Healing Fire

by Angela Castle

  "Are you well, my lady?" He lifted her up, stepping back over the rim of the small bathtub, leaning her against the railing. He grabbed a towel and started to dry her down.

  She smiled weakly. "Never better. You can do that to me again any time."

  He chuckled. "Aye, my lady, I intend to." He helped her slip her nightgown over her head before wrapping the small towel around his waist, which didn't leave much to the imagination. Summer giggled at the sight of her big buff man wearing a small white towel.

  "I, um better go out first, make sure Blossom's still asleep."

  Emerging from the bathroom, she was relieved to see Blossom, thankfully, had slept through the whole affair.

  "It's safe," she whispered. Melor switched off the light as he exited the bathroom ,quickly climbing under the sheets before ridding himself of the towel.

  Summer moved in beside him as if was the most natural thing in the world. He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her damp head. She nestled against him. It didn't take long for her eyes to drift closed and for her to fall into a contented dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Eleven

  Weary from driving, she'd followed the directions Melor gave her through the upper middle class suburbs of L.A. The freeway had been nerve wracking. Only Melor's comforting, reassuring presence helped keep her from turning into a nervous wreck.

  "Just down this street. I remember it from the time I have spent here."

  She turned the corner and slowed the truck to a crawl.

  "We have arrived." He pointed to a row of buildings.

  Summer glanced over the unassuming shop front. It had one large window and it was frosted grey to keep people from peering in. The front door was painted a simple beige color to blend in with the rest of the building.

  She pulled up the car a few feet from the building; nervously she bit down on her bottom lip, glancing about. She shifted her car it into park and killed the engine.

  "This is it?"

  "Aye, the human Kell agency. Come. The sooner we are inside, the sooner we can heal you. They are expecting us."

  Doubt still lingered in the back of her mind. Even so, she loved him and trusted him enough to know he would never let anything bad happen to her or Blossom.

  She smiled nervoulsy as he opened the door, climbing out. Blossom hopped down and slammed the door shut. Melor came around to her side, opening the door to help her out.

  "It'll be alright, Mom. I bet Kell is better than Disneyland."

  Melor chuckled, glancing down at Blossom as he put his arm around Summer's waist, helping her keep her weight off her right leg. Summer gratefully leaned against him, accepting his support. Together, they slowly walked towards the agency door. "I do not know what Disneyland is, but let us heal your mother first then we can all go to Kell together."

  Or the insane asylum.

  Melor lifted his hand, rapping loudly on the wooden door.

  Summer's heart pounded in her chest, her body shook with nerves of what she was about to discover behind this door.

  He gave her waist a comforting squeeze. "I feel your whole body shaking, my lady. I know you will not be at ease until you see I have been speaking the truth."

  "I want to believe you, with all my heart I do. It's just hard to think of you as an alien."

  He smile was warm, loving. "I do not take offence. I want you to know, to understand, my heart and soul belongs to you. They have from the moment I first saw you sleeping in the chair in the bedchamber. You put your comfort aside to make sure I was alright. I saw a woman of rare beauty, inside and out."

  A lump formed in Summer's throat at Melor's confession.

  "Y…you love me?" she said, her voice barely a whisper.

  "Gee, Mom, of course he loves you. I knew that ages ago." Blossom's sudden outburst broke the intense emotional moment threatening to make Summer cry. Instead she burst out laughing, glancing down at the impish grin on her daughter's face.

  "She is a most perceptive child and is very correct. I do love you, my lady protected."

  "I love you, baby, and for the record I love…"

  "Melor!" The door swung open. A full figured, beautiful brunette with sparkling blue eyes launched herself forward, throwing her arms around him, squeezing him tightly in clear affection.

  "When I heard you hadn't arrived in Kell, I was so worried. Thank goodness you're alright."

  Apart from the fact she immediately recognized the woman's Australian accent, Summer tensed as jealousy tore through her. How dare he hug another woman! Was there something between them? To think she'd been on the verge of opening her heart and confessing her love.

  "Lady Jane, I thank you for your concern. As you can see I am quite well." He gently took Jane's arms pushing her back. "Allow me to introduce my protected, Lady Summer Rose and her daughter Blossom. Summer this is the Lady Jane. She has helped facilitate the men of Kell to find their wives and is the protected of my Kell commander, Drystan."

  Summer's jealousy ebbed. She relaxed, letting out a breath of relief, realizing Jane belonged to someone else.

  Jane laughed in delight. "Melor, I knew you would find someone special. Welcome, Summer." Jane turned towards her and pulled Summer into a tight embrace.

  "You're Australian…" Summer stammered not quite knowing what to say.

  Jane laughed. "And it seems, so are you." Jane stepped back and turned her gaze to Blossom. "Welcome, Blossom, are you excited to be going to Kell?"

  "Yes, Melor has told us so much about it. I can't wait."

  "No doubt you'll be spoiled rotten. You're utterly adorable. There are not many children on Kell. Well, there will be more soon. I have a little baby daughter, so I am eager to return too."

  She smiled back at Melor and stepped aside to let them pass into a plain corridor. Jane closed and locked the door behind them.

  Just down the hall stood a man just as tall, large and dark as Melor. The similarities between the men weren't hard to miss. Melor dropped his arm as the man walked forward, and the two men greeted each other with a smile and a manly pat on the back, before Melor moved back to take hold of Summer's right hand.

  "Welcome back, warrior. It seems your hunt has been successful." The big man was almost but not as handsome as her Melor.

  "As you see, Commander, this is my Summer. Summer, this is Drystan."

  The man turned his dark gaze on her and bowed his head. "Welcome, Lady Summer. I thank you for caring for and returning one of my highly prized warriors."

  Summer swallowed, not really sure how to act, so she simply smiled. "Um, you're welcome."

  "We have a room and the healing crystals ready." Jane studied her critically. "Is it a recent injury?" Jane asked Summer.

  "No, I've had this for three years, since a car accident on one of the L.A bypasses."

  "Three years? Can the gems heal such old injuries?" Jane glanced up at Drystan as she moved ahead to open a door.

  "Aye, love, it has been done before," Drystan answered with firm assurance.

  "Okay then, through there. It's all ready. Blossom, would you like to see some Kell Crystals?"

  Summer hesitated, not wanting to be parted from Blossom. Melor leaned down. "It's time we take away your pain, my love. I trust Jane and Drystan with my very life. You can trust them with our daughter."

  Our daughter. Summer's love for Melor and her trust in him overrode her fear.

  "Okay, baby. I'm sure we won't be long." Summer smiled at Blossom and gave her a kiss.

  Jane offered her hand.

  "In Kell we live in a big crystal palace. It's big and magnificent…" Jane's voice trailed off as Melor shut the door.

  Drystan remained handing a small little leather pouch over to Melor who turned to Summer. In one swift move, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her towards the bed, laying her down gently. He leaned over her and kissed her lips.

  "Just relax, it will not hurt. No more pain ever again."

  Summer simply nodded, st
aring up into his dark eyes. "I love you, Melor. I want you to know."

  His smile was dazzling. "As I do you. We have a long and bright life to live together. Now close your eyes and relax."

  She did as he said but could do nothing to calm her galloping heart.

  She listened to the tinkle of gems as they fell from the bag into Melor's hand, and he began to place them on various parts of her body.

  Believe, believe in Melor, believe it will work, it has to work. The thoughts churned over and over in her mind.

  She gasped as a sudden energy gripped her whole body; it vibrated and pulsed through her. Her right side seized suddenly. Her eyes flew open as she realized the metal pins in her legs were being rejected by her body.

  Summer groaned in agony.

  "Easy, my love, I did not expect this. By the twin moons, Drystan, it must stop."

  "No, let the gems do their work."

  Summer threw back her head and screamed as the pain ripped through her before her mind could no longer cope, making her pass out.

  ~ * ~

  Detective Grant Crowell of the Australian Federal Police sat beside Detective Gortez of the LAPD. The palms of Grant's hands itched as if he knew he'd soon be getting what he wanted.

  Over six months his sister had been missing. Six months he'd been working to find those responsible.

  Officially he couldn't do a thing but act as a consultant. It didn't matter as long as the result was the same; they caught the ones responsible for the disappearance of the nineteen women and one man.

  He'd traveled from Tasmania when he finally found what he'd been looking for after putting out internet feelers, searching for the same style of dating agency targeting a particular kind of woman.

  It seemed a half a dozen women in L.A had already taken the bait and simply disappeared. When Greg dug further with the help of the LAPD, some of the women had informed their families they were getting married and moving to a new country. But then they were never heard from again.

  Although they rarely spoke, when Elly had told him she was getting married and moving to another country, Grant had asked to meet the groom. But after she'd told him the news, she simply disappeared.

  It had to be foul play; there was no doubt in his mind. He would catch the culprits and make them confess where they had hidden the bodies.

  After two weeks of getting approval permits, a team was set up to stake out the agency. Sitting in cars, they watched the shop front and had cameras placed around the back. There had been no activity until now when a huge man, similar to the suspect profile, a woman and child turned up, disappearing inside.

  "We can't afford to lose one more life." Grant nodded as the door closed. "Once they go in, they never come out."

  Detective Gortez gripped his two-way to inform the plain clothes officers to be ready.

  The scream of a woman echoed out to the street.

  "Go, go, go!" Cried Gortez into the radio.

  Grant jumped from the car. What the hell were they doing to the woman! It was time to shut down their sick operation once and for all.

  Swift and coordinated, a heavily armed team rushed the door, opening it with a hand held battering ram. Cautiously and quickly, they moved forward going from room to room, their weapons raised, ready to fire.

  "This is the L.A.P.D. Come out with your hands up!" They burst into a room where two huge men held down a woman on a bed, her lower half covered in blood.

  "Keep your hands where we can see them; get down on the floor, now!" the officer in the lead yelled. The big men glanced at each other; the first one raised his hands, the other one stood in front of the bloodied woman, reluctant to comply.

  "Do as they say, Melor. You can't protect her if you're dead," he calmly told his friend.

  Slowly, the other big dark man raised his hands.

  Even when they lowered themselves to their knees; they were big bastards. The team dived in, shoving them to the ground and yanking their big meaty arms behind their back and cuffing them.

  "We've secured the other suspect. She was with the child, the one who came in with this woman."

  Grant weaved his way through the officers to check on the woman, feeling her pulse. It was strong and steady; her jeans were torn and he couldn't see what they had done for the blood covering the tear.

  "Call a fucking ambulance!"

  "Mommy!" A little girl came running through the door. She jumped on the bed, hugging the unconscious woman tight, tears streaming down her face. It was clear she was frightened. Her big blue eyes darted around, landing on one of the big men.

  "Melor?"

  "It will be alright, Blossom. Stay with your mother." He raised his head to look at the child.

  Satisfaction curled through Grant. Six long months and two countries later, he'd finally caught the suspects in the vanishing women of Tasmania case.

  "Don't worry, sweetheart. No one will hurt you or your mother." He turned to the officers. "Get these sick bastards out of here. There's nowhere to run this time."

  Chapter Twelve

  "Mom, Mom, please wake up." Blossom's voice penetrated through the darkness. Slowly Summer began to awaken.

  She drew in a deep breath and licked her dry lips.

  "Baby?" Her voice croaked. She opened her eyes, blinking against the glare of the overhead lights. Lights she recognized from her long stays in hospital; she was back.

  "Oh, Mom." Blossom sobbed throwing her arms around her, hugging her.

  She gripped her daughter, holding her tight. She struggled to remember what had happened; why was she in hospital? She stretched her muscles, expecting the familiar twinge of pain through her right leg and knee. But there was nothing.

  "What's wrong, baby?" She sat up, studying Blossom's tear-filled, distressed state.

  "The police came with big guns and took Melor and his friends away and brought you here. There was blood all over your leg. They said they hurt you. I was so scared, Mom."

  "Hush now, it's going to be alright. I don't feel hurt, in fact, I feel very good." The memory of the pain in her leg and hip came flooding back. But there was no pain now.

  A young thin nurse with blond hair and blue eyes walked into the room. "Oh, Mrs. Rose, you're awake. There are several men waiting outside wanting talk to you. How are you feeling?"

  "Good, very good. I don't need to be in bed."

  Blossom moved back as she shoved the white hospital sheets aside.

  "No, please stay in bed until the doctor has checked you over again. He found some unusual things. I'll go get him." She quickly backed out through the door.

  Summer, ignoring the nurse, got up, standing on her feet. She laughed, realizing there was no pain at all.

  "Oh, baby, it worked. The healing gems worked! Melor isn't crazy! There's no pain!" She laughed, grabbing her daughter, lifting her up into her arms and swinging her around. Something she'd never been able to do with her pain and injuries.

  Blossom giggled. "I always believed him, Mom. I don't know why you didn't."

  "I know. I was silly and I'm very sorry for it. Are the scars gone?" She lifted the hospital gown to peer down her side. Her skin was smooth, pale and not one sign of a scar.

  A tide of joy washed over her. She laughed and hugged Blossom again.

  "Do you know where my clothes are?"

  "I think they cut them off you when you came in. The only thing they couldn't take off you was the bracelet; everything else is still in the car," Blossom said. "Mom, we have to help Melor, and Jane. They haven't done anything wrong."

  Summer lifted her wrist, the jewels sparkling even under the dull fluro lights. She felt comforted and was thankful no one had been able to take it. "I know, baby, and we're going to fix that. We'll get them out then we can all go to Kell."

  "Mrs. Rose."

  Summer spun around on her bare feet. Several men walked into the room. One she recognized as her old Doctor, Mike McClutcheon, who had seen her through the worst of her injuries a
fter the car accident which had killed Tyler.

  "Dr. McClutcheon," she greeted with caution.

  The other men wore casual jeans, dark t-shirts and all but one had badges hanging around their necks with the LAPD badge on them. Summer's smile fell.

  "It is good to see you again, and I have to say I'm very surprised. When the ambulance brought you in, I was informed and came down to see what the problem was. But we've checked you over from head to toe. Frankly, there is nothing wrong with you."