I turn around and run.
I run, like the wind, rushed by anger. I'm going to ruin that witch. She trapped me in a fucking mirror, she tricked little Mara, and she damaged Sylviana's tree! She's going to have to give me back my body and pay for it, now!
I growl, like a furious wolf, and keep running through the streets. Humans and wolves are running in the opposite direction, fleeing the fires. They don't even have time to be scared of me, I see their eyes open wide, and then they're gone. There are one too many monsters in this city right now. One too many witches. I hear screams, people yelling and panicking. I hear them cry about the witch, curse her, hate her. Somebody stop the Fire Witch. Someone kill the witch.
I ignore them and accelerate. I try to tame the fear in my heart. Yes, this is not going to end well for me...
I reach the first fires after just a few more minutes. I'm out of breath, but I'm probably the only one in the area who can even breathe! There's smoke, too much smoke, and black ashes everywhere. Two shops are on fire and a building behind them. Moon Goddess, I hope as many people as possible left the area. I take a deep breath, and slowly, pull my own fire toward those flames. I know the trick now. They can't hurt me. I'm a fire master, I can bend it to my will. I let my own flames melt into those, connecting to that fire as if pouring mine was a wave hitting the sea. I grasp it, hold on to it and start pulling. I take them all in. The fire, the big flames, they all come to me. There's so much... I need to keep focusing to not burn myself this time. That fire becomes mine. I'm charged like a monstrous fire beast, some stored inside, some enveloping me.
The fire is absorbed by my body, bit by bit, and I suddenly realize there's a group of firefighters nearby. They are wearing masks, and using something like large extinguishers, but they must have realized I was doing a quicker job, because they stopped to stare in surprise. After a few seconds, though, they cheer and resume, helping me put out the last flames.
As soon as I feel they can handle whatever's left, I run again toward the next scorched area. Where is she? Where is that damn witch?!
"Mara, Liam's looking for you!" suddenly yells Nora's voice in my head.
"What? Where is he?"
"On your left, farther north!"
He's on his way then. Is he with the other witch? Moon Goddess, I hope she hasn’t done anything to him or Ben!
I take out two more fires on my way up, but this isn't enough. The damage is just terrible. How could she do so much in such a limited amount of time? No matter what, something's wrong here. There are too many different buildings burning. With the time it takes to draw a proper rune or magic circle, and the fires to grow this big, she ought to have had a head start of some sort!
"M-Mara? Is that y...you?"
I turn my head. Oh, Moon Goddess, Ben!
He's lying against a wall, holding a bloody wound on his stomach with a grimace. I rush to him. What the hell happened to him?!
"Oh... So it's... true," he chuckles despite the pain. "You're a wolf."
"Ben, you idiot! What happened to you?!"
I hear my whimpers, but he doesn't get my wolf voice. Still, he shakes his head.
"D-... don't worry about me. I don't think she... stabbed any vitals... I... I'll wait for the others, but... you have to stop her. She was... searching for the B-Black Brothers."
Oh, no, no, Liam!
"Go, girl," he says. "I'm happy you... weren't the one who stabbed me."
Shit, what do I do? I don't want to leave him here! I try to focus. Selena's my family too, right? I should be able to find her. The mind-link works between people of the same family! I have not experimented enough.
"Selena! Selena!"
"You're very loud... Who are you?"
What? Why am I mind-linking a child right now?! I already have one little girl in my head, I don't need another one!
"Sorry sweetie, I'll answer you later! Selena! SELENA!"
"Moon Goddess, Mara, shut it!" she finally answers. "You're mind-linking like a freaking siren!"
"Ben! Ben is–"
"I know! I'm running to him now! Just go stop that bitch!"
As soon as she confirms she's coming, I nod to Ben and start running again. She's so going to pay for this!
