Igniting the Flame (The Ignited Girl Series Book 2)

by EJ Everette

  With Chance’s wounds dressed and Gray standing, conscious again, Reid steps in to lay out our next steps.

  “We need to get back to the portal before they get between us and it. If everyone feels okay to move, we can set a pretty decent pace and reach it by sundown.” He looks around, all of our heads nodding in agreement, and we start off in the direction we came. Chance walks over to Gray, whispers something in her ear, but she shakes him off, her hand pressing against his bare chest in a familiar way. Hmm, what happened down there exactly? He looks at her pleadingly, his hand coming to cover the one she has placed against him, but she shakes her head, straightening her back in an exaggerated gesture.

  It’s only when we start walking that I put two and two together, making sense of their little conversation. Gray is depleted. She may be putting on a strong face, something I have seen her do since I met her, but there is more going on she has not told us yet and her body looks like it is going to crumble into itself at any minute. I know I am going to suffer a shit ton of pain later for this, as I strengthen my barriers one by one in my mind. I have to expel a great deal of focus and energy to keep them there and I will definitely be feeling the after effects later, but it is worth it. As soon as they are ready I ease back a few steps before sidling up to Gray. Before she can say anything, I reach over and swing her onto my back, gripping her bare legs just behind her knees.

  “Mitch, put me down. I can walk. I’m fine.” Her lies may fool someone else, but even with my barriers up I can tell she is beat. Her stubbornness refuses to allow me to help her, so I try a different approach even though it really feels physically impossible for me to stand by and watch her suffer.

  “Listen, doll, we have a long way to go, an angry army of demons likely tracking us at this very moment, and I have been deprived of a good meal for almost an entire day as a result of this mission. You have the shortest legs and the least experience. Now, be a good little monkey, hold on, and let me get us there faster. Deal?” I try to put some humor in my voice so she will know I am not angry, just teasing her. She sighs heavily before resting her head on my shoulder.

  “Fine, teddy bear. Whatever you say. I didn’t feel like walking much anyway.”

  A low growl rumbles in my chest at the use of her nickname for me. I never thought I would be so damn pleased to be called a teddy bear in my entire life, but it sure as hell feels good. My body warms everywhere we touch, the connection between us pushing us to take the next step. With my barriers up against any mental feedback, my heart is vulnerable at the moment, unable to resist the glow of being with my mate.

  “Umm, Mitch. What is that?” I don’t have to ask her what she is talking about. I know my body temperature just ramped up a few degrees, heating our skin where my hands hold her legs and her head rests against my exposed neck.

  “It is hot in this realm and I am sporting a person backpack. Nothing to worry about. Now rest. We will be there soon.”

  “Yeah, yeah. If only you knew just how badass I am, you wouldn’t be so worried about me. Right, Chance? Tell them.”

  Shifting my thoughts from the intense desires to continue the bonding, I look over at Chance who is flanking us on my left. His eyes are darting across the horizon, looking for any potential threats, but he remains quiet, leaving Gray’s question unanswered.

  Finally, after a way-too-long awkward silence, the sound of Gray snoring reaches our little party, each of my brothers grinning at the interruption.

  “She looks different somehow. I am not sure what it is and it is really bothering me. Do you know anything?” Rip has his hand pulled up to his face, adjusting and readjusting his glasses as if they will suddenly provide the insight he was lacking.

  We are all dressed in the same battle garb we usually wear, though we kept the armor and weapons pretty light. Rip wears his daggers, all five of them, along his waistline on his belt. Reid has two short swords strapped to his back. Dean’s chest is wrapped in straps covered in throwing knives, ninja stars, you name it he can throw it with deadly precision. I have my long hunting knife secured along my right thigh, a set of matching jagged blades, and two pistols in my front holster. Chance and I both like the feel of the modern weapon, usually choosing to carry at least one alongside our standard pieces, but obviously he is completely weaponless right now, wearing nothing except a pair of jogging pants that have seen far better days.

  For a moment I completely forgot Rip asked a question, but Chance finally speaks up and shocks the hell out of all of us.

  “She can heal herself, better than before. She is stronger, faster, and was able to thrust a sword deep into a jagger demon multiple times on her own. When she did, her arms glowed with small flames that were practically transparent. They did not burn her, just lit her up as she moved. And,” he pauses, running his hand through his knotted locks before pushing it down his face with a sigh, “she has the ability to manipulate fire.”

  Fuck. This is not good, not good at all.

  The rest of the team stays silent as we all work through just what this means. They will come for her, now, I know it. Damnit. We just fucking got her back and we are going to have to prepare for them on top of all of this. How did she get the ability to manipulate fire while chained up in the demon realm? Did they do something to her? Experiment on her? So fucking help me if they somehow caused all of this I will burn every single one of them to ash myself.

  “We need to know what she knows. Obviously this means more than any of us are ready for. Once we get back, there will be a great deal of work to do.” Rip is already naming off shit for each of us to focus on, going straight into analytical mode, pushing his emotional reactions to the side so he can best serve our girl. I wish I had the same ability.

  If Gray can manipulate fire, then she is a threat to all of the realms. No one has had the ability to handle that element for millennia. We have spent the majority of our lives training to protect the prophecy girl, our fated, from outside forces who will want to use her, harness her power for evil. Now, we are going to have to find a way to protect her from her very own people. If anyone finds out about her ability to manipulate, she will be hunted by every army from every realm, no matter what her royal lineage may be.

  Fuck, the world is going to come for our girl but one thing is for sure. They’ll never take her from us again.

  32

  Gray

  Something hard and heavy beneath my chin jars me awake, my head shooting up to take in my surroundings. It’s dark and my mind begins to flood with anxiety, fear coursing through me. Am I back in the cell? What is that noise just up ahead of me?

  It takes another second, and Mitch shifting my body with his big hands which are currently wrapped around my tiny thighs, for me to remember that I am safe. The guys came for us. We are all together now and they are taking me home. It’s night time but I can still see well enough to take in the path ahead. I guess my mind just thought we’d be stealthily trekking through some jungle to get to the portal Reid was talking about. Instead, it looks much more like a dry strip of land with a few trees, or what I guess is meant to pass as trees, and thick black dirt everywhere. There are boulders along the ground that we have to either go around or climb over, but nothing extreme. Suddenly I am very aware of the fact that I was just sleeping on Mitch’s shoulder and I can pretty much guarantee, if the moisture on my chin is any indication, that I drooled on him. Oh mylanta, why is this my life?!

  “Looks like sleeping beauty is finally awake.” Dean stands next to me, his tall lean frame walking alongside of Mitch and I, his legs taking steps it would take me twice as many movements to make. I suppose Mitch has a point. I’d definitely slow everyone down with my little legs. Of course, I was 100% not in any shape to walk when we started, my energy having been totally drained, but I didn’t want them to know that.

  Then again, apparently Mitch can read my mind now so he probably already knew. Oh shit what if he could hear my dreams, too? I had just been lounging on a b
each somewhere with all five of the guys surrounding me, all of them with their chests bared to me for full opportunity ogling. The thoughts that had circled around in my mind during that dream were as restricted as a X-rated movie!

  “I don’t pick my dreams, you know,” I blurt out in hopes of doing some damage control. “I have no control over what happens in them. I am just as shocked as you are, I’m sure. Seriously, I have no idea where any of that came from, but it wasn’t my fault. Really.”

  Dean looks at me with both confusion and a little bit of humor. Beneath me, Mitch’s big bear laugh rumbles around inside his chest, shaking me as he howls at my comment. Oh no he did hear my dream! Shoot me now!

  “Don’t worry, doll. I did not hear anything from you. I have my barriers up until we can teach you how to block me out, so your dreams were all your own. Of course, I am not the dream walker of the group.” He laughs again, my embarrassment increasing with every step, so I push on his back a bit to indicate I want to walk. He hesitates for a second but stops to let me down. It takes me a moment to find my sea legs, so to speak, but I am pleased to see that my little nap must have restored some of my natural energy, making walking a task I can thankfully complete on my own now.

  “Wait, dream walker? What is a dream walker?” His statement finally registers with me, and now I am beyond curious. I remember something from the day the guys told me about who I really was, but most of it is a blur thanks to all the trauma.

  “That would be part of my special gift, angel.” Now that I am walking solo, Dean has sidled up next to me so close we are practically touching. It should bother me that they are all so close, freely holding me or leaning into my space, but right now they make me feel so safe that I kind of crave the contact. As if he is the one who can read minds, Dean reaches out, taking my hand in his like a habit we have created over time, before continuing his explanation.

  “Just like Mitch told you a few weeks ago, I can control people’s consciousness, to a degree. Not only that, but the ability to manipulate those states means I can also enter into others' dreams if I focus hard enough.” Our hands feel comfortable together, so I keep mine in his as we walk. Somehow I know he needs the reassurance that I am here and okay that touching me is bringing him.

  “But how? Like how does that come about? I can’t remember most of what you all dropped on me that day, to be honest. Oh crap! Was that the real you in my dream just now?” One of his eyebrows goes up, a goofy grin spreading across his face.

  “Are you telling me you were just dreaming about me, angel? Because I would not say I minded if you were. Matter of fact, I am quite curious now. Just what exactly was I doing in this dream that has you so, um, worked up?”

  “What? No! I mean, ugh just answer the question.” My face must be beat fucking red right now, but then again they have all seen my traffic light impression before.

  Dean laughs, as do the rest of the guys, at some unspoken joke I have yet to catch on to. Must be nice to just know everything already. Oof.

  “No, I was not in your dream. I have to be in my own state of sleep to go into someone’s subconscious so your dream was safe from me. But just so you know, I rarely, if ever, enter someone else’s dream without their permission. Only if it is an emergency, like I did with Chance while we were trying to find you two.”

  I take a moment to absorb just how crazy that is before I respond. And I guess that’s how they found us, through Chance’s dreams, before our bond was restored. That answers one of many questions currently waiting in my queue to hash out with them later.

  “That’s actually pretty cool,” I say because it is, “but how can you do that? Were you born with that power? I can’t imagine that went well as a kid, or even as a young boy, popping into people’s dreams all the damn time. I’d be pissed.”

  Dean chuckles next to me, his hand squeezing mine just a bit. “I was not born this way, angel. Just like when you ignited, you came into your ability to heal others and yourself, when I ignited I received my ability to manipulate consciousness. It’s how it worked with all of us. I get that you didn’t quite catch on before, seeing as how we chose to give you an entire history in a thirty minute conversation, but I am sure we are all happy to answer any questions you have now.”

  Reid and Rip, the leaders in our little escape party, start to slow in front of us. I look around and catch Chance’s eye. He remains behind us, just a few steps, but his face looks stoic like it used to before we, well, before we were kidnapped and tortured. Guess I was wrong to think something like that would bring us together. He seems even more standoffish than before, somehow, as if it pains him to even look at me. Rude. I decide to let it go for now, but I am done with his Katy Perry shit. If he wants to play hot and cold, we are going to have a fucking conversation about it.

  “We are only a few minutes from the portal now, but Rip needs time to work on the enchantment to ensure we get back to where we came from. We can rest here for a few minutes while he goes ahead, and then when he gives the signal, we head out.”

  Seeing Reid in this role, the leader, does weird butterfly-like things to my belly. I am so used to him being my Joker, always smiling, saying the weirdest shit at the worst time. This side of him is more grown up, more controlling. It warms my heart to see him so in his element, even if it contrasts so greatly with the persona I am used to.

  “What else can you do?” My question is posed to the entire group, though my eyes are locked in a staring contest with Reid at the moment. His face changes, relaxing even more under my gaze, smiling big enough I see a few teeth.

  “Are you asking us to divulge all of our secrets, wifey? Full exposure, no holding back?” My cheeks flush at the use of my familiar nickname, the reminder of his goofy proposal bringing a huge grin to my face. There’s my Joker.

  “What if I am?” I shoot back with some sass.

  “Well then it will cost you, honey.” His eyebrows wiggle up and down in their playful way. Challenge accepted, buster.

  “Oh yeah, and what is the price to all of your secrets?” This time I return the eyebrow wiggle, letting myself feel some silliness after so much intensity from the last few days/weeks/months I’ve been here. Reid’s eyes glaze over a bit at my suggestion, like he can’t believe I asked. Honestly it just feels so good to be carefree for a few moments, I let myself just be in the moment.

  He seems to recover quickly enough, though when he speaks his usual tenor is much deeper than before. “The price, princess, should you be willing to pay it, is…” he thinks for a second before reaching above his head with one hand and extending a finger straight up from his fist in the symbol for “lightbulb”. “The price is a hug.” His smile tells me he is more than ready for me to pay up, guaranteeing he will spill all of his secrets if I comply. This should be fun.

  I stand up from where I had dropped down to rest while we wait on Rip, dust my running shorts off, and then, in a dramatic exaggeration, strut over to where Mitch is adjusting something on his side and wrap my arms around him in a big hug. Well, I try, but the guy is wide enough I am sure I look as ridiculous as I feel, barely able to get my arms around his biceps. He freezes for just a moment before bringing his arms up to wrap around me, returning the hug. Gah his hugs are seriously epic. He makes some loud over-the-top sigh, causing Dean to snicker next to us. I am laughing some too, but the giggling stops when I am pulled from Mitch’s arms, instantly wrapped up in another set.

  “That was incredibly unfair, wifey. Once again you test me by bringing another man into the mix. I warned you before, I am on to your little game. Of course, jokes on you. I’m happy to share you with my brothers.” He squeezes me tightly to his chest, his muscular arms holding me up when my knees all but stop working. Share me? Does that mean what I think it means?

  Reid lets me go, making sure my feet are firmly beneath me before doing his own little shmexy strut back over to where he sat before. I wobble on loose limbs to plop back into my spot as Reid continues the co
nversation like he didn’t just drop the craziest fucking bomb on me with that statement. I mean, they know I’m with Finn, right? This whole wifey thing is all a gag, so why did that feel so real?

  “Anyway, as you have successfully fulfilled your end of the bargain, I will do as promised and keep mine. I am an amplifier. Essentially, I can take whatever emotions someone is feeling, and make them stronger. Sometimes, they are so strong that they lose the ability to think or even move.” Reid says all of this nonchalantly, as if it is no big deal, but holy shit that is incredible!

  “How does it work?” I blurt out in excitement.

  “Well, let’s see. How do I describe it? Oh, I know.” A long pause follows his statement and I find myself irritated with him for not continuing. I want to know, damnit! I did what he said I had to in order to get the information now he is supposed to follow through. Shit, I am getting really fucking angry right now. How dare he make me wait! This is utter bullshit. He thinks he can build the anticipation by stalling but really I just want to walk over there and punch him in his stupid fucking face. Matter of fact, I will. I…

  “Whoa there, doll. Bring it back down now.” Mitch stands over me and I realize I had somehow approached Reid, fist raised, without knowing it. What the hell? Why was I about to attack him? Holy shit! He just did it! He used his power on me!

  “You bastard!” I yell, but there is laughter in my voice. Wow, that was intense. “I can’t believe you used your ability on me like that! But that was a lot. Does it wear down on you to use your power?”

  “Depends on how much and for how long. Works that way for all of us, really.” Reid shrugs his shoulders, dismissing my inquiry but since I can feel my own energy, or lack thereof, I wonder if it works the same for them. I back up to return to my seat when I am lifted off the ground, spun around, and set back on my feet. Dean is smiling big at me. He gives me a gentle squeeze then releases me.