Nile lay on her bed in her room. She could have sat at her desk, but it was only a reading assignment she had to finish, now, and that seemed way too much like school work, to her. So on the bed it was.
Ginny poked her head in Nile's room, and she glanced up at her younger sister and arched a brow.
"I'm gonna go bake a cake!" Ginny announced. Nile tilted her head up and rolled her eyes, then. Ginny darn well knew that she wasn't going to be able to enjoy it. It figured.
"So why, exactly, do I care?" she asked. Ginny just harrumphed and sauntered off, while Nile went back to her reading.
Peace at last, she thought.
She wasn't that far from the kitchen, but it went unusually quiet. Nile didn't quite notice that, as her reading held her attention, but that didn't last long.
A strange scent tickled at her nose next, but there were enough candles and woodsmoke wafting through the tree, usually, that it didn't seem odd.
At first. Then it got stronger. And once it was accompanied by Virginia's very characteristic squall, Nile pelted from her bed and ran, following the strange odor to--the kitchens, where her sister was trying to slap out--a cake?
Well, the top was on fire...
"What the hell, Ginny?" she asked, even as her sister pulled the pan entirely out of the oven--and dropped it on the stone-tiled floor, leaping back from it.
"Get the fire extinguisher?" she yelled. Which wasn't really an answer.
Nile scurried around the kitchen, peering in cabinets and pantries. Time was ticking down until an actual adult showed up. Unless it was their dad, it would be bad. Bad with a capital B. Not that Ginny was really helping. She just danced in place anxiously.
On the floor, the cake still burned merrily. One corner was now entirely blackened, and the flames were leaping higher, now.
"Nizana!" Ginny whined. "I can't find one," Nile yelled back. "I didn't think we even had one!" But they sure as hell would be getting one now, she vowed. Or she'd have Uncle Edmont making potions that extinguished flame.
"What're we going to do?!"
At least it was on the floor, where it wasn't likely to burn anything else, Nile thought. "Go get a cup and some water? I don't know!" she exclaimed. A cold feeling--fear, she thought--was growing in her gut and crawling its way up her throat. Ginny was still panicking, but she went to the sink with a cup in hand.
Oh, to hell with it, Nile thought. She took a deep breath and crouched near the cake, blowing over it like it was her birthday and the thing was full of candles. Even though she wasn't old enough to have half a cake full...
The cold sensation that had been churning in the pit of her stomach roared its way out of her throat, spattering the cake and the floor with shards of ice. Ice?! The fire guttered and went out, though there was a mix of ice shards and water both leaking from the cake pan, and on the floor surrounding it. Nile choked a little and stumbled back to fall on her butt.
"Holy crap," she breathed. Ginny turned around and dropped the half full cup in the sink and let it clatter as she squealed again. "What did you DO?"
"I got the cake to stop burning like you wanted me to!" Nile snapped back, scowling up at her taller but younger sister.
"Yeah, but how? You didn't act like you were using your talent!" she protested.
"That's 'cause I didn't! I blew on it and ice came out!" Nile retorted.
"Oh, great, now you're Elsa but from your mouth," Ginny snorted. "At least it's not from your butt!"
Nile growled and glared up at her little sister. "If it was, I'd make sure to come freeze your head every night, 'Anna'! You better clean this up or I'm gonna tell Ilhar you did it!"
That was a threat that Ginny believed in. Which, of course, was why Nile had used it. Still, the puddles on the floor were mostly her fault, so she grabbed a towel or two and helped. Only fair. Plus, it was quicker--less likely that either of them would catch hell, then.
"Are you gonna tell them about..." Virginia waved a hand at her sister, mid-chest, and gestured downward to what was left of the cake. Nile watched her a moment, and then nodded.
"I think I better."
Ginny poked her head in Nile's room, and she glanced up at her younger sister and arched a brow.
"I'm gonna go bake a cake!" Ginny announced. Nile tilted her head up and rolled her eyes, then. Ginny darn well knew that she wasn't going to be able to enjoy it. It figured.
"So why, exactly, do I care?" she asked. Ginny just harrumphed and sauntered off, while Nile went back to her reading.
Peace at last, she thought.
She wasn't that far from the kitchen, but it went unusually quiet. Nile didn't quite notice that, as her reading held her attention, but that didn't last long.
A strange scent tickled at her nose next, but there were enough candles and woodsmoke wafting through the tree, usually, that it didn't seem odd.
At first. Then it got stronger. And once it was accompanied by Virginia's very characteristic squall, Nile pelted from her bed and ran, following the strange odor to--the kitchens, where her sister was trying to slap out--a cake?
Well, the top was on fire...
"What the hell, Ginny?" she asked, even as her sister pulled the pan entirely out of the oven--and dropped it on the stone-tiled floor, leaping back from it.
"Get the fire extinguisher?" she yelled. Which wasn't really an answer.
Nile scurried around the kitchen, peering in cabinets and pantries. Time was ticking down until an actual adult showed up. Unless it was their dad, it would be bad. Bad with a capital B. Not that Ginny was really helping. She just danced in place anxiously.
On the floor, the cake still burned merrily. One corner was now entirely blackened, and the flames were leaping higher, now.
"Nizana!" Ginny whined. "I can't find one," Nile yelled back. "I didn't think we even had one!" But they sure as hell would be getting one now, she vowed. Or she'd have Uncle Edmont making potions that extinguished flame.
"What're we going to do?!"
At least it was on the floor, where it wasn't likely to burn anything else, Nile thought. "Go get a cup and some water? I don't know!" she exclaimed. A cold feeling--fear, she thought--was growing in her gut and crawling its way up her throat. Ginny was still panicking, but she went to the sink with a cup in hand.
Oh, to hell with it, Nile thought. She took a deep breath and crouched near the cake, blowing over it like it was her birthday and the thing was full of candles. Even though she wasn't old enough to have half a cake full...
The cold sensation that had been churning in the pit of her stomach roared its way out of her throat, spattering the cake and the floor with shards of ice. Ice?! The fire guttered and went out, though there was a mix of ice shards and water both leaking from the cake pan, and on the floor surrounding it. Nile choked a little and stumbled back to fall on her butt.
"Holy crap," she breathed. Ginny turned around and dropped the half full cup in the sink and let it clatter as she squealed again. "What did you DO?"
"I got the cake to stop burning like you wanted me to!" Nile snapped back, scowling up at her taller but younger sister.
"Yeah, but how? You didn't act like you were using your talent!" she protested.
"That's 'cause I didn't! I blew on it and ice came out!" Nile retorted.
"Oh, great, now you're Elsa but from your mouth," Ginny snorted. "At least it's not from your butt!"
Nile growled and glared up at her little sister. "If it was, I'd make sure to come freeze your head every night, 'Anna'! You better clean this up or I'm gonna tell Ilhar you did it!"
That was a threat that Ginny believed in. Which, of course, was why Nile had used it. Still, the puddles on the floor were mostly her fault, so she grabbed a towel or two and helped. Only fair. Plus, it was quicker--less likely that either of them would catch hell, then.
"Are you gonna tell them about..." Virginia waved a hand at her sister, mid-chest, and gestured downward to what was left of the cake. Nile watched her a moment, and then nodded.
"I think I better."