Flames by TearfulMop ~ (red white royal blue txt) 📕

can use ice in any shape or form. He can also create it.”

Carefully, he regards my expression. I keep my face blank.

“I'm a fire spirit. I can wield fire. That's why I work at an ice rink. It keeps my temperature down.”

“And this makes him try to kill me because?”

I glance at the smouldering body next to me. Only the clothes are left.

“Well...ice spirits have always hated fire spirits. I'm actually the last one, because they killed all the other ones off. If you're an associate, that makes you a target.”

I let this all sink in.

Suddenly I burst out laughing. This guy, either he's completly insane or worryingly honest.

“I'm sorry, this is all a bit too much to take in right now,” I gasp.

First, i'm nearly murdered. Then, I have Blake save me only to have him explain the most inventive story i've ever heard.

And to top it all off, I find myself believing him!

And then I realise that the ice is making my leg numb.

“I can't feel my leg!” I shoot Blake a panicked look.

Blake examines my wound. The knife sticks out awkwardly; I have to look away.

“I'm going to have to take it out, or you're going to get blood poisoning.”

I nod and clench my teeth. This is going to hurt.

Slowly, he draws the knife out. Pain shoots up my leg as I try not to shake. The edges of my vision grow blurry.

The knife clatters onto the ice. Blood seeps into it like wisps of smoke.

Blake then puts his hand over the deep wound. His hand glows slightly and the skin closes up.

“That will keep it from infecting, but you'll still need to go to hospital. Do you think you can act faint?”

I laugh lightly.

“I already am faint.”

He hooks his arm underneath my legs and puts the other on my back. Then he lifts me up like I weigh the same as a cat and runs out the building. As the crisp night air hits me, I realise how warm he is.

Way warmer than normal.

Chapter Four

I wake up in a hospital bed. My mind trys to tell me that last night was a dream, but the pain that lances up my leg everytime i move begs to differ.

Flora comes to take me home. She is strangely quiet on the way to the car.

She starts the engine and pulls out. We stop at a traffic light.

“So, tell me what happened!”

I knew it couldn't last.

I told her the part where I was being chased by the man. I left out the part where Blake set him on fire .

“This is our little secret,” he'd whispered in my ear before we entered the hospital.

And despite the situation, I'd shivered at how close his lips were.

“Mia! Are you listening?”

I snap out of my daydream and smile ruefully at her.

“So are you saying that Blake punched him in the jaw, the guy dropped the knife and it landed in your leg, then the guy ran away and Blake took you to hospital?”

“Yeah.”

She gives me the 'that sounds very unlikely' look.

“What? It's the truth!”

Some of it.

Flora helps me to the sofa and gives me an apolegetic look.

“I rang the library for you, but I can't get out of work. I'll see you later, 'kay?”

The front door slams shut and i'm alone.

Silence.

Suddenly, someone knocks at the door. I jump involountarily.

A grunt slips my lips as I lift myself off the sofa. I glance at the sidetable.

Yep, she forgot her keys again.

I open the door and start to tell her off.

“If you forget you're keys again, i'm going to-”

Blake stands on the porch. I blink at a few times at him.

“Don't you have work at the ice rink ?”

“I have the night shift.”

I look behind him. A Ford is parked neatly in front of the house.

“So, what are you doing here?”

“I came to ask you something. Do you mind if I come in?”

I hop over to the sofa and sigh in relief as I settle down.

“I'm sorry. I'd offer you a drink but I don't think I can reach the kitchen.”

“I'll do it.”

He jumps up and disappears.

“Tea or coffee?”

“Tea.”

He walks in with the tea almost instantly.

“How were you so quick?”

“Being a fire spirit can have its advantages,” he shrugs.

I take the mug from him and sip.

“What's your question?”

“How's your leg?”

I laugh.

“You could have called me to ask that!”

“I don't have your phone number.”

I take out my phone and hand it to him.

“Now you do.”

“Will you answer my question now?”
“My leg is fine. Hurts a little.”

He leans over and reaches out. His fingers whisper over the skin of my leg. Heat travels up my thigh.

“Your lucky he didn't use an ice blade. The poison would have killed you.”

I look at his face. A small frown plays on his lips, but his eyes shine slightly. I recognise the emotion.

Relief.

“I want you to be careful. They'll all be out to get you now.”

I nod. A comfortable silence hangs between us as we finish the tea.

Then he gets up.

“If you get worried, just call me. I put my number in your phone.”

He puts the mug down and reaches the door. He reaches for the handle but hesitates and looks back.

“I mean it Mia. Be very careful.”

Chapter Five

I'm still daydreaming about Blakes face when Flora comes back.

“I'm back! Did you miss me?” she sings.

“Not particulary, no.”

She frowns a little before breaking into a large smile.

“Guess what? You know Steven?”

“The wierd guy who eats gherkins all the time?”

“He asked me on a date!”

If my leg was functioning properly, I would have marched up to her and throttled her neck until she said she wouldn't go. Instead, I stare at her with my mouth agape.

“What?”
“I think he's cute, don't you?”

“Yeah. Childish cute, not dating cute! Please don't leave me by myself to go out with cucumber boy.”

“ We said tomorrow,” she smirks.

I groan and fall back on the sofa.

“And i'm going out tonight.”

I shoot up.

“What?”

“I'm gonna make dinner.”

Flora helped me camp out on the sofa since I can't go up the stairs, then she left.

I'm alone, again. I'm always alone it seems.

I snuggle into the sofa and try to sleep.

I wake up suddenly. I must have dozed off. Flora hasn't come home yet; It looks like gherkin boy decided to take her a day early.

Something moves in the kitchen.

I freeze. Shodows flit against the wall as a pot clanks loudly to the ground.

Someone curses.

I reach for my phone with shaking fingers. I can't grip it properly: I try to slide it slowly inch by inch. As it gets closer, I shove it towards me; grab for it a second too late and I watch in horror as it falls to the floor. The sound it makes is way too loud.

A man appears in the doorway.

“Ah, i seem to have woken you up.”

“Get out of my house.”

He moves his hand and smiles at me. Icily.

Coldness seeps up my ankles. I look down to see frost travelling up my leg.

Ice spirit!

“I want you to listen very carefully. Ice spirits aren't bad. We are trying to help you. You see, you're special, Mia. Very special. And that fire spirit is trying to use you.”

“Why should believe you? You tried to kill me!”

His eyes glint silver. The colour of ice, I realise a second too late.

“No. We were trying to kill the fire spirit. He wants to harm you, Mia. Do you remember how he looked when you told him your name. He means to hurt you.”

The frost seeps into my wound, twisting painfully.

“Go away!” I scream.

“You wait, Mia. He'll tell you he's trying to protect you. He'll tell you that your special. He'll even say he likes you, but he'll carry a knife and try to kill you with it!”

I open my eyes and feel my forehead. Cold sweat.

I look towards the kitchen. There's noone there.

It was only a dream.

I throw the blanket off me and walk over to the window. The street is eerily quite, and a light fogs hangs over the road. It looks like early morning.

Flora stomps downstairs.

“Hey Mia! Are you up yet?”

She takes one look at me and freezes.

“What?”

“Your leg! It's completly healed!”

I look down and notice that's she's right. There's not even a scar.

My mind flashes back to the touch Blake gave me.

“Oh well. It means I can go to work!”

She raises her eyebrows, but then walks off into the kitchen.

Suddenly my phone rings. I walk over and bring it to my ear.

“Hello?”

“It's Blake.”

“Oh, hey.”

“Be careful at work today, okay? I only want to protect you...”

My blood runs cold. The exact same words from my dream just emitted from his lips. Is is possible the ice spirit was telling the truth?..

“Mia?”

I snap out my daydream. The ice spirits can't be trusted, I know that. One tried to kill me for goodness sake... didn't it?

“I'll meet you outside the library when you finish work.”

“Yeah, sure.”

I step outside to see him leaning against the wall. I roll my eyes.

“You really look like your trying to protect me.”

“I try,” he grins.

I can't tell if he's joking or not, but the remark makes laughter bubble inside me.

“So, why do you feel obliged to help me anyway?”

The grin fades and a lost look comes into his eyes.

“All my kind were killed. I'm alone in the world,” he shrugs.

A pang of guilt builds up in my chest.

“But if I can help you, I don't know, maybe it will make up for where I failed with my own people.”

He looks at me with such meaningfullness, I feel overwhelmed.

I will not cry.

“How about helping me out by buying a coffee?”

As we walk through the doors, I spot Flora with gherkin boy. I jerk Blake away from that table and sit in the corner.

“So, when do I get to take you out properly?” he leans forward with his elbows on the table.

“After what happened last time? I'm not so sure,” I grin.

A nice feeling uncurls in my belly as I think of a date with him- again.

“I promise it will be in the day. I won't take any chances this time.”
“Where will you take me?” I grin.

“Now that will just ruin the surprise.”

We smile each other for a bit. Then I peer behind him and see Flora and gherkin boy.

Coming towards us!

I shake my head furiously at Flora, but she just smirks at me and keeps walking.

I'm going to kill her when we get home.

Blake turns around to see what all the fuss is about. At the exact same moment, gherkin boy trips and falls right into his face. The cafe grows deathly quiet.

“I'm so sorry! I'm really clumsy,” he tries to pull himself off and ends up pushing on his chest.

Flora sits down and watches them with an amused look on her face as they detangle from each other. The blush on my cheeks grow fiercer each second.

“Hello Mia.”

Gherkin boy finally manages to sit down on a seat without any casualties. The flustered look on his face makes me feel the tiniest bit sorry for him.

Just a tiny bit.

“Hi Steven. Got any gherkins?”

“Actually, yes!”

He takes out a big jar of them- where from I don't know- and sets them on the table with a flourish.

His face beams with pride.

I try not to laugh but it doesn't work. I take one look at Blake's face and we both burst out giggling.

Well, his is more like deep rumbling. I try not to snort.

Chapter Six

I wait impatiently for the door to knock. Blake is supposed to take me out today.

“Relax Mia. It's not even the time he said yet.”

“I know,” I give her a glare.

The unsettling feeling in my stomach grows. When Blake had walked me home he had told me I was special. Yes, it made me feel nice. But...

It was exactly what the ice spirit told me he would say.

Once would have been a coincidence, but twice?

The knock at the door interrupts my thoughts.

“Mia, are you