Daughter of the Fire

By Adaia Swordmaiden

Disclaimer: yawn Cant be bothered to do this part. 'Sides, you know it already.

Chapter 5: Pet's Café and Flames

The rest of the week passed without any trouble though Manfred seemed to try and find a reason to get her in detention every study time in the Red King's room. But she always got out of it, with some thanks to Charlie and Emma. Then the weekend came and the huge entrance doors were finally opened, the students who didn't have detention pouring outside. Charlie's mum met Charlie and Adaia at the same point that she had left them and they all piled into a taxi. When they got to Charlie's house, Adaia was welcomed by Maisie with a big hug. This made her feel slightly uncomfortable but the feeling was ignored. A feast had been laid out in the kitchen and everyone, excepting Paton, tucked in. By the time the feast was finished, it was the time that was usually bed-time but Charlie's mum said that they could stay up for a lot longer as the next day was Saturday. Charlie went up to his room but Adaia snuck out of the house, not know if she'd be told that she wasn't to go out at that time of night. She went down to the park and sat in one of the trees, doing her fire exercises. She could now easily change the form of the fire and now she was trying to change its colour. She could only manage a weak pink at first but soon she was changing the colour with only a little effort. She let out a laugh as a purple fire dragon flew and twisted through the air before her. She heard a loud meow and looked down to see a copper red cat sitting beneath the tree, staring up at her. Adaia smiled and climbed out of the tree. By the time she had reached the ground, an orange cat and a yellowy cat had joined their fellow. She sat down on the ground and began to stroke the cats as they rubbed up against her and purred.

"The flames seem to like you a lot," came a man's voice from behind her. Adaia sprang up, spinning to face the strange man who had spoken. "Orvil Onimous. I believe Charlie's told you about me?"

"Oh so you're Mr Onimous!" she exclaimed. "Sorry. Are these the flames?" She indicated at the three cats which were now weaving themselves around her legs. Mr Onimous nodded.

"I was hoping that you'd come by the Pet's Café tomorrow. Please ask Charlie to bring his uncle and some of his endowed friends," the strange man said. "Don't forget to bring a pet." And he turned to leave, walking extremely fast with the flame cats trailing after him. Adaia stared after him for a moment before turning and walking down the street towards Charlie's house. Half-way there, she ran into Paton who was striding along the sidewalk.

"Ah, Adaia," he said as he came up to her. "We were wondering where you were." They began to walk back and Adaia told him about her meeting with Mr Onimous and the flames. As they came to the house, Paton stopped, digging in his pocket. "I found this by the wall where Charlie and I found you," he said, pulling out a golden necklace. It had a queer, flame-shaped pendant on the end, made of some red, see-through stone with swirls of gold through it. Adaia took it and stared at it a moment before stuffing it in her pocket.

"Thanks," she said as they climbed the steps to the house and went inside. Charlie was watching TV and Maisie and Charlie's mother were in the kitchen. Paton said that he'd turn up at the Pet's Café and, after explaining why she had gone off, Adaia went to watch a movie with Charlie. She told him about her run in with Mr Onimous and the movie was soon forgotten.

"We'll go around to Emma's and call Tancred, Lysander and Gabriel," Charlie said. "And we'll have to find you a pet."

"Hey, what's Gabriel's endowment? Isn't it he can tell things about people by wearing something they wore?" Adaia asked, drawing the necklace out of her pocket and fingering the pendant.

"Yeah, that's what he does. Hey, what's that?"

"Paton gave it to me. He said he had found it in the same spot you two found me." Then Adaia let out a large yawn. "Oh, sorry. I've been practicing my fire tricks. It always makes me tired." Soon after that, Adaia was fast asleep on the couch, the necklace clasped loosely in her hand.

The next morning, Adaia woke later than usual, though still before Charlie. Breakfast was as grand as dinner and just as heartily eaten. After lunch, Charlie called Lysander, Gabriel and Tancred, telling them to meet him and Adaia at the Pet's Café. Then they went over to Emma's place, a bookshop by the cathedral. They went inside and a middle-aged woman with thick chestnut hair looked up and smiled at them.

"Oh hello Charlie," she said, walking out from behind the counter. "And you must be Adaia. I'm Julia Ingledew."

"Hi," Adaia said.

"Hi Miss Ingledew," Charlie said. "Is Emma here?"

"I think she's upstairs. I'll go get her," Miss Ingledew said and began to head through a door at the back of the shop. After a little bit, Emma came down, followed by her aunt.

"Hi," Emma said. "What's up?" Adaia quickly told her about meeting Mr Onimous and the meeting at the Pet's Café. Emma then hurried out the back and returned with a mynah bird in a cage. "He used to be kept in the shop but the customers kept on getting their fingers pecked because they all wanted to pat him," she explained as they started to walk towards the Pet's Café. As Charlie had asked, Gabriel was waiting at the corner just before the Café with an extra gerbil for Charlie. He also had a kitten that looked rather like a leopard on a leash.

"Tachete is for Adaia," Gabriel explained as they came up to him. "Lysander found her on the street and is looking for a home for her." Adaia took the kitten and picked it up.

"She's adorable!" she said as they walked round the corner to the Pet's Café. After showing the bouncer their pets and gaining entrance, they walked around and over the various rabbits, dogs, cats and birds that were in the room and creating a terrible racket til they came to the counter behind which Mr Onimous was standing.

"Ah, there you are," he said, smiling. "Come round the back. Mr Yewbeam and Mrs Onimous are there." They went out the back where they found Paton and Mrs Onimous drinking tea and talking. They looked over to the door where the six children were standing.

"Come in, come in," Mrs Onimous urged them and they all came in, sitting on the various chairs around the table Paton and Mrs Onimous were sitting at. A moment later, during which several large slices of chocolate appeared and began to disappear, Mr Onimous appeared and sat down after getting himself a cup of tea.

"Now, what we are about to tell you concerns all of you but most of all Adaia. We've worked it all out from various documents and- happenings," Mr Onimous said seriously. The flame cats leaped up onto the table where Tachete, the leopard-like kitten, was sitting. They began to sniff and mew at each other and Mr Onimous stared at them for a moment. "Mr Yewbeam, I think you'd better tell the story from here." Paton nodded and started his story.

A/N: aren't cliffies so evil? Sorry I haven't updated in ages - if you've read my note in my bio you should understand. Anyways, on with the honours! Chaos-Fyre-Elf 31 andd Lyra both get cookies as usual and thankies for all the encouragement! Oh and btw, Lyra, it is going to be a Tanc/Adaia! I picked that straight off 'cos I would love to be endowed and have Tanc all to myself! MWHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! lol