by D L Goddard
Anya stood serenely waiting for the furious man. When she had decided he had gone far enough … she could just touch him if her arm was outstretched and her long finger pointed toward him. She spoke softly, but suddenly … the angry man was afraid for no reason he could fathom.
“Stop right there Lord Silverstone … you will not come any closer … I will not permit you to harm me beyond the harm you have caused already. I have had enough of your slimy insinuations. I am married to Prince Arahir of Serenor and my child was conceived in wedlock as it rightly should be. My son is heir to the throne of Serenor. You will not say a wrongful word against my son.”
Silverstone stood with his mouth open. The little slut was even cleverer than he had given her credit for.
“Nice story you have concocted. Is that the one you made up for the rich snobs? By the way … I don’t buy a single word of it … my demands are the same; pay up or else I tell them all that your son is a bastard and you are a block whore. It’s your choice.”
The twins had heard enough. They would have throttled the man by now if not for Anya telling them to let her deal with Lord Silverstone. But the way the pompous overdressed Lord was speaking to their Princess was making them see red. They wanted to hang him from the highest clock tower and leave him there. But Anya didn’t seem perturbed, she was telling them through their bond to stay where they were and let her settle a score she needed to on her own. Anya wanted to deal with this man without their help; the pain his actions had caused her through her growing up needed resolution.
Startled … she realized her thoughts had wandered and she came back to herself hearing Lord Silverstone telling her what he knew of her parents. The things he was saying about her wonderful father and mother made something spark deep inside. A fire kindled within her heart and she knew what a foul and loathsome man he was. Inside the somewhat plain and ordinary exterior was a creature so repulsive; he thrived on the pain and harm he did others. Suddenly, she saw with startling clarity the truth of the man’s heart and what she saw made her shudder.
Anya began to feel heat fill her hands as if she held a ball tightly between them. She could see the fire in her mind’s eye … it was burning inside her heart and she knew the fire was for Lord Silverstone.
“I have a present for you Lord Silverstone.”
The man looked down at her smiling … thinking he’d won when he saw her flick her hand as if she threw something at his chest. Immediately, pain radiated all through his body. He began to scream, but no sound came out. The Lord tried to move, but his body refused to obey him. Anya watched stunned as Lord Silverstone was consumed by an indigo flame so hot there was nothing left of the man … not even ash.
As soon as the fire burned out … Anya crumpled unconscious to the carpet.
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Anya was drifting … she could hear her Beast weeping, calling to her to listen. She needed flame, needed to feed their son. She had emptied herself of the fire he had been growing in and without it … they would lose him and they could lose her. She had sent forth too much too soon, she had no teaching and she had let it all go … even her body heat. She would freeze without it. The Beast was roaring at her … it seemed she had drifted away again … somewhere. Arahir was telling her to wake up, to tell Mir and Val to feed the baby fire. But that was silly, babies couldn’t feed fire, they drank milk. The baby was still in her belly … she couldn’t feed him yet anyway. Anya began to giggle feeling herself drift once more … why was she laughing when her Beast was so sad? She felt herself being shaken rather violently then, heat poured into her mouth. Abruptly, Anya woke.
**********
The twins heaved huge sighs of relief when Anya opened her beautiful green eyes and looked at them. Her teeth chattered; she was ice to the touch. Alarmed … the twins tried to hold her but she feebly pushed them away.
“Ara … hir said … f-f-feed baby … f-f-fire… s-son-n dying. P-p-pl-ease s-save b-b-aby.”
“But Anya love … we need to save you as well?” Val was terrified of losing her desperate to do something now. He worried it would be too late if they waited to save the child. Anya was getting even colder and he swore she would be past help if they didn’t help her first. Mir held her frozen small hand.
“Has the Beast told us to heat you up and to feed you and the baby my love?”
She nodded shakily.
“He s-s-sai-d t-to do what y-you have t-to do.”
The men were amazed. They had just been given permission to be naked with the woman of their dreams. That more than anything brought home to them just how badly Anya and the baby were doing.
Mir and Val stripped and climbed into bed, one on either side of Anya. They peeled the last of her clothing off her body tossing it aside. As soon as their skin touched hers, the flames that heated the bodies of the twins began to sink into Anya, helping to stop the chattering, relaxing her body. Anya sighed, easing the aching in her jaws from the rigid way her mouth had been held. The heat the men generated surprised her but she felt as if she could take even more heat, as if her skin was drawing the heat from their bodies.
They each placed a large hand directly over the swelling in her belly where the baby was curled up. Anya gasped as white and black flames lit the twins hand up without burning the bedding or hurting her at all; on the contrary … what the twins were doing to her felt … wonderful … perfect.
The men kept the feeding going until the skin around her belly became soft and supple and hot instead of hard and cold. They massaged her belly working the skin over and over until Anya just knew her son was finally warm once more. She was still unsure how she knew, but something in her told Anya the baby was safe once more. The same thought must have occurred to the men because they slowly stopped.
Propping her head upon her plush large pillows, Mir slid an arm behind her and leaned half across her body careful not to place any weight on her belly. But as he leant over to kiss the surprised young woman ... he felt her beautiful breasts pressed against his chest and the exact moment Anya’s nipples hardened against his skin. He froze trying to concentrate as he felt himself painfully hard and ready. He wanted Anya so badly and what they had to do was tantamount to making love to her … almost … that he felt he was torturing himself. But if he didn’t do what Arahir asked … Anya would still die.
She had no idea how she expelled fire and literally incinerated Lord Silverstone … the flame had just escaped her. But Anya had fire in her veins and she had completely emptied herself without any knowledge of what was happening to her then, she drained the reserve she bound the infant in as well. All Mir and Val had done in the beginning is warm her momentarily. Soon … the warmth would dissipate and she would be frozen once more and drain the infant’s protection to keep herself from dying, effectively killing them both.
Unfortunately, they still had to feed her and it was going to leave them screaming in frustration. Even so … it was a small price to pay to keep her with them. Stroking her sweet face, Mir kissed the woman he loved. Anya held him in her arms as Mir crushed his broad chest against her breasts, feeling their perfect softness, the contrast of the silken skin of her luscious breasts against the rough erect nipples boring holes in his control making him close his eyes in pleasure, forgetting himself for a moment. As Mir kissed Anya, she could feel hot burning flame filling her, making her feel … perfect … alive … like she had needed this all her life. The kiss went on and on as her body was stroked and touched making her purr in pleasure.
Then, when she thought she needed something more, Val’s smiling face took over from his twin. His heat felt different but … perfectly wonderful. She blossomed, glowing and deliriously happy. She fed and fed until she couldn’t possibly take any more. Kissing Val deeply and lovingly then, turning and doing the same for Mir, she snuggled in-between the twins and within moments … she was fast asleep.
The twins stared in stunned amazement. Their beautiful Anya was glowing softly … the lovelies
t shade of indigo blue. No wonder she suited them as if she had been made for them. Mir was a white flame and Val was a black. When they touched it was always painful because of the huge clash; there was no intermediary color to blend the flame together, easing the effect. When an indigo was placed over the flames, they softened the blend and brought the flames into gentle agreement with the other, soothing their joining and igniting their passions. Anya was the perfect harmony for their flame. She truly was a match made for the twins.
The trio curled together, hoping Anya was now okay. They weren’t sure of how much she needed, but they felt an urgent need to be at home. They didn’t feel quite right but they had almost drained themselves dry of their excess. It was not like Seren where they could have just fed her flame until she begged them to stop. But in this world, they had limited use of their magic. When they needed so much power, sleep was the only thing that replenished their bodies and kept their flames burning bright. The exhausted men collapsed cuddling the sweet naked body and heavenly scent of the woman they were more than ever convinced was their mate as well as the Keeper’s It certainly complicated everything.
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Arahir felt the drain on his body when Anya had gotten angry at Lord Silverstone. Angry wasn’t really the right word … furious … enraged was more like it. What Anya didn’t know when she drew her flame was not only had she drained herself and the baby, but Arahir and she were a perfect match; he was an indigo flame and her flame had reached out to his, recognizing it as one and the same as hers, ‘borrowing’ his flame as well. It had shocked him that she instinctively did something that usually required serious training to perfect and never had anyone ‘just done it’ before. It was the reason that Lord Silverstone had been so completely consumed. Anya had used so much flame when she gave him a ‘present’ it was the equivalent of lighting a candle with a flame thrower.
When he tried to reach out to her he was so weak that he couldn’t bring her around. He was trying not to frighten her and show her how badly she had hurt him, but if she didn’t get fed, Arahir would have died. As the twins fed the baby, Arahir waited, but when they fed Anya, Arahir fed as well. He knew she would need much more by morning … but then, so would he. They had enough to sustain them, but she would need much more from both the twins and he knew only a flame blending would feed both himself and his soul-mate. The trouble was he would risk joining the four of them even closer than they were already. He sighed miserably … it couldn’t be helped. The twins were the only ones who could help them because Anya and they had become heart-touched. The Beast felt truly sad … all he wanted was his beloved in his arms, but instead, he was giving her into the arms of two others. He truly missed his beautiful Anya and he longed for her touch. Collapsing into his straw bed, Arahir’s sleep was haunted by feelings of restlessness and foreboding. He woke exhausted and irritable, waiting for Anya to wake and be fed once more.
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Chapter Twelve
The twins yawned; they were bleary-eyed realizing it was around three a.m. They weren’t sure why they were awake, but something triggered an alarm inside their hearts and they carefully sat up. They checked their patient who appeared to be sleeping soundly. A voice in their minds was persistently telling them to wake … now! So Val and Mir closed their eyes concentrating. Immediately the haggard drained vision of the Beast filled their thoughts showing them what Anya had done and what they needed to do. If they didn’t act quickly … all the effort they put in last night would be for nothing.
Alarmed the twins shone a bedside light just far enough away from her face that it wouldn’t hurt her eyes. Anya’s eyes flicked open; they were completely deep blue. There were no whites at all. Feeling panicked but showing nothing outwardly, Val bent down and lifted Anya into his arms. Tugging on a soft rug, they wrapped it tightly around her now pale blue naked body. Her eyes were opened, but it seemed she neither saw nor heard them. She seemed to be off in a world of her own and closed her eyes again.
“What in Seren’s name happened?”
Mir was gathering up Anya’s things then, dressed himself rapidly. As soon as Mir touched Anya’s clothing; he found himself staring at the full size image of the Beast. Shocked speechless, Mir realized Anya had nearly drained her soul-mate as well. No wonder there was so much power in the flame. What a disaster. They had to get Anya back to the mansion; her poor Beast was going totally blue and his eyes were pure blue just like his soul-mate. Before the image faded the Beast whispered a few words, ones he must have given serious thought to.
“Flame blend with my Anya … or we will all die … hurry.”
Val and Mir stared shocked at each other over Anya’s now unconscious head.
“Did I just hear …?” Val needed Mir to reaffirm what the Beast had just told them to do. The twins knew the danger it posed for all of them and especially for Arahir. But he obviously knew what danger the pair of them was in so … what other choice did they have? Bundling Anya up, they raced for their carriage. The house was dark and everyone was still fast asleep. The twins moved faster than the eye could track and no one saw them pass.
As Val carefully tucked Anya into the comfort of the carriage, Mir hitched the horses, helped by the coachman who had been woken, sleeping in the stables. The two moved like lightning and the coach was ready in shorter time than was thought possible. The team fled the estate heading for home. It loomed up as they raced through the frozen night whispering fervent prayers to Seren to save their precious Anya.
The gates barred their way, and as the coachman made as if to get down, Mir forestalled him, dismounting and leaping to the ground. Flinging the gates wide, Mir watched the coach as it thundered past straight to the stables. Mir caught up with them as Val carried Anya through the front door. Their servants were up and the house was warm and inviting, but they never even paused. The twins carried their precious burden straight to the basement they had modified behind the wine cellar. The main staff was summoned and they followed their Masters down into the sealed room.
The mansion had builders on their own estate staff build the room in question. It was fully soundproofed, large enough to hold eighty people quite easily and was lined along the walls with floor to ceiling mirrors tempered to withstand great heat. The ceiling had fans and vents that kept the air fresh and drew any hot air through the constantly working vents. It had been created for one purpose only … the entire staff, both in the mansion and the estate were from Serenor and there were many couples included. To get rid of tension, the Seren would ‘empty’ themselves, thereby ridding their bodies of impurities they picked up from living in this world. They found by doing this that they could manage to serve the Princes without discomfort.
But this was not what Arahir meant when he asked the twins to help them. Serenor was a world of fire elementals. It had been shaped and crafted by them. But they had long died out to only around five hundred or so left of the true elementals. They were immortals unless accident or injury took them before they could be made whole. But still, wars happened so many millennia ago and so many of them were forever lost before the portals had a Keeper, now peace reigned and very few of them were given over to that final leave-taking.
The curious thing about the fire elementals was that while they could be almost human in appearance most of the time, they were lithe and lean, but far more beautiful and perfectly proportioned. The most important factor in fire elemental union however, was that they had to seek a mate of the same, or compatible flame as themselves. They were grouped into various shades and intensity of heat. At the extremities of either end, white was a pure heat, but burned so fiercely, only another white could stand their attention. Black on the other end of the scale was a painful agony so uncomfortable and killing, that a black was needed here as well. Very few white or black flames were ever born; they were just too difficult to mate with. But when they were born, they were usually those of Seren that were blessed with the rarest of gifts.
; The most common fire elementals were yellow, orange and red flames. Yellow on the heat rating was the coolest flame, followed by orange and red the hottest of this group, but the variations were such that any of these colors were able to breed with the other. This color grouping was the majority of the elemental population. And these were those that had no difficulty in finding a mate and conceiving children. Unfortunately, these were the ones that bred so prolifically that their offspring usually bred true to their parents’ color or became unlit flames or unlit elementals, ones whose flame never achieved their spark. The population of Seren was three quarters unlit flames and seemed content enough to be just pure fey rather than a lit or true fire elemental.
Twins like Mir and Val were extremely rare on Seren because they shared a soul. They had to discover a mate that not only was the other half of their soul but the other half of a soul already shared. Twins could not be separated for any reason, they would weaken and die and all twinned mating was trios. It was a very difficult thing to find a partner whether male or female who was willing to share themselves with two lovers instead of just one. Although most twins were common colored flames and it made their search much easier.
In the case of Mir and Val, to have both twins in the extreme end of the flame spectrum so that the only way they could come together would be to find the ever elusive indigo flame just made their job impossibly difficult. The only other indigo flame on Serenor at that time was born into the Royal family fifteen hundred years before their birth. The twins were resolving to never meet that perfect mate when they had gotten caught up in the quest to find the missing Keeper. When Arahir discovered another indigo flame, the only Seren to have ever been born outside their world he was delirious with joy. She was his perfect match and they became soul-bonded the first time they made love and she conceived ensuring a true union of souls.
