Fair Flame - L.E.P. Smith (ereader for android TXT) š
- Author: L.E.P. Smith
Book online Ā«Fair Flame - L.E.P. Smith (ereader for android TXT) šĀ». Author L.E.P. Smith
Prologue
A piercing scream rang out in the distance. Yes, it may have been mid-afternoon, the sun burning brightlyā¦ no sense of danger surrounding me, but then again, I havenāt gotten used to my new powers yet. I hadnāt felt the presence that was beginning to surround me and my family. I began to run towards the sound. It was still audible, but not out loud, I realised. The scream was in my head. Its resonating sound still lingered in my mind, aching, pressing down into me. Hurtingā¦..Stop!
The pain vanishedā¦as did the lasting sound of the shriek. Sudden silenceā¦If anything, it was more disorientating than the noise. I stopped running to breathe. I came to realiseā¦.there was no noise at all. No birds, no wind blowing. The children in the park opposite: completely noiseless and still, as if they were but a snapshot of the moment before.
I shivered. Something was terribly wrong. It was like a cold hand was caressing my backā¦.trying to seem innocent, but not quite managing it. Whoever this was they were strong, but not quite strong enough to conceal themselves completely, even to me, a newcomer to her powers. Either that or they were new too, and hadnāt gotten the control.
A noise broke through the silence. A shuffling sound. It was getting louder, but I wasnāt sure whether I should find somewhere to hide, or face it head-on. My courage gave out. I couldnāt stand to meet whatever it was coming towards me. I turned, scanned around me. The only place I could see to hide was on the other side of the streetā¦
Could I make it?
Chapter 1
My name is Effie. Well, ok, itās Elizabethā¦but who wants to introduce themselves as that?? Itās a bit of a mouthful! āEffieā came about as my dad let me go camping with my schoolā¦.they had to get him to come collect me after only a few hours. I may have set light to the teachersā tentā¦whoops. Since then, heās called me his āfair flameā. Well, that was a long time ago now. Too long.
So, Iām Effie, Iām 22 years old, and I am a witch. Not a particularly strong one, mind you. Not yet anyway. I hope to get more powerful, but there is a limit to each personās ability. But I want to be the best I can. Thatās every witchās aim.
I only found out about my ability a year or so ago; my dad had tried to keep it hidden from me. I understand it now, but I didnāt then.
Well, letās start at the beginning, shall we?
My 21st birthday approached, and thatās when things started to go really weird.
I awoke that morning with a feeling of trepidation. As though I knew that something wasnāt rightā¦..I was spooked. I sat up in my bed. Shot straight up, having momentarily forgotten that my bed was on the sloping wall, so I grazed my head across it.
I padded my way to the bathroom, trying to convince myself there was nothing wrong, I was just being silly, but I couldnāt get the feeling to leave me.
I walked into the room, the cold tile floors aiding in waking me up. I look up at the mirror and gasp. My eyes, they were purple, not the bright violet purple, but the purple of the sky with an oncoming stormā¦.dark, and yet, still bright.
I just stood, staring blankly at my face. They were a nondescript blue when I had gone to bed the night before, nothing remarkable. But now? Amazing.
āEffie? Effie?!ā
My dad had come through the door.
āIām sorry Effie, I didnāt want you to find out like this, not without me being at your side as you saw your flamesā
āā¦Myā¦.flames?ā I croaked out, as though my voice had been unused for many days āFlames?ā
I dragged my gaze away from my reflection as my dad lifted my hand carefully, as though trying not to startle me.
āWoahā¦.what the hell is going on?? Iām on fire!
Iāmā¦onā¦FIRE!ā
I looked at my dad. He was smiling at me, as though proud. Proud? I was just completely thrown by this turn of eventsā¦.what was happening to me?
I looked back to the flames dancing on my skin. These were also purple, as my eyes were now, but these were bright. As if violets had been captured and turned into fire. They didn't burn...just left a slight tingling sensation where they licked.
He had now begun to murmur in the background.
āShe has purple flamesā¦.what does that indicate? Iāve never seen purple beforeā¦does that mean sheās strong or weak? ā¦or something completely, entirely new?ā
'Dad?'
'Hmmm?'
'DAD? Look at me! What is happening to me??'
He was still just staring at me, his gaze grazing my hands, my face, studying.
āWellā¦.I guess I shouldāve told you many years agoā¦.My family? The ones you donāt see, well, the reason you donāt see them is thatā¦ā He trails offā¦
āDad! Come onā¦.tell me, then tell me if you know how to turn these damn flames off! I look like a Christmas pudding here, all lit up like this!ā
āSo you do!' he laughs 'Ok, my family are all magical. Some are witches ā like you, some are shifters, some are psychic, and a few are evenā¦ā His abrupt stop has me panicked. It doesnāt even register that heās just called me a witchā¦
āA what Dad? Some are what??ā
āYou donāt need to know right now. Weāll get to that at some point. Right then my Fair Flame, how do you feel about this?ā
'I am a...witch?'
'Yup!' THe smug look on his face seemed to get worse, if it was even possible.
āOkā¦a witch. That doesnāt seem so badā¦but will I stay all flamey for the rest of my life?!ā
He chuckles. āNo, of course not. You just gotta learn. And you will, soon. Weāll be on our way soon. Go get - ā
A loud crash interrupts his sentence. He freezes. Looks at me. His jovial behaviour has now disappeared, replaced with anxiety, and what I think is fear. Iād never seen that look on his face before, nor ever since.
Footsteps pounded up the stairs. My father was frozen..not even a flicker of recognition as I frantically waves my hands in front of his face. I slapped him. He didnāt move, not at all. His flesh upon the palm of my hand was as hard as stone, but with a waxy feel. Was this to be first impression of magic?
The footfalls were getting louder. I began to shout at my dad. ā¦.but nothing, no reaction. I then hear talking from outside my bedroom door.
āShhhā¦.can you hear that? Sheās awake! How? She should be down. Ok, you know what you need to do then, right?ā
A grunt was all I heard from the second man that was violating my house, my home.
āOn my countā¦3ā¦2ā¦.1ā¦NOW!ā
I scream.
Chapter 2
I drift in and out of consciousness, catching some speech from my captors. Most of it makes no sense at all, but some strangely does.
āWhy do you think she stayed awake? And how much does she know aboutā¦.Well, I have no idea what sheāll think of herā¦who can tell? Strangeā¦.We ought to check up onā¦But what aboutā¦Phorasā family willā¦What if? What if she wakes before we get there? Donāt worryā¦She couldnāt possiblyā¦No. No way is that feasible that she isā¦.I think that Jimmyās the best oneā¦Hey! Was thatā¦.ā
I wake in my
comfy bed, covered with my
thick and warm duvet. I stretch, and look around, waking as if from a dream. But as I view my surroundings, I notice that that my bed is the only thing that is mine. The rest of the room is filled with clinical plastics, and cold, cold steel.
I find myself not in my own clothes anymore, but now in a hospital gown, with IV drips linked to my left arm. The liquid is a strange blue colour. I wonder what it contains. But I slide these out, tearing off the sticky tape holding them in place. The needles emerge red and bloody; the liquid that was forcing its way into my veins leaking out onto the floor. Now that Iām free of the restraints of the tubes, I stand to look around.
The first thing I notice is that beside my bed is a huge mirror. I know theyāre watching me. I can feel their eyes; hear their pencils scratching the paper upon which theyāre writing on. Wait, I can hear
them writing
?? I shake my head, clearing it of such idiocy. I turn back, finishing my exploration of my surroundings. I become aware of a camera positioned by the door. I wonder why they need a camera, as well as the one-way-mirror. Surely theyād have me being watched all the time, if they made the effort to take me away from my dad and my home. Apart from the camera, and my bedā¦thereās nothing.
I shiver.
āElizabeth.ā I start, the voice making me jump. āElizabeth, welcomeā
Welcome? I think, welcome?!
āWelcome? Why are you welcoming me? You kidnapped me; hurt my dad, shut me up here, and that is completely devoid of any welcome at all! And you want to welcome me?!ā
āAh, yes well, we had hoped to get there a little earlier, and be able to talk to your father first. But, we didnāt get there in time. So we had to take measures to ensure your safety. It had to be done, and Iām sorry.ā
āAnd my father? Is he OK?!ā
āDan is fine. We didnāt harm him. He knew that this may happen. Heās actually here with us.ā
āHeās here? Can I see him? Speak to him?ā I know I sound desperate, but it feels like days since I saw him last.
āIt has been days, Elizabeth. Four to be exact,ā a new voice adds. This voice sounds friendly. āYouāve been out since we took you four days ago.ā
āFour daysā¦..right, so thatās why I feel like crap then. Why have I been kept out of it for four days? Thereād better be a damn good reason for it!ā My anger is growing. How dare they do this to me?! What have I done that warrants such treatment? Suchā¦a lack of my own human rights?
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