Igniting the Flame (The Ignited Girl Series Book 2)

by EJ Everette

  Bracing myself the best I can and grateful I was able to heal my previously broken ribs last night, my body is slammed over and over again by the massive fists of the brute. I can’t keep my shouts to myself, the pain radiating throughout my entire body. Endless jabs are thrown to my gut, my hips, my shoulders, and my chest. Time stands still as my body takes hit after hit with no end in sight.

  Each time I try to grasp onto a pleasant memory and start healing myself, another punch knocks me out of focus. Dry sobs leave my chest, racking my body with the swallowed tears trying to escape my eyes. Blood drips from my face onto my assailants arms but it doesn’t care. Just when I think I might just die anyway, the blows finally stop. The brute reaches up and unhooks me from my chains, my wrists crusted with blood from where the metal has dug into them deeply. I crash to the ground with the final release of my bound arms, too broken and battered to pull myself up. In a heap, I fade out of consciousness as the brute leaves me.

  The cycle continues for what feels like weeks. Each time I wake, I am greeted with a disappointed Dagnoroth. Whether he is more upset with my clearly unhealed wounds or the fact that I am still somehow alive, I can’t tell. Either way, he always storms out in anger before sending in one of his brutes to beat me until I nearly die from the attack and then unhook me from the wall letting me collapse on the floor. A few times I have woken to a small tray of food and a cup of water. Even though I know it is likely poisoned just like the first batch, I know I need to eat so I finish every bite, sucking the water down until there is nothing left, licking the inside of the cup to ensure I got it all. The sustenance is probably just enough to keep me alive, but beggars can’t be choosers.

  After every beating, I black out on the floor. Mom is there as soon as I close my eyes, walking me through the steps to heal what I can of my internal wounds. Sometimes I beg her to let me die, the pain too much to handle. She never lets me give up, though, and I can feel my body getting stronger with each healing lesson. It is almost like with every recovery, the injured area is burned down to nothing and then remade with sturdier pieces. Fewer of my bones break with each new assault, my skin only bruising to deep purples now instead of black. The cuts across my face will likely scar some since I couldn’t really heal them at all without it being obvious, but still I somehow feel better than before.

  After a pretty rough beating, I find myself conscious still, despite the torture to my body. Desperate to see Mom, I shift my body the best I can, and try to sleep. It takes a while, my body shivering from the cold stone keeping me awake, but I slowly drift off. When I open my eyes, in my dream state, I swear I see Dean for a moment. He looks at me, his eyes large in shock, but he disappears before I can say anything. Huh, that was strange. I haven’t dreamt of anyone but Mom since I got here. Of course, my dreams with Mom aren’t really dreams, but it's the easiest way for me to explain it to myself.

  “Grayelle.”

  Everytime I hear her say my name, my heart races. I love my Mom so much. Seeing her here almost makes it worth the torture.

  “Hey Mom. I missed you.” She floats over to where I am propped up on the wall, sitting down next to me. Her hand rests on my arm where it hugs my waist.

  “I have missed you as well, my princess. How are you feeling today?”

  “Surprisingly well, actually. I think I am getting stronger from all of this healing. Is that possible?” I turn to look at her the best I can. This close to her face, I can see just how spirit-like she is. Though her face looks just as beautiful as I remember it, I can see the darkness of the stone wall behind her. It should creep me out but honestly I am just glad to have time with her. Today curiosity has me brimming and I ask her for something we haven’t discussed yet.

  “I was hoping since I seem to have this self-healing thing down that maybe we could, I don’t know, talk about you today. And my family. Our family. And… maybe my real father?”

  She inhales sharply, which kind of seems pointless since she isn’t really real, but maybe emotional reactions are universal no matter what state you are in. Her hand tries to squeeze my arm but really it just gets warmer. She smiles softly then looks across the room at the wall. She is staring so intently I swear she is seeing something there but when I look, I only see cold rocks stacked to the ceiling.

  “There is so much to tell you, I honestly don’t know where to begin. Many things you will discover on your own, as it should be. I hope you will get the chance soon to visit your home realm. Your grandfather will be a source of great knowledge and overjoyed to see you. He may appear to be rough, but that is only because of the role he plays. He has a great amount of responsibility on his shoulders as ruler over all of the realms. I assure you, though, his love is just as big as ours, my girl.”

  This sparks my first question. “If he would be so happy to see me, why did you run and hide me from him and my family? Why did I have to grow up away from them?”

  “Oh Gray. I was so afraid. Years and years before you were born, I heard the prophecy of your birth. I knew you were destined to be my child and I had to do everything I could to protect you. My father and the rest of the council wanted to prevent you from ever leaving the castle walls should you have been born, but I knew it would only be a matter of time before someone came to harm you. There were factions that would rise up to make you their puppet and use you against your own people. I would never allow that. So, I ran. I planned it out, keeping my secret from every living soul I knew. Long before I carried you in my womb, I began visiting the realms. I never spent too much time in one, as you will learn time moves differently on each plane. I sought out the perfect location to run away with you once you joined me in this world.”

  “During one of my trips to Deeter, I met Gianna and her coven. They were beautiful, strong women with great earth magic. They accepted me instantly and I knew that one day they would do the same with you. I visited them often over the years, though time moved faster here than at home. I knew that, when the time came, I would bring you to them and the two of us would join their coven. I would miss my family, my home, but you would be the only home I ever needed.”

  Quiet tears run down the open wounds on my cheek. I go to wipe them away, but just the brush of my hand against the wounds makes me hiss in pain so I drop my hand and let them fall.

  “You gave up everything. For me. I don’t get it. I mean if you heard about the prophecy as a child, why didn’t you just, I don’t know… close up shop and keep yourself from getting pregnant? Is there no birth control in your realm?” I feel weird asking it but my head is all discombobulated as it is and honestly the question makes sense.

  “Oh Grayelle! The way your mind works. You are so much like him. Your father. The reason I couldn’t just close-up-shop as you put it. I had every intention of remaining single and alone. I knew what having a child would mean and my original plan was to prevent that at all costs. Still, destiny has a weird way of messing with our lives and the day I met Havrett, my heart was lost to him. I was in the meadow awaiting a herd of stags that often grazed there in the evenings. Hunting always helped to soothe my mind so I often escaped with my bow into the woods. As the herd approached, the leader, father of the stags, stood gracefully at the forefront of the group. I paused to admire him in all of his glory. His head was held high, shoulders strong and pulled back. He was confident in his role as father. A confidence I so hopelessly wished I could have.”

  “My pause left room for someone to sneak up next to me. They did so quietly, very well trained, but I could still hear their approach once they were close enough. I ducked down behind the bush I was kneeling next to and waited. Seconds later an arrow shot, straight and true, into the chest of a buck just feet from the father stag. The herd dispersed quickly as my unexpected hunting companion left the outskirts of the meadow to claim his kill. I wiggled around to get a better look, but the movement had me falling forward, effectively landing flat on my face just as the noise caused the man to turn my way. Eyes as deep
blue as the crystal sea stared back at me. Deep brown hair hung in waves around his perfect face and I was a goner. We married within the next lunar cycle and I have never experienced such joy as I did with him.”

  Wow. My dad sounded like a knockout. I tried to picture him as Mom described him, but my mind kept pulling up images of others who’s beauty had struck me the same way my dad’s had gotten to mom. Rip and Reid, their strong lean bodies and auburn hair, matching green eyes that each held their own story. They couldn’t be more different and yet Reid’s gleeful nature always managed to bring a smile to my face and Rip’s desire to care for those who might have gone overlooked touched me so deeply. Mitch, with his thick black locks and dark skin, had eyes that sent peaceful waves of calm directly to my heart. Dean and his sexy tattoo on his ripped body, portrayed a character quite different from the gentleness I experienced with him. And Chance, the stubborn asshole of the god squad who had wormed his way into my heart through his music when I saw a glimpse of his soul, the one he hid so well. I missed the guys something fierce at that moment.

  Distracted with my own thoughts of the guardians who I may never see again, it took me a few minutes to snap out of it and realize Mom was still sitting beside me in silence. I could see both joy and longing on her face. She left my dad, the love of her life, to protect me. And it had gotten her killed.

  “Is he,” I hesitate, afraid to ask but needing to know. “Is he still alive? My dad?”

  Mom turns her head to look at me again, sadness now the dominant emotion in her eyes. She blinks a few times, like she is trying to clear the absent tears from her spirit eyes. My heart races as it practically gets stuck in my throat and I know what she is going to say before she says it.

  “Right before I fled to deeter, there was an attack. Somehow, the factions knew about the prophecy and rumors had spread of a possible pregnancy in the royal family. I was prepared to leave, your father was going to join us after, when the gates were breached. Havrett sent me to hide in the cellar we had designed in case of an attack. He promised me he would follow right behind me. He promised me, Gray. I never would have left his side, but we were both so scared for you. It was our one true purpose to protect you. When he didn’t come for me, I knew something was wrong. I left the cellar in search of him, but it was too late. Your father had been taken by the factions. He was gone. Rescue attempts were made for months, but every one came back empty handed with no hope he had survived. Finally, when I couldn’t hide my changing body any longer, I had to flee.”

  We sit together, unable to truly embrace but both needing the other’s support as we grieve. Mom lost her husband, the man she loved, because of me. Then, I lost Mom. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t been born, you never would have had to lose dad and you’d both still be alive and happy. You died because of me. Both of you were taken and murdered because of me!” Anger and shame like I have never felt vibrate through me. All I bring is pain and death. Even Grams died because of some attempt to get to me. To force me to ignite so I can be used against the realms. I shouldn’t exist. My entire life is only to bring destruction to others.

  “No, my sweet girl. None of this is your fault. Your father and I loved you so much. We would have died a thousand times over to protect you. Gianna felt the same way. You mustn’t let yourself think this way. You are special. You are worth it all. Please, look at me, Grayelle. Look at me. Gray.”

  She tries to pull my face around to hers but she can’t actually move my face. You know, spirit fingers and all. I pull away from her, my mind going to a dark place. A place it has retreated to before. Mom continues to try to get me to focus on her, but I find myself pushing everything away, a hollow feeling washing over me. I pinch myself, legit pinch-me-if-I’m-dreaming pinch and the act has the desired result. With Mom still trying to reassure me, I force myself awake and into the reality that the best thing I can do for the ones I love is let myself die in this cell. At least then I can’t hurt anyone else ever again.

  24

  Reid

  I don’t think I have ever felt sick to my stomach like this before. Waiting for an update in this cold, barren room while my brother and Dean present everything we currently know about Gray and Chance to the council has left my stomach in tight, shifting knots. Surely, now that both of them have had communication with them and visions of their whereabouts the council will deem it worthy of a rescue mission. They have to, right? It is obvious that the Gash demons have taken them both, whether intentionally or not, and that is grounds for an attack. It is our law.

  The hall where I sit is lined with doors, though I doubt any of them really lead anywhere. Like many other buildings in this realm, the council has masked this one to appear to others like a small courthouse. In fact, they have even placed a human receptionist in the front of the building space to further support their illusion. In reality, though, we are in some rundown abandoned building in the middle of town. There are wards on the space to deter inhabitants of this realm from wandering in here, but just in case they do, the receptionist handles it. There is only one door in front of me that leads to an actual room. In that room, my brothers are arguing our case. In that room, they are preparing the council for the battle to come. Out here, I am useless, waiting for an answer, a direction for my anger and anxiety.

  I had just got her. Like, literally. One minute, I was staking out demons with the guys, the next I was running into the woman of my dreams. Gray is every single thing they told us she would be and more. So much more. I knew we would feel close to her, an attachment and desire to protect her, but never did I imagine the desire to walk hand-in-hand with her down the boulevard eating ice cream and laughing about our day. Never did I think I would turn into a complete fool in her presence, desperate for her attention. Never in my wildest imagination did I think she would captivate me, body and soul, to the point where eating and sleeping became second place to being in her presence. She is it for me. Forever. I have never felt so… so human before. Sure, the gods have incredible passion, but those that dwell in the realm of Deeter are known throughout the lands as lovesick fools when they are coupled. So, yeah, I feel human. Literally sick over the idea that the love of my life, sharer of my soul, is too far away to hold and may never return to me.

  Rising from the shitty bench I have undoubtedly left a large imprint on, I begin to pace. The cheap tile flooring creaks a bit under my heavy steps. My jeans hang loosely down my long legs, the denim barely touching each time I stretch out but enough to make a scraping sort of noise that echoes in the open space around me. Just above my right knee my anxiousness has led me to pull and pick at a small spot that has now turned into a gaping hole. Yesterday’s dark blue button up hugs tightly to my arms as they flex beneath it, my fists opening and closing of their own accord. Wearing a path in the small hall, I am lost in my own thoughts of Gray when the door to my right opens suddenly. My twin, mirroring my look almost exactly, steps through the doorway and into the hall to join me. Aside from his glasses and the dark brown of the shirt he is wearing, we are completely identical. Usually our hair is styled differently and only I occasionally have stubble-length facial hair, but when the reason for your existence vanishes, things like brushing your hair and shaving your face kind of take a back seat to just existing.

  “Well?” I ask him, my nerves still bundled tightly within my stomach. Dean steps out right behind him as the door slams shut with a loud bang. Dean looks more exhausted than the rest of us, if that is possible. Not only had he barely slept since Gray was injured in the fire that took her Grams’ life, but since we discovered he can communicate with Chance in the dream world, he has spent almost every night with him getting updates. He has tried, and failed, to reach Gray through her dreams as well. Something keeps blocking him, almost as if she is otherwise occupied and cannot be bothered to let him in. It is driving him crazy.

  “Wait until we are home. We will discuss it more then. Let’s go, Reid. There is nothing more we can do here. Cal
l Mitch and have him meet us at the house. Now.” Dean’s voice is even, strong, and pissed. Fuck. If that means what I think it means, things did not go well in there. I shuffle towards the sealed door, tempted to go in there myself to have words with the old ass men who think they can make decisions for the rest of us. Rip stops me, grabbing my left forearm and shaking his head.

  “Now is not the time. We must focus our energy elsewhere, brother.”

  I stand there for another minute, waring with myself to calm the fuck down and listen to reason. My eyes meet Dean’s and while I see so much defeat there, I also see his fire. He will back me up if I move. He will fight with me, even if it ends badly. Something in his expression gives me pause more than any words from Rip could and I back off. Rip is right. We need to conserve our energies and use those flames to get our girl back.

  The ride back to the house is silent, each of us in our own minds processing what all of this could mean. Rip’s face carries a look I have seen many times in our lives. He is analyzing. His brain can work some wonders, that’s for damn sure, and when he gets amped up there is nothing that can stop him until he has a solution. Generally, I get annoyed at him when he gets like this. His brainiac notions often result in some elaborate plan where I have to do a great deal of shit I do not want to do. I am the strategist, sure, but I also like to get into the action. I am sure Rip’s rational thinking has saved our asses more than once after I have led us into a situation, but that is neither here nor there. As much as I dread where his mind can take us, right now, in this moment, I say bring on the nerd. If he is in the zone, then that means he is working on a way to save Chance and Gray, and I could care less what sort of shit he makes me do if his plan works.

  Once we get to the house, we meet with Mitch in the dining room, sitting around the table like some crazy ass version of King Arthur and his knights. Well, the table is more square than round, but whatever.