One Night to Burn (Fire, Stone and Water)

by Dawn, Autumn

  Her days fell into a predictable pattern. Try to make stuff, fall on her pile of fluff between her roughly woven, awkwardly shaped sheets (they’d taken her five days to make), maybe read an ebook. Unfortunately, her batteries needed recharging, so she was reduced to whatever entertainment her imagination provided.

  Her time on the rock clarified things. She still hated camping and she craved coffee in the worst way. She wanted to walk through a mall and admire botanical gardens. Oddly enough, she even wanted to talk to her mother. Being alone was for the birds.

  She even talked to the sea, but got no response. Either he was gone or she was completely uninteresting.

  She also realized that whatever he’d done in the past, Raze was kind to her. He’d helped her, though he hadn’t needed to. She’d projected her anger at the Fates at him…not that he wasn’t capable of provoking her. The daily hair growth, for instance, was annoying, but to her surprise, she missed him.

  When Raze arrived early one evening, she nearly pounced on him.

  “Hello. You’ve made progress.” He looked around at the primitive bed, lopsided bowls and stone age-like carvings in the wall. He even sounded sincere.

  She sighed. “I suck, I know.”

  He frowned. “You’ve worked hard, without a teacher. You should be happy.” He regarded her carefully. “You haven’t used the bank card I gave you.”

  Kira shrugged. “I haven’t figured out how to travel to the island yet and recharge my stuff without burning it.” She said it casually, as if she weren’t dying to go. She didn’t want him to think she was too eager. “I admit I’m somewhat starved for conversation. The gulls aren’t chatty, and neither is the neighborhood water elemental.”

  “Is that so?” Raze didn’t sound surprised.

  “You know about him.”

  Raze shrugged. “Water and I were imprisoned together.”

  Kira frowned. “What did he do?”

  “Atlantis,” Raze said crisply.

  Her lips made an O of understanding, and she was glad the neighbor was a recluse. How could Raze leave her near a serial killer and not warn her?

  Then again, he was in the city leveling club himself.

  He looked around thoughtfully. At last he said, “Your mother is looking for you. She’s called the house repeatedly.” He didn’t say he was sorry for giving out his contact info, but he seemed regretful.

  Kira bit her lip. “My phone is dead.” Too many sessions of Angry Birds; a sure sign she was bored out of her mind.

  “She’s coming to the island to talk to you in person. She seems to think I’m holding you hostage.”

  “What! She can’t do that.” Kira paced. “She’ll totally freak about...I really don’t need this.”

  “Her plane lands tomorrow,” he said casually, as if it weren’t a major catastrophe.

  “Argh! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” She franticly gathered her stuff, wrapping the sheet around it like a large sack. A sack that spilled her iPod through the porous weave.

  “Would this help?” He held out a leather satchel.

  “Yes, thank God.” She crammed in her stuff and fastened the clasp. “How did you manage leather, anyway? I thought you could only weave silk.”

  “It’s a different technique. Are you ready?”

  She hesitated. “This is temporary, okay? I’m going to deal with my mother before I come back here.” She wouldn’t think about the fact that she was glad of an excuse to leave.

  “As you wish.” He took her hand and they were spark, their incorporeal selves woven tightly together as they traveled over the sea. It was more intimate than she remembered, and she couldn’t miss his pleasure in the merging. It felt good, like coming home.

  They landed on the deck. Losee was waiting, his tail neatly curled around his feet. “She’ll be at the airport at six in the morning,” he said without preamble. “The mother-in-law apartment is stocked and I’ve obtained a car.” He gave the impression of a salute.

  Kira considered him curiously. “You sound like a butler. How did you manage to do that as a cat?”

  Losee grinned toothily. “Like this.” His form stretched until he became a man with golden skin and thickly lashed eyes. His black hair was clipped back from his slyly handsome face, and he wore a dark blue, pressed short sleeve shirt, black slacks and leather sandals.

  Kira blinked and cautiously poked him. Her fingers met firm bicep. “It’s not an illusion, is it? Wow.”

  Losee beamed. “I’m multi-talented.”

  She sighed. “Good. Maybe you can keep my mother distracted.”

  “That could be arranged,” Losee said with a mischievous smile.

  “Thank you, Losee,” Raze said, taking her elbow possessively as he escorted her inside. “You’ll want to call her before she boards the plane; she was very insistent.”

  Kira sighed and gingerly accepted his phone as he plugged her gadgets in to charge. While she was (surprisingly) looking forward to talking to her mom, she dreaded the conversation.

  “Finally! I was beginning to think that man had killed you,” her mother greeted her. “What were you thinking, not calling? Are you punishing me?”

  “I’m on my honeymoon, Mom.” It was a lame excuse, and she knew she would get an earful.

  That did it. Her mom spent the next ten minutes telling her what she thought of that.

  Halfway through, Kira raised her brows and covered the phone. She glanced at Raze, who was unabashedly listening. “She’s excited about her visit.”

  He grinned and went about his business.

  She found him minutes later reading a book, of all things. She glanced at it over his shoulder and found it was Greek to her, and might actually be Greek, because she couldn’t read it. The walls were lined with many leather bound books, some of which probably predated her country.

  He set the book aside and drew her into his lap. Caught off guard, she landed with a whoosh of breath. “Hey!”

  Raze settled her more comfortably. “I take it your mother won’t be bringing the police.” His arms tightened when she tried to get up. “You’re not going to convince her we’re happily married if you can’t stand my touch.”

  “I’m not used to being tugged around,” Kira complained, ignoring the way her heart pounded. She wasn’t admitting anything. “And it’s not like we’re in the habit of snuggling.”

  “Good point. We need more practice,” he said, kissing her neck. “I like that you always smell of cinnamon.”

  “The Fates did that,” she growled. “It won’t wash off.”

  “I like it. You smell edible.” He nibbled her ear, licking the rim when she jumped.

  “Ah…what are you doing?” His attentions caused zings of fire to streak to fascinating places, and suddenly she was less interested in escaping his lap.

  “Making you feel good.” He purred in her ear, making her gasp. His hand slid into her hair as he worked his way down her throat, taking his time. She shivered when he nuzzled her temple, tracing kisses over her cheekbone to the corner of her lips. Before she could shy away, he repeated the journey, moaning softly in her ear, making her shudder. By the time he reached her mouth she attacked him, making him chuckle.

  His amusement was short lived. The fire between them climbed higher, and soon both of them were moving restlessly, trying to soothe the ache. She barely had the presence of mind to catch his hand as it drifted over her collarbone. He’d caught her by surprise, but she wasn’t completely brain dead. “No. You don’t love me, remember?”

  He stared; his brain probably was having trouble tracking the conversation. By the feel of him, his blood was busy elsewhere.

  Saying it made her stronger, so she added, “You won’t forgive, and you’ll watch as the world burns. I have a good memory.” She slid off his lap, wincing as her body protested. It certainly didn’t care about his opinions or politics.

  Raze kneaded the chair arms. “I may have been…hasty. My opinion of you has improved.
”

  “What a relief,” she said dryly, raking a hand through her hair as she turned away. “I’m good enough to bed now.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Cheeky girl.”

  “Hypocritical man,” she said with a smile. “My first husband taught me well.”

  “Your what?” He asked, clearly not expecting that.

  Kira sighed and sank into an armchair. “I was married for thirteen months. I thought things were going well until I found out he was unfaithful.” Thank God for meddling friends. “Mom said I married too young; I think I picked the wrong man. At least I learned that sex doesn’t ensure a strong marriage, because Benji never lacked that.” He’d been her only, and he’d run around on her from the start. At least he hadn’t given her a disease. “I like sex, but it will never distract me again. You’ve got issues.”

  He pressed his fingertips together as he contemplated her. “You said your ‘first husband’. At least you acknowledge me as your second.”

  “You would view it that way,” she said wryly. “By the way, how are you sitting there in your natural form without setting the furniture afire?” She’d always assumed his flickering fire self was hot (and she didn’t just mean his abs).

  “Besides the fact that I made the house fireproof? I do have control. I even keep my promises.”

  “Have you made any lately?” she asked politely. She pulled the glass chessboard on the coffee table closer, inspecting the pieces. The black pieces had white swirls and the white, gold.

  “Do you play?” He moved to the seat opposite.

  “I know the rules, but I’ve only played a few times.” She watched with interest as he selected a piece and took her pawn after he’d moved his rook.

  “I love chess.” It took him only a few moves to beat her.

  She pursed her lips and reset the board. “I’ll beat you eventually.”

  “Fortunately, you will have centuries to try,” he said smugly. He met her startled glance. “Elementals live a long time.” He beat her faster that time, but she was distracted.

  “Centuries,” she said slowly, sitting back. “I won’t age?”

  “No.”

  “How will I explain that to my mom?” She hadn’t talked with her dad since he moved to Arizona with his girlfriend years ago, but her mom would definitely notice.

  “Tell her the truth.”

  “Yeah, that’ll go over well,” she muttered, but she didn’t have a choice if she wanted to maintain contact.

  “She would notice there was something amiss about her grandchildren,” Raze observed slyly.

  “If I had children,” she said sweetly. Great, another thing to worry about. Declining another game, she wandered out to the front yard to watch the lighted fountain and was surprised to see a pair of black swans floating in the pond with the ducks. How cool! She hadn’t noticed them before. She looked closely as the birds put their heads together, forming a heart with their long, graceful necks. Aww… They had red beaks, too.

  “They’re a mated pair, rather rare,” Raze said, coming up behind her. “I like to think I’m contributing to the species by providing a safe breeding area.” He put his arms around her and nuzzled her neck.

  “Raze…” she protested. She would have stepped away, but a sudden tug made her look in the direction of the volcano. “What was that?” With his arms around her, she felt the calming energy Raze used to settle Kilauea. It made her calm, too.

  “The volcano is restless. Don’t worry, I’ve calmed it.”

  “It didn’t seem to like it.” She slipped out of his arms.

  He shrugged. “It obeyed. Would you like to take a walk? The tourist shops are open on the other side of the island.”

  The shops were a nice distraction, though she tensed as she passed the shop where she boarded the “makeover van”. Raze put an arm around her when she told him about the experience, and Kira was disturbed enough to accept his comfort. “I hate them,” she whispered. “I only hope they haven’t done that to anyone else.”

  Raze stilled. After a moment, he kissed her temple. “Forget about them right now. Tonight is for you.”

  She let him distract her, admiring trinkets on display. She drooled over a black pearl choker in a jewelry store that reminded her of the Cayuga duck’s plumage.

  Raze scoffed. “It’s a water gem.”

  “It’s so pretty,” she said, accepting the clerk’s help to try it on. She admired it in the mirror, but privately admitted it clashed with her indestructible nose ring and bracelet. It was fun to tease him, though.

  Raze sighed. “I will happily make you a ruby necklace. I’ll even show you how it’s done.”

  She perked up. “How big is the ruby?” she teased, pretending to be reluctant as she let the clerk remove the choker.

  Raze slowly ran a finger over the ruby medallion. “We’ll see how good you are,” he murmured, escorting her from the shop.

  Kira laughed. The delicious smell of charred meat wafted her way and she noticed she felt hungry. She steered him to a nearby steakhouse. “It’s been ages since I had a steak.”

  He looked at her askance. “You think you can actually eat here?”

  She sent him a challenging look. “You’re so powerful; can’t you arrange something?”

  Raze smiled slowly, his white teeth gleaming in his dusky human form. “What do I get if I succeed?”

  “It’s a steak; be reasonable,” she warned him. She thought for a moment. “You may have fifteen minutes of my undivided attention.”

  He didn’t look impressed. “You’ll share a lava pool with me at the time, and you’ll be naked.”

  She huffed. “Horny devil, aren’t you?”

  “You don’t have to eat human food,” he countered.

  That did it. She was dying to try the steak now. It became a mission; she wanted to see if she could recapture any of her humanity.

  Besides, she wasn’t afraid of him, she thought, ignoring the flush of sudden heat. What was fifteen minutes in a hot tub? He’d already seen her naked. Of course, she’d never seen him…

  Whatever. She could handle it.

  They were seated in a corner of the balcony and she ordered steak, a loaded potato and salad while Raze ordered red wine he toyed with, but didn’t drink.

  Kira turned her face to the breeze, watching the tourists in the street below. “What a beautiful night. I hadn’t realized how much I missed being around people.” She brushed away a wisp of hair tickling her face. “Don’t you get lonely holed up in a volcano?”

  His mouth curled in amusement. “I was only alone when I wished to be. You’ve met Losee and saw one of the fire folk. Humans aren’t the only people on the planet.”

  He had her full attention. “Maybe it’s time you told me who else is out there.” She wasn’t pleased at the reminder of his cozy chat with the fire sprite. Somehow it still bugged her, and it hadn’t even looked suspicious. “It might help if you warned me of any sensitive relationships I should be aware. You know, in case anyone I don’t know visits.”

  “You want to know about lovers.” He didn’t hide his satisfaction at her jealousy. “I was imprisoned for a long time. Until recently, I’ve had no opportunity for intimacy, so your jealousy has limited targets. You have my exclusive attention, wife.”

  She tried not to squirm. In an effort to share the discomfort, she said, “You never asked if I was involved with anyone.”

  His brows rose. “You would have mentioned it. I’m not afraid of mere human competition.” He smoldered.

  She looked away in an effort to calm her pulse. Ouch, the man was hot!

  Thankfully her food arrived, the steak well done as ordered. Grateful for the distraction, she placed her napkin in her lap and grabbed her knife and fork, ready to dig in…and hesitated. Suddenly the meal didn’t look appetizing.

  “Problems?” Raze inquired. “Shall I win by default?”

  Kira glowered and cut into her meat. Acting quickly, she stuck it in her
mouth. Her eyes bulged and she snatched her napkin. The steak was vile, gamey, chewy, nasty. Blech!

  Raze laughed. “Not what you hoped for?”

  She coughed and reached for her water glass, remembering just in time that wouldn’t be wise.

  Raze offered his glass of wine with a smile. “Drink. It’s safe.”

  She drank it gratefully, relieved at the smoky, rich flavor. He’d done something to it, made it drinkable and filling. She sent him a relieved glance, grateful to have rinsed away the steak taste. “Thanks.”

  He grinned and focused on her plate. His eyes glowed blue, and the plate subtly smoked, the food blackening. Once it turned to charcoal, the smell was actually appealing.

  Kira looked at him cautiously. At his encouraging nod, she reluctantly tasted a tiny bite of potato. “Hey! It’s not great, but I can eat it now,” she exclaimed, surprised. She bravely tried the steak and found it tolerable. She poked the blackened flakes of salad, but there seemed little point in tasting them.

  She sat back, disappointed and hungry.

  Raze gave her a fond smile. “I’m sorry that didn’t appeal to you. Perhaps you’d let me cook you dinner?”

  Kira sighed. “Lava sounds very appealing right now.”

  He laughed and dropped money on the table as he helped her up. “I can do better than that. Come.”

  Joined as they were in spark form, Kira was able to direct her curiosity about water elementals to him as they flew over the sea. She received teasing blankness back. Narrowing her eyes as they reached their deck and took human form, she demanded, “Are there water elementals out there or not?”

  He smiled mischievously. “I know of one, but he’s a bachelor and rather grumpy at the moment. The sea is so temperamental.

  “Now, if you’ll meet me in the dining room in twenty minutes, I’ll feed you a proper dinner.”

  Kira remained on the deck, speculating about elementals and whether she could pry information out of Raze. She didn’t know why he was so tight-lipped, but there had to be a way around it. Anyone could be bribed, if only she knew what interested him.

  Besides sex, of course. Some things were not for barter. If she ever did make love to him, it was going to be more than a cheap transaction. Not that she was considering it, of course.