Fire Within

by Ella M. Lee

  Without warning, he let go of my hands. He attempted to spin me to face him, but I shifted my center of gravity lower for stability and jabbed my elbow hard into his ribs, sending him sliding sideways.

  But Derek had combat training. He was off balance, but he was still strong. He grabbed my arm before I could pull back and tugged me with him.

  I went down onto my knees as fast as I could, letting myself slide past him, gripping his arm tightly in my hands. He lost his balance while caught in my momentum and tumbled to the ground, landing with a thud in front of me. I scrambled back, but not fast enough, my hands skidding across the perfect glassy surface without gaining any purchase.

  Okay, maybe Nicolas’s work was too good. I would love to skate on it, but I didn’t want to fight on it.

  I was still trying to move when Derek grabbed the side of my head and smashed it into the ice. The crack of the impact resonated inside my skull, and I saw stars.

  A white blur streaked past me, crashing into Derek with enough force to separate us.

  Nicolas, the beautiful white wolf.

  His jaws snapped, but he missed Derek by half an inch, sliding past him. I thought Derek would follow, but instead he turned his eyes back to where I was. I staggered to my knees, and he loomed over me.

  Time slowed in my dazed mind.

  I needed to get clear of Derek so that Nicolas could take over. I could see him whipping around, getting his legs under him, but not fast enough. Even in the form of a wolf, he wouldn’t get to me before Derek could.

  There was no way I could escape Derek as a mortal. He could move faster and use magic.

  Magic.

  Derek hadn’t pulled up a magic-deflecting shield. With Nicolas in wolf form, he didn’t need to. Shields were difficult to maintain when moving quickly, and they exhausted magic. Derek was forsaking using one right now because he thought he was facing a wolf and a paltry mortal woman.

  I fingered the block-sync ring on my thumb. He didn’t realize I had magic.

  But I didn’t know what to do with it. All I had ever done was make tiny water animals. If it were Flame, I’d be able to kill him with it, but…

  If it were Flame.

  I reached for the magic.

  Water magic, I thought, you beautiful, amazing thing. Can you be like fire for me? I need you to burn.

  I felt it well into my fingertips, bubbling and undulating under my skin. Water magic was incredibly slippery and silky. I could see very clearly how it was able to find its way into other forms.

  I thought about the gorgeous fire I used to have, how it could blaze like an inferno or glow like beautiful embers. How it had a desire to consume everything, passionate and spirited and wild.

  How easy it was to hurt someone with it.

  I pulled on every elegant thread of Nicolas’s Water magic and showed it what I wanted, showed it how much fun it could have as fire.

  Burn, I thought. Show me something marvelous.

  Only a few seconds had passed since Nicolas had crashed into Derek. He drew closer. His hands reached for me but I ducked again, just barely.

  Please work, I thought, heaving myself off my bruised knees and throwing myself at Derek.

  I planted my hands on his face, blooming Nicolas’s lovely magic out, begging it to burn him.

  And it did.

  Derek screamed, grabbing at my wrists. I dug my fingernails into his skin. He brought up a shield, but I hung on, trying to get by it.

  Fuck that, I thought, pouring all the magic I could into my touch.

  Miraculously, his shield wasn’t strong enough to fight my deluge of power, Nicolas’s incredible and overwhelming power, and it kept poking holes that allowed it to get by his work.

  It took him far too long to dislodge me, finally landing a sharp hit to my head and hurling me away.

  It was possible I’d die now, but I didn’t care, because that was awesome. I collapsed to my knees, delirious, my wrist giving out under me as I landed hard on the ice.

  I was spent, completely drained, dizzy and unable to move. My head felt like it was filled with cotton. No amount of blinking was clearing my eyes. I could barely feel my limbs, which were now numb and cold.

  Time slowed to an even more disorienting crawl as I struggled to see what was happening, but all I could make out was a blur of white against Derek’s dark clothes.

  Hands were touching me now. I flinched away, adrenaline shooting through me.

  “Stay still, Fiona.” Ryan’s voice was in my ear, and I relaxed.

  I blinked what seemed like a hundred times. Nicolas had shifted back to human form. Both he and Derek were on their feet. Nicolas was the more stable of the two, able to navigate his ice with ease, but Derek has gained his footing too. Nicolas threw two heavy punches and knocked Derek’s arms out of his way.

  I blinked. My sight was blurry. Now they were locked together, grappling. Derek was larger, but Nicolas was faster. Their shields were both brilliant and blinding, obscuring my view.

  I swung my head, trying to focus on Ryan. He was kneeling behind me, one hand on my shoulder, the other holding a small round object. He was wearing what looked like sunglasses—thin frames supporting tinted blue glass—but they were enchanted. His eyes were narrowed, tracking Derek and Nicolas intently.

  He threw the object. At the same time, he pulled a shield around us, shimmery and dark enough to be almost purple. A static, magic-blocking barrier of the highest form. He shifted closer, crouching protectively over me.

  When the object connected with Derek, his shield shattered to nothing, sending a wave of reactive magic out from him that collided with Ryan’s barrier in a shower of bright fireworks. I shut my eyes against the radiance. When it was over, Ryan’s shield evaporated elegantly.

  I gasped, worried for Nicolas, but he seemed fine. He threw another set of quick punches and then got his hands on Derek’s head for no more than a second.

  Derek fell back, unconscious. Nicolas was on his knees, his chest heaving, his expression deadly. His eyes were glowing with magic, and his shield was now a terrifying storm of power.

  He blinked once, then twice. His shield died. His look cleared into serenity. The pressure in the air receded. The ice under us melted instantly, and the resulting water rushed by under my shaking hands.

  “Dan…” I said, struggling to pull myself upright, but Ryan held me firmly.

  “He’s fine,” Ryan said, pointing.

  I somehow managed to bring my head up to see Daniel dragging Derek’s lieutenant out into the driveway.

  That was when the last of my strength left me.

  My breath flooded out of my lungs, and the ground rushed up toward me. I landed on my face in the mud with a crash that echoed in my ears. I was unable to move. There was a flurry of activity, and I could hear Daniel and Ryan and Nicolas talking rapidly.

  Nicolas’s familiar arms were around me, hauling me up. “Fiona, can you hear me?”

  I was incredibly relieved that he sounded calm and controlled and didn’t seem to be injured.

  “Yeah,” I said groggily, trying to open my eyes. “Is this one of those painless ways to die that you mentioned?”

  Nothing about my body was working correctly right now. I couldn’t even feel the rise and fall of my lungs. My heart raced alarmingly. I had no idea what had happened. The magic Nicolas had given me shouldn’t have been able to hurt me or kill me. Perhaps Derek had hit me hard enough to give me brain damage?

  “No, lamb,” Nicolas said. “You’re not going to die. You merely overextended yourself with that transmutation. Time to get you home to rest.”

  Hands held mine. Light, delicate hands. Daniel. I opened my eyes with effort. Dan was kneeling next to me, watching me with a broad smile. I was happy to see he was completely unharmed. His dark eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and I figured things couldn’t be that bad if he looked so unconcerned.

  “Hey, you,” he said brightly. He leaned closer, peering into my eyes. �
�You’re okay.”

  Daniel said some fast words to Nicolas in Cantonese. I could hear Ryan on the phone nearby, standing by an unconscious Derek and his lieutenant. He was completely fine as well, one hand stuffed in the pocket of his jacket casually. I remembered his protective stance over me earlier and the glorious majesty of his shield and felt glad to know him.

  Nicolas examined my head. “Mon Dieu,” he murmured, his tone angry. He glanced up at Daniel. “I wish I could kill Derek right here for hurting her.” He snapped his fingers a few times impatiently. “Ryan, come heal Fiona. Now.”

  I closed my eyes as Ryan put his fingers on my forehead. His beautiful magic washed over me, as lovely as Nicolas’s power in its own way.

  All the magic Nicolas had gifted me was long gone, but I could still feel the echo of it in my bones. I had fallen in love with it, knowing it could be like fire, knowing it could so easily understand what I wanted and needed.

  When Ryan was finished, I still couldn’t move. My whole body was cold and limp. Nicolas was holding me against him, and every slight movement made me dizzy.

  “Nicolas?” I asked, hoping that I had spoken aloud.

  “Yes?” he replied, his amused expression filling my vision as he looked down on me.

  “I understand you now,” I murmured.

  Peals of laughter shook his chest. “Do you?” he asked, his tone fascinated and delighted. “No one has ever said that before. Ryan, did you hear that? She understands me.”

  I attempted to roll my eyes.

  “Fire,” I said, struggling to somehow hold up my hands. They were shaking badly and felt like lead. “You were telling me all along. Transmutation. Fire.”

  He smiled broadly. “Yes,” he said, brushing my tangled hair from my face. “Exactly right. You have fire within you.”

  “Did it look as beautiful as it felt?” I asked.

  “Yes, magnifique,” he said, lifting me into his arms. He was incredibly warm, and I realized I was shivering even under the hot Hong Kong sun.

  “Does this mean… do I get to stay in your group?” I asked.

  “Yes. Look at you, so cleverly putting all my motivations together,” he said. “I’m keeping you. Now, go to sleep.”

  I managed to focus on him. His expression was radiant and his eyes were glowing. I had never seen him more pleased.

  “You know, you have the most glorious eyes,” I murmured.

  “Yes, you’ve mentioned that several times.”

  “How are they so golden?” I asked. I heard Daniel laugh nearby.

  “Superior genetics,” Nicolas said dryly. “Hush, lamb. No more talking. I’ll take care of you.”

  Chapter 28

  I couldn’t recall much about the next twenty-four hours aside from periods of complete misery between long stretches of blessed unconsciousness.

  I remembered only brief flashes of getting back to the clan house: Daniel holding me tightly in the car while Nicolas drove through the city at breakneck speeds, Ryan examining me with careful touches of his hands and magic, the three of them having a complex and confusing conversation about Derek’s motives and Water Clan’s laws.

  Daniel was the one who carried me through the sterile halls of the clan house, laying me in Nicolas’s bed and pulling down the shades.

  “I’m really not going to die?” I asked him, very close to passing out again.

  He sat at my side and cleaned my face with a wet towel. “Nah. You just overdid it a little. I used to do this all the time. Water magic is tied closely to the body. It can draw too much energy from you if you let it. You need to sleep for a few days and let your body fix itself. Don’t worry. We’ll take care of you.”

  “Nicolas isn’t mad at me?” I asked.

  “Mad?” Daniel echoed. “No way. He’s happy as a cat with cream after pinning Derek and seeing you use magic. Seriously, Fi, close your eyes and relax. You and I will have plenty of time to learn about your transmutation later. I’ll teach you how to prevent this from happening again.”

  “I think I love you,” I said, sighing.

  He laughed and patted my shoulder gently, amused. “Go to sleep.”

  When I woke next, I was met with Nicolas’s beautiful gaze. He sat at the edge of the bed, his fingers on my wrist, checking my pulse.

  “Hello, you,” he said softly.

  “This sucks,” I said, and he laughed.

  “I know, lamb, but you are recovering. Do you think you can drink some water?”

  The thought of putting anything in my stomach was almost enough to make me vomit right then. I shook my head, curling onto my side, shivering.

  He frowned. He left briefly and returned with a bunch of tubing in his hands—an intravenous line. He proficiently prepped the line and inserted the needle into my arm. I barely felt anything he did to me, fixated blearily on his quick fingers.

  “I didn’t know you could do that,” I said as he checked over his work.

  “I have some medical training,” he explained. “It’s helpful in times like these when healing magic can’t fix an issue.”

  “You are annoyingly perfect.”

  He laughed. “You are delirious. Go back to sleep.”

  “Wait,” I said, reaching toward him. “Will you stay? I’m freezing.”

  He settled down on the bed, gathering me against him carefully. I was far beyond caring about who Nicolas was or what had happened between us or what our relationship had become.

  I was simply cold and sick and miserable and wanted to feel the slightest bit better. Nicolas was very warm, and he handled me conscientiously as he held me, like he didn’t want to hurt or frighten me. He wrapped his magic around me, and I curled closer to him.

  “What time is it?” I said. The blackout shades made it impossible for me to tell the time of day, and I couldn’t even so much as lift my head to see the clock.

  “About midnight.”

  “What… what happened?” I asked. He knew I meant with Derek and the aftermath of our operation.

  “Derek and his lieutenant, Liam, are in Water’s custody, awaiting trial. His group is being investigated. The two Meteors will be interrogated about their involvement. Water has many laws and an intense legal process that will involve arranging evidence in front of the council. I’ll be wrapped up in this for weeks.”

  “What a joy for you,” I murmured, and I liked the feeling of him laughing against me.

  “I’m glad you’re all right. I need more of your sarcasm in my life,” he said.

  “You said you were keeping me,” I pointed out. “You are, right?”

  “I am. When you’re well again, you’ll work with Daniel, and we’ll figure out the best time to clan you to Water. I’m pleased things turned out so well.”

  My heart leaped into my throat, and I was so happy that I couldn’t breathe. Nicolas’s hands were now moving over my back and shoulders in long, soothing strokes. I tried to find comfort and stillness in his even breathing.

  “How much of today truly surprised you?” I asked.

  “I had a strong sense that everything would turn out all right, and faith in my assessment of you,” he said, deftly avoiding a real answer.

  “You planned all of this, didn’t you?” I murmured.

  He laughed lightly. “I am blessed with superior planning abilities. Despite my visions’ penchant for acting persnickety and being inconsistent, I haven’t had to leave much to complete chance in years.”

  “Explain from the beginning, please?” I asked.

  “Later,” he said, and none of my weak protests got him to say another word.

  Eventually, he pressed his magic into me more firmly until I became groggy and sedate under its touch and drifted back to sleep.

  Two days later, I was still recovering. I had yet to eat solid food, although I had progressed from water to water with honey to chicken broth, and now to small bites of bland congee—rice porridge with wisps of egg and vegetables.

  It was homemade
by Daniel, which made me love him almost more than when he spent hours keeping me company while I griped about feeling weak and dizzy.

  It was mostly Daniel and Ryan who stayed with me. Nicolas was incredibly busy in the aftermath of Derek’s betrayal. He was gone frequently, sometimes breezing in and out of his apartment without a word to any of us, dressed formally, looking serious and stressed.

  But I knew from our very brief interactions that he was concerned about me. I would hear him ask Daniel and Ryan about me as I lay half asleep on his couch. He spoke encouragingly and kindly if he happened to catch me awake when he had a free moment.

  The second evening, he came back to the apartment and presented me with a gift. With a flourish, he handed me a tiny red box emblazoned with the word “Cartier.” I looked up at him with wide eyes.

  “Nicolas…” I started.

  He held up a hand. “It’s merely a small token of my appreciation. I owe you. I put a rather extreme amount of pressure on you the other day, and I was happy with the results.” He smiled. “Please, don’t make a fuss. I saw it and immediately thought of you, with all your fire.”

  I opened the box carefully. It contained a lovely necklace with a rose-gold chain that connected to interlocking rose-gold loops, each one etched with a delicate design reminiscent of flames. Elegant and simple, just like I had requested.

  “This is gorgeous,” I said. “Thank you. Will you help me put it on?”

  I held my hair aside while he clasped the necklace around my neck. His fingers brushed my skin, and I shivered.

  “Très belle,” he murmured, studying me.

  I touched the exquisite loops and smiled. “Thank you,” I said again. “I’ve never owned anything so lovely.”

  “How tragic. I will happily buy you more pretty things.”

  “Nicolas, you shameless flirt,” I admonished. “It’s not kind to tease.”

  “I’m not,” he said, tilting his head at me. “I buy gifts for all the women in my life. Keisha is going to need a second apartment soon for all the earrings I give her. Chandra could open a boutique with her rows of Hermès scarves. Athena collects vintage cameo necklaces. Irina loves all the classic designers, especially Burberry. And Jasmine? I can give her the strangest and most interesting things because she understands my sense of humor and style, as only a true friend could.”