A Touch of Fire (Meridian Island Book 1)

by Jennie Dah

  What. The. Hell? She sounds angelic. Better than any artist I’ve ever heard before. Of course she can sing, I don’t even know why I’m surprised. Is there anything she can’t do? And is that French? She speaks French? Slowly, I start to relax and then I let myself enjoy her performance, just like everyone else.

  Some people are even singing along. Wow. The field has gone all the way back up again and is bursting in different colors. I laugh out loud when she discretely flips Arabella the bird then she leans back to the side a little while rolling her waist with her hands pointed at the ceiling two fingers up.

  “Are you seeing this too?” Robbie asks his voice barely above a whisper his eyes transfixed on the stage in awe.

  “Damn, she’s good.”

  “What’s that she’s singing? I’ve never heard it before.”

  “It's Mhd.”

  “Shhh…” I snap at them, my eyes still fixed on her. She’s moving so flawlessly, like it’s not her first time doing this.

  “Where is she from?” someone asks.

  “She’s African,” Dani whispers excitedly dancing along to the music. African?

  “African? Like from the real African continent?” Robbie asks and I palm my face shaking my head slowly. He really didn’t just ask that.

  “No, not the real Africa. It’s the one from the sun.”

  A laugh burst out of me at Dani’s response and the other guys join in. Robbie’s face colors as the guys poke fun at him.

  “The force field is going crazy, whoa! No one has ever gotten it bursting like that before,” Michael says incredulously.

  I look at the stunned look on his face and look around the hall to see similar looks all around me and I couldn’t feel prouder than I did in that moment.

  That’s my mate, my woman. I barely resist the urge to thump my chest with a growl and run up to the stage to drag her off so I can bury myself to the hilt inside her.

  I shake my head to brush away my arousal. Finally, the song comes to an end and the whole place erupts with a deafening roar and I laugh in disbelief. I cover my mouth with a hand and look around in shock not believing what I’m actually seeing. She takes Stella’s hand, takes a little bow and hurries through the force and get off the stage. I get out of my seat and cross the isle to get to her faster. She throws her arms around my waist and squeezes hard.

  I lift her off her feet and spin her around. She laughs in delight and wraps her legs around my hips much like she did the other night and my cock perks up. I set her back on her feet and let her go before I poke her with my erection. Charlie and the guys takes turns hugging her too and I growl at them which they ignore. She takes Stella’s hand and pull her to her.

  “Are you okay?” she asks in concern and Stella nods.

  “Let’s get something to drink. My mouth feels like the Sahara,” she rasps coughing a little.

  I don’t mind missing the rest of the show but the other guys might so I turn to them but they’re already following behind the women.

  I sigh and follow behind them. On the way out, people stop Celia to introduce themselves and all that bullshit people are good at wasting time on. But she’s very diplomatic and soon we’re out of the building and headed to the dining hall in the castle. In there too, people keep throwing looks at her and I growl at the few bold men checking her out.

  I walk up to her and wrap an arm around her waist, my hold screaming possession so no one would miss it. She looks up and smiles at me, making the knot in my stomach loosen a bit. She turns back to her conversation with the women and she seems oblivious to all the attention she’s getting. The others shoot me knowing looks and I flip them off. We choose a table at the far corner facing the door.

  I snap to attention when I feel the prickle in my skull again. I look around and almost everyone is stealing looks at our table. Whoever tried to get in head could be anyone of them. I softly brush Celia’s mind with mine and I feel only happiness and a twinge of concern emanating from her.

  I quickly pull away before she can feel me. My eyes snap to the door just as Owen steps inside. He looks around the room and his eyes finally stops at our table his lips stretching into a smile when his eyes snag on Celia and I feel a growl vibrating in my chest and the stirring from earlier but much stronger and closer to the surface this time.

  I feel Celia touch my arm gently rubbing at it and I look at her gratefully before turning back to the door. I keep my eyes on Owen’s face and I see it the moment he sees Celia’s hand on me. He glares at me and starts walking over. I sigh long and hard leaning back in my chair while I wait for him to come to us.

  This is going to be a long night.

  Chapter 9

  MAKAFUI

  “If I get my hands on that bitch, I swear I’ll kill her,” I seethe still pissed at the underhanded move that bitch just pulled. My heart is still racing after leaving myself open to the judgement of an auditorium full of supernatural beings.

  “No, it’s fine. I’m just glad she didn’t call on any of you,” Stella says squeezing my hand that’s resting on my thigh her eyes still vacant.

  “I think it’s partly because she doesn’t know my name and she wanted me dead,” I mumble moving my hands away from hers not being obvious about how uncomfortable I am. I’ve always been uncomfortable with displays of affections and I don’t want to make her upset.

  “What?” Dani the redhead chick I met earlier today asks in surprise and I’m grateful for the chance to focus on something else.

  “You didn’t tell her?” I look at Stella.

  “No. It doesn’t matter anyway. You are alive and that’s all I care about,” she says softly and my stomach twists at her tone even though her eyes still appear blank.

  “Well I wouldn’t be if it hadn’t been for you,” I smile gratefully at her. “Thank you.”

  “Well I was just doing what you told me to,” she shrugs.

  “Huh?” I stare at her in surprise. “I did what?”

  I try to remember when I would’ve told her something like that or whatever but I can't seem to and my head threatens to split open on me again and I stop much like I’ve done to since I woke up in the hospital.

  “You don’t remember?” She searches my face her expression one of mild surprise.

  “No. The only thing I remember is waking up in the hospital and you were there. Actually I’ve never seen you before until the other day,” I say in confusion feeling bad that I can’t seem to remember her. Was I always this uncomfortable around her? Were we friends?

  “What?” Her voice is barely above a whisper. “But when you… you… they were…” she stutters looking to Dani.

  “Hey, calm down. I’m not worried about it, okay?” I say reassuringly at her agitated expression and shake my head slightly at the ticklish feeling in my mind. “I’m just glad that you helped me and my memories will come back in time I’m sure but not a lot of people would’ve done what you did.”

  I wiggle as the ticklish presence n my head intensify and then it’s gone as suddenly as it appeared. I shrug it off and take Stella’s hand.

  “I’m sorry she did that to you. I’m suspecting she did it to get to me.”

  When I feel a wave of possessiveness rush through my system I jump in my seat making Dani and Stella stare at me in concern and I turn to Nick but he’s busy glaring at the door. I rub his arm soothingly and he turns to me with a grateful smile. I give him a little smile and turn back to the girls.

  “Do you really not remember what happened to you?” Stella asks staring at me shrewdly her thumb stroking the inside of my wrist and I pull my hand away from her and pull my braids over one shoulder not wanting to be too obvious.

  “No—” I start to say but the sound of glass hitting wood makes my attention snap to the table.

  “Hey,” I look up at the man grinning down at me. He looks familiar but I can’t remember where I know him from.

  “Hello,” I say slowly looking at everyone around the table but
their eyes are trained on the man standing in front of me completely ignoring my friends.

  “It’s Owen,” he points a finger at his chest his smile dropping at my blank face.

  “Oh yes, Owen,” I nod trying to remember where I’ve heard the name and then give up when my mind keeps drawing a blank. “I’m sorry who are you?”

  “Your doctor?” he says uncertainly the smile dropping from his face. “I explained things to you yesterday?”

  “Uh-huh! You’re that guy,” I exclaim when my mind finally makes the connection. “How are you doing?”

  He looks very different with his hair slicked back like that. I don’t even think I’ve seen him in anything other than scrubs and a lab coat. Hmmm. He doesn’t look bad in normal human clothes.

  “I’m doing great. How are you feeling though?” he asks his expression concerned but I get a feeling he isn’t actually concerned for me. Odd. “You really shouldn’t have gone up there so soon after leaving the hospital. Maybe you should come see me later so I can look you over.”

  “Yeah, right,” Nicholas snorts glaring at him and I look between the two of them curiously. What’s wrong with him?

  “Thanks for the offer but I’m good. Really. And even if something is wrong I have all this great people to get me to the hospital in time,” I say with a little laugh looking around the table. “They’re my friends and you haven’t said hello to them yet.”

  Michael laughs loudly drawing everyone’s attention to him. “She’s the best,” he wheezes staring at me. “She just called Owen out on his shit.”

  “I–I... we—”

  “Anyway, what brings you over?” I ask curiously waving off whatever he was about to say.

  “These,” he says gesturing down at the table. I look down and in the middle of the table is three very big ancient looking glass bottles with some kind of amber liquid. These glass bottles look like they’d send you into a permanent coma if some broke one over your head.

  I startle at the collective gasp of awe that echoes around the table and the others around us. I don’t get it. I look around but everyone’s attention is focused on the bottles. I sigh in frustration.

  “I hate it when people do this. You’re all behaving like you know some secret I don’t. I also want to be part of the cool gang too,” I grouse and Michael turns to me with a bewildered laugh looking at me in disbelief.

  “What? Is this like the potion that make people wiser? Or was this gotten from the wine Jesus made?” I ask in a whisper.

  “Come on, Celia. You won the legendary whiskey,” Charlie snaps disbelievingly. Huh? I look at them in confusion.

  “Remember what I told you earlier about that drink?” Nick nudges me with an elbow and then it clicks. Oh that, I sag in disappointment and immediately perk up when I remember it was the same one Nicholas wanted.

  “Oh, Oh, Oh. You mean the whiskey you wanted?” I ask excitedly and he nods still looking the bottles. “Well there’s nothing special about it. Quite disappointing, really. I thought they’d look fancier not like they’ve been brewed by the spider living in the tree trunk outside,” I mutter sullenly looking at the bottles.

  Gasps of horror meet my ears at that statement. Why the hell are they acting like these came from the wine Jesus made?

  “Celia!”

  “What?” I shrug unimpressed. “Nicholas, you can have them.”

  “Really? Are you sure?” he asks but he’s already reaching out to grab the bottles.

  “Maybe I’ll keep one, just in case,” I say taking the last remaining bottle.

  I look around and people still look like I just announced I’m the Virgin Mary. Whatever, I'm hungry.

  I push away from the table and head over to the buffet table. I grab a tray and four plates. I pile it all high with food and reach out for another plate for Nicholas’s food but pause. I look down at all the food on the tray and wince.

  I’m trying to lose a little weight and I still eat like a pig. I set the plate back even though it pins me too. I’ll give one of mine to him. Yeah, that should do it. I take the tray and head back to the table setting a plate in front of Nicholas before realizing I didn’t get anything for the others.

  How rude of me. I hand out the other plates and then go back and get three more plates of food. I serve the rest of the guys and watch everyone dig into their food.

  Okay. That’s it. All this back and forth just made me hungrier. Maybe I can add two more plates of food and then run later?

  “You’re a pig,” the disgusted voice snaps through my head but I ignore her.

  At least I’m not a cow so that means I still have some more time before I can worry about gaining some more weight.

  “Um…you didn’t get anything for yourself?” Michael asks breaking me out of my musings.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m just about to get some for me too,” I say and shake my head at Nicholas when he tries to get up. “No, no. Sit. I'll get it myself.”

  I head back to the buffet table and fill four plates with food. I set the last one on the tray when I hear someone scoff to my left. I look up and of course it’s Arabella. I groan out load and pick up my tray.

  “Do you plan on eating all that by yourself?” She looks down at my tray in disgust and I bristle in irritation.

  Oh no, this bitch just didn’t insult my food.

  “Excuse me?” I snap.

  “I mean you could do to lose a few pounds,” she eyes me from head to toe her face a mask of distaste.

  “Are you staring in a mirror?” I ask looking around. “What do you guys say? Oh yeah. I'm a size eight, I could use a little meat on my bones.” I look her up and down then add. “You however could do to lose a pound or fifteen obviously. I can see your flabby rolls from here and it’s disturbing.”

  I fake a shudder and push past her, smiling at the look of outrage on her face. Serves her right.

  “Here let me help you with that,” someone says from behind me and then the tray is gone from my hands the next second. It’s the doctor guy again.

  “It’s fine,” I smile politely reaching back for the tray but he dances out of my reach and I sigh.

  Halfway to the table and I pause. “Why are you helping me?” I ask suspiciously. “You obviously really don’t like me so what gives?”

  “Because you didn’t have to serve those guys but you did and I thought you might need some help,” he shrugs and he looks sincere enough but there’s just something wrong and familiar about this whole scenario but I can’t make myself remember.

  Oh well, I shrug pushing it to the back of my mind. I’ll deal with all this later.

  “Oh it was nothing, they’re my friends so I don’t mind,” I wave it off.

  “Um…Celia, I—”

  “Sorry I have to go,” I say hurriedly grabbing the tray from him and hurrying back to the table. I know that look and I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.

  I look up and lock eyes with Nicholas. He looks over my shoulder and his expression goes dark and he makes as if to get up and my eyes widen. I shake my head and take my seat beside him grabbing onto his arm. He settles back in his chair but he’s still tense.

  I entwine our fingers underneath the table and squeeze gently. I don’t understand why I’m comfortable touching him but it’s a relief because I think I might like him as more than a friend and the way he’s always attached to me when we are outside, it’s intoxicating. It’s only been two days and my brains telling me to not get lost in whatever it is that’s going on between us but I just feel it in my bones that he’s a good person.

  “What did he want?” he grits and I shiver at the gravelly timbre.

  “I don’t know,” I shrug and his fingers tighten on mine.

  “Are you okay?” Logan asks and I reach under the table to untangle my fingers from Nicholas’s when he wouldn’t let go.

  “I’m fine. Why?”

  “Just, Arabella looks like she wants to suck your blood,” Robbie’s sa
ys slowly looking warily over my shoulder.

  “Of course she’s a bloodsucker,” I mutter with an eye roll. “She can try if she likes the taste of lemon juice.”

  I hear someone choking but I don’t look up at them. What did that guy want and why was he looking at me like that? Nothing makes sense and why does my head hurt when I try to remember what happened? I’ve never been sick a day in my life and I wake a from a seven months coma with no memories. Something’s very wrong somewhere but I’ll deal with it later.

  What year is it even?

  I still haven’t forgotten the fact that someone is trying to kill me and that it might not have been such a good idea to go up on that stage and leave myself exposed like that.

  I might have just put Stella and this kind people at risk and I would totally leave but I have no where to go and I can’t exactly swim back to New York. I’ll probably drown before I dip a toe in the ocean. I rub my temples with a sigh. But after everything dies down from this festival thing and every gets back to their normal routine I’m leaving. I can’t put these nice people at risk anymore.

  Now I feel like eating to comfort myself. I dig in with my other hand still clasped in Nick’s and within a few minutes I clear two plates. Halfway through the fourth plate I realize how quiet the table has gotten. I stop mid chew and look up at the surprised faces staring at me in fascination. I set my fork down slowly and wipe my mouth thinking I had some sauce on my face. When they still keep staring I snap at them feeling defensive. “What?”

  “Nothing. Don’t mind them. Would you like another plate?” Nicholas asks and I nod with a grateful smile and get back to eating.

  My heart trips in my chest when he goes to the buffet table and comes back not with one plate but two. I’d hug him if I wasn’t so damn hungry. I finish those quickly too and I feel like I could use another plate but I push the thought out of my mind. Damn, I can’t eat another plate, that’d make me a pig.

  Oh wait, I am one.

  I lean back in my chair and burp into my napkin. I grab the bottle of water on the table and chug it down but still it isn’t enough to make me feel full. I look up and everyone tries to look busy.