Ignite_A Fiery Paranormal Romance

by Tricia Barr

  “I can carry you,” Bruce said. “Phoenyx, you’ll have to take her gun.”

  “Okay, good plan,” Phoenyx said. “It’s gonna be okay, Lily. We’re gonna get you out of here in no time. Then we’ll get you to a hospital. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”

  Lily nodded, her face puckering.

  “Come on, let’s go,” Bruce said.

  Phoenyx took the gun from Lily. They ran across the torture room and through another door into another hallway. By the time they got into the hall, Lily stumbled and fell to her knees.

  “Shit; she won’t make it any farther,” Phoenyx said, swooping under one of Lily’s arms and pulling her up with her shoulders. “Bruce, you have to take her now. Can you still shoot that thing with one hand?”

  “Of course,” he said. He picked Lily up and threw her limp little body over his right shoulder, holding the gun in his left hand.

  “Phoenyx,” Lily murmured, her voice soft and sleepy.

  “Lily?” Phoenyx asked, lifting up Lily’s face. She was already gone. “I’m going to get you out of here,” Phoenyx promised, letting Lily’s face down slowly. “All right, let’s go,” she said to the others.

  They made it to the second stairway, narrowly dodging a small band of guards who descended just before and went down the opposite hallway. They ran up.

  “The last staircase is a straight shot down the hall,” Bruce said. “Then the service entrance is the swinging white door to the far left once we are on the ground floor.”

  They made it up the stairs and onto the last underground floor. Immediately a shot was fired from the left. A guard waited for them against the wall of the staircase entrance. He shot a dart into Bruce’s neck. Bruce swiftly turned and shot back at him. Skylar threw an air burst at him but not before the guard fired a final shot back. Skylar wasn’t fast enough to stop the dart from zooming into his chest.

  “The prisoners are on B1.” The guard coughed as he pressed the bud in his ear.

  Skylar and Bruce yanked out their darts. Bruce went to the guard and kicked him in the head. The resulting crack insinuated that the guard was now dead.

  “They’re all headed this way now,” Bruce said, covering his own ear-piece to listen. “Most of them are below us. If we move quickly, we might have a chance before the tranks kick in.”

  “No,” Skylar said. “Phoenyx, Sebastian, you two have to go on without us.”

  “No,” Phoenyx rejected the idea.

  “No, I’m not leaving without you,” Sebastian asserted.

  “You have to,” Skylar said. “With Bruce, Lily, and me shot, there’s no way we’re all getting out of here together. They can’t perform the ritual without all four of us. As long as at least one of us gets away, they can’t kill us yet. You two get out and get help, then come back for us. It’s the only way.”

  “I promised Lily—” Phoenyx began.

  “The only way to keep your promise is to go now,” Skylar yelled. “We don’t have time to argue. Bruce and I will hold them off with the time we have left.”

  Phoenyx bit her lip, struggling to make a decision.

  “You said the service entrance is on the far left after the stairs?” Phoenyx asked Bruce begrudgingly.

  “Yes, then the kitchen is the last door on the right,” he said.

  “Okay. Take good care of my friends,” she ordered.

  “With my life,” he said, putting his free fist over his heart. Then he set Lily down gently and faced the stairway entrance, ready to fight.

  “Skylar—” Sebastian said.

  “See you when you get back,” Skylar cut him off. “Since I won’t be there to watch your back, try not to get into any trouble while you’re gone. I don’t wanna be kept waiting down here because you got yourself arrested.” He smiled a good-bye smile, then turned his back on them and faced the stairs.

  “Come on,” Phoenyx urged Sebastian. She took his hand and squeezed it tight. They ran down the long, straight hallway together.

  She felt his reluctance at leaving Skylar, because it was the same as her own. Neither of them could bear the thought of leaving Skylar and Lily behind but they had to. They were going to get out and find help. They would go to the police station and report this deranged fraternity and come back with a handful of cops, guns blazing. All these psychos would be arrested. Then the four of them could go home.

  They ran up the final staircase and through a door leading to a wide open reception hall of modern architecture, with white stuccoed walls and red carpeting. The room was empty.

  “The white door!” Sebastian said to Phoenyx, frantically pointing and pulling her to the swinging door to their left.

  They pushed the door open and peered down the hall. Then they sprinted down the slippery white linoleum, past windows that let in the first real sunlight they’d seen in so long, to the last door on the right.

  They charged into the kitchen, sliding on the slippery floor to the right into a rack of pots as they did so. The pots clanged and rattled obnoxiously, alerting a man washing dishes at the sink against the wall in the center of the room to their presence. The man turned to them, as if expecting to see someone else—another guard perhaps—and his eyes and mouth popped open when he saw it was them. He dropped his dishes and put his hands up in surrender.

  Sebastian thrust his arm out toward the sink full of steaming water. The water leapt up and splashed the man in the face, turning his skin instantly red. The man screamed in pain from the heat and ran, blind and bumbling, to the exit door at the back of the kitchen, showing them right where to go. They were almost out!

  Phoenyx leapt over the first counter top in her way. Before Sebastian could follow, she heard a shot from behind her and turned around. A black clad guard stood in the doorway, anchoring the swinging door with his gun aimed at Sebastian. A dart stuck out of Sebastian’s chest. He pulled it out and swung up a fast leg to kick the gun out of the guard’s hands. Angered, the guard dove at Sebastian and tackled him to the floor.

  “No,” Phoenyx yelled, lifting herself back up over the counter to rescue him.

  Sebastian groaned between struggles. “Get out!”

  She stopped dead. Leaving Sebastian behind was the absolute last thing she wanted to do. Her heart wouldn’t let her. She stared at Sebastian and his combatant for a few very slow seconds, caught between wanting to save him and wanting to get help.

  “Go,” Sebastian yelled at her, gaining an upper hand against his assailant.

  His words took control of her body and she ran for the exit, hating herself with every step. She would come back for him—for all of them.

  She ran headlong for the door at the back with the red glaring exit sign above it beckoning her. She hurtled over counters, past baking racks, and finally shoved the door open. Fresh air crashed into her face like a wave on the shore. Sunlight flooded the outside world and enveloped her—welcoming her.

  Her feet were on paved black tar—a parking lot with nothing but a dumpster in sight before the brick wall that only barely separated this horrible place from the rest of the world. She darted to the dumpster, slammed the lid down closed, and heaved herself on top of it to jump over the wall.

  She landed on an alley of dirt. She made it! She was free! She took a moment to let the endorphins flood as she reveled in her liberation. It never felt so good to be outside, to breathe in cool fresh air, to feel dirt on her hands.

  She stood and dusted herself off. Now she had to get to the police. She ran out of the alley and onto a sidewalk alongside a main road. She looked up and down the road, trying to decide which direction to go, which direction might lead to the police station.

  Then, not too far down, she spotted a police car parked on the side of the street. What luck! She thanked her lucky stars as she ran to the cop car.

  The front passenger window was down and the officer in the driver’s seat was drinking a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper.

  “Officer, I need your hel
p!” She panted, placing her hands on the window sill to brace herself as she tried to catch her breath.

  The officer put down his newspaper and looked at her with a startled expression.

  “Geez, you scared the crap out of me,” he said. “What’s the problem, miss?”

  “That lodge down the street.” She panted. “They’re all crazy! They had me and my friends locked up for days. I escaped but my friends are still trapped in there. Please, you have to believe me!”

  He looked at her for a minute, mulling over what she said. She wasn’t sure if he believed her or not.

  “All right, I’ll take you to the station and we’ll sort this out,” he said. He leaned over and opened the passenger door. “Get in.”

  She slid in and closed the door.

  “Thank you so much!” she gushed as she pulled her seat belt on. “You don’t know how terrified we’ve been.”

  Suddenly, all the doors locked.

  The sound made her pause and she looked sideways at the cop. Before she could stop him, his left hand pushed a wet rag up to her face, covering her nose and mouth. She instinctively grabbed his hand, ready to will him to stop but her frantic breathing only sucked in the chloroform faster. She passed out.

  Phoenyx sleepily opened her eyes. Soft orange-yellow sunlight flooded her vision. She blinked and saw a wonderfully familiar ceiling above her. She sat up, her hands sinking into the cool fluffiness of her old down comforter. She was in her bedroom, her old bedroom, in the house in Phoenix she grew up in. Is this real?

  Wait. She remembered. This house burned down years ago and she had caused it. Then it all came rushing back to her. Being trapped in a cell for days, the hunger, the discomfort, her friends, their powers…but she couldn’t be alarmed. Not right now. The place she was in right now was the epitome of comfort, warmth, and contentedness. All those worries were so far away.

  She stood and walked around her old room, touching all of her old treasures that were lost six years ago. Her Nancy Drew books on the bookshelf, her now much too small clothes hanging in the closet, her NSYNC poster—everything was just as she left it.

  She ventured down the stairs slowly, running her hand down the smooth wooden banister, savoring every sensory detail. As she descended, she saw her father sitting at the dining room table, reading the newspaper, and bathed in thick golden sunshine raining through the window. Her memories of him all this time hadn’t done him justice. He was so handsome, a beacon of all good things, a halcyon.

  He looked at her and smiled. “Hey kiddo. Wow, look at you. My little girl turned into such a beautiful young lady.”

  The resonating sound of her dad’s voice brought tears to her eyes.

  “Daddy?” she asked. “Is it really you?”

  “It sure is, honey,” he said.

  She ran down the rest of the steps. He stood up to receive her as she dove into his arms, hugging him as tightly as she could. His arms engulfed her; his embrace the safest place in the world.

  “I’m so sorry, Daddy.” She wept.

  “For what, kiddo?” he asked, pulling her away enough to see her face.

  “It’s my fault that you’re dead,” she cried. “I started that fire. I’m a freak!”

  “You’re not a freak, honey,” he said soothingly. “You’re a wonderful, smart, resourceful person, and you have an amazing gift. What happened here was an accident.” He held her face in his hands. “I could never blame you for it. The only thing I regret was not being able to be here for you as you grew up. Although, your mom did a fine job raising you without me.”

  Phoenyx shook her head. “How could you not hate me for it? I hate myself.”

  “I love you, Phoenyx,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the person you’ve become. You can’t let your fear hold you back anymore. Right now, your friends need you. You can’t be afraid to use the gifts you were born with. It’s your destiny. Don’t run away from it. You have to go back now.”

  “Go back?” she asked. “No, I can’t go back now. I’ve missed you so much, I don’t want to say good-bye yet.”

  “You don’t have to say good-bye,” he said. “I’m always with you. I love you, sweetheart.”

  “I love you, too, Dad.”

  “Now, wake up, Phoenyx. Wake up. Phoenyx—”

  “Phoenyx! Wake up!” It was Sebastian’s voice.

  Phoenyx snapped awake. She tried to sit up but there was a firm leather strap secured snugly over her chest. She lifted her arms to loosen it only to find that her wrists were bound, and so were her ankles. Oh God! Oh no! She woke in that nightmarish ritual room and was on one of those hospital stretchers. No, no, no!

  “Sebastian!” she yelled out.

  “You’re awake!” he yelled.

  She lifted her head as much as she could to look for him. She saw that the room was filled with hooded figures in maroon robes. Sebastian was on the gurney to her left, but as they were placed perpendicular to each other, all she could see of him was from his chest down.

  “Sebastian, I’m so sorry!” she yelled. “I thought I got away! I was so close! Lily, Skylar!” She looked to the stretcher on her right and saw Skylar’s torso and feet sticking out. But she couldn’t see Lily. Lily must be on the stretcher right behind her.

  “They’re both still out from the drugs,” Sebastian said.

  Just then, one of the hooded figures approached Phoenyx with one of those creepy silver metal helmets with all the wires sticking out.

  “No! Get away from me,” she shrieked, struggling like hell to get loose, but it was no use.

  “Fuck you, you crazy bastard!” Sebastian spat at the person approaching him.

  The figure roughly placed the helmet on Phoenyx’s head, despite her squirming and buckled the straps under her chin. She threw her head up and bit down on the person’s hand as hard as she could. A female voice cried out as the hand jerked away, dripping blood onto Phoenyx’s shirt. The coppery, warm taste of blood filled Phoenyx’s mouth, so she wadded it up with her tongue and spat it at the woman. The woman didn’t react any further than the initial cry. She kept fiddling with the wires on the helmet, then walked away.

  Then chanting began. All around them, the figures formed a giant circle and started singing words Phoenyx didn’t understand. Probably some weird Celtic crap.

  This is it. We lost. I’m going to die. Will my soul stay attached to Fire? When they steal Fire from my body and put it inside their lunatic leader, will my soul be trapped inside of him, too? I hope not! If I’m going to die, at least I can look forward to one thing—that I will be with my dad again.

  One familiar male voice rang out above the others. She looked in that direction, craning her neck and barely seeing his face beneath the stupid clumsy helmet on her head. Dexter, the man from the bar—the leader of this cult. He wore the same maroon colored robe as the others with his hood back to show his face. He stepped up to the altar to give a speech to his followers.

  “My brothers and sisters,” he announced. “The time has finally come for us to correct the mistake our forefathers made all those centuries ago. No longer will the elements belong to the Bound Ones. No longer will we have to search for the power that is rightfully ours. Today, we take that power back. From this day forward, the power of the elements will forever be bound to the Four Corners!”

  With that, he pulled down the large lever. An agonizing, uncontrollable pain surged through Phoenyx’s body. Her muscles twitched, twisted, and contorted painfully. The more she fought it, the more it hurt. It was like having the worst Charlie horse in every single muscle in her entire body at the same time.

  She heard Sebastian groaning beside her, muffled by the constant and terrifying buzz of the electricity traveling through the wires and into her head. Then just under that, she barely heard Dexter’s voice speaking in that same language. How strange how beautiful it was, even as she was being electrocuted. Something inside her responded to it, lifting up inside her. It was a feeling sim
ilar to that feeling in your stomach at the highest peak of a rollercoaster ride when you’re thrown upward.

  She couldn’t be sure at first, but it felt like the ground beneath her was rumbling and quaking. She thought it was just the beginning of her soul being ripped apart, but she opened her eyes enough to see the faces of those in front of her. They were faces filled with trepidation, looking around at the ceiling and at each other in questioning dismay. Dust was shaken free and falling from the ceiling. The people in front of her were losing their balance. The earth really was shaking. Is this an earthquake?

  “Fear not, my brothers and sisters,” Dexter said. “This is only Earth’s feeble attempt at rebellion. It will be over soon.”

  Earth? Lily is doing this?

  “Lily!” Phoenyx shouted as loud as she could. If Lily woke and realized what she was doing with this power against them, she could stop all this right now—even if that meant killing the four of them in the process. All this time, Lily had the power of the entire Earth inside her. She just might be the most powerful one of them all.

  As the rumbling calmed, a breeze picked up, lifting and brushing the material of the robes all around. Soon the breeze turned into a wind, faster and stronger, whipping all around the room. That had to be Skylar, unconsciously fighting back with his element as well.

  Sebastian groaned then and the walls shook once more. Again, frightened gasps escaped the hooded crowd. Inside the walls, cracking and banging sounded, and then water streamed through the cracks in between the bricks. A small part of Phoenyx’s mind understood that this was Sebastian. He desperately tried to pull all the water around them to his aide and the sounds and shaking of the walls was the force of the water bursting through the pipes inside the walls. The water trickled and streamed slowly, gathering into puddles in places and lifting into the air as it swirled itself into perfectly round balls. The musical sound of the water moving was peaceful as a forest stream but what followed was far from peace. Once elevated, the balls hurled themselves at the hooded figures, swirling around their heads. They gurgled horribly and struggled to free themselves until they drowned and fell dead to the floor.