faints Let's get to the good stuff.

Chapter 3

Jess had gone limp in Donovan's arms. "Jess, wake up. What's wrong?" Donovan shook her gently.

You idiot, she can't hear you. Donovan thought in embarrassment. Quit talking and get help.

At that moment Greensleeves filled the air. It took Donovan a moment to realize that Jess's cell was ringing.

"Hello?"

"Um, I think I got the wrong number, sugar. I was trying to call a Jess Summers"
Rogue's voice filled his hearing.

"No, Aunt, you got th' righ' number. It's Donovan." Donovan grinned at his aunt's confusion.

"Don? What're you doin' on Jess's phone? Where's Jess?" Rogue asked.

"Well, that's the thing. . . Jess is kinda unconscious. We're gonna need a ride back to th'
institute." Donovan said, trying to keep his voice even, though he was quaking inside.

"See ya in a minute, Donovan. We'll be righ' there." click.

"Bye to you too." Don't - doesn't she ever say good bye? Donovan thought.

A few minutes later, Rogue's white Mustang convertible pulled up. Donovan picked up Jess and walked toward it.

Uh-oh. He thought. Logan was in the front seat next to Rogue. Logan got out of the car as Donovan neared it.

"I'm jus' gettin' her bike, sparky. Calm down." Logan growled and mounted the motorcycle,
then roared off.

Rogue got out of the car as well. "I put a pillow in the back for her. Come on, I'll help put her in."

With his aunt's assistance, Donovan soon had Jess settled comfortably in the back. Going around the car, Donovan climbed in next to her and put her head on his lap. Stroking Jess's hair,
Donovan prayed they'd be able to find out what was wrong, and fix it.

Halfway there, Jess woke up. Her pendant blazed a bright red that blinded Donovan for a moment. She sat up suddenly and unstrapped the seatbelt.

Donovan took her hand. "Hey, you ok? Lay down, we're almost there."

Jess glared at him. To his eyes they looked hostile, icy. And they seemed darker green than they usually were.

"Idiot. Back off." Her voice was deeper, and icy cold. Donovan drew back as if he'd been slapped.

"Hey, listen, if this is about earlier, I'm sorry. I took it too fast. Let's just start over . . "
Donovan grasped her shoulder in attempt to calm down.

Suddenly his hand crackled with heat. "Ouch!" Donovan let go and shook his hand to get rid of the tingling sensation.

"How she ever became involved with a fool like you, I'll never understand." Jess said. At least, Donovan thought it was Jess.

While Donovan was busy with his hand, Jess leaned forward. Extending her arm, she released a ball of hot energy toward the dashboard. It exploded.

A mile and a half away, Logan heard an explosion. He stopped the bike and turned around. What he saw, made his blood freeze.

A giant fireball rising into the sky, smoke and ash around it. Whatever made that inferno,
musta been big. Almost as if somethin' flammable. . . Logan's train of thought trailed off. It can't be, tha' couldn't . . .

Logan turned the bike around and gunned it. If that was the Rogue's car, than he didn't have time to go to the mansion first. Jess was right, this baby does ride well.

Logan arrived at the scene a few minutes later with a roar. It was a grisly sight. Pieces of the car were everywhere. He heard a moan coming from somewhere at his left.

Donovan groaned and pushed a piece of metal off himself. Next to him was Rogue,
looking a little rumpled. When Logan offered him a hand, he took it, then helped Rogue to her feet. "I managed to put an electrokenetic shield around us just before the thing exploded." He ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed. "Jess turned into this- this, firebird is the only word I know of that could describe what she did. She went right toward the explosion in progress and disappeared."

"Think again, you dimwits." Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, up.

Jess was sitting Indian-style on top of a large oak tree. The outfit she'd been wearing to school had been exchanged for a more coquette look. She was wearing a black leather mini that had an orange phoniex exploding into flames on the hip, and a flame-orange leather half top. A black leather strap worn like a headband held her long, red, hair away from her face. Fireballs were held in both hands.

"The party's only just begun. And you are in the spotlight!"

Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Don't you just love cliffhangers?