Heart of Fire

by Meredith Wild

  And there’s the very reason my whole heart is in my throat. If he wanted to say something, he just would…right?

  “Kara?”

  I visibly jolt at his calm interjection. “Uhhh…hmm?”

  He hits me with a pointed glance. “I was just saying I’ll probably cut over and take Topanga to the coast rather than battling the midtown crush.”

  “Right. Good plan.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “What makes you think I’m not?”

  “Demon girl.” He squeezes my hand gently. “Come on. Talk to me.”

  I feign interest in the darkening landscape beyond the window as he takes the exit for Topanga and heads for the canyon cut-through. “Talk? About what?”

  “About the fact that you’ve been fond of talking in questions since we left McCarthy’s place?”

  “Have I?”

  The second it leaves my lips, he chuckles. I join him because I don’t have a choice. The memories I’m not supposed to have are turning me into the world’s worst date.

  “Sorry,” I murmur. “My mind was in another place.” An absolute truth I can borrow for making my point. “It’s been a really long day.”

  “After a really stressful night.” His face tightens. “Made worse, in no small part, by my shenanigans with Z.”

  “Necessary shenanigans, remember?”

  Without taking his eyes off the road, he yanks my hand up and plants a firm kiss to my palm. “But no less trying for you.”

  After his talented mouth leaves my skin, I keep my hand open, savoring the feel of his strong whiskers and forceful jaw. “I’m just fine.”

  He darts over a look that conveys his difficulty believing me. “I can turn around anytime you say the word. This party isn’t mandatory.”

  “I know, but it’ll be at least another year before my brother takes interest in hanging out with me again.” I pivot to face him fully. “More importantly, I want him to meet you.”

  My new positioning reaps an instant reward in the form of his wide smile, pushing a deep dimple into existence at the corner of his mouth. The look is almost too irresistible, and I write a raincheck to myself for kissing him in that delicious divot as soon as we get to Rerek’s place.

  “So you want your little bro to like me, eh?”

  “Has nothing to do with what I want, because he will like you.”

  I finish that with a confident smile, and it doesn’t wane the rest of the trip. Though I suspect Jaden’s invitation was inspired more by his curiosity about Maximus than any strong desire to reconnect with me, it’s still a connection I welcome. It’s also some downtime that we need after another intense day.

  Maximus finds a parking spot about a hundred yards up from Rerek’s front door.

  “Stay right there,” he orders.

  I’m barely done opening my door, but I know better than to test him. The last time I heard him sound this way, he was kicking a couple of jokesters out of his medieval lit class. Though I have a decent idea about his intention this time, I still let out a surprised yelp when he gets to my side of the truck and then reaches in for me.

  “Maximus,” I scold once he carries me across the road but shows no sign of slowing down. “Come on. I can walk the rest of the way.”

  “In those stilts?” He nods toward my feet and the glittering four-inchers strapped on them. “In this gravel?”

  “You ever walk a red carpet between Piper Blue and half the cast of a new Marvel flick?”

  Any witty reply he might have is stunted when we reach the front entrance and Maximus eases me down to my feet once again.

  Like many of his neighbors, Rerek’s front entrance is miniscule but classy. There’s a small balsa wood planter, multi-tiered, that at first glance is filled with typical California succulents and field grasses. It’s centered around a small stone and glass fountain that’s supposed to make people think Rerek—or at least his decorator—has been somewhere like Solvang, Santa Barbara, or Laguna Beach. Maximus actually stops to admire the artsy setting, but I hurry past it. I know what the rest of the world doesn’t—that the grasses are cultivated from vain sinners forced to part with their hair and the cute pebbles in the fountain are trophy teeth taken from history’s most notorious traitors and murderers.

  I rush up the steps and wait, now a little jittery, for Maximus to catch up. The last time I graced this entry, I’d been in a more accepting headspace of all things demon. But even then, Rerek was never like other demons. I hope, yet doubt, that’s changed much. Still, as Maximus and I walk through the already-open front door, I hang on to Jaden’s recent theory about Rerek mellowing out. I’ll know whether that’s true the moment I see.

  Inside, a definite aura of underworld energy fills the place, despite its all-white decor that’s interrupted only by gaudy throw pillows and pathos-drenched sculptures from a thousand eras ago. But no way is everyone in this place an actual demon, unless there’s been an odd Tinseltown recruitment campaign that I don’t know about. If that’s the case, then Hades has definitely targeted all the beautiful people. They’re here in every shape, color, and size, primped in their trendy party finery—which should have them fawning all over each other like the trained courtesans they are.

  But that’s where the real disconnect begins.

  There’s nothing lively about this bunch. As I gaze over the throng, mingling with high-end cocktails and plates of expensive canapés, I wonder what golf match they must be waiting on at this late hour. It’s strange—really strange, for a crowd of people who should be vying for buoyant social media exposure—but true. I’m barely sensing pulses from any of them, let alone thoughts and feelings. But they are alive, proven by their relaxed sways to the music that comes from the ceiling speakers.

  Maximus cocks one brow my way before muttering, “And I always thought Jesse threw weird parties.”

  I side-bump him with appreciation for the humor. “Let’s find Jaden.” As I say it, I focus on the beach just below the outside balcony. “I have a good idea where we can start.”

  Besides, the bonfire out on the sand looks too fun to resist—and after the insanity of the last couple of days, some fun sounds like total perfection.

  We manage to avoid any awkward introductions on our way to the back deck, which connects to some shallow concrete steps down to the sand. The moon is full and the breeze is brisk as we abandon our shoes and step out on the sand toward the two silhouettes outlined next to the bonfire.

  They don’t see us yet, laughing while staring into the dancing flames of the big blaze. But my impression has yet to be validated. I’m not sure Rerek Horne has ever enjoyed a real laugh in his whole life. While his wavy black hair, lean stature, and Italianate lips are similar enough to Jaden’s, Kell’s, and mine that he’s often mistaken as a Valari, the similarities are only skin deep—and I’m happy to let it stay that way.

  I’ve never understood Jaden’s draw to the demon, who seems to have been in a centuries-old funk since most of the Egyptians stopped believing in him. He and Jaden connected back when we were kids, when Rerek was on a victory high after orchestrating the Fukushima meltdown. It’d be a lie to say we all weren’t a little concerned. A headstrong half-demon son, heading into puberty as besties with a full-blooded chaos demon… What could go wrong?

  “Aha!” Jaden’s easygoing exclamation bursts out as Maximus and I step closer. His greeting comes with a generous I-might-be-a-little-high hug. “Look who’s rolled in from the land of academia. Thought you’d never get here. Last time I checked, you guys were turning out of the canyon. Seems eons ago.”

  I hug him tighter, hoping that last part gets muffled by my hair, before he breaks off to plunk me down in the sand. Maximus is relaxed and happy tonight, and I want to keep it that way. The last thing he needs is an explanation about Jaden’s black-ops-level hearing abilities.

  “And look what else we’ve got here. Her lucky escort!”

  Oh, yes. He’s buzzed.
/>   “Maximus, this is my brother, Jaden. J, I’d like you to meet—”

  “The Professor Maximus,” Jaden intercedes before hauling my date into a hearty bro hug. “Good to meet you, dude.”

  “Uh…yeah. Sure,” Maximus mutters. “Same.”

  “I’m so psyched you guys could make it. Rerek is too.”

  I sneak a glance around him toward the spot where Rerek arcs his hand in a wax-off wave. His black, semi-wiry hair is longer than I remember, serving him well by hiding the tops of his ears, their size exaggerated by his noticeably long neck. His whole form is the same way. By most human standards, his body would be called gangly, though he handles it all with the cocky elegance of a rock star. He’s actually smirking like one, exaggerating dramatic cheekbones that clash with his generous mouth.

  But that’s Rerek. The guy revels in his contrasts. Doles them out like his chaotic calling cards. That’s why my return wave is brief and cautious. Really cautious.

  “Hello, Rerek. It’s been a while.”

  “I think your brother is feeling nostalgic, Kara. I believe I may be too.” Rerek pairs the remark with a look as warm as the brandy snifter cradled in his palm. Reflections from the fire lick up its sides and into his pastel irises. “But you’re right, I think. It really has been too long.”

  Every syllable is an unnerving drawl as the demon ambles over, regarding me with new intensity across his enormous ice blues. I’ve always wondered if his eyes seemed bigger because so few demons have pastel irises. Now, this close to him, I know. His eyes really are that big. And discomfiting. And prying.

  Maximus stabs a hand through his hair, looking awkward but delectable in the same moment. I shift my weight too, reining in the craving to climb him like a hungry squirrel up a pine tree. It’s a much preferable feeling to the sensations brought on by Rerek’s persistent perusal, which I know is designed to incite discomfort. Is blinking as foreign to him as smiling?

  Jaden leans and pats the center of Maximus’s chest. “That’s Rerek. He’s like a brother.”

  “Speak for yourself.” I sock him in the shoulder.

  Jaden chuckles. “Fine. He’s like my brother.”

  I don’t miss the slight wince in Rerek’s guarded stare, now fixed on my brother. “Brother. Hmm.”

  I inhale deeply, hoping it helps my gritted smile to stay in place. “Rerek.” It’s my textbook surfacey chide, usually brandished on reporters who aren’t aware of boundaries. “You know it’s bad form to openly gawk, yes?”

  Rerek’s secret passion for Jaden has never been much of a secret, at least to anyone belonging to a family with our kinds of intuitive gifts. He knows that too, but that doesn’t stop him from rolling his eyes with a silky smirk after brushing a few ashes off his velvet jacket. “Come now, Kara. There’s a lovely line between gawking and appreciating a creature of splendor.”

  Examining his subtext—a brand of not-so-brotherly affection that is often felt but never discussed—feels daunting. And I’ve had my fair share of daunting for this week and next.

  “Nice threads,” I say, hoping to shift the conversation for everyone’s sake. Except Jaden has already distracted Maximus with a sidebar about firewood and trucks.

  Rerek adopts an urbane pose, feathering his fingertips over his satin lapel. “You like it?”

  “Very much.” This time, none of my sincerity is forced.

  “I’ve had it since the sixties. That makes it vintage haute couture now.” He relaxes his stance and wrinkles his nose. “Though I see I’m not the only one who got the fancy fashion memo for the night.”

  He nods toward Maximus, who purposely ditched his tie and dress jacket back in the truck but still looks like ten million dollars in his tailored shirt and impeccably fitted slacks. As the ocean kicks up a stronger wind, his shirt gets plastered across his broad pecs and the ridges of his abs. His hair lifts away from his face, giving the firelight free rein over his bold features. Just when I thought he couldn’t captivate me more than usual… For all those reasons, I can’t stop staring.

  “Oh, my my my.” All too quickly, Rerek’s knowing murmur breaks into my reverie.

  I shake my head, pushing off another schism of discomfort. Rerek is a lot like our unofficial brother. Because of that, he’s never actively messed with Hollywood, though the town has done just fine in the chaos department all by itself. Still, no creature that’s helped with centuries of human catastrophes should be so urbane about it.

  “My my my what?” I ask, still struggling for a semblance of charm.

  “Just commenting on perceptions, darling. Your lust is dripping like wax from a dungeon candle.”

  “Oh dear,” I mumble, beyond glad that Jaden still has Maximus’s ear.

  Rerek wiggles his toes through the sand but frowns when a new gust scatters the grains onto his black pant leg. “‘We are asleep until we fall in love.’”

  I laugh, buying myself time for an acceptable reaction. Why do I feel so strange and violated, when Maximus and I are on every mortal magazine cover and every immortal watch list?

  But there’s no time for time for processing that. Thankfully, at least on the outside, I’m able to maintain a show of serenity to match Rerek’s. Past a calm smile, I reply, “I had no idea you were a Tolstoy buff.”

  My masquerade is successful, if his short chuckle can be believed. “Little one, whom do you think kept the man company when he told the literary elite to fuck off?”

  “Oh, goodness. Well, that must have been a fun feather in your cap.”

  “Leo didn’t need any help from me,” he assures. “The man already had a head full of demons by the time I showed up.”

  “Yo, R-dog. I’m empty!” Jaden interjects, hoisting his tumbler in emphasis. “And thirsty.”

  “And that just won’t do.” Rerek struts over to my brother and links their elbows. “What do you say we find something sinful to imbibe or inhale?”

  “Might want to check everyone’s pulse while you’re at it,” I remark. “It’s pretty dead in there.”

  Rerek scowls. “Well, that just won’t do,” says the man who gladly cops to half the world’s insanity.

  I’m happily diverted as soon as Jaden disconnects from Rerek and pulls me into a hug. “Thanks for showing up. I mean it.”

  I smile into his shirt, which smells like ocean and smoke. “Thanks for the invite. I mean that too.”

  He winks and flashes the smile that’s landed him a thousand magazine covers before he disappears into the darkness between here and the house. I watch their shadows in the gloom and then their silhouettes against the wide cement stairway up to Rerek’s living room. Since the pocket doors are all open, the party music flows out our way. It’s a pleasant mix with the ebb and flow of the waves and random spark pops from the fire.

  Maximus presses his torso to my back. His hands around my shoulders and his lips to my ear, he offers softly, “Beach blanket for your thoughts.”

  A smile melts the last of my tension, especially as I follow his pointing finger to a pile of big velour squares that Jaden and Rerek left behind. “Well, now you’re talking.”

  “No,” Maximus counters while helping me spread out the top blanket in a spot upwind of the fire’s smoke. “Now you’re talking. What’s going on?” He finishes the question by pulling me down into his lap and pressing a tender hand to my face. “We came here to unwind. So far, you’ve only been pretending to.”

  I dig into his train of thought by doing the same to his forearms, playing with the alluring hairs between his elbow and wrist while organizing my thoughts. “Rerek can be unpredictable. He puts me on edge. I guess Jaden thrives on that kind of thing. Me, not so much.”

  “The guy seems pretty easygoing.”

  I attempt a laugh. “Easygoing isn’t how I’d describe a full-blooded chaos demon, even on his mellowest day.”

  Maximus absorbs the revelation with shocking calm, though the slight lift of his brows is oddly comforting.

  �
�All right. That’s starting to make a little sense now.”

  “In what way?”

  He scoops his hand to my nape and rubs there, as if we’re just enjoying a Sunday picnic in the sun instead of discussing demons by firelight. “I thought his name sounded familiar. It’s a nickname for the Egyptian demon Apep. He’s Ra’s nemesis.”

  I nod, acknowledging the myth that happens to be the truth—and wondering, for perhaps the hundredth time, why Maximus accepts these crazy truths so easily. Often better than me. “He switches out the name every hundred or so years so he doesn’t raise any alarm bells in the mortal world.”

  Maximus is thoughtful for a moment. “According to ancient texts, the only advantage he had over Ra was his ability to hide in the shadows.”

  “The shadows?” I lean in, now fascinated with what he’s saying. Mostly because he’s saying it, but it’s because his account makes sense. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Rerek out in broad daylight. “You mean coffins and caves? Like a vampire?”

  “Caves, yes. Dark mountain passes, yes. But coffins?” The edges of his lips quirk. “I think you’ve been watching too many horror movies.”

  Really? Thank goodness you didn’t know to stop and admire the murderers’ teeth in the entrance fountain.

  I keep that to myself, at least for now. Instead, I tease back and wriggle around to secure a closer snuggle. “Hmm, well… Only after I’ve done all my homework.”

  A rough breath leaves him. “Ahhh. Such a good student.” He runs his hand down my spine. “You must work very hard.”

  “Have to,” I say, inching my mouth toward the alluring angle of his jaw, tickling my nose in his beard before adding, “I’ve got this one professor… He takes no prisoners.”

  His hard swallow doesn’t escape my attention. “Sounds like a real hard-ass,” he mutters. “No prisoners at all?”