faces at Kathryn and one shouted,

"Go on, dud, show the new kids around!". Kathryn slowly sat down on one of the sofas with no-one on them.

"Come, sit." She said gently.

We obediently walked over and I tentatively sat down, feeling bruised all over.

"What did they mean, dud?" I said quietly.

Kathryn went red, "It's the name for a pure spiritus like me who only has the cleaning powers. The 'proper' ones can shoot laser beams which freeze people in their paths. And they clean. I can only do the stupid cleaning part."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I said

"It's alright, I'm used to it," she said, "anyway, enough about me: how are you feeling?"

I winced, "Bruised."

Kathryn laughed hollowly, "Oh get used to that!"

"And my arm hurts."

"Oh, you can heal that in a bit, but don't do it yet because you need all of your energy. You need to be trained to do it properly."

"Oh, ok." I say with a hint of confusion, "We did notice that healing drained us, but Tasha said something about physical training. How can I do that with an arm wound?"