Concealed (Unbound, Book 4)

Chapter Fifty

I shook the apprehension from my thoughts—I shouldn't be afraid of fire now that I'd mastered it and knew I could manipulate the elements to douse anything she produced—I took another step forward. "Maible, you won't hurt me. Just... tell me what's going on. How can I help?"

"You can't!" She shook her head but didn't lift it from the arms she'd wrapped around her knees.

"I'm sure if we just talk—"

"Really?" Maible jerked her head up and glared at me, what little makeup she'd worn streaking black down her cheeks. Her blue eyes seemed to glow as they misted yet again. Just as quickly, Maible glanced away and unfolded her legs as she jumped up, reaching out with her palms outstretched towards me. "Is this something you can help me with?"

"I, uh..." I shook my head and blinked, then stared at her in awe.

For a moment, Maible's fingertips glowed a bright red like an ember from a fire. It travelled up to her wrist until her entire palm was orange, flickering as though a flame was dancing across her skin. Steam hissed through the air and turned grey, coating the walls an even darker shade. The flame continued to travel up her arms and under her clothes, though the fabric didn't burn. I could see her body glowing beneath the cloth.

"I can't make it stop!" Maible cried, drawing my attention back to her face.

"Your magic." I shook my head and took a step so that I was a meter away. I couldn't get any closer because the heat was too much, and I tried to keep the wince of acknowledgement from my expression. Apparently, it was different when it wasn't fire that I created, and I did have reason to fear Maible. "You triggered it."

"You think? Make it stop!"

"Are you in pain?"

"No!"

"Then calm down, Maible. It'll be okay. Let's just..." I shook my head and ran back to the door leading to the hallway, flicking the lock into place so that no one could venture in. Since we were on the main floor of the school rather than in the towers, I didn't want someone who wasn't a part of the community to witness something we couldn't explain.

"Nora. It's growing!"

I turned around to face Maible and my mouth opened, but I didn't know what to say.

The flames were clearly visible now on her exposed skin. The walls were fully covered in soot, the porcelain sinks wore a thickening black film. How could that happen when nothing was burning? Maible didn't have a single mark marring her skin.

"Okay, Maible. It's okay," I said, stretching my arms outward as I stepped closer, stopping when the heat became too much to bear.

"This is not okay!"

The flames flared higher as she screamed, then settled into a steady burn as Maible gasped for breath.

"No, no. It is. I promise," I said, keeping my voice a whisper as I dropped my hands. After a moment of visualization, I held my palm out as I held a ball of flame. Once I was sure Maible saw it, I closed my fist and starved the heat of oxygen. "When I started trying to use my magic, I burned my clearing down. Remember? I told you. It was the same for me. Then I learned to control it."

"What did you do?"

How did I answer than when she wasn't supposed to be able to use visualization the way I could? Maible was my sister, though she didn't descend from my mother. The same rules wouldn't apply. What would Devland advise? It wasn't as though I could tell Maible to imagine the water from her favorite clearing to douse the flare-up.