I glare at her and forget that stupid circle, preparing my fire instead. If I can just give her one big blow, just one... I make it bigger and bigger between my hands, ready to strike.
“Mara, let me attack her!”
“No, Liam, stay behind me, I don't know what she's preparing!”
Ayesha isn't looking, she's smiling and focusing on her magic circle. I don't like that look in her eyes, it can't mean anything good! I hurry to prepare my fire. It doesn't need to be precise, I just need one blow...
"You're so slow," she laughs as she glances up.
That's it. I growl furiously and throw it.
She raises her magic circle like a shield in front of her, and just from the look in her eyes, I immediately know. She tricked me. I fucked up. I just feel it.
My fire hits her magic circle at an impressive speed, but it doesn't do any damage. Nothing at all. I frown, confused, as her magic circle vanishes with my fire. She chuckles again.
"Nice little fire, baby witch. However, you should be careful where you aim, right?"
I know from her expression. It's...
A loud ruckus breaks behind us. I blink, as a huge fireball suddenly hits Silver City. I see her magic circle appear in the sky above the tall buildings, and my very own fireball, with red and pink, suddenly shoots down in a flash of light.
"Holy shit..."
"Nice shot," she chuckles. "Oh, sorry, did you mean that for me?"
I can't even believe this is happening. My own fire attacking Silver City, my city, the one place I wanted to protect! This is a nightmare! I can't swallow what just happened... She redirected my fire above the buildings, and I didn't have time to do a thing about it. I gasp, unable to control the damage that has already been done. I didn't even have a chance to react, let alone stop it!
“Mara, it landed in one of the already burnt areas, there were probably no victims…”
"You can't be sure of that!" I yell, forgetting to use the mind-link.
Liam seems shocked by my reaction, but I'm so furious right now, to the point that I'm even crying. These aren't tears of sorrow, but of frustration. I turn to Ayesha, with that naughty smile on her lips as if she had just taken a toy from a four-year-old. She shrugs.
"You should stop it if you don't like it, little sister."
"Don't you fucking call me that," I growl.
"So?" she asks, warming up another ball of fire in her hands.
I prepare mine, but this time, I don't restrain myself; I shoot right away, one after the other. I’m so furious that I don't dare to slow down for a second. Ayesha drops her smile. She has to focus to keep up, and either catches my fireballs or sends hers back. I see her step back, again and again, overwhelmed. I keep firing, my anger fueling each of my fireballs.
"Careful," she yells between two catches.
Careful? Careful of what, is she going to fucking burn my city down in flames if I don't stop? I have no plans to stop until I get rid of that arrogant bitch! I keep firing, literally, stepping closer and winning more ground on her. Ayesha tries to keep up, and at some point, it looks like she gets used to my frantic rhythm. She stops grimacing and instead of stopping them, starts grabbing my fireballs one after another and adds them to a much larger one she's building. I don't like that either! The fire in her hands is clearly a mix of mine and hers now! I stop sending fireballs, as it's obvious that one's going to come in my direction sooner or later...
"What?" she smiles. "Aren't you going to try and catch it?"
Moon Goddess, does she think she's training some dog or something?! However, to my surprise, she glances at the sky. It's very brief, but it gives me a second to realize what she's about to do. I'm not her target!
She chuckles, and just as our eyes meet again, she suddenly throws it into the air. I see the fireball start to make an arch above us, but this time, I won't let it hit my home. I raise my arms, and with all my focus, I work my inner fire to call my fire back to me. All of it, as much as I can. It's a new sensation, like claws in my stomach, trying to pull toward that gigantic new fireball. It's calling it back, but I'm pulled toward it too. My inner flame gets more and more unstable, growing to answer the strength of the pull. I keep my arms in the air, my fingers so tense it hurts, and I don't stop trying to call it back. It's tiring, horribly tiring, as it calls for all the strength I can gather, physically and mentally. I didn’t even take a step, but I feel my feet dragging in the mud as my whole body simply moves toward the fireball like a damn magnet.
"Mara!" yells Liam.
"I... can... do this..." I growl, pearls of sweat running down my temples and my chin.
I close my eyes, and try to pull harder, but I hear a sudden burst behind me. Something hits my back, and a weight falls right behind my legs. Oh, Moon Goddess, no, no... I dare to glance over my shoulder, and I see Liam. Liam, on the ground, his wolf form reeking of something burnt.
"Liam!" I scream.
