Above The Flames (The Flames Trilogy #1)

by Cassandra Fear

  “Slow down,” she yelled back.

  “Turn around and focus,” Amon said with no strain in his voice.

  I can’t let him catch me. I have to run faster.

  The corner of the fence came fast and abruptly, and she flew around it, past Lamia and Beau. Soon after, she passed Caim and Cole, sitting on the ground with their legs crossed, looking as if they were meditating. She did a double take, and sure enough, what she’d seen had been right.

  That was when Amon caught her. He started grabbing at the bottom of her t-shirt, yanking her back. Then he’d release it, let her gain a little ground, and he was back at it again, his fingers pulling at her shirt, her feet slowing.

  He laughed. “If I were actually a demon, you’d be on the ground by now.”

  “Good thing you’re not, then,” Jasmine mumbled.

  She was going as fast as she could, though. Already she felt like she might tumble forward at any minute; her legs were moving faster than her brain could register. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take either, since her legs were turning into Jell-O. She was sure of it.

  “Come on. You aren’t even giving me a chance. It’s not my fault your legs are so long,” Jasmine said breathlessly.

  Jasmine rounded another corner of the fence, her thighs screaming for her to stop. The burning in her lungs had turned to a never-ending fire that threatened to explode. She stopped, bent over, and grabbed her knees with her palms. “Just hang on. I’m out of shape.”

  “What do you think a demon would do if you asked for a moment to collect yourself?” Amon asked, stopping beside her.

  “Maybe he’d give me his number and we’d end up being besties!” Jasmine exclaimed in her most cheerful, high-pitched voice.

  Amon frowned. “What is a bestie?”

  “You know, best friend’s forever.” Jasmine sighed. She’d forgotten that he wasn’t from this time. “Just forget it, okay?”

  Her heart pounded hard, and she swore she could find a pulse anywhere on her body. But she focused on her breathing, and soon enough she didn’t feel like a truck was sitting on top of her anymore. Progress.

  “Jasmine, sit down before you fall over,” Amon said.

  “What am I? A dog?” Jasmine asked.

  Amon sat gracefully, his legs folding beneath him. “Just sit. Please.”

  Jasmine did, but not before she narrowed her eyes.

  She didn’t like being ordered around. Never had. Who the hell is this guy to tell me what to do?

  They faced each other on the grass. Jasmine stared, probably too openly. Amon had a high forehead and laugh lines around his mouth. Jasmine found herself wondering how long it had been since he’d really laughed. He must have been fairly happy before, at some point in his life. What had happened to change that? Sure, he’d laughed since she’d met him, but it never seemed to come from inside. It was more of a practiced move. Something he’d thought was the right thing to do at the time. One day, she wanted to see him actually happy.

  “I can see thoughts moving through your eyes. What are you thinking about?”

  Jasmine’s cheeks heated instantly. She couldn’t tell him she’d been thinking about him. That would be too embarrassing. She met his gaze, and found herself looking into his honey brown eyes, so light a brown they seemed to almost mesmerize her.

  Amon raised his eyebrows.

  Her cheeks were so hot she could fry an egg on them. She had to think of something, and quick.

  “Just thinking about the demons, and how sitting on the ground is going to help me fight them,” Jasmine replied tartly. There, that’s good. He’ll never know now.

  “Are you always so pleasant to everyone you meet, or is it just me who has that pleasure?” Amon’s grin was flat.

  “It’s only for you.”

  Amon wore a black tank top, which fit him snug enough to show off his bulging arms and muscular chest. He had a pair of Adidas sports shorts on, showing off lean legs. “Nice clothes. Very modern. Where’d you get them?”

  Amon shrugged. “I found them.” He looked up at the sky for a moment, as if searching for something. Guidance, maybe? “Tell me about your power.”

  “It’s…I don’t know how to tell you about it. What do you want to know?”

  “How do you summon it?”

  “I guess I just tell it to come out. And when I want it to go away, I turn a key and lock it back up. Simple as that.”

  “So why do you hesitate to use it?”

  Jasmine opened her mouth to refuse, but Amon said, “Don’t tell me you don’t. I’ve seen you wait until the last moment to bring it forth. Why is that?”

  “I can’t control it, that’s why. It has a mind of its own, and even if I tell it to do something specific, it does what it wants. I have no idea how to make it do what I want. It always tries to go bigger. Harder. More harmful.”

  “Have you killed anyone with it?”

  Jasmine looked at the ground and picked at the dandelions growing through the grass, popping the heads off. A game she used to play as a child. Mama had a baby and her head popped off. Pretty morbid now that she was older and actually thought about the meaning of that phrase.

  “Well. It is time for honestly. If I am to help you, you must be truthful with me.”

  She shook her head. “No, I haven’t killed anyone with it. But I’ve hurt someone, when I was little. That’s all you need to know.”

  “Ah. Then it makes sense that you are reluctant to give your power free reign. In order for you to be comfortable using it, you must have control. I will make sure that happens.”

  Jasmine opened her eyes wide, hopeful. “Do you think I can learn to control it?”

  Amon shrugged. “I am not sure. I don’t know you well enough to say. I will say this, though. You definitely need to work on your stamina, so we will be running at the start of every training.”

  Jasmine chuckled. “So you don’t know me well enough to tell me if I can control my power, but you know me well enough to tell me I’m not in shape? Contradict yourself much?”

  “I have seen you run. You slowed not long after you first began. I never said you were not in shape, I said you need to work on your stamina. But, the truth is, your power will help you more than your ability to run long distances. So, perhaps working on control will be more beneficial.” Amon grasped his chin. “I just don’t know yet. But together we will figure it out.”

  “Okay, boss. But how about you figure it out. Your thinking out loud is giving me a headache.”

  “Tell me something.” Amon glared. “When you lock your power back up, what happens?”

  “That’s usually when I lose control.” Jasmine stood and turned her back to him, wrapping her arms around her chest.

  “And why do you think that is?” Amon got up as well, moving in front of her.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “It doesn’t want to be caged. Any power is formed based on the person, so it is a lot like you. It wants freedom and the ability to control you. But it will obey if you can learn to control it. If you can successfully lock it up, then you will be able to control it anytime. Are you ready to try?”

  Jasmine gulped, goosebumps breaking out over her arms. Amon’s speech was actually inspiring. She nodded in answer. Now was as good of a time as any. It was better to learn before she had to facedown an entire demon army.

  “Are you sure you’re ready?” Amon backed up a step. Then another, until there was a gap between them.

  “I think I am.” She reached inside and unlocked the box. Her power slithered through her body, warming her from the inside out. Her heart sped up as excitement moved through her. There was hope after all. All these years, her power had been something she feared. But it was a part of her. It made her come to life in a way she’d never been before. And something that made her feel like that had to be worth the risk, right?

  Acceptance, though it came late, was liberating. She couldn’t wait to get it under contro
l, and learn exactly what she could do with her gift.

  Jasmine grinned at Amon, who had his own mischievous smile plastered on his face. He bent his knees and threw his arms forward, and then he pounced.

  Chapter 12

  Chaos

  Jasmine wasn’t expecting Amon to come at her, so it was a reflex to shove her hands out in front of her. Of course, she’d already brought her power out, which made her hands shine neon blue. Amon kept moving forward, his face determined. He smacked right into her palms, and instantly flew backward through the air, shaking like he’d been electrocuted. The momentum made Jasmine stumble as well, and she landed hard on the ground. When she looked up, Amon was flat on his back.

  She got up quickly, barely finding her footing before she rushed to his side. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

  Amon sat up. He brought his knees up and draped his arms over them. Then he focused on her and laughed. “Wow. Wasn’t expecting that.”

  “Yeah, I come with quite a punch,” she said, her voice filled with laughter.

  Amon lifted the front of his shirt up, and on his chest were too small marks. They were red, but seemed to be fading quickly.

  “At first I thought you’d killed me. The jolt that went through my body caused my breath to disappear. But the effects fade fast.”

  Jasmine swallowed, not really hearing what he’d said. When he’d lifted his shirt, she’d locked on to those lean ab muscles. But she was acting foolish. She had a boyfriend, and didn’t need to be ogling her trainer. She gave herself a mental slap and tore her eyes away from the muscles, making herself focus on his face.

  “Huh?” she asked as he waited for an answer.

  “I said the effects fade fast. At least on me. Perhaps your power isn’t as strong as you think it is. Have you practiced using it over the years?”

  Jasmine shook her head. “No. Not really. Since I was young, I decided it was better locked away.”

  “Why?” Amon asked.

  “I’m not really sure. But the day my dad died, the demon who was after us…well, after me that is…” Jasmine cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the ball that had formed. “Well, the demon wouldn’t have been after me if it wasn’t for my power, so my power is the reason my dad died. It’s my fault.” Jasmine covered her mouth with her hand.

  Amon’s thick eyebrows shot up.

  Jasmine’s stomach twisted. “I shouldn’t have told you that. I don’t know why I did.”

  “I told you I’m a good listener, remember?” Amon leaned forward and turned his head so his ear was in her line of sight.

  Jasmine laughed at his awkward attempt at humor.

  “Tell me what happened with the demon. How long ago was this?” Amon asked.

  “Two years ago,” Jasmine said.

  Amon’s eyebrows furrowed. “It can’t be. How did a demon escape two years go? The gates were still in place then.”

  Jasmine shrugged. “Beats me. But he was here with orders to find me. He was supposed to drag me back to Hell, but my power got the best of him and he exploded.” Jasmine paused, running the blade of grass along her jaw line. “It was a long time ago. And I don’t really want to relive it any more than I have to. Even though I had to relive it when I came face to face with him when I was kidnapped by Bael. He was the one who killed Grizzles.”

  “Well, we killed him. He is dead now.”

  Jasmine nodded, then dropped the grass and gazed at him. “Anyway, you’ve told me absolutely nothing. So, why don’t we start with this one: how did you, who was once an angel, end up in Hell?”

  Amon’s nostrils flared once. His cheeks turned red as a beet, and then he exhaled loudly. “That is not something I will discuss.”

  “Why not? I told you my sob story. Why can’t you?”

  Amon stood in one fluid motion, and before Jasmine could get to her feet he was already walking away. More like sprinting away. “I have to go check around the house. Demons may have followed us. We can’t be too careful right now,” he mumbled through what sounded like clenched teeth.

  Jasmine got to her feet and rushed after him. “Now hold on. You’re acting like a child. It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about what happened. Trust me, I know all about keeping things bottled up inside. But sometimes it’s better when you do talk to someone. It’s like a weight off your shoulders.”

  He stopped for a moment, turning to her. “The weight will always be on my shoulders. So, no, I don’t think talking about it will help. Nothing will. It’s too late. Now, I’m going to check around and make sure Bael and his crew haven’t found us yet. Okay?”

  Jasmine nodded at him, but kept her lips pressed together. Amon preached about how he was a good listener and he needed the truth about everything, but he couldn’t return the favor. And now that he’d refused to answer her question, she wanted to know what happened more than anything. Hopefully her curiosity wouldn’t get the best of her.

  On her way to the back door, Beau jogged to her side. “Trouble in paradise?” His bushy blond eyebrows raised, then lowered.

  Jasmine dropped her forehead into her hand. “If you have something to say, just say it. I’m not sure what your eyebrows are doing there, but I know you well enough to know it means something so out with it.” She sighed, not having the energy to deal with his jealous crap again.

  Beau clamped his lips tightly. A flash of anger popped into his blue eyes, but he quickly smiled, trying to hide it. “It’s nothing. Forget it. Just me being an idiot.” He winked. “I guess I tend to do that a little too often.”

  Silence followed, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, it reminded Jasmine exactly why she loved Beau so much. No matter how bad things were, or how much needed to be said, he was good at waiting until she was ready to talk. He was good at comfortable silence, and she cherished that about him, even though she knew sometimes she took him for granted.

  “You’re pretty great. Even when it looks like your head might explode from your neck and leave little Beau chunks spread across the grass.” She fake laughed. “Which would be disgusting and…wow, I don’t even know where that came from.”

  Beau scrunched his face. “That is pretty sick. And you call yourself a lady.” They laughed together, shoulder to shoulder.

  “You remember when we used to come out here and scream as loud as we could, just to hear our words come back to us?” Beau asked.

  Jasmine grinned. “I do. We acted like such kids.”

  His arm snaked around her and he pulled her close. She rested her head on his shoulder. “The good old days. Before chaos found me.” She exhaled deeply. “Let’s go inside.”

  Together they walked through the back door and straight to the living room. Once snuggled on the sofa, Jasmine reached over and grabbed the remote. She stared at it a moment, and bit the inside of her lip, remembering Amon trying to figure it out, then she turned the TV on. Eventually, she fell asleep feeling comfortable and safe wrapped up in the scent of citrus.

  ***

  Caim exploded into the living room. “Guys. Wake up. We have to go. Now!”

  Jasmine jumped to her feet before she fully woke up. She rubbed her eyes, which were blurry from sleep. “What? Did something happen?” Drool dripped from the corner of her mouth and the back of her hand shot up to catch it before it fell. How embarrassing. I hope nobody saw that.

  “We have to go. The demons are attacking the town,” Caim said, pacing the room.

  Jasmine held her hands in front of her, waving them back and forth. “Wait. Slow down. How do you know this?”

  “I had a vision. Of demons and blood. And death. Lots of death. We have to hurry. Have you seen Amon?”

  Beau stepped behind her and his arms hovered around her sides. He shook his head. “No, not since earlier.”

  Caim’s eyes searched her own. “You?”

  “No. He said he was going to check around the house. Make sure the demons hadn’t found us. That was the last I saw him. But we did fall asle
ep.”

  Caim raised one eyebrow. “So I noticed.” He put a finger in each side of his mouth and whistled loudly. Jasmine covered her ears. Caim yelled, “Everyone! Get down here!”

  Jasmine’s heart raced as she thought of Ma and Pa. “How do your visions work?” She’d finally woken up enough to realize what Caim was saying. “Are they of the future? Things that will happen? Or have they already happened?”

  Caim shrugged. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell. I see things often that have already come to pass. Things that I can’t change. But occasionally I see future events. There are rules, though. We are never allowed to alter what will be.”

  “Are Cole’s visions the same as yours?” Jasmine asked.

  At that moment, Cole shuffled into the room with Gemma at his side. “Yup. Caim’s teaching me how to touch something and get a vision right now. It’s pretty cool. I think it will really be helpful once I figure it all out.”

  Jasmine nodded, then turned at the sound of footsteps pounding down the stairs. Azzy and Lamia stopped at the doorway.

  “Have you guys seen Amon?” Jasmine asked.

  “No. Why?” Lamia asked, glaring. Maybe she wasn’t glaring, but was just tired.

  “What did he do now?” Azzy asked.

  “Caim had a vision. The demons may have already attacked. We have to go and try to help.” Jasmine turned to Caim. “I’ll go find Amon.

  She zoomed out the front door. She searched the porch. She followed the outside of the house. “Amon!” She screamed his name over and over. About to give up and leave without him, she turned and ran to the front of the house again, then climbed the steps.