Mathieu (White Flame Trilogy) - By Paula Flumerfelt Page 0,68

out a hand to Mathieu. Solomon pulled the white haired man close and transported them back to the training facility, where they found Kiev. Her hair was pulled back and her hands were glowing like the bonds that had held him his first night in Unith. The glow was a bluish white, and extended in thin lines out from her hands. It took him a moment to realize that they were strings, like a marionette.

At the other end of said strings was another girl with jet black hair streaked with every color imaginable. Her hands were glowing too, however they were a flaming red, and she was currently dangling over a rafter, suspended by Kiev’s strings. “Let me down, Kiev! This isn’t fair!” The stranger kicked her feet and whined. “Don’t make me hurt you!” She shrieked as Kiev lifted her up higher and let her fall for a moment, catching her just before she hit the ground.

“Haha! It’s an Avanon-piñata!” Kiev was laughing and lifting the other girl once again.

Avanon, as Mathieu now knew her name to be, wrinkled her nose and grasped the strings she was held captive by. They began to turn red and the color crept back along the strings towards Kiev. The red reached the blonde girl’s hands, turning them scarlet.“Ow!” Kiev broke the strings and cradled her hands to her chest.

Landing smoothly on her feet, almost catlike, Avanon grinned and let the glow around her hands die down. “Hurts, doesn’t it?”

“You were aiming to hurt me!” Kiev shrieked.

Avanon put her hands on her hips, snarling. “You were performing the queen’s torture on me!”

“You’re exaggerating.” The blonde woman bent her burnt fingers and winced slightly. A few blisters were forming on the delicate skin of her hands.

Mathieu stepped forward and smiled. “Here Kiev, let me help you…” He quickly healed her hands with his energy, wanting to show off a little. “There you go, hunny.”

Solomon was at his shoulder, giving the girls an annoyed look. Muscled arms were folded over an equally muscular chest and the look in his eyes was disapproving. “Ladies, didn’t I tell you not to train together unsupervised. Something about neither of you having any restraint and both of you having a sadistic streak?” Both women looked at the floor and mumbled, blushing.

Elbowing Solomon in the ribs for making them behave in such an abashed way, Mathieu studied the new female. “Hi.” He said with a bright smile. Ithaine was already a million miles away from his mind.

Avanon looked up, smiling. “Hey. You must be Mathieu. You’re quite the talking point at the house. I’m Avanon.” She held a hand out. Mathieu hesitated to take it and she laughed. “I won’t hurt you. Kiev just needed it.”

Mathieu finally took her hand and shook it, looking at her up and down. She was built athletically and had tattoos on her cheeks, but she looked good. The mass of colorful and black hair didn’t hurt her case. “Really now, a talking point? And what is your gift?” He inquired curiously.

She laughed, cocking one hip to the side. “Yes, you have everyone in something of a fit. I’ve been away, but apparently you destroyed the whole front of the Tri-District Manor. I wish I’d been there for that. Anyway,” Avanon said, jumping into a different topic. “Anyone that I can make skin contact with, I can burn.”

“That’s so cool!” Mathieu exclaimed, looking at Avanon with a sense of awe. His eyes flicked to the other scolded woman. “And Kiev, what is your gift? Cause those string things were pretty legit.”

Kiev tossed her hair in a proud manner. “I’m a puppeteer.”

“Wow!” Mathieu looked at her with big eyes. “So can you, like, control anyone or anything?”

“Sadly, no. There are a lot of factors.” The blonde woman said, looking to the side.

Interest peeked, Mathieu raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

Kiev sat on the floor and folded her legs below her, as if expecting the others to do the same. “Well. Okay, first, it depends on the size of the object. The smaller the object I want to control, the easier. A bunny is easier to control that a tiger. Then I need to consider something’s will. That really only applies to people, though. If their will power is stronger than mine, I can’t hold them. Oh, and the closer their will power is to mine, while still not being as strong, the less time I can control them. Physically, the bigger they are, the harder it is