On fire

"Listen to me!" I screamed the words. Then, in anger, lashing out in much the same way I might have struck her across the face with the back of my hand, I used my aura.

This time the fire exploded.

Purple flames became purple-white and blindingly bright, filling my vision in the course of filling the room. I threw up my forcefield on reflex alone, and my thoughts followed a moment later, with a stark awareness of why that was a bad idea.

The light that had washed over me became heat. As the glare faded, the heat remained. Even after being active for only a moment, I could see the vague profile of the Wretch, coming to pieces in dribbles akin to burning oil and scraps like flaming paper.

The woman across the room was busy extinguishing flames that had ignited curtains near her, not looking nearly as bothered by it as she should have been.

*****

"Don't use your power! The fire ignites powers!"

I saw the woman at the other end of the room react to that. That observation was blunted by the more pressing fact that I was on fire and I could feel the heat. My costume had absorbed the worst of it.

- Gleaming 9.5