Fire Flyer: Book 1 Elemental Bonds Series, a YA paranormal romance.

by Cait Vaughn

  Chapter 29

  I joined Serenity in the hallway and followed her to the kitchen. Before we went out the French doors she turned and addressed me as seriously as a perfect blonde wearing a pink string bikini could. “Now remember what I said. I want you to be polite but fierce. Act confident and sure of yourself at all times. If you are who we think you are then that could really mess with the powers that be. Most people will be very happy to see you but I’m sure there are a few who want you to fall on your face. If you feel like you can’t take anymore we’ll use this signal.”

  She took a plain black ponytail holder and put it on my wrist. “Just put your hair up in a ponytail with this and I’ll know that means we need to go and I’ll fake a headache or something. OK good?” She asked me and I nodded. It was impossible not to automatically trust Serenity. I looked at the ponytail holder. “Is it magic?” I asked. She giggled.

  “No, and try not to ask any magical questions because they make you sound silly, which is obviously not your fault. Tomorrow we will have a lesson over all things supernatural.”

  With that she smacked me on the back and told me to stand straight and proceeded to march out the doors. She was acting like a coach. While this did make me feel loved and protected it was mostly ridiculous because Serenity would always just be a cheerleader.

  The beach was probably 40 yards straight out but it might as well have been a million miles away. We zig zagged back and forth over and over. We stopped at every group. There was no worrying about sounding silly because Serenity’s effervescent personality ruled every conversation. She would talk about the attack in the car, how well I was taking it all, how happy she was to be reunited with me. I pretty much just stood there smiling and nodding. Before anything could turn to personal she would shuffle me to the next group.

  Volleyball games would stop. Family picnics would be interrupted. Everyone was curious about me. I was very disappointed to find there were several unbonded males over 17. I had met four and they would stand to close and be overly friendly. It made my skin crawl. One was horrible. His name was Zack he was 27 and he didn’t even look at my face he was too busy ogling me. I wanted to vomit. Thankfully we didn’t stay there for more than 30 seconds or I would have.

  It felt like a part of me knew I belonged to Ri and anything that might threaten that would give me various painful physical reactions. It was no joke. Each moment felt never-ending. The sun was brutal. My senses were teased with the smell and sound of the ocean so near but so far. Being the normal female I was, my body was coated with a sheen of sweat and my hair was sticking to the sweat on my neck. The ponytail holder was starting to look like salvation, like a drink of cold water in the desert.

  She must have seen me eyeing that because we said goodbye to the nice family of four we’d been talking to and finally headed for the water. Serenity leaned into me.

  “You did great, that’s enough for today, we can play now.” We waded out where the water was waist deep kind of off alone to talk privately. I snorted at her. “Thank you your majesty,” I said sarcastically, “The ponytail holder was three seconds away from being activated. What was all of that about anyway?”

  “I told you, you’re already like a princess. You will be expected to be a certain way anyway. The fact that you’ve lived human may cause a lot of distress among the community. Whether you’re the child of light or not you will be powerful and you have a seat on the council. They need to see you are one of us so they don’t feel threatened. Then if you are the child of light that just makes things more complicated.” We headed for the shore where we could comfortably sit down and still have the water around us. It felt like bliss the energy and awesomeness of the ocean all around me.

  “Enough shop talk,” she said, “Let’s enjoy the rest of today because tomorrow we’ll start your training.”

  Before I could wonder about that Ri and Jason shimmered to us. They were both shirtless in swim trunks but all I could see was Ri. My brain just stopped as I took in his sculpted form, no one should be able to look that good, ever. His arm muscles were huge with biceps as big as my head. He definitely stood out in a crowd. I’m pretty sure I was drooling. Thankfully I was saved from embarrassment because Ri had his glare directed at Serenity. As he was standing over her he said “What the hell, Serenity? First I wanted to kill you when you pulled out the ball of string for her to wear then I wanted to kiss you when you gave her back her bedroom and now I want to kill you again for parading her out here for hours because of your political agenda. What were you thinking?”

  Chapter 30

  Ri always seemed so intimidating but I could tell Serenity was not fazed so I relaxed a little from his overbearing demeanor. She swatted at him and shushed him so the guys sat down across from us, close enough for a huddle. Ri’s tan arm was right next to mine and my hands itched to rub him. Bad, Trinity, I chided myself and tried to focus. “Everything I did was in protection of my cousin. You can’t complain about that. First I protected her from a broken heart then from homesickness and now from God knows how many enemies lurking in our midst. What was that you said? ‘Serenity thank you so much for taking such good care of my girl.’ No problem Ri don’t mention it.”

  She gave him a mischievous grin and he splashed her lightly and said “Brat,” but he was grinning too. She turned to Jason who was holding her hand which made me jealous and craving a calming hit. Then I wondered if I had become some kind of addict. “So what did dad say?” She asked Ri.

  “He was pretty upset. I came clean about the whole thing. About how I knew about her from the dream walking and not because Jason tracked her power trail. I told him how we were most likely bond mates since I can read her mind and calm her with my touch.” Ri turned to me. “The only reason I wanted to keep it a secret was because I didn’t want you worried about these things too. I also figured your dad would not be helpful if his human daughter's bond mate just showed up and turned your world upside down, which I never would have done had you not been in danger, by the way.”

  “So you knew who I was to you and you never would have come to me unless I was in danger from leaking my powers?” I was depressed he thought so little of me.

  “I wouldn’t have known who you were or that you were mine if you hadn’t been leaking powers so that’s a moot point.”

  “Way to avoid the question like you do everything.” I said to him.

  He turned back to Serenity. “He understood but said it was completely irresponsible to go about it that way especially taking you along. He said he will allow us to help her through the transition but can expect to have no further missions until we prove we are trustworthy again. So you know what that means?”

  It seemed like an intense conversation, them being in trouble, but Ri leaned back with a grin on his face and answering his own question said, “We’re grounded.” This sounded bad but Serenity squealed in delight. I looked at them all confused.

  “How is that a good thing?”

  Serenity answered me. “It really just means we can’t go on anymore missions for a while which means we are on vacation. We really need vacation. Jason is the lead tracker right now and he leaves every other day and Ri and I have been trying to figure out what to do about you for months so now it’s perfect. You’re here safe and sound and we get a break. For you it means you will be trained and taught by the best and for us it means rest and relaxation.” She was obviously referring to the four of them when she said the best.

  At that, Serenity and Jason went to play in the water and it was just me and Ri. “So does that mean no more secrets from me either? Can you tell me things now?” He was facing towards me at an angle. He wasn’t looking at me though he was leaning back on his arms spread out with his eyes closed face to the sun. I wanted to be greedy and look at him but was to embarrassed for him to hear me gushing over him.

  “What do you want to know?” His deep voice teasing me with much needed information and the fact it was just the two of u
s caused goosebumps of pleasure to crawl up my arms. When I was sure he wasn’t going to comment on the goosebumps he had to know about, I exhaled gratefully. Ri could be a jerk but he was always respectful of my handicap. He could read my thoughts but never drew attention to them letting me have my space. Then I frowned not knowing if that was a good thing.

  “Are you upset about our bond? Do you not want it or me or whatever?”

  He still didn’t look at me when he answered but he did have a small smile. “I love that you always speak your mind. Even if I couldn’t read your thoughts I would know what you’re thinking because you’re so honest. I can’t tell you how refreshing that is to me.” I enjoyed his praise but hated his misdirection. He continued.

  “I’ll never be able to explain it to you. I do want you, desperately. You are my every dream come true. I could never be disappointed with you in any way. You’re perfect and perfect for me. It’s not about us though. If you are the child of light then it’s very doubtful you or I will have any kind of happy ending. To be blunt we will probably die in a war that will start as soon as it’s revealed if you are what Aurelia believes you are. There are so many things to consider. Would it be worth it to bond knowing one of us could die soon? That’s one thing. More importantly I refuse to bond with you before you understand it. I will never take your choices from you, ever. My main concern is your safety. I feel if we got closer or became romantic it would distract me and I wouldn’t be as good at my job. I don’t feel it would be good for us to pursue each other at this time.”

  This man, I swear, he could take me from calm to pissed to calm all in under five seconds.

  “I would have preferred to know that before you kissed me.” I said angrily.

  He pushed out a breath in frustration and sat up and ran his hands through his hair.

  “I know believe me. I did not mean for that to happen. It's complicated being in your head. When I can hear you wanting me, it makes it more difficult.”

  I blushed at the insinuation he didn't want me and that he was rejecting me was too much.

  A lot of things went through my mind at his speech. I knew he was telling the truth but I knew he was holding things back. I could also tell he was basically rejecting me and I thought the bond must not be that big of a deal. I couldn’t imagine anything being so bad that I wouldn’t want every second I could have with my soul mate but I could tell it was not that way for him so the bond must only work for people who wanted it to work.

  It seemed a lot like human marriage when you broke it down that way. I looked around the beach and saw how every couple was holding hands, laughing, kissing, completely in love with each other. I remembered my mom and dad. In that moment I hated Ri. Anyone who would not be willing to take a chance on something so amazing was just awful and selfish. Not only was he telling me I couldn’t have something I wanted really badly. He was telling me I couldn’t have something that already belonged to me. What's worse is I didn’t know if there was anything I could do about it. In all honesty I didn’t even want to in that moment.

  Ri stayed quiet probably just listening to my thoughts and never glancing at me. I wished I could shimmer so I could go to my room. There was really nothing to say. So I stood up brushing the sand from my body.

  “I'm so sorry me wanting you, was too difficult for you. I'm sure it won't be a problem in the future.” I made my way back to the house the human way. I went in the way I came out. Standing tall, back straight, confident and proud. As I neared where Serenity was I gathered my hair in the ponytail holder using the signal she had showed me. I just wanted her to know that I had definitely had enough. She nodded at me with a concerned expression but kept with her friends and I made my way inside. It was obvious from how Ri talked to Serenity that he could hear my thoughts all the time. This didn’t even matter to me anymore let him hear how upset I was. He obviously didn’t care.

  Chapter 31

  As I walked into the kitchen my hopes of sneaking unnoticed into my room were destroyed. I gasped in shock at the man who must be my uncle Marcus. He looked just like my mom and it was almost like looking at a ghost. He approached me, “Trinity I’m sorry I startled you. I’m Marcus, your mom's brother.”

  “I was startled because you look so much like her. It’s incredible.” I couldn’t help that tears were gathering in my eyes again. He just wrapped me up in a hug and said, “Welcome home Trinity, we missed you.” It should have been awkward but it wasn’t. He was tall and well built. He was probably 45 but looked much younger as all supes did and he had my moms hair eyes and face shape. The eyes were not the same color but the same shape. We sat at the table and I just stared, so happy to be looking at this face so much like my moms.

  “So how are you doing?” He asked.

  “I’m fine.” He gave me a disbelieving look, one that made me want to confess all my sins. Marcus had a lot of presence. Even human I could tell he was powerful. “Really, it’s been rough but I’m hanging in there and Serenity is really great and very helpful.”

  He grinned. “Yes where is that meddling daughter of mine?” You could hear the affection in his tone.

  “She’s outside with Jason.”

  “Of course, Listen Trinity, about the bond. It’s a big deal much like the birds and the bees. Even though you’re 17 you aren’t ready for that having not known about it. If we don’t hear from your dad in a week then my wife, Sandra, would like to sit down and explain it all to you. Woman to woman.”

  I held up my hand cutting him off. No one would be having sex talks with me and that was final. “There’s nothing to worry about.” I assured him. “Ri has made it clear that he refuses to bond with me.” My uncle shook his head and gave me a perplexed look. “That’s not possible, actually, the bond is a very strong thing, it’s not really a choice.”

  I shook my head back at him and crossed my arms. “Then maybe he is not my bond mate because he’s made up his mind and I’m so furious with him that I wouldn’t bond with him now either. It must be some kind of a fluke mistake because he is this hellhound, protector of the world guy.”

  Marcus patted my hand on the table. It was so much like dad my heart ached a little. “Don’t worry, you’re right we’re all in unchartered territory anything is possible. We will straighten this all out. All bond talk aside you’re a big deal around here. I think Serenity plans to throw a formal party to introduce you to the community officially. I groaned in horror and he laughed. “Not the big party type I take it?”

  “I’m the invisible type. I was just now seeking the solitude of my room.”

  He gave me a sweet smile. “Yeah, your mom was just like that too. Listen, tonight we’ll have a quiet supper in, but there are many important people from our community who will be here throughout the week to meet you. You go on up to your room and rest. I’ll come get you when supper is ready.”

  I gave him a smile and headed for my room, more grateful than ever to have my little slice of heaven here in this strange new world. At least until I saw my bathroom door and was reminded of the most infuriating man I would ever meet. I wanted it fixed right now, but I also thought it would be great if I could fix it myself when I got my powers.

  I curled on my side on my bed and wondered what my powers would be.

  I knew I would love moving things with my mind. Being able to have all my laundry and detergent follow me to the washer would make things wonderful. I wondered if I would be earth, air, fire, or water. I remembered those symbols being on the jewelry box my mom had given me and how she told me she knew I would need protection. It was obvious she had some idea that I would be pulled into this world they tried to keep me from and I wished more than ever I could talk to her one more time. Then a spark of hope lit within me because surely such things were possible in this super world.

  I shouldn’t have been surprised I fell asleep considering how stressful the day had been. All of a sudden I was in a wooded area on a beach that looked like one people wouldn’t norm
ally frequent. I assumed as much because the vegetation was thick and wild as if it wasn’t being kept in check by humans. I knew I was dreaming right away which was strange for me and didn’t happen very often in my dreams. It was night time but the full moon was shining on the water giving off enough light to see easily.

  A chill went down my spine and I walked towards the beach trying to distance myself from the creepy woods. I heard a slapping noise followed by a grunt. It sounded like two guys fighting. My heart spiked in adrenaline and I looked around trying to find the commotion. 40 feet to my left back by the tree line were two figures fighting. It looked like guys but it was hard to make out details in the dark. I felt like I needed to get away so I turned and ran the other direction. The whole time I know I’m dreaming telling myself to wake up.

  The noise of the fighting grew louder and one of the guys let out a terrifying scream that silenced abruptly. The sounds of death caused my legs to pump faster than I ever imagined they could and a sob of anguish broke from me. Then a figure hit me from the side so hard my breath left my lungs. I was crawling away quickly recognizing the danger. I tried to get to my feet but was pushed down again so fast it had to be a supe for sure.