by Dawn, Autumn
He smirked. “What? His Wonderfulness still has you calling him by his title? You’ll never get him housebroken that way.”
It clicked then. “Fire sent you.” She frowned. “Funny, you don’t seem like a fan of his.”
Losee yawned. “We have history, but I agreed to help him because I was curious about his new wife.” He looked askance at her shorts and tank top. “Is that what you’re wearing to seduce him? No offense, but it looks as though the fire ate through it.”
She glanced at her clothes. They did seem to be disintegrating. Things had been so lively she hadn’t noticed. “It must be the sparks. I’ve been changing shape a lot.” She frowned at the cat. “Not that I’ve tried to seduce him. I don’t even like him! He tried to kill a group of hikers less than an hour ago.”
Losee didn’t seem concerned. “He must not have been trying. If he wanted them dead, they would be. Are you sure they were really hikers? We’ve had the worst trouble with busybodies lately.”
Her eyes narrowed. “The only reason he didn’t burn them was because I got in his way. I don’t know why he stopped, even then, except that he seems to make a habit of rescuing me. Maybe he didn’t want to undo all his hard work.”
Losee smirked. “You’re wearing his jewelry, and you don’t know why he won’t kill you? You belong to him. He doesn’t destroy his stuff.”
“I’m not stuff,” she growled. “I don’t belong to anyone.”
He looked bored. “As you like. So, are we finished here? I do have better things to do.”
It occurred to her that Losee might have the answers to things that she needed to know. “I was wondering, is Fire…”
“Raze,” he said firmly. “Don’t be ‘my lording’ him. ‘Fire’ is his official designation, not his name.”
“Raze,” she said obediently. “Is he really eight hundred years old?”
“Bit older than that,” Losee said calmly. “Why? You don’t like older men?”
She grimaced. “Be serious. He said he was imprisoned.”
“Yeah, and don’t get him started. He’s still grumpy about it. As in, singe your tail grumpy.”
“Noted. But why was he imprisoned? What did he do?”
Losee blinked innocently. “Well, if it makes you feel better, I haven’t seen him kill anyone since he got out.”
“Since he got out?” she echoed, worried. “So he did kill someone. Who?”
Losee started walking. He glanced over his shoulder to make certain she was following and said succinctly, “Pompeii.”
“Pompeii?” she repeated, trying to watch the cat and her footing, too. “Like, the city, Pompeii?” When he didn’t comment, she said incredulously, “Are you saying that he…?” She trailed off, considering what a being that controlled lava could do to an ancient civilization. It was appalling. “He destroyed an entire city?”
“Well, there were extenuating circumstances. He was miffed about the large number of virgins they shoved into the volcano. Granted, they were a bunch of superstitious ignoramuses, but really! It was a waste.”
“The virgins were ignore…um, you mean the guys who shoved them into the volcano were idiots, right?”
“That, too. If they’d paid attention, they would have realized that Raze didn’t go for that kind of thing. Oh, he had ‘god-syndrome’ occasionally, but nothing that extreme. He was fairly grounded for an elemental.”
She blinked and tried to keep up, both with his mental gymnastics and his long stride. She was more tired than she felt comfortable admitting, and she tried not to let it show. “So he hates humans because they jailed him after he destroyed their town?”
“Four towns, actually. Herculaneum, its sister city, was also smothered when Mount Vesuvius erupted. There was also Stabiae and Oplontis, though they hardly count. Piddling little tourist traps. Really, haven’t you been to school? Don’t they teach history anymore?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just breezed on. “It was overkill, perhaps, though the ancient Romans weren’t exactly wonderful people. Well, imagine what sort of parents would give up their daughters like that? Mind you, they were voluntarily offered up. Gives you warm fuzzies, doesn’t it?”
Kira opened and shut her mouth. She felt like the cat had hit fast forward, and she struggled to keep up. “Okay. Four towns. Then he was jailed?”
Losee hopped up on a big rock and stared at her. “No. You’re not paying attention. All this happened in AD 79. That’s a bit longer than eight hundred years, isn’t it? The cult didn’t catch up to him until centuries later.”
She put a hand to her head. It was beginning to hurt. “There’s a cult, too?”
“He has a lot of fans; though his friends weren’t much better. They caught the lot of them about 1200 AD. That’s about the time of the fourth crusade. Ghangis Khan was running amok in Asia about then.”
She drew in a hard breath. His helpful illustrations weren’t helping at all. Maybe it was time to switch gears. “He has friends.” She noticed that Losee had taken them in a wide loop and was heading toward the cave. That was good, since she was rapidly losing steam. Apparently her exertions yesterday weren’t easily shaken off. She stopped to lean against a rock. When that didn’t help, she eased down on the ground. Her legs felt like noodles.
Losee paused and looked at her, concerned. “Are you all right?”
“Sure, just resting. You were telling me about Raze’s friends?”
“Other elementals. You know, Earth, Wind, Water. You don’t look so good. I think I should get Raze.”
“No, you shouldn’t,” she said firmly. “I’ll be fine after a little rest. Maybe I need to eat.” She glanced at the lava, but didn’t feel hungry. She wanted another nap.
Losee didn’t bother arguing. He simply took off in a blur of fire, racing across black rock like a rocket. He was back in less than a minute, followed by a cloud of sparks.
“I’m fine,” she called irritably. “I’m just resting.”
Raze solidified and looked her over carefully. “Your body has been through a great deal in the last few days. It’s always better to be careful in a situation like this.” He picked her up despite her protests and walked toward the cave. “You could use a bath.”
She stiffened. “Blunt, aren’t we?”
He glanced at her, amused. “You’re covered in sand again, and the hot water will do you good. Of course, a lava bath would be even better.” He glanced speculatively at the veins of molten rock oozing by.
She would have latched onto his shirt, but he didn’t have one. The armored belt that stopped just under his pecs was almost as good, and she dug her fingers under the rim. “Don’t you dare!”
The amusement deepened. “It won’t hurt you. You’d enjoy it.”
“No.”
He’d been angling to the right of the cliff, away from his cave. As they rounded a group of rocks, she saw a tide pool hissing and boiling madly, filling the air with steam.
He set her on her feet at the very edge. “There you are. It’s a shallow pool. It should be all right.”
Her eyes rounded. “Are you crazy? That’s boiling water!” Was he trying to cook her?
He grinned and knelt to rake his fingers through the water. He held up his undamaged hand for her to look at. “See? It’s all right. The places where the elements mix are very healing.”
She stared at the water and slowly shook her head. “Uh-uh.”
He made a rumbling sound in his chest and stood. Casually, he pulled off his stomacher. Underneath was a very noteworthy set of abs.
“What are you…hey!” She turned her back as he reached for his sarong. “There’s no need for this.”
“I’m proving the water is safe,” he said patiently. “There’s no need to be skittish. See? It’s very comfortable. I bathe here all the time.”
She peeked over her shoulder, saw he was in the water, and turned around all the way, concerned. She bit her lip as she watched him swim through the bubbles. “You’re going to come out of there a
boiled lobster.”
He slicked water out of his eyes and held out his hand in invitation. “You see it’s safe.”
Kira wiggled her fingers, unsure about that, but edged closer. “You know, it would be a lot better if I found a nice little patch of ocean to swim in. There must be one that’s close, right?” She knelt down, her hand hovering gingerly over bubbles.
“The ocean is far too cold,” he assured her. “Besides,” his hand closed around her wrist and quickly pulled, sending her face first into the water. He waited until she surfaced with a gasp. “You’re right here.”
She gaped and automatically lunged for the bank, too panicked to note if she were burning or not. He laughed and closed his arms around her, holding her back to his chest until she quit thrashing. Once she’d calmed, he murmured, “You’ll notice you’re still alive.”
“You jerk!” she shouted, pulling away to face him. The water was shallow, coming only to her sternum. “I thought I was going to die!”
He smiled, his eyes lazily sketching her body. “You seem healthy enough.”
Kira glanced down to see why his eyes lingered below her neck and saw her naked breasts. Blushing, she immediately sank until the water came to her neck. “What happened to my clothes?”
He relaxed, his arms slowly sweeping through the water to keep him balanced. “There wasn’t much left of them. The water must have dissolved the last bit. Don’t worry; we’ll travel as spark to the cave and you can dress there.”
Losee made a coughing sound, and Raze sent him a disparaging look. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”
The fire cat yawned and settled more comfortably on the beach. “No, actually.”
Since she wasn’t going to die and wouldn’t prance around naked, Kira stayed in the water. She ran her fingers through the bubbles, reluctantly fascinated. She still wasn’t happy with her companion, though. As she watched her hands skim the surface, she thought of another grievance. “Why did you make a nose ring, anyway? The bracelet is bad enough, but a nose ring isn’t something that will fly at work.”
There was a thoughtful silence, then, “Perhaps because it was several hundred years before you were around to give your opinion? Now that I know you, manacles would be more appropriate.”
She grimaced. “Seriously, jewelry like this isn’t appropriate for conservative work. Is there any way you could take it off?”
“I’ve explained that they can’t be removed. Besides, I like them.”
Her hands curled into fists, and she set her jaw. Fine. If he wouldn’t help, she’d have to see what she could do. A pair of wire cutters ought to do it.
“We’ll leave as soon as you’re done,” Raze said. He had a speculative, ironic set to his mouth as he studied her. “I’m sure you’re eager to be dressed again.”
That spurred her on. Holding her breath, she ducked under the water and made quick work of rinsing her hair. She surfaced, her eyes still closed, and wiped at her eyes. “I’m…” Seconds later she was spark, zooming over the land and swishing over the lip of the cave.
They landed near the bed and she staggered. “Yikes! Don’t do that without warning me!”
He exhaled in amusement. “Sorry. You’ll grow used to phasing soon. Meanwhile, I thought you’d like some clothes that change shape with more grace.” He waved to the bed. “I made a dress from the fire for you.”
His glance made her aware that she was a bare as the inside of her piggy bank. Turning her back on him, she resisted the urge to hide behind her hands. Her long hair made a better shield. Besides, he’d already had a good look.
The sleeveless dress was as blue as his eyes, with a subtle glow like the hottest of flames. She picked it up and held it to her chest, using the silky material as a cover. “It’s a little fancy for every day.”
“But unlike your clothes, it will keep you covered. I’ll teach you how to make your gowns, but it’s a skill that may take time.” He stepped closer and fingered the silk by her hip. “Simplicity is easiest, and silk is the fabric that weaves most easily from fire. I’ve never had the patience to attempt another fiber.”
She could feel his warmth all along her back. The hair on her skin…and other things…stood at attention like soldiers eager for inspection. She cleared her throat, cursing the huskiness. “Right. Well. If you don’t mind giving me some privacy, I’d like to try it on.”
“Of course,” he murmured, the words stirring her hair. “We’ll see how it fits.”
She held very still as he stepped back, moved away. She felt a little dizzy. Did he have to smell so good?
The dress fit like a dream, though it didn’t come with panties. Thankfully, it was lined, adequately masking her nipples. She searched her bag, looking for underthings and came up empty. What had he done with her underwear?
She drew in a breath, ignoring the flutter rather lower than her belly. She was unhappy with the pyro serial killer. She didn’t want to be pantiless around him.
Though they would have smoldered away anyway; from the heat of her body, of course.
Stop it, she scolded herself. He can’t see anything.
If anything, the thought made matters worse, and she felt self-conscious as she entered the main room. His eyes lit with warm approval as he rose from his chair and looked her over. “Very nice. I have excellent taste.”
“And so modest,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I don’t suppose you have a mirror?”
His lips quirked, “I forgot how women feel about mirrors. Here.” He gestured to the curved wall. A section flattened, shimmered hotly and smoothed to become a large, full length mirror. “What do you think? Do I have good taste?”
She blinked at the redhead in the mirror, unused to her new appearance. The dress was nice, but… “I should cut this.” She fingered her hair, which fell to her hips in a crimson wave. She’d never had hair that long before, and could only imagine it would get in her way.
He scowled. “Absolutely not! It’s beautiful.”
“It’s impractical. I don’t know what to do with it.” She experimented with pulling it back in a ponytail and coiled it on her head. There was so much of it!
“I strongly suggest you leave it alone,” he said, enunciating carefully. “I like it as it is.”
Yes, well, he liked nose rings, too. “I don’t have any scissors, anyway,” she said regretfully, turning from the mirror. “The dress is nice, though.”
He looked slightly mollified. “Now that you’re dressed, I have something for you to see. We’ll have to travel as spark.”
She looked wary. She didn’t think the sudden, disorienting rush of spark would ever be her favorite form of travel. “Why? Where are we going?”
He held out his hand. “To Maui. I want to show you something in Hana.” He glanced around. “Unless you wish to remain in this cave indefinitely?”
He had her there. She reluctantly took his hand…and dissolved into sparks. Grumbling within the tumult, she grimly held on and allowed him to guide their journey.
Someday she was going to introduce him to cars.
The ocean rushed by underneath, resembling a blue kaleidoscope to her overwhelmed senses. She didn’t know how to focus her perception, and it was a relief when Maui finally came into view. They drew closer to the cliffs until they landed in the walled courtyard of a house overlooking the ocean.
She closed her eyes to avoid nausea and concentrated on breathing for quite a while.
“We’re going to have to find a way to deal with this weakness of yours,” Raze observed. “I’ve never known a fire elemental to react this way; it must be the human in you.”
“Keep it up and the human in me is going to puke all over you,” she whispered. The nausea was getting worse the more she traveled. She gave up on being tough and sat on the grass.
He sighed and knelt, removing a flat disk from somewhere on his belt. He held it under her nose. The warm fragrance of ginger scented the air. “See if this helps.”
Raze put a hand on her elbow. “Feel good enough to take the tour? I thought you might want to see our new home.”
“What, this?” She glanced at him in surprise and took a better look at the treed gardens and wide green lawns. She saw banana and coconut trees mixed with unknown fruits and flowers. A manmade pond with a little waterfall played host to a small flock of black ducks with iridescent, beetle green plumage. “What kind of duck is that?” she asked, moving closer for a better look. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
He smiled. “They’re called Cayuga ducks. I heard they lay black eggs at the beginning of the laying season.”
“Really? They’re so cute! I wish I had some food for them.”
He smirked and gestured to one of the ducks gobbling up some kind of fallen fruit. It was small, and she wasn’t sure what it was. “They seem to have it under control.”
She spotted a peacock in the trees and pointed. “Hey, look at that! I’ve never seen a live one before.”
He made a sound that could have been amusement or exasperation and placed a hand under her elbow, turning her. “Yes, but what do you think of the house? Does it suit?”
Distracted from the pets, she allowed him to redirect her…and sucked in a breath. Now that was one heck of a hacienda!
The house was one story and made of sedate brown stone with white stone trim around the windows and doors. It was graced with a shaded front porch complete with wicker furniture softened by thick cushions. She was surprised the architect resisted the urge to add a second story, but loved the way the house melded with the earth around it.
“Shall we go in?” Raze asked. He seemed pleased with her reaction.
The carvings decorating the outside of the house looked old, even gothic. She paused to touch one of the carved stone statues that flanked the door. It was a man wreathed in flame, and a flaming woman on the opposite side. “It looks as if this could have come straight from some ancient temple.”
Raze smiled. “I incorporated some of my old home into this one. I like the effect, don’t you?”