Starkissed

Chapter Twenty Seven

     Darius was still looking at me like I was a bat out of Hell, ready to barbecue his pretty face. My lip twitched up as I tried to hide my amusement.

"Don't worry Darius, I won't be using you as target practice. I'm sure Magda was joking." My eyes slid to the nutty woman, staring at us like she was actually expecting me to shoot balls of fire at him. I pursed my lips.

"Magda, can we please start with something a little less murderous for our first task?" My voice was strained as I imagined me attempting to control powers I didn't understand, effectively turning him into a pile of ash. I was sure he could easily avoid them, being a warrior and all, but I definitely didn't trust myself yet.

She blew out a breath of air, showing me she was disappointed with my request.

I laughed, shaking my head slightly. "You guys are crazy. First of all, I don't know how to create fire out of nowhere. I've always had it just happen."

It was strange seeing the arena brightly lit with no one else in it besides the three of us. The last time I had been here, Kade had extinguished my full-body flames with his embrace and it had been full of training Naurian warriors. I blushed just thinking about it.

Talk about embarrassing.

Magda made a noise of amusement. "Ah, yes, I remember. Your energy was untethered before. Now you have your mate bond to help with that. If I remember correctly, you burst into flames last time because you thought Prince Kadeon was attractive, no?"

I knew my face was beet red. "Okay Magda, let's settle down with the accusations here. He was infuriating me, not distracting me with his otherworldly hotness." 

Well, maybe both. I wasn't about to admit it out loud though.

She scoffed, clearly not buying it. "Whatever you want to tell yourself, young one. Now, anger or a certain kind of frustration was what caused the outbursts in energy before. How about we try to channel that again. Think about someone or something that makes so angrier than anything in the world." Magda said.

I knew what that was instantly.

Magda nodded, "Good. I can see the fury in your eyes. Now, I want you to focus on this," She snapped her fingers and a floating blue light appeared high above us, about thirty yards ahead.

"Now aim your fire at the target. Imagine the energy building within you and then being released through your fingertips, direct it with your mind. Come on, get angrier." She urged, moving slightly away from me. Darius was already near the door, refusing to come closer. He was staring at the scene before him with interest in his blue eyes.

I pictured the one face out of everyone on Earth that I hated most and thought of the flames that Magda believed I could conjure.

Kyle's smirking face appeared in my mind as I thought back to the pain he had caused me. I could feel the anger rising within my body, feeling the burning of my skin as it heated up.

I could feel the energy within me flowing, begging to be let out. I breathed deeply, feeling sweat bead on my forehead as I lifted my hand, straining almost painfully as the energy resisted being held in and bent to my will.

Finally, I released it.

Blue flames tore from my palm, heading straight past the target, slamming in to the stones at the far end of the arena. At the impact, a thunderous boom shattered the stunned silence between us, sending both Magda and I flying to our knees. I let out a small scream of surprise as I stared wide-eyed at the now blackened stone in front of me.