I’d never fought when I felt this low. Even at the community center, I hadn’t been as tired, as caught up in multiple things. At the Fallen camp, I’d had hopes, and I’d been more singular of purpose. I’d been able to focus on the others.

Here, the challenge was me. Figuring out how to be strong when I needed to be strong.

I went through a window, turning my back on Lung, aware that I might be letting Byron and Rain burn.

I tapped the Wretch, and I tore through a wall.

The scholar. I’d been trying to track where the flames were and where the Pharmacist operated. I’d been dimly aware of Lung’s favored position. He knew where she was and by operating within a certain area, he gave clues.

That had narrowed it down.

That he hadn’t been willing to throw out fire and hit this side of the building, abandoning his pursuit of me?

The Wretch came back. I went through another wall.

Bystanders. They were huddled together. A guard had cuffs on, binding him to a cot.

“Where is she?” I asked.

I saw them exchange glances. The guard looked back, off to the side, more in the way I’d come.

I flew back through the hole in the wall, then through the open door to the hallway.

I cut a path through the staff building, no running footsteps or pants of breath to impede my hearing. I swallowed and choked back a cough. Then I flew more, silent. My hand slapped against a wall as I used it to stop myself sooner, so I could fly down a different hallway.

I heard her running footsteps.

Me, the scholar, working out powers. The Patrol lieutenant, investigating, keeping an eye out for the troublemaker.

It wasn’t about finding that one part of me and executing it beyond perfectly. The Warrior Monk, the Wretch, the Scholar, the Girl.

All together.

“While you’re running, you’re not helping Lung,” I called out. I pushed out with my aura.

I escalated the pressure.

“He needs you!” My voice rang through the hallways of the staff building.

More aura. More fear.

Then I heard it, saw it. A flash of purple. The aura igniting. I canceled the aura, but that didn’t stop the fire that had already been created. In an enclosed space I had to duck, throwing myself around a corner, hood pulled down. My feet thudded against the ground as I stopped flying.

It swept past me.

“You just told me where you are!” I called out. I ran.

There was no fear aura, but there was more panic now. She cast fire out behind her, blocking the path.

I took another route, going out the window, around the side of the building. One window was open, and I flew in through it, muddy boots skidding on tile.

An electric whine caught my attention.