When Kindle Brant saw the pillar of blue flame, a number of things became crystal clear. Aisa had been right, after all, though the relative that was arriving had ceased to be<span style="font-style: italic">family</span>years ago.<br/><br/>Kindle froze as the blue inferno formed into a blue haired woman in a wanton display of power that the Firebird had seen so many times before over the hundreds of years the two had been alive. The<span style="font-style: italic">Azure Phoenix</span>—even her nickname was distasteful to Kindle—had always been given to the dramatic.<br/><br/>The two women could have almost been twins. They were similar in body type and bone structure, with the same flashing emerald eyes and high cheekbones. The only real differences were in their hair color and the way they held themselves: The blue haired woman was never still, reeking of magic and energy, while Kindle was all grace and contained power.<br/><br/>Kindle knew her as Aithne Brant… Big sis… Betrayer.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">You killed them all!  </span><br/><br/>The red head’s body sung with anger and grief. Tendrils of red flame licked her skin, randomly winking in and out as Kindle relived the memories with agonizing vividness. Her brother, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces all ravaged by war. Their bodies in pieces… Each death more gruesome than the last… And then the terrible loneliness when Kindle found that she was the last left alive of a once great clan.<br/><br/>And the whole time Aithne had been fighting against them. Probably giving away their weaknesses—how else could the powerful fire mages have been extinguished so easily? Whether or not she had struck the last blows, the Falcon’s Shadow had had a hand in the death of their family, if only in not fighting to protect them. To Kindle, it was as if her older sister had killed them all.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Betrayer!</span><br/><br/>Suddenly, the Firebird sprang into action, her movements graceful and contained even in her haste. No flames were evident on her body any longer. She would consume Aithne’s fire, not add to it. She would finally have revenge for all the deaths of her loved ones.<br/><br/>All she had to do was touch Aithne to leech the heat from her body and end the pain.