Evelina stared into the roaring flames of the kitchen hearth, her body tense with anticipation. Heat radiated from the fire, warming her face and sending beads of sweat rolling down her temple.
Her heart pounded with both determination and fear as she clenched her fists at her sides.
'This has to work,' she told herself. 'It's my only way home.'
Relia's voice broke through her thoughts, her tone laced with amusement and exasperation. "You do realize this is absolutely insane, don't you?"
"It's not insane if it works," Evelina muttered under her breath, her eyes never leaving the fire.
"If… If, Evelina. A big 'if,' though," Relia countered. "And even if you do manage to go back, do you really think jumping into a blazing fire is the way to do it? Fire is hot, you know that, right?"
"Of course, I know that. I can feel it."
