"When I press on it," Jack answered, feeling rather self-conscious. "The burns hurt worse than the cut though."

A small quiver passed through him as he remembered the shock and pain of having the ash and embers thrown in his face, instantly searing where they'd touched. He'd put fresh snow on the blistered areas but they're stubbornly remained red and raw, only just barely gaining a paper-thin covering of skin much like a peeling sunburn.