Force of Fire

by Ali Vali

  “Did something happen while we were gone?” Kendal asked, glancing down at Hali’s sweet face now relaxed in sleep.

  “We kept our eye on that place like you asked,” Vadoma said, stopping when the nanny came in for the baby. “The older ones with me were even able to stay during the day since the site is so shrouded in shadow.”

  “Did you find something?” Piper asked.

  “Not found something, saw something. Last night a big group of people came and loaded one of the altars with logs and performed some sort of ceremony that attracted some of the largest snakes I’ve ever seen. They were chanting and dancing, but I didn’t recognize the language.” Vadoma combed her hair back and exhaled. “They brought ten young girls with them, and when the fire reached its peak, these girls started to sway, and the guy in charge screamed something, and the snakes came for them.”

  “What do you mean, came for them?” Piper said, standing next to Kendal.

  “They sacrificed them to the snakes, who dragged the girls off in their coils. Whatever those things were drained all ten of them of blood, and when the snakes were done, they returned to the ground.” Vadoma’s voice was low and seemed to have a trace of disgust. “You might not like what I am, but I don’t hunt innocent children. What the hell is all this?”

  “We’ve been alive long enough to know how some men gain power, and they’ll do what it takes to wake the darkness that’ll give it to them.” She put her arm around Piper’s shoulders and sat on the sofa. “Alejandro Garza isn’t any different from any of the others we’ve seen in our lives.”

  “This is different, though,” Vadoma said and sat close to them. “This is like the sword I helped you with, only the power seems greater somehow.”

  “Greater than Ares unleashing the power of the sword?” Piper asked, sounding curious.

  “The world has become a more civilized place, Piper, but in the beginning those with knowledge tapped into things that created me, Asra, and so many other creatures. Some of us are still here.” Vadoma pointed to herself and to Kendal. “In time, man lost the quest that only magic could unleash, so it went dormant. The problem is, it didn’t die, and in all this time it’s grown stronger. What I saw last night means, like the sword, in the wrong hands that kind of power can change a balance all of us together might not be able to stop.”

  “She’s right,” Convel said, coming in with Lowe. “We need to work together, because even with our gifts, whatever’s buried there, aside from what you’re looking for, can hurt every single one of us.”

  “You think something else is buried there?” Piper asked.

  “Those things aren’t the work of the goddess, and since Lumas was gone, maybe something came after what she did. But whatever that was, only Garza knows,” Convel said. “I don’t know what happened with the sword, but I’m convinced there’s more there than we know. Even a goddess can’t see everything, especially if she’s not looking.”

  “True,” she said.

  “What do you mean?” Piper asked.

  “Aphrodite tasked Lumas and Rowen to come here to put the dragons somewhere safe, so once that was done, no one had any reason to think of this place again,” she said, and the others agreed. “If she wasn’t paying attention, someone or something might’ve balanced the power structure here so that it holds more than the noble creatures she made.”

  “Now imagine that power taking over the dragons, if you’re able to wake them,” Convel said. “By the time we unite to keep the balance we have, it’ll be too late.”

  “So do we let them lie?” Piper asked.

  “We wake them and give them back to their mother. Only the goddess can put them out of the reach of men like Garza,” Convel said.

  “Then Rawney has to remember,” she said, not happy they had so little time left.

  “Those snakes you saw,” Piper said to Vadoma. “Do you think they’re like you?”

  “Vampires, you mean?”

  Piper nodded.

  “They certainly appeared to be, but I’m a bit better looking.”

  * * *

  Javier put on the robes that were an exact copy of the ones first worn by the priest of the order and started slowly saying the words of the spell he needed. His confidence had grown after their fire ceremony, during which the spirits had answered him. It took an hour but finally the stillness was broken by more than his voice when a car door slammed in the distance.

  “He’s here, master,” one of his assistants said.

  “Come.” He closed the book of the order and smiled. “Your mate awaits you.”

  Oscar appeared dazed and sleep-walking, but he moved closer and lay down on the stone altar Alejandro had built outside close to the edge of his yard. One of the guards placed a strong leash around Oscar’s neck and nodded to Javier.

  He flipped to the right page and started the passages that would deliver what Alejandro wanted. After he finished, Oscar’s clothes started to tear as his transformation began, and when it was done, he was even larger than Pauline in size, but that wasn’t the only difference. His head was hooded like a cobra’s, and he was much more aggressive.

  A loud noise came from the house, and he smiled when he realized it was Pauline. She’d obviously transformed when Oscar did, so they were ready.

  “Bring him. It’s time to finish.”

  * * *

  Kendal and Piper were alone in their room with the balcony doors open after the house had gone quiet, so it was easy to hear the sudden screech that pierced the night air. It sounded painful and mournful, but also joyful when another higher-pitched sound answered whatever it was. Kendal got up and stared into the night as all the animals around them became agitated.

  The same noise happened again, and again it was answered, but this time it seemed to fill the air around them with a kind of energy that made the part of Piper that craved Kendal come to life. It reminded her of the first time they’d touched the Sea Serpent Sword together, making her skin hot and her sex wet.

  “Baby,” she said as Kendal turned around and gave her an almost predatory look. The intensity made her take her pants off and move closer to Kendal. All Kendal did was hold on to the door when she knelt and unbuckled her pants. “I need to taste you.”

  She didn’t have to wait to see if Kendal was interested, since she was wet, hard, and ready for her touch. Kendal grabbed the back of her head and pressed her face between her legs, needing this as much as she wanted to do it, and the muscles in her thighs tightened as she came much too fast for both of them.

  “Fuck,” Kendal said as she reached down and picked her up. In a few quick steps she had her on the bed and ripped her shirt open as if she couldn’t wait to touch every inch of her skin, but not as much as she needed her to. Without another word, Kendal put her mouth on her clit and slammed two fingers inside, making her hips shoot up.

  “Oh…oh my God,” she said as Kendal took her fingers almost all the way out and slammed them in again. “Shit,” she said, grabbing two fistfuls of Kendal’s thick hair and pressing her closer. It was like she might rattle apart if she didn’t come. “Don’t stop, baby,” she said, so out of breath she had to suck in some air. “Ah,” she screamed at the end and, like Kendal, came way too fast.

  That didn’t matter, though, because they were both ready to go again as soon as Kendal crawled up and kissed her, and she put her hand between her legs. “If I get pregnant again,” she said and smiled when she slid her fingers along Kendal’s hard clit, “I don’t give a damn. All I need right now is for you to make me come, but let’s slow it down a little.”

  It took two more times before the lustful haze that had come over them lifted. “I don’t know what the hell that was, but good Lord,” Kendal said, rolling over onto her back and taking her with her.

  “If it has to do with all this, then we finally got some good out of it, and it sounds like we’re not the only ones,” she said and laughed when the very distinctive sounds of lovemaking echoed ar
ound the house. “Come on. We don’t want them to think you’re a slacker.”

  Kendal moved quickly and bit down on one of her nipples, making her squeal before she began to moan. “You mentioned something about slacking?”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  A week later Kendal waited at the small airport close to the house while the private plane she owned but seldom used came to a stop. She’d debated whether to include Hillary in what came next, but the planner part of her personality thought it’d be wise to have someone, while incredibly annoying, who loved Piper watching out for her in case this was harder and more impossible than she thought.

  “I got all the information on Alejandro Garza you asked for,” Hill said, handing her a folder as the crew took care of her luggage. “Thanks for calling for me, though I’m surprised you did.”

  “I’m a firm believer in everyone getting a second chance.” She skimmed the pages. “Just remember that you should’ve explored any chance with Piper years ago. She’s settled now, and if you keep pushing—”

  “You’ll kick my ass.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “My wife is more than capable of that on her own, but I do think she’ll cut you out of her life if you can’t accept her happiness. Do you really want to lose a friend you truly love?”

  “No, I don’t, and I promise I’ll do what I can to keep her safe through whatever this is.” Hill climbed into the passenger side of the Jeep and couldn’t quite maintain eye contact. “And whatever this is seems to be as strange as what happened in London. I’m not sure I didn’t dream all that up, but I’m scared for her.”

  “Hill, not everything in life is easy to explain, but with a little imagination, you can reach a place where all the stories and fables you’ve heard throughout your life have some merit to them.” The road was worse after the torrential rain that morning, so she took it slow. “All those things you saw usually stay hidden in the shadows, unless you’re unlucky enough to run into one of them, and then people like me try to keep the balance.”

  “So you’re a vampire hunter like in the movies?” Hill said and nervously laughed.

  “Something like that, when I’m not buying businesses and starting a family. If you can’t wrap your head around that, I’ll still hire you, but you can stick to the normal side of my business.”

  “Hopefully, one day you’ll tell me everything I need to know to do this job effectively, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m sure you’ll be able to take care of Piper and Hali, but it won’t hurt to have a backup.” She glanced back at the box that had been delivered to Oakgrove before she’d left. “There was no return address, but that arrived for you before I took off late last night.”

  Hill followed her to the office and greeted Piper before handing over all her mail from the shipyard and the house. The baby was lying on a blanket under an activity toy Molly had gotten her and seemed fascinated by all the multicolored things hanging down from it. Everything seemed so normal, but hell was coming, so she took the time to enjoy these moments.

  She used her pocketknife to rip open the large box, inside finding what appeared to be the equivalent of modern-day armor with dragons stamped into the breastplates.

  Warrior,

  For your upcoming battles, and so you know you’re not alone.

  She handed the note to Piper and kissed her before heading out to do sword drills. After that strange night, they’d been searching for Oscar for days, since he’d effectively disappeared without any of her or Vadoma’s people noticing anything. It was like he was at his desk one second and gone the next. She’d broken a sweat after a few minutes and stopped when she noticed Rolla and Bruik watching her.

  “Has Piper had any more visions?” Rolla asked after he embraced her.

  “Not since we retrieved the book for Rawney. She’s sensing that something will happen in two days when the blood moon is in eclipse.” She sheathed the sword and followed them to the large deck out back, where one of the servants had placed a pitcher of wine on the table. “Rawney hasn’t figured out how to unlock the book, so all this might be for nothing.”

  “Can Garza finish this?” Rolla asked, and she and Bruik shook their heads.

  “Given the way the spell was cast, he needs Lumas’s words to undo it. She was smart in that you need Rawney to make it work, and even she can’t remember what she needs,” she said, surprised that Rolla had come at all. He was the kind of leader who liked to read about these kinds of things once they were done. “The only thing that worries me is Oscar Petchel. We didn’t share a lot with him, but he knows enough to hurt us if he’s still working for Garza.”

  “With so little time, will Rawney come through?” Rolla poured them all a glass and sat back as if enjoying the view.

  “Piper plans to sit with her later today and see if she can go back with her. What she needs to understand about the book is trapped in one moment in her distant past, which was followed by extreme grief.” She watched Morgaine and Charlie head out to spar, and Piper followed, holding Rawney’s hand. “Let’s see if some quiet and Piper’s soothing presence knocks something loose.”

  She left Rolla to Bruik and followed Piper and Rawney down to the spot they’d enjoyed when they first arrived. “Mind if I join you?”

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Rawney said as they sat so they all faced each other, close enough to hold hands. “My mother mentioned you in that scroll, so I think you belong here.”

  “I thought the same thing,” Piper said. “When I first remembered the gift that the elixir brought out of the depths of my mind, I didn’t know how to process what was happening to me.” Piper spoke as if she were floating away. “Bruik told me that it was something to embrace, and to do it justice, I had to let go of what tethers me to the here and now.”

  “I want to go back,” Rawney said, and Kendal shook her head, not wanting anything to interfere with Piper’s concentration.

  “I know you do, so take my hand and let’s go. Your mother’s waiting.”

  * * *

  Romanian Countryside, 6148 BC

  “How?” Rawney asked as they entered the campsite circled by wagons, a roaring fire at the center, and music from different spots. Everything was happening around Piper and Rawney, but it was like everyone stared right through them.

  “It’s never the same,” Piper said, not letting go of her hand. “Sometimes they call me back and know I’m there, and sometimes I go back to see what I need to move forward.”

  “Over there.” Rawney pointed to the good-sized tent and walked quickly, as if wanting to see her mother in more than just her memories.

  “But when, Mama?” A much-younger Rawney asked the question as she ran her fingers over the thick leather that bound their family book. “I’m almost of age.”

  “You’ll know the right time, so for now we made you this,” Lumas said, holding the book Rawney still had in her possession. “It has almost everything in it, and the rest of what you need will come much later.”

  “Don’t you trust me?” Rawney asked, and her aunt Rowen shook her by the shoulders before kissing her forehead.

  “Don’t be in such a rush, child. You’ll wield the family power just fine until the time is right, so quit your complaining and listen to your mother,” Rowen said.

  Lumas stood next to a large pot and stirred the stew she’d worked on all afternoon, seeming to enjoy the conversation among the three of them. “Come before the rest of the family gets here.” She sat on the cushions piled on the rug and patted her lap so Rawney would put her head down. Once she did, Lumas started running her fingers through her hair. “Do you promise you’ll always remember tonight?”

  “I always remember all the nights with you, Mama.”

  “Tonight you got your book, but you have to remember that the key to everything is your family. Remember well the women who worked to put all that in those pages.” Lumas lifted one of her hands and kissed it. “You’ll have so much more time than we did to add
to yours, but you’ll need the family to read mine and Rowen’s. We’ve shared one since we were so close in age, and ours is almost complete.”

  “What are you talking about? You have plenty of time to add to yours and mine.”

  Rowen scooped out a bowl of stew and added something from the pouch at her side before handing it to Rawney. “Eat, child, so you can enjoy the rest of the night.”

  Rawney ate until the bowl was empty, and it fell from her hand not long after. When she woke, the rest of the women in her family had arrived, and she had no memory of what had happened during her conversation with her mother and her aunt.

  “You’re ready now, child,” Rowen said as she turned and looked right at Rawney and Piper.

  “The blood moon comes only to hide its face,” Lumas said and took Rawney’s free hand. “It’s the window you need to awaken what we had to put to slumber.”

  “Oh, Mama, I’ve missed you so much,” Rawney said, trying to speak through her tears.

  “We have faithfully watched over you, and I’m proud it was you who carried out our work. I love you, and I hope you’ve forgiven us both for leaving you and taking part of your memory with us.” Lumas reached up and dried her tears. “I had to make sure the awakening didn’t happen until you were ready to face what must be.”

  “Face what?” Kendal asked, and her voice surprised both Rawney and Piper.

  “You’ve fought bravely and well for so long, slayer, but this enemy is blessed by the gods as well. He wants the power of the dragons, and if he can get them to do his bidding, he’ll tip the balance you work so hard to maintain. What lives in the shadows must remain in the shadows.”