by CJ England
Suddenly, she smelled smoke and she stilled. A lifetime of fear rose up and almost strangled her. Leaping to her feet, she glanced around, but could see nothing. Where was it coming from?
Without warning, a billowing wall of fire leapt up between her and the front of the tent. It consumed the wall dividing the front and the back in seconds. Aithne screamed and stumbled back, falling against her cot. All of her nightmares were coming true.
Her foot kicked something and glancing down, she saw the oversized bag that held her wallet and other miscellaneous necessities. Instinctively, she snatched it up, dropping the cards and the picture of Aidan and Dawn inside. Slinging it around her neck, she looked around frantically for a way to escape.
The fire was monstrous. It seared her face and filled the small tent with choking clouds of smoke. She cried out again, terrified she wouldn’t be able to get through. One of the side walls went up and the heat increased, filling the air with the pungent odor of burning canvas. Turning, she ran to the back, hoping she could slip out under the back wall.
The second side wall flared up in an instant curtain of fire. The heat was so bad Aithne could feel her eyelashes curl from it. Smoke filled her nostrils and she coughed, feeling her throat burn from the acrid taste. Scrabbling at the back wall, she screamed for the one man she wanted to see more than anyone else.
“Milcham!”
Then a searing pain overwhelmed her, and everything went black.
—
Outside, Milcham and Jarrod stared in horror as a curling tendril of flame wicked up over the top of Aithne’s tent.
“No!” shouted Milcham hoarsely. He knew instantly it was a death trap for anyone that was inside. A second later, he heard Aithne scream and he forgot everything except the singular need to protect her. He ran for the door as a second wall of fire licked up the side of the tent with long greedy bites. He could smell the burnt odor of canvas, and the stronger scent of ozone. Had Aithne left a stove on?
A second scream rent the air and he swore out loud, heading for the still unburned front door of the tent. He was about ten feet away, could already feel the heat on his face, when he was hit from behind. He went to the ground, then popped up, swearing and spitting out dirt. He glared at the man who’d stopped him.
“What are you doing!” he shouted. “I’ve got to get to her!” He tried to continue, but Jarrod grabbed his arm.
The big man shook his head. “You can’t do her any good getting yourself killed. You can’t go in there half-cocked.” His eyes slid to Alexander, who had arrived at the scene. “You go in like that, and we’ll lose both of you.”
Milcham pulled away. “I’ll be fine. I can get to her.” He stared at the two men. “Trust me. I don’t have time to argue.”
“Milcham…” Alexander began.
“What I need from you is to keep all these people back.”
Jarrod snorted. “Don’t be a fool. Let us help you.”
“No,” Milcham said sharply. “I have to do this alone. I need you to keep everyone…say…fifty feet back. I don’t want them to see anything.” He stared at the two men. “You both have special abilities to do it. Make it happen.”
The two men gaped at him. There was a tense, silent moment. Then, they nodded in sudden understanding. “Go,” Alexander said. “We’ll do what we can.”
“Milcham!” Her scream rose over the sound of the fire.
At the sound of his name, he turned and ran into the now blazing tent. He heard shouts from the other people outside, but his whole being was focused on finding Aithne. Terror rose inside of him when he saw the whole inside of the tent was in flame. Was he too late?
His own inner flame burst into life and he was enveloped in a white ball of protective fire. As he moved through the burning room, he dodged fiery pieces of canvas that rained down from the top of the tent.
His heart almost stopped when he saw Aithne lying behind her now burning cot. Flames licked at her feet and the wall behind her was starting to smoke. He rushed to her, and then hesitated. Would his fire do any less damage than this one?
She coughed, and he shrugged. What choice did he have really? He either flamed her with his own unique fire, or she would be burned alive in this one. Bending down, he lifted her into his protective arms.
Her eyes fluttered open and she whimpered.
“It is all right, Assai,” he murmured. “I have you.”
She blinked slowly at him. “You…you’re on fire.”
“You are hallucinating, Aithne,” he answered soothingly. Standing upright, he stared around him at the walls of flame between him and freedom. “Go back to sleep. All will be well.”
Obediently, she closed her eyes, going limp in his arms. Milcham prayed Jarrod and Alexander had taken care of the crowd. It was bad enough he would reveal himself to those two. He didn’t want the entire carnival to know what he was.
He looked down at the unconscious Aithne and a certainty filled his soul. He would have told the world, if that was the only way to save the woman in his arms. She may not be his twin-flame, but he knew without a doubt that somehow…without even trying, she’d become the most important person in his life.
—
Outside the tent, Alexander’s Ethereal friends and Jarrod’s fierce demeanor, were successful in keeping the rest of the carnival crowd far away from the burning tent. The two men stood and watched as Aithne’s tent was consumed in red-orange crackling flames.
“There’s no way they’re going to make it out of there,” Alexander said rawly. “No way in hell.”
Jarrod’s jaw was clenched so hard it ached. “He said he could do it. We gotta believe him.”
Alexander’s sapphire eyes misted with tears. “But look at that place. He’s not God, you know. He’s just a simple man.”
Just then a figure appeared in the fire. The crowd was too far away to see it, but the two men had a clear vision of what it was.
Alexander’s mouth dropped open. “Okay…maybe not such a simple man.”
Tall and strong, its wings wrapped around the small woman in his arms, the glowing figure of a large bird stepped forth. Its feathers shone with all the colors of the rainbow and light played eerily around its head. It was surrounded by fire, but this was different than the fire consuming the tent behind it. His flames glowed with light and music and beauty.
As it stepped out of the fire, it morphed into the smaller figure of a man. Still tall…still strong…still glowing from the backlight of the tent fire, it was Milcham.
Pulled from their frozen trance, both men ran forward and grabbed him by the elbows, supporting him and the weight he carried out away from the fire. Behind them, they could see the other carny folk run forward with hoses and buckets, now free to keep the fire from spreading.
Dropping to his knees, Milcham laid his precious burden on the grass. Bending, he put his ear to her mouth.
“Damn it,” he rasped. “She’s not breathing.”
Alexander quickly checked her pulse. “I don’t feel anything.”
Immediately, Milcham cleared her airway and tilted her head back. “Do you know CPR?” At Alexander’s nod, he put his mouth over Aithne’s and gave her his life’s breath.
“One, two, three,” chanted Alexander along with the chest compressions he used. “One, two, three.”
In between, Milcham breathed for Aithne. “Come on Assai,” he murmured. “Don’t leave me now.”
Over the top of them, Jarrod clenched his fists impotently. “Come on Aithne. Breathe, damn it! Breathe!”
As if she heard him, Aithne gave a choking cough. Milcham rolled her onto her side where she coughed and gagged. Then he laid her back on the ground, stroking the hair back from her face. Her eyes opened slowly and when she saw him, they filled with tears.
“Am I dead?” she rasped out. “Are we both dead?”
“No,” he answered soothingly. “We are very much alive. You are safe now.”
“I…thought I was
dead,” she murmured. “I saw an angel in the flames. I thought he was coming to take me to heaven.”
The three men exchanged glances. Then Milcham smiled. “You must have seen me, Assai. I rescued you before the fire got too bad.” When Jarrod snorted, he narrowed his eyes at the big man. “You are sick from the smoke and you have a cut on your head, but other than that, you seem fine.”
“You…you, okay?”
His chest tightened and bending, he kissed her dirty cheek. “I am well.”
“Good,” Aithne whispered. She reached out a hand, holding tight to his shirt. “I don’t want…to lose you.” She seemed to fall back into unconsciousness as she spoke, but they all breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was alive.
Jarrod fell to his knees. “Shit! That was too close.”
Milcham watched her still face. “It was indeed.”
“You saved her life.” Alexander’s quiet voice brought his head up. “And you were right. You were the only one who could do it.”
There was quiet for a moment and then Milcham shrugged. “So now you know. As I know about you.”
“How long?” Jarrod questioned roughly. “How long did you know I was a werewolf?”
“From the beginning.”
“How?” Now it was Alexander who asked. “And why didn’t you say anything about either of us?”
“I can see things most humans cannot. I respect your privacy. I know what it is like to be…different. You are both excellent workers and men I call…friends. I would never betray that.”
“What are you…exactly?” questioned Jarrod.
“I can answer that,” responded Alexander. “You’re a Phoenix , am I right? Your nature, as well as your name.”
“I am the Phoenix ,” Milcham corrected. “The only one in existence.” He looked down at the sleeping Aithne. “I left my home centuries ago to look for a mate.”
“Looks like you found one,” Jarrod grinned.
“No!” Milcham shook his head. “She must not know what I am. I cannot tell her. There are…complications.” He gazed at his friends. “I would ask you keep my nature a secret…from everyone. Even Aithne.”
There was a short silence, and then Alexander nodded. “We’ll keep your secret, but I do think you should tell her. She knows about us.”
“She does?” That was news to Milcham. He pondered a moment then spoke. “Still…she wouldn’t understand. She is a normal human woman.”
The two other men exchanged a look. “You’d be surprised, boss,” Jarrod snickered. “But it’s up to you. We’ll keep your secret.”
“We can do no less,” Alexander remarked. His azure eyes darkened with emotion. “You saved her life.”
Milcham sighed and bending, gathered Aithne back into his arms. “I don’t know how yet, but I have this sneaking suspicion by bringing her out of the flames, it was my own life that I saved.
He glanced over at the stinking, smoldering tent. “I will take her back to my trailer and care for her. Will you make sure everything is taken care of here?”
“Sure, boss,” Jarrod nodded. “I doubt anything can be saved. Where will she stay now?
“With me.” There was no doubt in his mind. He had made his decision when he saw her lying lifeless in the flames. She would belong to him for the time he had left. Thinking of how he almost lost her before he even really had her, Milcham suppressed a shudder. “I want to know how it started. Did she leave something on, or…”
“We’ll check,” Alexander assured him. “I’ll even ask around. There are several Ethereals watching.”
Milcham nodded absently as Aithne shivered in his arms. “I will be in my trailer if you need me.”
The two men watched as he walked away. “He may not think he’s found his mate, but I’ll bet differently,” Alexander muttered.
“I ain’t taking that bet,” laughed Jarrod. “We both knew she wasn’t for us. Now we know why.”
“Still…”
Jarrod nodded. “I’m way ahead of you. If he hurts her, he’s a dead man. Immortal Phoenix …or not!”
Neither of the men saw the black figure slip away from the burning tent and fly into the darkness of the night sky.
—
Once in his trailer, Milcham wasted no time in setting Aithne down on his bed. He had to heal her before she woke up. He refused to let her be in pain, but he wasn’t going to give away his secret.
It didn’t take long to manufacture tears. One thought of losing her to the fire and his eyes misted immediately. Using his finger, he smeared the wetness over her filthy forehead and into the wound.
It was a deep cut, made possibly by something falling from above and hitting her on the head. Gradually it healed, until the only sign was a thin white line that over time, would also eventually disappear. Once she was healed, he got a warm, wet cloth and ran it over her smoky face and neck.
—
Aithne climbed up through the smoke and haze, feeling twin emotions of fear and comfort. When her eyes opened she found herself looking at the grim smoky face of Milcham. She sighed as she felt him gently washing her face with a wet cloth. The anger on his face was in such contrast to his careful ministrations, she didn’t know what to do. She said the first thing that came to her mind.
“Are you…angry with me?”
He stilled. “Angry? No, I am not angry. I was too scared to be angry.”
“You look angry.”
His brow rose. “Do I?” He smiled and it chased away the annoyance. “I’m sorry. I was thinking about how close I came to losing you.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “I would think…having me gone would please you.”
His eyes darkened. “Don’t be an idiot.”
She tried to lift her chin stubbornly, but coughed instead. “You were the one who tried to buy me off just before the fire started.”
He stopped wiping her face and stared at her incredulously. “You think I did this? I tried to burn you out?”
Her mouth dropped open. “No! I didn’t mean it that way. You’d never do something so despicable. I just meant you don’t want me around.”
He relaxed and nodded. “In that you are…were correct. But things have changed.”
Her heart beat faster. “What do you mean? What’s changed?”
Without hesitation, Milcham bent and pulled her carefully into his arms. “I have changed, Assai. I have stopped fighting what I feel for you. Seeing you lying there, surrounded by fire made me realize how foolish I was being. I will not pretend you aren’t important to me. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I will not waste any more time pushing you away.”
Aithne listened, her eyes filling with tears. When he bent and brushed his mouth over her forehead, she pressed closer to him, feeling her soul expand with happiness. “You are special to me too, Milcham. I wanted to be friends with you. I still do.”
He stilled, then pulling back, he lifted her chin with an index finger. “I do not want to be friends, Aithne.”
Her heart fell. “You don’t?” He smiled and her heart picked itself up and started racing again.
“What I want, is for us to be whatever we are destined to be.” He leaned down and kissed her gently. “What you would like us to be.”
The thought of The Lovers card flashed through Aithne’s mind. “I want us to get to know each other. Without all the anger and ugliness between us.”
“That, we can do,” he agreed. “We will discover each other…in all ways.”
The way he said it made her shiver in anticipation. She looked up at his smoky amber eyes. “In all ways.”
—
Aithne stepped out of the shower, finally feeling clean. It was wonderful not to have to go use the public ones. Now she knew she would be getting her own trailer. This was the life. She dried her hair slowly, looking at herself in the small fogged up mirror.
Other than being pale, and her eyelashes a little singed, she was no worse for wear. She’d been lucky
. She’d thought she’d been dreaming when she saw her angel standing over her, but it had been no dream, it was Milcham who had saved her.
She frowned as she ran his brush through her long hair. She had seen him with flames all around him. It had been bad…that she knew. How had he managed to get to her without being burned?
Shrugging off the thought, she pulled on one of his white dress shirts. He’d handed it to her with a sexy smile saying he’d dreamed of her wearing it. She wasn’t sure she believed him, but it made her body tingle at the thought.
Pulling it up around her face, she inhaled deeply. It smelled of him. Dark, sexy and all male. With shaking fingers, she buttoned it, smoothing it down over a body that was suddenly all too aware of the man in the other room.
After she found a new toothbrush and was able to brush the smoky taste out of her mouth, she felt a hundred percent better. At least when she faced him this time, she’d be clean.
When she opened the bathroom door, her mouth fell open. Milcham was standing in front of his stove, in nothing but a pair of sweats. His chest was bare and she could see a dark tattoo of a phoenix on his chest. His messy hair was wet and for the first time since she’d met him, he looked as if he’d shaved.
“You took a shower?” she blurted out.
He turned and saw her and he thanked God he put underwear on under his sweats. Standing there in his oversized shirt with the arms hanging down over her hands and the tails trailing to mid thigh, he’d never seen any woman look better.
She filled out his shirt, just fine and she’d forgotten to close the top button, so he could see the shadow of her cleavage and the droplets her shower had left behind. Her long hair fell over her shoulders to her waist in an ebony waterfall.
She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Chapter Seven
“I didn’t take all the hot water, did I?” she asked.
He took a deep breath hoping the bulge at his groin wouldn’t embarrass him. “No, I needed to check on things anyway…so I jumped over to the public house and took one at the same time.”