Week 13 - Fire 2

While Ro was at combat training in Laine's garden, Momo was having another run in with Shiki at the dorms. When she, Aerie, and Brawn had returned from combat practice, they found Shiki waiting at the entrance to the dorms. His face lit with a smile when he saw her.

"Hey cutie! I was waiting for you to come find me, but you never did. So, I decided to come to you instead." Momo blushed at being addressed in such a way. Aerie looked at her.

"We're going to go in if you're fine here." She said this with significance implying that Momo should be fine. Momo sighed.

"Yeah, go." Aerie and Brawn disappeared into the dorm while Brawn cast a confused look over his shoulder. Shiki sauntered over to Momo.

"So, I could keep calling you cutie, or you could tell me your name." He suggested with a flirtatious smile.

"I am called Momo."

"Momo what?" Momo looked at the ground. "Fine then, cutie it is." She took a steadying breath and met his eyes.

"Itoko. I'm Momo Itoko." His eyes widened in surprise.

"Any relation to the famous-" She cut him off.

"I don't like to talk about it."

"So, you're a vampire?"

"Yes, what about it?" her tone became bitter.

"Nothing. When's the last time you had a drink? They require special papers for that at this school." Shiki waited for an answer that never came.

He looked at the girl's thin neck and noticed a chain running around it and vanishing into her shirt. With one finger he slowly drew it and the attached pendant from under her shirt. He recognized what it was immediately, but said, "That's a pretty pendant. Where'd you get it?" Momo who had blushed at the intimate contact now blushed even deeper.

"It was a gift from my grandmother. The ice is from the north pole." She once again couldn't meet his eyes as she said this and betrayed the lie. Shiki looked at her with a knowing smirk.

"You know what? You are a terrible liar Momo Itoko." Momo looked down, studying the pathway, as her blush faded into a frown.

"That was rude." She said at last. "I am going in." She started to walk past him when he caught her arm. She turned back and looked into his grinning face.

"I am sorry, that was rude. But you know," His grin turned wicked. "if you're ever craving it. You can come to me. I'll give it to you." Momo's eyes widened and a massive blush settled into her cheeks as the full meaning of his double entendre settled in. He released her, and she practically ran into the dorm building. Shiki laughed as he walked away. He loved making pretty girls blush.

***

When Ro got done with practice, she found Aerie alone in her and Momo's room practicing magic.

"Where is everyone?" she asked

"Oh, Brawn said he had something to do and Momo went on the sandwich run. She ran into Shiki again today and he said something that upset her, so I think she wants to be alone." Aerie went back to practicing while Ro entered the shower. When she got out, she put her dirty clothes away in her bag and sat down opposite Aerie. She watched Aerie work for a while then she started working herself. Ro wanted to see if she could make her hand get hot again as she'd done before with Ky. She meditated on it and slowly she felt her hand warm to a pleasant, balmy temperature. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see fire licking over it.

"That is so cool." Ro said with pride as she watched it. Aerie opened her eyes and stared at her flabbergasted. Ro saw as she watched that the fires were creeping slowly up her wrist. Uneasiness gripped her. She closed her eyes and willed the fire away.

"Ro!" Aerie shrieked. Ro immediately opened her eyes and saw that the fire now engulfed her arm to the elbow. It was still expanding.

"What do I do?" she asked Aerie in a panic. Ro looked around for something to smother the flames with. Aerie closed her eyes, summoning and dumping gallons of water all over Ro. The flames went out.

"Thanks." The soggy Ro said. She flicked her hand and all the water flew into the shower drain. "Why didn't I think of that?" Aerie looked at her angrily.

"What were you thinking? We haven't learned that magic yet and we certainly haven't learned how to put it out. What would have happened if it consumed you? You could have set the building on fire or died! Think before you do things." Ro looked down ashamed.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Then her eyes were caught on the pendant hanging from Aerie's neck. "What's that?" She asked pointing at it. Aerie grasped the chain.

"Oh, Ky gave Momo and I these a while back, so that you wouldn't be the only one wearing one."

"See I told you that it was just a protection thing and didn't mean all that other stuff."

"Come on! Can you really be that naive? Of course, it does! If it didn't mean that he would have taken it back when it became more dangerous for you to wear it." Ro paled then began to blush furiously.

"But he's our professor." She muttered.

"So? That doesn't mean much here. Teachers and students get together all the time. Especially, the female teachers." Aerie looked at her sharply. Confronted with confused feelings about this declaration and being desirous of changing the subject, Ro's mind latched on to idea that it was dangerous to wear the pendant.

"If it's dangerous for me to wear this, isn't it dangerous for you two as well?" She asked. Aerie sighed and sat as her anger and frustration left her all at once.

"Yeah, but its fine. We know what to say and how to handle ourselves."

"But I don't want you guys in danger just for my sake. Let's give them back tomorrow." Ro suggested hopefully but Aerie shook her head.

"It's too late for that. I am sure that by now Shiki has seen Momo wearing it. Just keep it. You do need the protection, right?" Ro nodded slowly in acquiescence. "Then its fine. Momo can take care of herself."

At that moment the very person they were speaking of entered the room carrying a bag with three sandwiches and bags of chips. The girls ate them quietly until Aerie said,

"Ro almost burned the room down today."

"I did not." Ro protested.

"Well you would have if I didn't do that awesome water magic."

"It wasn't that bad. I would have gotten the hang of it eventually."

"Yeah when the room was burning down." Ro threw a chip at Aerie's face. Aerie threw a handful at Ro. One of which landed in her cleavage. They burst out laughing at their absurdity. Momo sat looking between the two of them lost.