5. FOUR

FOUR

W ith each step, leaves and branches crunched under her boots. Davina gazed upon Ember stream with somber eyes. The stream was familiar to her village, but most of all to her. She had one of her worst memories there. But as much as she hated the creek, and what it reminded her of, she was parched.

She couldn't help but scan the woods, just to make sure no one else was around. Davina kneeled before the body of water and cupped her hands into the stream, the water was fresh and clean. Surprisingly, the water tasted like early spring. She stared at the little waves that rippled across the lake. It was mesmerizing.

A shriek filled the air. The forest that engulfed her shook from the child's wail of terror. She could hear the rabbits pouncing into their burrows while birds flew out of their nests. Davina raised her sparkling purple eyes toward the village nearby.

The cry was one she heard often.

The days when she heard their weeping were always the worst. Her entire body trembled as she jumped on her feet and ran into the village. The stoned pathway of the village caused her feet and thighs to burn but she continued her march deeper into the streets. She had to get there before something happened to them.

Heading straight for the all too familiar yet hateful charred front door, Davina kicked it open.

Her eyes scanned the creaking floor beneath her. Clay pots and cups were shattered across the wooden floorboards, along with burnt shards of plates and utensils. The chairs, which had already been old and creaking, were snapped in half, and splinters covered the living room.

"Stop!" Micah yelled, his face red. Genevieve and Emmy were huddled together in the corner, holding onto each other. Tears streamed down their cheeks as they cried.

"Stop! Stop this! Stop!" Micah continued to beg.

Micah yelled in frustration and grabbed the vase by the coffee table, throwing it in Davina's direction. He gasped once he noticed the vase flying toward his older sister. Before it could shatter on her face, she aimed her hand for the ornament, transforming the vase into plum-shaded ashes.

Her lips parted as she replayed the aggressive reaction that came from her brother. The same conduct that their parents had, was beginning to contaminate Micah. If Micah decided to go down this path, she knew it would be a path he would be imprisoned on.

So easy to corrupt, yet so hard to redeem.

She knew that she understood it. She comprehended the frustration that came from having to suffer the consequences of choices that were never their own, understanding well the fear of the fact that these fights could end in loss.

She knew the mixed emotion of love and contempt better than the children ever could. Love and contempt were something she carried for many years. Mae's neglect and Nico's words cut deeper than a knife ever could. Having to be a sort of maid and nurse for her parents and siblings.

"You said I was a monster, this is what you asked for. Here I am!" Mae yelled with gritted teeth as she scratched her husband's cheek.

Nico stilled, then slowly reached for his face. His eyes froze as he gazed at his red fingers, his nostrils flared.

He raised his arms, Mae followed. Blaze discharged from their palms.

They acted just like the Predators. Wild, unpredictable, and savage. All her parents needed to be exactly like the Predators would be the loss of color in their faces, becoming brainless like the undead, and the black saliva that spilled from their lips.

Genevieve and Emmy let go of each other as they slowly walked toward Davina, their eyes glued to their enflamed parents. All four of them stood still and watched the fire that blasted from their parents' hands.

The flames were beginning to travel past their forearms, but their concentration never faltered. Sparks of fire bounced off from their unnatural fire and into the living room. The specks of fire began to grow in intensity as they landed over the walls.

Their orange and yellow blaze began to flicker.

Mae and Nico never went to their activation ceremony at Castellum, the manifestation of their fire was forced. Her parents did not know how to channel their abilities.

Strained powers cause malfunctions, Davina thought.

There wasn't enough time to get out. She wouldn't be able to run out with all three of them unscathed. The girls were glued to their place and Davina didn't blame them. Because to this day, she still felt the same weight in her bones, which immobilized her, whenever she saw her parents fighting.

But she pushed against the heaviness in her legs, sliding across the chipped floorboards to her siblings.

Davina wrapped her arm around Micah and rotated. As she turned, she was able to push Genevieve and Emmy into her own body, her arms wrapped tightly around them. All four closed their eyes.

She would rather burn than let anything happen to the kids.

She hoped that the children wouldn't notice her shakiness, they had to see that there was nothing to be afraid of.

What an imposter she was.

Davina felt a harsh shove against her back, yet she didn't feel her back sizzling into flames. She remained still before slowly opening her eyes.

A bright violet arched wall hovered over her and the kids. Lines of lilac and mauve mixed into the violet sphere that surrounded them. They crackled and covered them with a blanket of warmth. The wall had plumes with little purple fire particles escaping from them. The feathers were long and broad, tall in length and width. Her eyes widened as her lips parted.

A silhouette appeared by the window, she was able to glimpse it through the corner of her eye. Her head snapped in the direction of the window and saw dark smoke dispersing into the orange afternoon air.

A thud echoed through the living room.

Davina turned to find that Mae and Nico had collapsed on the floor. She sighed, relieved that they had not seen the wings of fire that were attached to her back. The kids were still huddled together, heads low. With her mind, she commanded the wings to stretch. They were mighty as they extended across the living room. A small smile formed on her lips.

Davina directed the wings inward, and they disappeared. As if they were never there.

"It's okay, we're okay. Everything's fine now," she reassured them.

"No, it's not," Emmy cried.

"Look, they stopped fighting. It'll be fine now. Let's help them up," Davina said softly.

Genevieve and Emmy remained in their spots, trembling. Davina sighed, wishing that she had the power to absorb their pain. She yearned to have the necessary equipment to fix their little broken hearts.

Micah followed Davina's instructions and headed for his father.

Davina approached her mother, carefully moving her short black hair off of her face, and shaking her. "Mother?"

Mae jerked up. "What happened?"

Nico was already sitting, rubbing his temples.

"You and Ni—father fainted," she stuttered, hoping Nico hadn't noticed her hesitation. He would burn her alive if she failed to address him as her father.

Nico believed that Davina was indebted to him for having married her mother, despite her mother having birthed Davina from another man before meeting him. Nico never failed to throw it in her face how he provided for her without being of his blood.

Mae turned from Davina to her husband who had crimson drops drying on his pale cheek. Tears began to well up in Mae's eyes. Davina furrowed her eyebrows and then held out her hand for her mother to stand, Micah did the same for his father.

Mae and Nico ran into each other's arms and cried.

"I'm so sorry, I don't want to be like this. We can't keep doing this to the kids or each other," Nico wept.

Clenching her jaw, Davina worked hard to not roll her eyes. Genevieve was biting her nails as Emmy stared at her parents with shiny eyes, her lips curved down. Micah was staring at the black charred spots on the floor where the sparks had penetrated.

Davina observed the reaction of each of her siblings. Scars that had been years old had grown deeper into their souls.

Emmy, who was an eight-year-old child, had grown into a scared girl. A child who was scared whenever someone raised their voice, scared to go out alone into the dark or to sleep.

Genevieve was becoming an adolescent with a lot of resentment. Bitterness wrapped itself around her shoulders, weighing her down.

Micah became aggressive whenever he was angry, he didn't know how to deal with his emotions. Which was something Davina could understand.

"I'm sorry, I promise I'll change. This is the last time we're going to do this to each other. Look at the kids…they look so scared." Nico motioned toward the children.

"I'm sorry that we scared you, my loves," Mae said, her arm wrapped around Nico's torso.

Nico kissed Mae's forehead and turned to them. "Come, join us."

Silence.

No one moved. Davina looked at her siblings, at the tiredness in their eyes. It was not the type of exhaustion that affected their bodies, but their essence. The kids were disappointed. They no longer trusted their parents.

Indignation began to rise in Davina's chest. They wanted to act as if nothing happened, like always. They would fight and then make up, letting themselves believe that their choices didn't leave the consequences marked in the children's souls.

"Come on, kids, let's head to bed. Don't forget to say goodnight," Davina said softly.

She sighed as she walked toward the hallway, past her parents, the children scurrying after her.