Kindling Flames: Smoke Rising (The Ancient Fire Series Book 3)

by Julie Wetzel

  “Can you come here for a second?” Vicky asked.

  Sighing, he set down the jar of grease he had been using to mark on the mirror. Wiping his fingers on his shirt, Darien looked over his work so he would remember where he had to pick the spell back up before turning to the hall. “What is it?” He pushed the bathroom door open. Vicky was stretched out in the large, marble tub filled with rose-scented bubbles. The annoyance at being pulled away from his work eased as he looked over her foam-covered skin.

  Vicky raised her left leg out of the water. “What is this?”

  Darien’s eyes followed a line of bubbles running up Vicky’s calf before he closed them. He shook the errant thoughts from his mind and turned to look at what Vicky was asking about. There was a strange marking on her ankle. Confusion crossed Darien’s face, and he got closer to see what was there. Taking Vicky’s foot in his hand, he twisted it so the light shone on the markings. Anger filled Darien as he identified the shape of vines and flowers scrolling around Vicky’s ankle. “Zak!” Bellowing for the small fay, he dropped Vicky’s foot back to the water and turned around to find where the offending horror had gone. “Get out here now!”

  Vicky sat up in her bath as Darien lost control of his power, and it rolled out in angry waves. A gurgling sounded from under the bathroom counter.

  Darien went over to it and dropped to the floor. He had to rest his head on the cold, stone tiles to find the hellhound stuck under the sink. “Come here.” He reached roughly under the counter to drag Zak out.

  Zak snapped at him and bolted away from his grasp.

  Darien cursed loudly at missing his target and sat up quickly to see Zak skitter over behind the tub. “I’m going to kill you as soon as I get my hands on you!” He stormed over to the tub to catch the fay.

  Vicky twisted in the bath so she was as far away from the raging vampire as she could get.

  “We’re going to find out if hellhound tastes anything like calamari!” Darien bent over the tub to look behind it.

  “Darien!” Vicky was shocked that the normally calm man was so fired up about the mark. She didn’t even know what it was.

  Darien ignored her and continued his ranting search for the fay. “Deep fried with maybe some butter and sliced lemons.” He reached his hand down behind the tub to the growling fay. “Gotcha!” Darien’s hand closed around one of the fay’s tentacles.

  Zak stretched the appendage out and slipped from the vampire’s grasp. He scurried over the edge of the tub and landed in the water with a splash that soaked Darien’s bloodstained shirt.

  “Damn it, Zak!” he cursed as the fay shoved himself into Vicky’s chest.

  She squealed as he wrapped his tentacles around her body and upper arms.

  Darien growled loudly as he grabbed one of Zak’s wet tentacles and tried to pull him off the woman.

  “Darien!” Vicky wrapped her arms around the terrified fay, protecting him from her pissed boss. “Stop!”

  Darien stopped pulling and glared at her.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, not understanding.

  “He marked you!” Darien screamed.

  Vicky looked at him, confused. Zak had marked her a while ago with a band of silver flowers.

  Darien let out a ragged breath and let the fay’s end go. Dropping his hand into the water, he grabbed a hold of Vicky’s ankle and yanked it up, knocking her off balance.

  Vicky threw her arms out to catch the sides of the tub so she wouldn’t go under the water.

  Darien showed the thin vines and flowers to her. “This is a fay mark.”

  Vicky’s mind spun on this. Darien hadn’t been this mad when Zak had put the flowered anklet on her.

  Darien growled, seeing she didn’t understand. “It’s permanent. It marks you as his.”

  Enlightenment dawned on Vicky’s face, and she looked down at the fay wrapped around her. “Zak?” she questioned. “Is this true?”

  Zak whined.

  Darien let her leg go and stood up.

  “Zak?” The fay slowly released the grip he had on Vicky’s torso, and she sat up in the bath, lifting him up so she could see his face. Guilt showed clearly in his little, beady eyes. “Why?”

  Darien let out a growl of anger and frustration before he stormed from the room, leaving the woman to deal with the fay. He knew the only way to remove the mark was to kill the fay, but Vicky wouldn’t allow him to hurt Zak like that. Darien went back to his spell and picked up the little jar of ointment. He looked at it for a moment, and then up at the markings on the mirror. His eyes tried to find where he had left off, but his concentration was shot. He slung the small jar at the interrupted work, and the mirror shattered under his fury. Storming from the room, Darien headed for the stairs that led out of his penthouse. He needed to get out of here for a while before he did something he really regretted.

  ***

  Vicky held up the fay, questioning him as Darien left. She had asked Zak why, but the only response she had gotten was a whine and some wiggled tentacles. Vicky looked over at the open bathroom door when she heard the glass shatter and Darien storm out.

  “Oh, Zak,” she sighed as she looked at the fay. “I know you’re worried about me, but this wasn’t the answer.” Vicky dropped the fay on the floor. Climbing out of the bath, she wrapped a towel around her. “There was no need for you to go this far. You had already claimed me.” Vicky pulled another towel down and dropped it over the fay. She ruffled him around in it to dry him off.

  Zak whined more.

  “All this has done is upset Darien,” she explained as she lifted the fay, wrapped in his towel.

  He growled at the vampire’s name.

  Vicky popped him on the bottom to stop the noise. “You know I’m not leaving him.”

  He made another unhappy noise.

  “Now stop that. I started out with Darien, and he has been very accommodating to you. He lets you stay in his home, sleep in his bed, and he didn’t even get upset when you first claimed me.”

  Zak wiggled, unable to argue with Vicky.

  She carried the fay out of the bathroom. “The least you could do is show him a little courtesy.” Stopping in the doorway, she looked at the shattered mirror before heading into the bedroom. Vicky sighed and dropped the wet fay on the bed before drying the rest of the way off. She was disappointed in both of her boys, but she could understand how they felt.

  Zak gurgled as he looked at the mess Darien had made.

  “I’ll take care of it,” Vicky reassured him as she headed out of the room to find something to wear. Maybe Darien had calmed down enough to listen to reason.

  ***

  Darien stood on the roof patio and looked up at the night sky. The lights from the city made the stars impossible to see, but the waning moon shone brightly in the sky. He breathed in the cool, autumn air and tried to calm the anger raging inside him. How could that little mutt do such a thing to Vicky? He took another deep breath and slipped his hand into his pocket. Darien let the night wind blow across his damp shirt, cooling his body. He twitched at the sound of the stairwell door opening.

  The wind was blowing against him, so he couldn’t smell her, but he knew it was Vicky. He could feel it in his soul. Listing to Vicky’s bare feet carry her over, Darien centered himself so he could send her away without snapping. He really didn’t want to talk to anyone right now. Zak’s actions had thrown him. Darien knew the little fay cared greatly for Vicky, but he didn’t think he would go that far. He had already had a discussion with the fay and come to an agreement to not mark Vicky permanently without asking her.

  Darien sighed deeply, waiting for Vicky to say something, but she didn’t. To his surprise, he felt her arms slide around him from behind.

  Vicky’s hand came to rest on the center of his chest, and she pressed her cheek into his back. It was a little uncomfortable holding on to the upset vampire. Darien’s power boiled off him and prickled her skin. She rubbed her face between his shoulder blades,
waiting for him to calm down and regain control over his energy.

  Vicky stood there for a long time, her comforting warmth melting away the coldness of the fury that had gathered inside him. When he had finally calmed down, Darien raised his hand up to cover where she was touching his chest. They stood quietly together for a few more minutes.

  “You know I love you,” Vicky said, softly rubbing her cheek into his back.

  Darien sighed deeply and looked down at her hands. “Yes.” He rubbed them gently with his thumb.

  “I know what Zak did wasn’t nice, but it doesn’t change anything,” Vicky said into his back.

  Darien stepped away from her and turned to face her. His eyes swept over the long sweaterdress she was wrapped in before he answered her. “It does,” Darien protested. “He marked you as his.”

  Vicky cocked her head and looked at him. “Zak claimed me months ago, yet you didn’t complain then,” she pointed out.

  The anger rose in him again. “This is different!” he growled. “This is permanent.” Darien saw irritation set into her eyes.

  “Are you going to kick me out because of this?” Vicky’s voice grew firm as she took a step forwards.

  Thrown by the question, Darien took an involuntary step back. “Of course not!”

  Vicky took another step into him.

  Darien retreated again.

  She pressed him backwards more. “Do you still love me?”

  “Yes!” Darien answered, taken aback that she would even have to ask that. His legs hit the bench around one of the planters, and he sat down heavily.

  Vicky stalked towards him again. “Is this going to hurt me?”

  Darien looked up at her, confused.

  She leaned forwards and grabbed on to the back of the bench forcing him back farther on the seat.

  “No,” he answered as Vicky slid one knee alongside his leg. Darien’s hand came up to her side without thinking about it.

  “Then it doesn’t change anything.” Shifting her weight to the bench, she slid her other knee along his other leg. The bottom of her dress rode up slightly as she settled on his lap, trapping him under her. “If you’re not sending me away, and I’m not leaving, then nothing has changed.” She leaned into him.

  His other hand came up to rest on her hip. “But Zak—” he protested weakly as Vicky dropped down and kissed his lips, silencing his words.

  “Zak isn’t going to do anything,” she said quietly against Darien’s mouth. Shifting her face over to the side of his head, she rubbed her cheek into his hair. “He wouldn’t dare,” she breathed into his ear.

  Darien shivered as his body responded to the advances.

  Vicky ran a line of kisses down the side of his neck. She stopped on his pulse point and ran her teeth lightly over his skin.

  Closing his eyes, Darien drew in a deep, sharp breath. “Not fair,” he complained, unable to hang on to his anger any longer. His arms wrapped up Vicky’s back and pulled her in tighter against him.

  She made a pleased noise deep in her throat. “No one ever said I was fair,” Vicky purred as she sat up to reclaim his lips. She kissed him deeply, and Darien returned the passion. The need for breath forced her to pull away from him.

  Darien gave in to Vicky’s wiles. “All right.” He raised his voice and called to the darkness next to the stairwell door. “But if you eat another pair of my pants, I’m breaking out the marinara sauce.”

  A gurgle sounded from the corner, and Vicky chuckled deep in her chest. She leaned forwards and kissed him again.

  “I’m still mad,” Darien said when they parted.

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Vicky spoke softly. “But, there is no reason in raging over something that’s beyond your control.” She tucked a loose piece of hair back from his face as she looked into his brilliant green eyes. “I’ve learned that you have to take what life hands you, deal with it, and get on with your day.”

  Darien wrapped his arms around her tighter and pressed his face into her chest. “Wise words.” He nuzzled her.

  Vicky draped her arms around his head and kissed his crown. “You can thank Sue for that tidbit.” She smiled into his hair.

  Darien snickered lightly.

  They held each other for a few more minutes until the cool, night air made Vicky shiver. “Come on.” She patted Darien’s back. “Let’s go inside before we catch cold.”

  Darien smiled as he released her. “Vampire’s don’t get sick.”

  A mischievous light lit Vicky’s eyes. “Then take me inside and warm me up before I catch cold.” She stood up from Darien’s lap.

  He followed her up from the bench. “Gladly.” Taking Vicky’s hand, he led her over to the elevator. “Come on, Zak,” he called to the fay hiding in the shadows.

  Zak wiggled over to join them for the ride to the apartment.

  Darien may not have forgiven Zak, but now that he was calmer, his rational mind understood why the fay had made his link permanent. It didn’t just bind Vicky to him… it also allowed Zak to keep tabs on her. No matter where she went, Zak would know how to find her and in what condition she was. In all honesty, Darien should have let Zak mark her a long time ago, but he just couldn’t stand the idea of something else having a claim over the woman he loved.

  Pushing the eggs around her plate, Vicky played with her breakfast. She really wasn’t hungry, but she knew she needed to eat. Yesterday had been very trying, and she was feeling it this morning. She scraped a clump of eggs together and dropped it to the fay wiggling by her feet. He munched them up happily as Vicky forced more of the food into her system. She looked up when Darien came into the kitchen and smiled. When she woke up this morning pressed between the vampire and the hellhound, she knew her world was right again. Zak hadn’t even eaten Darien’s pants.

  Passing up his normal breakfast stop, Darien came over to Vicky. He leaned over and kissed the side of her neck over her pulse point. “Good morning, beautiful,” Darien breathed softly to her. “How do you feel?” He had noticed that Vicky had taken a little longer to get ready than usual.

  Vicky made a contented noise. “Tired,” she admitted.

  Darien placed his hand on her forehead to make sure she hadn’t gotten sick from being out on the terrace too long last night. “Do you want to go back to bed?” he asked, worried.

  Vicky refused the offer. “No. Today is light for a Thursday.” The normal afternoon meeting with Mr. Rodgers had been canceled while he was on vacation. She had taken the opportunity to spread the rest of the day out over the freed time. “Anyway, someone has to keep you in line,” Vicky teased.

  “True.” Smiling, Darien stole a piece of toast from her plate. “Finish eating, and we’ll head out.” He popped the corner of the jelly-covered bread into his mouth as Vicky shook her head. Heading over to the cabinet, he took down one of the blue tumblers he used for his normal breakfast.

  “What are we doing for transportation?” Vicky asked as she finished off her orange juice.

  Darien munched on the toast as he prepared his normal liquid breakfast. “Charlie dropped a car off last night.”

  “Oh.” Vicky wondered which one of the classic cars they would be using.

  Darien drained his glass and washed it. Snagging a set of keys from the corner of the counter, he pocketed them as Vicky stood up from her partially eaten meal. “Are you done already?” Darien asked, looking over what Vicky hadn’t finished.

  “Yes.” Vicky picked up her plate and set it down on the floor for the fay stretching a tentacle up hoping to get more eggs. “I’m not very hungry today.” She rubbed Zak’s feelers back, and he gurgled happily as he planted his face into the food. Picking up her bag, she headed over to Darien. “Let’s go.”

  He looked at her, slightly concerned, and shrugged.

  Vicky followed him out of the kitchen and into the elevator.

  Darien watched as she leaned against the wall of the elevator and closed her eyes. “Are you sure you don�
�t want to go back to bed?” He studied her. “You had a rough day yesterday.”

  Vicky stood up straighter and opened her eyes. “It’ll be all right,” she grumbled. “I just haven’t woken up properly.”

  Darien gave her a long, considering look. “Very well.” He pulled her over against him. “But tell me if you start to feel worse.”

  Vicky smiled as she felt a familiar warmth radiate from her boss. She felt marginally better when they stepped out of the elevator together. Darien did his best to help, but there was really nothing he could fix. Too much magic, the accident, and not enough sleep were adding up. She would be fine. She just needed to make sure she went to bed early tonight.

  Darien escorted Vicky out to the street and looked around for his car.

  Her fatigue melted away as she looked at the sleek, red convertible he led them to. “We’re taking this?” she gasped as he opened up the door of the Jaguar XKR-5.

  He smiled broadly. “Yeah. It’s not my favorite car, but it handles nicely.” Darien made sure Vicky was all the way in before he shut the door.

  She just shook her head and looked up at the black material of the roof. “Isn’t this going to be cold in the winter?” Vicky asked as Darien got in the car. The weather had already started to hold that cold nip in the air.

  “Yes.” Darien adjusted his mirrors. “But I have other things to drive in colder weather.”

  Vicky shook her head again. Of course he would have something better to drive in winter. He probably had an SUV or even a Hummer squirreled away in that garage of his.

  ***

  “Excuse me.”

  Vicky looked up from her desk to the man that had come into her office. Darien had been getting all kinds of unannounced visitors today. Somehow, information about the crash had leaked out, and several reporters had shown up to ask questions.

  “May I help you?” Vicky asked as she sat up straighter.

  “I’m Detective Mark Hazelhurst,” the man said. “Is Mr. Ritter in?”