Finally, he blinked back to life. “Oh, yeah, her ankle.” His gaze drifted away from my face and back to Sarah. “Let’s get you back to my place and ice it up.” The mortal guy slipped one arm under Sarah’s neck and picked her up in his arms, holding her close to his body.
I didn’t get it. This mortal boy had no idea who we were. Why was he so willing to help us?
As I silently followed him through the field, watching how caring and compassionate he was to Sarah, a complete stranger, it made me wonder if I was wrong about mortals. Maybe, just maybe, I had been wrong about them all along.
Four
Sarah slept silently on the mortal’s sofa while I paced around the tiny room. I wasn’t used to being confined to such a small space. Even my father’s stable was bigger than this mortal’s house. How could he possibly be comfortable here? There were no servants, no grand ceilings or pillars, and not a trace of gold anywhere. It was like I was trapped in a closet. And this mortal was happy living here? I shook my head, not understanding any of this.
A sudden chill rippled up my spine. I glanced over at Sarah to see tiny bumps had risen across her arms as well. I had to create some heat. But I had to do it without burning down this mortal’s house.
That’s when I saw it. An indentation of some sort in the wall of his house. The small square space had decaying wood on the floor. It sort of resembled a sad version of the golden fireplaces in the temple. A really sad version.
Without thinking, I crossed the room and stood in front of the decaying wood and summoned the fire within me. The wood burst into flames, sending a spiral of thick, black smoke into the air.
“How . . . how did you start that?” the mortal’s voice rang out from behind me.
I closed my eyes briefly and swallowed hard. Then I turned around and said, “Ever heard of matches?”
His eyes studied my face, and he slowly shook his head. “There’s no way.” He glanced at the crackling fire and then back to me. “That wood has been sitting outside all summer. I only brought it in a couple of days ago to dry out. There’s no way you could have lit it so easily.”
“I guess you should have tried then,” I answered sarcastically. “Because it was easy for me.”
“Where are your matches?” He narrowed his eyes.
This mortal was smart. Pretending to be one of his kind around him was going to be more difficult than I thought it was going to be.
“In the fireplace.” I challenged him. “I used the last one I had on me.”
He continued to look at me, thinking. “Something’s not adding up.”
I walked away from the fireplace toward Sarah, trying to act as normal, or as mortal, as I could. “What do you mean?”
His gaze followed me across the room. “I find you and your friend in the middle of the field. After what looked like a falling star to me, I might add. Now, somehow, you managed to start a fire with wood that is impossible to burn?”
I turned to him and sighed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I ever got your name.”
“Jack Dalton.” His green eyes swirled with confusion.
“Well, Jack Dalton”—I grinned, not being able to help myself—“nothing is impossible to burn. Even water will burn if you get it hot enough,” I said, thinking of Neveresis. “You’d be surprised by what fire can do if you get it hot enough.” I winked at him playfully.
Jack shook his head slowly, his eyes appeared to drift somewhere far away. “You’re not from around here, are you?” He began backing up, terror suddenly consuming his face. “I should have put it all together. But instead, I pushed it away. You’re aliens, aren’t you?” Jack spun around quickly, heading for the doorway.
Crap.
I raced after him, tearing out the door and down his front steps, knowing if he managed to get away he would tell others about me and Sarah. Then I would have to leave. Go back to Osarious and be forced to marry Neveresis. That couldn’t happen. I had to catch him.
As soon as my heels hit the rocks in his driveway, my leg crumbled, sending me to the ground. My shrill scream of agony stopped Jack, causing him to turn back around.
Stupid shoes. I gripped my ankle and narrowed my eyes up at him. “Come back now, Jack,” I warned, using the same voice I used with the servants back home as I gritted my teeth.
Jack stood there, unmoving, and staring as if he were confused. What could he be confused about? I ordered him over to me. Why wasn’t he coming?
“Jack”—anger began consuming my insides—“come here.”
He shook his head slowly. “What are you, and what do you want with me?”
I didn’t have time for this, didn’t have time for all of his stupid questions. The heat inside me intensified, along with the pain in my throbbing ankle. “This is your last chance, Jack,” I said the words through clenched teeth as I lifted my other hand in the air, palm facing him. “I’m warning you.”
“I’m not coming near you.” He slowly started backing away.
He rejected my command? Did he not know who he was dealing with? I took in a deep breath and centered my attention on him. This mortal would pay for disrespecting me.
“Kenina, stop!” Sarah’s voice came from behind me. “And Jack you stop, too!”
I spun around to see Sarah hobbling out toward us. She was putting as little pressure on her left foot as possible. She leaned up against the railing of Jack’s porch, looking completely exhausted. “Jack, please”—she kept her voice soft, not demanding like mine was—“let us explain everything to you. We need help and you’re our only hope.”
“What was she going to do to me?” Jack lifted his brows to Sarah.
She shook her head. “You really don’t want to know.”
Jack switched his gaze to me and narrowed his eyes. “Why should I listen to you? I’ve never heard someone so bossy, so mean. Let alone met someone as angry as you are.”
“She can’t help it, Jack,” Sarah answered for me. “Just, please, come inside and we can explain everything.
Jack’s face relaxed a bit. Then he shook his head and chuckled amusingly. “You guys are crazy, but I’m curious about what you have to say.” He started walking toward us and, as he passed me, a sly smile stretched across his face. “Kenina. You’re a fiery one, huh? I think I may like that.”
I rolled my eyes and limped after him, thinking it would have been more fun to see him go up in flames.
Five
We all gathered around in Jack’s kitchen. Jack and Sarah sat down in the pasty white chairs while I leaned against the wall in the corner. My leg was still killing me, but I’d never let them know that. Gods and goddesses never showed signs of pain. Pain was a weakness, and we had none.
“So you expect me to believe Kenina is a goddess?” Jack laughed nervously as he raked his fingers through his short, black hair.
“Yes,” Sarah answered him. “A goddess who has the power of fire.” She scooted closer to him and took his hands in hers. “I know this is really hard to take in. But I’ve been to her world. I was a servant there.”
I wanted to say something, but Sarah told me I should keep quiet and let her explain things to him since she was a mortal too. She was afraid I might scare him away again if I managed to lose my temper.
Jack let go of Sarah’s hands and directed his gaze to me. “So, what’s wrong with marrying this Neveresis guy? He’s a god. So he has to be pretty amazing, right”
I snorted at his question. “Not in this lifetime.”
Sarah smiled. “Kenina isn’t in love with him. Actually, she can’t even stand him. But the choice isn’t up to her. The arrangement was made at the time of her birth.”
I slowly made my way over to the small window and peered out at the alien world. It was so different, but yet, the same in many ways. I didn’t want to talk about Neveresis again. It was because of him I was here in this dimension. I wanted to go home to the temple, but I knew going home wasn’t an option right now.
“
So what do you need from me,” Jack asked as he took a deep breath.
I turned before Sarah could answer. “We need your shelter, some food, and possibly some new clothing. These leg things are really uncomfortable.”
Sarah laughed.
“Leg things?” Jack lifted his brows. “You mean your jeans?”
“Whatever they are,” I snapped. “They are becoming really irritating. I don’t know how mortals can wear them all the time.”
Jack laughed. “I’ll see if I can find something for you to wear tonight.”
I folded my arms over my chest and glared at the table. I was tired of mortal clothing already. I wanted my beautiful dress back. “Fine. But could you please make sure it is legless.”
Jack pulled himself to his feet. “I’ll see what I can do.” He winked and then turned and made his way out of the kitchen.
Sarah looked at me. “I can’t believe you almost killed him for a second time.”
“He wouldn’t listen to me,” I argued. “I demanded he come back, but he didn’t.” I lifted my body away from the corner and limped over to her.
“They don’t have to listen to you here, Kenina.” Sarah folded her hands together on the table. “You’re not a goddess right now, or at least, they don’t see you as one. They don’t think gods or goddesses exist anymore. That’s ancient history to us in this dimension. You are in the mortal world. So you need to act like one.”
Sarah was lucky I liked her. If it were any other person talking to me this way, I would have scorched them by now.
Jack walked back in the doorway before Sarah could scold me anymore. I was finally thankful for his presence.
He continued over to me. “Here, try this on,” he said, handing me a ball of cloth as gray and dreary as an overcast sky.
I lifted my arms and looked at Sarah.
“No way, Kenina.” She shook her head. “Didn’t we just have a conversation about blending in with the mortal world? I’m no longer your servant here. I’m your friend.”
I tossed Sarah a glare and then hobbled out of the room, searching for a place to change. I couldn’t believe this. I’d never had to do things on my own. Why should I have to start now?
After walking down a narrow hallway, I finally found a small bathroom. I walked in and shut the door behind me. Before I was able to strip the shirt off my body, I noticed my reflection. I looked horrible. My dark hair was scattered all over my head, and my skin was paler than normal. I looked nothing like the goddess I resembled this morning. Damn Neveresis.
I finally pulled my shirt off and slipped on the one Jack gave me. It smelled different, delicious somehow. And the scent caused tiny bumps to rise over my skin. What was this feeling? It was strange to me.
I shrugged off the funny feeling and began tugging on the leg things. I got them halfway off and then they seemed to get stuck. I pulled and pulled, but they wouldn’t budge. I needed to find Sarah so she could get these wretched things off me before I burned them off.
I walked out of the bathroom and down the hall in search of her. The top of the pants were stuck to my upper thighs, so I was more waddling than walking. When I reached the living room area, Jack was sitting on the sofa watching some strange box with moving pictures.
Jack’s attention moved away from the box and toward me. He lifted his brows and tightened his lips, fighting back a smile.
“Don’t even think about laughing at me,” I snapped. “It’s not funny. These stupid things are cursed I tell you.” The heat swirled around inside me. “Where is Sarah?” I’d never felt so humiliated in my life standing in the doorway to Jack’s living room with these stupid things stuck around my thighs. Lucky Jack’s shirt covered up everything else.
“Sarah is outside.” His smile faded. “Haven’t you realized that she is not going to cater to your every need right now? Maybe, she has a life of her own, a life you took away from her. I think it’s about time you figured out how to do things on your own.”
My jaw tightened as his words struck me. “I didn’t take her away from her life. I had no say in any of that. And I’ve never done anything on my own. I never had too. I’m a goddess. People bow down to me.”
Jack chuckled. “Well, I got news for you princess, nobody here is going to bow down to you. So you better get over it.”
“Get me out of these things,” I demanded.
Jack stared at me for a moment, his lips twisted in an odd way. Then an amused smile stretched across his lips. “Maybe, if you ask me nicely I could offer my assistance.”
I took a deep breath and held it in for a moment, doing everything I could to keep ahold of the fire swirling around within. I’d never had to ask anyone ‘nicely’ to do anything for me. I only had two choices, give in to his request . . . or to send him up in flames. The second of the two would be more exciting. But something was holding me back.
I waddled over to his sofa and plopped down. “Fine,” I huffed. I looked directly into is marvelous green eyes. “Jack, could you please help me.”
Six
“First, we have to get rid of these.” Jack hoisted my ankles up on his leg. He unlatched the strap to one of my heels and slid it off, his soft hand sliding over my bare skin as he withdrew the shoe and placed it on the floor. Then he did the same to the other, his eyes never leaving mine. “I don’t understand why you wear these,” he spoke softly.
“I’ve always worn heels, Jack,” the words drifted out as a whisper. “As long as I can remember.”
After he took off my shoes, Jack ever so slowly peeled the jeans, his hands slowly gliding down the length of my legs. There was something sensual about his touch, the way he moved, and the way he continued to watch me with such admiration. It caused little sparks to dance around in the pit of my stomach. Something that had never happened to me before.
Sure, I was use to gods looking at me like that in Osarious all the time. But there was something different about Jack’s look. Something I couldn’t place my finger on. I actually liked it. Seemed to be drawn in by it.
He finally tugged the jeans off, freeing my legs. I began pulling the gray shirt down, trying to cover as much as my legs as possible, but he placed his hand over mine, stopping me.
His fingers drifted to my swollen knee, gently tracing the outline of a bruise. “Is this from my driveway?”
I swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“I’m really sorry.” Jack continued. “I wasn’t sure exactly what you were. All kinds of weird things happen in Nevada. People disappear all the time. I didn’t want to be one of them.”
For the first time, Jack actually made me think about this, about the servants in Osarious. We were actually kidnapping them, taking them away from their families and their loves ones. What was wrong with us?
“It was my fault.” I glanced down at his hand. “I sort of have a problem with my temper.”
Jack laughed softly. “You don’t say.” He began stroking his thumb across the swollen area, causing me to flinch. “Does it hurt,” he asked, suddenly looking concerned.
“No.” I winced. “It’s fine.”
“Come on, Kenina.” His voice remained soft. “I know you want everyone to think you’re tough and that you’re a fighter, but even goddesses feel pain. You can tell me the truth.”
I sighed and then swallowed hard. “Sort of.” There I said. Was he happy now? God, what kind of power did this mortal have over me?
He gently lifted my legs off his lap and stood up, placing them on the sofa. “Give me second,” he said as he walked out of the room and disappeared from my view.
What was he doing? Mortal Jack was a weird individual. But I sort of liked his weirdness.
He returned a moment later with what appeared to be a rag and something blue in his hands. He gracefully walked over to me, wrapped the blue thing in the rag, and placed it on my knee. Jack glanced up at me from underneath his dark lashes. “This should take the swelling down.”
I started to jerk my leg a
way, but he stopped me. “I know it’s cold, but believe me, you’ll feel better in a bit.” He smiled warmly and then grabbed a light blue blanket off the back of his sofa. “Try to get some sleep,” he said as he draped the warm blanket over me. “It’s getting pretty late.”
Jack turned and began walking out of the room. A warm, fuzzy feeling swept through my entire body as I watched him. Even as a goddess, nobody had ever treated me this way. Unless, of course, they were forced to.
I snuggled deeper into the sofa and directed my attention to the picture box. I wasn’t sure what this contraption was, but it was fascinating. Mortals were gathered around a table eating a feast of some sort. They were laughing and talking and just having what seemed like a good time. I’d never seen anything like it. In Osarious, we only did this sort of thing on special occasions, like a ceremony or something. Was this family feast thing something mortals did every day?
Sarah slowly crossed the room carrying a blanket, briefly blocking my view of the picture box on her way by. She sat down in a small chair next to the sofa and placed the blanket over her.
“Sarah,” I whispered.
“Yeah, Kenina,” she answered.
“The feast on the picture box, do mortals do this all the time?” I couldn’t believe I was so curious about mortals. But what I was seeing sort of made me jealous. They looked so close to their family.”
“What do you mean, Kenina?” She sounded confused. “Having dinner as a family?”
“Yes . . . having dinner with their . . . family,” I stumbled, savoring the word family in my mouth. I liked the sound of that word. Family, I said the word to myself. I guess my father would be considered my family, but we sure didn’t act like that. The only time I really got to spend with him was when he was summoning me into his throne room because I did something stupid. I would highly doubt that would be considered family time.
“I suppose some families still do,” she spoke softly.
Goddess of Fire: Burn: An Elemental Short (The Elemental Short Story Series) Page 2