Singing Fire

by T. L. Martin

  Tears slid down my face now, while Tempest cheerily prepared for her next move. My eyes narrowed resolutely as I watched her.

  I finally had it. I knew what to do. I didn’t know if it would work, but I certainly had to try.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: WAR

  I watched Desmond, waiting patiently for him to look up. There it was. His eyes met mine, and I held our gaze.

  I knew he feared it, given the dark nature of a vampire. But I also knew Desmond, and I had witnessed with my own eyes the good beneath it all. I could see the curiosity build as he silently wondered what I was up to, but I didn’t hesitate further. Gradually, I forced Tempest’s movements to leave my mind. The cell, the chair beneath my body, the room—all of it. I shut everything out, out of sight and out of mind.

  Everything, except Desmond.

  His blue eyes pierced straight through me, and I latched on to them, soaking in every part of him from the most minute details of his lips to the fresh wounds on his body. The burn upon his skin hadn’t healed yet, and I inspected its each component closely. I winced as the wound unexpectedly etched itself into my own skin, and Desmond’s eyes widened. I could actually feel his surprise rise and fade within me, and I closed my eyes. Even without looking, I could see his perfect face. I smiled softly, allowing him to absorb my strength, my energy. My body tingled as he devoured every ounce of me, and I let out an elated sigh, experiencing the vigorous embrace of his body completely as though it were my own.

  I didn’t know what exactly had made me so much stronger this time around—being able to sync with him so effortlessly and without physical contact. Having just synced to Priscilla probably didn’t hurt, and, of course, I already knew that no two bonds were ever the same. But this was something else. Something that tingled from the tips of my fingers straight down to my toes.

  I had bonded to the one I loved.

  Finally snapping my eyes open, I watched with extraordinary satisfaction as Desmond tore the chains from the ceiling. Fractions of cement crumbled loudly to the floor.

  Tempest was nowhere in sight, having already caught on, but it was no matter. I knew she had sent for backup as soon as she’d spotted what was happening. Just went to show the cowardice underneath her facade.

  The senses overtaking me were overwhelming as I adjusted to a vampire’s perspective of things—a perspective I never thought I would experience. My ears captured the vibrations of voices through wavelengths before any words were finished being said. I could even use the wavelengths to narrow down one’s proximity to me as they approached. I could sense Jovan’s movements from across the room as effortlessly as if they were in slow motion, and my own footsteps were smoother, more fluid, than a cheetah stalking its prey. I knew without looking, that there were seven witches, five vampires, and two demons already in the room, bracing to attack us, and at least ten more headed our way.

  The rapid pounding of Pixie and Quinn’s heartbeats traveled and echoed through my eardrums. Deciding to keep them in the cells where they were safe until things simmered down, I made my way to Desmond.

  He stood in the center of the room, appearing as regal as a statue and as intimidating as a god. Tempest’s minions anxiously took their fighting stances. Desmond watched me, and I was overwhelmed by a feeling I couldn’t explain. Almost electric, it shot through my body and mind, binding us together in ways I could never have imagined.

  Syncing had never felt so euphoric.

  “I’ll handle them,” he growled quietly.

  The onlookers were fearful for their lives before it even began. They had good reason to be afraid. None of the witches present were strong enough to perform magic on a vampire, though they would be doomed regardless. Desmond Stone was already a universally feared name as it was, and the intensity of his strength now was beyond anything I had ever seen before.

  My lips curved upward. I was free to go after Tempest.

  I crept out of the room, sneaking down the narrow underground tunnel with a degree of agility I had never known before. My movements were soft, giving nothing away, and fast enough that only an expertly trained eye could accurately keep up. Three more of Tempest’s vampire puppets pranced down the hall toward Desmond, but I snapped their necks like a set of dominos, watching them fall to the ground almost numbly. They wouldn’t die from a broken neck. I stepped over their motionless bodies and listened to my senses, trusting them completely to lead me to the conniving witch. A warm glow reverberated in the tips of my fingers and toes, and I knew I was close.

  Stopping abruptly, I made a right turn into a small, opened room. A poorly constructed shelf sat along the back wall, lined with tiny jars of prepackaged potions. A basket to the right sat filled with her deadly roses.

  Tempest was fiercely clawing her way into a bottom cabinet, tossing books fervently aside as she muttered a quiet incantation.

  “Hello, darling.” I exaggerated her favorite nickname, and she looked over her shoulder at me with wild eyes. It was surprisingly satisfying, being the one to sneak up on her this time.

  Her lips twitched upward as she took in the sight of me.

  “My, my,” she mumbled approvingly. “I knew your syncing with Desmond would make him extraordinarily dangerous, but look at you. A little dose of power and the look in your eye isn’t too far off from mine.”

  I stayed cool and unflinching as her attempt to throw me off rolled easily off my shoulders.

  “I’m counting on it,” I replied, closing in on the space between us. “After all, it takes the look of a killer to kill.”

  I saw the apprehension strike her eyes despite her best efforts to hide it.

  She grinned slightly, narrowing her skeptical eyes. “What exactly do you think you’re going to do? Get your revenge? Torture me?” she asked with a snicker. “You don’t have it in you, child.”

  I smiled calmly back, taking a smooth seat beside her on the rocky ground. She leaned back slightly, evidently flustered by the movement.

  “Nothing so drastic,” I answered easily. “Actually, I’d like to sync with you.”

  Her eyes narrowed further as she looked at me hesitantly. “You want to sync with me,” she repeated unbelievably.

  After another brief moment of silence, I cocked an eyebrow. “Well, are you going to just sit there, or are you going to take my hands?”

  I could see the wheels spinning in her head as she contemplated the risk involved in finally obtaining what she so desperately wanted, despite my clearly having an ulterior motive. Ultimately, her selfish desires won over, and she smiled.

  “Why, I’ll take your hands, of course,” she answered.

  Sitting across from each other with our legs crisscrossed, she placed her hands in mine.

  “Close your eyes,” I commanded, and she begrudgingly obliged.

  Our hands touched, and I, too, shut my eyes. I couldn’t explain how I knew what to do—I just did. It was becoming like second nature to me, connecting myself to her through our hands, both physically and mentally, and working my energy into the rest of her. But, as Emiliano had revealed, what I gave, I also took. Just as I had with Desmond, I bonded mind, body, and soul. But there was a difference. Rather than each of us giving every inch of ourselves to each other, as Desmond and I had, I bonded a fraction of my energy and nothing more before devouring hers completely.

  Opening my eyes, I saw her lips curve upward as she felt my power stream through her. She threw her head back, absorbing as much of me as she could before snapping back up to face me. Wild hysteria echoed behind her honey-brown eyes, and she was about to break contact with me when I held fast. She glanced down at our hands and made another attempt at freeing hers.

  I waited a few moments before finally letting them go, lifting my right hand to place a stray hair behind my ears. Her left hand mirrored mine without a thought, and she gaped in horror at me. A satisfied smile reached my mouth as I leaned my body toward her, resulting in hers leaning toward me as well.

  �
��What have you done?” she whispered, and I could already see the mental battle for control over her body.

  “I learned a thing or two from working with Priscilla,” I replied serenely. Like the conductor to my own silent but beautiful musical, I exaggerated my hand gestures purely for the entertainment of it. “There’s a brief moment when I sync with someone when we are so connected, our actions mirror each other. In your case...well, let’s just say, I balanced our energy a tad more unevenly than I usually would have. Instead of completing the transition, I stopped midway. Like you said, it’s amazing what a bit of magic can do.”

  I winked, and the color faded from her face.

  “What are you going to do to me?” she asked. She didn’t sound afraid. She was looking down on me, like a nuisance she should have crushed when she had the chance.

  I rose to my feet, done with the bantering. She had suckered me into her game long enough. I could still feel her energy vibrating through me, and it rubbed coarsely against my soul, grimy and rabid. Her muddled mind grew darker by the second, and while I searched for any hint of compassion or remorse, there was none to be found.

  I locked my eyes on her, shutting out the jarring sounds of those fighting in the distance and placing the two of us within our own capacity. Little by little, I released parts of my energy directly into her body, each fragment like the warm belly of a firefly. She grinned at first, zestfully soaking up everything I poured into her.

  But I didn’t stop there.

  With my eyes unwavering from hers, I watched her expression transition to bewilderment as she struggled to figure out what was happening to her. The warmth increased in heat with each bit of energy she received, and it began to glow softly beneath her skin. Adding more energy only added fuel to the fire. She took a stumbling step backward, trying to distance herself from me. My legs began to shake slightly as I grew weak, and I had to lean a hand on the shelf beside me for stability. But I continued overwhelming her body with everything I had.

  “You will die if you kill me,” Tempest wheezed.

  I ignored her, intensifying the fire that desperately ached to explode from within her.

  “Not just you,” she whispered painfully. “Desmond, too.”

  Breaking my attention from the process, my suspicion grew.

  She hugged a hand to her chest in relief as the heat simmered slightly. “I’ve read the journal. Anyone you have synced with will die if you die, and vice versa.”

  Gradually, the extra energy left her body and found its way back to me. I was able to take enough of it back to leave her hardly more powerful than she ordinarily was, but it didn’t matter. The damage was done. We were synced.

  Emiliano’s words played back in my head: Though no two bonds are ever the same, be prepared to share your heart, your soul, your body. This time, it was I who took a step back.

  What had I done?

  A slow, victorious smile formed on Tempest’s face just as I sensed with familiarity the fast approaching footsteps. I was already eyeing the door expectantly when Priscilla entered, followed by Matt, Dominic, and Kinsey. The Guardians rushed to my side at the sight of me, placing themselves defensively between me and Tempest.

  “Priscilla,” Tempest muttered, pulling herself to her feet. “I see you finally caught on.” She grinned.

  Priscilla looked only at me.

  “Charlie,” she said softly. “Are you all right?”

  I glanced from her to Matt, feeling overwhelmingly ashamed for my ignorance.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whispered hopelessly. “I thought...I thought if I—”

  “Nonsense,” Priscilla interrupted. “You are the Opal, Charlie. A natural leader. You did what you thought was best, putting everyone else’s safety above your own. That,” she said assertively, “is never something to apologize for.”

  “Aw,” Tempest purred with a smirk. “How very Priscilla of you.”

  Before anyone had a moment to react, Tempest shot her hands out and expelled an electric volt toward me. It ended as abruptly as it had started, hitting an invisible barrier in front of the Guardians and quickly dissipating.

  “Impressive. I wasn’t going to kill the girl,” she added with an eye roll. “We are connected, after all. Just wanted a little payback.” Tempest shrugged a shoulder and advanced toward Priscilla.

  “So,” she began. “What’s the Queen’s big plan now? It’s not like you can kill me.” She quietly snickered.

  “It was never your death I desired, Tempest,” Priscilla replied. She appeared as calm and knowing as ever. “You had a kind heart once.” Tempest rolled her eyes once more, though Priscilla paid it no mind. “But you are correct, in that I do have a plan.”

  Desmond, Quinn, Pixie, Julien, and Willow approached us now, with Julien and Willow immediately joining the other guardians in protecting me. Desmond locked the door and stood beside Priscilla, but he was watching me closely. It was strange, being so purely connected with the one I loved. A far different bond than with the others. I could see the concern and intense affection in his eyes, yes—but far more than that, I could feel it.

  Suddenly, Tempest lunged at Priscilla. Desmond and I both motioned to attack, but Priscilla had already shot her down with one easy hand gesture.

  Tempest struggled to return to her feet, eyeing Priscilla carefully. She was contemplating her next move. She quickly twirled her right hand while wrapping it shut, and pulled it forcibly toward her body, as though Priscilla, too, would be dragged toward her. Priscilla stayed securely in place, watching Tempest like a mother might watch her tantrum-throwing toddler.

  Closing her eyes, Tempest chanted something under her breath. A few moments later, I heard a sound faintly erupting from down the hall. The walls began to echo softly with hammering footsteps and an outbreak of faint cries. Desmond, Priscilla, and I listened intently as the cries grew louder, and the ceiling began to rumble above our heads. The others were starting to hear it now, with Quinn and Pixie exchanging bewildered glances.

  Tempest’s lips lifted into a grin that did not touch her eyes. “I may not be able to defeat you on my own,” she muttered quietly, “but how long will your little pets be safe from my hungry army?”

  Priscilla was unfazed. She turned to face me and the others.

  “It is time,” she said, softly. She took one of my hands in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “For what is to come next, it’s I who must apologize. But without it, you will find yourselves forever endangered by those who seek power with greed. May you each find the peace you deserve in your young lives.”

  I peered questioningly at Desmond, but he was watching her with the same curiosity as the rest of us. Tempest furrowed her brows, taking a nervous step backward as Priscilla slowly closed the gap between them.

  “You may relax, Tempest,” Priscilla calmly instructed. “Now that we are both synced through Charlie, you and I are connected as well. You can have no reason to fear me. Having said that, I’ll need to borrow some of your strength for this.”

  Seconds later, a flurry of vampires, witches, and demons were barging down the door. They held nothing back, and it crashed to the ground. We were attacked in full force.

  Desmond was already in action, snapping necks and breaking bones as he held them off. But their numbers were only growing as they clawed their way over each other. He couldn’t keep them at bay on his own. Quinn and Pixie instantly conspired together to use their magic against the few who had made it past Desmond, but it was clear they were no match for the seasoned witches.

  Matt shouted for me as I broke away from the Guardians’ circle and trudged forward. I shot the three intruders back against the ground with a twist of my hand, and they looked up at me in fear, slinking back on their arms and legs.

  With three powerful witches now synced to me, I’d never known a power like this...coursing through every part of my body.

  I looked over my shoulder at Matt to find him watching me disapprovingly, but when his eyes sc
anned the increasing numbers of vicious attackers, he paused. He knew there were too many of them.

  “Julien, you stay on Charlie with me,” he commanded. “Kinsey, Willow, Dominic: do not leave Quinn or Pixie’s side.”

  Priscilla, eyes closed and head reared up toward the sky, had cornered Tempest into a far wall.

  A small ball of light formed in between the two women when a yelp from Pixie pulled my attention back to the war before us. One of the demons roared in triumph as he took her hostage. Willow instantly uttered a spell, rendering the demon’s muscles useless. Pixie escaped past his dangling arms before he collapsed to the ground.

  I stepped through the doorframe, clearing a path for the Guardians, Pixie, and Quinn with Desmond at my side.

  We were warriors now, fighting alongside each other in the midst of wild chaos, and time seemed to slow down as I took in my surroundings.

  A vampire’s hand swung at me, and I snapped it without thought, extending my free arm in a gesture that sent six others flying clear across the room. Desmond was clearing his own path with equal ease, and the incantations coming from Pixie, Quinn, and Willow grew louder as they band together.

  The opposition was no match for me or Desmond in strength, power, or speed, though it hardly mattered. Most of them had already turned against each other, witches banding together against vampires, vampires ravaging demons, and demons in a delirious frenzy—attacking even each other.

  The halls were filled with bloodshed, and I was careful to avoid stepping on mangled body parts. Another’s blood spilled warmly down the bare skin of my arms, and I could feel it mix with perspiration beneath my hair. The underground tunnels had turned barbaric.

  Right then was when it really hit me. For the second time that day, I saw my future flash before my eyes.

  The barbarism, the chaos, the blind greed for power...it was certain to follow me, and anyone I held dear, wherever I ventured afterward. I pulled back for a moment, overwhelmed by the hopelessness of the situation, and I hardly noticed as Matt and Desmond lunged before me, preventing a trio of vampires from tearing straight into me.