Fire Master Rising

by Jami Brumfield

  “Not really. I don’t want to hurt either one of them.”

  “I’m afraid that’s going to happen no matter what you do,” Rebecca told her quietly, “but can I ask you a favor?”

  Savannah paused before saying, “Sure.”

  “If Lucky is not the one, please don’t keep him in limbo too long. He’s going through a lot lately, and now that he’s left the Protectors, he seems a little lost.”

  “I didn’t know.” Savannah felt a tug of guilt at Rebecca’s words. She didn’t want to string either one along.

  “It just happened, or at least, we just found out. Persephone picked him up from the shelter and brought him home tonight.”

  “I wonder what happened,” Savannah mused out loud.

  “He hasn’t said yet, but when he left the Protectors, Josephine kicked him out.”

  “That had to be a blow. What mother would kick her own son out just for making a career change?”

  “A woman who puts pride before love.”

  “I never liked Josephine.”

  “I’m with you on that one.”

  Savannah sighed. “You know Lucky more than I do. What do you think?”

  “Truth?”

  “That is why I’m calling.”

  “I know Lucky, but I know you better. I don’t think, when all is said and done, you’ll be able to marry one man, and have an affair with another, even if it is an open marriage. You’re just not that girl.”

  Savannah knew she was right. Just because she was a vampire didn’t mean her core changed. It may be harder to find, but she was still the same girl, deep down, as she was before she became a vampire. Or, at least, she hoped she was.

  “I know you, Savvy. Under all the pain, disappointment, and anger, you’re still Savvy, and Savvy has always been a one man woman.”

  Savannah sighed. It was ironic it took her twin to make her see the reality of the situation over her moral compass. Rebecca was right, Savvy was okay with the game she was playing with Lucky because Viktor was out of sight - out of mind, and he gave her permission to discover what she wanted. What she wanted was someone who could give her everything. If she had no way out of marrying Viktor then she needed to let Lucky go. “I don’t think I can get out of the commitment of marrying Viktor,” she whispered.

  “So what does that mean?”

  Savannah didn’t want to face it, but she needed to. “It means I need to let Lucky go.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “No, but it is the right thing to do. Now the question is how do I do it, and still keep him as a friend.”

  “Set him free, and the friendship will come along as time heals the wounds. We’re in the same circle of friends, and no one is going to take sides. A lot has happened with us all, and emotions are high and jumbled. You were told you were expected to be in an open marriage of convenience, and so you responded.”

  “If I were to run away, and choose Lucky, would you forgive me?”

  It was Rebecca’s turn to pause before answering. “Of course, sis. I just want you to be happy. I want you to find love like I have with Gabe.”

  Savannah closed her eyes and mulled over her sister’s words. “I do too, sis. I really want that, but I don’t know if fate has that in mind for me.”

  “Out of the two of us, you are the one that has enough karma built up to deserve true love, Savvy. If I could find it, so could you.”

  Savannah fought back the lump building in her throat. How could she ever be so angry with Rebecca? How could she have let their relationship grow so tense? She was so furious with everything that she blamed her sister, and Rebecca had never ever done anything to purposely hurt her. “I’m so sorry, Becks,” she whispered.

  “For what?”

  “I love you.” This time her words came out choked, and tears stained her cheeks. “I’m so sorry for thinking you were…”

  “I love you too. No need to say anything more. I am always on your side.”

  “You, me, and Hunter against the world.” Savannah spoke their motto.

  “Always and forever,” Rebecca’s voice cracked. Savvy had no doubt she was crying too.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hunter

  HUNTER PACED THE ROOM HE stayed in at Rebecca’s compound. Natalia was leaving for Colorado in a few days, and he was feeling lost without his former girlfriend to talk to. She wasn’t just a girlfriend, she was his best friend, had been for years, and now she would soon be gone. She didn’t want to continue dating. Hell, she wouldn’t even let him take her to the airport. Everything between them was strained, and the idea of never seeing her again left him with an agonizing ache in his heart. He’d felt pain which cut deep before, especially when his parents died, and while this pain was difficult to swallow, it was a different feeling. It cut as deep because it was not a bitter ending, but a what if… What if he could join her in Colorado in a couple of years? What if they could’ve continued dating and tried the long distance relationship, and what if they could’ve worked it out? There were so many what ifs with no way of finding out the possibilities. She shut him out, and at the same time, offered to remain friends. Yeah right! He slammed the phone down on the dresser just as a knock came softly on his door.

  “What?” He snapped at the closed door, and then quickly rushed to open it and apologize to whoever got the brunt of his anger. “I’m sorry for…” His words caught in his throat when he saw Sundae’s sweet smile greet him. “Sundae, it’s late. What’s up?” He left the door open, and walked back into the comfort of his room. His reflection in the window reminded him he was shirtless, and he pulled out a t-shirt from the dresser, putting it on while Sundae entered the room and closed the door behind her.

  “Checking on you.” She spun his phone on the dresser as a mindless distraction giving him time to get comfortable in his shirt.

  “Did I not close the mind connection from our dream walk? I’m sorry, I thought I--”

  “No, you did,” she interrupted him. “You are getting very good at severing our connections.” She let an uncomfortable silence play out between them for a few moments before continuing. “I do know you’ve been through a lot lately, losing your powers, gaining the charge of a child, and getting kidnapped for trying to help your sisters. Do they know you did what you did for them?”

  Hunter nodded. They knew, and they were pissed, but that was a different story.

  “And of course, in the midst of all this, your girlfriend left you.”

  “She was called to duty.”

  Sundae smiled softly. “Such is the case for so many supernaturals. We are all called to duty from time to time. And those left behind need friends. I just wanted to remind you that I am your friend, and I’m here for you.”

  She was right. Sundae had been a great friend to him, but sometimes she got uncomfortably close. He chalked up her clinginess to her inept social graces. She wasn’t a very social person in school, and she wasn’t good at connecting with people here either. The problem was he was being selfish, and needed time to figure things out. Having her here wasn’t going to make that an easy feat.

  “I do, and I appreciate our friendship, Sundae, it’s just—“

  A loud scream stopped his words, and he immediately headed to Freya’s room. He slammed the door open, and ran to her bedside. She was having a nightmare. Beads of sweat covered her face and dampened her red hair. Her covers were tossed leaving her tangled in the sheets as she kicked and whimpered. “It’s okay, Freya. It’s just a dream. Wake up, honey.” He reached out to shake her gently, and Sundae snatched his hands before he could touch her.

  She shook her head firmly. “Never jostle someone out of a nightmare unless you have no other option. Let me.”

  She placed a hand on Freya’s, and closed her eyes. Instantly she was transported into Freya’s dream. She was terrified, running from some unknown enemy. Sundae squatted down to Freya’s level, and held her arms out, Freya ran into her arms sobbing. “It’s okay. Who
is chasing you?”

  “The…monster… she’s going … to kill me,” the child managed to get out in between sobs.

  Sundae squeezed her tighter, and narrowed her eyes on the horizon scanning for whatever might be haunting the girl’s mind. A warm breeze blew through them, but nothing showed itself. “It’s okay, sweetie. I’m here, and I’ll keep you safe.” Freya nodded, and the sobs slowly subsided into hiccups. Sundae used that time to seek out the threat, but found nothing.

  “Thank you.”

  Sundae looked Freya in the eye. “Can I take you somewhere safe?”

  Freya shook her head. “The monster always finds me.”

  “Not here in my special place. I’ll show you how to access it, and as long as you are there, you’ll be safe.”

  Freya’s eyes got big. “You can do that?”

  “I can. You know why?”

  Freya shook her head.

  “Because even though I’m a werewolf, I was a dreamweaver first. I’m a master of the dream world, and I can protect you, and teach you to protect yourself.”

  “That would be wonderful!”

  Sundae smiled. “Good.” She closed her eyes, and a new world built up around them. Gone was the dark grey horizon, replaced by a meadow surrounded by a forested area. Freya sucked in a breath, and her eyes grew bigger. Sundae pointed at a large oak tree. She whispered a password, and the tree opened a passageway allowing them to slip inside. Sundae carried Freya down the spiral staircase which led to a brightly lit open cavern. The roots of the tree made up the ceiling, and the living space was comfortably decorated.

  “Wow!” Freya smiled. “Do you live here?”

  “Only in my dreams. Do you remember the password I told the tree?”

  Freya nodded. Her tears had dried on her face, and her eyes were brighter.

  “Okay, from now on this is your sanctuary.” She set the copper-headed child down. “I want you to wish for something. Close your eyes real tight and wish for something really, really hard.”

  Freya did. Her face grew red, scrunched up from concentration, and suddenly a tattered, pink and white floppy, stuffed bunny appeared in her arms. Freya opened her eyes in complete shock. Horror slid behind her green orbs as she threw the bunny across the room, and grabbed Sundae’s leg.

  “It’s okay, sweetie. Things are different in the dream world. Anything you can imagine or dream up you can create here. It’s called manifestation.” Sundae picked up the toy bunny and handed it to Freya.

  The girl carefully took the stuffed rabbit, and after a moment of close scrutiny, she hugged the pink toy tightly. “I thought I lost Bobby in my world.”

  “Well, here in the dream world, you can have him back. Do you feel safer now?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good girl.” Sundae hugged her. “Make yourself at home, and I’ll be back shortly.”

  Anxious once again, Freya asked, “Where are you going?”

  “Hunter needs to know you’re okay. He’s in the real world right now holding your hand worrying about you. You don’t want him to worry, do you?”

  “No” Freya shook her head quickly. “But you’ll be back.”

  Sundae smiled. “I promise.” And with that, she awakened at Freya’s bedside, and as she imagined, Hunter was there, holding Freya’s hand and speaking in soft tones. “She’s okay now. You should get some rest.”

  “What if she has another nightmare?”

  “She won’t, not tonight.”

  Hunter shot a look of doubt her way, but then reminded himself that this was Sundae, and she’d never steered him wrong before. He was lucky to have her as a friend, and he pushed down the guilt he had for thinking otherwise. He kissed Freya’s now dry forehead, and impulsively gave Sundae a tight hug. “Thank you.” Then, he left.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Rebecca

  HOW THEY WERE SITTING SAID a lot about how broken their family was, and perhaps signaled how much their family dynamic was repairing. Gabriel sat to Rebecca’s left. River, Willow, and Freya sat next to him. Hunter sat next to Freya, and their mother and grandmother finished out the row on that side. Savannah sat on Rebecca’s right, Maverick next to her, and then came Elizabeth, Mystery, and Miracle, who obviously cared little for what was going on since Mystery had her head in her phone, and Miracle was chanting quietly under her breath as she ran a magical charm bracelet through her fingers, one bead at a time. She wasn’t sure what her new sister was conjuring up, but from the look on her face, it was intense. Mira had taught Rebecca, Hunter, and Savannah about magic charms, and how useful they could be, but none of them were extremely interested in learning a new skill, including Hunter with his new responsibilities, and temporary loss of power.

  Mira was a witch of the earth, an element none of them had, but according to Grandmother, Mira’s power was the one that would ground them all, and keep them anchored. Rebecca doubted that greatly. She couldn’t even get the rest of the family to listen to her let alone keep them tethered to each other. Maybe with time, but Becks wasn’t sure how much time they really had. In fact, she was more concerned with day to day living at the moment. Once this trial was over, she’d work on cleaning the streets of Phoenix of whatever Black Death blood trade was left now that Ophelia was behind bars. At least she was finally able to eliminate one enemy, and keep her promise to Becky. One less thing to worry about thanks to Natalia, and the ghost wolf, Gretchen. When the trial was over, things would become easier, she hoped.

  Persephone, Sundae, Georgie, and the rest of Rebecca’s pack filled in the rest of the first five rows of the stadium-style seating. They were all there, including Brick who was released by Lucky as his last official duty as a protector.

  He still didn’t want to talk about what was bothering him or why he quit, but Rebecca was sure something major had to have happened for him to be acting so strangely. He sat in the far back of the auditorium-like room on the opposite side, putting as much space between him and the wolf pack as possible to avoid any heat from Josephine falling on them. Rebecca appreciated his thoughtfulness, but would’ve preferred he sat with them, and let it be known he was under the pack’s protection. In his own time perhaps. He knew better what Josephine was capable of, and if he was concerned for backlash on the pack for helping him then she needed to respect his position.

  Sitting in the area next to Rebecca’s side of the room in the first five rows was Celestia and her vampire crew. Becks was surprised Maverick and Savannah were sitting on the wolf side, but she was grateful at least one of them was there. Last night’s phone conversation did a lot to mend the relationship between the twins. None of them spoke of it, but they both knew they were on the road to recovery.

  The vampires and wolves may be maintaining a cease fire for the moment, but neither side liked each other very much. It didn’t help that Celestia used the peace treaty as a way to arrest all vampires that were threats to her. She was a sneaky little vampire who had centuries of practice to hone her craft. Siren had finally conceded to having Savannah in the general vicinity as them. She wasn’t happy with the rest, including their father. It was something they both agreed on. Strange but true, Siren rarely valued or agreed with Rebecca, but in this matter, neither one trusted Maverick.

  And while Rebecca knew it wasn’t fair, if her mother had really been held captive for all these years, she wasn’t sure if she trusted her either. The one thing that nagged on her conscience the most was that if Ophelia and Brick really had their mother, Elizabeth, why didn’t they use that as leverage against Becky, whose entire family was lost? It seemed like a powerful chip for Ophelia not to play.

  Francesco called the room to order forcing Rebecca out of her thoughts and back into the present situation. When the room was so quiet, you could hear the insects walking through the shadows, he said, “Violet Dela Rosa, you’ve been charged with conspiracy to commit genocide on the Arizona pack. How do you plead?”

  “Not guilty.”

  “Then we�
��ll proceed with the trial.”

  Violet stood up quickly, her long black hair swayed behind her shoulders as she snapped angrily, “A sham of a trial since--”

  “Silvio, silence your defendant or we’ll place her in custody for the duration of the trial.” Francesco demanded.

  It was the first time Rebecca noticed that Violet had a lawyer. Vampire, Siren advised in her mind. She examined the man, and immediately sized him up as a snake in the grass.

  ‘Thanks, but I figured that was the case,’ she answered back in her mind. ‘Is he any good?’ She gave the man dressed in an expensive, gray, pinstripe suit, the once-over. His brown hair was slicked back with gel, and he had a dazzling white smile that screamed ‘whitener’. If his appearance said anything about him, it was that he was a successful slime ball.

  ‘That sums it up nicely,’ Siren answered.

  Rebecca nodded, and refocused on the trial.

  Josephine was leading the prosecution side of the argument. She stood up and said, “I call Rebecca Winters to the stand as our first witness.”

  She knew she was going to be called at some point during the trial, but she had no idea she was first up. Gabe squeezed her hand lightly, and offered a smile of encouragement as she made it up to the front of the room. She really hated public speaking. This was Savvy’s strength, but this wasn’t one of those times they could switch spots during debate class. Aside from the small fact they weren’t identical anymore, she was defending her pack, and needed to be strong.

  “Rebecca, I apologize in advance for asking you this, but will you allow us to have a conversation directly with your wolf?” Josephine requested as Rebecca took her seat in the middle of the room. “It would be easier to have a seer perform the task, but the conflict of a vampire seer, and former vampire queen on trial is too great.”

  “Siren? She won’t be much help I’m afraid.”

  “Nevertheless, she has some firsthand knowledge of the attack that may be helpful for the case.” Josephine smiled softly.