The Balance

by C. L. Nelson

  I took a deep breath and the fire goes away, my eyes turning back into my normal pale ice blue. “Well, that’s different. I never witnessed that before all this happened.”

  “I love it! I think I am going to change my hair to that shade of blue next,” said the girl with purple hair.

  “Sounds good. You must be Kian’s sister, Jarrett’s twin. Nice to meet you,” I said, offering my hand.

  She looked at my hand and then used it to pull me into her body. Before I know what she was doing, she pressed her lips to mine and began to kiss me.

  My eyes widen in surprise and I feel my face heating back up, but not in anger.

  She pulled away suddenly. “Yep, I can see what the fuss is all about.” She grinned at me and winked.

  “Seriously, Em?” Jarrett shook his head. “I’m kind of mad that I didn’t think to do that.” He thought for a moment before taking a step towards me.

  “Jarrett!” Kian said sternly.

  “You’re no fun.” Jarrett pouts before laughing.

  “I’m Emilia and this is our other brother Rhett.” Jarrett’s twin said, ignoring her two other brothers and introducing me to the male I haven’t seen before.

  He gave a small wave before sticking his hands in his pockets. “Nice to meet you, Charlie, or would you prefer Carina?”

  “Oh hell no. Please never call me Carina. It’s Charlie,” I said, opting for my most recent mortal name. Alaric has ruined my original name for me.

  “Ok, Charlie it is. But, uh…would you mind turning down your…um…charm? It’s making it hard for me to think,” Rhett said.

  I feel my eyebrows draw together in confusion. “I’m sorry. I am not sure what you mean.”

  He grimaced like he was in pain, a look similar to the one I used to see on Kian’s face when he was around me. “I was doing some research after Emilia told me what you really were, about what abilities you might have inherited from your ethereal mother and infernal father. Ethereals possess unmatched beauty which makes them irresistible to all lower beings, reapers included,” he said, talking as fast as possible.

  He paused and groaned. “I was prepared for that from what I had heard about you from my siblings, but now having met you, I am ninety-nine percent sure that you have also inherited your father’s seduction and persuasion power.” He swallowed loudly. “It’s similar to what a siren can do but much more powerful. Now please for the love of the Creators, turn it off!” he said, his voice sounding panicked.

  My heart starts to race. I don’t know much about my infernal abilities since they only began to manifest before I was ripped away from my immortal body. I close my eyes and search for the source of my infernal abilities, the place where my fire lives. I find the spot, the blue flame warm and inviting.

  I can feel the warmth from the flame spreading throughout my body, but I can also feel it flowing out of my skin. I understand what’s going on now. Like a moth drawn to a flame, the warmth of my power draws people in.

  I begin to pull back my infernal warmth. I draw it back in, back into my body. Once it is safely tucked away, I mentally put a wall around it to store it away until needed.

  I open my eyes to see that everyone is still watching me, relief spreading across their faces. “Is that better?” I asked.

  Rhett sank to the floor, the panic gone from his face. “Thank the Creators. That was awful. No offense, Charlie, but you aren’t my type.” He looked up and smiled at me.

  “I’m sorry everyone. I didn’t know I was doing it. How does everyone feel?” I frowned, thinking about the implications.

  “It’s cool. I still think you’re hot as Pitfire and I would still take you to bed, but I don’t feel the urge to fight my siblings for the honor. That’s definitely a relief,” Jarrett said, grinning.

  “Same,” Emilia said, winking at me.

  I laughed at the twins’ responses. I can already see their likeness in appearance and definitely in personality. You can tell they are both troublemakers.

  “Hang on to my number, baby girl. I’d still play strip twenty-questions with you anytime,” Jaxon said, handing me another business card.

  Does this guy have an endless supply of business cards on hand? I smiled at him and rolled my eyes.

  “I love you just the same. Perhaps years of being around you has built up a tolerance,” Finlay said before hugging me.

  “I’m also relieved. I like you, Charlie, but more like my sister. It was really freaking me out that I was having to fight inappropriate urges,” Dashiel said, lightly punching my arm.

  Kian was eerily silent and removed from the discussion. He isn’t looking at me. My heart sank when I thought that all our interactions were tainted by the charm of my infernal abilities. None of Kian’s feelings for me were real and he knows it now. My stubbornness is the only thing keeping me standing.

  Kian cleared his throat. “Okay everyone, we’ve had a rough few days. Let’s get some much-needed rest before we have to deal with the fallout from our father.” He glanced at me before looking away. “He won’t give up Charlie without a fight. I will see everyone in the morning,” he said before leaving the room.

  One by one, everyone filed out of the room. Rhett left first, giving me a wave. Dashiel gave me a bear hug before leaving. Jarrett and Emilia sandwiched me in between them and hugged me from either side, then exited the room. Even Finlay left after squeezing me extra tight and kissing my forehead.

  I sit on yet another bed that isn’t mine, feeling more alone than I have in any incarnation.

  ***

  I found my duffle bag in the corner of the room. I changed out of the black gown into something more practical. I put on black skinny jeans, a red shirt with a deep v neck, and black combat boots. I decided not to stay in the guest bedroom by myself and followed everyone, minus Kian, back to the sitting room.

  They were all staring at the floor like they were shocked to see that my ruined mortal body was still lying on the floor of the sitting room. None of them with their superhuman ears heard me behind them.

  I peek around them to look at the body. It’s the strangest thing, the body no longer looks like me. The skin tone is tanner and her hair is black. The body looks shorter while being chubbier. It now looks like the Hispanic parents that gave me up for adoption because I didn’t look like their daughter.

  They’re all staring at the body, unaware that I am behind them, so they jumped when I said, “Wow. Just wow.”

  Finlay turned around and tried to usher me back into the bedroom like I am too delicate to handle the situation. “Go get some rest, love. We will take care of it.”

  I shrugged him off. “Fin, I am immortal now and my body has been inactive for millennia. I don’t need to rest.”

  I moved around him to kneel next to the mortal body that I was forced to borrow. I am saddened and angry that I was forced to steal the life intended for another soul. I was forced to parade around in someone else’s life, stealing a child from its parents. To know that this happened to more than fifty souls makes my rage flare to the surface.

  I could see my nearly waist-length hair that was hanging over my shoulder ignite; the dark locks were now covered by my blue flames. It reminds me of the Disney character Hades from the movie Hercules, but you can still see my dark brown hair under the dancing flames. Damn, I hope this doesn’t happen every time I get angry. It’s hard to pretend you are fine when everyone can clearly see you aren’t.

  “This isn’t right,” I said to no one in particular. “He can’t get away with destroying lives. What does he even do with the souls that were intended for the lives that I stole?”

  “He probably threw them in the Pit where no one will look for them. He habitually throws the souls of reapers in the Pit whenever he feels the whim, so it would make sense that he also threw innocent souls there too,” Dashiel said, looking like he would burst into flames too if he was of infernal blood.

  My anger flared, flames now flickering at my fingerti
ps. I looked around and everyone is giving me a wide berth. Their fear smelled like chocolate and bacon to me. It smelled delicious and that freaked me out. I shouldn’t enjoy the smell of my friend’s fear.

  Emilia suddenly came over and kneeled on the other side of the body, facing me. “Hey, if my idiot brother, and I am referring to Kian by the way, doesn’t pull his head out of his butt, I am down for a threesome with you and Finlay,” she said, completely serious.

  The completely random comment throws me, and the flames vanish. I looked at Finlay and he was watching her, smiling. I looked back at her and she was smiling too. I start laughing so hard, tears run down my face.

  When I calmed down, I leaned across the body and hugged the endearing female. “Thanks, Emilia.”

  “No problem, CJ. You will get the hang of your infernal abilities,” she said as we pulled away from each other.

  I smiled at her and looked around the room at everyone else. “I don’t want you guys to be afraid of me. Please know that I wouldn’t hurt you. Well not unless you piss me off. I might punch you then, but you are all durable, you can take it,” I joked.

  “If you need to work off your anger, I can train with you. You should probably know how to fight, anyway,” Dashiel offered.

  Before I could respond to Dashiel’s offer, Jarrett jumped into the conversation. “Or as an alternative, I can work you out in bed. You’d be too tired to get your flame up when I am done with you.”

  And then Jaxon added his two cents “Same offer as Jarrett, but I can do it better.”

  I flipped them both off. “Someday you both are going to have to stop offering to fuck me.”

  They both laughed. Jarrett said, “as soon as SOMEONE claims you, I will back off, but until then you are fair game,” he said, emphasizing someone by saying it loud enough for the someone he is referring to to hear in the other room.

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind,” I said before turning to Dashiel. “I would love to train with you. I do have experience with various fighting styles and weapons from my incarnations, but it might take some refreshing for me to access the skills.”

  “I used to train with Charlie in some of her lives. I would also like to train with you both if you will have me,” Finlay said.

  Dashiel nodded.

  I looked back down to the ruined body on the floor in front of me. “We have to do something with her body, something respectful.”

  We all agreed to give her a proper funeral. After some discussion, we decided to take the body to Iceland near a beautiful waterfall right before sunrise. With the time difference, we didn’t have much time to organize the funeral and travel to Iceland before sunrise.

  We all agreed that the body could not be buried because it would leave the remains to possibly be discovered by meddling humans. We laid the body on a hastily built funeral pier and as the sun rose in the sky, I incinerated the body with my infernal fire. We respectfully waited until the body was ashes before I pulled my flames back, extinguishing the fire.

  My last thought before we returned to Jaxon’s house was a promise to all the souls that have been caught up in my mess. I will make this right. I will avenge you and I will get you out of the Pit. I promise.

  Chapter 25

  Finlay

  Charlie let us tired, not-nearly-as-immortal beings rest after the funeral. She glimmered out of the house, only telling us that she will be back before we get up for the day. I still worry about her, but I know she is going to be okay on her own. She is a kickass immortal being that could kill even the unkillable infernals and ethereals.

  I think back on her many incarnations and all the trials she had to face to be back in her immortal body. I also think back on my part in all of it. I feel as though I had been destined to bump into Charlie all those many years ago in ancient Rome like I was meant to be her friend to help her get through it all.

  I wouldn’t trade our memories for anything, but I am kind of feeling like I don’t have a purpose anymore. Charlie doesn’t need my protection now, and I am not her only friend. My life no longer needs to revolve around her safety and happiness, so what am I going to do now?

  Well, I can tell you what I want to do right now. I want to pick up where I left off with Emilia. I’d be perfectly happy for my purpose to be making her come over and over again. Where did my little vixen run off to?

  I turned around to walk toward the guest bedrooms to find her and I ran right into her. “Oh, sorry. I was just coming to look for you, beautiful.” I wrapped my arms around her like it’s the most natural thing in the world to do.

  I can feel her smiling against my chest. Suddenly, she bit one of my nipples through my shirt.

  I gasped at the unexpected pain, my dick starting to stir. “What was that for?”

  She shrugged. “It was looking right at me, begging me to bite it.”

  I laughed. Without warning, I put my arm under her knees and scooped her off the floor, so she is cradled in my arms.

  She made an adorable yelping noise in surprise.

  I smiled at her while I start to carry her down the hall, away from the other guest bedrooms.

  She laughed. “Where are we going, Finny?”

  “Sun is shining, rain delay over,” I said, heading toward the guest rooms on the other side of the house. No need for her brothers to hear me make their sister scream. I don’t have a death wish.

  I looked down at her face and her pink tongue flicked out to wet her lips. I nearly tripped, having missed a step. Fuck this walking bullshit. I stopped moving and glimmered the rest of the way to my intended location.

  I tossed her on the bed and climbed in after her, covering her body with mine. I cupped the side of her face with my hand and take her mouth with my lips.

  She moaned against my mouth, opening to let me in. I slide my tongue in her mouth and it is met by her own. We kept kissing until her body rubbing against mine, trying to get enough friction, nearly drove me insane.

  Emilia must have felt the same way because she hooked a leg behind mine and rolled us over, ending with her on top. “How attached are you to this shirt?” she asked

  I raised an eyebrow. “Not very?” I made it a question.

  Without hesitation, she ripped the front of my shirt in half. Her strength made my painfully hard dick throb, begging to be let out. She then carefully removed her crop top, revealing the most perfect breasts I have ever seen. They are not too big, like a perfect handful.

  I tried to test my size estimation, but she grabbed my arms and held them over my head in one hand. I struggled a little to break free of her hold, but I don’t really want to. I want to see where she is headed with this.

  She leaned down and flicked her tongue across my lips, moving away when I try to kiss her. She moved down my jaw to my neck, sucking, licking, and kissing her way down.

  I tried to grind my hardness against her core, but she lifted off of me, not allowing me any relief. I groaned. “Beautiful, keep in mind that I will have my turn with you, and turnabout is fair play.”

  My mischievous beauty giggled as she continued to lick her way down my body. I am so fucking hard that I might come in my pants before she is finished. I want to be inside her so bad.

  She finally took some mercy on me and began to unbutton my pants, but she had to let go of my arms to free my erection. I take the opportunity to roll us back over, pinning her to the bed with my body. I immediately cup one of her breasts with one hand and take the other one in my mouth. I lick and suck one nipple while my hand massages the other, then switch.

  She moaned and tried to rub her core against my now freed hard length. I grind myself against her and she moaned louder. Holy fuck, the sounds alone drive me crazy.

  Emilia put her hands in my hair and pulled me back to her mouth. I slide my free hand under her long skirt, trailing up her thigh. When I get to her juncture, I nearly choke. “You aren’t wearing any panties.”

  She smirked, her eyes sparkling with
mischief. “Nope. Too restricting.”

  Oh…fuck. “Are you telling me that you never wear panties?” I asked as I lick down her flat stomach.

  She shivered, her skin breaking out in goosebumps. “Just think of it as easy access.”

  I grinned at her and winked before I disappeared under her skirt. I nip along her thigh as I work my way to her center. She is glistening, already soaked from our mutual teasing. With one broad stroke, I lick up her core.

  She grabbed my head and holds me tight against her slick sex, grinding herself against my mouth. Fuck. I flick my tongue across her most sensitive spot as I plunge a finger inside of her.

  Emilia cried out as her orgasm took her. I slip another finger inside of her and helped her ride out the waves, her internal muscles squeezing my fingers.

  “Fuck, I need to be inside of you.”

  She moaned, still quivering from her release. “Yes, please.”

  I pulled her skirt off as I slid out from under it. I licked up her center one more time before I hook one of her legs with my arm and push my way into her, her wetness facilitating my thrust. I plunge as far as I could before stilling, giving her body a chance to accommodate my sizable length.

  She started moving her hips in circles underneath me. Fuck, this female is killing me. I move my hips slowly, sliding in and out of her slick core.

  She made a noise that sounded like she was frustrated. “Fin, I may look delicate, but I am damn near unbreakable. Now fuck me like you mean it,” she said, sitting up to kiss me.

  “As my lady commands.” I start to pound myself inside of her. She screamed as another orgasm rocked through her. I lose my rhythm, her sex clamping down on me while she comes. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from coming with her. I am not done yet.

  I flip her over and enter her from behind, the position allowing me to get deeper. I slam into her, filling her to the hilt. I grind myself against her perfect ass. I pull back, almost all the way out, and slam back into her. She cries out. I start pounding her, getting into a rhythm. She was meeting me pound for pound, slamming her body on mine.