She moved forward in disbelief, her breath caught in her throat. Her ears picked up on the slightest bit of sound, followed by a trickle of warmth.
Soleia's eyes widened to the size of saucers as her instincts told her to turn. She pivoted on her heel just in time to see a rush of flames, and she raised her hands to shield her face on pure reflex. The fire in the air quickly died out, absorbed into the palm of her hand in a curl of smoke.
Once the flames had disappeared, Soleia didn't even have the luxury of time to relax and have a look at who her attacker was. A pair of hands wrapped around her neck, and Soleia let out a strangled sound as her back knocked against the edge of the desk.
She squeezed her eyes shut as a bolt of pain shot through her lower back, causing her to grunt under her breath before she cracked open her eyes to look at her attacker.
