Frozen Heart of Fire

by Julie Kavanagh

  “Want to explain why you’re here?” Joshua sat down next to the woman after playing the recording a second time. He watched a dark emotion cross her face, an element of protection building in her aura. She was afraid; she couldn’t hide the flash of electricity scooting around her although her face remained passive.

  “I wanted a little company and a drink. Is there anything wrong with that?” She stared at the screen, avoiding both men. They looked alike but it was the older brother who was the most striking. His hair, that strange mixture of black, red and orange, was just the little bit more daring. His face was a little leaner, his cheekbones jutted out just that little bit more. She turned her face, almost in answer to something the older man hadn’t said, to be captured by the intensity of his dark eyes. Her tongue poked out to quickly wet her lips as though she tasted a delicious morsel on them.

  “Why are you here?” Joshua asked again. He had reason enough to fear assassins, but never in this, his territory. Never would he have believed that anyone would be brave enough or foolish enough to threaten him here.

  Her eyes were pale, almost not blue enough to be blue, and the delicacy of the shade of her hair reminded him of winter at his parents’ house. The locks covering her head spiked out as though in rebellion to the blandness of her expression, but he sighed softly as a slight frown crossed her pale forehead.

  Noah moved as fast as he could, as the woman’s hand arched out, one taloned finger reaching out to touch his brother between his unprotected eyes. He heard a hiss as she made contact with Joshua’s skin, a sizzle like hot water hitting ice.

  Joshua moved backward, but he’d been staring into her strange eyes, the bottomless depths displaying emotions not showing on her face and he wasn’t quick enough to evade the chilled touch of the fingertip.

  “No,” he cried as Noah leapt toward her, his aim only to protect his brother. But the warning came too late, as Noah dragged her off the sofa onto the floor, his large hand tight around her throat.

  “What did you do?” Noah hissed, noting the change in Joshua, in the lines of his face and in how his eyes closed. The woman struggled in his grasp, her breathing harsh and ragged, but if she’d hurt Joshua, he would see that she died, at his hand.

  “Let her go.” Joshua’s hand was on his brother’s shoulder, his voice was a little unsteady, but he was far from being hurt. “Noah, let her go.”

  Noah slowly backed away on his knees, his hand releasing her, although he was unsure of what happened. He watched as Joshua offered his hand to help the woman up. But, while she nodded to acknowledge the gesture, she refused to take the help and pulled herself off the thick woolen carpet to sit on the sofa, a hand at her throat and narrowed eyes darting to Noah’s face.

  “Please forgive my brother; he’s a little overenthusiastic when it comes to my safety.” Joshua grinned, every sign of the brain-killing pain gone, which was due to something the woman had done. “What did you do?”

  “I don’t know,” Eva lied.

  I thought she was trying to kill you, Noah muttered inside Joshua’s mind where the woman couldn’t hear him, which was the closest to an apology he would offer for trying to save his brother’s life.

  “Okay,” Joshua started, holding a hand up to stop whatever words were heading out of Noah’s mind. “Let’s start with your name. I assume you have one.”

  Eva smiled. The humor in his words was a stark contrast to the pressured, pain-ridden man he’d been moments before. His eyes, a deep dark blue, were lit by an emotion she couldn’t read and his mouth was so tempting, she wanted to reach out again, this time with her lips.

  “Everybody has a name,” Joshua urged, since she hadn’t answered.

  “My name is Eva,” she whispered, the strength of her voice stolen by the charisma of his excellent looks. Here in the brighter lights of what she assumed was his private apartment, she had the opportunity to study his features and never had she seen a man who appealed to her more. Wasn’t it typical of her luck that the only man to attract her was this man, the enemy?

  “It’s a pretty name,” Joshua grinned again; it suited her attractive face but something about it niggled at him like a memory he needed to reclaim. What was it about this woman that irked him so?

  She was pretty, a little smaller, a little lighter of skin than his usual type, but the more he looked at her, the more he liked the way she looked. Her hair, so unruly, was as pale as milk, but fit the pallor of her skin. It suited her, although on another woman, it may have made her look wan.

  Your headache, has it gone? Noah jumped into the psychic airwaves. He saw the difference in his brother, the relief lighting his face. What had the strange woman done?

  “Eva, what did you do to me?” Joshua placed a warm hand beneath the woman’s chin and gently lifted her head up so her eyes met his. He wanted his brother to hear the explanation from her lips.

  “You were in pain,” she whispered into the depths of his beautiful eyes. They were like looking up into the dark of a midnight sky; all that was missing were the stars.

  “I was,” he nodded. “But I’m not now. What did you do?”

  “I sent a shielding into your head,” she blurted out, She hadn’t meant to. She hadn’t meant to help, but, again, it was instinctual. She felt the pain ebbing through his skull, and, since she knew how to prevent it, she couldn’t help herself from helping him.

  “A shielding…?” Joshua’s brow furrowed. Wasn’t he already protected enough in his own home? He had believed he was safe here in his home. What else didn’t he know?

  “Your pain comes from outside these walls.” Eva couldn’t lie to him although she wanted to. Every new scrap of knowledge she departed revealed a little bit more of who and what she was. Why hadn’t they already realized her identity?

  “Do you know the cause?” Noah moved closer, as though his body could protect his brother by its mere presence.

  “How should I know?” Eva snarled. Noah’s interruption spoiled the spell Joshua had been weaving as she turned to glare at the man trying to intimidate her; the one who had already attacked her. Which of these men were the most dangerous?

  Noah, stand back, Joshua flashed a little authority, annoyed his brother should wreck his efforts, particularly since the woman responded so well to it. With a soft growl, Noah removed himself to the wall of glass windows.

  “Eva, what did you do to me?” Joshua ignored Noah’s sulk; his brother was quick to brood but just as quick to come out of it. Noah never held grudges for long.

  “I changed your vibration.” Eva wanted to tell him everything. He had that kind of face and, although she recognized the pull of an enchantment of sorts, she realized she wanted to tell him so he wouldn’t have to endure that brain draining torture again.

  “How…?”

  “I lowered your temperature a little, changing your vibrational field and as long as you keep your temperature lower than normal, the headache shouldn’t return although I don’t doubt they’ll change their frequency and try again.”

  “Someone is sending this to my brother?” Noah’s moodiness was short-lived and, once he realized that Joshua was in some kind of danger, he leapt back into bodyguard mode.

  “Do you know who?” Joshua nodded to Noah. They were brothers and family stuck together, always.

  Eva shook her head; there was a limit to what she could tell them. Had she had time to scan the room before blocking the energy then maybe she could have supplied the information they asked of her.

  “You must know,” Noah stepped closer again, but a look from his brother warned him to caution.

  “I don’t know,” Eva insisted, shaking her head and leaning back in the deep-seated sofa, closing her eyes and demonstrating a level of trust in the brothers without thinking about it. They didn’t know who or what she was and she had no intention of ever revealing that to anyone. Her safety lay in discretion, in secrecy, not only for herself but her kin too. “Someone doesn’t like you.”

/>   Joshua laughed, deep and throaty, a sound which caused Eva to open her eyes once again, a sound triggering a frisson of energy to echo through her body. She liked the sound of it and wanted to hear more.

  “That’s the understatement of the year.,” Noah joined in on his brother’s humor. “There can’t be many people outside this club who do like him. I’m not sure I like him that much.”

  Eva ignored the younger man, Joshua had the most beautiful smile when it wasn’t forced and she found her soul drawn into the wonder of it. Again, those full firm lips were the focus of her life and she wondered how soft they would feel against her willing mouth, and the chill of her skin.

  Why isn’t this room protected? Joshua demanded although he knew the barriers placed around them were intact. He checked them every morning; nothing was out of place, nothing awry.

  It is protected, Noah insisted because he checked the apartment and the club every morning and night. He knew everything was in place.

  Eva closed her eyes against the sight of the delicious man seated beside her. This situation was downright dangerous and every word she uttered in their presence led her and her kin into deeper danger but, even in the darkness behind her eyelids, she could see Joshua’s face, could smell his cologne, a rich masculine scent and one, which would forever remind her of him.

  “Boss, could I have a word?” Brendan stood awkwardly in the doorway, his eyes dropping to the sight of the strange woman, who was prettier in real life, her eyes the strangest of colors as she turned her head at the sound of his voice.

  “Don’t. Move,” Joshua whispered into her ear as he moved past to join his brother and Brendan at the door. She watched him with a frown on her brow. There was something in the way the dark man had stared, a hint in the fear in his wide eyes. She glanced around the room but, unless she suddenly grew a pair of wings, the three men stood in the only viable exit, blocking the way to the lift. The only other way out was through the wall of windows on the other side of the room and that wouldn’t work. She was skilled at many things but jumping into the sky this many floors up, wasn’t an option. She turned her head, trying to catch the muted conversation of the three men.

  “Your cousin, Prince, demands to see you and is causing panic downstairs by declaring you’re shielding an Ice Witch up here. He says she was spotted entering the building on the trail of a demon,” Brendan muttered, lower than necessary as though he didn’t want the woman to hear. Who knew how powerful she was? The extent of their knowledge depended mostly on rumor and history.

  Chapter Four

  “An Ice Witch..?” Noah froze, and his voice dropped too. An Ice Witch. How could that be possible? “That’s not possible. They don’t exist any longer. What is he playing at?”

  Joshua sighed because Cousin Prince was famous for his careless decisions and was forever trying to discredit the two brothers on his journey to become everything his father desired of him. Noah and Joshua exchanged a dark look before quickly glancing at the woman who obviously wanted to conceal that she was listening.

  “Delay Prince. I don’t care what you do. Just keep him away for as long as possible.” Joshua was the one to make the decisions regarding their troublesome cousin who’d been named for the position of power his father believed he deserved. But the truth was, all three cousins were heir to that honor and it was the power of their genes that would determine who would inherit the empty throne. Only the production of a child, who could be proved beyond doubt to be his, would elevate them to that coveted role. But even then, there were restrictions holding them back. Only the true soulmate of each man would conceive his child, but soulmates weren’t exactly thick on the ground. None had yet produced the required child, although it had been rumored that Prince declared his latest mistress as his soulmate and that she was already pregnant with his son. Of course, this was the sixth time he’d made such a declaration and the world had stopped holding its breath. Perhaps this woman would prove just as barren as her predecessors.

  A bloody Ice Witch. Don’t tell me you think this is all some huge coincidence? Noah repeated, his tone a low hiss and his dark eyes following Brendan as he entered the lift to carry out Joshua’s orders.

  We don’t know what this is yet, Joshua reminded him, but this wasn’t how he wanted this to turn out. The woman interested him; her face was a magnet for his eyes, her pale skin a temptation for his fingers.

  An Ice Witch turns up out of the blue in a club you own and then our mad as hell cousin appears only moments later? Ice Witches are supposed to be extinct. I thought we killed them all. This is no coincidence. It can’t be.

  “Let’s ask her, shall we?” Joshua turned back to the woman awaiting the confrontation. She knew what they knew now, although she obviously knew a lot more too. She sat tense, her eyes checking every corner of the room in case there was an escape route she’d missed. One half-opened door led to a bedroom. She could make out the messy shape of a huge bed where someone didn’t like to sleep alone. Maybe he’d had two or more sleeping companions. The bed was certainly big enough. Strangely, she didn’t like that thought and vaguely hoped it would be the younger brother who would be a lothario.

  “Ask her? We could just beat it out of her.” Noah snarled loudly, enough to frighten any woman, but Eva wasn’t just any woman, as she glanced disdainfully in his direction. Her mouth moved in a grimace, white teeth bared like a cat preparing to defend itself.

  “Noah, I can handle this. Why don’t you go placate Prince before he gets himself overwrought?” Joshua sat down next to Eva— close enough so he noticed the tiny movement she made away from him. She didn’t look up at either of them, but he knew she wanted Noah to leave. She probably believed her escape would be easier with just one of them in the room.

  My place is here with you; this Witch could be dangerous, Noah replied.

  “Well, that answers one question. We all know what you are,” Joshua spoke gently, almost tenderly. “Could you try to answer me another? Did you come here to kill me?”

  Eva looked up, her indignant stare captured by the authority of his beautiful face. Whoever deemed that only women could be called beautiful had never met this man. His looks improved the darker his mood became and she was disturbed at how easily he affected her. The sound of his deep voice sent little shivers travelling along her backbone and his laugh caused ripples of she didn’t know what, to twist and mix inside her stomach.

  “I helped you,” she muttered low, as though she already knew they wouldn’t believe her. She couldn’t tell them the truth for she was sure they would declare her a liar and do to her what their clan had done to her elders, and her parents. Did they believe she didn’t know?

  “Yes, you did, and I’m very grateful, but I need more than that.” Joshua leaned in close, his breath warm on the skin of her throat, causing more vibrations to tingle through her body. Was this another spell of his making?

  “We don’t need anymore. We know what she is and why she’s here. We should just kill her,” Noah grumbled, but Joshua’s furious look was enough to remind Noah of his brother’s famed rages. He would be wise to keep his opinions to himself.

  “Then just get on with it and kill me.” Eva stared defiantly into Joshua’s stern face, ignoring the brother who threatened her. If she had to go, she’d rather be looking into his gorgeous face than any other.

  “I’m not going to kill you,” Joshua flashed the beginning of a smile. He wanted her at ease. She didn’t need to be frightened any more than she already was. “Let’s try this again… are you an Ice Witch?”

  “Yes,” she answered honestly; she had nothing to gain from lying.

  “Did you come here to kill me?”

  “No.”

  “That’s it. Everything is getting better as we speak.” Joshua increased the warmth of his smile. “Why did you come here? And don’t bother to lie about wanting a drink. I doubt if you’ve ever had an alcoholic drink in your life.”

  The woman didn’t speak,
but a look crossed her face as though deep thoughts were working their way through her mind. How much should she reveal? How safe was she? They knew what she was; it was too late for lies.

  “I hunt demons and was on the trail of a Trajien demon who decided he wanted a drink in your establishment,” she whispered finally. “There are twenty-seven women dead or dying because of him and you let him walk out of your club.”

  “That’s impossible. The sensors would have detected him,” Noah blurted out although Joshua had distinctly warned him to keep out of it. Could a Traijen demon really get in with all the security they’d installed?

  “He has a new and improved shielding, that’s why I was trailing him.” Eva stared into Joshua’s face.

  “Noah, speak to Brendan, and have him run a full system scan… just in case.” Joshua waited only until his brother’s concentration was on the task he’d set him, before he turned his attention back to the woman. Her appeal seemed to deepen the more he found out about her and the fact she was an Ice Witch didn’t seem so important now. He stared at her, his midnight blue eyes drifting casually over her features. But she refused to meet his eyes, refused to acknowledge the fact that she was interested in him; that he fascinated her too. Her skin was fair like the finest porcelain but, in contrast, her eyelashes were long and dark, framing those impossibly pale eyes. Her throat sported darkening bruises where his heroic brother had wrestled her to the carpet and his eyes dropped lower where the shadow between her breasts could just be seen. He wanted to kiss away those bruises, to delve lower and see what delights could be uncovered beneath that dark clothing.

  Chapter Five

  “She’s right,” Noah spat after a few minutes’ tense talking into the walkie-talkie. He didn’t want to admit to this, but Noah had never been a liar and he wasn’t starting now. “Brendan’s launched an immediate quarantine. No one in and no one out, until the place has been fumigated. Miss, I owe you an apology.”