The Shifters: Katrina

"Why don't we fight fair, you brat?"

Unlike the bloody chaos of before, now that everyone, even the fighters in the background, were frozen, there was an eerie stillness in Iluita. The horrors of the fight were splattered across our home, but everyone was unmoving. Even the wind had stopped whipping around. It was just bodies surrounded by shells of writhing blue flames, draining my energy as I stared at Xavier. My entire body began to tense, muscles bunching up as I fought against the urge to charge at him.

"Xavier..," Coraline whispered. Talia turned as well, paling. She clearly didn't want to be associated with him. Anna, however, grinned.

"It's not very fair when you have three against two," I snarled, glaring at Xavier. If only I had laser vision.

The tiger smirked, his spiky hair shifting and bouncing as he strode toward us.

"Then why don't you finish off this tigress? She's not exactly loyal to either side, after all..."

Talia looked mortified as he stopped just next to the icy flames circling around her.

And to my own horror, I felt myself considering it.

She hurt us. She betrayed us. I failed to protect Nathan and Kami because she was my friend.

Didn't she deserve her karma?

"There's no need for Katrina to worry about that. After all, Koren sent me to help out."

That voice...

Deep, smooth -- almost childish. He came from a compound more focused on ruthless training instead of normal teenager things, which made him into a quirky, orange-eyed, handsome boy.

A cheetah.

"Rowan!" I gasped, whirling around. The proud, smug boy stood next to Coraline, watching Xavier like a hawk.

He cracked his knuckles, not taking his eyes off the tiger. "Take him on, Katrina. We're here to back you up."

My eyes passed to Coraline's.

Her pink ones locked with mine, her nerves suddenly draining away. The leader stood up straighter, and I could see her trust transferring to me.

She nodded.

I smiled, though it was shaky.

I had two cheetahs. I had two tigers. I had a nightmare that came true, and losses that would leave a scar.

But that scar would come later.

I turned, meeting Xavier's smug eyes.

"Well?"

Blue flames erupted from my hands, burning up to my shoulders. I pulled, all of my energy leaping back toward me. The shells of fire fell, freeing the fighters all around us. The battle picked back up as I charged, running toward Xavier with a roar appropriate for a dragon.

He laughed maniacally as I slammed into him, sending him flying into a building. Red fire licked the ground around him, burning white-hot in the center. Rowan and Anna clashed, Coraline continuing her winning fight against Talia. Even if I still wished for Talia to survive this, I could only focus on one thing.

I leapt backward as Xavier threw a cord of fire my way. He followed it up with a kick to the temple, which I blocked with my arms, feeling the force vibrate through my bones. I whirled, latching onto his ankle, slamming him into the ground. His hand wrapped around my hair, yanking me down with him. I thrashed as he rubbed my face into the snow, cackling. My own dark satisfaction increased as my icy fire flashed, making him scream as it burned him and froze his skin all at once. Xavier fell back, writhing in pain as I leapt to my feet.

Then, suddenly, his expression of agony vanished and he winked.

"Good try," he sneered, fire leaping from his hands. I gasped, a burn appearing on my stomach as I stumbled back. He got to his feet, both of us resetting for a second round of fighting.

Things got harder as we traded strikes, following each one up with a blast of our elements. Each of his kicks had fire clinging to my skin, and his punches burned. My blue fire jumped through the air, trying to keep him too busy to block my attacks as we slammed each other around.

This is for Alisa.

My hand connected with his chin, blue fire burning from his jaw to his hairline.

This is for Molly.

A tear slipped down my cheek as I ducked under his kick, slamming my foot into the ground. Blue fire leapt upward, setting his pants on fire. He had to back away, unable to put the flames out by sucking them up. Instead, he was forced to drop to the snow, rolling around until the icy fire died while still avoiding my strikes.

This is for Nathan.

Xavier's fist connected with my face, but I forced myself to ignore the pain. Gritting my teeth, I latched onto his arm, slamming it downward into my knee. I heard a crack, but it wasn't enough to break the bone. He threw my away from him, groaning.

This is for Kami!

I leapt back up, flying at him. We collided, hitting the ground. Since he was heavier, it was nearly impossible to get him off once he got the upperhand, straddling my waist. However, I refused to let him land a clean punch.

This is for--

I was blinded by pain as he pulled his signature trick.

Red and white fire began as a layer around him, only to spread outward. He enveloped himself, me, and the ground around us, burning the dirt and melting the snow until it turned to vapour. I screamed, my skin smelling like burnt meat as I, too, burned.

Not again!

I can't lose!

Fire is my domain! Fire is a dragon's strength!

The veins in my neck strained as my breath turned silent, my scream dying.

I am the one who controls these flames.

I felt a burn deep within my heart.

I was the one with the blue fire.

I was the one with a ridiculous amount of power.

I forced myself to focus, panting as I stared at the white fire around me.

And all I did was inhale.

Xavier gaped as I sucked his flames into my lungs, holding them within me until I could make them my own.

After all, dragons breathed and commanded fire.

And so would I.

The sky seemed to shine a spotlight on me as my breath exploded outward, blue flames ripping through my throat. They took over the area, Xavier's skin peeling, the shifter throwing himself away from me.

He couldn't escape this time, though. Sonya wasn't here to help him get away.

I got to my feet as if nothing happened, stumbling forward. Blue flames writhed around me, responding to a simple look. My eyes rested on Xavier, the fire following.

I watched as he burned, trapped by both my elements.

My steps turned from weak to strong as I shifted one last time. My scales shone, reflecting the blue light of my fire as I slunk toward him, panting. Xavier was unable to move, laying in the mud as I finally reached him, my dragon face hovering above his.

"Have you come to brag, Guardian..?"

You aren't worth my breath, I told him.

Just know that my friends' souls will rest better now that you are gone, Xavier.

"But I'm not go--"

I lifted a clawed foot, cutting off his words as I drove it through his chest, his human body too weak to stop my monster strength.

There was no resistance, which made it even worse as I slipped my talons back out of his torso.

But you are gone.

Just like the others.

My exhaustion finally took over. I was forced back into my human form, collapsing forward onto Xavier's body. His blood stained the only clean parts left of my clothes, as well as my hair and face.

And just before I passed out, I saw a cheetah fighting a tiger, and Coraline pinning Anna to the ground.

So it wasn't Coraline against Xavier after all...

Stupid nightmares...