Crying Fire Read online

  When he leaned back, he smiled, and his hand in her hair massaged her skull. “May I take you back to the water for a proper tour?”

  She smiled and nodded. “If I fall off again, I will just stay in one spot and wait for a lift.”

  “Excellent.” He stepped back and offered her his arm. She wrapped her hand around the crook of his elbow, and they began a slow stroll through the Crossroads toward the Isthmus.

  She asked, “Were you nearby all night?”

  “I was. I was ready to intercede if it became necessary, but you were doing fine on your own.”

  She shook her head. “I wasn’t fine. They were mean, they didn’t like my name, and they were afraid of me, all at the same time.”

  “You sound like you were at school.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I was homeschooled. My education surpassed most universities by the time I was ten. At least in the data-sorting and assessment fields. I knew international histories, tales from ancient races, all the genetic histories of all European fey, I knew it all. I got to learn about humans firsthand, and my obviously fey appearance meant I was always different. I always stood out, and I got used to it. I never meant to try and fit in, so I didn’t. Just a simple headband and I look human, so I experimented with that.”

  “How did that turn out?”

  She wrinkled her nose as they crested a hill. “I got my ass grabbed a lot.”

  He chuckled. “It is very grabbable. You are made entirely of soft curves.”

  She thought about it and then nodded. “Thank you.”

  He smiled, and the moon caressed his dark features, outlining him in the light. The curve of his lips was enough to make her want to touch them, but she dug her fingers into her palm on her free hand.

  He paused. “Did you hurt yourself?”

  She blinked and checked. “No.”

  He grabbed her right hand and pulled it to his lips. “You cut yourself with your nails.”

  She blinked. “How do you know that?”

  “I am attuned to blood. I can smell it here or in the water.”

  “Oh. That makes sense. Should I fix it?”

  “Could you? It is very distracting.”

  She focused and lit her palm on fire, letting the flames take all traces of blood from her skin. It hurt a bit, but when it was done, her skin was back to normal.

  “Better?”

  “Better. I haven’t eaten yet, and I felt hungry. Blood is very tempting.”

  She nodded. “I can understand hunger. I haven’t had anything to eat this evening. But, as your hide is rough, perhaps dinner before the water tour. If you are less hungry when I go into the water, I stand a better chance of surviving the excursion.”

  He blinked. “You are serious. You think I would harm you? I am not a shifter; I am a shark-formed fey.”

  “Oh. I don’t know the rules of shapeshifters. I am just this form with a little bit of sparkles when it is necessary.”

  He gave her a quick kiss, and they resumed their walk. “You will learn. We are fairly simple, we just need food water, fresh air, and sex.”

  She bit her lips to stop the laughter. “Simple indeed.”

  “Yes, and not necessarily in that order. Sex is moving up next to food as we speak.”

  His tone was wry, and she looked down to see her left breast pressed up against his arm. It was rubbing him with every step.

  She started to move away, but he pinned her hand against his side without saying a word. For some strange reason, she found herself smiling, and before long, giggles broke out.

  It was a strangely fun walk down to the boardwalk for dinner before the swim.

  During dinner, she felt it was time to ask the question she needed to know. “Do you live with your parents?”

  He spluttered and put his fork down. “No. Do you?”

  “Yes. I have to. My father is like me only more so. He needs me there to stabilize him when he gets lost in the texts.”

  “I see. Where do you live?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “It is a castle on a floating island. If it makes you relax a little, we have Wi-Fi.”

  He snorted. “That is not the issue. What would your father say to me moving in? And could you transport me where I needed to be?”

  She cocked her head. “Of course. Fire moves where it wills.”

  He chuckled. “Then, perhaps, I will get better at the magic when we have balanced.”

  She perked up. There was a benefit for him. “I am a good instructor.”

  He blinked. “You can teach magic?”

  “Certainly. I have taught a few hedge-witches and a dozen mages over the years. Trauma has brought the magic out of quite a few people over time. I teach them the tools to deal with it and further their educations if they like.”

  He leaned back in his chair, his steak was only a memory. “You have the patience to teach?”

  “As long as they do what I want.” She finished her fried chicken and smiled.

  Rik grinned. “Before we go on, yes, we can live in the castle on the floating island, but you have to know one thing.”

  She blinked. “What?”

  “My full name is Patariki, but I hate going by Pat.”

  She nodded. “Rik it is.”

  He smiled. “Thank you, Thadra.”

  She leaned forward and asked, “So, are we going for that swim?”

  He nodded. “I will repel any sign of merfolk.”

  She laughed. “Deal.”

  They got up, and Rik swiped his charm over the pay pad. They walked arm-in-arm to the saltwater, and as Rik removed his clothing, Thadra removed her sandals. When his trousers dropped, she flipped her dress up and over her head.

  Rik paused. “What are you doing?”

  “I am tired of accidental nudity. If there is nudity involved, I am going to make sure it is on purpose. This is all about partnership, and this makes us equal.” She smiled brightly. “Shall we?”

  His erection was noticeable.

  She pressed her lips together. “Would it be better if I turned my back to you?”

  She began to turn, and he groaned. “That is infinitely worse, Thadra. Your assets are amazing and highly distracting.”

  “Good. Get in the water and grow some fins so I can see how fast you are.”

  He gave her a last longing glance and strode into the water. She watched the powerful vee of his torso move as it disappeared into a tight, pert ass. She could see the appeal. His thighs were powerful, and everything seemed to point to that one particular area, front and back.

  When he shifted, it all went away, but the sleek motions of the fins in the water were all him.

  She waded out to meet him, and he held fairly still while she carefully clambered onto his back. This time, she situated herself in front of his dorsal fin, and she knelt carefully before patting the top of his head.

  He cruised off toward what appeared to be an endless sea, and she stared at the moon with the ripples on the waves casting earthbound stars.

  When he turned around and swam back, she saw those same stars racing ahead of them, and it made her smile. It was so seldom that she was able to see the wonder in the world around her. This was fabulous. Her memory was taking a recording of this moment, and she was going to keep it as long as she lived.

  When he cruised up to the shoreline near the tower, he sank down in the water. She took the hint and floated free, moving off his back and to the shore.

  She heard the long strokes of his arms moving him through the water and his lithe movements as he passed her easily on the way back to shore. He was out of the water and waiting for her while she slogged through the waves.

  He smiled at her and held out his hand. “How was it?”

  She took his hand and met his smile. “Pure magic.”

  He pulled her into his arms and nothing more needed to be said. This was the feeling that she had tried to figure out.
She had found a partner.

  Chapter Eight

  Juno and Derix witnessed their balance ceremony, and from there, it was on to a shielded cottage where the power of the ancient gods that had put their genes together could be safely contained as they settled their energies.

  Thadra smiled. “My father is going to want to know every bit of your family history.”

  “He might want to speak to my mother then.” Rik smiled. His skin was coursing with energy.

  She looked at her own hands and smiled at the weird tiger striping that had resulted from the mix of fire and shark magic.

  “We can definitely invite her to the island or move the island to her.”

  While she spoke, she peeled out of the dress that Juno had brought her for the event. It was a very human thing to wear, a special dress for a quick transaction.

  Rik removed his own clothing with alacrity. “You can do that?”

  “I can. It takes a while to make sure that our site is either nearby or clear of human interference, but I can shift or teleport the island when I need or want to.”

  She walked up to him the moment he was as naked as she was and pressed her hands to his chest. There was no crackle of energy as they were both basically fey, but the magic between them was no less powerful.

  Thadra stroked her hands all the way down his torso until she wrapped her fingers around his erection. She stroked him slowly and enjoyed the sensation of touching him and arousing herself at the same time. It was a strange effect. Giving pleasure was causing pleasure.

  His hands on her were having the same effect on him as he stroked her back and cupped her butt. Lifting her against him.

  She giggled and let go of his cock, clutching his shoulders. He walked her the few steps to the bed and tipped her back, settling her on the bed and moving over her.

  Words weren’t necessary. She felt what he felt, the silk of her skin under his body, the wet heat that he touched between her thighs. She could feel it from both angles, including the heavy pulse in his cock and the tightness in his balls.

  When he slid into her, he closed his eyes, and as he started to thrust, she closed hers. When she opened her eyes, he was staring into them. He wove his fingers through hers, and they held on as their bodies worked to a climax that would have shaken the world if they had been in it. As it was, the Crossroads grew by an island chain when they mixed their magics and locked them in place.

  Their afterglow caused a wave of light to sparkle in the sky.

  Thadra leaned up on one elbow, and she looked down at her mate. Without the pressure of magic on her, she was able to touch him and only have one set of senses.

  “Do you think the magic forces us together in order to lock itself in or because it likes the rush?” She stroked her fingers over his belly, tracing the muscles and the slight hollow of his navel.

  He smiled and cupped her breasts in turn. “I think it is both. I do love your curves.”

  “I got that impression when I shared your thoughts. That is something that I am glad is over.” She slid over and straddled him. “I prefer to have sensations that are going to be familiar, not alien. Sliding into my own body was decidedly peculiar.”

  She moved to cover his erection and nudged him against her folds. She watched with amazement as his eyes went completely black while she sank onto him, making space for his cock inside her.

  She braced her hands on the muscles of his abdomen, and she took him fully into her. “Oh, yes. This is much better.”

  Thadra lifted until she was nearly off him and then slid down, sighing happily. “Definitely better.”

  Rik cupped her hips with his hands and moved her on him. He groaned as his hips rose to meet hers. “Definitely better.”

  She laughed as they thrust and fell together. The excitement and urgency built until there was no room for laughter and they were both coated with sweat. She reached between them and stroked her clit. She shouted her release, and the moment her inner muscles clasped him, he followed her into pleasure.

  She laid down on him, and he tucked his chin against her head.

  “Definitely better.” His voice was low and husky.

  Thadra smiled and sighed against him. “So, does this mean your appetite for sex has been sated?”

  His hands skimmed up and down her spine. “On the contrary, it has moved up to the highest of priorities for me. I intend to sate that requirement as often as you will let me.”

  Thadra chuckled. “Don’t leave that up to me or I will put you into my schedule, and then, we will never get any sleep.”

  “Sleep is overrated, and I can rest as long as I am moving.”

  She laughed. “Does that include being inside me?”

  He kept his hands on her hips as he rolled them over. “It happens that it does.”

  “That is convenient for you. I suppose I will just have to get used to it.” She traced his lips with her fingers, and he nipped at them.

  He thrust into her, and she arched her back, fighting the fire that was in her veins.

  He pulled back and thrust again, whispering, “Don’t hold back, Thadra. Let it loose.”

  She looked up at him and saw her reflection in his eyes. Her eyes were full of fire, and it was running through her body as she met him thrust for thrust until her body and his were engulfed in flames.

  The roar of the fire on their skin drowned out all other sounds until there was a burst of energy, and then, it flickered out.

  Rik was lying heavily on top of her, and he chuckled softly.

  Thadra asked, “What is it?”

  “I always wondered why people smoked after sex, but I don’t think that this is what they meant.” He pushed himself up, and she saw that their bodies were actually smoking and steaming.

  They shared a laugh, checked the bed for damage, and then went to sleep, curled together for the first night of their lives together.

  Someone was shaking her. She heard sobs, and she knew that she had been dreaming again.

  Rik was stroking her hair and rocking her awake. “Easy, Thadra. Let it run through you.”

  She felt the pain, the fear, and the humiliation, and she took it, held it, and let it go.

  He touched her cheek. “You really cry gold.”

  “Yes.” She sniffled. “It is said that the gods gave this gift to those who ate the memories and soothed the pain to remind us that there is worth in tears.”

  “Do you really believe that the ancient gods had a hand in shaping us?”

  “I think that they found fey with extraordinary skills and they made them more. Then, they took those fey and gave them to humanity to give them hope and tolerance and blame.”

  He held her while she spoke.

  “I build islands because someone in my ancestry was good at building islands. I take the pain of injured humans because my ancestors did.”

  “And I take the form of sea creatures because my ancestors did.”

  “Precisely. Granted, the thrust of the decision of the gods was different for your folk. They were to protect the sea, not the land. There must have been a reason for that as well.”

  “Probably. Does your father have research on it?”

  She chuckled. “Probably. You will have to ask when you meet him.”

  “I look forward to it, now back to sleep. If the pain calls, I will be here.”

  Thadra nodded and went to sleep with a warmth in her soul that had nothing to do with the fire that normally had a residence in it.

  Two days later, she held his hand as she completed the transport. “Welcome to Hellerwell Island.”

  Rik grinned and looked around. “It looks like a castle.”

  “It is a castle. Would you like a tour or like to meet my father?”

  “Your father first, I believe. That is the respectful thing to do.”

  She nodded. “Of course. This way. The building will take care of our luggage.”

&n
bsp; “Rather like the tower at the Isthmus.”

  “Rather. I think they took the design from one of my mom’s schematics. She was a great designer.”

  She walked over to a small handle in the wall and pulled it.

  “What was that?”

  “I am just telling Dad that we are home. He will greet us in the kitchen.”

  Rik took her hand and smiled. “Lead the way.”

  She pulled him close and walked him from the highest level of the castle, down to the kitchen where her father did some of his best work.

  The smells of coffee and baked goods were climbing the last set of steps as they walked down to the kitchen.

  “Your father cooks?”

  She grinned. “He does. It is a precise science that he enjoys dabbling with.”

  “How does the food get here?”

  “We grow some of it, the rest is written on a list, and then, it is transported here using the same calculation that I do to track the island.”

  She led him around the last corner, and then, the panorama of the castle kitchen was exposed to them. Thadra smiled at the figure moving precisely in the centre of the steaming and frying.

  “Hello, Dad.”

  “Hello, Thadra.”

  “This is Rik. Rik, this is Arkus Hellerwell. My father.”

  “Hello, Rik. Please sit down. This will be done in two and a half minutes.”

  Rik nodded. “Pleased to meet you as well.”

  Thadra led him to the table and held his hand as the cutlery assembled itself on the table along with the dishes. Briefing him on the etiquette of how to deal with her father had started around meal times. Arkus knew he could cook, so he did.

  Her father had prepared a lot of Asian-based dishes, as well as a few of her favourites.

  They flew across the room and settled on the table. Rik’s eyes lit up with understanding. “So, we sit when told or get a stir fry upside the head.”

  “Now you are getting it.” She smiled and squeezed his hand.

  Arkus finished their meal, and he joined them at the table as the feast finished settling itself on the wooden surface.