Page 101 of Fire Dancer
I cursed the inspector who’d ensured every building in La Puebla was up to code.
I strained, caught in an invisible tug-of-war. My weak powers struggled at one end of the line, while natural forces that kept fires stationary resisted on the other.
No matter how hard I tried, the fire wouldn’t budge, and I was losing hope.
Help,I wanted to scream.Dad. Erin. Abby. Anyone…
Worse, Ingo was running out of steam in his mismatched fight, and Jananovich’s voice was starting to wheedle its way into my mind.Just stay there…
No, no, no!I screamed inside. I couldn’t fail. Not this time.
But, hell. It sure seemed like I would.
Finally, the fire budged. I could sense it creeping down the hallway, one tiny ember at a time. I strained to maintain the connection and coax it this way.
Shouts broke out, and Jananovich muttered something, though I barely heard over the sickening sounds of Ingo’s struggle against the vampires. I hung on to the thread in my mind, slowly reeling in the fire.
More shouts. Footsteps pounded down the hallway.
“Fire! Fire!” someone yelled.
An acrid smell reached my nose, and smoke filtered in under the office door.
Keep going! You can do it!
I must have really been pushing my limits, because now I was imagining my sisters cheering me on.
“Dammit…” Jananovich growled at the encroaching fire.
I cracked an eye open, though my mind was still with the fire. Ingo roared, leaping at the smaller vampire’s throat. A sickening squelch followed.
Jananovich cursed, then yelled at the second vampire — the bigger, swarthier one.
“Get him, Gregor!”
I strained harder, pulling the fire closer. Thick smoke poured in from under the door.
Yes!I cheered.Yes! Over here…
Smoke billowed, and the temperature rose. Crackling sounded just outside the door.
Yes, yes, yes!I cheered feverishly.
It was a heady experience, controlling fire. I could do anything, beat anyone. I could burn this place to ash and dust. I could smite any foe and make my enemies tremble in fear.
Then I caught myself, remembering what my father had always said. To control fire, you have to control yourself, because its power has a way of corrupting.
I blinked hard, renewing my focus.
Jananovich was standing just outside the radius of the fight raging between us, staring at me. His eyes were dark and menacing, not at all like the charmer I’d met earlier.
He raised one arm, holding it toward me in a silent command.
A wave of pressure closed in around my mind, like the mother of all migraines creeping in after a bad day. The bastard was trying to enthrall me.
I focused on my powers instead of his. Or better put,ourpowers, because I realized I wasn’t alone in my struggle. It was just like that night on the ranch when my sisters and I had tapped into a vortex and directed its power.
But I wasn’t on the ranch now, and there was no vortex.