It doesn't take long for the blankets to catch on fire.

I know I should move. There are fucking sparks shooting out of my palms. And electricity and dry cotton fabric definitely don't mix. But I stay huddled under the sheets even as the electricity crackles and hums and roars, as acrid smoke fills the room and wrenches the air from my lungs. From somewhere outside, a siren starts to blare, the shrill downs shattering my eardrums. I shut my eyes and try to will the electricity away, but nothing happens.

I'm still in shock. 

This is my magic.

The magic that I'm not supposed to have. 

The magic that I didn't know I had. 

Someone rushes back into the room and tears the blanket away from me just as flames begin to fill my vision and heat begins to sear my skin. "What the fuck?" Ivory asks shrilly.

I scramble away from her and press my back against the headboard. My hands are still shooting sparks. 

"I didn't—I don't—" My voice breaks. "I'm sorry," I mumble, staring at my palms. 

Ivory makes a fist, and just like that, the flames dissipate. The sheets are singed and black. I look at her with wide eyes. 

"Thanks," I say quietly.

"Don't mention it," she replies with a tight smile, tucking a lock of wavy red hair behind her ear. "So what's the..." her gaze drops to my hands. "Oh."

"Yeah," I mutter. 

Ivory purses her lips. "Okay. I'm going to do something, and you can't freak out."

"Yeah, you're not doing anything," I reply quickly, trying to hide the jolt of fear that runs through me. 

Ivory sits down on the bed next to me. "But I can make it stop," she presses. 

I huff. "I'd really rather you not—"

"Jaime." She looks me dead in the eyes, and a thrill runs through me. "Just trust me."

"Yeah, that's not really a thing I do..." I flinch as a jolt of electricity shoots down my wrist. "Fine," I  mumble. "Just do it quickly."

She rests her palms gently against mine. I resist the urge to pull away—especially as I feel the sparks of stray magic shocking her—but she keeps her grip steady. She draws in a slow breath 

"Okay," she says, and her voice—

Smooth and resonant and musical, it's quite possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. 

"Calm down." Ivory closes her eyes. "Just..." 

I suck in a breath, feeling something twinge in my chest. The crackling sound starts to fade away. "Did it—did I—" I look down at my hands, relieved to find that the electricity has faded away. "How did you do that?" I ask carefully.

She grins. "Magic." 

"That's not a fucking answer—" I yank my hands away from her, feeling my cheeks heat up. "Fire's out. Thanks for that. So if you could please go now..."

Ivory rolls her eyes. "Nope. Seems like you're volatile now, which means we need to figure this out. Come on." She stands up and makes her way towards the exit. 

"What are you going to do to me?" I ask carefully, following her. 

"Tests. With Leo. You have magic now." She glances back at me and smiles. "Trust me. You're going to want to figure out just what you're capable of." 

Ivory starts to head down the hallway. I notice that the tinted glass is gone from the walls, revealing a whole bunch of small rooms. As we walk, I can see training rooms, labs, and what looks like a forge. Most of the spaces are empty, though.

"Just how big is this place?" I wonder aloud. 

"Oh, massive," she replies. "Pretty cool right?"

"Yeah," I reply without thinking. 

Ivory grabs my wrist and pulls me into one of the small labs. Everything is harshly, glaringly white. A collection of cabinets and drawers line one wall. Another looks like just one massive screen. An office chair is tucked against a desk. 

"Leo!" Ivory calls.

The turquoise-haired boy scrambles into view, a white lab coat swishing around his legs. "Yeah?" He asks breathlessly. 

"Their magic." Ivory gestures towards me. "It's starting to come back."

His eyes widen. "Awesome," he breathes. "Okay. And what do you need me to do?"

"Fix me, for starters," I reply. 

"Right," he says slowly. "Um, okay. I might—" he points at what looks like a tall glass cabinet. "Could you step in there?" 

"What'll it do to me?" I ask, eyeing the cabinet suspiciously. 

"Scan you. And—" he pulls a pencil out from behind his ear, then slips a notebook out of my pocket. "We can figure out your magic stuff."

I hesitate. "Alright..." I glance at Ivory briefly, then step inside.

I'm not quite sure what I'm expecting, but every inch of my body is tense. And yet I feel nothing as a soft blue beam scans me up and down. I hold still, waiting for something to start hurting, but nothing does. 

"Well?" I ask reluctantly. 

Leo stares at the huge wall screen. He doesn't seem to have heard me. His mouth is slightly open, and I can clearly make out an expression of confusion. 

He walks back towards me slowly, something akin to fear in his eyes. "Alright," he says carefully. "Just. Um. Jaime, if you want to make your way out of the scanner..."

I step out and lean against the desk, trying not to psyche myself out as I watch Leo pace back and forth. "What is it?"

Leo goes perfectly still and swivels to face me again. He forces a smile. "You..." he trails off, wringing his hands. "Um." He clears his throat. 

"Could you just tell me what it is?" I snap impatiently. 

He swallows. "Take a seat, Jaime."