Pyromancist SECOND EDITION: Art of Fire (7 Forbidden Arts Book 1)

by Charmaine Pauls

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her breath catching when her body heated without her consent.

  Something cold and hard wrapped around her wrist. A click sounded. She looked up. The bastard had handcuffed her to the bed. She yanked her arm, flinching at the bite of the metal on her skin.

  “Don’t pull.” He straightened. “You’ll only hurt yourself.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Shit. He was leaving her here, wherever the hell they were.

  Wait.

  Then it hit her.

  Oh, God. She knew where they were. The circular room could only be one place. If her mind hadn’t been so foggy with the drugs he’d injected her with, she would’ve realized it sooner. Dread filled her veins.

  “You can’t leave me here.” Begging was not beneath her. “Please.”

  Without another word, he turned and did exactly that. He left her alone in his childhood house, a haunted house, handcuffed to a bed, powerless to protect herself.

  Chapter 9

  A string of cusswords flew from Joss’s lips as he made his way down the creaky stairs. What a big, fucking mess. He was furious with Clelia for valuing herself so little that she gave away something so precious in a dirty field of thorns to a drunken man who couldn’t even grace her with the honor of remembering it. But that was nothing compared to the rage he felt toward himself. She was right. He’d wanted it. He was a skilled seducer. The inexperienced Clelia wouldn’t have stood a chance. He only had himself to blame, and God knew, he did.

  Now she was his problem. Under different circumstances, he would’ve jumped on the opportunity, but he was a forbidden arts hunter, and she may very well be the prey. The way things stood right now, she was the enemy. Only, when he’d laid his hands on her, he’d staken his claim. He might be a bastard, but he wasn’t without honor. That was the least he owed the delectable little witch.

  If Cain found out, he’d send him back to New York without a second thought. He could argue it had been just a fuck, but Cain knew better than anyone emotions and honor always got in the way when sex entered the equation.

  If Clelia was guilty, her execution was a foregone conclusion. He wasn’t going to let anyone else drive a blade through her heart, but could he do it after last night? The guilt eating at him muddled his reason. It fucked with his mind. Who the hell was he kidding? Would he ever have been able to kill her?

  When he’d gotten the mission details, his gut had twisted in ten different ways, and it wasn’t only because he had to return to the past that still haunted him. It was because Clelia felt personal. They had a history, an innocent but undeniable connection. If he was honest, he’d admit it wasn’t as one-sided as he liked to pretend. He’d been aware of her, all right. He had imagined things—dark, forbidden, and shameful things—in the darkness of the night when he’d fisted his cock and came in his hand. No, Clelia was his. He wasn’t going to let anyone else deal with her.

  He hadn’t felt this conflicted since he’d left this godforsaken town. What happened last night was not okay. She could have his ass for sexual harassment. Even if they operated outside of the law, the organization took sexual harassment and assault seriously.

  Fuck.

  The way he’d touched her before handcuffing her had been suggestive. Cle was a bewitching little siren, but he shouldn’t be getting hard while slamming cuffs around her wrist.

  At the bottom of the stairs, he pushed his thumbs into his tired, burning eyes. Did he do the right thing by bringing her here? It was the only safe place he could think of. No one would look for him here. He wiped his hands over his face, pacing the small space of the entrance.

  Leaving her alone wasn’t ideal, but he didn’t have a choice. She needed to eat. She needed clothes. What he needed to do was find out what the hell was going on, and fast. Before Cain gave the order to kill her.

  Chapter 10

  By the time Joss had bought food and gone to Erwan’s cottage to pack some of Clelia’s clothes after staring down four damn wolves, he got a call from Lann saying Cain had arrived at the safe house.

  Joss looked around the abandoned jetty in the hidden alcove to ensure he wasn’t followed before scanning the surrounding forest with heat-sensitive binoculars. When the search came up clean, he threw the things he tugged along into a motorboat, started the engine, and drove a few miles out to sea.

  After Île Longue, he spotted the yacht. He cut the engine when he was close, and let the tide push his boat to the side of the luxury vessel.

  The Russian appeared on the deck, hooking the ladder into place for Joss to come aboard their new safe house. He had to admit, it was clever. They could move around, making it harder to be tracked, and Cain had a natural affinity for water, not to mention water was the safest place a person could be when a firestarter posed a threat.

  Lann extended a hand to help Joss over the last step. His grip was firm for his slender appearance.

  “Where is she?” Lann asked.

  “Safe.”

  The truth was he didn’t trust her with anyone else. Right now he didn’t even trust Cain. Not that trust had ever been required for their working partnership. Joss executed his missions without asking questions. This time though, he had plenty of questions, and he was going to demand answers. He had a feeling there was more to the case than solving a crime. He also knew Cain’s brutality where the fight for snuffing out evil was concerned. Cain would harm Clelia if needed. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d be required to destroy someone who abused the power of their art or use whoever they could to get to that person. Until he knew how Clelia fitted into the picture and what Cain’s plans for her and Erwan were, he wasn’t exposing her to anyone.

  Lann regarded him curiously, his green cashmere sweater hanging loosely over his lean frame. “You’re overprotective where that female is concerned.”

  “If I wanted your opinion, I would’ve asked for it.”

  “I’m not challenging you, Joss. I’m concerned. Cain isn’t pleased.”

  Joss motioned to the motorboat. “Get the bags. There’s food that needs to go in the fridge.” When Lann moved forward, Joss laid a hand on his arm. “I appreciate your concern.”

  Lann’s golden eyes flickered. “You better get inside. Cain will be upset if you keep him waiting.”

  Upset was a girlish word for what Cain would be. Cain was Joss’s senior by twenty years, but his authority was asserted through his rank, and although Joss had no desire to start fighting ranks, he’d do whatever was needed to keep Clelia safe until he knew more.

  His irrationality bothered him. She was innocent, but innocence didn’t explain his uncharacteristic mercifulness where the woman was concerned. For now, he pushed these troubling thoughts from his mind in order to focus on the conversation that was about to take place.

  Bracing himself, he went below deck to the lounge where Cain sat on a leather sofa with an espresso on the table in front of him, reading data on a 3D screen. Cain minimized the graphics he was studying and pushed the information aside with a flick of his hand. He wore a white suit with a white shirt and white silk tie, his signature attire. He dressed like God, Joss thought grimly, as if he controlled the fate of mankind, which wasn’t too far off the mark. His dark hair was brushed back, curling over the nape of his neck, and his brown eyes were brimming with a brewing explosion. The inflamed redness of the birthmark on his cheek told Joss that Cain was upset.

  Joss nodded in greeting, coming to a halt in front of the table. Maya sat in a corner working on a tablet, Bono was behind the bar twisting open a bottle of beer, and Lann, who had followed him inside, stood quietly to the side. With a toss of his head, Cain dismissed the others. They gave Joss looks that varied from worried to concerned as they filtered through the door.

  When they were alone, Cain put the tip of his shoe on the chair opposite him and kicked it toward Joss. Joss caught the chair, placed it facing Cain, and straddled it
. Neither man spoke as each waited for the other in silent challenge to either attack or defend.

  He had a lot of time and respect for his leader. After all, it was Cain who found him, trained him, and rescued him from himself when he washed up as nothing but a shadow of a boy in the streets of New York. However on this, Joss had to trust his gut. It ran deeper than his conditioning, maybe deeper than he’d like to admit. The men stared at each other until Cain sighed in frustrated recognition of Joss’s hardheadedness.

  “What the fuck was that stunt?” Cain asked in his strong American accent.

  Joss feigned innocence “What stunt?”

  “Acting doesn’t suit you. You’re a team leader, not a circus clown.”

  “Your point is?”

  “You better start acting like the man I trained and not some rabid hero gone astray.”

  “I took the suspect in like you commanded.”

  “You were supposed to bring the girl in to ground base and if the base was compromised to the safe house. I thought my orders were clear.”

  “I made the best decision I could with the knowledge at my disposal.”

  Cain crossed his wrists over the top of his cane. “You think I’m withholding information from you.”

  “I know you are.” Joss’s tone wasn’t accusing. They operated on a need-to-know-basis. “I don’t know who’s behind the attack, but I’m not a fool. The assault was meant to take us out,” he leaned forward, “and to take her alive.” He waited for Cain to digest the information. “Someone else wants her as badly as we do. To keep her with us puts the whole team in danger. I thought it best to hide her until I know more.”

  “Lann said the first shot was aimed at him.”

  “He was standing in front of the window, a clear target. Luckily for him, he moved at just the right moment.”

  “After that, are you sure the shots were not aimed at the girl?”

  “The shots only targeted my team. The assassin steered well away from me. I’m guessing it’s because I was covering Clelia and the shooter didn’t have a clean shot without the risk of taking her out. Maya recorded the bullet holes and reconstructed a hologram that shows the bullet path directions. You can look at the report if you want.” Joss narrowed his eyes. “Who else would be interested in abducting a fisherman’s granddaughter? Is there something you’re not telling me about Clelia?”

  Cain smiled. “Is there something about her you’re not telling me?”

  Joss’s muscles tensed, but he managed to keep a calm face. “I told you what I knew, that there were rumors about her mother.”

  “Just rumors?”

  “So far, yes, they’re just rumors. We’re trying to track down anyone who was on the trawler that rescued Clelia’s mother.”

  “There’s nothing else?”

  “No.”

  “For someone who grew up with her in a town where everyone knows everyone, you don’t know much about her, do you?”

  Joss gritted his teeth. “I did a thorough background check. She’s clean. No funny business. A fucking straight line. What else do you want me to say?”

  “I was hoping for something more personal like what her character is like. What was she like in school?”

  Joss studied Cain. “Why are you so interested in her? You’ve never come out on any mission. Why did you come here?”

  “You said you tasted her blood.”

  “She’s clean.”

  “No magic? No potential for ancient arts?”

  “I told you. No.” About that he was sure.

  “Interesting, considering what you said about her mother.”

  “I don’t like where this is going,” Joss said. “When we came out here, it was to investigate a paranormal crime. Why do I get the feeling this is about something entirely different?”

  “Oh, I think for you it is about something different. Did you really come out here to investigate a crime?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Cain’s smile was indulgent. “You’re not asking who attacked you.”

  Joss crossed his arms. “I was hoping you’d tell me.”

  After a short hesitation, Cain said, “The game has changed.”

  “Meaning what?”

  “It has started.”

  “What has started?”

  “The evil that’s been dormant for the past four centuries is about to be re-awakened. We’re facing the beginning of the second Dark Age, and it’s our job to prevent it.”

  “Fuck, Cain, you sound like a goddamn horror movie.”

  “There’s a dark force in the making, and it has started to harvest power. It’s worse than anything we’ve dealt with. I don’t know who’s behind it, but whoever he is, he has disciples reaping art. His followers are hunting people with the ancient skills of forgotten magic. By killing them, he can steal their talents and add them to his own to grow his power, provided that his victims’ hearts have gone to the dark side. One of his greatest followers, a man named Lupien, is said to be a very powerful pyromancist. No one has heard or seen a trace of Lupien for nearly thirty years.”

  Joss had an uneasy feeling. “You think he’s here?”

  “I sense his presence.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me before I embarked on this mission?”

  “I only got the intel yesterday.”

  Cain had informants and spies everywhere. Joss didn’t envy them their positions. He’d rather face a fight head-on and tackle evil with his bare hands than play psychological games and live a lie.

  “If you feel his presence, then it’s most probable that this Lupien, or whoever he works for, is responsible for this morning’s attack.”

  “It’s a possibility we have to face.”

  “Clelia’s clean. She’s not a firestarter.” He said it with all the certainty he could muster, if not to convince Cain, then to at least win some time. “If Lupien wants her alive, it can only be for the same reason we want her, to use her as bait to bring Erwan into the open. That can only mean Erwan is the one who’ll lead us to the truth, to our firestarter.”

  “Any chance of finding Erwan without using the girl?”

  “The team is on it. We’re using all the technology at our disposal, but Erwan has a lot playing in his favor. He grew up here. He knows the islands and the sea like the back of his hand. There are a million places to hide. The fishermen said he left on a trawler for a few months. Mayor confirmed the story. Only, we’ve had the trawler intercepted. There’s no one by the name of Erwan d’Ambois on board, and no one fitting his description. I’m willing to bet my life the captain is lying through his teeth, saying he took the old man aboard but left him in Port Navalo. Erwan made it up. He couldn’t have gone far. He’s too old, too weak. He’s here. He’s watching, waiting. Sooner or later he’s going to know we’ve got his granddaughter. Then we’ll learn the truth.” Joss regarded Cain. “What do you know about this Lupien?”

  “All I know is that he’s a European male.”

  “We don’t even know the cause of these fires yet. There may still be a logical explanation.”

  Cain chuckled. “My intuition is never wrong. This is a pyromancist’s work. We may have a new firestarter in Larmor or an old one looking for a new one. Do you get what I’m saying?”

  “No.”

  “If there is a dormant pyromancist in your village, the only way for Lupien to awaken that person’s art would be by practicing it fiercely.”

  “You’re saying it’s possible that Lupien is starting fires to draw out whoever the firestarter is whose power he wants to steal?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Then my mission has changed. You’re no longer asking me to find out who is destroying the village. You’re asking me to catch a firestarter. Are you’re asking me to go on a witch hunt for Lupien or for his victim?”

  Cain smiled. “Both.”

  “If Clelia leads us to Erwan, will you let her go?”

  “The girl is
a pawn,” Cain said, his voice carrying a warning.

  “I get that you want Lupien destroyed. Once you get your dormant pyromancist, are you planning on saving or eliminating him?”

  “Our enemy is growing stronger by the day. He’s recruiting. I can’t allow him to take more power.”

  “You’re asking me to kill a possibly innocent dormant firestarter.”

  “We have to eliminate him before Lupien gets his hands on him. It seems the only one who holds the answers is Erwan. We need to get the old man no matter how you have to use the girl. She’s the strongest weapon we’ve got.”

  Joss lifted his barriers, trying to shield his emotions. He’d been right to hide Clelia. He wasn’t wrong about Cain’s intentions. The commander would be unscrupulous in using her as bait. A duty to protect the shy girl from his childhood, a girl he’d unwittingly made his, made him say, “She’s innocent.”

  “Life is not always fair, Joss. Remember your training when emotions cloud your heart.”

  Joss clenched his jaw. He wouldn’t put her at risk. The strange thought came to his mind from nowhere, the words a whisper in his heart, too late to filter it from Cain. Comprehension widened his commander’s eyes.

  Joss was in a hell of a predicament, torn between an unethical protectiveness for the witch and loyalty toward the organization to which he’d pledged his life. He could only hate both Clelia and himself for the conflict tearing him apart, but that didn’t change what he’d done. He may have showered her blood away, but it didn’t mean his hands were clean. He stared at Cain as his confusion grew.

  “She’s an innocent,” Joss repeated, the statement more of a plea.

  “Bring her in, Joss.”

  “Let me bring in Erwan d’Ambois my way,” Joss said. “I’ve never asked for anything. I’ve given you my soul and my life to use for your cause without asking questions. Just let me do this.”

  Cain wrapped his fist around the head of his cane, which was a diamond the size of a golf ball. “You’re like a brother to me. Don’t screw this up.”