Of Flesh and Fire - Book I: Everything Will Burn

by Tuesday Cross

  What am I missing? I crossed my arms.

  “Really, it’s nothing–” Another beam of sunlight passed across us, and Marcus tried to stifle a cry.

  Even without Rowan’s wolf like hearing and sense of smell, I heard the quiet sizzle and smelled the tang of burning flesh.

  “Yeah, sure you’re fine.” Rowan gripped Marcus by the shirt and yanked him towards the trees.

  “Excuse me, but what’s going on?” I asked as we came to a stop under the shade of the pines.

  Rowan jerked her thumb towards Marcus. “It’s your holier-than-thou boyfriend here.” She rounded on him. “He’s killing himself.”

  CHAPTER 24

  FOLLOW THE WOLF

  “What the hell is she talking about?” Killing himself?

  “That’s quite dramatic, Rowan.” Marcus leaned against the rough bark of a nearby tree.

  “Is it?” Rowan asked, turning around. “I get that you’ve got this whole ‘quiet tortured soul’ thing going on, Marco, but you need to be in top shape.” She kicked a mound of dirt in his direction. “I’m disappointed.”

  “Seriously, can one of you two tell me what’s going on?” My heart knocked around like a frantic bird.

  Rowan glanced at me over her shoulder before addressing Marcus. “Alright, dude, when was the last time you had warm blood?”

  “I don’t see how that’s any of your busin–”

  “Not my business? You’re one of the key players in protecting my best friend.” She stuck a short, unpainted fingernail in his face. “Marcus, you’re letting the team down by playing at half strength.”

  I sucked in a breath of the pine scented air. He hasn’t eaten, that’s the problem?

  “So I’ll ask again.” Rowan crossed her arms. “How long has it been since you’ve had a meal? And I mean a real meal, not dead blood.”

  Marcus pulled a strip of bark off of the tree, turning it over in his hand. “It’s been about nine, maybe ten months.”

  Since you last ate? Are you kidding me? My stomach growled at the mere thought.

  Rowan threw up her hands and twisted around, grinding the needles beneath her feet. “Right, so for this half of the date, you’re taking him out for a drink.” She gripped my shoulder. “And by drink I don’t mean popping down to the pub, I mean heading to the donor area of the hospital wing.” She swiveled back to Marcus. “Spare us the strong silent drama, ok? Sort yourself out.” Rowan sighed and walked down the path back towards the quad. “I’m tapping out. Make sure he eats!”

  I stood silently, arms crossed, watching as Marcus picked apart the bit of tree he held. Whatever the problem is I’ll guess it’s because he doesn’t like hurting people. Silence stretched between us.

  Marcus tossed aside the bark and met my eyes. “Rowan’s right. I’ve been ignoring my… hunger.”

  “That’s why the sun is hurting you?”

  He nodded. “The older we are the longer we can go without feeding on warm blood, but the repercussions always catch up eventually.”

  “Besides sun sensitivity, what are the other repercussions?” I asked.

  “Suppressed magic. My affliction means that even though my fire is intact, I now require blood to fuel it.”

  His affliction. Is that how he sees vampirism?

  “I’m sorry if this is a dumb question, but why go for so long without feeding?” I ran a hand through my thick hair. “Particularly if there’s a donor center on campus and everything, I mean, isn’t it easy?”

  Marcus shifted his weight from one foot to the other, avoiding my eye contact. “It’s easy enough. Personally, I find it abhorrent.”

  “What, does it taste weird or something?”

  He chuckled. “No, it does not. Quite the opposite actually.” Marcus massaged his temple and sighed. “For lack of a better descriptor, it’s a very intimate process.”

  “Intimate?” I asked.

  “Yes. When you drink from someone, you get caught up in their emotions. For the human, nothing about their state of mind is hidden. For the vampire, it’s incredibly intoxicating.” A worried look crossed Marcus’s face. “I’m sorry, am I frightening you?”

  Oh crap, was it that obvious? “No. Well, yes, but it’s fine.”

  He let his gaze fall to the ground. “It frightens me too. To be honest, I loathe its necessity.”

  “You don’t like the intimacy you mean?” I drew a small circle in the dirt with my shoe.

  His eyes flicked up to mine. “Not with strangers.”

  Memories of my first brush with death on campus surfaced in my mind. I was so afraid and angry. A part of me was taken, my sense of safety and control. But with Marcus…

  “Well, come on then.” I gestured towards campus and started to walk.

  “I’d rather not go to the donor center just yet,” Marcus said, joining me.

  “That’s not where we’re going.”

  He looked at me, brow crinkled.

  “We’re going back to the dorms, and you’re going to feed on me.” Is that the correct terminology?

  “No.” Marcus stopped dead.

  “No?” I asked. “You just don’t want to? Or some other reason?” Did I say something wrong?

  He looked up at the tree tops.

  “You can’t can you, because of the fire in my blood?” I don’t fancy being lunch, but at the same time I feel… disappointed?

  Marcus sighed. “No, it’s not that.”

  “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s the issue?”

  He approached me, sliding his fingertips from my temple to my jawline. The effect made my entire body shiver, as if a wave of static had just passed through my bones.

  “Feeding on strangers is intimate and uncomfortable. Feeding on someone who you care about–” Marcus tilted my face up, the pad of his thumb under my chin “–it’s much more involved, for both parties.”

  Oh. Heat rushed to my face, and I restrained myself from taking his hand as it fell away from my chin.

  “I say no because I’m not sure you know exactly what you’re offering.” He smiled softly. “If I am ever welcome to feed from you, I want it to be with your full understanding and consent.”

  Dear lord we’re not just talking about dinner right now are we. I couldn’t help it, my blood thumped through my veins as my heart worked double time. This is so embarrassing, he can probably hear that right now!

  “So, is that, ‘vampire’ for making love?” Oh my god, kill me now. Making love? What am I, thirteen?

  “In a way.” His smile reached his eyes.

  Is it just me or does the air feel really hot right now?

  “Come on, Nyminia. Let’s head back.”

  We walked towards the quad, side by side and almost touching in that way that potential lovers do. The light was just beginning to fade, splashing a dusky orange tint across the grounds. Alright, I’m supposed to fall in love with this guy, it’s fate, it’s bound to happen, the universe says so. I took a deep breath, and called upon Rowan’s sage advice.

  “Marcus?”

  We stopped walking, and he turned his sea green eyes to me.

  “Would you fancy being my boyfriend?” Cringe! That sounds so juvenile. “Or, erm, partner?”

  The widest grin spread across his face. He laughed, a sound that reminded me of water on stones, and took my hand. “I would be honored to be your boyfriend. Or partner. Or whatever you would like to call it, it doesn’t matter.” With my hand in his, Marcus spun me 360 degrees. Placing his foot behind mine, he tipped me back into his waiting arm, dipping me parallel to the ground. “I promise, I will work every day to ensure I deserve the honor.”

  I giggled uncontrollably as I admired Marcus’s handsome face. His angular features framed by unruly black hair and the sky’s dappled orange clouds. The only feature which gave away his unfathomable age were his eyes. It’s like he can see things around him, and in me, that are invisible to everyone else. I noticed his gaze flick down, ever so slightly. />
  “Go on then,” I whispered.

  My wish was his command. Unlike the first time our worlds collided, this embrace was slow and smoldering. The kiss lingered, although I wouldn’t have called it a kiss. More like a dance. It tasted like cinnamon, and satiated a pocket of my soul I didn’t know existed until that moment. Tears welled in my eyes, both happy, and something else. The fear was still there, clinging to the edges of my mind, but Marcus’s soft touch brushed it back every so slightly. If my anxiety was chains before, now it’s cobwebs.

  His face pulled away, the parting of our lips making that funny popping noise. We both laughed, and in Marcus’s eyes I saw something I hadn’t seen there before. Happiness?

  Wrapping both arms around me now, he lifted my body off the ground, spinning me around before placing my feet softly on the grass.

  Is it possible to die from this feeling? My heart feels like it’s going to explode.

  A nearby cough brought my mind crashing back to earth. Oh my god. My face burned as I realized Marcus and I had attracted a small crowd, students who were obviously headed to dinner. I recognized a few faces, and every one of them had the same slack-jawed look of surprise.

  “May I help you all with something?” Marcus asked.

  The crowd instantly dispersed, everyone looking in every direction except ours. As they headed towards the dining hall, I noticed Ryanna standing there. She winked at me before turning to catch up with her group of friends.

  Marcus chuckled and I rubbed my eyes on the backs of my hands.

  “I’ve never felt so awkward in my life!” I looked up, catching a few backwards glances from the retreating group.

  “Don’t worry about them. Don’t worry about anyone, Nyminia.” Marcus pulled at the sleeve of my grey top, tearing my gaze away from the nosy horde. “The only opinion of yourself which should matter to you is your own.”

  “That’s easy for you to say, wouldn’t you look at all of these people like…” Numbers? Sheep? Just squishy pink things here for a hot second? I couldn’t think of a way to finish the sentence out loud.

  Marcus shifted, looking past me and at the students in the distance. “Every sentient being in this world is important. Each with the potential for good and for evil. To shape the future of this world by accident as well as through carefully laid plans.” He took my hand. “Life span has nothing to do with someone’s value. My vast time in the role of observer has sharpened this truth for me, not dulled it. I’ve seen humans grow from children to men, fight and die, while I alone survived to see the impact it made on the course of history.” Marcus smiled, his gaze far away. “We are all important, every single one of us. All I’m saying–” he met my eyes “–is don’t let unknown thoughts from unknown people hold you back or make you feel bad about yourself. Always do what you think is right.” He squeezed my hand, smiling.

  He’s ancient, but Marcus isn’t a corpse of a man made bitter by the decades. Life has done something else to him, something I can’t even fathom.

  “Time doesn’t make you old, does it?” I asked.

  Marcus grinned. “No, we only have mortal bodies and the decisions we make to blame for that.”

  I smiled back, my heart warm. The sky slowly turned a shade of crimson, allowing fingers of darkness to creep across the rolling grasses around us. Soundlessly, the brilliant daylight of the quad snapped into life, illuminating the area in anticipation of the evening classes.

  “So, what are you going to do about eating?” I asked.

  Marcus’s smile flickered. “I’ll visit the donor center tomorrow. Rowan was right, it was foolish of me to go for so long without a real feed.”

  A cold wave washed over my emotions, it felt something like anger, but different.

  “Well, that’s good to hear,” I said, forcing a smile. So what, he’s just going to get close and personal with some uni student volunteer. That’s fine. Totally fine. Important even, I mean, he needs to eat.

  “May I walk you back to your room?” he asked, pulling me away from my inner monologue.

  “Of course, thank you.” I squeezed his hand. “I’d like to try and catch Rowan on her way to dinner.”

  The area around our dorm block was quiet. Silent in that way where the air still held the energy of those who had passed through moments before. Darkness fell like a blanket now, pierced only by the cast iron lanterns which stood tall along the path. As we neared the ivy-covered structure, the front door opened as if kicked from the other side, cracking against the brick of the building.

  Rowan shot out of the opening, sprinting towards the forest. In the low light I could just make out the waves of red amber fur which had sprouted across her shifting body. As the wolf disappeared past the tree line I heard a long, low howl sound from somewhere further out in the woods.

  Marcus gripped my shoulders, turning me quickly. “Please go inside, Nyminia. Lock the door to your room and remain there until I come back.”

  In a flash, Marcus had picked me up and deposited me inside of the common area. He gave me one last look and a curt nod before he sped out into the night.

  What the heck is happen–

  “Um, excuse me, but is something going on?”

  The quiet voice startled me. Looking over my shoulder I saw two people my age, cozied down on the large couch.

  “Rowan took out of here like a bat out of, well you know. And then Mr. S dropped you in like a hot potato.” The quiet speaker was a skinny guy, the yellow light of the fire reflecting off of his slick blonde hair. The girl he was sitting with frowned at me, putting deep creases in her forehead.

  “Er, well, I don’t know. I’m sure it’s all fine.” I answered.

  “Wait, is this you?” The girl produced her phone, showing me a picture of Marcus and I lost in our kiss.

  Dear lord. Heat threatened to set fire to my cheeks.

  “It is, isn’t it?” A huge smile spread across her face. “Is Mr. S like, your boyfriend?” she asked.

  “Erm, well, yes.” God I hope he and Rowan are okay. Why was she running?

  “Do you get extra credit in History of Medieval Magic for that?” The blonde asked, laughing.

  His friend shot him a glare. “Don’t be stupid, Derek, they’re obviously in love.” She glanced to me. “That’s right, isn’t it?” she asked.

  “It was really nice meeting you two!” I called over my shoulder as I pounded up the stairs.

  I’m sure Marcus and Rowan are fine. It’s gotta be nothing. Flying down the hallway I slipped through the door and into our room. My friend’s things were messier than usual, like she had been looking for something. Her phone lay on the bedside table, the face lighting up with nearly twenty missed calls from Cash.

  Who am I kidding, of course something is wrong. My friends are out there right now, and they’re in danger. I took a deep breath. Even without full control of my magic, surely I can help.

  Running past the confused faces on the couch I raced outside, I sprinted as fast as I could in the direction I had seen Rowan disappear.

  The shapes of the trees and bushes were softly illuminated by the milky white light filtering through the branches above. Blood pounded in my ears as I ran through the woods blindly. Where are they? I strained my senses, trying my best to look and listen for anything out of place.

  Gasping for breath I stopped to lean against the trunk of a dead tree. They can’t be much farther out, that would put them beyond the border of protection.

  The sound of loud, frantic voices ahead of me wiped away my exhaustion. Pushing off the hollow tree, I launched myself back into the grey darkness, towards the cacophony. Picking my feet up, I jumped over fallen logs and flew down the thin trail. My clothing, hair, and skin alike became caught and torn on the reaching thorns of ghostly thickets.

  I stopped again, listening for my friends. Nothing. Where are they?

  A low, guttural growl to my left pulled me from my thoughts. Out of the shadows stalked a huge snarling wolf who
se coat appeared black in the dim light.

  “Kit? Cash?” I called out. The both look so alike, I can’t tell them apart yet.

  The wolf halted his advance, but his glistening canines remained bared.

  “Are you hurt?” I asked, my voice shaky. Something’s wrong, it’s like he doesn’t recognize–

  Suddenly, he leapt into the air towards me. I dove to the side, only to let out a cry as Cash tackled his brother in midair. Human and wolf crashed to the ground in a flurry of claws and teeth. Cash did his best to hold his brother’s maw away from his flesh as the two rolled into the underbrush.

  “Nyminia!”

  Marcus’s frantic voice caused me to turn. In the distance he and Rowan ran towards me, barely illuminated in the moonlight.

  What’s happening to the air? I struggled to draw a breath as the temperature became hot and stifling. My eyes widened as the trees became silhouettes, haloed by an orange light. The blaze grew and grew until it clearly illuminated the looks of horror on my friends faces.

  Marcus and Rowan skidded to a stop in front of me, spraying dry dirt and pine needles.

  The wall of flames was upon us before I had time to reflect on my mistake.

  CHAPTER 25

  SUPERNATURAL NATURE

  My stomach churned as bile crept up the back of my throat. Coughing, I opened my eyes to the sight of a pale blurred shape hovering above me. Oh man, what happened?

  I blinked, attempting to clear my vision. In the distance a male voice spoke, but I couldn’t make out the words over the ringing in my ears. A cool damp cloth was laid over my forehead, covering my eyes. The scent of eucalyptus stung my nose at first, yet the effect was calming. The clouds which had accumulated in my mind dissolved, and my stomach settled.

  “That’s it, Nyminia, just keep breathing deep,” Marcus whispered.

  I’m laying on my back, it’s soft, I’m warm, I’m… safe?

  “Marcus!” I ripped the cloth away from my eyes and sat up. Instantly, a wave of nausea coursed through my gut. Hoping to avoid a spew, I lowered myself back down onto the couch. My eyes looked past my partner to the empty seats and kitchen.