Kindling Flames-Flying Sparks

by Julie Wetzel

  “I just stepped on something.” She moved again and stepped on another spiky ball. “Ouch.”

  He looked down to find the forest floor was littered with the small, spiky spheres. Glancing towards the sky, he found only ash trees in the canopy and laughed. The fay weren’t quite done having fun with them. “Let me.” Darien turned around and swung her up in his arms. His heart thumped loudly as he lifted the girl against him. This reaction surprised him. He could hear a distant giggling as he started to carry Vicky away from the mound.

  “Thank you.” A slight red tinted her skin as she wrapped her arms around her boss.

  Darien struggled to push the intense feelings inside him away as he carried her from the clearing.

  “I’m confused.” Vicky tried to wrap her boggled mind around what seemed wrong to her. “We were in there for at least a couple of hours, but the sun hasn’t set yet.”

  Darien chuckled lightly. “Time moves differently in the world of the fay,” he explained. “It’s Sunday afternoon.”

  She stared at him with an open mouth. Finally giving up, she leaned her head onto his shoulder. Darien closed his eyes for a moment as he worked to calm his heart.

  “I’m so lost.” She tried to figure things out.

  He let out another short, soft laugh and jumped at the opportunity for a distraction. “Ask your questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them.” Darien held her a little tighter; he couldn’t help but relish the feel of her against him.

  A million questions rushed through Vicky’s head, so she picked the one that seemed the most important. “What’s a jinn?”

  “You might know it better as a jinni,” Darien explained. “They are magical beings from Arabian legends.”

  “Like Aladdin’s lamp?”

  “Kind of.” He shrugged a little. “They’re sort of like demons, but they usually keep to themselves. Ifrits are jinn made of fire, but they can appear human if they want to. They’re known for being cunning and ruthless. I haven’t heard of an ifrit worrying the world in over three hundred years.”

  She held on to Darien as she thought about this. It still didn’t explain why it was after her. Vicky’s hair caught on a twig, and she hissed as it tugged uncomfortably.

  “Sorry.” Darien moved so her hair hung clear of the passing branches.

  Vicky rubbed the sore spot on her head. “What happened to my hair?”

  “That would be the little ones,” he answered. “It seems they found a kink in your protection and decided to have a little fun.”

  She ran her fingers through the golden curls at the back of her head. “This is their idea of fun?”

  “The fay have a wry sense of humor.” Darien smiled as he thought of some of the tricks he had been subject to over the years. “Their magic usually doesn’t last long outside of the mound.”

  Vicky shook the hair back away from her face. “So this will go away?”

  “Sooner or later.” He shrugged as they came out of the woods to where his car was.

  She wasn’t comforted by that.

  “I think it’s quite fetching on you.”

  Vicky raised an eyebrow at his comment.

  He sat her down so he could open the car, and a pang of regret passed through him at their broken contact. Darien shook himself a little, trying to figure out why she was having such a profound effect on him today. “Any other questions?”

  Vicky moved her bag to the floor so she could climb in. Her feet hit the soft carpet of the floor, and she thought about how she had come to be barefoot. “What was that thing that ate my shoes?” She shivered as she thought about the little tentacled ball with beady eyes and sharp teeth.

  Darien chuckled as he climbed into the other side of the car. Now that he wasn’t touching her, his mind cleared slightly. “That was Zak,” he explained as they made their way out of the park. “He’s like a fay version of a dog, only smarter.”

  She shivered again as she tried to picture the wiggling mass walking down the road on a leash. Where would one put the collar?

  “Once you earn his trust, he is very loyal,” Darien went on. “It was nice of you to give him the shoes.”

  “Well, after he had already eaten the one…”

  He laughed at the humor in Vicky’s voice.

  “I’m going to need new shoes.”

  Glancing over, he gave her an understanding smile. “We’ll stop after work tomorrow and pick some up.” Darien could feel his slow heart pulse harder as he looked over the way Vicky was dressed. She was beautiful in the tight-fitting gown, but she probably didn’t want to go shopping in it. He didn’t know if it was his stirring feeling or the magic in the blood he had consumed, but he was having a hard time putting down the thought of that dress crumpled on his bedroom floor. Darien watched from the corner of his eye as she investigated one of the scarves in her skirt. Picking up the silky material, she stretched the square scarf into shape to look at it. He pulled his eyes back to the road as her actions revealed a long line of pale skin along her leg. Squeezing his fingers around the steering wheel, he held his breath as she waved the scarf back and forth, lightly wafting her sent around the car.

  It had to be something the fay had done to him; her smell was driving him absolutely nuts. The points of this teeth pressed into his lips as he released the steering wheel and cracked open his window. He was going to have to do something fast to get his mind off the delicious-smelling woman captured in his car. She was so close and so vulnerable. Darien worked the leather of the steering wheel, trying to distract himself.

  “So do you have any other questions?” he prompted. If he could just get Vicky talking, she would put her skirt down, and he could concentrate on getting home, where he could get away from her. Then he could find some normal blood to help thin out the magic flowing through his system. Darien felt a little lightheaded and giddy. Thankfully, Vicky dropped her skirt and folded her hands as she thought about what to ask.

  So many questions swirled through her mind. “What are the fay?”

  Darien jumped on the question like it was his lifeline. If he could spend the rest of the ride home giving Vicky an in depth explanation of the Gray Courts, he might be able to resist the draw he was feeling.

  “The world the fay dwells in is made of pure magic generated by the creatures living there. It exists just outside of reality as you know it. It has many names, but the fay simply called it Fairy.

  “There are two different groups that made up the Gray Courts, the Seelie and the Unseelie, and there are subtle differences between the two factions.

  “The Seelie side contains the things one would see as good in the Fairy Realm. Sprits, wisps, elves, and other things that were wholesome to look upon.

  “The Unseelie includes all the creatures that hide in the darkness. Slimy and tentacle-covered nightmares that reach out from under beds at night to grab at children’s feet. Everything that inspires fear is listed among the Unseelie.

  “But being Seelie or Unseelie doesn’t define a fay as good or bad. Things that go bump in the night are just as likely to help a wayward soul as the beautiful things are to steal one away.” Darien had learned a long time ago that it was unwise to fully trust any fay unless they gave you their word, and then you had to be very specific.

  “There are many parts to the Fairy Realm, but everything in this part of Fairy answers to Lady Aine.”

  Vicky listened to Darien’s voice as he told her about the fay. She found his voice mesmerizing and lost herself to the sound of it. It was like dark chocolate, black velvet, and warm firelight all rolled into one. It brushed against her insides like something tangible. She had noticed the tactile quality of his voice before, but it had never had quite this pull on her. As she watched him intensely, she resisted the urge to climb over the center console and into his lap. She no longer registered his words, only the warmth of his voice as it rolled across her.

  Vicky tried to pull her thoughts back and consider her reactions but she
just couldn’t get her mind to concentrate right. Her eyes kept being pulled to the tips of Darien’s fangs as he spoke about the magical creatures. She stared, fascinated by the points of white visible at his lips. Weaving her fingers together, she squeezed them together so she wouldn’t reach out and touch him. They had to be as sharp as they looked, but they mesmerized her anyway.

  Vicky reminded herself that Darien was her boss, and she needed to stop having these thoughts about him even if he was kind, caring, and she loved the way his cool skin felt against hers. Giving her head a quick shake, she tried to clear it out. She had no idea where these things were coming from.

  “We’re here,” Darien said as he shut the car off and looked at Vicky. She sat with her eyes shut and her fingers clenched so tightly that her knuckles had gone white. When she didn’t move, he reached over and touched her shoulder. He felt a little zap of power as her eyes snapped open, and she looked at him with sky-blue eyes. Her emotions were so easy to read. He’d seen shock at the little zap, followed by a deepening of color that could only be desire tinged with just a hint of fear. A swell of desire rose in him, and he withdrew his hand from her skin before he couldn’t control himself anymore.

  “What?” Vicky asked, and the desire faded from her eyes a little.

  Now he was sure the little fay had done something. “I said we’re here.” Darien pointed to where they were living. He got out of the car as Vicky turned to look at the tall, stone building.

  She let out a surprised ‘Oh’ as he opened the door for her. He just had to survive the next few minutes and the elevator ride to his penthouse. Then, he could get away and see if he could figure out what magic was messing with his head.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Ritter,” Ethan called from the desk as Darien let Vicky lead the way to the elevator.

  Darien noticed Ethan’s eyes were drawn to Vicky, and the concierge actually moved from his normal spot behind the counter towards her. The look on his face told Darien that he, too, was feeling the draw of some spell wrapped around the enchanted woman.

  “Good afternoon, Ethan.” He let just a hint of power slip out to disrupt the man’s progress. It would be a bad idea to let the young man reach Vicky.

  Ethan looked towards the sound, and the spell broke under Darien’s presence. Shaking himself like he had been sleepwalking, Ethan returned to his normal place. Now Darien was really concerned. He needed to find out what magic had been placed on her and if it could be removed.

  Vicky pushed the call button for the elevator, and they waited for the doors to open.

  Darien didn’t speak as they rode to the fourteenth floor. It was all he could do to stand in the confined space without snatching Vicky up and kissing her. The desire he felt in the car had grown in intensity without the distraction of driving. He watched from the corner of his eye as she stared hard at the door in front of her. Her hands clenched tightly around the strap of the messenger bag as she swayed from one bare foot to the other. He wanted her badly.

  When the elevator door opened, Darien stepped out as quickly as he could without seeming rude. He had to get away from Vicky before he followed the urge to rip the spider-silk gown from her body. Hunger stirred in him and pushed him to sink his fangs into her. Sex and blood often went hand in hand with vampires. A lesser vampire would have given in, but Darien resisted, knowing it was fay magic causing his problems. He just needed some good, clean, human blood to help him calm down so he could think about the problem.

  ***

  Using all of her willpower, Vicky exited the elevator and made a beeline for the steps. She hadn’t noticed that Darien made almost as fast an exit. The ride up in the elevator had been excruciating. Her insides were tight with a desire like nothing she had ever known. It was all she could do to not fling herself at her boss and rip his clothing off. A cold shower would be just the thing to chill the heat burning inside her. She dropped the messenger bag in her room and went to the bathroom to soak her head.

  ***

  Darien squeezed the last of the blood from the third bag into his mouth before dropping it into the trashcan. He hadn’t even bothered with a glass. Walking to the wrought iron table, he sat down and dropped his head to the cool surface, waiting for the fresh blood to drive the magic out of his system.

  He could hear Vicky moving around upstairs. The sound of her footfalls took her from the wood surface in the bedroom to the stone of her bathroom. Was she changing out of that dress into something more casual? Would the fay’s magic have worn off by the time she came down, or was he going to be left with a near uncontrollable urge to strip her out of that clothing, too? His heart leapt when he heard her leave her room and come down the steps, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to face her yet.

  ***

  The woman staring out of the mirror was unrecognizable. Her long hair was golden blonde and curled in ringlets like a doll’s. Her skin was smooth and pale, but it was her eyes that shocked Vicky the most. Vicky had eyes the color of rainy skies, but the orbs looking back from the mirror were the blue of a cloudless summer day. How had the fay changed her eyes to such a brilliant blue? Vicky closed her eyes on the sight and shook her head. Darien said the hair would change back, so she assumed the eyes and skin would also. She decided to let it go and just take that cold shower she needed.

  Vicky searched the corset for a way out. There was no seam in the front, and she couldn’t find the ends of the ties in the back. It was too tight and ridged to pull off over her head, although she tried. She turned around to look at her back in the mirror but couldn’t find a way out of the garment. Vicky let out a deep sigh and thought of her options. She could either take a pair of scissors to the delicate dress or ask Darien for some help. It would be a shame to destroy such a beautiful dress. She turned from her room to get some help.

  “Darien,” Vicky called as she came down the steps. She was sure she he had headed for the kitchen door. Vicky pushed the swinging door open. He was sitting at the table at the far end of the room. Her heart thumped loudly as she made her way into the kitchen. She could feel her skin burn under his gaze.

  “Do you need something?” Darien asked as she paused in the doorway. He had started to feel better, but now that she was near, he felt that strange desire rising again. Darien heard her swallow as she approached him.

  “Um…” Vicky drew up her courage to ask. She was starting to think cutting the dress off would be better than asking Darien to untie it—she didn’t know if she could control herself once the corset was loose. “I can’t get out of this dress. Could you give me a hand?”

  Darien sat stiffly, looking at her with slightly muted horror filling his eyes.

  She was just about ready to turn and forget the whole bad idea when he relaxed and let out a shuddering breath.

  He stood up. “Sure.”

  Vicky turned around so he could see the strings holding the corset in place.

  Darien steeled himself for the task. The need for her filled him again as he gathered her long hair and moved it out of the way. Lines of flesh peeked out from between the corset strings. She wasn’t wearing anything under the boned garment. Darien couldn’t stop his fingers from touching her skin as he found the hidden ends of the ties.

  When the cords were sufficiently loosened, Darien turned Vicky around and looked for the rivets that usually held these types of garments together. Closing her eyes, Vicky bit her lip, trying to control her desires. A soft, needful noise escaped her as his hands ran down the front of the corset, looking for the part. Darien quickly discovered there was no hidden divide to be found. The fay had laced her up in a single-piece corset. Turning her back around, he pulled on the strings.

  Counting each of the fifteen crosses, he worked the strings from the eyelets. He could feel a tingle each time his fingers touched the naked skin on her back. She took short, quick breaths that coincided with each touch as she held the loosening corset to the front of her body. As the back of the dress gaped open, Darien coul
d see that the squares that made up the skirt were attached to the bottom edge of the corset. In their loosened state, they showed very clearly that Vicky was not wearing anything under the dress. Darien quickly secured the strings to the last holes with trembling fingers before dropping them away.

  “All done,” Darien said, trying not to let his voice shake with the need he was holding back.

  Her breath was coming in short pants as she tried to control her desires, too. She muttered a thank you without looking back at him. If she had, they both would have been lost to the magic. As it was, it took Vicky a few moments before she could take that first step away from him. She bit her lip harder, telling herself it would be a bad idea to turn around and throw her boss to the kitchen floor and pounce on him.

  Darien was pulled forwards a step in her wake as she left the room. He clamped down on his self-control as his body screamed at him for letting that creamy backside walk away. Going back to the table, he sat down until he heard the water in the shower upstairs.

  He had forgotten how potent fay magic could be. Relief washed through him as he thought about how well Vicky had resisted the pull. If she had succumbed to the magic, he wouldn’t have been able to hold out against both it and her.

  ***

  Vicky pulled off the dress and laid it on the couch before heading into the bathroom. Turning the water as cold as she could stand, she let out a sigh of relief as the fires in her cooled under the water. Her mind had completely cleared by the time she had started shivering.

  Readjusting the temperature, she tried to tackle the length of hair hanging down her back. Vicky was used to long hair, but the thick curls hanging to her knees were impossible. It took her two towels to squeeze all the water out of the mess. Knowing it was going to be impossible to brush out while wet, Vicky wrapped it up as best she could and went to get dressed. She was going to have to shorten the length.

  ***

  Darien flipped through the pages of the old text, but it gave him no answers. He found lots of references to spells and magic that could cause his problems, but none of them fit the situation. He dropped the book to the desk with the rest and turned to pick up another. There had to be something here that would help. When Vicky knocked on the slightly open door, he braced himself for the call of the magic and looked up to find her peeking around the edge of the door. The overwhelming need didn’t slam into him again as she pushed the door open a little and stepped into the room.