The Fire Prophecy

by Megan Linski

  Imogen shrugged. “If you're older, a few weeks. Months, maybe. But students rarely last a few days. I'll be surprised if Carter makes it through the night. The bond is still too fresh. Nobody outlives their Familiar for long.” Imogen shot a look at me. “Well, except for Liam.”

  “What?!” Sophia physically jumped into the air, and I cringed. “Liam’s Familiar is dead?”

  “Thanks for reminding me,” I said sourly. That comment hurt. It felt like she’d slapped me or something.

  Her jaw fell slack. “Liam, I...”

  “You mean you didn't know?” Imogen’s eyes went wide, and she gave an apologetic look toward me. “I'm sorry, Liam. I didn't mean—"

  “It's okay, Imogen,” I told her quietly.

  “You lost your Familiar? I didn’t know you’d bonded.” Sophia’s face is shocked, and in pain. “How?”

  “I don't want to talk about it,” I said immediately. I didn't want her to press. But she was Sophia, so she did anyway.

  “But I—”

  “I don't want to talk about it, Sophia.” My tone was so harsh she physically recoiled away. I took a walk before she could ask more questions, and before I said something I would regret.

  Carter died sometime in the night, as I knew he would. He wasn't strong enough to survive for long after Tiara died.

  Lucky bastard.

  The school was a little somber the next morning, but mostly normal. It wasn’t unusual for students or Familiars to cork off around here. People died every year in the Elemental Cup, after all. Students were given resources on what to do if they were struggling, Carter and Tiara’s funeral date was announced, and that was it.

  I avoided Sophia. I couldn’t face her now that she knew what was wrong with me. I caught her chasing after me a couple of times to apologize, but I managed to duck out and get away from her every time.

  I knew the moment was coming where she’d be creeping outside the Toaqua dorm, waiting for me to come out. So I more or less held myself hostage in my room so she wouldn’t be able to find me. I knew I could only run from her for so long. We had class together, after all.

  That didn’t mean I wanted to see her a moment before I was forced to. It hurt too much to face her.

  When Ezra told me that Baine wanted to see me, I knew I had to leave my room. I hoped Sophia didn't bump into me on the way. But my brother looked worried. He wouldn’t tell me what it was about when I pressed him. I strolled down to Baine’s office, thinking that this was finally the moment where I’d be expelled and they were making my House Head tell me.

  Baine was hunched over his desk, papers and books scattered everywhere. Little fairies, glowing bright with white light, zoomed around him and made chirping noises. He ignored them, face grim, as I weaved my way around the various trinkets and objects scattered around the room. A carved staff, a few totems, lots and lots of artifacts from his travels around the world were placed in every open spot available. Statues, paintings and scrolls were literally stacked against the walls in piles. Baine had been an explorer for the Hawkei before he became a teacher, venturing through ancient crypts and tombs for the Elders.

  I had no idea why he gave up such a cool position just to grade papers for lazy college kids. Maybe, after all those years, he just gave up on whatever he was looking for.

  By the ancestors, it was such a mess in here. Baine was a disgusting slob. No wonder he hadn’t found a woman to put up with him.

  “You wanted to see me?” I asked as I came to a stop at his desk. My shoe crunched a papyrus map and kicked a small golden sculpture. I hoped they weren’t important.

  “I wanted to warn you before your summons came,” Baine started.

  “Summons?”

  “For the Elemental Cup.”

  My entire body turned cold. I think I literally shivered— even the fairy lights in the room seemed to dim. “Why would they be summoning me? I’m not competing.”

  “Yes, you are.” I hoped this was some sort of sick joke, but Baine was completely serious. “The Elders have decided that despite your loss, you will be competing in the Cup anyway. It’s the only way for you to prove your worth to the tribe. If you don’t participate, you’ll be exiled. You know what that means, Liam.”

  I was going to be sick. This was sick. I got that the Cup was some sort of coming-of-age ceremony for every Elementai, and that the Elders wanted everyone to compete.

  But without Nashoma, I’d die out there. And probably get my teammates killed, too.

  “I can’t enter the Cup! I don’t have a Familiar anymore! Nashoma’s gone,” I argued.

  “I’m sorry, Liam. But the rules are absolute,” Baine said firmly. “It doesn’t matter that you lost Nashoma. All Elementai who’ve bonded with a Familiar over the previous year are required to enter the tournament in order to continue their education at Orenda Academy. That includes you. I’m sorry. You don’t have a choice.”

  A pit of horror formed in my gut, growing larger with each passing second. It didn’t matter that my Familiar was dead.

  I was being forced to enter the tournament anyway.

  Life at Orenda Academy was lonely, especially now that Liam was avoiding me, but Esis made everything better. He was my constant companion everywhere I went and cheered me up every time I felt like I was missing home. It was like he could feel my emotions and knew exactly how to make me happy. Usually, he just snuggled into my hair, but one night he actually fanned my hair out on my pillow and gave me the most amazing scalp massage. I didn’t care what anyone said about my furry little bundle of joy; he was one of the most amazing, intelligent creatures I’d ever met.

  But even Esis couldn’t ease my anxiety when it came to dinner time. I stepped into the cafeteria with Esis on my shoulder, knowing I had nowhere to sit. The room was vast, with hundreds of tables situated in rows throughout the room and modern-day booths lining the outer wall. Near the main entrance sat a buffet line piled with some of the most delicious food I’d ever tasted. On the opposite side of the main doors were heating trays with foil-wrapped burgers and wraps that people could take back to their dorms.

  The cafeteria was bathed in natural brown tones, with soft lighting that made it look like a fancy restaurant. Along the far wall, a huge mural depicted each House’s element from left to right. The orange Koigni fire faded into green trees for Nivita, which swirled into purple wisps for Yapluma and finally blue waves for Toaqua. I’d noticed that there seemed to be an unwritten rule about sitting closest to your element in the mural, with Koigni always sitting toward the left of the room, Toaqua on the right, and Nivita and Yapluma in the middle.

  As I stepped into the buffet line I eyed the Koigni section, knowing that if I was going to stay in the cafeteria for dinner, I’d probably have to sit over there. The room was packed with people and their Familiars and buzzed with conversation. I didn’t notice a single empty table in the Koigni section. I contemplated whether I should introduce myself to someone or just claim one of the empty tables in another section. It was like I was in middle school all over again.

  I made it through the buffet line and stared out at the crowd. I decided to take the easy route and just sit at an empty table when a guy passed by me and his elbow knocked into my shoulder. My tray jumped in my hands, and my plate went flying. The ceramic clattered to the floor, and my potatoes and gravy went everywhere.

  “Watch where you’re going,” the guy snarled before continuing on his way to the Koigni section.

  Of course he’s Koigni, I thought as I bent to clean up the mess.

  Esis jumped down from my shoulder and began licking at the mashed potatoes on the floor.

  “Ew, Esis. Don’t do that,” I scolded, pulling him away from the potatoes. He already had most of them cleaned up.

  “Here you go.” A pair of hands shot out in front of my face, offering me a pile of napkins.

  I glanced up to see Imogen dressed in a floral dress that suited her figure but had way too many ruffles on it. He
r hoop earrings nearly touched her shoulders, and her hair had been twisted into three separate braids. Her heels were shiny blue like metallic nail polish, with four-inch heels whose points split into three different directions in the shape of bird talons. They looked like something from one of those runway shows where the models wear the most ridiculous things but the outfits never hit the market.

  “Thanks,” I said shyly, taking the napkins from her.

  Imogen gestured to Sassy in the tote bag that hung from her shoulder. “Sassy and I were just going to sit down. Do you want to join us?”

  “Sure,” I answered far too quickly while I mopped up my spilled food.

  “Excellent.” Imogen clapped her hands together. “We sit over there, in that booth.”

  She pointed to a large booth in the corner of the room. Toaqua occupied the tables surrounding it, but Imogen didn’t seem to notice.

  I stood with my pile of dirty napkins piled atop my tray. “I’ll join you in the buffet line. I need a new plate, anyway.”

  Several minutes later, we slid into our booth in the corner. I sat across from Imogen and faced the wall. I felt more comfortable not being able to see the eyes I knew were on me. Esis jumped down from my shoulder and sat beside me. He placed his little hands on the edge of the table, but he could barely see over the top of it. I was going to need to get this little guy a booster seat.

  “How are you liking Orenda Academy so far?” Imogen asked.

  “Oh…” I glanced down, completely taken off guard by the question. “It's, um, okay.”

  “Oh, right,” she said wrinkling her nose. “You're Koigni. You probably have Doya. The professors make all the difference. I'm really bummed I didn't get the guy I wanted for my cultures studies class. He's a total dreamboat… I mean, for an old guy.”

  I just nodded along.

  “How many classes are you taking?” she asked.

  “Not many,” I answered. “I’m only taking the minimum amount of credits, which I guess is good because I’m going to need the extra time to practice my Fire.”

  “I know what you mean,” she agreed. “Beginner Nivita Magic is already kicking my butt. And I have it almost every day of the week.”

  “Me, too,” I said. “Beginner Koigni Magic takes up most of my schedule, then I’m in Medical Care of Familiars a few days a week. I have my first Dragonology class tomorrow.”

  “Ooh!” Imogen said in excitement. “I’m in Dragonology, too!”

  I smiled. It’d be nice to know someone in each of my classes.

  “So, what’s the dealio?” Imogen asked, discretely dropping a piece of meat to the floor, which Sassy promptly followed and scarfed up. “Is that all you’re going to eat?”

  I glanced down at my meat and potatoes. “Are you kidding? This looks delicious.”

  “Sure, if you’re bored of traditional Hawkei food,” she agreed. “But you aren’t even taste-testing half of what they have at the buffet. Are you going to get adventurous, or what?”

  I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I tend to play things safe.”

  “Ah,” Imogen said in understanding as she took a bite of food. “Well, not today, girlie. Here, try a bean.”

  Imogen pushed a long purple bean pod onto my plate. It was slathered in some sort of oil and spices and didn’t look appetizing in the slightest.

  “What is it?” I asked, unable to keep the skepticism out of my voice.

  Imogen shrugged. “We call them magic beans. The ancestors blessed them ages ago, and they prospered in this area. They’re like a green bean.”

  I poked the bean with my fork and held it up to examine it. “But it’s purple.”

  “So? Purple vegetables are delicious,” Imogen said. “Beets, eggplant, carrots…”

  “Um… carrots are orange.”

  Imogen shook her head. “Carrots weren’t orange until the 17th century. Now, eat up.”

  Trusting her judgement, I put the bean to my mouth and bit into it. To my surprise, it was juicy and delicious, like the best green bean I’d ever tasted.

  “Good, right?” Imogen asked with raised eyebrows as she dropped another piece of meat on the floor for Sassy.

  “Delicious,” I agreed. “But… are you supposed to be doing that?”

  I glanced around the dining hall and couldn’t help but notice that Imogen was the only person feeding her Familiar regular food. Other Familiars just sat there watching people eat.

  Imogen lowered her voice. “Not really, but you won’t tell, will you? Sassy’s a fussy eater.”

  I shook my head. “I won’t tell.”

  “What about him?” She cocked her head toward Esis. “What does he eat?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I talked to this guy at the Familiar nutrition center, but he didn’t know anything about Esis’ diet. He suggested he might like bugs, but when I tried to go digging for worms, Esis turned up his nose at them. The only thing I’ve gotten him to eat so far is burgers from the takeout line.”

  Esis was barely the size of my head, but I swore he ate more than I did. I was pretty sure there was a black hole in the pit of his stomach somewhere. The trashcan full of wrappers in my dorm room was proof of his appetite. I wasn’t sure where all the food went. I was just grateful I didn’t have to pay for it and that all our food was sponsored by the school.

  “As long as he doesn’t starve, that’s all that counts, right?” Imogen said.

  I smiled. I could really get used to Imogen’s positive attitude.

  After that night dining with Imogen, I didn’t have to sit alone in the dining hall anymore. Imogen was there every night, and she always stood and waved me over as soon as I filled my tray. At first I thought it was strange, like she was trying to draw attention to herself, but I’d come to realize that was just part of Imogen’s over-the-top personality. She honestly didn’t even notice the attention.

  Strangely, I felt comfortable in her presence. It was easier to ignore the eyes on us with her around.

  Three weeks passed, and Liam had managed to avoid me the entire time. He’d skipped out on our Medical Care class the first week following the tar pit incident. When he returned the next week and Professor Costas instructed us to pair up, he didn’t even look at me. He headed straight for his lumberjack friend, Jonah. I got stuck with a first-year Toaqua who wouldn’t even look me in the eye.

  But, thanks to Liam, I was actually making progress with my Fire. I sat on the rocks next to the river almost every night practicing conjuring and manipulating flames. Esis perched on a rock beside me. He clapped and trilled as if he were my own personal cheerleader. I hoped that with enough practice, Madame Doya would stop looking down her nose at me in Fire class. So far, no such luck.

  “It’s just a piece of wood!” Doya shouted in class one day. “I’m not asking you to set the entire forest on fire!”

  The class stood in a line facing the room’s massive fireplace. A small log atop a cast-iron firewood grate five feet in front of each person. We were each to light our log on fire from a distance. Madame Doya paced down the line of students, analyzing each of us as she went. Naomi prowled behind the logs, watching for any signs of flame.

  I laser-focused my attention on the log in front of me. I did as Liam had instructed and focused on pulling my anger to the surface. I didn’t like that I was angry all the time these days. I’d grown up learning how to control my emotions, but I had to throw all that out the window if I was to survive at this school.

  “It’s embarrassing you’re trying so hard, Hudson,” Doya scolded the guy next to me. “This should be simple for you.”

  I couldn’t help it when my gaze flickered from my log. Hudson looked like he was suffering from a hernia. Poor guy.

  “Stand straight, Tabitha,” Doya yelled to a girl at the other end of the room. “Conjuring fire takes confidence.”

  Just as she said it, Haley’s log burst into flame. Haley squealed in excitement and high-fived Kelsey beside her. T
he phoenix on her shoulder ruffled its feathers in delight. Haley’s eyes caught mine on hers, and her face instantly fell. She glanced to my log and smirked.

  Tiny little hands grabbed my ear. Esis tugged on me until I finally tore my gaze off Haley. He made three quick noises and pointed to my log. He settled back into his spot on my shoulder and wrapped my hair around his body. It was hard to find my anger when he was a constant comfort.

  The smell of burning wood filled the air as two other logs lit up in flames. Beside me, the bark on Miranda’s log was slowly shriveling as embers burnt the delicate outer layer.

  “Sophia!” Madame Doya’s harsh voice called.

  There it was, that noise that was sure to get my blood boiling. I could already feel my skin heating.

  “Yes?” I asked, trying to sound cool and collected. I didn’t want to give her anything else to yell at me about.

  Madame Doya held her nose high as she made her way over to me. “We don’t have all day. You’re bonded now, which means your powers should be easier to access. I expected your log to light long before any of your classmates’.”

  “Yes, Madame Doya,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’m doing my best.”

  “Then why, dare I ask, is your log not on fire yet?”

  My teeth gritted as I focused on my log. I was going to light this bitch on fire if she didn’t stop pestering me. Nothing was ever good enough for her. Madame Doya stood there, observing. I could feel her eyes on me as all the tiny little hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Naomi stopped behind my log. She gave it a good sniff before turning her face down in dissatisfaction. She was almost as bad as Doya.

  I felt my magic rise within me, but I didn’t know how to direct it across the space between me and my log. Still, I tried. I pictured my magic flowing through the hardwood floor, because I thought it’d be easier than air to go through.

  The smell of burning hair filled my nose. A second later, Naomi leapt backward. I just barely caught sight of the patch of singed fur on her paw before she burst into flame. Literally.