Page 2 of His Blazing Witch (The Silver City #3)

Silver City.

A metropolis with over one hundred thousand inhabitants. Despite being rather modern, its unique geographic location makes it rather isolated from any other big cities, as it's bordered by a forest to the east, and the sea on the west. Its most unique feature, however, is probably one-third of its population being werewolves. That's right. Over thirty thousand werewolves, a hundred thousand humans, and... me.

I frown, staring out the window once again. Silver City's dawn is pretty and quiet. The sky shines with the first sunlight, shades of pink and purple in the clouds. I open the window, feeling some nice fresh air. It's really early, we're at the end of May. I wonder what all those people are doing, in the streets and skyscrapers. I'm fascinated by the tallest buildings. I wonder what it's like to see the world from up there. Do you feel like you belong when you watch the streets from so high?

I'm on the second floor, and I can't understand what it could be like down there, or up there.

"Knock knock, I'm looking for the little witch in room five?"

I turn around with a smile.

Kelsi is waiting, pretending to knock on my door with a little frown on. She's wearing her ugly, mint green sweatshirt, the one with a big cartoon cat on it, some jeans, and her usual multi-colored backpack.

"Hi. They let you in so early?" I ask, a bit surprised.

"Yep. Apparently, your sister gave them instructions that I could come in and out as I please. I'm pretty much a full-time VIP plus one now."

"Oh..."

Kelsi drops her bag and comes to hug me gently, being careful about my bandages. She glares at the big bracelet around my wrist, grabbing it with a frown. It flashes with a little green light every ten seconds and is quite heavy too.

"Still there?"

"Still there," I sigh.

"Hm..."

She takes a step back, tucking her long, black hair behind her ears, and makes a falsely severe expression behind her thick glasses.

"Alright, Miss Garnett, morning check-up."

"Oh, seriously, Kelsi? Again?" I protest.

"What's my name?"

I sigh and nod, deciding to comply. I take a deep breath.

"Kim Eun-Kyung," I recite, "You've been my roommate for over one year, and as far as I know, you're probably my only friend. You go by your english name Kelsi Kim because you hate hearing people mispronounce your real name. You're two months older than me, a photography student, and a geek... and you like ugly cat sweaters."

"Good girl," she says with a big smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Still like a total stranger to myself," I sigh, sitting on my bed.

"Your temperature?"

I show her the black screen of my watch with a grimace.

"They deactivated the screen since they found out I used it for testing..."

"Oh, crap. No more experiments, then.”

"No..."

She nods and suddenly grabs her bag with a spark of excitement in her eyes. It's an old and very used one, but apparently, she loves it enough to have covered the many holes with some funny patches. Kelsi takes out an envelope, barely hiding her enthusiasm.

"You found some new pictures?" I ask.

"Yep! Well, you already know we didn't take many together, but I found some new ones from a party you apparently went to, two months before we moved in together. I had to chat with some weird guy who was a borderline creep, but anyway, I got these and printed them out for you. Look!"

I take the pictures, a bit hesitant. This is already the sixth batch of pictures Kelsi has found for me, but just like the previous five times, I don't recognize anything in them. I spread them out on my bed, and it even takes me a minute to find myself in them. It looks like some party in a big nightclub, with more people I don't recognize. In the pictures, I am wearing a white sequin top with some black leather pants, and I am dancing in heels in the middle of a wild crowd. My hair seems longer too, and straightened. Kelsi only selected the pictures I appear in, but I never seem to be the main focus. I'm always in the middle of a random group or in the background...

"Still nothing?" she asks, biting her thumb.

I shake my head. I only recognize myself, and that's because I've spent hours in front of a mirror since I woke up, trying to remember who I am. No one else in these pictures reminds me of anything. It's so infuriating. I can't put a name to any of the faces, or on the place... even what I'm wearing in those pictures doesn't remind me of anything.

"Did the guy say anything about me?" I ask.

"Not really." She sighs, shaking her head. "He had no idea who you were when I found you on his profile picture. He's never heard of Clarissa Garnett, or a girl called Mara. He said he took a lot of pictures because it was his first university party, but he didn't even seem to know half of the people there."

"Okay... Well, thank you anyway for trying, Kelsi."

"I'm sorry it didn't work again, boo."

"It can't be helped. It would be weird if my memory came back all at once."

I really don't want to make Kelsi feel bad about it. She's the only person who comes to visit me almost every day since she's been allowed to, and literally brightens up my whole day. She's been trying hard to help me fill in the gigantic hole that is my past, bringing stuff that supposedly belongs to me, or the pictures she could find. She pouts, playing with her sweater's laces, still staring at the pictures.

"I don't recognize anyone from the university either, but I can ask my friends. Maybe someone knows someone from your department who knows more about you."

"Thanks."

"Well, at least you're sexy! I always noticed you had good taste in clothes. Aren't you tired of the hospital gown?"

I nod. I hate it, but with all the bandages covering my burns, it's the only thing I can put on easily without grimacing all the time. Kelsi did bring me a bag of clothes, but trying to put on a pair of jeans was so painful I cried. She puts the pictures back in the envelope and places it on my bedside table.

"I'd definitely suck as a detective, I could only find thirty pictures of you in six weeks, and I took half of them. I officially suck."

"Don't say that, you're the best. It's not your fault I was a loner."

"I still can't believe you don’t have any freaking social media. You're an alien, or born in the wrong century!"

"You still haven't found my laptop?"

"No..." She pouts. "The last time I saw you with it was one morning before I went to uni, you were in the kitchen, typing something. I don't think I saw you with it after that, and then there was the accident..."

It's so infuriating. It's already annoying enough that I have amnesia, but now, I can't even retrieve the biggest clues about my own life. I know the smartphone I had got burnt in the fire, along with my belongings, even my clothes. The police officer that came said they only found the remains of a leather bag and a matching purse, but more could have burnt, and they weren't going to spend time analyzing ashes...

"Did your sister come by at all this week?" asks Kelsi.

"No... Too busy, they said."

"Damn, your family is weird. She is too busy to visit you, but she pays for a private room in this fancy hospital."

"I feel like the room is more of a security measure than special treatment. She probably doesn't have time to take care of her crazy younger sister..."

Kelsi frowns, and grabs my chin to lift it and have me look at her.

"Listen to me, boo. You're not crazy. You're a gorgeous piece of woman, and a bad-ass witch, okay?"

Her very serious expression immediately lifts my spirits. I nod.

"With a crazy friend who says so," I chuckle.

She smiles back at me.

"Exactly. Do you want to show your crazy friend your magic trick?"

I hesitate a bit, checking the door. If I'm caught playing with fire again, they'd have an excuse to send me back to an isolated room, with the handcuffs and all that crap. They even put two fire extinguishers inside my room, which is rather funny, I think.

Kelsi is waiting, looking a bit excited. Gosh, if it wasn't for her, I'd go insane locked up in here... I take a deep breath and lift my hand. One by one, I light a little flame on top of each finger. It's like I'm growing nails, and the flame is strangely redder than a normal fire, almost pinkish. My friend bites her lower lip.

"Damn, if only one of us smoked, that would be so cool. It really doesn't hurt?"

"Not at all. It almost feels a bit cold, actually."

"Well, your watch isn't beeping like crazy like last time, so–"

"Mara!"

Kelsi and I jump, and I immediately make my fire disappear. At the entrance of my room, the young nurse is staring at us, her hands on her hips.

"Are you crazy, you know you can't do that in here!"

"Sorry, Bonnie," I mutter.

Thankfully, it's only Bonnie. She's probably the only nurse on this floor who won't freak out about me only doing this much. She sighs and comes in with a large tray, my breakfast.

"You're lucky it's just me... Everyone is scared that you'd do it again. Everything okay here?" she asks, putting it down on the little table.

"Still itchy from the bandages..."

She walks up to the bed and checks my legs mostly, where the large burns are hidden under those damn bandages and layers of cream. I think Bonnie is the only nurse I like. She's just a bit older than us, petite, and very gentle. Her red hair is in a high ponytail today, and she's rather cute with her freckles.

While Bonnie is not looking, busy checking my temperature, Kelsi grabs the coffee from my tray and sips it down. She makes a little victory sign behind the nurse's back.

"Kelsi, put that down, it's not for you," suddenly says Bonnie, still not looking.

I scoff, amused. Kelsi's jaw drops.

"How do you know I took it?!"

"If you open the lid, it smells. I'm a werewolf, I can tell."

I always forget Bonnie is a werewolf. She looks like any normal human being, except maybe for that strange glow in her green eyes sometimes. Also, she never needs to turn on the lights at night, and her sense of smell is very good... good enough to tell when Kelsi tries to get free food from the hospital.

"Damn, I wish I was a werewolf," sighs Kelsi. "It must be so nice to get to shape-shift into a wolf anytime and go around naked."

"That's a bit weird to think about," I say, amused.

"First of all, we are not naked since we have our fur, and second, it's a real pain to take off your clothes and put them back on, if you don't rip them to begin with," replies Bonnie.

"Bonnie, any news of when I can go out?" I ask, a bit more seriously.

She hesitates a bit before answering, crossing her arms.

"Well, medically speaking, you're doing very well. Your skin is recovering from your burn marks very fast, which shouldn't even be possible with third and fourth-degree burns for a normal human or a werewolf."

"That's our little witch doing wonders..." whispers Kelsi with a smile.

Bonnie nods.

"We don't know much about witches, so we can only observe, but yes, you're doing fine on that part. The problem is your amnesia. We have done every CT scan, MRI, and check-up we could, and there's nothing that could explain it. You apparently didn't hurt your head in the accident, so the underlying cause is still totally unknown. We think it's psychological. To be honest, even if your doctor says yes, your psychiatrist will probably refuse, saying you're still mentally unstable..."

"Oh yes, she's obviously some dangerous psychopath," mutters Kelsi, rolling her eyes.

I frown. I'm so fed up with that guy.

"I am stable, Bonnie," I protest. "I've been locked up here for weeks, and I only get to take a walk outside once in a while. I haven't lost control in a while either. Seriously, I have had enough, and my memory is not going to come back by having me locked up here either. Can't my older sister ignore that guy and get me out of here anyway?" I ask.

"I don't think so, Mara," says Bonnie, looking a bit sorry. "I think Ms. Garnett listens to all of your doctors."

"When is my next session with him, then?" I ask, unhappy.

"This afternoon..."

I nod. This time, he is going to have to agree to let me out of here because I'm so fed up. I need some real fresh air, not a walk around the hospital park once every two days like some dog! Bonnie doesn't say anything else, giving me worried glances, but Kelsi has a smirk on.

"Someone's fired up..."

Bonnie shakes her head.

"Mara, if you lose control again, you're going to be sent back to the isolation cell. You know that, right?"

"I know, but seriously, Bonnie, I'm done. That guy is signing my release form or whatever today."

I hear a courteous knock on my door and take a deep breath. A quick glance at the bracelet; still beeping green. Alright.

"Hello, Miss Garnett," he says with his usual polite smile, walking in.

"Hi."

I stay on my bed, legs crossed, and I have a hard time not glaring at that guy. My psychiatrist is in his early forties, despite having lots of gray hair already, a wrinkled shirt, and a crooked nose. His name is Dimitri Epstein. Doctor Epstein... He takes the seat next to my bed, taking out his notepad as always. He does his best to look amiable, but I'm sure that is just part of his job. Not looking at the patient like she's a crazy witch... While he clicks his ballpoint pen, his eyes fall on the new envelope on my bedside table.

"I see your friend found some new pictures? Any luck?"

"No," I reply coldly.

I'm on my guard. I can't get mad because I don't want him to refuse my release again.

"That's too bad... As I mentioned before, I am a bit concerned about this apparent lack of a social life before your accident, Miss Garnett. As you know, your family is worried about what led to this unfortunate incident. Have you taken some time to think about that?”

I frown. Right. The main reason, or excuse, for my family to keep me locked in here is that I was the one who burned that building down in an attempt to kill myself. Thankfully, there were no other victims, but also no witnesses...

"I do have a friend," I note.

"Right, Miss Kim," he nods. "However, Miss Kim herself said you two were not very close before that incident, didn't she? Despite her many attempts to befriend you, she said, and I quote, ‘You were not very talkative and our relationship was simply that of flatmates, nothing else.’ I'm glad you're on better terms now, but this is not really helping us understand your behavior before the incident."

"Those pictures show I went to a party," I reply, handing him the envelope.

Doctor Epstein opens it and takes his time to check each of the pictures with a little frown.

"Interesting... Do you know when these pictures were taken, Clarissa?" he asks, taking some notes on his notepad.

"...Before I met Kelsi," I admit, "...and I told you to call me Mara!"

Damn it, I hate it when he calls me that on purpose! Epstein jumps, but quickly regains his composure and puts the envelope back, shaking his head.

"That is not your name. Your name is Clarissa Mary Garnett, which is stated on all your official documents, and confirmed by your family. We have already been over this, you saw all those documents yourself, Clarissa. There is no girl called Mara. This Mara is only a persona, a self-defense mechanism you have created yourself. It's nothing to be afraid about, Clarissa; everyone has a different way to cope with a traumatic event."

"I can create fire with my hands. Are you going to tell me my traumatized brain has invented this too?" I growl back.

He stays quiet for a long minute.

"Alright. I understand you do not want to... dissociate yourself from Mara. However, if you are Mara, then what about Clarissa? After all, you are Clarissa. You have seen all the proof of that. Your official documents, statements from your family, your friend, pictures... However, there is nothing about... Mara. No one knows her. So, who do you think Mara is?"

I don't have an answer for that. I just woke up, knowing my name, as if it was engraved deep in my head, like the only light I was able to hang on to. Everything else is gone. None of those documents or pictures they showed me reminded me of anything. I have an older sister that does look strikingly like me, but I couldn't recognize or remember her. Same with Kelsi, and she's the person I have been living with for months. Moreover, they all seemed to know me as Clarissa, not Mara.

Who the hell is Mara, then? Who am I...? I massage my temples, annoyed. So many questions and absolutely no answers. The only thing I'm sure of is that I won't be able to find anything out by being trapped here!

"Do you understand?" gently asks Dr. Epstein. "The nurse who is taking care of you mentioned you want to leave the hospital, but Clarissa, I don't think you are ready."

"I need to leave! You won't be able to achieve anything by keeping me trapped here!" I yell, frustrated. "I can read as many stupid cards as you have, do as many tests, I don't care, it's meaningless! My memories are gone, and I have been in here for weeks, with no progress at all!"

"I don't think that's true," he says. "First, your physical recovery was spectacular. I discussed it with your doctor earlier. He has never seen someone transferred out of the burn unit so quickly with the injuries you had."

I already know that. They call it a miracle, but it doesn’t feel like that. My body knows what to do, and is healing itself better than any of their ointments or treatments. All of my deeper burns have now changed to lighter ones. Not only do I not feel any more pain, but the process isn't leaving any scars at all. My skin looks as new and smooth as a baby's. They even tried to take some samples to study, but once they removed the skin from my body, it went back to being as burnt as charcoal, which was even weirder.

I'm not burnt by my own fire and my skin heals fast. So why would I have trapped myself inside of a fire?

"If I'm so fine, why not let me out?" I say. "I can even keep this stupid bracelet on if it makes you feel better!"

I can't take it off by myself, and it tracks and records my body temperature at all times. According to Bonnie, this thing was custom-made for me. My personal thermometer tracker or something. It sure is better than the handcuffs, but it's not like it's invisible either. I feel like I'm a ticking time bomb or a prisoner.

Dr. Epstein makes a serious expression, takes a few more notes, and raises his head again to look at me.

"It's not that I don't want to allow you to leave, Clarissa. However, you have to understand that this isn't only about your security, but that of others as well. Since your admittance to the hospital, you've burned two beds and injured several members of the staff as well. This isn't a trivial matter."

"That was weeks ago," I protested. "I haven't hurt anyone or burnt anything in weeks, I can control myself now. Bonnie can tell you, I won't injure someone again!"

He sighs, shaking his head.

"Clarissa, I think you appreciate Miss Bonnie very much. Just like your friend Kelsi, you wouldn't hurt people who don't upset you. However, things are different for people who don't agree to your demands. We both know you have been showing some anger management issues, and this is not helping me trust your self-control."

"When, then?" I retort. "You can't keep me here forever just because you don't trust me! If you never let me experience the outside world, how would you know if I can control myself or not?"

He clicks his ballpoint pen, one, two, three, four times. It's annoying, but I'm more annoyed at the fact that he's not answering me. I want to tell him to hurry up, but I need to keep my emotions in check. I'm already on edge, my hands feel hot. I know I can call my flames out at any second. It's as if my fire is reacting to my anger. I could blast this annoying guy, watch him burn down to ashes, walk out that door, and–

"Clarissa?"

I flinch.

"S-sorry," I mumble.

"You looked lost in your thoughts just now. Do you want to share what you were thinking about with me?"

Oh, that's not the kind of thing I can tell him. That my instincts are telling me to do whatever the hell I want, including getting rid of my psychiatrist by burning him like a piece of toast and breaking out.

"Nothing," I lie.

He frowns a bit, pushing his pen against his lips.

"I've noticed you seem to have those short episodes of absences regularly when you're with me. Does that happen often?"

"I'm not sure..."

It's the truth this time. I'm not even sure what those are supposed to be. It's almost as if I'm... someone else, for a few seconds. Like another voice taking over in my head. Where the heck does that come from? Every time, it's like someone else is in my head, whispering... I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Clarissa, talk to me. How do you feel right now?"

"Frustrated. I have a hundred questions and no one is willing to give me the answers I want."

"How about we list your questions down, then?"

I glare at him. Really? After weeks of being locked in here, he thinks everything can be solved with some stupid chit-chat?

"I want to see my sister."

"I know, but she is–"