Igniting the Flame (The Ignited Girl Series Book 2)

by EJ Everette

  Then, like a scene from an extra cheesy romcom, Leanne comes back from the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to her shoe. I try to tell her about it, but Marty comes up behind her and steps on it, smooth as butter, to save her the embarrassment. Only, he catches part of her flip flop under his shoe in the process and sends her sprawling down to the ground. His saving grace, or should I say hers, is that somehow he manages to end up under her to break her fall. I want to find it cute, romantic even, but then two of them spend almost three full minutes trying to get off the floor in a mess of arms and legs, I can’t handle it anymore. I put some cash down on the table for our bill (and a decent tip for Marty) before grabbing my bestie and lugging her out of the cafe. She waves goodbye to a stunned Marty, all giggles and face twitching movements.

  “Do you think he likes me?” She asks me a few moments later as we enter our first store of the day. Leanne’s shoe snapped with the weight of Marty’s “save” so new footwear is priority one for today. I am looking at a pair of cute sandals, trying to imagine them with one of my comfortable summer dresses for my next date with Finn, when I stop to look at her. Hopefully my face is giving off just how ridiculous I think that question is, but just in case…

  “No shit, Sherlock. That boy is smitten, Miss Sweeten! I can’t believe I am saying this, but you two might just be perfect together.” I place the sandals back on the shelf. Finn and I had some epic kisses on the couch yesterday and all, but he didn’t mention another date or anything. Plus, I have a few burns on my legs so it's probably best not to plan on dresses anytime soon. Ugh.

  “You think? Gah I have wanted that boy for years! It’s about time he noticed me! We are going to have the most beautiful children. My parents will love him, obviously.” She starts rambling as I shake my head. Leanne rarely does anything small. They haven’t even been on one date yet and she is planning their retirement together. Ha!

  We finish at the shoe store, Leanne snatching some super cute wedges that add a good two inches to her tiny frame. Next, she pulls me into a lingerie shop and this time it is my turn for red cheeks.

  “Umm, Le. Why are we here?” Looking around the shop is giving me anxiety. Everything has straps of some sort, leather, or lace. Don’t get me wrong, I have sexy panties and I am not an innocent girl, but just being here makes me think about Finn and the expectations I am sure he will have, if he doesn’t already. How many dates is it again before we get to the panty-showing stage?

  “Girl. You have got to be kidding me. You have an incredibly sexy boyfriend who is, like, borderline obsessed with you. Not to mention a horde of tasty men to fall back on if things go sour with Finn.” This time her wink is less abrasive and more natural but I am back in my head. Should I tell her about the guys? Certainly not the whole god thing, right? Of course, if I can trust anyone with the information, it would be her, right? I mean she is my best friend. Plus, if I can still love her after watching that performance back at the cafe, she surely can love me when she finds out I’m not exactly human. Still, girls day in the middle of a lingerie store is probably not the best time and place. I make a note to get some time with her soon and spill everything.

  “Le, we have been on like two whole dates if you don’t count meeting up at the hospital for one trauma or another. Which I don’t. Can’t we take it slow? Sure, there might be almost literal fire burning in all the right places when he kisses me, but I don’t know about stoking the flames just yet. You get it, right? There is so much going on right now. I just want to be in the moment with Finn. No rush. If he really likes me, he will be okay with waiting awhile, right?” She gives me a look of understanding, and I find myself chewing on my bottom lip.

  “If he doesn’t, we can just, I don’t know, sick the guys on him or something,” she waves it off like it’s no big deal. Like I just have a mini-army of enforcers at my beck and call now. Hell, I guess I kind of do, in theory. Still, I should probably mention that we aren’t on speaking terms at the moment so she can ease up on the references involving the guys.

  “Le, I have to tell you something about yesterday...” I trail off as the feeling of being watched overcomes me. My initial instinct is fear as I turn from side to side, looking for any sign of danger. The fear quickly subsides, though, as I sense Chance nearby. I can’t see him, thankfully, but I know he is close, Really close. True to their word, the guys are keeping tabs on me. Fucking stalkers. Whatever. They can follow me around all they want. I am here with Leanne and I am not going to let their “destiny” nonsense screw up our fucking girls' day.

  “Well, you gonna tell me or make me guess, babe?” Her eyes follow mine around the store, questioning in her look of confusion.

  “Yeah but, um, can we go? I don’t care where we end up, just can we get out of this store right now?” I start moving toward the door and she, thankfully, follows suit. We walk down the sidewalk for a few minutes, not really choosing a store, just enjoying being outside. Finally, when I feel like I can still sense Chance but much farther away now, I grab her hand and pull her into some voodoo style shop.

  “What’s going on, Gray? You’re starting to scare me girl! What the hell?” We walk further into the shop, nodding our heads at the lady in the corner behind the counter.

  “I’m sorry, hun. Listen, things are complicated right now, though when are they not? Anyway, the guys and I got into a bit of an argument over… over their place in my life and Finn and stuff. Basically there is so much I need to tell you, that I want to tell you, but now isn’t the time. Just know the guys and I, we aren’t exactly talking right now. I asked them for some space, though the fuckers don’t seem to know what that means, but still. Like everything is fine and you don’t need to worry at all really, well maybe a little, but it’s going to be fine and I will tell you everything you need to know and more when we get a chance. K?” Fuck. I just rambled up a storm and Leanne is looking at me like a deer caught in oncoming headlights. She stares for a moment, blinks a few times, then smiles some mischievous looking grin. Um, okay?

  “So the guys are jelly about Hunk of Burnin’ Finn, huh?” She giggles. “Serves them right. I told you before you’d probably end up having to make a choice. Sounds like you made it, babe. I am seriously proud of you, and sorta wickedly impressed. I don’t know if I would have been able to choose. I do think you made the right choice, though. Finn is seriously the sweetest and ha-chi-wawa! That boy is fine!” She trails her fingers along the shelf next to some shrunken head things and shrugs her shoulders, “Honestly, Gray, if you’re happy then I am happy. And I know Tanner is going to be happy. That boy might have a bigger crush on Finn than you do these days. I mean, not literally, but they have gotten so close. They’re like brothers already.”

  “Yeah, I noticed. It makes me happy that Tan has another guy in his corner and yeah, it might just be beyond hot that Finn takes such good care of one of my favorite people.” I fan myself dramatically, cutting up with Le as we wander around the shop. This feels good. Normal. We try on crazy looking witch hats, pick out some extreme necklaces with little voodoo men hanging from them for each other, and even snatch a few recipes for “guaranteed happiness” to mix in our little cauldron. Maybe we can fix everything with a few herbs and some eye of newt.

  The two of us are carrying on when we get to the counter. The older lady who greeted us when we came in, moves to scan our choices, bagging them in a brown paper bag as she goes. Behind her there is a massive wall of photos from all over the world. Some are polaroids, others printed film. Some showcase beautiful scenery while others hold images of laughing faces, mostly of older women in small groups. Caught up in the happiness radiating off of the photos, I miss when the lady tells me my total. Leanne nudges me, bringing me back to reality, and I quickly pull the cash from my pocket to pay her. When our hands touch, the lady sucks in a deep breath, like I shocked her. I want to react, but warmth is moving across my skin from where our fingertips touch, down my arm, and across my body. She and I stare at each ot
her for what feels like hours, the exchange between us so intimate for two people who have never met.

  “Uh, dude, just let go of the money. If it’s too expensive we can put some back or I can pay for some of it. You don’t have to be stingy.” Leanne’s voice sounds miles away instead of right beside me, but it’s enough of an interruption to break whatever connection the lady and I were sharing. I pull my hand back quickly, leaving the cash in grip.

  “Gia,” the lady croaks out at me. “Gia, I feel you.” I go to correct her, that my name is not Gia, when it clicks. Gia. Gianna.

  “Did you know my Grams? My Grandmother? Gianna?” She is looking in my direction, but almost through me. She nods her head slowly and backs away from the counter. “Hey, wait. I’m sorry. My Grams, Gia, she… she isn’t with us anymore. What I mean to say is, she is gone. She… she died. In a fire.” My tongue feels swollen as I speak, my mouth choking out the words. It’s the first time I have been able to say it aloud. Shit, even in my head.

  “I know, my dear. I know. She told me,” the old lady mutters. She isn’t making any sense but she has moved away from the counter and is now moving her hand around the picture board behind where she just stood. Her frail fingers wrap around an image and she removes the pin to pull it from the board before bringing it over to lay it on the counter in front of me. Leanne stands quietly by my side, her eyes wide with either fear or wonder, I can’t quite tell.

  The lady indicates I should look at the picture so, regardless of how incredibly creepy this whole situation has turned out to be, I do. The first thing I notice is a younger version of the shop lady. She is sitting on the edge of a large group of women, all in long draped dresses with vines and flowers around them. My eyes scan the rest of the photo, locking onto the reason she is sharing this particular image with me. Right smack in the middle of the group, is Grams. Younger, her hair in long braids down either side of her face, but still very much her. My eyes water some, the image tugging at my heart. Seeing her again, even like this, is so real. I am about to hand the photo back to the woman when I catch a glimpse of two more familiar faces. Behind Grams is Petra, the lawyer friend of hers who gave me the box of Grams’ things and told me to contact her when I am ready to talk.

  And just to the right of Grams, looking young and full of life, is Keilitara. My mother.

  The last thing I remember is my hand gripping tight to the photo of my mother and grandmother, both looking exactly the same age, before my peripheral vision darkens and I feel myself fall to the ground in darkness.

  10

  Gray

  “What are you even doing here? Gray said ya’ll got in a big ass fight and weren’t talking. Oh my god! Are you stalking her? Holy shit! Bro that is like not even kind of okay. Some girls might think that shit is cute but not us. Hell no!”

  I hear a few grunting sounds as my body is raised up and placed on some sort of seat. I can’t quite get my eyes open, but I can feel them. This time, Chance has someone with him. Rip is talking to Leanne in hushed voices, trying to calm my friend down. That means… that means the arms wrapped around my body belong to the blonde giant.

  “We were not stalking anyone, Leanne. We just happened by at the right time. We were two stores over looking at some gear for surfing this weekend, hence the shopping bags in the back. Now, if you don’t mind, we need to see to Gray and get her to the hospital. Can you tell me what happened?” Rip sounds annoyed but like he is forcing himself to sound friendly to my best friend. Smart guy, that one.

  “Uh over my tiny dead body are you taking her anywhere. I don’t even know you guys. Gray comes with me, no arguments or so help me I will call Finn right now and sick him on your ass!” My spunky little friend is going to get so many free coffee coupons after this though it doesn’t pass my attention that she threatened the guys with Finn the same way she threatened to sick the guys on Finn if things went downhill. There are more sounds of hushed voices but I am only catching every few words. It sounds like Rip is not taking no for an answer either and I really wish I could just wake all the way up and tell him to fuck off.

  “Okay pixie, answer me this. Can you carry your friend? Can you? Because right now she is out cold and sure as shit isn’t getting herself to the hospital. You can follow us there. You can call however many little men you want to accompany our truck, but seeing as how she is being held by me and we are already in my truck, maybe you should focus on getting her help more than pitching a damn fit like a child.”

  Holy shit. Chance. He isn’t letting me go either. Fuck this. He is sorely going to regret talking to Leanne that way but, by the silence around us, either I have blacked all the way out again, or my best friend is stewing in anger but agreeing to their demands. This is a disaster. Can’t I just have one normal fucking day?

  “Fine. I will be right on your ass the whole way. Go straight to the hospital. No extra stops, no funny business. I am calling Tanner and Finn. We will meet there. She didn’t hit her head, if you are wondering. You whisked the fuck in and caught her in time Mr. we-weren’t-following-you. Sounds sketchy to me but your norse god over there is right, I can’t very well carry her. Get her to the hospital and I will deal with you two in a few minutes.”

  “No, you drive the truck. I’ve got her.” Leanne must have already left to go back to the car, wherever that is compared to where we are. I guess Rip offered to take me but Chance refused? He is letting Rip drive? He hates being anywhere but in control. Huh.

  “We need to see if we can trigger her healing. She has to wake up and tell us what the hell that lady did to her.” Rip sounds methodical, like when he was tutoring me. He is making a list of things that need to be done while thinking through the scenario. I have noticed he does that often. “I’m calling the guys now to meet us. I imagine we need to be prepared for a scene at the hospital.” Oh shit. Finn. His mom works there. She stopped in a few times while I was in the hospital but never when I was coherent. Finn doesn’t need this mess. Ugh. Come on Gray. wake up.

  “She is moving a bit. Did you see her arms? And her face? Her scarring is almost non-existent now. The wounds are completely closed as far as I can see. It’s like nothing major happened. Whatever that witch did, it triggered something. Drive faster. We need to get her to the hospital and then home before anyone else catches on.”

  “No. No ho-hos-hospital. Take me ho-home.” Ah ha! Words! My eyes shakily open, immediately assaulted by the glare of one Chance Bradley. He stares right into my soul. At first, I think I feel irritation from him. The more I look, the more I allow myself to reach out and sense him, the more I can tell it isn’t irritation at me. He is irritated with himself for something. And he is worried. Our eyes stay locked and I can hear Rip beside me rushing through a call to the guys. He tells them we are heading to the hospital. I go to protest but Chance beats me to it.

  “No. She said to take her home. She is fine. I can… I can feel it. Can’t you?” His eyes still never leave mine and I find a question in them. One I am not prepared to think about, much less answer. I am the one to break the staring contest, turning away from him while working to right myself in his arms. I am moving around, sitting up is difficult in someone’s lap in a vehicle, but I manage to get most of the way vertical. Chance’s eyes are closed and I think I might have hurt him when I hear Mitch, through the phone, curse and shout his name.

  “Seriously dude? Like how the fuck is that okay right now? Isn’t she basically comatose in your arms? Clear your damn mind. I can feel your shit from here.”

  “Don’t you think I am trying?” Chance yells through gritted teeth. “Maybe if the princess would just sit the fuck still and stop sliding all over my lap, it would be a little easier to, you know, clear my damn mind!”

  What? What does… oh. Oops.

  “Well maybe if you would let me get into a seat by myself, He-Man, you wouldn’t have to worry about your damn mind or my wiggling ass!” I shout. I move to extract myself completely now that I know I won’t jus
t fall back over from dizziness, but Chance’s hands grip my waist tighter, restricting my movement. Our eyes meet once again, his jaw is tight, hard. He wants to say something. It’s right there in his eyes, in his mind, but he doesn’t bother. After another second he practically pushes me across the back of the truck so I end up sprawled out on the seat behind Rip.

  “Chance. Seriously. Was that necessary?” Rip admonishes him, then ends the call with Mitch. Thankfully it looks like Rip is turning to take me back to Leanne’s instead of towards the hospital. Shit. I need to call Le right now and tell her or she is going to be so mad.

  I reach for my phone but Chance stops my hands with his.

  “We need to know what happened. I will text your friend. You talk.” And with that, he grabs my phone from where it is wedged into the seat and shoots a message that I am hoping goes to Leanne with an update.

  “It’s literally none of your business. Just get me back to the house and then leave me alone. I said I didn’t want to see you. Any of you. And don’t think I haven’t felt you lurking. What is that about, anyway?” Don’t trust them. Wall erected. Keep it together.

  “That,” Chance says with some nonchalance, “is literally none of your business.” He throws my words back at me. Okay, now I am really pissed. These guys have pushed my limits so far beyond my breaking point.

  “Chance. Just shut the hell up. Gray, I told you we would be nearby. It is our purpose to protect you and you are not safe. We are doing our best to keep you safe while you still live your life. I apologize if you feel violated somehow by this, but we will not budge on the matter. Now, we need to know what happened in that shop. I caught a glimpse of you with the woman, some sort of surge taking place between you, then all I saw was darkness. I barely made it in the shop in time to catch you before you hit the ground. Are you okay?” I hate when Rip sounds like he cares. It confuses everything in my mind, making my anger feel childish instead of warranted. Still, some weird shit did happen in that shop when that lady touched my hand.