The Fire Prophecy

by Megan Linski

  “What are you doing?” she demanded.

  I blinked a few times, unsure how to answer. “I’m trying to conjure fire…”

  “Yes,” Madame Doya emphasized with raised eyebrows. “Which you have yet to do.”

  I swallowed hard. “I… I’m not sure how. I didn’t have Koigni parents to teach me.” Surely everyone could understand that.

  “Everyone back to their desks,” she instructed.

  The class hesitated.

  “Now!” she boomed.

  Everyone scurried back to their seats. Madame Doya walked so lightly that she seemed to float across the room. She stopped at her desk, where her Familiar lay on the floor, and grabbed one of the candles burning there. She brought it to her face and blew the flame out. Everyone watched with interest as she turned and started her way down the aisle of desks. My heart pounded with every step of her feet. She headed straight toward me.

  I prayed she would pass me by, but she stopped beside me. My mouth went dry as she set the candle in the middle of my desk.

  “Light it,” she commanded.

  What?

  I just sat there, glancing between her and the candle. Was she serious?

  “You should be able to conjure a flame for a simple candle,” Madame Doya insisted. “Perhaps you need a little pressure to push you in the right direction.”

  Everyone’s eyes were on me. I could feel it even without having to look up. Haley snickered from across the room.

  “What are you waiting for?” Madame Doya asked. “Light the candle.”

  I stared at the charred wick. Anything not to look her in the eyes. A slew of emotions surfaced— anger, embarrassment, fear. The list went on. It made my blood boil. I thought for a moment the candle might actually light from the power of my emotions. But the seconds ticked by, and all that happened was a tension headache formed in my head.

  Whispers spread across the room.

  Why won’t she just light it?

  She’s not going to get it.

  Is she even Koigni?

  Hot breath passed by my upper lip, and my eyes burned. I focused every inch of attention I had on that candle wick, and nothing happened. Why wasn’t the damn thing lighting? Why wouldn’t Doya tell me how to actually do it?

  Because she finds pleasure in tormenting you, for whatever reason.

  I must’ve reminded her too much of someone she hated.

  “Enough!” Madame Doya’s voice cut off the whispers and snapped me out of my concentration.

  But I couldn’t take it another second. When I looked up, all eyes were on me. It felt like the walls in the room were getting smaller and smaller, and they would crush me if I didn’t make it out now.

  And so I did the only thing I could do.

  I ran.

  I wasn’t sure what came over me. I’d never ditched class before, and certainly not when I’d already attended the first half of it. I mean, who does that?

  Me, apparently.

  “We’ve got a runner,” someone teased as I rushed out the door. I couldn’t even think straight enough to tell if it was Haley.

  I was already winded by the time I reached the end of the hall. To be fair, it was a long hall, and I was sprinting pretty fast, but I continued forward. I had to get as far away from that room as I could.

  I raced out the first doors I found, down a long flight of concrete steps and onto a worn path carved through the forest. I only slowed when I was far enough into the trees that I felt safe from other students or staff spotting me.

  I needed to get into nature. It was the only place I felt safe, felt normal.

  The sound of running water traveled through the forest. The farther I walked, the louder it became. Finally, I reached the water I’d been hearing for the last five minutes. A tall waterfall rushed down the side of a cliff and followed a narrow river over rocks and down the mountainside. White water sprayed into the air, sprinkling the trees hanging above the river. A narrow footbridge with rails crossed over the water, but I abandoned the trail and sat on one of the rocks closest to the bank.

  I curled my knees to my chest and rested my chin on them. My mind raced, and fury coursed through my veins. Madame Doya should’ve been fired for how she treated students. And Haley shouldn’t have even been in Beginner Koigni Magic if she was that good. They singled me out because I was new, because I was an easy target. I didn’t want to be here. It was—

  The sound of a creature trilling in the trees above me distracted me. I looked upward and spotted a small, fluffy white creature the size of a fat squirrel jumping from branch to branch. It moved so fast I couldn’t catch a good glimpse of it. All I saw was that it had white fur and a fluffy tail almost as big as its body.

  I shot to my feet on the rock, completely alert and captivated by the critter. It trilled again. Its voice was melodic and exotic. Whatever the creature was, it wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen before.

  I followed the critter with my eyes. The way it stretched out its arms and swung from branch to branch was effortless and adorable. I had the strangest urge to climb up the tree and swing from the branches with it. I actually cracked a smile.

  The creature reached the end of a branch hanging over the river. I caught enough of a glance to see it was male. He stretched forward to grab a branch on the next tree, but it was a few inches out of his grasp. The animal glanced behind himself, as if calculating what he had to do to make the leap. He scurried back along the branch and stopped. He set his eyes forward, then sprinted away from the trunk of the tree.

  The creature kicked off from the end of his branch and soared through the air. He grabbed ahold of the leaves on the tree he’d been aiming for. The whole branch bowed, and then the leaves he held snapped off the tree.

  My stomach lurched as the critter flipped through the air and landed in the water with a hard splash. The water rushed so fast that when he came up for air a second later, he was already several yards down river from where he fell in.

  I couldn’t explain why I did what I did. I didn’t even give it a second thought. I just jumped. One second I was standing on a boulder along the bank, and the next I was in the middle of the river, with shoes on and everything.

  The current caught me as soon as I jumped in. I was so not a water person, but my parents had forced me into swimming lessons as a kid, so I wasn’t completely useless. But I’d underestimated how fast the current flowed. The water rushed over my head and pushed me over rocks that cut into my skin. I tried to dig my feet into the river bottom to slow myself, but each time I manage to gain a hold on a rock, the current swept me off my feet again.

  Finally, my head broke the surface long enough for me to inhale a deep breath. The current slowed, and the river grew wider and deeper. Up ahead, tiny white hands shot out of the water, and then they were gone again.

  I kicked my legs and pushed myself forward. Not far ahead, the river turned back into rapids. Huge boulders stuck out of the water, threatening death to anyone who came too close. If I didn’t reach the critter soon, I was going to die. He was going to die. And I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t explain the overwhelming sensation that told me that if I somehow survived without him, it just might kill me anyway.

  A high-pitched cry filled the air and echoed off the mountains. The creature resurfaced and tried to swim upstream without making any headway. Dread filled my entire body.

  I stretched my arm forward and stroked as fast as I could toward him. Relief washed over me when I finally reached him. The critter grabbed onto my arm and climbed onto my back, leaving both of my arms free to swim to shore.

  It took all the strength I had to get us to dry land before the rapids hit, but I crawled to shore in one piece. I fell onto my stomach, heaving in heavy breaths as my heart pounded against my rib cage. I wasn’t sure I’d ever been closer to death. And all for…

  What was it?

  Whatever it was, it was worth it, I decided.

  I rolled over, and the
creature jumped off my back. I expected him to run away now that he was safe, but when I twisted my head, he was still there, so close that all I saw was a coat of white fur. He shook his fur out, covering my face in another layer of water droplets.

  I sat up to wipe the water off my face with the back of my hand, then looked down at him. Oh, my heart. It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. I thought my heart might explode.

  He had big, fur-covered ears like a fennec fox, with a fluffy tail, chubby cheeks, and a small black nose. Two tiny, rounded horns protruded from the top of his head. His paws were miniature and adorable. The thing that got me, though, were his eyes. I’d only ever seen eyes that big and round in cartoons and on stuffed animals. But here he was in real life, staring up at me with sparkling blue eyes that took up half his face. The creature’s expression softened, and I swear he smiled at me.

  I was so entranced by his stare that it didn’t even register how strange it was that he reached out for me. I extended my arm back. His tiny paws grabbed my fingers, and he hopped forward to rub his face into my hand. His eyes never left mine.

  Around us, time seemed to slow to a stop. My entire body froze. I was certain even my heart had stopped beating, and I knew for sure I wasn’t breathing. Something in that moment changed everything. It was like I’d been missing something my whole life, and when the tiny critter’s gaze locked on mine, a piece of my heart had been returned to me. It was like I’d lived my whole life going through the motions just to lead me to this moment.

  Time started to move forward again, but neither me nor the creature moved. My senses ignited, rooting me in place. A light, warm breeze brushed across my skin and through my hair. I felt a heartbeat pulse through my skin, but it didn’t feel like my own. The sound of the birds chirping met my ears. They sang a tune that sounded a lot like the lullaby my mom used to hum to me as a kid. The birds’ voices came together as a choir, singing in perfect harmony. As I stared down at the creature, the taste of my father’s homemade cherry pie washed across my taste buds, and the smell of Amelia’s apple-scented shampoo filled my nose. It didn’t make sense what these reminders of my family were doing here out in the woods hundreds of miles from home, but one thing was certain. I’d never felt more at home in my life. My entire body tingled with glee, and tears rose to my eyes from sheer overwhelm.

  The creature’s eyes glistened, mirroring my own. He never looked away, as if he too was captivated by the magic in the air.

  I forgot all about what happened in Madame Doya’s class earlier. I forgot about wanting to leave this place. I forgot about everything. It was like nothing but me and the little creature clinging to my finger mattered. For the first time in… forever, I felt truly at peace.

  The critter trilled again, pulling me from my daze. The warm wind died down, chilling me to the bone, and the sound of the birds I’d heard no longer reached us.

  The critter nudged me again. I laughed and scratched behind its ears. He let out a low rumble, like a cat’s purr. I was pretty sure he liked it. The more I petted him, the more I laughed, but inside, my mind was fixed on the strange moment that just occurred between us. Had I imagined it, or was there something bigger going on?

  “What’s your name, little guy?” I asked out loud.

  He made a small noise that sounded a lot like Esis.

  “Esis?” I asked, as if he could actually communicate with me. “That’s your name?”

  Obviously, he didn’t answer, but he let me pet him like he was happy with whatever name I gave him.

  “Okay, Esis.” I scooped his tiny, fragile body into my arms, cradling him into my chest. He clung onto my shirt in a surprisingly comfortable position. I giggled and stood. “You’re not going to let me go, are you?”

  Of course not. Why would he? The mere suggestion didn’t make any logical sense.

  He let out another noise that sounded like he was rolling his tongue. I loved the little noises he made. They were the cutest sounds in the world. I wanted to keep him.

  Screw whatever rules their might be. I would keep him. He was mine now, and I was his.

  I stared down at the small fur baby in my arms. He had his foot in his hands and was chewing on his toes. How had my heart not exploded yet?

  “I’m going to take you up to the school and find someone who can check you over,” I told him. “I want to make sure you’re all right.”

  I glanced around the forest, wondering how I was going to find my way back to the castle. I started upstream, hoping to meet up with the trail I’d come down.

  Water squished through my sneakers, and goosebumps broke out on my arms. It seemed to take forever to walk through the brush upstream. I was starting to think maybe I was following the wrong river or something when the bridge I’d seen earlier came into view. I hurried along the trail and back up to the castle.

  I wasn’t sure where I was headed, but I knew I wasn’t going back to Madame Doya’s room. I’d find another professor to send me in the right direction. The hall was empty when I entered, but it wasn’t long before a familiar voice met my ears.

  “What happened to you?” Haley sneered when I passed a hall on my left. She and her group of five were hanging out around a serpent statue, gossiping. I hoped it wasn’t about me, but it probably was. “Did you get into a fight with a Toaqua?”

  I gritted my teeth. “No, actually, I jumped in to save—"

  “That?” Haley turned her nose up when she spotted Esis in my arms. “You saved a dust bunny?”

  Her cronies echoed her laughter. I was officially royally pissed off. Esis made a noise that sounded a lot like a comeback. Good. At least he knew how to stand up to her.

  “I—"

  “What’s going on?” A woman’s voice cut me off.

  I whirled around to find Madame Doya standing behind me. She looked me up and down, clearly displeased by my soaking appearance. Her Familiar stood beside her. Naomi’s lips curled back over its teeth as she glared at me. I pulled Esis closer to me, just in case the lioness thought she was hungry for a snack.

  I spoke before Haley could. “This little guy fell in the river. I wanted to get him to a vet— or whatever you have around here— to make sure he’s okay.”

  Madame Doya eyed Esis. “You can take him to Professor Fawn, but it’s hardly worth it.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “No one knows what that creature is, so even if he could be treated, we wouldn’t know how to treat him,” Madame Doya explained, like Esis’ life was about as important as the dirt on her pointed heels.

  “Thank you,” I said, just to end the conversation. “I’ll go find Professor Fawn.” Not like I had any idea where to find him— or her— but I’d do anything to get out of this hallway.

  “I bet she bonded with it,” Haley muttered under her breath before I could even take a step.

  I paused, wondering what exactly that would feel like. Had I bonded with Esis?

  “What’s it like to bond with Familiar?” I asked Doya, expecting a disapproving glance and curt answer, which is exactly what I got.

  “It’s different for everyone,” she replied.

  Even without a clear explanation, somehow I knew… the moment we’d shared in the woods left no doubt. Esis and I had bonded. Which meant I was never letting him go.

  The lioness stepped forward and let out a low growl. I instantly took two paces back.

  “Calm down, Naomi,” Madame Doya scolded, placing her hand on the lioness’ back.

  Naomi glanced back at her and dropped her head. Madame Doya raised an eyebrow, but her lips turned down.

  “It seems that you have bonded,” she said, eyeing Esis with disgust. “I expected better from a member of my House.”

  What the hell did that mean?

  “Now it makes sense why she can’t produce a flame,” one of the girls in Haley’s group said to the other. She spoke under her breath, but I heard every word.

  My jaw tightened. I knew I couldn’t
snap back, not in front of Doya.

  “If you bonded, I guess that means you’ll be competing in this year’s tournament,” Haley said with a smirk.

  “Tournament?” My voice shook. She was only saying it to scare me, right?

  Madame Doya sighed, like she couldn’t believe how uninformed I was. I blamed her for that, considering she was the head of my House.

  “Yes, the tournament,” she bit, like it was obvious. “Each student who has bonded by the end of September every year will be entered into the Elemental Cup to prove their bond with their Familiar and their place in our society.”

  That didn’t sound too bad.

  Madame Doya scowled at me. “I suggest you don’t make skipping class a habit. You’ll need all the help you can get preparing for this tournament considering your current… circumstances. Your competition will be fierce.”

  Madame Doya glanced to Haley, who had a smug expression fixed on her face. I knew instantly she meant that Haley would be in this year’s competition with me.

  I bit back the string of nasty words that danced on the tip of my tongue. “I’m not too worried about the competition.”

  Haley’s face fell. “You should be worried. You’ll never survive with that Familiar.”

  The blood drained from my face when no one countered her. Haley wasn’t just insulting me. She was serious. I realized… this was a deadly competition.

  It was clear that if I didn’t learn how to use my fire, this tournament would kill me.

  I wasn’t looking forward to Medical Care of Familiars. But it wasn’t like I had a choice whether or not to go.

  The class was held in a large medical room tied onto the medical wing. Medical equipment hung on the walls, and long desks with sinks were placed among the room in uniform manner. The room was stark white, and the fluorescent lighting in here was so bright it was enough to make you go blind. It looked like the literal inside of a hospital. I’d spent enough time in one over the summer, so it churned my stomach to look at.