Smolder Chapter 4

“So, where to now?” Jade spun to Aiden, ready to follow him to wherever he was headed.
“I’m going to find my family. I know they’re here somewhere,” he said with a smirk. “But I don’t think you’ll be able to get very far.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
He nodded toward the stairwell, where a small crowd of children had formed and been staring at her. Their eyes were wide with curiosity, and their small bodies buzzed with energy.
“Aiden, you can’t leave me here alone with them,” she said, her voice tinged with mild panic. Little kids, she could handle but a playground of them? Not so much.
“Welcome to Crystal River,” he replied with a wider grin. He leaned in close, whispering, “Oh, and one more thing—no healing, okay? It’s the one thing I never told the Conclave.”
She nodded in understanding, but before she could ask anything more, he had already jumped off the stage, disappearing into the crowd to find his family.
Warily, Jade turned back to the group of kids. Alright, she thought. It’s just kids. How hard can this be? She took a step forward. The children immediately stepped back. She took another step. They retreated again. It was like a game of tag, except no one seemed brave enough to get caught.
“What? I’m not scary,” she said, trying to ease the tension. She reached out her hand, hoping to bridge the gap, but the kids just stared, wide-eyed and frozen.
Determined to win them over, she sat down on the last step, hoping one of the children would approach her. Her mind raced, thinking back to her childhood memories the few she had of this life, playing with her parents’ powers. She remembered the bright colors, the warmth of the flames. That’s it.
She stretched out her hand, palm up, and let a tiny flame flicker to life over her fingers. Instantly, the children’s attention was locked on the fire. Their eyes widened in fascination, and their bodies leaned forward, curiosity winning over fear.
The flame was small enough that it took little effort to maintain, so she scanned the group until her gaze landed on a little girl who reminded her of Abby, her sister. It wasn’t in looks but in the adventurous glint in her eye and the way she stood a few inches closer than the others as if she was ready for whatever came next.
Before she could overthink it, she shot a little stream of light toward the girl. The child’s face lit up with a grin, and as the flame neared, she clapped her hands together, squashing the fire between them. Then she giggled, the sound light and infectious.
Success, she thought, smiling to herself.
“It feels funny!” the girl laughed again, moving closer to Jade. “Do it again! Do it again!”
Jade grinned wider and arched the next flame in the air like fireworks. The girl squealed with delight as it rained down softly, harmlessly, around her. More giggles followed, and soon the other children edged closer too, their fear melting away.
“What’s your name?” Jade asked, leaning in closer to the girl.
“Nina,” the girl said shyly, though her smile remained wide.
Nina, with a burst of confidence, let a small flame bloom in her palm. She released her powers, and Jade caught the stream in her hand. It felt cool and refreshing, like a drink of water on a hot day something so pure and innocent about it, unlike anything Jade had felt before. Power, it seemed, had its personality.
“What does my fire feel like?” Jade asked curiously.
Nina shook her head, too young to articulate but before she could ask again, a mischievous flame shot toward her from the other side of the circle. It grazed her shoulder, and she turned to see a little boy smirking, proud to have caught her off guard.
“Oh, you think you’re clever, huh?” Jade laughed, shooting a playful stream of light back at him. The boy ducked, giggling, as Jade sent out a small, controlled burst of fire that sent him retreating behind the other kids.
But then, she felt a quick sizzle hit her from behind. A tiny flame had grazed her lower back. She spun around, just in time to see another group of kids creeping up on her, all grinning mischievously.
Soon she found herself surrounded with flames flying at her from all directions. But instead of dodging, she laughed and let herself join the game, shooting small sparks into the air every which way. The air filled with the sound of cackling flames and high-pitched giggles as the kids surrounded her, full of energy.
Eventually, Jade surrendered, collapsing onto the ground as the children climbed all over her, tugging at her hair. The little girls fascinated by her curls, kept pulling on her ringlets, watching them spring back into place.
“Alright, enough,” came a man’s deep, authoritative voice, cutting through the playful chaos. A new fire, this one carrying a different weight drenched in command rained down gently from above.
Immediately, the children fell silent and stood, obediently walking to the side. Jade looked up and saw a man with his hand outstretched. It was his power that had stilled the group. Nina ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his leg. He smiled down at her, lifting her onto his shoulders before turning to walk away.
Jade hadn’t even noticed the sky darkening until that moment. She’d been having too much fun. The weight of using her powers so freely had always frightened her but now, surrounded by others like her, she’d felt something she hadn’t in a long time: belonging. A glimpse of what her life here could be.
“Jade!” She heard Aiden call from a distance.
Standing up, she dusted herself off and turned to see him briskly walking across the field, waving at her. Behind him, she could see the group he’d just left... his family.
A tall man with Aiden’s crooked nose smiled warmly at her. He had the same lanky but strong build, and his arm was wrapped affectionately around a shorter, rounder woman with full cheeks and a kind smile. Running behind them was a little boy—a miniature version of Aiden, except for his freckled face. He called after Aiden, trying to keep up.
Jade couldn’t help but smile at the sight. That must be his family.
But when her eyes shifted further to the left, her smile faltered. There, standing with her arms crossed and a glare aimed straight at Jade was Aiden’s sister. Tall, slender, and model-like, she exuded a maturity far beyond her years, though she was only a couple of years older than him, her expression was full of irritation and she could tell immediately that winning her over would not be easy.
“Jade, come on!” he called, waving her over.
“Yeah, Jade, come on!” his little brother echoed, mimicking Aiden’s gesture enthusiastically.
Jade laughed softly, shaking her head. Ready or not, she thought, taking a deep breath as she walked toward them, preparing for whatever came next.