Fire is part of who I am.

A touch of anger and the flames leap around my shoulders like an inconvenient blush.

But the conversations with my dead sister, Ariel?

Well... she's always been my little secret.

I'm not sure why I kept her from Dad. Perhaps the mortal's fear of my fire traumatized me. As if I weren't isolated enough as a terrified six-year-old in that government group home. If controlling fire is rejection worthy, seeing ghosts has to be a whole new level of abomination.

Dad's like me, though - an Usuriel with his own pyrokinetic abilities and plenty of other psi I can only dream of.

He's the one who gave me a home, a family, and made me feel like I belong. He has a fair share of secrets, so maybe that's why. If Dad taught me anything by example, its how to keep my mouth shut.

Looking back on it, that should have been my first sign keeping secrets was going to get me into trouble.