Prince of Fire

by Linda Winstead Jones

  “I didn’t think you needed your eyes to lead you,” Joryn said, half-joking, but in part serious.

  “Well, I do. This way.” She pointed upward, and turned to a more sharply inclined path.

  A short while later, Joryn smelled rain on the chilled breeze that slapped their faces and made the leaves flutter vigorously. Not long after that, the clouds completely obscured the sun. And then, the raindrops began to fall.

  At first, the thick growth overhead protected them, but soon the rain was falling faster and harder, and the ground beneath their feet grew slick. Their clothes were soaked and the hard rain made it difficult to see where their steps were falling on this dangerous terrain. Still, Keelia seemed to have a plan; she seemed to be heading in a particular direction.

  On a slick slope, she stopped and lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the rain. She pointed again with that slender, pale arm that he knew to be dangerous. “There,” she said, shouting to be heard above the wicked weather.

  “I don’t see…” Joryn began, but Keelia moved forward with a quickened step. She veered to the right, stepping onto more level ground. Again her pace increased, until she was almost running.

  And then she veered sharply to the left, and disappeared.

  Joryn stopped and spun around. The heavy rain, the thick growth, the wind in his eyes, they all dimmed his vision. Still, how could Keelia be gone? In a heartbeat, without warning … gone.

  “Keelia!” he shouted, but it seemed the wind caught the name and carried it away too quickly. He thought of the misshapen creatures and how quickly they’d attacked by the stream. He should’ve sensed them, smelled them, but he hadn’t. Not soon enough. What if they had the Anwyn Red Queen? What if they didn’t stop at a bite, but tore out her throat, or her heart, or both? Perhaps it would be a better end than his own, but still… the pictures in his mind made him shudder.

  What if they simply bit her as they had bitten him, and when the full moon next rose, she turned into a strong, brave, gifted monster?

  A flash of white, the color of Keelia’s skin, caught his eye and he spun toward it. From the low entrance to a cave, she waved at him.

  She waved, as if he had not just imagined her ravaged by the mutant beasts.

  He followed her direction to the cave, dipped down, and walked inside. There was little light here, so perhaps she would not see his scowl, or his worry. Not for the first time, he was very glad that she could not peek into his mind, as she did others.

  The cave was larger than he had imagined it would be, judging by the entrance. Keelia was able to stand in an area the size of the Grandmother’s meeting room, which was small but adequate for the witch and her students. The cave was certainly more than adequate fortwo weary travelers. Given the storm beyond the stone walls, it was quite comfortable. He never would’ve found it on his own.

  The Queen peeled off her wet gown. “If you will build us a fire, our clothes and hair will dry faster.”

  Joryn directed his special energy to a spot near the entrance, and a small fire leapt to life. It provided not only heat to dry their clothes, but light. Light by which Keelia’s skin glowed.

  She was so incredibly beautiful. Not for the first time, he wondered why the Anwyn Queen couldn’t be ancient and ugly, instead of a gorgeous woman who had picked up the annoying habit of suggesting that they were meant to be mates. For life.

  “Your clothing will dry faster if you take it off,” she said, gesturing with wagging, slender fingers to the trousers he wore.

  “I’m fine.”

  “I can already tell mat you’re aroused, if that is why you hesitate.” She cocked her head to one side. “You insist that you don’t care for me in any way, you say it is ridiculous that we are meant to be mated, and yet your body responds to mine.”

  “My body responds to any naked woman,” Joryn said, remembering the moment when he’d believed she’d been taken by the mutant Caradon. That feeling of panic had been unlike any other he had ever experienced, but he could not tell her that. Nor could he dwell on it.

  Keelia placed her soaked gown a short distance away, draping it on an overhang that jutted out from the cave wall. The thin material would surely dry quickly. She moved closer to the fire, her limbs loose and relaxed, her skin pale and flawless. She shook her hair above the flames, allowing the radiating heat to dry the long, red strands.

  Outside the cave, rain fell hard, and the wind howled. A crack of thunder shook the mountain. They’d found shelter from the storm just in time, thanks to Keelia’s senses.

  It occurred to Joryn too late that he might be better off battling a wicked storm than battling a determined Anwyn Queen.

  *

  The rain continued long after darkness fell. They made themselves comfortable, as much as was possible given the circumstances, and Joryn delved into his pack and took out some of the last of the dried meat. He passed a piece to Keelia and partook of a bit himself.

  She tried not to let Joryn see that she was terrified. Terrified that he might be her mate; terrified that he was not. Terrified that they wouldn’t reach the Caradon wizard in time; terrified that he would be saved and he still wouldn’t want anything to do with her.

  It wasn’t like her to fear what tomorrow would bring, but at the moment it seemed she feared everything.

  When they’d finished their meal, Joryn sat near the fire. He’d removed his boots, but almost dry trousers still hung on his stubborn body. His wounded leg, revealed beneath a rolled-up hem, looked almost normal. After a few moments of silence, Keelia scooted closer to him and reached out to lay her hand over the scar, hoping the closeness would bring her some knowledge. He twitched when she touched him, and then settled down without pushing her away or uttering a protest.

  She still saw nothing.

  Joryn reached again for his pack. Since they’d already eaten, and they’d drunk plenty of water, Keelia couldn’t imagine what he wanted from his meager supplies. He reached into the pack and came out with the bracelet which had been enchanted by the Grandmother. Her heart sank a little. He was going to put it on again, to make sure she never saw his thoughts or touched his mind. She couldn’t have even that much…

  “Here.” Surprisingly, he offered the wide silver bracelet to her.

  After a moment of hesitation, she took it. She’d never studied the simply crafted jewelry closely before this moment, and she noted the faint scrollwork in the silver. Her fingers traced a particularly pretty section. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

  “Wear it, as a sign of our accord,” he said. “Allow the bracelet to remind you of the reasons we’re here.”

  “It won’t fit me” She turned the large piece over in ., her hands. The wide bracelet had been made for him, not her, and would fall off her arm if she dared to wear it.

  “It will fit.” Joryn took the bracelet from her, grasped her hand in his, and slid the bracelet onto her wrist. Immediately, the silver shifted. It shrank and curled and conformed to her smaller wrist, just as it had done when he’d shifted into his feline form.

  The bracelet felt very much at home on her wrist. Did Joryn think it would continue to keep their minds separate? Or did he simply want to remind her of the seriousness of their mission?

  She did not wish to think of the mission. Tonight she didn’t want to think of evil wizards or soulless monsters or anything else unpleasant.

  “Thank you. It’s a lovely gift.” And perhaps the only tangible thing she would ever have from Joryn. Keelia admired the bracelet for a moment longer, and then she stared into the flames. The magical fire danced, spellbinding and oddly beautiful.

  “Do die Caradon kiss?” she asked.

  Joryn turned his head and looked down at her. His brow wrinkled slightly. “What?”

  “Kiss? Do you kiss? It’s a very simple question.”

  He looked puzzled. “There are kisses of greeting and farewell.”

  “Show me,” she insisted, and then she caught herself. �
�I mean, will you please show me what you mean?”

  He sighed, but leaned down and kissed her cheeks, one and then the other, before backing away from her. “Like that.”

  “Oh.”

  “You sound disappointed.”

  “I am. The Anwyn marry and live with humans, women for the most part, and they kiss often. They seem to enjoy kissing their mates on the mouth.”

  “Is it a part of your sexual rituals?”

  “Not necessarily. Sometimes they kiss in front of other people, when they’re fully clothed and hours away from any opportunity to be alone.” She squirmed. “Besides, my mother told me…” She stared into the fire, almost swept into a trance by the way the flames swirled.

  “Your mother told you what?” Joryn snapped.

  What did she have to lose at this point? Why not be totally and openly honest? “My mother lived as a human before coming to the Anwyn. She was my age before she knew that she was Queen, that she had Anwyn blood. She gives great weight to a kiss between a man and a woman, and she told me often that while I have no say in who my mate is destined to be, the love to come is real, and I will know that love by his kiss.”

  Joryn scoffed. “Love is for humans, and from what little I have seen and heard on the subject, it is fragile and elusive.”

  “You and I both claim lowland humans among our ancestors ” Keelia said. “Are we really so different from them?”

  “Yes,” Joryn answered decisively. “Caradon and Anwyn blood are both dominant, as you well know, and that blood overcomes our lowland heritage and its inborn weaknesses.”

  “Surely there are some among the Caradon who know love,” Keelia argued. It seemed to her that every species could, and should, enjoy love among those who were mated. Of course, most Caradon never did settle down with one partner.

  “Some claim to,” Joryn said.

  “You sound skeptical.”

  “I am.”

  “You don’t believe in love at all?”

  “I imagine some might think it to be real when they are in the grip of an especially strong passion.”

  “But not you.”

  “Not me.”

  She had been a skeptic herself at times, but she had her parents to remind her that love was real. She had seen again and again how wonderful real love could be.

  “In that case, you don’t have anything to lose by kissing me ” she said, trying to keep all emotion out of her voice.

  Joryn stared down at her. The firelight flickered on his face, and something in her chest leapt. “I just kissed you.”

  “You kissed me on the cheek,” she protested, “as you would an old woman or a kindly uncle. I would like a kiss on the mouth.”

  “Are you going to order me to kiss you?” A quick smile bloomed, and that dimple she rather liked appeared in his cheek.

  “Of course not.” He wouldn’t obey her if she did, so what was the point? “It’s just that I have often wondered what it’s like, and with the creatures roaming these mountains and the coming confrontation with the wizard, and the uncertainty of what tomorrow might bring for either of us, I might never have another chance to find out.” She caught his eye. “Have you never kissed a lover?”

  “Not on the mouth.”

  “Why not?”

  “It isn’t necessary.”

  “Must all things be necessary?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, you give a kiss no importance.”

  “None.”

  “Then what would it hurt to kiss me, so I might know the sensation in case this is my last chance?”

  “You’re very persistent.”

  Keelia smiled. “Yes, I know.”

  Joryn sighed and mumbled something about the endeavor being pointless, but he did lower his mouth toward hers. His lips were upon hers quickly, where they brushed across her lips and then began to move away.

  Keelia sighed. “Not.like that.” She grabbed his face in her hands and pulled him back, planting her mouth on his fully.

  For a moment, that was the extent of their experiment. They pressed their mouths together. His lips were firm but also warm and gentle. Not dry, but neither overly wet. She moved her lips very slightly, rubbing them against his. In answer, his lips parted.

  Something odd happened to her, inside and out. Suddenly she was hot, aroused, itchy, trembling, and oh, it felt wonderful. She couldn’t kiss Joryn hard enough, deep enough, or long enough. Her chest contracted, her stomach danced. Her entire body reacted to the kiss.

  She flicked her tongue out and traced the line of Jo-ryn’s lower lip. His intake of breath was telling. He might not admit it, but he liked the kissing, too. His breath and his heartbeat and even his scent shifted subtly. He was affected in a deeply physical way by the joining of their mouths.

  Keelia could not believe the depth of her reaction. Her breasts ached, and deep in her belly there was a telling heaviness. They’d been kissing for mere mo-1 ments, and already she was spiraling out of control. It was like going into her fertile days, when a Queen’s heat descended upon her, only it was not the proper time.

  She didn’t want to find release in a trance tonight. She wanted reality. She wanted Joryn.

  “So close,” she whispered against his mouth. “And still I see nothing of you. Not the past, the future, your thoughts. Nothing.” She wanted to know whether or not they would be able to save Joryn from becoming like the monsters who had attacked them, and she did still wonder if he might be her mate. Other than that, it was surprisingly pleasant not to be forced to deal with his thoughts as well as her own. There was usually a certain amount of control necessary when she was in the company of another person, but with Joryn she could be relaxed. She could allow her mind to wander where it would.

  And it did wander, to wonderful places and warm possibilities.

  Joryn cupped her head and pulled her forward, so they were kissing again. He gently forced her mouth to open wider, and his tongue flickered against hers. Feeling decidedly unsteady, Keelia stabilized herself by placing one hand against Joryn’s side. She could feel his heart beneath the skin. It beat fast and hard, just as hers did. Her hand dropped to the waistband of his trousers, and her.fingers deftly unfastened and opened the band so she could touch his skin.

  “You should remove these trousers so they have a chance to dry well before morning,” she said, surprised at the breathless quality of her voice.

  “You’re trying to seduce me. Again,” Joryn said hoarsely.

  Keelia’s hand snaked well into the opened trousers and encircled his erection. “As you can see, the removal of your clothing isn’t necessary for seduction. I’m only thinking of your comfort.” She stroked once, and then removed her hand. “Besides, we are only kissing. You’ve made it clear that you don’t wish to lie with me.” Though his body very clearly said otherwise.

  “I don’t want to encourage your ridiculous fantasies that we might be mates for life. That is not my way.” In contrast to his words, which seemed distant enough, his hand cupped one breast and the thumb brushed against her nipple.

  Keelia’s breath caught at the intense and unexpected sensation, and she rocked against the Caradon, wanting more.

  “What if your way is wrong?”

  “What if your way is wrong?” he countered. His hand slipped down and delved between her legs, where she was wet and aching. He stroked, and her body responded by arching and quivering. “What if there’s nothing between a male and a female but need and pleasure and release, and it does not matter who touches you to stir your natural desires?”

  Keelia closed her eyes and leaned her head back. He had touched her this way before, in reality and in dreams. But it had never felt quite like this. It had never been so intense and true. She was beyond the point where she could stop, and if he stopped… what would she do? He would not accede to her commands, he had already made that clear. Would he make her beg? It was wrong for a Queen to be made to beg for anything, but at the moment she would g
ladly plead for what she needed.

  She thought about begging, but her pride interfered and she hesitated. “What if you are wrong, and it’s true that one male and one female are meant to be together to the exclusion of all others? What if there is something more between those who are meant to be mated? Something you cannot understand or explain.”

  Joryn sighed and laid her down so that she was on her back. The coolness of the stone floor felt good against her overheated skin. The heat of his body over hers felt even better.

  “I thought we were only going to kiss,” she whispered as he whipped away his trousers.

  He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her again. The kiss had changed dramatically. It tasted of desperation now. It was deeper. Harder. More invasive. “Is that what you want?” Joryn asked as he abrupdy ended the kiss. “Mouth to mouth only?”

  “No. You know what I want, Joryn.” It was a simple statement, without commands or pleas. Her body shook. It trembled so deeply she wondered if Joryn could see the effect he had on her. He could surely feel it, as his body was pressed closely to hers.

  He did not offer her his throat, and she did not offer hers. This was not a moment of bonding spiritually, but of sexual gratification alone. Unless he accepted what she believed to be true, Joryn would never offer her his throat in that ultimate gesture of trust and love.

  When he pushed inside her trembling body, she did not care.

  In dreams and trances, she had experienced the sensations of having a man inside her, but in reality her body was untested. She was a virgin, and then she was a virgin no more as Joryn thrust deep. There was a tiny moment of pain that made her gasp, but the pleasurable sensations were much more intense than the pain.

  Her body stretched to accommodate his girth and length, and soon they found a rhythm that suited them both. In spite of their fervor, the rhythm was slow. Keelia knew if she moved quickly, this would soon be over, and she didn’t want it to be over. She wanted it to last. The connection, the ripples of sensation flitting through her body, the heat she and Joryn shared, his body on and inside hers. She wanted it to last for as long as possible.