Embrace the Fire
Page 2
Terror Sky narrowed his swirling eyes. “We must set things right and force the right decisions on these Destroyers if Isten’s intended future is to be realized.”
The book opened in Charon’s hand as Terror Sky said, “Now is the perfect time to push Varick toward the life Isten intended for him.”
Pointing a long talon at the words that had appeared in the book, Charon whispered, “This Varick Ta Farg, a half-breed vampire, must rise from his own ashes, choose a destiny that lies before him, and … ” He paused as Styx rushed around him, causing small whirlpools to appear chaotically across the island. “And he will pave the road that will lead to salvation or destruction.”
Terror Sky replied, “The fate of the world rests on a half-breed vampire’s head. Are you prepared for that, Charon?”
Charon laughed. “The book has commanded, and I must obey.”
“Someone is changing the words of Jaiden’s books. I don’t know how or why they do so, but they must be stopped before more harm befalls this universe.”
“If the books are to be found, the Book of Creation will guide me to them,” Charon stated.
Terror Sky paused, listening to the River Styx gurgling and swirling faster around the island. “Varick will have the power to restore the wrongs, but he must choose to do so freely.”
Charon shook his head. “Perhaps his death will set things on the proper course.”
“With my life, I’ll protect him and his power even against the strongest of the gods.” The Elemental’s voice dropped dangerously low. “Even from that book and from you.”
“I will not harm Varick at this time unless the book commands it — you can bet your immortality upon that.”
“Or ever. Do we understand each other?” His silent threat hung in the air. “Or do I need to make myself perfectly clear on the subject?”
“Don’t threaten me, Terror Sky.”
“Harm one single thread of hair on his head, and you’ll have no need to worry about your precious book!”
Abruptly the Elemental vanished, his telltale purple flash the only reminder of his presence. Charon laughed. Terror Sky’s visit could only mean one thing. Whoever was meddling with Jaiden’s books had to be found and stopped.
Styx churned with power as Charon stepped into the vortex of translucent water. Styx swept him up and cradled him as the Tree of Life groaned and settled deeper into the island’s core, preparing itself for whatever might come.
Chapter 2
Angelica squirmed around in the uncomfortable leather chair as she waited for the club’s manager to come into the dimly lit office. Out of habit, she twined her fingers around her long, black hair as she nervously fidgeted while she tried to get comfortable. She needed a second job, and this seemed to be the only one in the entire city that was available.
Angelica had never worked as a waitress, but hey, she would give it a try; she really needed the extra money, and when desperate times call, desperate measures answer. Well, truth be told, she might actually meet some people here who were not the stuffy bores she was unfortunately getting used to.
During the last six years, she had had a variety of part-time jobs that had not worked out at all, and things kept going from bad to worse every second she had her eyes open. Thankfully, the job at the Museum of Ancient Art had held steady, but even so, her paycheck just didn’t cover all the bills she had to pay and to get her car fixed. Not to mention she was beginning to feel as dried up and crusty as the mummies in the Hall of Egypt.
Angelica took a deep breath and relaxed in the chair. She studied her well-shaped, long fingernails as her thoughts turned to home; it seemed so far away now. Gridhorn, Arkansas was probably the smallest town in the U.S, but it was home. “Comfortable and friendly” was what the welcome banner read when you drove into city limits. A chuckle escaped her lips as she fondly remembered the one traffic light in front of the courthouse that always seemed to be on the fritz.
Sure. Comfortable and friendly, but boring as hell.
She desperately missed her big brother. She smiled as his face came to mind. Oddly enough, he had been an adult when she was born.
He was overbearing, pig headed, and way the hell too protective most of the time. When she left home, he had nearly tied her to the ground to keep her from leaving. It was strange that since she had left, she had not once heard from him. A hard jerk from her heart shuddered through her body; even after six years, how could he still be pissed at her for leaving?
She shifted in her chair as the office door opened and a very slender, tall woman walked in. She was amazingly beautiful, almost ethereal. Her hair was a network of blonde highlights twisted in silky, auburn waves, and she had the bluest eyes; she probably wore contacts.
The woman smiled slowly as she studied Angelica’s outstretched hand. “I prefer not to be touched. I do hope you won’t be offended.”
Angelica dropped her hand. “No, no I’m not offended.”
“Good. I am Alera. I manage this club, and if you are the one that gets hired, there are a few basic rules you must be aware of.”
Well, she was quick to get to the point. “Yeah, okay.”
“First, call me Alera. Second, do as I say. Third, don’t socialize with the customers unless instructed to do so. Fourth, don’t drink while you are working. And, always do as I say. Do you understand?”
Angelica frowned as she stood. “Yes. I sure do understand. I didn’t come here to be ordered around like a monkey on a string.”
“Good.” Alera pointed back to the chair. “Please, sit down. You have spunk and that’s what it’s going to take to be a waitress at this place.”
Angelica squared her shoulders trying to release some of the tension in her neck as Alera sat down behind the old, Victorian-style desk. The woman seemed to fit right into the ancient-looking office. She took an ink pen from the desk drawer and pulled a sheet of paper from a file folder on the desktop. Angelica’s gaze was drawn to the necklace around Alera’s neck, and she caught her breath as she recognized the symbol on her pendant. Her fingers automatically went to her wrist, which was covered with a wide, silver bracelet.
Now, that was damn odd that this woman would be wearing a symbol Angelica had been born with. A symbol she could not explain.
“Full name?”
Sitting back down in the uncomfortable chair, she answered, “Angelica Dark.”
Alera looked up with curiosity etched on her face. “Who was your father?”
Angelica looked away, but answered even though the question seemed ridiculous for an interview. “Feverand Dark.” She turned back to Alera and tried to smile. “He died when I was born.”
“That’s a shame. Birthday?”
“June the twentieth, nineteen seventy.”
Alera scribbled on the paper. “Have you ever been a waitress before?”
“No, but I’m willing to learn.”
“Do you have another job at present?”
“Yes.” Angelica sighed. “But I need a little supplemental income.”
“Where else do you work?”
“At the local museum. I give tours and help with the bookkeeping. Is that a problem?”
“No, it’s not as long as it doesn’t interfere with your job requirements here.” Alera paused and pulled out Angelica’s application from the stack in her tray. “Pay here is pretty good and most regulars are great tippers. It says here you live at one twenty-two Hillsboro. That’s a pretty nice part of the city.”
Angelica nodded. “My father left it to me in his will.”
“Oh, I see. I’m truly sorry about his death. I’m sure he was a good … ” She paused oddly. “ … man.”
“I never knew him, but my brother says he was a loving father.”
Alera smiled. “You have a brother?”
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Angelica grinned and laughed. “Yeah.”
“And your mother?” One light-colored eyebrow rose as she studied Angelica’s features.
“He says she was the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Alera grinned. “All men think there is none more beautiful than their mothers.”
“Sometimes I wish I had a picture of her.”
Alera frowned. “What was her name?”
“Antonia.”
For a mere breath of a second, Angelica thought she saw a flicker of curiosity cross Alera’s face, but it disappeared so quickly she was not so sure it had been there at all. Angelica patiently waited as Alera read her application.
“To be honest with you, you really don’t seem like waitress material.” Alera placed the application back in the folder. “There are other applicants better qualified.”
Angelica retorted, “And you don’t seem like club manager material.”
“True enough. Now, do you have any questions?”
“Yeah, I have one.” Angelica pointed to Alera’s necklace. “Where did you get that and do you know if it stands for anything?”
“My necklace?” Alera ran her fingertips over the pendant. “It was a gift from my father. It is the symbol of my family.”
“Why would the symbol for someone’s family be on my wrist?” Angelica stood as she shook her head. “You know what? I don’t think I am waitress material. Sorry to have wasted your time.”
She heard Alera take a sharp intake of breath and watched in amazement as she stood and came around the desk. Her long, white dress swished around her ankles as she reached for Angelica’s arm.
“Let me see the birthmark.”
Angelica knitted her brows together. “Why?”
Alera grabbed her arm. “Let me see it now!”
Angelica jerked away and pulled her sleeve up, showing the woman her wrist. Alera’s eyes widened as Angelica removed her bracelet. A bad feeling began creeping up Angelica’s spine as Alera stared at her wrist.
Alera stepped back and pulled her sleeve up, as well. She held her wrist out next to Angelica’s, and both women stared in disbelief. In the same spot on their wrists was a light blue triangle with two dots on each side of the top point. Now, how weird was that?
“Does your brother have this mark?”
“Y … yes he does.”
“And your mother, did she have it as well?” continued Alera.
Fearful that she might stutter, Angelica whispered, “How the hell am I supposed to know? She died right after I was born.”
“What do you know of her?”
The bad feeling she was having turned into an ache behind her eyes. “Why do you ask?”
Angelica watched as Alera nervously rubbed her hands together. She was suddenly very sure she needed some fresh air and a few blocks between this strange woman and herself.
Alera finally answered, “I had a sister that died almost thirty years ago. Her name was Antonia Dark.”
“And you think my mother was your sister?” Angelica tried not to laugh, but it was ridiculous. “Look lady, I didn’t know my mother. I don’t even know what she looked like. All I have is her diary that’s written in some kind of messed up language or code.”
Alera looked at Angelica and sighed. “May I see the diary?”
Angelica gritted her teeth. Was this woman crazy? Seriously, did she expect her to just hand over the diary like it was yesterday’s newspaper?
“I can’t just give you her diary.” Angelica managed to maintain her composure. “Do you have any idea just how creepy this interview has been?”
Alera slowly nodded. “Forgive me. I just thought that maybe, just maybe I had found one of her children.”
Angelica took two steps back. “I don’t need this job that bad.”
“Wait. If you want the job, you can start tomorrow night. Be here around nine and I’ll go over all the finer details of the job description.”
Angelica turned to the door and paused. She really did need this job. “What should I wear?”
“Anything presentable.”
“Alera … the mark. I’ve never seen it on anyone else, except for my brother and me. I’ve always believed it was a birthmark. And that’s all it is.” She looked over her shoulder at Alera. “I firmly believe that there are things in this world people can’t explain, and there are things people shouldn’t explain.”
“And you think the birthmarks are one of those things?” Alera rolled her eyes. “You have a lot to learn.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Angelica asked as she turned to face Alera.
“My family is very special. And if you are part of that family, there are things you must know.” Angelica didn’t miss the note of unease in her voice as she continued. “I must make a few calls before I go into any kind of discussion.”
Angelica rubbed her wrist, instantly calming herself, and stared at Alera for a minute before saying, “This is totally insane.”
Alera took a deep breath. “I understand your position. I would think it was insane if I had never known my mother and some woman I had never met said she was my aunt. Perhaps we should talk about this later.”
With a shake of her head, Angelica went to the door. “I’ll have to think about this whole situation. It’s too hard to believe.”
“Please, give me some time. I’m sure we can work this out, but it must wait for now. Go home tonight, and we’ll discuss this later.”
Walking down the hall, Angelica dropped her head as three leather-clad giants stalked down the corridor. And yes, they were stalking like predators. She stopped, her eyes defying her brain’s urge to look elsewhere. Big, muscled walls of steel on a direct approach to where she timidly stood trying not to look like a field mouse.
Edging closer to the wall, she apprehensively took a peek at the three bikers. Leather, leather, and oh, guess what? More leather accessorized with chains and spikes. Yeah, definitely bikers … body-building, bad-boy bikers.
Biting her lip, she swept her hazel eyes farther up from their black biker boots to the leather chaps to the leather trench coats and straight on up to the vaults of heaven that rested on their necks. Okay, so she was female and instantly attracted to the three studs that were getting dangerously closer by the second. It wasn’t like she could help herself. All those wide shoulders and tight-fitting leathers; leathers that had apparently been tailor fitted to neatly hug their entire glorious bodies.
God, please don’t let me trip and fall on my face!
Straightening her shoulders and forcing herself to stop cowering along the wall, she took a deep breath and stared at the door that now seemed a thousand feet away. From the far recesses of her brain, an odd humming started growing louder, and words that threw her for a loop echoed around her brain like a pinball.
Primal meat! Alpha males to the hundredth power. Sex! Pure, unadulterated testosterone wrapped up in bodies built for sin and erotic indecent, acts of grinding and headboard banging!
Lordy day, could she be any more of a slut? Oh, yeah!
When they passed, she turned to watch them walk away, getting a full view of their backsides. Her face burned as one of the men turned and she met a piercing set of green eyes, snarling lips, a vicious scar, multiple facial piercings, and an impressive set of long, very sharp canine teeth.
“Run, little girl, before I have you for dinner.” The exquisite male voice she heard so crystal clear in her mind threatened her sanity. Fear raced through her, she was sure she had not heard him speak out loud.
And so, without further ado, she ran as if her very life depended on it.
Chapter 3
As Angelica closed the door, Alera reached for her phone and dialed a number she had committed to heart. Varick was alwa
ys just a call away. She waited impatiently as the phone rang.
“Hello, this is Varick.”
His voice sent goose bumps up Alera’s spine. The velvety crush of his baritone was satin and lace, leather and spice, and pure raw, male magnetism. She reminded herself she was indeed a mated female but could not deny Varick’s sex appeal.
“Varick, this is Alera.”
There was a long pause before he spoke again. “What’s wrong?”
Tears slid down her face. “I have a niece.” She paused, waited for a response and received none. “I have found her or … she has found me.”
She ran her hand through her hair and pulled out the drawer of her desk. She reached in and lovingly ran her hand across the old, eight-by-ten painting that was covered in plastic. It was an ancient picture of her and her sisters, all six of them, before the Burning had taken place. The Burning — good Heavens, a day she would never forget.
Varick Ta Farg had been chosen to lead one of her sisters through the Burning. She had rejected Varick and had died.
Women seldom made it through the Burning. If it were just a question of physical pain, it would not be a problem, but that was not the case. The Burning was a process of the soul, a transition of blood, and a hellish physical torture. And if that were not bad enough, it was a necessary step in the changing process. Being the descendants of gods and goddesses took a great toll on the body, mind, and spirit.
She closed her eyes. If someone made it through the Burning, they received immortality and a supernatural ability. Even with immortality, people of the One Race could still be slaughtered, as her sister Antonia had been along with Feverand Dark.
“Antonia’s daughter?” His voice was barely audible. At her silence, he continued, “Are you sure she is?”
“Yes, and she has Antonia’s diary.”
Varick took a deep breath. “Alera, does she know?”
“No, I don’t think she does, but there is something else you and the others should know.”