Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-44907704-20200201224804

"I'm home!" The furnace suddenly erupted in an inferno of flames, spewing colorful vomit everywhere as a blonde-haired figure rushed to conjure a bucket of water, drenching Brant.

"Don't you try that again!" She glared as Brant raised it above his head with telekinesis, allowing it to hover there for just a moment before quenching the fire. "Please. If my parents hear about this—"

Brant shook his head with determination. "It won't happen again, my love. I promise," he added as Jolie sent a scorching look his way and refused to drop her gaze. "I have to keep things interesting around here somehow, don't I?"

Jolie sighed and twined her fingers with his, holding on tight by his fingertips as she wiped the sweat off her forehead and conjured a cool cloth to dab on his temple. "The Council may have banned the existence of your power, but they don't know it belongs to you. It's their stupidity that's keeping you hidden — you can change that!"

Brant nodded fiercely. "I can. But I don't want to."

"Why?" Jolie demanded as her eyes met her husband's. "Why, Brant? You owe the Council nothing. You've done nothing that makes them acknowledge your existence!"

"Because I don't want to lose you!"

He had to admire her spirit. Jolie looked like she was willing to walk through every fire there had ever existed in the Elvin world and back to get what she wanted when they spoke of her involvement with the Black Swan — probably because she was an unstoppable flame herself. The kind of fire that guided and healed who she loved and burned anyone who wanted to hurt them.

And if Jolie could heal people with her blazing warmth, he could extinguish it with water.

And he would not allow that to happen, no matter how slim the chances were.

"They'll hurt you," he whispered, tears streaking down his cheeks. "And your family. And everyone I care about if they can't get to me. I love you too much."

Jolie's eyes were a blotchy red as she forced them to meet Brant's. "Not if we win. And we might be able to with your help. The people you care about are the people I love, too!"

She was too late.

Horrifying thoughts flashed through Brant's mind as he imagined Jolie being strapped down to a chair by chains in a dark room as she thrashed and flailed, screaming at the Council. "You will never break me!" She spat as troll guards hoisted her over their shoulders and lead her off to Exile...

(NOT FINISHED, this is just the first draft) 