I’d heard that in the Air and Water Realms many people took multiple partners the way the Spirit Goddess and the Black Dragon did. Some considered it a way to honor them and believed it was normal to love more than one person. But here in the Fire Realm we were more traditional and it was almost unheard of—I certainly knew my mother would never approve.
“Now you’ve scared her,” Falon said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
Blane picked up one of the fireworks. “Come on, the town will love it. Help me light one.”
“I want no part of this,” Roth said, stepping back.
“Nothing is going to happen, I promise. Besides, there’s nothing here but sand and water.”
“And us,” Roth muttered. He threw an arm in front of me, as if to block me from the fireworks.
“Let’s do one and see how it goes,” Derel said. He was always the first one to jump on Blane’s wild plans, despite being the town guard. After he joined in, Falon always did too, and then Roth would finally cave in. And me? I was always happy to be near them, no matter what trouble we were getting into.
I watched as the guys debated the best way to light the fireworks. Eventually they decided to prop one of them up in the sand right next to the water, in case it went wrong.
But then a huge rumble sounded in the distance coming from Valefire. The ground beneath us shook violently, making me lose my footing in the black sand. I clutched onto Roth for support as the world trembled and the mountain roared. We all stared as ominous white smoke burst from its peak in a huge plume, illuminated by an eerie light coming from inside of Valefire.
The volcano had awakened.
Chapter Four
Blane scooped up his fireworks while the rest of us rushed across the sand back toward Sparkport. Another earthquake swept through the land, this one so strong it made me stumble into Derel, who caught my arm to steady me. Fear made me scramble back up again, along with worry for my family. That rumble had been so loud and there was so much smoke rising into the sky, it made me nervous the volcano could erupt at any moment.
As we entered the village the crowd was screaming and running about, the mood changed from festive to chaotic. The music had stopped, the stage where the dancers had been was on fire, and worst of all, a crack had formed down the middle of the town square. Not large enough to truly injure anyone, but not a good sign either.
Derel kept his arm around me as people shoved and pushed against us in their frenzy, but we lost the other men in the crowd. He didn’t let go until we found our family’s stalls, where my mother threw her arms around me.
“Calla! I was so worried.”
“I’m okay.” I gave her a squeeze, and then hugged Krea next.
“Thank you, Derel,” Mom said. Now she’d never let up on us getting married. He gave us both a nod, before moving to speak with his own parents at their stall. Mom turned back to me. “Have you seen Loka?”
“She’s not here?” I glanced quickly through the crowd, but then remembered seeing her at the docks with that girl. “I think I know where she is. I’ll get her quickly.”
Mom grasped my hands tightly. “Please be careful, and head back to the house as soon as you find her.”
“I will.”
I slipped back through the crowd, which was quickly dispersing as people ran to their homes or found shelter in case the volcano began raining lava, rocks, or ash from the sky. We’d all heard tales of when the Fire God was displeased with his subjects and had nearly destroyed the entire Realm with his wrath, and how it wasn’t just the lava that had taken so many lives but the poisonous smoke and the fiery rocks that descended on the land. We were close enough to the volcano that if it did erupt and the lava flowed in our direction we could lose all our homes—and possibly our lives.
Long ago, the five Gods had created this world, and each one represented the elements of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. The Spirit Goddess was their leader, and took the other four Gods as her mates. Later they created the five Dragons to act as their representatives in the world, and then the Gods vanished. Now the five Dragons—Black, Crimson, Azure, Jade, and Golden—ruled over the different Realms and its people, but many people believed the Gods would one day return. I’d never thought it would happen in my lifetime, but now I was starting to change my mind.
I ran back toward the dock, but when I arrived I didn’t see a single soul, only the fishing boats tied to the wooden pier. “Loka?” I called out. “Are you here?”
When I couldn’t find her I headed down the beach in the opposite direction from where Blane had hidden the fireworks, hoping Loka and her girlfriend might be scared and hiding somewhere. I continued around the bend, calling her name, climbing onto the large rocks where she’d liked to play where we were kids. But I didn’t see her anywhere.
She must have gone back to the town. I probably just missed her. Or so I hoped.
As I turned around to head back to Sparkport, I felt a blast of heat and smoke. I blinked it away and came face to face with a giant made of fire, who’d suddenly materialized in front of me.
I screamed and scrambled back, slipping on the wet rocks and falling on my behind with a sharp jolt. I couldn’t get away fast enough, my fear causing me to stumble over the rocks and back onto the sand in a mad dash to escape the fiery thing in front of me.
At first I thought it was an elemental, but the one Roth and I had encountered looked like an upside-down teardrop made of swirling water, with arms and glowing eyes. But this was different—it clearly was male, at least in shape, but made entirely of flame and as tall as a house.
And it was coming right for me.
“Calla of the Fire Realm,” a voice bellowed out of his burning mouth. He took another step toward me, his flaming feet turning the black sand to glass. “Are you willing to serve your God?”
I froze, panic making my throat clench up, as it slowly dawned on me who was standing before me. The Fire God.
Could it really be him? No one had seen or heard from the Gods in centuries. They were myths and legends, the Fire Temple had been abandoned years ago, and even though I prayed to the Fire God like a good daughter, I could hardly believe he was standing in front of me.
As the shock wore off I considered running and screaming for help, but then he let out a roar. A circle of fire burst up around us, blocking out the rest of the world. Heat coated my skin and terror consumed me, along with sheer awe. Was he going to strike me down?
The blazing eyes seemed to look deep into my soul as he spoke. “You asked for clarity. You wanted a path. You prayed for my guidance. Do you refuse it now?”
Somehow he knew what I’d written and thrown in the brazier. It truly was him. I dropped to my knees, my gown pressing into the sand, and bowed my head at the Fire God. As the terror faded away, I finally found my voice. “What must I do?”
“You will come to the Fire Temple and serve me as High Priestess. Bring four men to serve as your priests and your mates. Once you arrive, I will give you further instructions. Do you accept my offer?”
“I…” My voice trailed off as his words sunk in. I’d asked for a sign as to what my place in the world would be, but I’d never expected this. He was asking me to give up my entire life and walk away from everything I knew to live in the Fire Temple on top of the volcano and serve as his priestess. It was impossible to consider, but he was a God—could I even refuse? Would he strike me down if I did?
And why me? My mother was much more devout than I was. There were many days when I hadn’t believed the Gods existed at all, or if I did, I’d cursed them. I had no idea what being his High Priestess even meant. Not to mention, he wanted me to bring four men with me and take them as my mates. I certainly knew the four I’d want, but I couldn’t ask them to give up their entire lives for me.
Yet as the shock wore off, a sense of purpose and wonder filled me, like nothing I’d ever known before. I would serve one of the Gods—there was no higher calling than that, especia
lly if they were awakening after all this time. But how would I ever convince the others to go with me? Derel would never leave behind his family’s business, Blane was definitely not priest material, and Roth could barely spend a moment alone with me anymore. The only one who might do it out of loyalty was Falon, but I had a hard time seeing him going anywhere without Derel.
“Why four men?” I managed to ask.
“The Spirit Goddess has four mates. The Black Dragon has four mates. My High Priestess must also have four.”
I supposed that made sense and, if I was honest, the idea of being with all four men excited me, assuming they would ever agree to it. But they would never consider leaving as long as Sparkport was in danger, and neither would I. “What of the volcano? I can’t leave my family behind if there is a risk of it erupting—and I wouldn’t be able to reach the Fire Temple if it does.”
“Once you arrive at the temple the volcano will become calm again.”
I glanced back in the direction of the village, though the rocks blocked it from view, and then sighed. This was my destiny, like it or not. “Yes, I will become your High Priestess.”
“Then rise.”
I pushed myself up on shaking knees and faced the God in front of me. He moved close, singeing my dress and my hair, and my skin felt like it was going to peel off me. Before I could pull away he reached for me, and then all I knew was fire and heat. It raced along my skin, tore at my flesh, and melted my bones. I was taken apart and reformed. I died and was born again. I was ash and flame, smoke and lava, sparks and coal, and then I was whole again.
As the fire faded away and vanished, I stumbled back—but the Fire God was gone.
Chapter Five
Somehow I found my way back through the empty town, past the abandoned stalls, discarded dragon kites, and the new crack in the road. I felt so odd, like I was watching myself from a distance, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The Fire God had done something to me—but what?
I was in shock, still in disbelief that I’d said yes to his offer, and now I had a journey ahead of me that I was both excited and nervous about. But first I had to talk to the four men in my life, along with my family. How was I going to explain what had happened on the beach? Would anyone even believe me? I certainly wouldn’t.
When I made it back to our home, the door flew open and Loka dashed out. “There you are!” she said as she wrapped her arms around me. “Gods, your dress! What did you do to it?”
I glanced down at myself and saw my crimson gown, which I’d worked so hard on for months, had been torn, covered in sand, and singed in numerous places. I could only shake my head as she led me inside, where the rest of our family waited.
“Thank the Gods you’re safe,” Mom said, as she swept me into her embrace.
“I’m just glad Loka made it back,” I managed to say.
“Yes, she arrived not long after you left to find her. You must have just missed each other.” She wiped soot off my face. “Goodness, you look like you had a fight with a hearth and lost. Is the ash from the volcano truly that bad already?”
“No, I…” I sank down into a chair, still shaken. “I have to tell you something.”
They sat at the wooden dining table and listened intently while I went over everything that had happened at the beach, which sounded even more unbelievable when I said it all out loud. When I was finished, my sisters glanced at each other skeptically.
"Are you sure you weren't dreaming?" Krea asked.
"Yes, maybe you slipped and hit your head on the rocks," Loka added. "Are you feeling all right?"
I shook my head. "I know it sounds impossible, but it was real. I wish there was a way to prove it to you."
My mother had remained silent the entire time, her mouth frozen in a permanent tight line. But now she said, "There is a way."
"How?" I asked.
"The High Priestess can summon her God's element." She reached for a candle and set it on the table in front of me. "Try it."
Now I was the one giving skeptical looks. "How do you know?"
A faint smile touched her lips. "My grandmother was also High Priestess, as was her mother, and her mother before that. They could control fire too."
"It's hereditary?" I asked.
"It was, at least in the old days."
"You never told us any of this," Loka said, her eyes huge.
"What happened?” Krea asked. “The Fire Temple has been abandoned for years."
"My grandmother Ara left the temple and married a man here in Sparkport. I don’t know why exactly, but my mother believed perhaps Ara grew tired of serving an absent God that no one believed in anymore. Maybe all of the world did stop believing, but now the Fire God is stirring, which means something is changing. And he's chosen you to be part of it. You can't refuse."
"But I don't have any magic,” I said.
"Maybe you do now. You said the flames covered you, but you appear unharmed." She rested her hand over mine and gave it a squeeze. "Have faith. He came to you for a reason."
"I'll try," I said, but I didn't have any confidence it would work. My body felt no different than it had before meeting the Fire God. It was my mind that had been shaken.
I reached for the candle and thought of fire, but nothing happened, although I sensed...something. I closed my eyes and remembered how it had felt when the Fire God had touched me and infused me with flames, how they'd become part of my body. Maybe I could channel that out of me now.
The candle wick suddenly burst into a huge flame, so large it made me gasp. My sisters stared at me like they'd never met me before, while my mother had never looked more proud.
She clasped her hands to her chest. "I knew it. Praise the Fire God."
"It's true," Loka whispered. "You really are the High Priestess."
I waved my hand at the fire, and to my surprise, it went out. "Not yet. I still need to travel to the temple. Only then will the Fire God tell me my purpose—and stop the volcano." I swallowed. "And I need to bring four men with me to be my priests."
"Lucky you," Krea said, with a knowing smile.
"That shouldn’t be a problem," Mom said. "I'm sure Derel will agree, and those other friends of his probably will too. They all seem to be smitten with you."
"For some strange reason," Loka added as she nudged me with her elbow, making me smile.
“This is such a large thing to ask of them though. They'd be giving up their lives here for one at the temple, and they'd have to all agree to be with me." I glanced at my mother. "Are you sure you're all right with that?"
"As I said, our family is descended from the High Priestesses of the past. My grandmother had four fathers. It's not common in the Fire Realm, but if the Gods demand four husbands for their High Priestess, who are we to argue with them?"
I nodded and ran my hand along the table, feeling the ridges and grooves that I’d known my entire life. "If I do this, I'll be leaving Sparkport forever."
"You can still come visit, I'm sure," Krea said. "The Fire God won't demand you stay in the temple every single moment of your life."
Loka squeezed my hand with a smile. "We can come visit you too. We’ll make sure you have enough supplies. It's not far, after all."
I nodded. As she said, Valefire wasn't far—only about a two day walk or so—but the journey up the volcano wouldn't be easy, especially when it was active. I'd have to trust that the Fire God was not sending me to my death and that he would protect me and my men.
Emotion made my throat tight as I glanced between my sisters and my mother. "I'm going to miss you all so much though. And the bakery—will you be okay without me?"
"Of course we will." Mom wiped at her eyes and then gathered me in a hug. "We'll miss you too, but this is your calling. I'm so proud of you, dear."
I hugged my mother back, my eyes filling with tears. I'd wanted guidance, but I hadn't expected my entire life to change this night—or that I’d have to say goodbye to the people I loved.
"We'll take care of Mom," Krea said, as she and Loka hugged me next.
"Don't worry about us. When are you leaving?" Loka asked.
Another small quake rippled under our feet, reminding us of my duty. "Tomorrow. Assuming I can convince the four men to come with me."
Mom jumped to her feet. "I'll start preparing some food for you to take.”
"I'll help you pack,” Krea said.
I rose in a daze to begin preparations, but then a knock sounded on the door. Mom rushed over to answer it and smiled when she saw it was Derel. "What a lovely surprise.”
"Mother wanted me to check on all of you." His dark eyes found me behind the rest of my family, almost like he was seeking me out, but then he turned back to my mother. "Are you well?"
"Yes, thank you. But Calla has something she must speak to you about."
"Is that so?" Derel asked, raising an eyebrow.
I took Derel's arm, leading him outside, away from my nosy family. I closed the door behind me and spoke in hushed tones. "Can you get the others and meet me on the beach in a few minutes? It's important."
His face changed from intrigued to worried. "Is something wrong?"
"No, but I need to ask all of you something. Tonight."
He nodded. "I'll get them."
Chapter Six
I sat on the rock where Blane had hid the fireworks earlier and adjusted my ruined dress, wishing I’d spared a moment to change into a new one. I’d been too busy packing my things and debating how to explain all of this to the four men I hoped would come with me to the temple. If I couldn’t convince them, what then?
The volcano had calmed now, perhaps because I’d accepted the Fire God’s offer and was doing what he wanted. The four men stood in front of me on the sand, the moonlight illuminating their handsome features. I’d agonized for so long over which man I would marry and how I would ever choose, but now I wouldn’t have to—assuming they said yes.
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 82
