by Dawn, Autumn
She held very still. Instinct made her lower her eyes. He looked ready to strike, and his words were hammer blows.
His power washed over her, burning with its intensity. “I will never love you. I will not forgive. I will stand aside and watch as the world burns.”
There was a moment of awful silence, then hot sparks struck her cheek as he rose in a cloud of sparks and shot from the cave.
Kira drew a careful breath. She felt cold and a little sick. She couldn’t stay here, not with him. The man was dangerous.
She sighed regretfully, but she couldn’t take the lava pool with her. She’d have to figure something else out.
It was a hard climb down, and she earned plenty of scrapes and bruises. She wouldn’t risk traveling as spark, though. Not only did it make her ill, but she was afraid to tamper with her current form. What if she couldn’t turn back?
As she picked her way across the lava field, anxiety churned in her gut. She didn’t want to leave the only sure source of food she knew. It would probably be a couple of days until she could eat as she traveled back, and she was already weak. She’d visibly filled out since dining on lava, but she knew how fast she could waste away. Besides, she hadn’t even tried to find the women who’d done this. She only had his word that it wasn’t reversible.
There was a lot she didn’t know. Why was he so angry? And what was with the jewelry? If he didn’t want to be tied by them, why create them? Wedding jewelry...it didn’t make sense. Maybe the items were stolen from him. But why? And why did the Fates pick her?
All that stuff about love…well, duh! She wasn’t about to expect a psychopathic freak of nature to love her. She wasn’t feeling his charm, but he knew stuff. Maybe he knew a way she could travel away from fire and not waste away.
She bit her lip, but discarded the notion of staying. She would have to manage on her own. She couldn’t stay with a man like him.
Driving away from the lava flow was torture. She focused hard on her goal of returning the rental car. She longed to turn around, to return to the fire where she would be safe. She felt as if every moment away were cooling her, like a coal that broke from the main fire.
Halfway to the hotel, she was forced to discard the idea of looking for the Fates. She felt weak, moody. Hungry. The black clouds moving in mirrored her emotions, making them worse. The heat from the sun might have helped.
By the time she checked into her hotel, the sky was dark with angry storm clouds. Kira lay on her bed and tossed. She could feel the lava calling her. She could feel him.
Temptation welled. Instinct told her where to find the lava. She could turn to spark, and was hungry enough it sounded appealing. Now that she’d fed from it, the need for volcanic energy tugged her relentlessly. Worse, it was something she needed. She’d die if she didn’t feed.
She opened the balcony doors. Damp wind hit her face as she watched the tossing ocean. A sizzle of lightning lashed the sky, burning with an energy she could nearly taste.
She drew a fast breath. Could she feed off lightning? It was a kind of fire.
Instinct slammed her; she couldn’t control herself. With a thought, she became spark; a confusing shower of stars that shot into the sky, searching for lightning. A bolt shot over the sea, and she raced for it. A wash of energy filled her, and she exulted; she’d fed! It was strange stuff, and it made her feel drunk, but she didn’t care. She wouldn’t have to go back to the lava! There were other ways to survive.
The first drops of rain were a nuisance; she shook them off, but as the rain thickened, she faltered. Fire and rain didn’t mix.
Worried, loopy from the lightning buzz, she peered at the island, trying to get her bearings. She’d moved too far from land; she wasn’t sure which hotel was hers, and the rain was torrential. She lost altitude.
Desperate, she locked on the lava’s call, fought toward it. She sensed it, a bright flame in her consciousness. As she flew closer, she saw its glow in the darkness.
But she was getting tired. The rain froze and stung. She floundered, like an exhausted swimmer in deep water. The rain fought her, tossing her in the air. She was losing the spark form, growing heavy. Would she become human again, or merely snuff out? The beach drew closer, but not close enough.
Just as she thought she would die, a rush of fire shot from the island, caught her in its heat. She felt relief as she recognized the energy. Fire had saved her.
They swept over the dark rocks, Fire sweeping her effortlessly along. She trembled with shock and chill when they coalesced in human form within his cave. He held her in his arms and swore as he crossed to the lava pool. “No sense at all! You had nothing to eat, but left it until you had to fly back in a storm? If you were coming to me, why didn’t you use your human form? Are you suicidal?” He lowered her beside the pool. Only then did she notice her hands and arms were covered with large black spots. She recoiled. “What happened to me?” she cried, frantically brushing at the spots. She looked diseased!
“What did you think happens to spark in a deluge? Hold still.” His eyes snapped blue flames as he channeled energy from the fire into her body. When she struggled, he snapped, “What is it with you?” Then suspiciously, “Why does your fire feel so…you’re lightning drunk!” He snatched his hands away and glared. “You risked death for a taste of lightning?”
She shivered, cowed by her brush with death. “I was hungry.” It sounded wretched, and she lowered her eyes in self-disgust. “I didn’t think about the rain.”
He exhaled hard. “Worse than a child,” he muttered, sounding aggrieved. He fixed her with a hard stare. “Well? There’s food. If you haven’t managed to die yet you probably won’t.”
Chastened, she turned her attention to the fire. She ached, but the flow of fire felt good, healing. It soothed the shivers that wracked her body, faded the dark blotches to light shades of gray. Unfortunately, when finished feeding she still felt terrible.
He saw her gingerly touch her head and snorted. “Lightning headache. It affects a fire elemental like too much wine.”
That was an understatement. Her head throbbed, and it made her wonder. “Have you ever tried it?”
A touch of smile curved his mouth. He looked reluctantly amused. “The young do many foolish things.”
She grinned. “So you did. I feel better about it now.”
His smile vanished. “Do not. I was stronger than you are. Another attempt might be your last.”
She sighed and stumbled to her feet. “Don’t worry. I’ll leave lightning drinking to moonshiners. Is there anything else I should avoid?” She massaged her temples, trying to ease the pain. It felt as if someone was electrocuting her brain, and she swayed.
He grasped her arm to steady her. “We can discuss that later. It’s best if you sleep now.”
All but blind, she allowed him to lead her. She sat obediently on the bed because it was better than falling over. “I don’t think I can sleep. Do you have any medicine I could take? I have some ibuprofen in my hotel room.”
“Human medicine won’t work on you now.” She heard him rustling around. A cork popped, and she smelled a sharp, astringent scent. She jerked away, opening her eyes to see the vial he held under her nose. “Ugh! What is it?” It burned her nose, but her head felt better immediately. With less pain came crushing fatigue.
He didn’t answer, simply drew the covers back and took off her shoes. “Let’s hope you get less sand in the sheets this time.”
She growled, but quietly. Her head wasn’t a hundred percent yet. Besides, it felt good to lie down. She let him cover her with the blanket, but felt obliged to warn him, “This is temporary. I’m leaving tomorrow.”
He didn’t look impressed. “If you can walk out of here tomorrow, I may even let you.”
Chapter 2
Kira didn’t know what to think when she woke to find her suitcase beside the bed. Hunger gnawed her, so she forgot about it and concentrated on feeding without gulping.
Fi
re arrived while she was finishing. “Better,” he said critically. “Hopefully, regular feedings will slow your tendency to inhale your food.”
She glowered. “Be glad you won’t have to watch, then. I’d appreciate some pointers on how to manage the plane ride home. Obviously the pretzels they serve won’t cut it.”
He offered a hand up, and she took it automatically. He held it a moment longer to gain her attention and said firmly, “That won’t be necessary. I canceled your tickets and returned the car. I also settled with the hotel. We’ll arrange to have your belongings sent here. You’re not ready to go home yet.”
She snatched her hand back. “You had no right to do that! I can’t stay here! I have a job waiting for me. Responsibilities.”
“All of which are far more important than learning to survive?” he asked with deceptive calm. He didn’t seem the type to hold his temper well.
It didn’t stop her. “That’s my choice to make! Last night was a mistake, but I survived.”
“With help.” He sat on his throne and looked at her as if considering a vassal. It was intimidating.
She drew a deep breath. “And I thank you for that. I still can’t stay here.” When he let the silence stretch, she pressed her case. “Look, I can’t live in a cave. I mean, you have a chair and a bed in the place. That doesn’t make it a home. I don’t belong here, and I need my own place. I need a job to support myself, and I haven’t considered moving to Hawaii. It’s a big step and I’d have to think long and hard about it. I mean, it’s pretty, but the cost of living is outrageous.”
He looked bored. “Money is not a concern. You may enjoy my hospitality. As for moving, you are already here.
“You will have to accept that you are no longer fit to pursue your former occupation. As a young fire being, you’ll need to feed several times a day. Can your employers provide a fire on site? I understand that heating methods have changed in the last hundred years.”
She drew a troubled breath. It was difficult to imagine making it through a stressful workday with nothing to eat.
“As I mentioned, the arctic cold will be very draining. You will not survive without a constant source of energy. Does your home have a fireplace?”
Her jaw tightened. “No.”
“Then you would have to move regardless. Why not stay and accept my help?”
“It’s not that easy to find a good paying job,” she protested. “Medical benefits alone are…” She trailed off as she realized that conventional doctors were useless to her now. There was a lot she didn’t know, but she didn’t want to admit he was right. It scared her to think what she’d become.
He was wise enough not to comment. Instead, he produced some papers from a satchel and perused them. Why would he be reading papers? Did he have a business?
She shook off her questions and walked to the mouth of the cave to stare out at the blasted landscape. Lava flowed in a river down the side of the mountain and to the ocean. There were so many things to worry about, not the least of which was the nature of her companion. He was kind to her, even saved her, but the things he said about watching the world burn freaked her out.
A movement caught her attention. She frowned as she spied hikers winding their way up to the cave. One of them looked up and waved. Kira didn’t wave back. They shouldn’t be here, clambering around a lava flow.
She went inside and mentioned it to Fire.
He rose without a word and went to check on the situation. He didn’t seem concerned that the hikers could see him. Instead he smiled; a slow dark smile that made his blue eyes glow. He gestured and glanced into the cave. A snake of fire uncoiled from the lava pool and moved to the cave mouth.
She didn’t understand at first; what he planned was vicious. When she grasped what he was going to do, she gasped, “No! You can’t burn them. Stop!”
He met her gaze, his expression expectant, vengeful. He wasn’t going to stop.
She glanced from him to the hikers, gauged the speed of the flow. There was less than a minute. Desperate, she tried to absorb the fire’s energy, to slow it by will alone. It quickly became apparent that she had only a fraction of his strength. She couldn’t slow him.
He laughed at her.
What could she do? She couldn’t wrestle with him; one glance told her it would be impossible, but she couldn’t let him murder those people. So she threw herself off the cliff in a shower of sparks.
She crouched in front of the hikers and glared up at Fire, daring him. She could see the fury in his eyes as his fist slowly clenched. The fire trembled on the cliff as the people screamed. She heard them scrambling down and silently willed them to hurry. She was fairly sure the fire wouldn’t harm her. If he were still inclined to unleash it, she couldn’t stop him.
His head moved as he tracked the humans scurrying away. Long moments passed. Though his stance was rigid, he did not release the lava.
Kira carefully exhaled. Slowly she rose and followed the hikers to their cars. They needed someone to watch their backs. From there, she would follow the road out. She wasn’t staying here another hour.
“Oh, not you,” he said softly, and there was enough fury in the softness to raise the hairs on her neck.
He dove in a shower of sparks and swept her up, blowing them back into the cave. He solidified their forms, releasing her so suddenly she sprawled on the sand in front of him. She would have jumped to her feet, but the look in his eyes warned her. She said instead, “You would have killed them.”
“They are human, and they were invading my home.”
She clenched her teeth. “It would have been murder.”
He crouched next to her and seized her chin. “I spent 800 years locked in a water bound prison because of treacherous humans. Killing trespassers is the least I’m willing to do.”
She stood. “I’m human.”
He smiled coldly at the ground, still crouched. “Are you? That was an impressive display of mortal abilities, then.”
Kira flinched.
Fire stood. He didn’t bother looking at her. “You will remain with me. Behave, and I’ll consider not killing anyone in your sight.”
She bared her teeth. “You will not kill anyone. Ever.”
He looked at her curiously. “Are you bargaining with me?”
She stared at him, so angry her vision blurred. She wanted to attack, but knew it was futile. “Not yet. I want to see what makes you bleed first.”
He smiled without humor. “Little one, you could never make me bleed.”
Maybe not, but he stopped when she stood between him and the hikers. Until she knew why, she couldn’t afford to leave. Ungoverned, he was a lethal menace.
He’d let her stop him.
She needed a breather. Struggling for serenity, she walked back to the mouth of the cave and sat. Now that the adrenaline was fading, she felt shaky. She was also hungry, but didn’t want to go back inside and feed. She didn’t want to be near him.
Instead she experimented with drawing on the fire’s energy from where she sat. It was difficult, like drawing a thick milkshake through an extra-long straw. It gave her something to do while she thought things through.
She couldn’t get past the idea that he was okay with killing people. If it had been self-defense, she might understand, but he enjoyed that.
She closed her eyes in remembered horror. She had to get away from him!
Feeding from lava like this wasn’t working. She needed to be closer, and she needed to move. Experimenting with his limits, she muttered, “I need a walk.”
“Go ahead,” he said calmly. “I can find you when I need you.”
She worried about that statement, but didn’t ask for detailed information.
It was easy to turn to spark, though she felt scrambled when she landed on a small rise, hopefully well away from the tourist area. She didn’t want Fire to come looking for her and see tourists he could torment. She settled behind some rocks, out of the cave’s line of sight. It
made her feel better. There was a nice vein of lava within arm’s reach that made for a hearty snack. It was easier not to greedily gulp the energy, but it was still one of the most satisfying things she’d ever consumed. She wondered how a good steak would rate now. Could she still enjoy normal food?
A ripple in the lava drew her attention. Strange. It seemed as if a large golden bubble were rising from the molten surface. She blinked and wondered if she were hallucinating as a fiery golden leopard rose from the lava. It hopped to the blackened ground and shook itself briskly, flinging drops from its gold coat. They fell to the ground like black tears, hardened by the cool air.
The leopard blinked and purred. “Hello.”
Kira belatedly scrambled to her feet. Holy molten lava, Batman! The glowing kitty was talking to her!
The cat’s lip curled. “Oh, please. If back away and chattering, ‘nice kitty’, I will bite you.”
She froze. “I don’t normally converse with cats.” Since her mind was still coping with this new reality, she felt compelled to state the obvious.
He snorted and sat down to lick his paw. “Obviously. My name is Losee, and you are Kira, of course.” His tongue froze and he looked at her in mild rebuke. “You’re not going to stand over me like that, are you? It’s rude.”
It might be rude, but she wasn’t giving up the chance to run. “How do you know my name?”
The cat lowered his paw and smiled, all teeth. “Raze sent me to keep an eye on you, of course. He thinks you might run away and drown yourself in the ocean chasing pretty lights or some nonsense.”
She shoved a hand through her hair. “What are you?” When he bristled, she added hastily, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just that…I’ve never seen anything like you.”
His tail swished ominously. “By that, you mean you’ve never seen a more handsome fire cat.”
She couldn’t help a nervous laugh. “You’ve got that right.” She took a slow, steadying breath. “A fire cat, huh?” She thought about what he’d said. “Who is Raze?”