Black fire

Chapter 1

"Fire Lord Ozai has requested to see all of us." Your ears perk up as your mother reads the scroll from the firebird messenger. She gently strokes its head, its beak softly nipping her ivory hand with gratitude at the affection, ruffling its feathers and stretching its wings proudly. Your sister's smile and smirk in triumph, one of them blowing her bangs out of her face. You sigh softly as your maid brushed your hair, head on her lap. Your mother could not contain her excitement.

"I told you that he would want new additions to his assassination squad." Ezra crossed her legs, a smirk playing on her lips as her sister questioned "Isn't it a league?" but was swiftly ignored. Ezra picked up the cup of tea and began to sip. The maid picked up a red ribbon, tying it into the thick loops of your hair.

"I suspect that (y/n) will not be invited." She stated rather than questioned. When the silence took over the room Ezra looked up at her parents, lips turned down, brows furrowed. She rested her cup on her lap, her grip tightening subtly.

"You have got to be kidding me." You opened your eyes, face straight, holding back tears in the lump that was forming in your throat, your brain heating, and throbbing at the lack of release of emotion.

"I will go." Ezra chuckled dryly, the cup breaking in her hand from squeezing her rage into the porcelain, hot tea spilling and cascading in thin lines down her arm and hand.

"It's your funeral," Ezra smirked her twin sister, Ozra, crossing her arms, blowing her bangs out of her face. 

"Ezra!" Lady Shezei gasped, taking her hand away from the firebird and turning fully to her eldest daughter. Her shock was immediate.

"What a thing to say to your sister!" Ezra only shrugged in response, the tea evaporating from her skin in thick white waves.

"I'm only trying to protect my poor little sister." She stood walking slowly to you, the maid started to tremble as she looped your hair into a bun. You gently laid a hand on her knee to calm her nerves, looking up at your older sister.

"I mean think about it, if the Fire Lord wanted us to show a test of our skill, what would she present? A knife show?" She put her hand on your head, gently stroking as the maid put flowers in the creases of your hair. Your blood began to boil, just imagining wrapping your slender fingers around her throat, squeezing until she turned purple, the noises she would make as she would try to fight for breath, clawing at your skin in vain. It was enough to make your skin burn.

She took her hand off of your hair quickly, her fingers seeming to twitch. Ezra took her bottom lip between her teeth. Ozra blew her bangs out of her face. Ezra looked at her mother.

"Our family would be the laughing stock of the whole nation. An entire bloodline of strong firebenders and one couldn't make the cut? I am only looking out for my sister's safety." She smiled, her teeth shining with counterfeit.

"There is nothing we can do. Lord Ozai knows that we have three children. We have to bring her." Lord Ahren spoke disdainfully. He tucked the letter into his sleeve, his wife giving him a small dirty look.

"We leave in the morning. Dismissed." He left. The twins looked at you, loathing you. Your very existence disgusting them with your lack of ability and bastardly weakness.

"You heard your father, girls. Dismissed." Lady Shezei smiled sweetly at the twins. Ozra blew at her bangs, Ezra scowled subtly, hands behind her back. 

"Very well." Ezra turned, leaving, Ozra following behind. Lady Shezei sighed turning to you.

"Pay them no mind." She sat in front of you on her knees, the firebird cawing at the far side of the room, grooming its wings as it awaited instructions.

"You are just as skilled as they are." You sighed, taking your hand off of the maid's knee.

"Only with a knife."