Strange Fire

by Trina M. Lee

  Better snap out of it. Winter’s father had chosen his fate. He’d turned his back on his calling to join the dark. He didn’t deserve my sympathy.

  Cinder nodded. “It is. And there’s no shame in feeling for him. When you cease to feel for those in dark places you risk your humanity.”

  I carried my plate to the dishwasher and considered more coffee. “So what do I do with the feather?”

  “Keep it.” Cinder’s instruction surprised me. “It served you well when you needed it. Add it to your arsenal.”

  One thing I didn’t discuss with Cinder was the memory I’d given in exchange for safe passage home. Until I knew exactly what that memory was, I preferred not to. First I needed to know what I’d given up, and then I needed time to mourn it.

  Together we cleaned up the dishes and tidied the kitchen. Small talk filled the space. But we could exchange only so much small talk before we had to address the elephant in the room.

  “Look, Ember, I don’t know what you’ve got planned for the alignment, but I know you do have something in mind.” Cinder tossed a soap tab into the dishwasher and pressed start. “I just need to know you won’t do anything rash. That you’ve thought this through.”

  It had never been a question as to if I would try to help Rowen. Only how. And that I still didn’t know. “Keeping Koda from killing Rowen is my main concern. Which is why I’m giving him the Scorpio Key. As for Dash’s planned ritual, I just have to find a way to stop it. I don’t know how yet.” My short but poignant visit with Kai had left me feeling like Cinder had given me the guidance I needed to do what I had to. Somehow.

  Cinder busied himself wiping the already clean counter. Deep furrows marred his brow. Clearly this all bothered him more than he wanted to say.

  “Careful there, Cinder. You’re going to wear a hole through my countertop.” I gave him a playful hip bump and swiped the cloth from his hand. “What are you so worried about?”

  Caught fretting, he smiled sheepishly. “Worry is wasteful. I’m not worried, merely concerned. You’ve really come into your own, and I have complete confidence in your judgment and growing abilities.”

  “But?” I prodded.

  Cinder’s smile pulled a little too tight for my liking. “But nothing. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to upset you. I know you’ll do just fine. However, you must remember, all you can do is your best. Succeed or fail, I’m proud of you.”

  Succeed or fail. No pressure there.

  The only pressure was what I put on myself. Cinder had done all he could to prepare me for such challenges. Now it was up to me to prove myself. To sink or swim.

  My breakfast sat heavy in my stomach. It might be the last full meal I managed to eat until this was all over. The clock ticked away the time until it all went down.

  “Thanks for encouraging me to use the Scorpio Key.” Shrugging off the nerves that threatened to cripple me, I threw my arms around Cinder in a tight hug that squeezed a squeak from him. “I never want to step foot back in that place, no matter how it looks. But it was good for me to go.”

  I had yet to process my visit with Kai. Had Arrow spent much time thinking about his prickface of a father? I felt awful for him. We never should’ve gone near the House of Mirrors. As much of a dick as Arrow could be, he didn’t deserve that.

  There was no room in my head for Arrow right now. Sure we’d managed to form some kind of acquaintanceship despite a rocky start. But the only thing between us was Rowen. And it had to stay that way.

  * * * *

  “Here’s your damn key. Now stay away from Rowen.” Slapping the Scorpio Key into Koda’s hand came as a relief. It felt good to be rid of the thing.

  Koda’s gaze narrowed. “You used it, didn’t you? Now what would possess you to do that? Pretty fucking risky, Spike.”

  A scan of The Spirit Room and I spotted Jett at her favorite table with Sam. No sign of Rowen or Arrow though the BMW had been outside. No matter, this night out had nothing to do with fun with my friends. Tonight was all business.

  “Yet here I stand, alive and well.” A discussion with Koda about my visit to the prison realm would not be happening. “You have your key. Now give me your word you’ll stay away from Rowen.”

  Koda studied the glass encased scorpion for a moment before tucking it into a pocket. “Sure. He’s safe. Until the night it all goes down. Unless you’ve found a way to change Dash’s mind about him.”

  I thought of the amethyst in the Midnight Star. No longer did I consider using it as a bargaining chip. Arrow had convinced me not to do it. He said he’d never known me to compromise my morals, and for some screwed up reason, that meant something to me. I couldn’t start compromising now. The secret of the amethyst would remain just that, a secret.

  Change Dash’s mind? Unlikely. Sabotage his ritual? I’d find a way.

  “I’ll be there, Koda. To stop the ritual. But I want your word that nothing will happen to Rowen.” I pinned him with a scathing glare. “I’m not backing down on this.”

  The arrogant demon laughed in my face. “You think you can stop Dash? Honey, he’s been planning this since Rowen was born. It’s going to take more than a short skirt and an angel sword to stop him.”

  Wow. Koda sure wasn’t holding back. Knowing he wanted to piss me off didn’t make it any easier to contain my fiery temper. “Let me worry about the length of my skirt. No matter how short it gets, you’ll still never get a peek at what’s underneath.” Letting him goad me so easily made me feel weak. Emotions had no place in my dealings with Koda.

  Those red eyes glimmered with self-satisfaction. A broad grin crept across Koda’s face. “But Arrow just might. It is his turn now, isn’t it?” He took advantage of my stunned silence. “That’s right, Spike. I saw him kiss you, and I didn’t see you stop him.”

  Face flaming, at a loss for words, I fumed. How much had Koda seen? What had he heard? “You were spying on me?” I sputtered. “Yeah, of course you were. Still hard up for what you can’t have.”

  Engaging with him further would only take me down the low road, and that was not the road I preferred to travel. Demons lived for shady activity, no question. It was what they were.

  “I saw the kiss, but that’s it. If you fucked him on the hood of his expensive car, I didn’t catch the show. Contrary to your ego, you’re not the only one I keep tabs on in this city.” Suspicion morphed his features in something ugly. “Did I miss something good? You seem worried.” He didn’t seem to have heard our conversation preceding the kiss. Good.

  “Why would I be worried? Nothing I do is any business of yours. You’ve got the key, so I think we’re done here.” I turned to go before this turned into a schoolyard name-calling session.

  Koda knew the right words to stop me. Raising his voice above the loud rock music the local radio DJ pumped through the building, he taunted, “I’m guessing Rowen doesn’t know his brother made a move on you. Can’t imagine that would be good for their relationship.”

  The punch just happened. My fist was flying before I realized I’d made the decision to throw it. Damn it hurt but thankfully I didn’t break my hand on Koda’s stupid face.

  Shaking it out, I swore through the pain. “Take your Scorpio Key and shove it up your ass. I will not be threatened by you.”

  I had to walk away before he goaded me into a total throw down. Each interaction with Koda pissed me off more than the last. He seemed to feed off my rage.

  He let me go this time. Rubbing his jaw, he chuckled and called after me, “You better find a way, Spike. Rowen’s life is in your hands.”

  The loud music helped drown out the angry tirade of fucks that preceded me as I made my way to Jett. Motherfucking demon. How dare he? Not only did he threaten to tell Rowen about Arrow’s kiss, he still planned to kill him the night of the alignment.

  He’d been right about one thing. Despite having the same goal of preventing Dash’s ritual, we’d never be allies. Not on this. Not on anything.

  “Wha
t did that fucker do now?” Jett took one look at my face and knew. Turning to Sam she flashed him a bedazzling smile. “Babe, would you mind grabbing me another drink?”

  Our friends knew a lot about what we were and the things that went bump in the night in this city. However, we kept them in the dark on a lot. Need to know, as it were.

  When Sam had sauntered safely out of earshot, I scooted a chair close to Jett and sat down. “Nothing new. Koda still plans to kill Rowen if I can’t stop Dash. And before he does that, he’ll probably tell him that Arrow kissed me.” I twirled a black lock around a finger until it pinched so tight my skin turned purple.

  “Right,” Jett said with a head bob. “You still have to tell me how that all went down.”

  “What’s to tell?” Flippant and fired up, I glossed over the details. “We were talking. He kissed me. Nothing else happened. End of story.”

  A take-no-shit wolf stare drilled into me. Jett wasn’t having it. “End of story my ass. What were you talking about? What kind of kiss? Did he slip you the tongue? Was it good?” She gestured with her cup to where Arrow now stood near the stage chatting with a few guys. “Should I just go ask him myself?”

  Alarm sang through me. “Do not do that. We were talking about how I should handle this whole Rowen and Dash situation. It was a kiss—not the kind you give your friend that’s for sure. There may have been a little tongue.” Fuck me and my blushing face. It only ticked me off more than Koda already had.

  Jett waved a hand for me to go on. “Uh huh and? You didn’t answer the most important question. Was it good?” When I hesitated she jumped all over me. “Damn, it was. You liked it. Your heart sped up just talking about it.”

  “It did not,” I grumbled, though there was no arguing such details with a werewolf.

  She tapped her lip and affected an annoyingly perfect valley girl tone. “Dude, that’s so crazy. You like him.”

  “No,” I snapped, shutting her down before she could get carried away. “I don’t. I’m in love with his brother.”

  “Yeah, so?” With a shrug and a grin, Jett bumped me with a fist. “Doesn’t mean you can’t have a few warm and friendly between the legs feelings for Arrow. That shit happens.”

  I glanced about for Sam, hoping he’d come back soon and shut her up. “I do not have between the legs feelings for him. What the fuck, Jett?”

  “Brothers. I wonder what that would be like.” She gazed off as if imagining it. “You’ll have to let me know.”

  She teased. I knew that. Still, it made me feel even worse about the whole thing. “I just don’t want to hurt anybody.” My soft tone disappeared beneath the music, but her keen wolf ears still heard.

  “Aww, Spike, don’t worry about that. The three of you have far more important shit to handle right now than two brothers in love with the same woman.” She let out a low whistle. “But damn if that doesn’t have a nice ring to it.”

  That made me do a double take. Had the girl lost her mind? “In love? Nobody said Arrow was in love with me. Slow down, Jett.”

  “Pretty sure he is. Not sure he knows it yet though. Oh, speak of the devil. Incoming.” She gave a slight nod in the direction where Arrow approached.

  My pulse raced and my skin felt tight. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my skirt. It wasn’t really that short. Fuck Koda.

  Arrow angled toward our table and dropped a folded piece of paper in front of me. Much to my relief he didn’t sit down. “From Rowen. Burn after reading.” Then he continued on to the bar.

  Passing notes smacked of junior high school, but with the way we were monitored, it might be the safest method of communication for now. Trying not to seem too eager, I unfolded the paper. Jett leaned in for a peek.

  Whatever happens my promise stands.

  I read and reread the note several times. It never became any clearer. Rowen’s birthday. This had something to do with it. It had to. Because every time I tried to figure out what the note meant, that black hole in my memory taunted me.

  “Tell me, Jett,” I said, crumpling the note into my palm. “What happened on Rowen’s birthday? I need to know what the gatekeeper took from me.”

  She scanned the growing crowd for Sam. He’d gotten caught up in conversation upon leaving the bar.

  “Rowen’s birthday was the night you both decided that no matter what happens during the alignment, you’ll face it together. If you go down, you’ll go down together. He promised that he would die for you. If it comes to it. And then you banged your brains out. Er… made love, as you put it.” Despite her hard edges, Jett visibly softened a little. “It all sounds a tad dramatic if you ask me, but I suppose it’s romantic.”

  Rowen promised to die for me. Did that mean he had reason to believe it might come to that? I struggled to recall the late-night conversation we’d had, but it no longer existed. Not to me.

  “I can’t remember any of it.” I rubbed my forehead as if that would help. It didn’t.

  Jett’s sympathetic shoulder pat was appreciated but ultimately unhelpful. “You spent the night together. Made some crazy good love. And declared your undying love and apparent willingness to die for one another. I guess I can see why the gatekeeper found it worth taking. I’m sorry, Spike.”

  I knew Rowen and I had formed a bond worth protecting. But something must have taken place that night to make it particularly empowered. Stronger than I knew it to be. Because I couldn’t fucking remember.

  Frustrated with just about everything, I shoved my chair back. “I’m heading home. Take it easy.”

  “Are you ok? Do you want me to come with?” She started to get up.

  I stopped her with a hand. “No, it’s cool. I think I need to be alone. I have a lot to think about.”

  My gaze strayed to Arrow despite my best efforts to resist. A charismatic smile lit up his face as he flirted with a cute redhead. This was his world, rock music and a steady stream of women. I was just one of many attractions for him.

  Feeling my stare he turned my way. Our eyes met for a split second before I diverted my gaze. Too late. Caught.

  Having witnessed the awkward exchange, Jett tugged on my purse to get my attention. “You’ve spent a lot of time with him, Spike. Things happen. It’s ok to feel something for him, you know.”

  “No.” I gave a vigorous shake of my head, but it did nothing to bring back the memory of a love-sworn night or to remove the memory of a confusing kiss. “It’s not.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Time went so much faster when I wanted it to crawl. Figured.

  Although I’d planned to spend the remaining days in solitude with some meditation, song writing, and self-cheerleading sessions, it didn’t quite happen that way. Instead I spent it watching the clock.

  Cinder dropped in to remind me that I was required only to do my best, that I had to trust everything to play out as it should. Again he apologized for the pressure on me. Though the flame bearer had a duty to lead fellow nephilim toward the light, I was in no way expected to save them from darkness.

  With a smile and nod, I promised him that I was fine.

  I wasn’t fine.

  Many times I ran through various scenarios in my head. No matter how many different ways I played it, I just couldn’t figure out how to come out on top. As prepared as I’d ever be for the convergence, I’d have to let things happen and hope my meager skill and training proved adequate for the challenge.

  When I tired of imagining how I might somehow save the day, my thoughts strayed to Arrow. What Jett had said lingered, forcing me to ask one question of myself that I didn’t want to answer. What, if anything, did I feel for Arrow? Easy enough. Many things came to mind. Revulsion. Annoyance. Sympathy. The precarious friendship that comes from a forced alliance.

  Still fresh in my mind, Arrow’s kiss defied that answer. In spite of myself I continued to replay it, to analyze it, seeking some answers. I could only surmise that, of all the things I felt regarding Arrow, confusion reigned strongest.


  Sitting in his BMW down the street from the house where the ritual would soon take place, the confusion remained, though overshadowed by apprehension.

  Jett lounged in the backseat, a joint between her burgundy lips. How she managed to be so calm I’d never understand. Must be a wolf thing.

  The three of us waited, watching the clock. We had to go in at the right time. Too soon and we could find our asses kicked and tossed out before the ritual even began. Too late and Rowen’s full power would be unleashed to serve the darkness… or he’d be dead.

  According to Cinder the planets would align at 2:11 am. Uranus, Jupiter, and Mercury would fall into line on one side of the sun; Venus, Mars, and Saturn on the other side. The moment they fell into place, the supernatural energies of the world would shift. Of the entire event the first few minutes would be the most powerful point.

  The average mortal wouldn’t feel a thing.

  That tiny window of time was the sweet spot. Of course missing the window wouldn’t mean Dash couldn’t perform the ritual. It just stole his best shot at success.

  Currently it was quarter to two. Rowen had been trapped in the house with Dash since sundown. Sitting tight and waiting for the right moment wasn’t easy. Every second sucked a little more than the last.

  “Spike.” Jett’s husky voice broke me from my thoughts.

  She handed me the joint, and though it was far from a performance enhancing drug, I took it. Nothing was going to calm my nerves. I sucked in a lungful and passed it to Arrow. Carefully he plucked it from my fingers, like he hoped to avoid having our fingertips touch.

  “Remember,” Arrow said, scanning the street around us, “all we have to do to save the day is create a distraction. Keep them too busy to conduct the ritual.”

  With a joint popping stretch, Jett groaned in satisfaction. “Hanging out with you guys is way more entertaining than anything going on at the clubhouse. I could get used to this.”

  “Don’t. I’d much rather be drinking with werewolves than parked outside a demon’s house watching the clock.” I turned in my seat to get a better view of her. “How the hell are you so chill?”