Zaphira's Flame's

Once again just like all the others, my body is on fire, but this time it’s different; my skin actually hurts like it’s on fire.

Bolting upright in bed, my skin is actually on fire; but nothing around me is burning. I start screaming; as my whole body, burns.

Somewhere nearby, someone speaks some words in a different language, and the flames died down. Leaving me standing there, horrified about what just happened to me.

“Zaphira it’s alright, it was just a nightmare.” Arms are around me, holding me tight against their chest.

“Just calm down; you’ll be alright, just breathe everything’s alright.” It’s Alex’s voice, speaking softly in my ear, stroking my back calming me. Shuddering, I collapsed into his embrace, feeling his muscles tense as my body sinks into his. Tears are streaming down my face; cooling my burning face, and the cooling sensation calming me significantly.

I can open my eyes finally, I’m still pressed into Alex’s chest; we’re sitting on the floor, but I don’t know where we are; or how long I have been here.

My throat is burning, I try and talk.

“What is happening to me?” my voice is horse, but he understands me. “We’re still at Raphes house. You were extremely upset about what we told you. You were catatonic, so we had to give you something to help you sleep. You need to drink this.” He put something up to my lips, encouraging me to drink.

I managed to drink it all, the burning sensation recedes, so I can breathe again. “Better?” He asked; setting me back, enough to look at me. His eyes are ruby red, his hair is a mess as if he just woke up.

“How long have I been here?”

“You’ve been out for about a day and half. I haven’t left your side at all. Raphe wanted me to get some sleep that he would keep an eye on you, but I wouldn’t let him, all I wanted to make sure you were alright.” “I am nowhere near being alright. I was on fire! I was literally on fire; my body was aflame. What the hell is happening to me? My whole life has been turned upside down; and everything I have ever had, and ever known is gone, and I can never get that back.”

He stood pulling me up with him, setting me down on the bed, sitting next to me. “Nothing has changed, yes you’re a fire demon now, and yes you were on fire, now we know for sure that you’re a fire demon, somehow you called the flames in your sleep, it happens, and you don’t know how to control them yet. But you haven’t lost anything. You can go back to your life; and it will be just as it was before this happened to you.”

“No it can’t. My life can never to back to the way it was.”

“Alright just calm down, nothing has to be decided yet. First we have to get you under control. Now I called work for you, I got you some time off, your good for two months; I called Zack, I told him that you were sick, and that you needed some time. I went back to your place and got some stuff for you.”

He said pointed to a few bags sitting by the closet.

“You and I are going to stay here while we work out what’s going on with you.” I can’t speak or think for that matter. He expects me to stay here, where they drugged me?

Is he joking? Has he gone insane? Finally when I can think again, I nodded; conceding that he’s right, I can’t be around normal people right now, maybe not ever again.

“I need a shower; I feel like I haven’t showered in days.”

He nodded, standing. “Of course; there’s a bathroom right through here. It’s all yours. Everything you need is in there. Take all the time you need. Raphe had to go into the office, but we have free range of the house until he gets back.”

His phone started ringing, he pulled it out looking at the screen.

“I have to take it; you take all the time you need, even if you need a bath.” He started to head for the door, but stopped and turned back to me.

He gave me a kiss on the forehead and left, closing the door behind him. Sitting there, I have no idea what’s going on with me, but I have to figure it out so I can try and get back to my life.

Standing my legs are shaky, but I can walk, walking into the bathroom; there’s a huge walk in shower, and bathtub. Right now I need a bath; turning on the hot water, I started looking at the bath stuff sitting next to the tub. I poured some orange smelling stuff in the water, and pulled off my clothes. Realising they changed me out of the clothes I was wearing.

They put me in a long dark red silk nightgown, I have never seen this before.

Sinking under the hot water; every muscle in my body hurts as if I ran a marathon, only I haven’t.

Looking at my hands, I have to learn to control this, whatever it is before I completely lose my mind.

A knock at the bathroom door made me jump, I drifted off in the tub which isn’t good. “Who is it?” “It’s Alex. Is everything alright in there?” “Yeah I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute.” Stepping out of the tub, I pulled on the light blue bathrobe Raphe had provided for me, and stepped out into the bedroom. Alex is sitting at the small table by the window, where’s he has set out some food for us. He’s dressed in a fresh shirt and jeans, and his hair is still damp from his own shower.

Sitting across from him; he handed me some Coffey and a plate of food. “You need to eat. No offense; you look like death warmed over.” “Thanks that’s sweet.” I pulled my robe tighter around myself; before taking a sip of Coffey.

“So what happened while I was out?” “Well my people dealt with the vamps that attacked us. Any others that might try and stage a palace coup will meet the same fate as they did. Zack called a few times, as I told you. He’s worried about you, I told him he could visit in a few days.”

“Thank you I would like to see him, he’s really all the family I have left.” He nodded. “I understand. He really cares for you, I could see it in the way he looked at you.” “It’s not like that. He’s my best friend, I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise that.”

“Well I’m not sure he feels like that.” “What do you mean? He’s my best friend.” “He likes you Z and not in a “friends” kind of way. It’s a….” Slamming my fists on the table, my anger raging out of control.

“It’s not like that!” “Z look down at your hands.” My hands are on fire; lifting them, flames are dancing around my hands, the flames are hot but there not burning me. It’s as if the flames are truly a part of me.

“Now take control of the flames. You and the flames are one.” Calling the flames to myself; and the flames started moving to my palms. Forming a ball of flames, in each hand. Taking total control, they vanished seeping into my skin, the fire spreading through my body. Looking at Alex he smiled, sitting back into his chair.

“How the hell did I just do that?” He smiled.

“You took control that was very impressive. As we train your control will only get stronger.”

Looking at him, I still can, not believe this is happening to me. How did this happen to me?

“Will I develop wings like Raphe?” Alex nodded, grabbing a slice of apple. “You have the power in you. You just have to call to it, and take control of it; and you did.”

I leaned forward putting my hands on the table, suddenly hopeful. “Is that it? Can I go home now?”

Shaking his head. “No I’m sorry Z but you can’t, not until you have total control over your fire.” Sighing. “But I have control over it, you saw what I just did. I did it.” He nodded. “Yes I did. But I also saw how you acted when I talked about Zack. Things like that can, not happen. You have to remember that you’re a cop, and you can’t be a cop and react like you just did. If someone says something to you, or looks at you in a way you don’t like; and you can’t set them on fire because of it. Most humans don’t know that this world even exists, and we would like to keep it that way. If you don’t get it under control then you will no longer be able to be a cop.”

Sighing in defeat, I said.

“Then when do we get started?” Alex smiled, his eyes starting to swirl with red.

“As soon as Raphe gets back we’ll start. Now eat up, you’re going to need you’re strength for what is about to happen to you, believe me.”