Burned

by J. Nichole Parkins

  “I love you,” I whispered against his lips.

  “I know.” He smiled. “I just had to wait for you to realize it.”

  “How can you smile about it? How can you love me after everything I’ve put you through?” I wanted to yell. To push him for being so stupid. But at the same time I didn’t want to push him away any more.

  “Because I do.” He shrugged, dragging his fingers through is shaggy hair as he searched for the right words. “After everything you’ve been through you have to find your own way. I know things are going to be hard. And we will hurt each other. Probably a lot.” His crooked grin widened and he wiggled his eyebrows. “But I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun making up.”

  “But-” He placed his finger across my lips.

  “No buts. I know it’s going to be hard.” His eyes, serious now, met mine. “I know there is a lot to work out. But the last couple of months with you have shown me a lot. For once I’m not going to think about the future. Just the now. That’s what is important. We’ll work through everything and yell at each other later, after we’re out of here and have kicked whatever’s ass stuck us in here,” he growled the last part.

  That sounded like a plan.

  I kissed him, relieved that he wasn’t asking more from me than I could give him.

  A horrible screeching noise invaded the silence of the room, so startling I lost the ball of flame causing us to plunge into darkness. The hatch from above was wrenched open, light from the room above spilling in. The musty smell increased, cloying. I couldn’t help but cough as it invaded my lungs.

  “How touching,” a scratchy voice dripping with disdain called out from above. “It’s too bad you won’t have a ‘happily ever after’.” Its cackle made my skin want to curl up and run away.

  Swallowing thickly, my heart raced. I called out, my voice clear and strong despite my fear, “You need to let us out of here.”

  The creature moved slightly allowing the light from the room above to reveal its features.

  “Oh we will.” Her voice filled with excitement, anticipation even. “I’m going to bring your head to Alejandro. But not until I’ve sucked the marrow from your bones, fire starter. Your marrow should be delectable.”

  Vera licked her lips, insanity bright in her eyes.

  Shock rippled through me and I stumbled back. Gavin’s hands on my hips steadying me. Everything clicked together in my head.

  Vera was the bone eater.

  “Fuck.”

  “No time for that,” she cackled. Her attention was briefly pulled over her shoulder, “Liam, get over here.”

  Both of them.

  Gavin’s worried gaze met mine. With two of them we had less of a chance of escaping. I may be experienced in fighting, but Gavin was a rancher. He was strong, but he wasn’t used to fighting for real. Tussles with his cousins weren’t actually life threatening. And while my fighting skills were great, my other skills were so unreliable. I could just as easily kill him as one of them. A frustrated groan escaped my lips.

  “Liam, the ladder,” she barked.

  I briefly spotted Liam’s spiky head in the opening as he dropped the rope ladder down the hole.

  “I’m not climbing up there just to have you kill me,” I scoffed. “What do you think I am, stupid?”

  Her evil grin reappeared, shifting to a knowing smirk as she slowly drew the gun from her back.

  “Well, then I’ll shoot your lover.” Her eyebrow rose. “He may be a shifter, but enough bullets and he will still die.”

  She wasn’t bluffing. If I didn’t move my ass up that ladder pronto, she’d kill him in a heartbeat.

  I grabbed the ladder in my hands, the scratchy rope biting into my palms as I pulled myself up.

  “Kyra don’t!” Gavin called out from below.

  “There’s no choice.” I hoped he saw the unspoken words in my eyes.

  He nodded sharply and waited below.

  Once I finished climbing and pulled myself through the hatch opening, I looked around. We were in a dining room, the table and chairs moved over to access the trap door to the basement. A rug was pushed back, which kept the hatch hidden from prying eyes.

  Moments later Gavin appeared beside me and grasped my hand in his warm one. Strength flowed from him.

  A gun was shoved into his back and we were herded outside by the deranged couple.

  “You know,” Vera began, “we hoped to have a new start here. Turn over a new leaf, as you say.”

  “Can you imagine?” she scoffed, her accent thickening with her distress. “Kicked out of our home country. For doing what came natural, what we were born to do. It’s not our fault that we are shifters, that we crave the marrow deep inside the bone of humans.” Her eyes took on a glassy shine.

  It may be what she craved, but she was also part human. All shifters had to find the balance between our two selves, our two desires. She could have found a compromise, like most of us do. Instead her desires had corrupted her, twisted her mind, and robbed her of her sanity.

  I risked a glance at her love, Liam. His eyes were clear, focused only on his bat shit crazy lover. Devoted purely to Vera, bowing to her insane wishes. If I ever totally lost my marbles, I hoped someone loved me enough to put me out of my misery instead of contributing to my crazy.

  “It must have been really hard to be forced to leave the place you loved.” I figured it was safer to pretend to sympathize with the crazy bitch, rather than saying what I was really thinking.

  “Alejandro offered us sanctuary after we were chased out of Austria,” Vera continued as she stopped in a cleared field outside their home. She began circling us, gun pointed at Gavin. Liam mirrored her, his gun trained on me. It was difficult to keep both her and Liam in my sights.

  While we were much stronger than the humans they normally preyed on, with two of them, and two guns, they were at a distinct advantage. And I did not want to die, especially being ripped apart - alive - feeling them rend each bone from my body. I shuddered at the thought as I considered all my options.

  We couldn’t shift, Gavin’s shifting took too long and left him too vulnerable - he’d be killed seconds into the change. I could change in seconds, but I could only get to one of them. Leaving the other to shoot Gavin.

  I could use the energy that was even now swelling around us, begging to be released, but I would have to focus it on the two of them and not Gavin. I didn’t want to risk hurting him. While my control had improved, I was still unstable. Especially now with all the added stress and axiety. I was just as likely to hit Gavin as the two of them. His eyes shining with love and determination, met mine. He trusted me to get us out of this alive. He knew I could do this. And I would.

  As she continued her deranged tirade, I concentrated on pulling the energy to me. Creating a ball of fire centered in my body like before.

  “But he is displeased with us. Angry that we kill in his territory,” she scoffed.

  Spencer had been right all along - Alejandro had welcomed these monsters into our city and knew that they were responsible. My anger at him grew. As House leader he was charged with keeping the humans in his territory safe from the others that lived by their side. And yet he invited these monsters here. Knowing what they were capable of, what they were doing. And did nothing.

  The energy rushed into me faster, building. Fortunately Vera continued to be lost in her tirade and didn’t notice anything amiss.

  “We are Lammergeier, Bone Eaters. It’s what we do. Alejandro continues to drink human blood because it’s his nature to do so, but he faults us for following ours.” My heart raced as she flung her arms out gesturing in anger. I hoped she didn’t accidentally pull the trigger.

  “Well maybe if you wouldn’t have tortured, killed, and mutilated people you might have had that fresh start Vera,” I was incredulous. “Yes it is in your nature, but so is the human part of you. There are alternatives-”

  “Dead bones!” she screamed. “Dead. The marrow is faded
, old. It is worthless! And the animals - they stink. The marrow is not as sweet. There is no alternative!”

  Her eyes glazed, focus turned inward as her skin began to ripple. The putrid odor of moldy feathers filled the air. She was going to change. My eyes flung to Liam whose gun was pointed at Gavin. Finger steady on the trigger, ready to shoot at any indication. It was aimed at his head.

  There was no choice.

  My eyes met Gavin’s, full of trust. He nodded, knowing what was coming. Muscles tensed, ready for my signal.

  Focusing on the ball of energy at my center, I sucked at the energy surrounding me. The air cackled around us.

  Black feathers sprouted through the skin on Vera’s arms. White feathers on her chest and head poked through the surface and spread as they formed. I couldn’t imagine the pain that she endured during her change.

  As before, I visualized the energy separating into twin balls of flame, but instead I continued to draw energy toward them instead of away. The surrounding energy was strong enough to tousle Gavin’s hair, almost making him lose his balance. His eyes widened, fear filling them. But he held my gaze steadily. His faith in me never wavering.

  Instead of pushing the twin balls of energy into the ground to dissipate, I concentrated on dragging them up. I held the twin balls of flame in each hand, my arms spread. I’d never felt anything like it before. It was similar to the rush I got letting go of the energy when I set the warehouses on fire, but stronger. I was pulling so much energy and focusing it on two separate areas. It continued to whip around me. Filling me. Caressing my insides. Luring me with the promise of untold power. Whispering to me.

  Vera had almost completed her shift. She was huge - her outstretched wings were at least ten feet in width. Her crystal blue eyes met mine, the surrounding whites now a startling red. Intense. Focused. And completely insane.

  Her talons were long, deadly. Daggers at the end of each digit. Her weight shifted as she began to flap her wings. It was now or never.

  I raised the twin balls of fire and concentrated on meeting my marks, flinging them as hard as I was able.

  Gavin ducked out of the way, grabbing a hold of me from behind as the fire reached the insane couple. The scent of burning flesh and feathers filled the air. Their horrible screams would haunt my nightmares for years.

  I had done this.

  Doubt and fear filled my chest. Bile rose in my throat. I swallowed it back, tears streaming down my face. Not for them, their suffering didn’t compare to that of their victims. For me. For those around me.

  I was capable of untold horrors. The power I held was unimaginable. What else what I capable of?

  Yes, my intentions were good. This time. I had no choice but to kill them. Their murderous spree was over. The humans of Tampa no longer had to worry about them.

  But I was a threat to them, to the people around me.

  Because deep down, I liked it.

  A part of me begged for more. It didn’t want to stop. The scent of burning was heady and pleasant, like the finest perfume. I shuddered at the craving within. My heart raced and my body trembled in Gavin’s grip. Mind swirling, my focus shattered. The flames shot up - their charred bodies unrecognizable - but the fire didn’t stop with them.

  The grass caught, flames rising, inching closer.

  Gavin was yelling something at me, but I couldn’t hear him. I was lost in the fire.

  Uncontrollable.

  Unstoppable.

  Who was the real monster here?

  The scent of burning grass moved closer, filled my senses.

  Gavin was shouting at me, shaking me as he gripped my shoulders. But I was numb to his touch, deaf to his shouts.

  His fear-filled eyes met mine. His mouth formed the words ‘I’m sorry’ and he embraced me, gripping me tightly before shoving me away. Determination hardened his eyes.

  He pulled his fist back and punched me. Blackness filed my vision as I lost consciousness.

  The water flowed around me as I floated, weightless. Relaxed. All the tension I’d held for so long released.

  I sighed enjoying the feeling of being free. Almost like my sins were washed away.

  Sins?

  Suddenly everything came back to me. The murders. Liam and Vera. Being trapped. The fire.

  “Gavin!” I struggled in the water. Strong arms held me. Familiar arms.

  “Shh,” Spencer’s arms tightened around me, as he spoke in my ear. “He’s fine, Kyra. You are both safe.”

  Relief slammed into me, the sudden shift of adrenaline causing a wave of nausea.

  “It’s okay,” Spencer continued, mumbling soothing words that I didn’t hear, just focusing on the calm tone of his voice. His deep baritone and southern drawl were easy to get lost in. Finally calm, I drew in a deep breath and surveyed my surroundings.

  I was in the bathtub of my loft cradled in Spencer’s arms, both of us fully clothed - thankfully. That would have been awkward. I looked up at him, eyebrow lifted, waiting for an explanation.

  His laughter rolled through him, jostling me as I rested against his chest. But I didn’t miss the relief in his shadowed eyes.

  “Nothing like that,” he continued laughing. “Not that I’m all that opposed to the idea - although I think Gavin would rip off my arms.”

  I rolled my eyes and struggled to sit up. With Spencer’s help I leaned against the opposite side of my huge bathtub, as he explained what had happened.

  Apparently Gavin had TKO’d my ass - a risky, but smart move on his part. As soon as I was unconscious the flames died down, saving his life. After figuring out where we were, he called Spencer who contacted the big boys. The fire department extinguished the remains of the fire, and Don and his team picked through the scene. It was a mess but Don had been elated, finally able to spin a story to the media about the crazy duo - twisted for public consumption of course.

  Gavin and Spencer carried my unconscious self back home. Unfortunately I was conscious enough by the time we arrived to start singeing things in my sleep. After a few trials and errors, and a few linens as casualties, we ended up in this position - which seemed to work the best. Gavin was back at his hotel sleeping safely.

  Fear and shame shuddered through me as I considered what had almost happened.

  Spencer knew exactly what I was feeling as I was broadcasting like crazy, my shields shredded. He frowned.

  “I know things got out of hand and could’ve ended up bad, but Gavin is a smart guy. He figured out what he needed to do. Don’t blame yourself, Kyra, you saved him. You caught the ones responsible for at least eleven murders that we know of. Eleven. We know by their own admission there were more back in Austria. I’m sure we will never know exactly how many, but it could have been so much worse.”

  “You stopped them. You, Kyra. You held the reins of your power multiple times, despite a stressful situation, and had control. You got rid of the threat.”

  “Until I lost control and almost killed him!”

  “But you didn’t!”

  “You don’t know.” I shook my head. Torn.

  “So tell me. Explain. Help me understand, Kyra.” He pleaded with me. His eyes liquid pools of honey I wanted to lose myself in.

  I wanted to tell him what had happened. Wanted to unleash that burden. But I was ashamed. Spencer was - well Spencer. He followed rules. He worked for the government. A government that had a way of making powerful preternaturals disappear. I was already scared to reveal I was a shifter. This was so much worse. My expression shuttered, I backed off. Shut down. Pulling my walls back up, I strengthened my shield and effectively pushed him out.

  His heavy sigh echoed in the tiled room. The water cascaded down his body as he rose from the tub, pooling around his feet.

  “I’ll leave you to get dressed,” he clipped as he left, trailing water in his wake. “I’ll change in the living room. Don’t worry I’ll clean up the mess. I just-” He almost growled in frustration, sounding eerily similar to Gavin. He
closed his eyes, chest expanding as he took a deep breath.

  “I’m here if you want to talk,” he added gently as he turned and shut the bathroom door behind him.

  I pulled myself beneath the water, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. The water felt soothing as it surrounded me. It’s too bad I couldn’t breathe underwater or I’d never leave.

  For the first time in a long time I considered just not coming up for air. The sadness weighed on me. The worry about what I would do the next time I lost control. Because there would be a next time.

  My lungs burned for air, but I stayed under. When my body tried to force itself above the water I pushed against the sides of the tub, refusing to allow my starved lungs access to the air it so desperately needed.

  This was better for everyone.

  I was dangerous.

  I was a monster.

  I had to stop myself before I gave into the lure.

  The power.

  Spots appeared before my eyes, my vision wavering.

  A muffled banging echoed through the water. “I’m dressed. Come on out when you’re ready. Daniel’s on his way up. He’ll be here in a minute or two.”

  I shot out of the water, gasping for breath, panting. My starving lungs spasming as they absorbed the oxygen.

  Stupid.

  I couldn’t do that to them. They didn’t deserve to find my body floating in a bathtub after everything they’d done for me. We would figure out something. As I sat there in the cooling water, still dressed, a new resolve filled me. I had overcome so much. I could figure this out too. I would get control. I would fight. I would win.

  But this time instead of fighting a couple of crazy-assed serial killers, I’d be fighting myself.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  I emerged from the shower to the greasy scent of frying chicken.

  “Shit,” I heard Spencer curse from the kitchen.

  “Can I help?” I called out, hoping the answer was no. I couldn’t stand cooking. Plus I was terrible at it. Eating out was more my speed. But I never turned down a fresh cooked meal.