by Ashley Meira
I hit the ground to dodge an incoming fireball. The rocky surface did nothing to shake the memory of how well he kissed — or the temptation to double check. I scrambled behind a toppled pillar to avoid another attack. It seemed sturdy enough to withstand a few hits. Adam was on the other side of the hallway, behind his own bit of cover.
It’d be easy. I could conjure an ice sword, run up to them while absorbing their spells, and kill them all in less than five minutes. I’d done it plenty of times. But Adam was watching. He’d see the spells hit me, and he’d see me absorb them — as only a Fireborn, his world’s most feared abomination, could do.
His presence meant I’d have to get creative. Dust coated my hair as another fireball crashed into the pillar. It wouldn’t last much longer. I’d need to find a new hiding spot soon. A dry laugh escaped me. And here I’d been worried about bringing the ceiling down on us.
Wait.
“Do you trust me?” I called to Adam as I scanned the ceiling. There were plenty of weaknesses. Too many. The entire thing could collapse on us.
“You’ve never asked me that before,” he called back. “Should I be scared?”
Yeah, that was me — the scary monster under everyone’s bed. The words hit a sore spot, and all I could force out was, “I can’t tell you how to feel.”
“Evidently. You spent over a week telling me not to like you. Glad you finally gave up.”
My face burned as my concentration vanished into thin air. I was definitely going to bring the entire ceiling down. “Surrender yourself to the guardians. They’ll hurt you less than I will.”
“You’ve been making these promises since we met.”
“They’re threats, you psycho.” I rolled my eyes and fought back a grin. He took almost everything I said good-naturedly.
Damn it. I wasn’t supposed to like him. Part of me claimed that ship had sailed long ago, but I was too stubborn to let go of it completely.
I channeled my chaotic emotions into magic, letting the energy sweep across my skin. Harsh winds whipped my hair as I watched magic dance in my palm. Thankfully, the guardians kept their distance from us. If they’d come any closer, I wouldn’t have risked it.
Adrenaline shot through my veins like a rocket. My hand trembled under the strain of keeping my magic under control. I wanted more. I wanted to make it bigger and stronger before letting it loose. The chaos would be beautiful.
I gasped, letting the magic go. A gust swept past my pillar and headed for the ceiling above the guardians. The sound of cracking marble was deafening as it collapsed on the mages below, filling my ears with the sound of broken bones and ruined history. But this time, I wasn’t concerned about the temple.
I was scared for myself, of myself.
Fireborns were mages descended from dragons. They got high off the magic they absorbed. It made them go wild. It had happened to me before, bringing along thoughts of destruction and unleashing all my magic in a glorious tempest. Delusions of godhood came with the territory. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t let it get me down. It was just one of the high’s side effects.
Except I wasn’t high this time. No spells had hit me. All I’d done was cast magic. When Fireborns absorbed magic, they received a temporary boost in stamina and a permanent boost in magic. That was why my magic was so strong — I’d been hit by a lot of spells. As far as I knew, that was the only permanent effect.
However, due to being anathema, there wasn’t a lot of public information available on Fireborns. I couldn’t walk into a library and pick up a book. I had to rely on what the Council told us — hearsay and propaganda meant to terrify the public. So, I had no way of knowing if there were other long term effects of absorbing magic.
It had always been a niggling possibility in the back of my mind. Temporary insanity for a permanent magic boost? That sounded too good to be true. Was I turning into an addict? Would I end up becoming the anarchic monster the Council claimed I was?
A hand touched my shoulder, and I screamed. Adam leapt back as a bolt of lightning decimated the spot where he’d been standing.
“Don’t kill me,” I breathed.
That’s what happened to Fireborns. They were either executed on the spot or thrown in the Black Citadel, the prison where all supernatural criminals were kept. After waking up in that prison cell without any memories, I wasn’t sure which I was more afraid of.
I took in Adam’s furrowed brow and the downturned corners of his mouth. That was it, I realized. I was more afraid of him finding out the truth. I was terrified of seeing that confused look morph into one of fear or hate. I didn’t want him to give up on me, but I definitely didn’t want him to get in trouble. Adam was a good man, and there was a big part of me that hoped he would accept and protect me even if he learned my secret. However, doing that meant he could be thrown in prison for harboring a Fireborn.
“Sophia.” Adam held his hands up. “It’s me. I’m not going to hurt you. Calm down.”
Anger and despair fought for dominance in my chest. The Council told everyone I was a monster, but I didn’t ask to be born this way. I didn’t ask for the ability to automatically absorb another person’s magic when it touched me. I didn’t ask for it to give me a euphoric high so intense I was willing to do anything to keep the feeling going.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Once he realized I’d relaxed, he rushed to me. Strong arms wrapped around me as the scent of pine filled my nose. Adam’s magic always made me feel better. I melted against him. He’d been so patient with me, even before I told him about my past.
“You’re safe now,” he said against my hair. “You did really well today.”
“I’m not a child.” I had a bad habit of saying that whenever I clung to him like one.
He chuckled. “I’m just telling you the truth. I’m very proud of all the progress you’ve made.”
“Progress? I’m a wrecking ball,” I said bitterly. “It feels like I’ll never get this right. That—” That I’ll turn into a magic-crazed monster.
“You will.” He leaned back to look into my eyes. “I believe in you.”
The faith in his voice hit me hard. This was bad. It was impossible to believe I should stay away from him when he pulled this crap. How dare he be so… good? He was patient, kind, handsome, and he believed in me. Guys like that couldn’t be real. I could fall for a guy like that, which was the last thing I needed.
Adam was his father’s heir, destined to take his spot on the Council of Magic — the very Council that persecuted my kind. I’d told him about my past as a slave after he’d discovered the brand on my thigh, but I’d kept my heritage a secret. I had been too afraid to tell him. I still was. The truth loomed over us like the sword of Damocles. Guilt kept me up at night. I was lying to him each time we spoke. Every moment we spent together was a lie.
“Why?” I couldn’t help asking.
“Haven’t I told you already?” he said with a gentle smile. “There’s so much potential in you. Letting it go to waste would be a shame. Besides, the man from your past could come after you. A sword won’t do much against power like his. I’ll do my best to keep you safe, but you need to be able to protect yourself. Plus, I—”
“Care about me,” I finished, my heart clenched so tight I could barely breathe. “I don’t get it. How are you so damn perfect?”
Adam’s smile faltered. “No one’s perfect.”
“You are,” I said, forcing myself to stand.
He stood with me. “Not at all. We’ve spent some time together, but you still don’t know me that well. My fault, I guess. I’ve been trying so hard to figure you out that I haven’t opened up.” His gaze dropped, and he licked his lips. The magic he’d wrapped around me pulled back against him like a shield. “But it’s flattering that you think I’m so great. Honestly, I worry sometimes. As much as I play off what you say, it’s hard to tell whether you even like me.”
“I didn’t say I liked you.”
&nb
sp; My snark seemed to perk him up. He took one of my hands in his and kissed my knuckles. “That’s okay, too. I like you enough for the both of us.”
Chapter Two
I jerked awake as Adam drove over a speed bump. He raised a brow but kept his eyes on the road. I looked outside. We were home. Apparently, I’d slept through the entire trip.
Now that he’d gotten settled in, Adam had bought his own vehicle instead of relying on his brother’s. I didn’t know what kind of car it was, just that it was big and black — more tank than anything, which suited him perfectly. When I first saw it, I thought my days of sinking into leathery bliss were gone. No way this thing had seats as soft and comfortable as Damien’s Ferrari, right?
It was one of the few times I was glad to be wrong.
Adam turned the corner into the business district, driving past the crystalline marvel that was Pierce Incorporated. As in Adam Pierce. He was the CEO of his family’s multinational company and had moved to my home of Santa Fae — a city I did not choose solely for its name — with plans of running the business from here.
Santa Fae was California’s largest magical city. Everyone who lived here was supernatural. The Council wove powerful spells over every magical city in the world to keep them hidden from humans. Whenever humans approached one of our cities, they had an uncontrollable urge to turn away.
It was against Council law to reveal our existence to humans, so anyone who didn’t look human had to stay in a magical city. They were the only place supernaturals could truly be themselves. Human-looking beings were allowed to travel wherever they liked, though. Which was good, because as much as I liked working at the Mercenary Guild, jobs for Symeon paid better.
Symeon was my patron — his word, not mine. A treasure collector and dealer, he hired me when there was an artifact he couldn’t easily acquire. Like Hermes’ freakin’ sandals. I glared at the bag resting on my lap. I’d nearly gotten killed for these, though things wouldn’t have been nearly as bad if someone hadn’t taken away my sword.
“Still mad about your sword?”
My eyes widened. “You are psychic.”
“No, you’re just easy to read.” He spared me a smug glance before turning back to the road.
I crossed my arms and looked out the window. His reflection was gorgeous, but it was less distracting than the real thing. “A few hours ago, you said I was hard to read.”
“About certain things. Sleep well?”
“Last I remember, we’d just gotten on your plane. Considering you managed to carry me off the plane and into this tank—”
“It’s a Hummer.”
“—without waking me, I think it’s safe to say I slept very well.”
Which shocked me. Flying on Adam’s private plane was a far cry from twenty-hour coach rides to Europe’s deadlands in search of ancient treasures, but I always managed to be surprised over how comfortable I’d gotten around him. The tiny remains of my logical mind screamed at me to run, but the rest of me was curled up like a content cat.
“You can drop me off here,” I said. “Ollie’s cafe is a block away.”
“I can take you there.”
“Then you’d have to circle around to get back home,” I said. Adam lived in the Garden District, Santa Fae’s most prestigious neighborhood. “Here is fine.”
“It’s late. I don’t like the idea of you walking around here alone.”
“Then give me back my sword.”
“It’s next to your leg,” he said. “But I’m still driving you. How are you feeling, by the way? Up for more training tomorrow? Small stuff we can do indoors at my place. I’m kind of sick of flying.”
“You’re a phoenix,” I said, trying not to imagine what kind of things we could do “indoors at his place.” “And you don’t usually ask.”
“Flying on a plane,” he said. “And we don’t usually run around with tigers and undead guardians. How about it? We can practice healing.”
“What? No shifting?” Adam had tried teaching me to shift and heal, but we hadn’t made any progress on either. I told him I didn’t think I was a healer or shifter, but since we had no idea exactly what I was, he wasn’t ready to give up on either yet.
“Here? Knowing you, you’ll end up shifting into a dragon. Or a cat. Fifty-fifty chance for either.”
“Your brother is the only recorded dragon shifter in—” I shrugged “—ages.”
“Shark, then? You threaten to bite me often enough,” he said playfully.
“I have never threatened to bite you.” Not directly, anyway. But I’d thought about it, and the cocky look on his face as he parked in front of the Golden Cat Cafe told me he knew I had.
The Golden Cat was my best friend’s cafe. Cozy was the main theme, and its decoration reflected that. There were comfy booths around the interior and soft garland lights covering the walls.
“How about dinner?” he asked.
My stomach growled. Great, even my digestive system responded positively to him. “We’ve spent almost every day together this past month. Aren’t you sick of me yet?”
“I don’t see that happening any time soon.” His gray eyes met mine. Their intensity made me shiver despite the heat rushing through my body. Adam was a great walking contradiction. “Unless you’re hungry for something else?”
I scowled at his smirk. He was also great at ruining the moment. Which he did intentionally, I’d learned. It was his way of giving me an out. And all it did was make me want to kiss him for being so sweet and patient. Memories of how talented he was with his hands and mouth shot through me.
I shoved them back down and said, “Go away.”
“If you don’t want food, I could always drive you home.” He grinned. “But then you’d have to walk all the way back here if you got hungry.”
“My sister is a fairy,” I said tersely. “She can open a portal for me to get back here.”
“So, you do want to be here? Good.” He stepped out of the car and walked around to open the door for me. See? How was I supposed to convince myself he was horrible when he pulled this kind of considerate crap? “Let’s go. Unless you want Fiona to ask why I stopped here, then got back in the car and drove you home.”
“Why—”
He nodded over his shoulder to the cafe. “Her face is pressed against the glass.”
A dainty nose was smushed against the front window. Fiona was perched in the booth, her big green eyes peering at us hungrily. If anyone could survive solely on gossip, it’d be Fiona. Her red hair was tied back in a ponytail, and I could see it bobbing as she bounced in her seat. My sister really liked the possibility of me dating Adam. If he took me home now, she’d be impossible to deal with.
I sighed. “Fine.”
My body sagged in relief as I stepped into the perimeter of the cafe. Ollie, my best friend, gave us a warm smile as he put the finishing touches on a cocktail. A Bloody Mary, it looked like.
“Gang’s all here,” he said, nodding at Adam. “About time.”
“Hey, bro,” Adam said. He and Ollie had gotten close since meeting last month, much to my chagrin.
“You two have been busy,” Adrienne said as we sat across from her and Fiona. The intonation in her voice was clear. “It seems like every time I turn around, you’re running off somewhere. What on earth could you two be doing together?”
“Who cares as long as they’re having fun, right?” Ollie placed the cocktail before a young woman and came over to us.
I rolled my eyes. “If you call being chased by angry tigers fun.”
“It’s definitely not boring.” Ollie tapped my nose. “I’m out of key lime pie, sorry.”
I sighed dramatically. “I thought you loved me.”
“I do. That’s why I’m going to make you some mac and cheese after getting Adam a Corona and—” Ollie examined him critically “—a beef pie?”
Adam nodded. “Sounded a little confused there.”
Ollie frowned. “Well, maybe if the
thing you wanted to eat most wasn’t Sophia—”
“Ollie!” I smacked his arm.
“Ow.” He rubbed the reddening limb. “Brute. Don’t hit me with your golem stabbing arm.”
“Don’t say Adam wants to eat me,” I hissed, trying to fight the blush overtaking my face. “You can’t even tell that!”
Ollie was half goblin, half green witch. His green witch blood allowed him to sense what people wanted, but only related to homey things like food and drink. It’s part of what made his cafe so popular. His heritage was also what made him such an amazing cook and potion maker. Being a pain in my ass was all him, however.
“I don’t need magic to tell that,” Ollie said. “I’ll be back with your food.”
“You’re not a goblin, you’re a troll,” I hissed after him.
Fiona snorted, her emerald green eyes dancing with mischief. “If he was really a troll, he’d have mentioned how much you wanted to eat Adam.”
I glared at her. “You know nothing.”
“Please.” She scoffed. “I know these things. I’m a fairy — and your sister.”
True, though not by birth. It didn’t take a trained eye to realize we weren’t genetically related. Fiona was tall and feminine, all smooth skin and luscious hair — not to mention the uncanny beauty that came with her fae blood. I was short, with uncontrollable hair and eyes the color of mud. Plus, unlike her, I couldn’t cast glamours. Meaning she could hide all the signs of abuse we’d suffered at the hands of the man who’d held us captive. Me? I was a Picasso of scars and bruises.
Despite the lack of blood connection, however, we were sisters. We’d suffered under the control of the same man, and we’d escaped. Together. We survived eight years on the run, terrified but never giving up — on a brighter future or each other.
“So, how was your romantic getaway?” she asked. “Did you bring me back any souvenirs or were you too busy mooning over each other?”