by Ashley Meira
“No,” Adam said.
“Aw, Sophia,” Fiona crooned. “He doesn’t want to share us with his brother.”
He glanced at me, then at Damien. “Something like that. He needs to watch the gallery anyway.”
“Yeah, that’s totally it.” Damien rolled his eyes. “He just doesn’t want me to have any fun.”
“I know the kind of fun you like to have,” he said.
“The kind of fun we used to have. Together. Remember that?”
“Sure. I also remember growing up. Together.” Adam grinned. “Personally, I like waking up without the hangover.”
“I would take the hangover if it came with a night of fun memories. What about you?” he asked Fiona.
She gave him a flirty smile. “Depends on the fun.”
Adam leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Why do I feel like she’s not coming with us?”
“Fifty-fifty,” I said, pulling away.
He pulled me back. “No, no. We were having such a nice moment.”
We were. “And now it’s over.”
He stroked my wrist. “Doesn’t have to be. How about dinner again? After this is over. We can talk.”
That sounded like both a wonderful and terrible idea. “Thought I was doing another job for you after this one? Contract still applies.”
“Figure we don’t need to go through the Guild again. I’m also kind of surprised you’re agreeing to the job.”
“Didn’t say I was agreeing.” I pulled my wrist away. “Just asking.”
“Will you agree if I promise not to tag along?”
“Kind of hard to go on a date if the other person doesn’t come.”
“I meant about the job.”
I pursed my lips. “I don’t even have food to accuse you of dosing this time.”
He brushed my hair aside with a smile. “I can get you food.”
My favorite words. “We should get going. To the Pyrenees. Now. After getting food from Ollie.”
He nodded, and we turned back to the others. No idea what they’d been saying, but they were still clothed. That was something.
“Hey—” Damien shrugged “—everyone likes Fairy Dew.”
“Oooh,” I winced. “You’re about to be an only child.”
Adam shrugged. “Cool. You want a house in Munich full of ancient stuff?”
“Kind of.”
“Relax, I’m not going to kill him,” Fiona said. “I may, however, shove him through a portal. Which would you prefer, Pluto or the sun?”
“Hey, Pluto is our place,” I said.
“Fine.” Fiona rolled her eyes. “The sun, then.”
Damien scoffed. “You can’t go that far.”
“Hey, I could be the heir to some ancient, super powerful fae line.”
His brow furrowed. “You’re Unclaimed?”
Unclaimed were fairies who didn’t belong to any of the fae lines. Some were disowned, others were like Fiona — unaware of where they came from. The Fairy Courts helped Unclaimed fae find their lineage, but it required having their mind scanned. If that happened, they’d learn about me. Guilt tugged at me whenever I thought about it. Fiona could find her family. But she refused, because she was protecting me.
“Stop it,” she hissed, pinching me. “I can hear your guilt bubbling up.”
“No—”
She puffed out her cheeks.
“Okay, fine. Sorry.”
“Damn right you’re sorry,” she huffed. “Dummy.”
“Did I miss something?” Damien asked.
“Probably,” Adam said. “You learn to pick your battles. And in my case, to lose most of them.”
“You have noticed,” I said. “Didn’t seem like it with the way you’ve been riding me. Don’t comment on that.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Adam said.
“He’s totally dreaming of it,” Fiona said.
“Mhm.” Damien nodded.
“You mentioned being able to open portals,” Adam said. I appreciated his focus, even if he was wearing a smug grin. “How far?”
“Not far,” she said. “I can travel across a small city or two, but it’ll completely drain me.”
“We’ll save that in case we need a quick getaway,” he said. “For now, go home and grab your stuff. We need to get to the airfield.”
“Got to admit, I’m a little disappointed we didn’t stop by your place,” Fiona said. “I’ve always wanted to visit Bordeaux. I love wine.”
We’d flown directly from Santa Fae to the airstrip near the Pyrenees. We boarded the helicopter five minutes ago. Fiona sat in front with the pilot. Another attempt to get me and Adam talking. The plane ride had been bad enough, but exhaustion had won out then. Though I had a few nightmares about what she could’ve told him while I was asleep.
“You only drink wine because a box is cheaper than a case of beer,” I said, angling my body away from Adam. “Which you really love but hide because it’s not feminine enough.”
“Well, you like fruity cocktails and hide that because it’s not tough.”
Adam laughed, his breath scattering my hair. “Explains the way you downed those French Kisses.”
Fiona leaned forward.
“It’s a cocktail.”
“Oh.” She sat back. “Boring. Thought you two had some fun in your downtime. Or at least she did. Though I doubt you’d let her out of your sight long enough for her to meet anyone new.”
He shook his head, pressing his cheek against mine. “Kind of hard to lose sight of her when I can’t stop staring.”
“Never seen someone so short, huh?”
I glared at the back of her head. “I have a sword. Don’t forget the only person I need on this helicopter is the pilot.”
“We’re magic,” she said. “Bring it.”
“The only time you’ve ever beaten me in a fight is when food is involved.”
She scoffed. “Oh please.”
“Once, you wanted the last piece of cake and bit my—”
“I was going for your elbow and you moved.”
“Damien’s going to kill me for not recording that,” Adam said.
“Why are you draped over me?” Like a very sexy scarf. I wasn’t much for accessorizing, but Adam had a way of making me reconsider everything. “Stop it.”
He didn’t. “I’m cold.”
“Jump out of this helicopter and shift.”
His teeth pressed against my neck as he smiled. “Only if you come with me.”
Did he want to crash again? Urgh, never mind. He probably wanted the making out that happened after we landed. My Fire flickered, wondering why making out with Adam was a bad thing.
“Is there a partition?” Fiona asked the pilot. “These two lovebirds—”
“Suddenly, jumping out of this thing doesn’t sound so bad. Alone,” I added, shooting Adam a pointed look.
He just gave me that gorgeous smile. When we got home, I was petitioning for that thing to be illegal. If only I liked him for that, I could find another cute guy who couldn’t tell I was different.
But I didn’t. His looks had drawn me in, but it fell low on the long list of reasons I liked him. Not that it mattered. I needed to find the Heart and Gem — the one I didn’t tell him had been stolen by the masked woman who had the Heart — so I could discover more about myself. After that, I was staying as far away from Adam Pierce as possible. He was going to figure out what I was. I knew it.
Soft lips pecked the tip of my nose.
I pushed his face away. “Stop that. No kissing.”
“I like kissing you.”
The feeling was mutual. “It’s not professional.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize we were still playing pretend.” He cupped my cheeks. “My bad.”
Very, very bad. “I will stab you.”
“I’ll heal myself.”
“You can’t heal death.”
“I’m a phoenix. Coming back from death is kind of their thing.”
That sounded both awesome and terrifying. Mostly terrifying. “You’re a shifter. Not an actual phoenix.”
“Are you sure?”
“I could stab you and find out.”
“Excuse me,” Fiona called. “Some of us need air to survive, not sexual tension.”
“I’ll stab you too.”
“Good luck finding another roommate who can tolerate you.”
Adam waved. “I volunteer.”
Fiona whipped around. “Deal! You can take my room, and I’ll move into your place. Water Nymph Bay or the Garden District?”
“Garden District,” he said. “Does it matter?”
“Sophia likes the water. If you lived nearby, you might be able to convince her to move in.”
She wasn’t wrong. “She’s wrong. Besides, I couldn’t handle living near Symeon.”
“True,” Fiona said. “No way she can stand the assassins that come after him — unless they’re really, really quiet. She threatens to set me on fire if I have the TV on too loud.”
“Really?” he said, stroking my cheek. “She seems more like the stabby kind.”
I turned to the pilot. “You’ll fly me back if I kill them both, right?”
“Where did you want me to land, sir?” he asked, avoiding my gaze. “I know another landing spot near your last path, but it’s on the other side of the cliff.”
I was a woman without a country. “I can find a path, but it’ll be farther than our first trek.”
“A little exercise never hurt,” Fiona said.
“You can fly.”
“That uses magic.”
“Doesn’t count.”
“Does so.”
“Does not.”
“Does so.”
“Does—”
“How do you two live together?” Adam asked.
“Lots of food,” we said simultaneously.
We landed a few minutes later. Fiona started shivering the second the door opened. Her cheeks were flushed, giving her hair a run for its money. “Screw Tibet. You’re on your own.”
Adam raised a brow but didn’t comment. “If we need to get off in a hurry, can you open a portal to the base? It’d be faster than calling the helicopter back.”
She looked over the edge, frowned, then stepped back. “Yeah. If I have enough energy. It’ll be fun. I’ll set up a succession of hoops for us to fall through. Like Portal.”
“Yes,” he said slowly. “That’s what I was talking about. Portals.”
“It’s a video game.”
“Not really my thing.”
Fiona and I exchanged looks. “Muggles.”
He rolled his eyes. “I know where that’s from.”
“Are you a fan?” Fiona asked.
“I think I saw the first movie when I was a kid.”
Fiona winced. “So close, lover boy.”
“Think?” I said. “You think you saw Harry Potter? You are lucky Fiona can’t actually open a portal to the sun.”
“Is that what it takes to date her?” he asked Fiona.
“It helps.”
He wrapped an arm around my waist. “You. Me. Movie marathon.”
I removed his arm and started walking. “No.”
“I have a home theater.”
“No.” That physically hurt to refuse.
“I’ll go,” Fiona said. “Seriously, I’ll date you. I’ll even dye my hair and act all grumpy if you want.”
“Fiona!”
“So, you won’t take him, but you don’t want anyone else—”
I pulled my sword out. Suddenly, our hike got very quiet. Flexing my sword arm, I tested its mobility. If we ran into more golems, I was going to need a few days off after this job.
But not if I used magic.
Wiggling my fingers, I thought back to my dream. I’d been taught how to control my powers before, so why couldn’t I remember? The flame last night had been the tamest thing I’d conjured since I woke up eight years ago. It had come without a thought, meaning I didn’t know how to replicate it. A huge burst of magic would be good against giant rock creatures, but I couldn’t risk hitting Fiona or Adam.
Snow soaked my knees, bringing me back to the real world. How long had we been walking? Following the magic was instinctual, so I didn’t need to pay attention. But I wasn’t alone this time.
“You okay?” I asked, turning to the terror twins. Adam had fire dancing in his hand. The orange light illuminated their faces.
“Careful,” he said. “If you keep asking, I’ll start thinking you actually care.”
“I was speaking to Fiona.”
“Sure you were,” she said, huddling by the fire. “I’m fine. Though I don’t mind having a big, strong man around to warm me up.”
My Fire flared. The coy look in her eyes told me she was testing me. Though knowing that didn’t quell my annoyance. I kicked my legs around, trying to let the snow calm me. I couldn’t get cold, but being soggy would mellow me out — or at least redirect my irritation.
“Are you okay?” Adam asked. He hadn’t reacted to Fiona’s words. Maybe he couldn’t hear her over the crackling fire. “Do you need warming up?”
“Pass. Three’s a crowd.” I continued walking. The path was too narrow for all of us to walk side by side anyway.
“You could summon your own flame,” he said. “You’d be better served using your magic anyway. There’s a good chance we’re going to run into golems again.”
“Don’t worry.” I swung my sword around. “I intend to work plenty of magic.”
“That is not magic.”
“Have you seen me use this thing? I’m an artist. Even Roger says so.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Fiona said.
“He doesn’t need to. It’s implied. Wait.” I smacked my forehead “Symeon. Damn it, Symeon said I was an artist with my sword. And he’d know — he’s arty.” I turned to see them staring at me with blank eyes. “Let’s just keep going.”
True artistry was never appreciated.
Chapter Twenty-One
The weather was harsher than last time. Strong winds pushed us back the farther we went. Well, pushed me and Fiona back. Adam was as stalwart as ever, though even he had trouble keeping his footing once the snow turned to sludge.
I wasn’t sure if this side of the mountain had always been so decayed, or if the dark magic had spread since last time. It wasn’t our kidnapper’s magic. That hadn’t gotten any fresher, which meant he hadn’t come back. Relief came over me at the realization. As much as I wanted to, I wasn’t ready to face him yet.
Crumbling rocks drew my attention backwards. Adam was helping Fiona up. Blood spilled from her knees, staining her snow-soaked pants red.
“Mini-avalanche?” She gestured to the crack-laden ground. “You shattered this mountain.”
“It was already like this,” Adam said as he healed her. “Dark magic has corrupted the terrain. Feels like it’s gotten worse. Tastes like mud.”
“And rot,” I said. “Demons and earth. It’s the Heart.”
“Titans aren’t demons,” Fiona said.
“But the heart was kept by demon worshippers,” Adam said. “It could’ve been corrupted.”
“I hate demons.” I sighed. “They reek.”
“Damn it!” Fiona hit the ground. She puffed out her cheeks and rubbed her butt. There was a new tear in her jeans, causing her to shiver more. “Have I mentioned I hate cold weather? Because I hate cold weather. And uneven ground. Couldn’t we have rappelled down from the helicopter?”
“Can’t risk golems knocking it out of the sky,” Adam said.
At this point, the cracks were larger than the earth they split. There was a real risk the ground would collapse under us. Shame I couldn’t ask Adam to shift and fly us up. Well, I could, but Fiona would have to fly alongside him or get burned. And I’d end up high on magic. Heat flushed my cheeks as I remembered what happened the last time I did that.
A red blur wrapped itself around m
e. “Don’t suppose you’d carry me? For old time’s sake. You’re not as warm as when we were kids.”
I scoffed. “Yes, I am. But you’re not as light as you were—”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. If only because your boyfriend would kill me if I tossed you off this mountain.”
“That, and she’s keeping you warm,” Adam said.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” I turned to him. “You are not my boyfriend.”
His lips twitched. “Sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself.”
“Whatever you want to believe.” I glared at him. “Let’s keep going.”
That was the last thing I wanted to do, though. Prickles crawled across my skin as we continued. Fiona squeezed me. I returned the gesture, trying to ignore the knots in my stomach. The magic was getting thicker, coating us like a film. It wasn’t the cold, deathly magic that belonged to our kidnapper, but it was just as evil. The only actual glimpse I’d had of that man’s magic was from my dream, and I hadn’t yet felt the Heart’s magic up close. Not that I was complaining — this was bad enough.
But as much as I wanted to turn back, I wanted to find out about my past more. The smell of hazelnut was nauseating when mixed with all the rot and mud, but it was the vise it placed around my heart that drove me. The girl in my dream, the Fireborn in the white mask, she was here. She had answers — and I was going to get them.
“Sophia,” Fiona whispered. “We’ve never encountered demons.”
I stopped. “What?”
“You said they reeked, but we’ve never met any demons. Did you remember something new on the plane?”
Realization dawned on me. She was right. None of my memories involved demons. So why did I hate dealing with them? It was a pretty good guess — no one liked fighting demons. But I knew their magic, both smell and taste. It wasn’t a guess, it was fact. That’s how I knew our kidnapper wasn’t a demon. I’d encountered demons before, and they’d left a terrible taste in my mouth.
“No,” I said. “It’s just a feeling I have. I’ve met demons, but I can’t remember where.”
“Sometimes I’m glad I can’t remember our past. Maybe the magic is making you remember?”
“It’s possible.” I rested my head on her shoulder. “Think you’ll have any flashbacks now?”