Daughter of the Fire
By Adaia Swordmaiden
Disclaimer: What do I put here again?
Chapter 3: Flame girl
Adaia woke with the sunrise, at first wondering where she was and then recalling the events of the day before. She got up, going to the window and watching the sun rise above the houses. She then went to sit in the kitchen, making herself some toast as she was starving. As she was washing up the plate she had used, Maisie came downstairs.
"Oh, hello, Adaia," she said, smiling at her. "Sleep well?"
"Yes," Adaia replied, half telling the truth. After her little trip to the park she had slept well. "Shall I help with breakfast? I've already had mine."
"Yes, thank you." Today's breakfast was porridge with syrup and brown sugar. During breakfast, Paton came down. Adaia could tell that this was unusual, judging by the others' expressions.
"Adaia," he began, after breakfast. "Do you remember anything? I mean, before yesterday morning?"
"All I remember is my name and the events from yesterday morning up until now," she replied truthfully.
"Any names or people?" Paton persisted. Adaia shook her head. He returned to his room after talking a little with Charlie's mother. At lunch, Grandma Bone made a surprising announcement.
"The Yewbeam aunts are coming over to dinner," she said, glancing furtively at Adaia. There were a few questions but Grandma Bone wouldn't say anything more than what time. After that, Charlie and Adaia went over to Benjamin's place, just across the road. Charlie had asked Adaia to come.
"The Yewbeam aunts are coming," Charlie told Benjamin as they all sat in the kitchen. "I think they're here about Adaia." Benjamin's jaw dropped.
"But what would they want with you?" he asked Adaia. She glanced at Charlie.
"It's ok, he knows about my endowment," Charlie said.
"I'm endowed," Adaia then told Benjamin. "I can create and manipulate fire." As a demonstration she summoned up a small flame, making it rise up into the air and then she extinguished it.
"Wow," Benjamin breathed, watching the flame. "I guess they want you at Bloor's."
"I think they know something about me," Adaia said seriously. "Grandma Bone acted really funny when I first met her, judging from what I've been told about her, and when she said that the Yewbeam aunts were coming, she glanced at me."
"Yeah, Uncle Paton's been acting really weird as well," Charlie said. They were all silent.
"Well what should I do?" Adaia asked the two. Benjamin shrugged.
"I guess just try and stay out of trouble when they come. Act normal," he suggested.
They took Runner Bean to the park and talked about other things, mainly Charlie and Benjamin talking and Adaia sitting by a tree and quietly practicing her fire tricks. When it was about ten minutes or so til the Yewbeam aunts arrived, Adaia and Charlie began to head back to Charlie's house. The dining room had been dusted and cleaned. When the aunts finally arrived, Charlie went to open the door. There was a lot of bustling as the aunts came in, tossing their coats and hats on Charlie. Adaia went to help him and the aunts stared at her for a moment before bustling on to the dining room. Soon everyone, even Paton, was sitting at the dining table and eating. After dinner, Adaia tried to help Charlie and his mother and grandmother clear the table, hoping to be free of the furtive glances that kept on being shot at her by Grandma Bone and the Yewbeam aunts, but she was just told to sit down. When Charlie and his mother and grandmother were out of the room, the youngest looking aunt smiled at Adaia and leaned towards her.
"Hello Adaia," she said. "Grizelda has told us that you have a little talent." Adaia tried to keep her face blank.
"What sort of talent?" she asked sweetly.
"An - unusual talent concerning fire." Adaia fixed a look of puzzlement on her face.
"Pardon? I don't have any unusual talents." The aunts glanced at each other just as Charlie and his mother and grandmother came back into the room. They were all but Charlie shooed away.
"Charlie, could you please go to the door? A friend of ours is waiting outside. Invite him inside. He wanted to meet Adaia," the white-haired aunt commanded. Charlie glanced at Adaia and Paton before going out of the room to the front door. After a few moments Charlie returned, a look of disgust and slight fear on his face and a teenager, more of a young man, in tow. The young man had coal-black hair, a long, narrow face and a pathetic moustache. He smiled at the Yewbeam aunts as he entered, not looking at Adaia. "Adaia, this is Manfred Bloor," the white-haired aunt said. Manfred then turned to look at Adaia, smiling strangely. She smiled back, staring at his coal-black eyes. After a moment, his smile dropped from his face and he turned back to the Yewbeam aunts.
"She's like that albino boy. It's her red eye," he said as if Adaia wasn't there. The Yewbeam aunts and Grandma Bone's smiles dropped from their faces. Manfred sat at the table, staring at Adaia. She cracked.
"Ok, what the hell in going on here?" she demanded.
"We're only trying to find some truth," said the grey-haired aunt said. "All you need to do is tell us if you are endowed or not."
"Oh yeah? Well how about I give you more than just telling you?" she snarled aggressively. The Yewbeam aunts, Manfred and Grandma Bone all laughed scornfully while Paton and Charlie shot warning looks at Adaia.
"A little flame floating in the air won't scare us," Manfred sneered.
"Is that all I can do? I think not!" Adaia cried, fire suddenly encasing her body. All at the table yelled or screamed, leaping away from the furious, flaming girl. The fire then died down and Adaia looked triumphant. There wasn't a scorch-mark in sight. "Just watch out," she said. Then she turned and strode out of the room, out of the house and down the road to the park. Soon after, she saw the Yewbeam aunts walking down the street. A little behind them was Manfred Bloor, walking with a boy with red hair, bright and carrot coloured rather than Adaia's dark red hair. The red-headed boy looked in her direction and she saw his eyes, yellow and wolfish like her left eye.
A/N: many thankies to Lyra Parry who has not only reveiwed again but has also added me to her fave authors list! yay! thows cookies to the masses ignoring Addy Swordy as for the ignoring masses, a little song to try and get your attention on any of my stroies.
Praise me glory, dum dee dum,
Flame me into days to come,
I don't really care what you do,
Just as long as you review!
©ASword.
also, who thinks I should do an Inkheart fanfic?