Fireborn

35 ¦ My Sister, the Spitfire

"You'll stay where I put you," a brusque female voice retorted.

"If I stay here any longer, my muscles are going to shrivel up into saggy tits, d'ya hear?"

If the nurse beside me had raised her eyebrows any higher, they would have touched the ceiling. I remembered being that naive once. Now I didn't bat an eyelash at such language. It took all my self-control not to race towards Bragda and scoop her into my arms.

"My sister, the Spitfire," I whispered to the nurse with an apologetic shrug.

"You will do exactly as I tell you, Ironfist," a familiar voice growled, "or I'll strap you down to this cot with leather belts."

"We've never tried that before." Bragda lowered her voice an octave. "Maybe I'll like it, sweetheart."

"And I'll tape your mouth shut!"

"I'd like that less."

When we rounded the corner, Bragda looked pale, thin, and bruised, but her eyes shone with defiant fury at the nurse. Her matted auburn hair was splayed on the white pillow like a forest fire around her head.

I gasped. Someone had shaven her beard and mustache clean off.

The Dwarfish nurse whipped around to face me. Her ebony hair and beard were braided with green and blue ribbons.

Nurse Kaylar!

"Who in Hades are you?" she growled.

"Leader Liselle Carolina Alta," I replied with as much dignity as I could muster.

"Miss Alta?" Kaylar's eyes widened briefly before she regained her stern mien. "Visiting hours start in five minutes."

What is it with her and five minutes?

Bragda narrowed her eyes at the nurse. "That's my sister, sweetheart. Let her through, or I'll kick your ass."

With a disdained huff, Kaylar left the room.

I stared at my sister with wonder, not quite believing my eyes. She held out her arms to me, and I raced to her side and squeezed her. "Oh, gods, sis, you're alive!"

Her eyes glistened with restrained tears. "Neither Heaven nor Hades will keep us apart, I swear."

My throat clenched so tightly that all I could do was squeeze her again.

She hugged me with such a fierce grip that probably would have cracked my ribs if I were still human. "I missed you so much," she said. "I was such a fuckwit. I'm so sorry."

"You're back," I croaked. "That's all that matters."

Bragda pulled away from my embrace with a grimace and took a close look at me. "Either I'm hallucinating, or you've grown three feet taller."

"You're not wrong."

"And what in Hades happened to your face? How did you do that? Magic?"

My heart leaped into my throat. "No, Bragda. You were right about me being a coward. I've decided to fight, and I couldn't help out as a weak Risa."

"I was a stupid, emotional twit when I said that," she growled. "Wait, what do you mean as a Risa? Did you use your magic to turn into something else?"

"No, Bragda," I replied. "We used science."

"I'll be damned! Well, let's see, then!"

When I pulled back my hood, a small gasp escaped her lips. She stared at me from head to toe, both shocked and amazed.