by Storm Savage
Flame peered through the smoke, praying against all odds that Ian had survived. At first she felt hopeful. He gazed up at her with wide eyes.
“What happened, Flame?”
“Ian…are you okay?”
“I-I think so.” Slowly he got to his feet and brushed the ash from his body with brisk strokes. “Where are my clothes?” He seemed confused.
“Over there.”
“I feel drained. Thank God you came along in time.” He strolled over to retrieve his clothes.
Flame gasped when her gaze was drawn to the floor. No! Tears blurred her eyes. Ian had walked right through a pile of ash yet left no footprints. She needed to be sure. Frantically, she looked around the garage and spied a water cooler just a couple feet away. With one wild swing of her blade, the glass shattered and water flooded the floor.
“What are you doing?” He shot her a bewildered look.
“Just checking.”
“On what?” He walked toward her after pulling on his jeans. His bare feet made contact with a trail of water on the floor. When he stepped onto the dry concrete—no tracks!
“Oh, Ian…why?” She stared with sad eyes.
He glanced at the floor then at her. An eerie glimmer shone in his eyes. Then his focus went to her daggers and he began to back away as if instinct already overrode what his mind believed.
Flame realized that he now possessed superhuman strength. There was no time to light the daggers. She prayed he was only a creeper and had not obtained the level of power that Cassie had. Though she swore she’d not allow herself to feel, sorrow rose in her soul anyway. With Ian backed against the wall, she prepared to strike.
In an unanticipated move, he grabbed her blade with one hand before the point pierced his skin. He was strong, very strong. She held tight to the handle as they fought for possession. But Ian failed to see her left hand coming. With lightning speed and expert precision, Flame drove her second Sai straight through his chest.
His hands dropped to his side, freeing his grip from the dagger. She withdrew the dagger from his body and leapt back as he followed Cassie in the same manner to wherever fiends such as these went. When the smoke cleared, Flame sat back on one of the bikes and breathed. Tears threatened to break through but she forced them back. No way would she cry over a weak man or a wicked woman. Though she’d considered this couple her friends, they’d made fatal choices.
She wondered what on earth could’ve driven Cassie and moreover, why Ian had ignored her warning. She could only surmise, from her own experience, that the powers of the Satellite had been severely underestimated.
“He’s gone, isn’t he?” Raef appeared at her side.
“I’m sorry. He left me no choice.”
They walked from the garage to their bikes. Flame cleaned her blades with a cloth from her saddlebags. Raef seemed entrenched in thought. She didn’t know what to say to ease his pain.
“There is a lot you didn’t know about me. My life is not all sugar trees and crystal waters.”
He stared at her with intense emotion shimmering in those big blue eyes. “I see that now. When Ian came up with the idea to enlist your help, I never imagined this. Do you think he’d still be alive if he’d kept his nose out of it?”
“Hard to say. Cassie was carrying the seed of a very powerful and determined incubus. I don’t know what they’d have done to Ian. My guess is that his fate was sealed when he hooked up with Cassie.”
“I need to tell Coop. How do I tell a man like him something like this?”
“Very carefully.”
“Are you coming with me?”
She shook her head. “I must return to the village and meet with the Supreme Lioness. You heard her.”
“Yeah…she left out a few things though. She could’ve told us a bit more, don’t you think?”
Flame wrinkled her brows in disapproval. “She was interpreting my dream, not looking into a crystal ball. We are a sisterhood, not fortune tellers.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any disrespect.” He pulled her into a loving embrace. “When will you leave again?”
“In the morning.”
“Would you like me to come with you? Now that we know the Satellite is out there somewhere, I am worried about you traveling alone.”
“My ruler asked for a private meeting. I should go alone. With Naami in heat, your presence might be too distracting for everyone right now.”
He let out a heavy sigh. “Will you return to me after your trip to the colony?”
She looked up at his face. “Do you want me to?”
“Yes, definitely yes.”
“I just killed your best friend.”
He placed a lingering affectionate kiss on her forehead. “Ian forced your hand. You didn’t ask for this battle. Ian saw what you are, invited you out here, then pleaded for your help on the first night of your arrival. It’s clear he didn’t plan a social event. I am shattered over his death, but you are not to blame.”
“Thank you.” She laid her head against his chest and drew a deep breath. His inviting scent floated over her, through her, and soothed her. She longed to take him back to Celestial Village, especially now with so much uncertainty in the air. Regardless of what she wanted, orders had been given. “I want you to come, just so you know.”
“And I want you to stay, just so you know.”
Their eyes met again. He smiled despite the agony she knew lurked in his heart.
“Would you rather I stay in a hotel tonight before heading out in the morning?”
“No way. Come home with me. Let’s share what’s left of this night together. When you are on your way to the village, I will go talk to Coop.”
Chapter Fourteen
Flame walked through the village on a frosty morning. She’d chosen to ride straight through with short breaks to make better time. Everyone appeared to be still sleeping as she quietly meandered along, taking in the soothing sites of home. Odyssey had galloped to the lower meadow after ushering her through the wall of trees. Her white stallion pranced around the mares, holding his head high and swishing his long tail. His white silky mane shimmered in the first streaks of sunlight slicing through the trees.
Keeping a low profile, Flame walked on the outskirts of the housing area toward Sacred Pond. She didn’t feel up to socializing and preferred to avoid Naami’s questions. No doubt the queen would want a play-by-play on Raef and why he hadn’t come along. Once past the huts, she broke into a jog. The pond was not too far from the dwelling area but far enough for privacy. Warriors often came to pray, so the sacred area was off limits to residents without rank, such as refugees or common breeders.
The beauty of this special place never ceased to amaze her. She slid to her knees to drink from the cool clear water then sat back to wait. The Supreme Lioness would appear when ready. Her years as a warrior taught her patience and discipline.
She regretted marrying a mortal man in her prime, which had kept her off the road during their ten years together. She sighed. Well, no use looking back now. At least I completed my apprenticeship before I got hitched. She began to feel that she was lousy with men. First Aiden, then Hatch, good heavens, when will I learn?
Out of the blue Von sprung to mind. She scowled. Now there’s one tricky bastard. Her mind was still reeling over how he’d managed a comeback, and by using Cassie yet! The thought of it all was infuriating and now she didn’t have a clue on how to kill him again, if that was even possible.
More flashbacks forced their way into her mind. She struggled to block them out, but they crashed through her mental barriers despite her efforts. Broken scenes played out before her. The trip to Aiden’s family—Von holding her after a brutal beating. Hatch and Ian’s biker group rescuing her on the highway. Then another mysterious encounter with Von in the diner.
She mulled over Hatch’s reactions during the whole ordeal from their leisurely ride out to LA to their breakup. No closure. He never did accept her decision. For
all she knew, he could be on his way back to LA right now, since the nightmare, as he called it, was over. Maybe for him, she fumed, but not for me.
Images of Von played through her memory as if willed by a higher force. His almost black shadowy eyes looked like he wore eyeliner, but she knew better. Those decadently seductive eyes were all natural. That hair…mercy…that long midnight hair shining in the moonlight, she drew a quick breath. And his body lacked nothing. Damn! It was such a waste to kill something so magnificent. In her world males were viewed initially as breeding prospects—everything else came second. She wondered if he still looked the same or if the powers that governed his realm had given him a new appearance to trip her up.
Stop! She clapped both hands to the sides of her head, trying to block him out. What am I doing? Why can’t I get him out of my head? She threw herself face down in the grass and prayed.
“Flame,” a soothing voice called.
Slowly she lifted her head and peeked from under her lashes through the fingers she had splayed across her face. Hovering just inches above the pond was her supreme ruler, again dressed in warrior attire.
“Thank you for coming, my lady.” She sighed in relief. “My thoughts were running amok.”
“I saw that.” She smiled a graceful smile. “You have been through a lot since your divorce. Are you still certain that you want this calling?”
“Yes. Why would you ask? Have I disappointed you?” Her eyes grew wide with concern.
“No, my brave one, not at all. I ask because the battle has just begun. What lies ahead will challenge you in ways you cannot fathom, but the end reward is a chance of a lifetime.”
“So you know what the Satellite has done?”
“Yes. I see things through your eyes mostly, which is why I know what happens, but unfortunately I catch only a glimpse of things to come by what you reveal to me.”
“Like my nightmare?”
The Lioness nodded. “When you open your mind to me, I am able to see more.”
Flame’s curiosity came bursting through. “What is the Twilight Realm?”
“Ah, I thought that might be your first question.” She smiled a loving smile.
“It has to do with how Von returned, doesn’t it?”
“Your intuition is strong. Yes, the Twilight Realm is what mortals refer to as hell. They have no idea that the door swings both ways. The master of that realm is capable of sending his minions back to earth if he so desires.”
“What about our kingdom? Can we send angels?”
“Oh, yes indeed. However, angels are released by acts of faith, which is more difficult than falling into temptation. True faith requires persistence. Faith is achieved when one successfully overcomes self-doubt. To believe in yourself is the greatest gift of all, yet very few people genuinely do.”
Flame sat back on bent knees, pondering her words. She marveled at the wisdom spoken there. She remained quiet for a short time, thinking.
“There is no shame if you choose to pass on this assignment. You have not been back in the field very long, and in that short period you’ve endured excessive turmoil.”
“I don’t want to turn back. I love what I do. My ten years off the road did not dissuade me one bit from fulfilling my calling.”
“Twilight War is the most dangerous mission a warrior can accept.” A serious expression traversed the Lioness’s lovely face. “You will face hell on earth.”
“I’ve already been through hell. I am not afraid.” She drew her daggers, then stabbed them into the soil crisscrossing each other—the mark of a warrior who would never back down. “Do you believe in me? Do you think I can win?”
“If I did not believe in you, then I’d not even allow you to embark on this mission. What is most important is what you believe. Do you believe in yourself?”
“Yes.”
“I knew you were the one.” An encouraging smile softened the Supreme Lioness’s face. “We will now discuss your concerns, as you have many, and the trials ahead. Are you ready, Flame Tahira Rennie?”
Flame settled on the ground beside the Sai daggers, which stood strong in the dirt. “I am ready.”
* * * *
She’s the most elusive creature I’ve ever seen, he thought while straddling his parked Harley. He’d trailed her from LA to Shamrock—waited and watched while she stopped to rest then suddenly she was gone—as if she’d known that she had a follower and planned her mysterious disappearing act. No woman in existence turned him on more.
His thoughts drifted. Images of her dressed in a sexy gold leather jacket and painted on leather pants floated through his mind. Her scent, her voice, the taste of her lips clung to his senses and refused to let go. The intense longing to bury his hands in that wild blonde hair and lay her down consumed him. Already he missed her presence and wondered where or when she’d exit the peculiar woods.
He’d come so close to making her his. If only her pretty boy lover hadn’t interfered then all would be as it should—Flame as his woman—forever. He loathed not having control of the situation. Having known her, he knew she deserved the strongest male as her mate. Yet his position had been made clear and if he wanted to see her again, he must follow orders.
At least for now.
He inwardly smirked and blocked his thoughts to prevent another from reading them. His desire for Flame as more than a tool would be his biggest secret. Making her his woman had just become his sole mission in life.
An unseen presence approached from behind. “We underestimated her—she is much more powerful than we realized. Your passion for the warrior woman contributed to the failure of our plan. Perhaps I should choose another soul to send after her this time.”
He couldn’t bear the thought. “No! Give me another chance. I have more power now. I will not fail again.”
“Very well. You will receive one more opportunity to complete our task. I am sending another with you this time, just in case you weaken. But if you fail again…the punishment for both of you will be of the worst kind. Are you willing to take that risk?”
He gritted his teeth in angst. “Yes, I will not disappoint you this time…master.”
About the Author
Storm is a multi-published author with various pen names in many different genres with Extasy and Divine Destinies Books. Currently she resides with her husband and two sweet Maltese dogs.
She dreams big and continues working toward her goals. Her non-erotic books can be found under the names Susan Zoe Bella and Austina Love.
Storm has been building her own worlds since grade school. Always the dreamer, never the realist, she takes life one day at a time while battling the daily challenge of Meniere’s Disease.
As an animal activist, Animal Guardian and Ambassador for the ASPCA, she relates better to animals than people. She never looked back after leaving the farm and prefers indoor activities.
The love of her life was a Bichon named Austin and she believes his spirit is lighting her way. His story and those of several other very special animal friends are featured in her novel, Rainbows Hearts and Puppy Tales.
Her wish for you, the reader, is that she can sweep you away from reality for just a while and that you enjoy the experience with an open mind.