Imdalind 01 - Kiss of Fire

chair.
    I had the excited nerves of an audition, mixed with the raw icy fear of going into the unknown. I shook my head, emptying the thought of Ovailia’s comment from the nervous strangulation that was taking hold of me. The room had emptied of everyone but me and Ilyan before he turned and gestured toward me.
    “I am going to have to carry you to Ryland’s house, if you don’t mind,” he said as we walked outside to where the others had gathered.
    “What?” I was suddenly appalled.
    “It’s a risk for everyone if you have liquid memories of how to get back to the motel.”
    “What do you mean? I’m not a risk,” I retorted, remembering all too vividly Ovailia’s words in the courtyard.
    “If you are captured, I don’t need your memories to guide them to the motel. Since I don’t have time to teach you to perform a Zmizȇt, I need to be in contact with your skin.”
    “And you have to carry me? Why can’t we just hold hands or something?” I suggested, irritated by the idea.
    “If you won’t let me carry you, Joclyn, I will just put you to sleep.”
    I grumbled in acceptance before allowing him to cradle me in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck, worried that he would drop me. He laughed at me softly; I knew full well how ridiculous I was acting, especially considering that the last time he had carried me like this, I hadn’t been able to move. We all swept into the air in unison, Ilyan leading us to what I was sure was certain doom.
    This whole week, I had been confident that this was a sure thing, that everything would go perfectly. And then, last night, Ilyan had shattered my little delusional fantasy. This was not going to be easy- it would be dangerous. And what was worse- we might fail.
    “You need to close your eyes, Silnỳ.”
    I obeyed him.
    “What happens if we can’t get him out, Ilyan?” I asked into the darkness.
    “We will get him out.” His voice was so determined; I could almost detect that maniacal power in him already.
    “But what if…”
    Ilyan’s arms tightened around me, pushing my torso into him.
    “We will get him; do not worry.”
    I didn’t dare say anymore. I didn’t really want to think about it, anyway; thinking of failure almost seemed like a curse on this whole venture.
    We landed among the lilac bushes, azaleas, and roses behind the kitchen door to the large estate. Ilyan put me down, and I opened my eyes apprehensively, surprised to see only Ilyan and the two he had pointed out as our ‘forward guard.’ The others must have already taken their positions. I looked up at the building curiously, surprised to see nothing but pale white stone. I knew the fire and explosions must have spread to this part of the mansion, but yet, there was nothing damaged. Ilyan must have been right; they must have repaired the building magically.
    Being so close to entering the mansion made me edgy, and I found myself shifting my weight and exhaling a bit more than usual. This gained me quite a few dirty looks from Tace and Zilla, but I didn’t care. I doubted anyone could hear me over the noise, anyway. Happy screams and catcalls filled the air from the pool beyond the bushes; the heavy beat of the music inside pulsed through the air and shook the ground. Ryland’s graduation from high school should have been a happy occasion, not the site for a rescue mission.
    I could feel the tension, the pulsing magical energy flowing from each of us as we sat ready, waiting to pounce. The magic seemed to beat in time with the music that surrounded us; the longer we waited, the louder it grew. Ryland’s necklace sat hot on my skin under my lime green shirt, the intense heat warning me that danger was nearby. I pulsed my magic reflexively, hoping that being this close to Ryland, to Edmund, would provide me with additional control, more than I was used to. Nothing happened; Edmund’s restrictive blanket remained a suffocating force over my ability. I swallowed hard, hoping that, when the blanket slipped off me, I could control the pent-up energy it would surely release.
    The four of us looked up in unison as a large red blast lit up the sky above the manor, the excited squeals from the pool echoing the deep boom of the explosion. Tace and Zilla bolted out in front of us, their bodies breaking through the bushes to the open parking lot. I screamed out in surprise as Ilyan grabbed me and flung me onto his back, before he followed their lead.
    The door to the kitchen flung