Flicker and Flame: Magic Bound Book One

by Willow Hayes

  “What do you mean it isn’t safe? Am I in danger?” My voice rising with my fear.

  She looks at me sadly before she says, “I know not what the danger is, only that it is not safe for you to reveal yourself.”

  Okay then, well that’s a whole other kettle of stinky fish, especially given the words on the picture last night, but we’ll move on to question number two. “You said my magic was bound, but how long will it be until it is completely free? Also, you said it is wild and powerful, so what do I need to do to train it?” Wild does not sound like something that is easily controlled, and that’s only slightly terrifying.

  “I am sorry child, but I do not know when your magic will be free. I would imagine since your men here were the spark that loosened the binding they will be the answer to freeing your magic completely. As to learning how to train your magic, you do not have to look far to find your answer.” She gestures with her wrinkled hand to my guys and continues on, “Your men have everything you need to train your magic.”

  Okay, well that leaves me with my final question. “How does this bond thing work?” I try to keep my blush at bay with the question, but I can feel it creeping up my neck regardless.

  She smiles broadly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Your magic and soul are entwined. You cannot have one without the other. Therefore, when your magic called out to each of your men your souls resonated, and they were forever marked as yours. The bond between you will only strengthen as you grow closer. It must be solidified however, before you can take the throne.”

  Holy shit my brain is exploding again. Take the throne? When did that discussion take place? I just found out I’m the fucking princess. I am so not ready for any castle storming. Solidified? What does that mean? Gods, I hope she doesn’t mean sex. Or maybe I do. Gah! But that seems like it could get a lot messy. Not to mention relationships and I do not mix. We broke up and aren’t on speaking terms.

  I am studiously avoiding the guys’ eyes as I sum up what I’ve just learned, which is an astronomical amount of shit, “So, if I understand all this correctly, I am the princess,” which still feels weird as all get out to say, but I plunge on, “but I cannot reveal myself because I’m in danger, my magic is an angsty teenager that needs to be trained, and the guys and I must solidify our bond?” I tick them off on my fingers as I run through the list. Purposely leaving out the castle storming bit because I’m not ready for that shit, and I try desperately to be nonchalant about the whole thing. Based on the looks of sympathy I’m getting from the guys though I failed miserably.

  “That is indeed the sum of what you have learned. You will need your men in the coming trials. Do not push them away and trust they are here for you.” I smile a bit weakly at her at this because trust and I have complicated issues. “You must stay here for the evening. It is almost full dark. I have room enough for you all, and I have not had company in quite some time.”

  I look to Nakoa, and he responds to Akira’s invitation, “We would love to stay, thank you.” Then we are making sleeping arrangements, helping to prepare dinner, and talking about anything except what we learned today.

  Fifteen

  Luka

  “What the fuck do you mean I can’t go back?” Kenna, all but jumps out of her seat after Koa tells her she shouldn’t go home tonight once we returned from the cottage. I attempt to bite back the smile threatening to burst. Our fiery girl would not appreciate my smile at present. Koa had already let us know that he intended for Kenna to stay here, with us, indefinitely, and he feels that it would be best that she not return to work at all. I shook my head and laughed at him even though I agree. I told him he was crazy if he thinks Kenna is simply going to nod and say yes to whatever he dictates.

  Teo and I threw a bet down on it after hearing his plan. I put money on her storming out of here, regardless of what Koa, or any of us, think. Teo bets she’ll concede but will be royally pissed off. Pun intended.

  “What we learned yesterday changes everything, Kenna. You can’t expect to simply go back to your old life now. It’s not safe.” He tries reasoning with her. Oh dude, that is so not going to work.

  “The fuck I can’t!” Her face is flushed with anger, and I’m struck with the thought that she looks sexy as fuck when she’s angry. I also kind of love how much this badass woman swears. Particularly her frequent use of fuck. It certainly conjures up images I have no business thinking right now though. I try to divert my thoughts before my dick gives me away. “I have gone twenty-six years without a single threat, why would that change now? It’s not like I plan on telling the world, Hey guys! I’m the princess!” She throws her hands in the air, and sarcasm drips from her voice. I grin and quickly throw my hand up to my face to cover it.

  Koa shakes his head in exasperation before saying, “But you are the princess, and everything has changed, and you have received a threat.” He gestures in exasperation. “Kenna, I know how important your kids are to you, but you just can’t go back to work. You are the princess, and you left as a human and are returning a caster! Don’t you think that is going to stir up questions and draw undue attention to yourself? Which you can’t afford given how important it is for you to fly under the radar right now. Akira told us that you are in danger. You can’t just ignore that!”

  “Nakoa, I’m taking the night with my friend because I need it. I’m not going to argue with you about this anymore because I have no intention of making a decision about the rest of my life tonight when I’m tired and fucking pissed. I’m going, and I was not asking for permission.” And with that she walks out the door, slamming it behind her.

  I turn to Teo with a shit eating grin and gloat, “You owe me a hundred bucks.”

  Kenna

  By the time I finish telling Rya about the trip there, and everything I learned we have polished off a bottle of wine and have started in on another. Rya gasped at all the right parts in the story and waggled her eyebrows suggestively when I told her about my conversation with Nakoa in the forest. In a very adult, and not at all childish way, I stuck my tongue out at her. “Right when we got to the house Nakoa springs on me that he thinks I shouldn’t return to work at all after all that we’ve learned.”

  “What do you think?” Rya asks as she takes another drink of wine.

  “I don’t know.” I shrug helplessly as I fiddle with the stem of my wine glass. “The grown up side of me acknowledges he’s probably right. I am the princess, with magic I can’t control, and somebody out there does not want anyone else to know.” Emotion restricts my throat simply thinking these next words, but I manage to say, “But as a former foster kid how can I possibly abandon my kids? Abandon them like everyone else has.” Like everyone did to me. I don’t say those last words out loud, but I don’t need to.

  Rya reaches out to grasp my hand before she asks, “Are there staff members whom you trust to take on your kids?” Seeing the instant argument on my lips she adds, “In a professional capacity at least.”

  I can feel the panic start to choke me over the idea of leaving my kids, but then Akito places his warm paw on my leg, helping to ground me in the moment. I bury my face in his neck and breathe in his familiar warm scent until the panic recedes. I silently tell him thank you with a kiss on his head. He turns his head and looks up at me with his kind intelligent eyes then licks my cheek. I take a moment to think through my colleagues, putting aside my own personal shit, and decide on some names. “Sure, a few.”

  A thought occurs to me that we haven’t talked about yet. “Rya, I might be willing to distribute kids on my caseload to other staff, but I can’t not teach my class! There is no one else to teach it, and I can’t abandon them either!” I exclaim in panic at the thought of ending my class. Some of my kids have nothing outside of school and life at their foster home except my class.

  Rya’s thoughtful after my outburst before she says, “Maybe Reg would be willing to take it over for now?”

  “I hadn’t thought about that, but it’s
a possibility.” He might be willing to temporarily take over, though I still feel as though I am abandoning them.

  I’m quiet for a while as I think things through before Rya breaks the silence and says, “I can’t imagine all the stress and turmoil you must be going through right now. Your whole world has been turned upside down and backwards, but always remember that you still have me. I loved you before magic, and I’ll love you after magic.”

  My eyes tear up at her words, and Akito nudges my hand as if to say me too. I blink back my tears and say, “I didn’t know how much I needed to hear that until just now.” I surprise her by throwing my arms around her for a hug.

  “Just know, there is no way I am calling you, Your Highness. Can’t have you getting a big head now, can we?” She winks at me, and we both start to laugh which lightens the mood. “I can’t believe that you are the descendant of two goddesses! That’s just crazy!” Rya’s eyes are wide and her smile even wider.

  “All of this is crazy!” With a laugh I throw my hands up and shake my head.

  “I know you would be losing so much, and that is especially hard for you, but think of what you will gain.” I start to protest, but she holds up a hand and with a small smile says, “Let me finish. I’m sure the idea of being princess and probably eventually queen,” that thought makes me blanch, “doesn’t seem like something you would want to gain, but think of this, it is your birthright. Your mother sat on the throne and knew that one day you would too. She was beloved and left a beautiful legacy for you.” Her words, though beautiful, only seem to make me cringe. I am so not ready to go there. Magic first, throne later. Maybe.

  “Plus you will be gaining your sexy group of men who want to protect you and be there for you.” I scoff at that, especially given the heated argument with Nakoa before coming here. I must have made a face because she says, “I know it’s hard for you to let people in, trust me, it took me a long while to get past the walls you have built to protect your heart. But know this, the same walls you’ve built to keep out the pain will also keep the joy out.” I don’t know what to think of her statement because I think I’m pretty happy. Or at least content. So I brush her assessment aside and hear out the rest of what she has to say, “The last thing you would be gaining is the chance to make a difference, and not only in your limited capacity as a human in our magical world and only for the fortunate few who end up on your caseload or in your class, but a difference for millions of lives who suffer under her reign.”

  Her words shake me to my core. Never once, in all that has happened over the last few weeks, have I thought of what I would gain, only of what I would lose and of the ever present fear. I have spent my entire life fighting for those who could not fight for themselves and had to be content to make a difference in my own small way, but if this is real, if I can really do this, then I can affect real change to help so many.

  My hands are shaking when I look up at Rya, and she gives me a smile, and I totally ruin the moment in the most Kenna-ish way possible. “Holy fucking shit!” We both start laughing until we have tears streaming down our faces. The laughter helping to break up the solid brick that has lived in my stomach for days.

  I take a deep breath and say the words that will change my world once again, “Okay, I will resign, and I’ll ask Reg if he will teach the class for me.” I take a huge shuddering breath at having said those words out loud. “I have some money in savings that can cover my half of the bills for a few months. At least until I figure everything out.” Rya tries to protest, but I yell loudly to drown her out, “Shut it you! Or I won’t let you live in the palace with me!” I wink at her, and she huffs but stops talking. I celebrate my victory because I know it’ll be short lived. “I will call the guys to let them know. Will you help me pack my stuff?”

  Sixteen

  Nakoa

  I knock on Kenna’s door at 7:15, and when she answers I take in her black pencil skirt that hugs her curvy hips, fitted white button down shirt, and red stilettos. Even in her heels she still has to tip her head back to meet my eyes. Her hair is pulled back into a sleek pony tail, revealing her long slender neck. In a word she looks utterly delicious. I shake away the thought and greet her with a smile, “Good morning.”

  She smiles shyly, and I decide I like shy Kenna just as much as fiery Kenna. “Good morning. Come on in, I have to finish packing the last few things into my suitcase.” I nod and walk into the living room to look around while I wait. When I was here a few nights ago I wasn’t able to take much in, my focus being the threat against Kenna, so this morning my gaze takes in the details of the lush indoor garden they call a living room. I can see we are going to need to invest in a few plants to help Kenna feel at home. I shoot a quick text to Luka about the plants and slide my phone back into my pocket. I wander over to a wall full of stunning framed photographs of various plants and trees. As I’m examining each picture a voice speaks from the hallway, “Those are Kenna’s.” I look over to see Rya, wearing jeans and a pink t-shirt with the nursery name Garden Boss printed on it, making her way to the kitchen.

  “They are gorgeous.” I am floored that this is her work. I know Rya said Kenna was talented, but I never imagined that our little firefly was this good.

  “Maybe one day she’ll figure out how talented she is.” She shrugs and starts making coffee. Kenna calls out the name Akito from down the hall, and I turn in time to see a blur of red I hadn’t noticed on the couch speed toward her voice. I decide to make my way down the hallway and hope she doesn’t spit fire when I show up at her door, but my curiosity to see what her domain looks like gets the better of me.

  Her bedroom is lush in a different way. Where the living room was all about the beauty of nature, her room could be an ode to the warmth of fire. I chuckle as I take in the various shades of red and orange. The room matches the fiery woman standing in front of me that’s for sure. I make my way to a wall that is also covered in framed photographs, these of various sunrises. All of which are stunning, and I’m guessing these are hers as well. “Is this your work?” I turn to her as she is placing a few things in a bag.

  She looks to where I gestured and flushes. “Yeah, I have a thing for sunrises.” She shrugs, downplaying her talent.

  “They are beautiful, Firefly. You are truly talented.” At my words the flush spreads from her neck to her cheeks, and she appears to be quite flustered.

  “Um, thank you.” She pauses a beat, as if she doesn’t know what to say next and instead turns to the flash of red from earlier and starts crooning sadly to him. I realize it’s the kitsune who stood protectively at her side when we came the other night.

  “Is he yours?” I ask out of curiosity, dying to know how this unique pairing came to be.

  “I think I’m more his than he is mine. He found his way to me while I was living in the last….house… before I aged out.” She pauses on the word house, but doesn’t say more, leaving me dying to find out more about this special woman. “I was going through a particularly dark time and somehow he appeared and kept coming back. He’s been my steady companion since I moved to university.” She looks at him sadly, and he bumps her with his nose. He truly is a beautiful kitsune. His markings remind me of fire, which seems appropriate given who his chosen companion is, and they run up each of his three tails. She grabs his face and rests her forehead against his. “Don’t cause too much trouble with Rya. You know she isn’t as fond of your mischievous pranks.”

  I realize she is saying goodbye to him, and I interrupt, “Firefly, Akito can come with us if you would like. You don’t have to leave him behind.”

  She snaps her head in my direction with so much hope in her eyes it makes me very glad I made the offer. “Really?” she half whispers, seemingly afraid to say it too loud lest the words be snatched away.

  “Really. I’m sure it will be nice for you to have a friend in a new place, and it’ll be nice for us to have him around,” I reassure her. Even if the guys don’t love having Akito around, wh
ich I’m sure they will given how protective he is of her, they would do just about anything for this woman, so I make the promise with ease. “Why don’t you pack up Akito’s things, and I can take your suitcases down? Oh, and before I forget, Teo will be taking your car to the house, so we don’t have to worry about it later.”

  It seems to hit her that she really can bring Akito along, so she turns to him and asks if he wants to come, which I think is a sweet gesture, but then I see him nod his head, and I realize she was genuinely asking him. I chuckle a bit, but before I can grab the suitcases she throws herself at me and hugs me tight, whispering the most heartfelt words of gratitude I have ever heard. I rub her back a bit before gently extricating myself. I give her a smile and grab her keys and suitcases.

  As I come into the living room Rya stops me before I can walk any further. She leans in and whispers, quietly enough that Kenna won’t be able to hear, “What you did just now, it might seem like a small thing to you, but that girl has lost everything time and again. Akito is one of the only truly good things left in her life. She doesn’t trust easily, and if you break that trust you’ll likely lose her forever. Please take care of my best friend, and I’m not just talking protection.” She straightens and walks to the kitchen as if nothing happened. Rya is definitely one of the good things in Kenna’s life, but I hope that I, and the guys, can eventually be counted among them as well. I catch her eye and give her a small nod of acknowledgement before walking down to the SUV.

  As we leave her office building I sense that some of the tension that had her coiled tight has eased some. Her boss seemed nice enough, and Noella was a kick, but I didn’t like the man Kenna pointed out as being from the regional office. His cold gaze followed Kenna as she moved around the office saying goodbye. “How are you holding up?” I ask, turning towards her after we get in the SUV. Akito sticks his nose right up to her ear making her laugh, and she pushes him away.