The next morning, things were worse.
Nova was pale, sweating again, and her hands were shaking so badly she couldn't hold a cup. Tay saw her nearly fall on the way to the hallway and caught her just in time.
"You need to lie down," he said.
She didn't argue.
When the others saw her, their moods dropped. Sinnett looked between Nova and Cinder, who stood at the far side of the hall drinking tea.
"What happened to her?" one of the guards asked quietly.
Sinnett turned to Cinder. "You didn't tell me your flames could do this."
Cinder looked over, calm. "I didn't know it hit her."
"It shouldn't have hit anyone," Tay snapped.
Sinnett sighed, rubbing his temples. "Everyone relax. If it was direct, she would've been dead already. Cinder doesn't throw fire without reason."
The maids nearby exchanged glances, then one stepped forward. "She's dangerous."
"Excuse me?" Sinnett turned to the girl.
"You saw Nova. She's getting worse. You can't protect her and ignore this. That girl...."
