“You are so impatient,” Rebecca said, eying Miranda as she paced about her dormitory. Miranda looked a sight; she was wearing her cutest outfit but her nervousness had breached the surface and now was dangerously close to becoming a frothy mix of euphoria and hysteria. Miranda had chosen the pin-up look, deciding to wear a striped white blouse that snugly fit her chest and waist, as well as a long, flowy black skirt that tended to hug her hips and butt. A gold necklace with her birthstone – opal – in it hung down to her cleavage. She felt beautiful, stunning even, but as soon as her thoughts turned to Kira, her mouth became dry and she began trembling again.

“What if I mess it up.” Miranda said quickly, balling her hands up in worry.

“Shush. You'll do fine. You are a wreck! Pull yourself together, would you?” Rebecca said, her eyes wide at her roommate's behavior. She stood up and grasped Miranda's shoulders. “Manda. Holy shit.”

Brad walked out of Rebecca's room, idly tuning his guitar, and his jaw dropped when he saw Miranda in her dress. “Hot damn, girl, you look good,” Rebecca gave him a look, but he held up his hands in surrender. “Just stating facts.”

“No, she does,” Rebecca said, smiling at Miranda. “You're gonna have a great time.” She turned around and sat back on the couch, turning her attention to Cora as the cat passed underneath and nuzzled Miranda's exposed ankles.

“I can see your ankles, very risqué,” Bradley said with a laugh. “How will she be able to take it?”

“You mean, how will I be able to take her,” Miranda said with a sigh, leaning against the wall. “Can you imagine what she'll be wearing?”

“You're both far too pretty.” Rebecca said with a sideways grin.

Miranda scooped up Cora and nuzzled the cat's nose. Cora responded with a soft meow and attempted to climb onto her owner's shoulders, which prompted the raven-haired girl to set her down. After another moment, the buzzer rang, not two minutes before seven. Miranda impulsively threw her phone onto her bed and practically skipped over to the door. When she opened it, every last prediction failed to do anything justice, and her breath left her in a whoosh.

Kira wore a vintage dress that covered most of her, stopping halfway up the forearms and going down to her knees. It clung to her curvacious body as though vacuum-pressed, and was the color of a clear night. Her hair cascaded liquid-like down her shoulders, curled much moreso than usual and held in place with a loose black bow. Red gloves adorned her hands, and red nylons ended in shiny black pumps. The redhead smiled her infectious grin at the three people in the room.

“H-hey,” Miranda said breathlessly. She was honestly surprised she had the ability to form words. “Come in.”

Kira stepped in, toying with a small peridot that hung on a silver chain around her neck. She waved at Rebecca and Brad, the latter of which quickly averted his gaze away from her afterward.

“This is my dormmate, Rebecca, and her boyfriend, Brad.” Miranda said.

“Hi, nice to meet you.” Rebecca said sweetly. Brad just waved numbly.

“Are we ready to go, Manda? Dinner is at 7:45,” Kira asked. Miranda nodded, and the two girls stepped out of the dorm and building into the night. Kira played with her keychain and grinned at her companion. “You look beautiful. That blouse is so pretty.” Kira stated.

“I look – have you seen yourself?” Miranda replied incredulously. The pair slipped into Kira's two-door sedan and took off towards Luxsey.

“Yeah, the whole bloody time I was getting ready, and honestly, I've done much better before. I couldn't get these stupid curls right,” Kira said, poking one of her crimson curls and frowning in frustration.

“Shut up, you're a goddess.” Miranda spurted before she could stop herself. She felt herself redden, and Kira giggled.

“And you are just too nice to me. Have you ever been to this place?” Kira asked. “I used to go all the time when I lived with my dad.” Kira had suggested an Italian restaurant called Biondi's in the rich part of Luxsey, and had even offered to pay the difference between what Miranda got and what she could afford. She had made it clear to Miranda she had far more money than she knew what to do with.

“No, I've never even heard of it. Mind you, I've only been to this part of Luxsey twice, and both were school trips to see the capital buildings.”

The two of them let conversation dissolve, and then put on music, comparing their favorites – both girls favored symphonic metal, rock and indie, with Miranda leaning more towards vocal ranges and Kira praising instrumental harmonies. Paper Shoes by Incubus was finishing as the car pulled into a spot just a block away from Biondi's.

Uptown Luxsey looked much the same as downtown did – minus the dirt. People walked about in suits and dresses at the very least as fashionable as those of Miranda and Kira. In each spot was parked a car worth fifty grand. Biondi's was a street-level restaurant at the bottom of one of the office towers, and a cultured man in a suit ushered the ladies in, referring to them as 'Madame Northvale and Guest'.

Kira had apparently requested a booth in the back, far from the majority of the dinnergoers and noise. A crackling fire occupied a perpendicular wall, and above them, criss-crossed wine racks held polished glasses. Two candles decorated their beautiful oak table, and Miranda blushed hard the entire time. Within moments of sitting, Kira sipped a Venica Ronco delle Cime, and Miranda had barely touched the gin she had quietly asked for.

“Do you like it here?” Kira asked between sips.

“Yes, it's beautiful. I mean...richer, than I'm used to...but beautiful.” Miranda replied.

Kira rolled her eyes. “I can't spend my dad's money fast enough. Mum didn't raise me to be frivolous, so I don't know how to spend this...inheritance. I'm absolutely loaded, but it's still in my mind to think two hundred dollars is a ridiculous sum for a date for two. You know?”

“Yeah,” Miranda replied, still occasionally stunned by Kira. “I don't have experience, but I get what you're saying.”

“Mum of course wants nothing to do with the man or his legacy, so she won't take his money,” Kira continued on, drinking again. “So I'm stuck with it.”

Miranda grinned behind her glass. “Oh, how awful.”

Kira laughed a real laugh, not just her tiny giggle, and returned her attention to the menu. “It does make a lot easier, for sure. Oh my god, Manda. Get the salmon here, it's incredible.” She pointed it out to Miranda, leaning forward, and Miranda's candle sputtered uncontrollably. Kira backed up quickly.

“Oh, your...uh...” Miranda began.

“Powers, yeah. Candles freak out near me, sorry...” She opened her mouth to explain more when the waiter showed up and took their orders. After he departed, Kira turned back to her companion.

“Okay, talk to me about it. What can it do?” Miranda asked, tilting her head at Kira. The redhead blushed and sputtered a bit.

“W-well, I mean. I'm a delta...so not much.” She smiled weakly. “It, uh, sparked my interest.” She grinned at Miranda mischievously.

“Did you just make a fucking pun?” Miranda asked her, supporting her head with her palm.

Kira giggled. “It started my interest in neo human research, but I must admit it's pretty flimsy. Here, watch,” Kira said. She waved her fingers at her candle; the tiny sputtered, swayed, and then began dancing unnaturally. It moved to the side, and then the other, curving and arching. Slowly, the flame sorted itself into the form of a curvy, dancing woman, who rose her tiny, fiery arms up and down in a sensual dance. Miranda was mesmerized; not just by the show, but by how Kira's eyes looked in firelight.

“That's so cool,” She breathed. Kira smiled, and the flame leapt off its candle onto Miranda's and began dancing with her flame, which had also become a small exotic dancer. The two danced around each other, their embers mixing and fading. Finally, after a few moments, Kira's flame locked her incendiary lips upon Miranda's, and the two flames died. Kira watched Miranda's expression, her emeralds glittering again.

“It's a parlor trick. I mean, I'd probably be a beta if I could manipulate anything larger than this, but the government agent that tested me said no. If I even try, I get exhausted,” Kira said. She looked ashamed. “I wish I could do more.”

Miranda touched her hand and smiled appreciatively. “Hey, it's cool. I really liked that.” Kira's smile widened more than usual and her gaze met Miranda's for a soul-searing second. Miranda felt her breath get heavy again.

“Ladies, your food,” The waiter said as he arrived. He grimaced at the unlit candles and quickly lit them again before bowing and retiring to the kitchens. Miranda salivated and whimpered over the taste of the glazed salmon while Kira enjoyed a lavish pasta dish. The two dined in silence, stopping only when Kira made her flame spit an ember into her food.

“Too cold,” Kira said through a mouthful of pasta. Miranda laughed.

“So,” Miranda said. “This wasn't just a ruse to get a date out of you. I would actually like to talk about work.”

Kira smiled and folded her hands over each other elegantly. “Okay, lovely. What's on your mind?”

Miranda sputtered a bit and tried in vain to control the redness that overtook her face – it was the first time Kira had used an endearing term, and she hoped to every deity in existence that it wasn't the last. “I-I thought to discuss...well, topics...for future projects,” Miranda said. She smiled sheepishly. “That is...I have friends who've done this class. I know some.”

“Yes, I was a bit confused; this next one seems straightforward.” Kira replied curtly. Her eyes locked onto Miranda's, unblinking.

“I know the final is lab work, so we'll do fine. But there's another paper on the attempts made by people to 'cure' neo humanity, as well as one on the Purity Wars – and he fails people who just give him a historical account,” Miranda said. She brushed a piece of her unruly hair aside and kept on trucking. “Also, there's a paper on theoretical alphas from history.”

“You mean like situations where there might have been an alpha neo before humanity realized what it was? Before science caught up?” Kira said, tilting her pretty head to the side and idly playing with the last remnants of her food.

“Yeah,” Miranda nodded. “There's a lot of people who think that ancient gods may have been alphas. Well, not all of them, but some.”

“That's one of my favorite topics,” Kira said excitedly, putting her hands on Miranda's, who turned as red as Kira's hair again. “Can I show you something?” Miranda nodded. Kira took her hand and the two of them went into the public bathroom. Kira turned around and moved her hair aside. On her shoulder blades were tattoos of two women. One was dark skinned and blonde, stern and fierce, wearing a robe of ivory silk and framed by a halo of glowing light. The other was the first's inverse; pale, utterly gorgeous, with flowy hair of black, wearing robes of whispy shadow that were apparently designed to show off her body. They faced each other, sitting on thrones appropriate to their apparent portfolio. Between them, at Kira's spine, a perfect circle hung, half of it white and shining, gradually dimming until at the other side it was as dark as a full eclipse. It was interesting to Miranda that the bright side faced the pale one, while the eclipsed side faced her sister.

“Oh my god...” Miranda said breathlessly. The detail was absolutely amazing. “That's so beautiful. I've never seen such a pretty tattoo of Lumine and Tenebria before. Who did this? It's gorgeous...”

“A man in London. I like their story a lot,” Kira said, grinning back at Miranda over her shoulder. “Their interactions, with each other and with their subjects.” Miranda nodded. She knew the story as well.

“Well, you do Lumine et Tenebria then --” Miranda began. Kira tossed her hair back over her shoulders and shook her head, turning to face her companion.

“No, you do them! I can't; that would be too easy.” Kira said quickly. “I rather dislike free As. But you must do it! I would love to hear enthusiasm about them from someone other than me.” She said with a huff.

“Okay, okay.” Miranda said, holding up her hands. Kira giggled. “We should probably get back before they think we're fucking in here.” She said.

Kira nodded and the two of them returned to their table, only for a moment to pay their bill and tip their waiter, and then began the drive back to Merriwinter. This time, the music stayed off, and the two discussed mythology in earnest. Before they knew it, they were at Miranda's dorm building. Kira walked her to the door and smiled at her.

“You're fun,” Kira said, smiling. “Thanks for entertaining me. See you in class tomorrow, okay? Text me.” She kissed Miranda's cheek before the girl could reply, leaving Miranda bright red and speechless, her thoughts a blur of euphoria and desire.

“Y-yeah...um.” Miranda sputtered. Kira giggled her small laugh and got extremely close, her expression all playful mirth and seductive poise.

“You're cute,” She practically breathed. “Goodbye, lovely.” She turned around and got in her car, speeding away. Miranda stood there in the moonlight, her body exploding on the inside, her thoughts even worse. With a trembling hand she let herself into the building and went to sleep a very happy woman.

*** *** ***

Kira Northvale walked up the brick walkway to her father's estate in Prescott Heights. Her heels clicked audibly in the silence of the night, and she felt a chill as the autumn's wind brushed through her. But, like every other source of cold, it left as soon as it came. She was still not used to the idea that she'd never be cold again.

Sure, the estate was an hour from University, but by now she'd figured out exactly when she had to leave to arrive on time. It was still much better than a dorm or an apartment. Her father had chosen to live in a relatively secluded part of Prescott Heights, and thus, not only was she guaranteed alone time if she wanted it, but the place had been spared the solar inferno that claimed the rest of the town...and by a bit of horrible luck, the estate was now hers by right.

Kira felt a stab of guilt, as she often did. It wasn't fair. She'd never meant for him to die; or anyone, for that matter. But the tears had long since evaporated away on her burning skin, and there were none left for Reginald Northvale.

The redhead unlocked the door's three locks and stepped in. The grand, sweeping foyer met her eyes, and with a flourish of her fingers, the candles in the chandelier above her lit and illuminated the centuries-old wood and stone. Her heels clicked louder on the hardwood, and she deposited her books on one of the stone stairwells that curved around the foyer's sides. She entered a ground-floor room and regarded her father's choice of interior decorating. Another flourish, another candle lit. Slowly, Kira stepped in front of a candle-lit mirror.

She touched her face, staring deep into the green eyes that looked back at her. She half-wondered if she could do it to herself. Still, almost a decade later, she couldn't believe that what was looking back at her was actually her. Everything came so easy. People bent backwards for her. They went – extremely, even – out of their way for her slightest whims. She didn't even have to do anything. Was it so easy? Power filled her mind and body, warming her in a different way than her inherent heat. She smiled at the irony of that last thought. 'Inherent' wasn't a proper word, really--

“Witch,” A hoarse voice said. Kira turned slowly and smiled at the broken middle-aged man that stumbled towards her. His body was trembling, and he wore only dirty shorts. “My al'praddah wasn't enough? You now need my pride?”

Kira simply sat in a giant leather arm chair and swung her beautiful legs over one of the arms. “Mister Nurala,” Kira said calmly, her accent tinting her words. “I have done no such thing. The fact that I am better at your...al'praddah...than you is not my fault. You claimed to wished to serve me forever. I recorded this. You've seen the video.”

The middle-eastern man collapsed into a couch across from her, shivering and grasping at a blanket nearby. “So c-cold. How...please, please. Warm me.”

Kira rose an eyebrow, aware of how the candlelight made her look. “You will ask politely.”

Hasif Nurala considered this, as he'd already said please, but suddenly understood. “Please...mistress.”

Kira smiled and leaned forward, her voice as silky as her hair. “Close. Try again...”

Orion blinked pointedly. “G-Goddess?” His eyes glazed over, and he stumbled forward onto his knees, blissfully ignorant of the scuffing on his knees. “Goddess Kira.” Warmth suddenly spread through him, and he moaned as if in ecstasy, collapsing bodily onto the floor before his Goddess. Kira regarded him with an arched eyebrow, and he slowly kissed her heels.

“I want a drink, Nurala...” Kira said, yawning. Hasif stood up without a moment's hesitation.

“A-as you wish.” He said, and quickly left to get her something. Kira settled in her chair and sighed. She had no time to train him; he'd best learn quick. Kira flicked her fingers and stared at the flame that manifested. She twirled it between her lithe fingers and watched it die out as she considered the night's events. Feeling actual attraction towards Miranda was not part of her plan.

As she took the drink from Hasif and watched him grovel pathetically again, Kira applied herself to the task at hand. The plan was increasingly more complicated, and more Hasif Nuralas was not anything she wanted. Why was it so hard to just take a life? She certainly could, now.

“Hasif,” Kira asked her servant. “Do you wish to die?”

Orion looked at her in confusion. “But then how could I serve you, Goddess?”

Kira smiled sweetly and stroked his face; he winced at the severe temperature of her hand. “Time will tell that, I suppose. But you are happy, as my devoted?”

Nurala nodded numbly, his eyes as affectionate and hungry as Miranda's. Kira smiled her elegant grin and regarded his expression. It was, indeed, so easy.