Dad muttered something about death and threats, but that only prompted a few chuckles to emerge. It didn't stop the spectacle.
"Alright," Mom said through a snicker. "I think we should give these two some time alone. They've earned it."
Feet shuffled as a few more laughs rang out, but it would have been impossible to pull back. With another sweep of Tallis's tongue, I was close to telling him I loved him again.
He gripped me to him, and I responded by wrapping my legs around his waist, not even allowing air to make it between us. I felt the fire growing into a raging inferno, but this time it was in control. I welcomed the heat, because now my body could handle it.
I raised my hand to put it against his face, but a shriek left me before I ever got to touch him. From my hand, a blaze of fire shot out and set the living room curtains on fire.
I jerked away from Tallis, stunned and admittedly terrified by what I had just done. He studied the curtains, his expression more confused than concerned. I almost did that to his face. What if that crazy fire had hit him instead of the curtains?
"I'm so sorry! I didn't know that I could do that."
I pulled my hand to my chest, scared to let it face anything but me.
Ash walked back into where we were, followed by several others.
"Copy cat!" Ash joked.
Iris waved her hand in a circle and rain fell to the curtains, extinguishing the blaze. As soon as the fire was out, the water from the rain evaporated. She was rubbing her mouth and chin with her hand, lost in thought. She didn't even seem to care that I had just set the living room on fire. In fact, no one seemed particularly distressed over that—no one but me, rather.
Ash's playfulness fell as confusion crossed her face, mimicking the same expression Tallis still had.
"It took me a month to spark, and she set a blaze by accident. How is that even possible?"
Iris seemed distracted as she answered, "I don't know, Ashiara. Two siblings have never had the same power before. And even so, her power shouldn't be so far advanced to strike a blaze with such ease."
More strange looks surrounded me, making it awkward.
Tallis murmured, "We should have been able to smell the blazer in her. I'm not sure what's going on."
I looked at him, suddenly feeling a little unworthy. "Disappointed?" I asked, working hard not to pout like a child.
"No, that's not it at all. Something just isn't right."
A loud bang outside startled me, forcing me to squeal. I turned around with my arms stretched outward, and an explosion flew from my hands. I watched in horror as the blast I had accidentally released cut open the side house, creating a hailstorm of debris and disaster. Panic rattled me and bled into my voice as I stammered.
"Oh... my …oh… Someone get me out of here before I destroy the whole house. I can't be in here."
I pulled my arms back against my chest as if I was wearing an invisible straitjacket. I had no idea what I was doing, or how I was doing it. Everyone looked even more confused than before as I ran outside to see the cat that had spooked me into blowing up a wall.
Tallis followed me out first, slowly inspecting the massive hole I'd left as he stepped through the debris. Iris's eyes were narrowed thoughtfully as she studied me. Ash walked out, sulking even more than she had been.
"No fair. Aria has two powers?" Ash whined.
Iris shook her head disapprovingly at Ash, and then looked toward me. Tallis's gaze had also landed on me. They looked at me like I was supposed to answer an unasked question.
Then Iris swirled wind around me. It was a harsh wind that made me feel the tingling need to be defensive. It was shoving me backwards, angrily keeping me away. Instinctively, I pushed against it, trying to make it stop, and to my surprise, it did. I couldn't understand why she even hit me with it though. Nor did I know if I was even the one who stopped it.
I heard Desmond when he asked, "She's an elemental, too? That's absurd. None of this is making sense. Even if she was all of this, she shouldn't be able to use her powers on the same night of her transformation, especially not to this degree. This is all crazy impossible."
Allaysia and Iris exchanged an odd glance. Then Allaysia stepped forward and spoke to Jay in the same distracted tone Iris had used with Ash. "Throw a bolt at her."
Tallis stepped in front of me, and protectively wrapped his arm around my waist.
"I don't think so," he said warily, his free hand raised defensively. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I won't chance this. She just got her powers, and she's not ready to control them this soon."
"Looks like she's been doing pretty good so far. She's had her powers five minutes, and already she has the power of someone who has been practicing for years—minus the control," Desmond said with a shrug that was far too nonchalant for the situation.