It's nearly instant. As soon as the flames are gone, so are Eli's injuries. The only evidence of the fire is in the singed tatters of his clothes and the soot all around him. The dagger, still lodged beneath his collarbone, glows with heat for a little while longer.

"ImPorts aren't human," he says, his voice now as smooth as his skin. "We are abominations. A blight on this planet. Every breath we take is a breath stolen from the people of this world. We bring our curse with us wherever we go."