Blood Of Fire (The Blood Burden Series)

by Wenona Hulsey

  Laying the dress back across the bed she wondered why Slade was going through such trouble to for her. Was it that he thought she could be easily swayed by gifts and flaunting his elite status into being more than friends? She shook her head at the thought. He didn't strike her as a womanizer so she hoped his kindness was just the result of observing all her belongings were packed into a single backpack which couldn't possibly contain a dress appropriate for a cocktail party. Why else would he send her such a beautiful gift? Nicole was having a hard time profiling him, which was an action ingrained into her DNA thanks to her years of police work, and it was putting her on edge.

  Shortly after she had finished the final touch ups on her lip-gloss she heard a soft knock on the closed French doors of her room. She slid on the strappy, black shoes from the box then opened the door to see Slade dressed in a black tuxedo with a crimson tie and gleaming diamond cufflinks. His hair lay in silky, blond strands framing his face and his light blue eyes were glowing with desire as he stared at her.

  “You look stunning, Nicole.” Slade smiled taking a step back to get the full view of the long dress. “I knew it was a beautiful dress but now I can see that it was made to be wrapped around you.”

  Nicole could feel her cheeks heating from his smoldering stare, “Thank you, Slade. You’re very handsome yourself tonight.” She instantly wanted to take those words back the moment after she spoke them. She didn’t want him to think she was interested in him outside of the friendship they had so quickly formed. The last thing she needed right now was a man pining after her as she tried to save the world.

  “Are you ready to go?” Slade offered her his arm with a smile.

  “Yes.” She did feel very beautiful tonight even if it was far from her normal, country girl comfort zone. The reflection in the patio doors caught her attention as they walked past. She stood with her hand in the crook of Slade’s arm and the couple that reflected back was the most glamorous she had ever seen. Wow, my life has taken another strange turn, she thought as they walked out into the night.

  Chapter 4

  Nicole looked around as they entered the room further, taking in all the people that were seated around large tables covered in crisp white linens as well as the guests standing in groups talking in low mumbles. Everyone was dressed so perfectly and in the highest fashion money could buy. The glitter of diamonds around fingers and hanging from ears added to the ambiance of the room as the women moved gracefully about in their cocktail party attire. Nicole smiled lightly when she didn’t see a woman wearing a dress she loved more than the one she wore.

  A waiter approached them quickly carrying a tray of champagne filled glasses. Slade handed one to Nicole before taking one for himself. Nicole watched curiously as he downed one glass then quickly grabbed another before the waiter walked away. She shifted uncomfortably when she realized everyone had turned their attention on them. She flashed a small smile at the watching eyes then took a small sip of her drink.

  Slade grinned a smug, half smile at her, “You ready to meet a bit of Ireland’s high society assholes?”

  Nicole let her eyes drop down to his half empty glass then back up to his eyes, “Are you?”

  “Just a small word of advice,” he leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Keep an open mind because I’m sure tonight is going to be interesting.” Slade straightened back up and clinked his glass off of hers before taking another long drink.

  Nicole’s brows knitted together in confusion over his words, “What do you mean?” She asked, but only received a sly wink in response from Slade.

  He smiled large enough to show the dimples in both of his freshly shaved cheeks then placed his hand on the small of her back as he guided her further into the room. Nicole felt a small shiver that raised goose bumps on her arms as they moved forward. It seemed like her body was trying to warn her but it was so weak she didn’t know were the unease was coming from. Now’s not the time to get jumpy Nicole. Get it together, she told herself as they approached a group of smiling people.

  “Ah, Slade, so nice of you to join us,” said a tall, slightly graying man. “And with such beautiful company too,” he gave Nicole a tight smile as he reached to shake her hand.

  Nicole shook his hand lightly then moved back to Slade’s side. The shiver began to dance a bit stronger across her skin. She rubbed her arms, trying to subdue the tingling as she looked around the room.

  “Nicole, this is Mr. Casey and his beautiful wife Calumina.”

  “Please call me Cal,” said Mr. Casey’s wife as she smiled broadly. “So Slade, have you given Nicole the grand tour of your hotel yet?”

  Slade finished off his second glass of champagne before answering the question. “No, unfortunately I’ve been a bit tied up with business but she did get to see most of the spa today.”

  “Oh, the spa here is to die for. The masseuse has the hands of an angel. But you must make Slade walk you around the gardens. They are beautiful,” she smiled as she patted Nicole on the arm then stepped back to her husband’s side.

  “Thank you, I would love to see them,” smiled Nicole. It was nice to find a friendly person in a room of strangers. She could feel the eyes of others on her, watching her like she was an intruder in their world. But wasn't she really just that? Pretending to belong just so she could find her path. Hoping that some useful information would make it to her ears as she tried to act normal among Irish high class.

  Nicole heard someone call out Slade’s name from somewhere in the crowd. He rolled his eyes as he snatched a glass of red wine from a passing waiter, “If you’ll excuse me for just a moment Nicole, seems I am needed for business again.” He pulled her hand to his lips, pressing a tender kiss into her fingers, “I won’t be long, I promise.”

  Nicole watched as Slade made his way across the room, stopping every now and again to say hello to overly pushy men and women, practically begging for his attention. She noticed a tall brunette step in his path who traced each inch of his body with her eyes like she was mentally undressing him. She leaned up to whisper in his ear, placing one black lace covered hand on his cheek as she spoke. After a few seconds the woman’s piercing, green eyes locked onto Nicole’s over his shoulder. The edge of her red lips turned up as she placed a kiss on his cheek and stepped around him, walking in Nicole’s direction.

  Slade turned to meet Nicole’s eyes with his steely gaze. His jaw clinched as he lifted the glass to his lips and finished off his wine.

  Nicole was sure she saw a flash of regret in Slade’s eyes before the woman cut off her view of him. She let her eyes meet the woman’s cat like orbs as she approached. The tingle she felt when trouble was near was growing in her body with each step of the woman as she drew closer. It felt like the fight or flight instinct that most people have built in was telling her this was a bad situation, and she need to get the hell out of there. But she fought it, forcing her feet to hold their place and her chin to raise high. She held the woman’s gaze, refusing to be bullied by her soul-deep stare. Nicole pasted a smile on as the woman came to a stop in front of her.

  “Hello, dear,” she extended her glove clad hand, grabbing just the tips of Nicole’s fingers in a light shake. “I'm Morena. I’m a close friend of Slade’s,” she purred putting extra emphasis on the word “close” like Nicole was too dumb to catch the underlying meaning.

  Nicole took a sip of her now warm champagne, “Nice to meet you Morena, I’m Nicole.” She stared into Morena’s eyes unblinking. Her face was powder white with high, sharp cheek bones; a stark contrast to her bright red, full lips and her almost glowing eyes. She wore a short, black dress that hugged each curve of her body. The deeply cut neckline gave the room a good look at her ample cleavage. Her long hair draped around her shoulders with the top pulled back into an elaborate braid. The silence began to stretch between them but Nicole didn’t offer to pick up the conversation. She hoped the brunette diva would get the hint and move her ghostly ass on to the next target.


  “Are you enjoying Ireland, dear?” Morena asked with what sounded like genuine curiosity in her voice.

  Nicole nodded, “Yes. I’ve only been here one day but so far everything I’ve seen has been beautiful.”

  “Yes, I imagine it’s much different from your small home town in the States,” she chuckled as she raked her eyes across Nicole. There was a taunting undertone as if Morena was pointing out how far from home she truly was.

  “Oh, is it that obvious that I’m American?” Nicole smiled then took another sip of her drink as she slowly counted to ten in her head. She could tell this woman had it in for her and there was no way to getting around it.

  “No, I only know because Slade told me this afternoon over drinks. He mentioned you had just flown in from the U.S. and that you were kind of,” she paused tapped her chin like she was searching for words that were foreign to her, “Oh yes, he said you were backpacking around Ireland.”

  Nicole was enjoying Morena’s soothing voice and company about as much as she enjoyed the sound of fingernails raking across a chalkboard. She understood that Morena was marking her territory over Slade and she wasn’t about to fight her over it. He was a wonderful man who had been very kind to her but that was the extent of things. Realizing the silliness of the situation, she now had her gut’s fill of the Snow White Diva for tonight. “Listen Morena,” Nicole stepped up to whisper in her ear, “I know what you're trying to get at so you can lay off the snide, low class jokes. I’m not after Slade nor do I plan on sticking around here for long. So get your snooty, plastic nose out of my business before you get on my bad side.” Nicole leaned back, taking in Morena’s wide eyes and tight lined lips then continued, “It was so nice to meet you, dear. Do take care.” Nicole made a subtle flicking motion with her hand as if she was swatting away a fly then watched as Morena turned on her heels and walked away.

  Nicole shook her head as she wondered how she managed to get herself into such odd situations. After a few moments of glancing around the room to see if anyone else had noticed the unpleasant encounter, she decided it was time for action. Powers or no powers, she had to figure out if anyone knew Loch. After all that was why she was here and she wasn’t going to let anything, not even a jealous woman, stop her from reaching her goal tonight.

  She spotted Slade in a group of chatting men. He was downing another glass of wine as if it was water to a man who had walked out of the desert. “Why in the world is he drinking so heavy?” she asked herself as she made her way around the large room. She had only walked a few feet when she started to catch random words in her head. She stopped where she was, afraid that if she moved she would lose the flicker that was trickling in, and listened. Some nerve he has, flaunting her like a trophy, an unfamiliar gruff, male voice spit. That bitch better be glad I can’t lay a finger on her right now. A mischievous grin turned up the edge of Nicole’s lips as she listened to the female ranting. She had a good idea whose thoughts those were without digging too deep.

  Nicole made her way to a chair in a shadow darkened corner and took a seat, afraid that if she didn’t get out of sight someone would notice her distracted stare. She could feel her power starting to flow more freely with each passing second. Her whole body began to tingle as the energy crept through every vein. It felt as though a giant bolder had been blown to pieces, releasing the caged tiger that lay waiting inside her. The voices became crystal clear, like everyone was talking directly to her, but uncaring about what they were telling her. Our time is finally here. Nicole could feel eyes on her as she sat wrapped up tight in her mind. She forced her staring eyes to scan the room, searching for voices that matched the ones in her head. This will earn him a seat at Loch’s right hand. That should be my place, came another voice, thickly laced with venom.

  Nicole’s heart beat quickened and a knot formed in her stomach. The mention of Loch’s name was the first clue she had gotten that she was on the right track since she arrived in Ireland. Her eyes darted from face to face, meeting many eyes that quickly looked away. Him? She wondered, Are they thinking about Slade? Her mind was racing with questions but was detoured as another of her keen senses kicked in—the ability to feel the location of other warriors. Her mind was instantly in a tug of war as it split off into many different directions all at the same time. It was an ability that all warriors possessed, allowing them to coordinate attacks in battles. This room had at least ten warriors in it, half near all the exits and the rest mixed in among the party goers. The stone faced men and women made her realize at that moment, she was in enemy territory. There were people in this very room who were on Loch’s side and that meant she was in trouble.

  She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves and decide what she to do. I’ve got the upper hand here. It seems they don’t know about my powers so I should be able to walk out of here. Yes, I’ll tell Slade that I’m not feeling well and that I’m going back to the room…she told herself as she forced her legs to move from the shock frozen state. She started cutting a trail across the packed floor, doing her best to be polite as she made her way through the crowd. When Nicole spotted Slade her mind began to spin an idea. She reached her powers out to try to hear Slade’s mind. That would be the best way to get her answers so she would truly know if he was on her side or not. For all she knew she could be walking into a trap.

  Nicole slowed her pace and wrapped her power around Slade, only wanting to hear what he was thinking, not the rest of the room for the moment. She froze in her tracks as her energy hit an invisible wall—a wall that wouldn’t allow her inside his mind. He has something to hide, her mind screamed as the wheels in her head began to process everything. Slade seems to be keeping her well under control. Loch said she was powerful. Nicole looked up meeting Mr. Casey’s stare as she processed his mind’s words. “Slade has been blocking my powers,” she mumbled to herself as she backed away from the group.

  Chapter 5

  Nicole frantically searched the room for an exit fighting to keep her body from shaking and her feet from running. She needed to get out of this room and she needed to go now, before anyone realized that Slade didn’t have her powers locked away any more. She spotted two large doors opening to the outside pool area with many people coming and going. That was her way out. She started moving forward, mindful to keep each step slow and steady as she came close enough to feel the breeze dancing in from the night air. “Nicole, wait,” came a voice from behind her but she kept moving, pretending to not hear her name being called above the voices of the large crowd.

  She scanned the area as she stepped outside, quickly noticing a softly lit, cobblestone path leading into a garden. She pressed forward, moving a bit quicker than she intended because of her warrior speed flooding back into her body.

  She moved forward in the shadows of the tall trees using her speed and the stealth of night to stay hidden. Soon she found herself lost in a maze of green hedges and beautiful, fragrant rose bushes. The crescent shaped moon provided her only light as she slowed to a normal pace but her mind continued to race miles ahead. Slade betrayed me. I thought I could trust him but he was working for Loch all along. He’s the enemy. Her mind stated facts as she struggled to find a way out of the maze. She could feel the pain of betrayal cutting her heart deep. She trusted Slade and had been sure he was a friend and the way he looked at her made it seem that he wanted more than friendship so how could he treat her like this?

  “Nicole, please! Just stop and hear me out,” Slade’s voice rang out from somewhere behind her. She pressed forward again, working her way around the edge of the hedges, making turn after turn trying to put some distance between her and the man she no longer knew. The man who just hours ago she believed to be her only friend in this foreign land.

  She made her way to the end of the path and took a left only to run into a dead end. “Damn it,” she cursed, staring up at the top of the hedges. After a few seconds she shook her head at her lack of thinking, “You dummy, you can burn a hole throug
h the bushes,” she told herself as she called her power to her hands and watched as her palms glowed bright red. Just as she reached forward to touch the bush a hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Nicole was face to face with Slade and froze in place for what felt like an eternity, staring into his eyes.

  As she took in his pain lined face she forced her hands to move up between their bodies and created a wall of wind that shoved him backwards. She couldn’t bring herself to hurt him even if he did betray her. Some feeling deep inside of her was stopping her from setting him on fire so she could escape. When she was sure the wind was going to hold him she started inching her way around him.

  “I wanted you to hear everything, Nicole. Don’t you understand? I’m on your side,” Slade pleaded. “I had to be drunk for my power to weaken enough for you to use your abilities. That’s the only way to turn off what I have,” he struggled to turn his head toward her, fighting against the winds that were holding him in place.

  “You expect me to believe that. After all I’ve heard tonight, the only thing I know about you is that you’re Loch’s prized pupil,” Nicole sneered through her gritted teeth. “You’ve been using your powers to make me weak so I would stay by your side until you could take me to Loch.”

  “It’s not like that,” Slade yelled. “Give me a chance to explain, you stubborn woman. Don’t you think I would have already turned you over to him if that was my plan? I would have driven you straight to him from the airport.”

  Nicole stood for a moment in silence, processing Slade’s words. Maybe that was true, he did have the perfect opportunity then, especially since she didn’t know anything about Ireland. She wouldn’t have known until she was standing in front of Loch that Slade was the enemy. So why wait? Why flaunt her in front of people who were loyal to Loch? She sighed with frustration when she realized nothing was adding up. “Why? Why are you showing me off to his people then?”