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

by Charmaine Pauls

  The circle of flames encroached on Joss. Lupien turned the gun on Cain. She turned, placing her stomach against the rail just as a yelp cut through the air.

  A pack of dogs charged through the door, four blurry lines of motion shooting up the stairs.

  Lupien cursed.

  A shot went off.

  She flung around. A deadly growl suspended on the moment. A white ball of fur launched through the air. Lupien went down, the wolfdogs at his throat. The gun fell from his hand, sliding just outside her reach. Before Snow could snap his jaw around Lupien’s windpipe, the dog’s fur caught fire. Snow howled. From a distant corner of her mind she was aware of Joss firing from his prison of flames, but the bullets fell on the floor inside the circle, useless to penetrate the white wall of heat.

  She ran for the gun, but Lupien was faster. While Snow rolled on the floor, putting out the tendrils licking at his fur, Lupien snatched up the weapon, but the other dogs were already upon him.

  “Cle,” Joss cried out.

  Cain caught her arms, holding her back as she tried to get to her animals.

  A trickle of blood ran down Lupien’s neck. Snow had broken the skin. Chilling human screams cut through the air as Rain, Thunder, and Cloud shook the body of the man on the floor.

  Snow, recovering from his scare, locked his teeth around Lupien’s throat again. No more fires erupted, but the sound of fabric and flesh tearing mixed with growls filled the space. Weak flames licked at the animals, but they died quickly as pieces of skin came off Lupien’s flesh. The white of bones showed through tears in his shin and hip. Another scream, and the house went eerily quiet. The dogs backed off. Lupien lay motionless, his eyes open but dull.

  Clelia fought Cain’s hold. Erwan sat helpless, tied up in the chair. The white flames died around Joss.

  Joss unstrapped the holster, dropped it to the floor, and ripped his shirt from his body. He quickly pulled it over her head before pushing her face against his chest. “Don’t look.”

  “Snow,” she said, pushing away. “My dogs.”

  “Let’s get you out of here. Cain, can you get Erwan?”

  The dogs huddled around Snow, Thunder licking a furless patch on his skin.

  “Come.” Joss tugged at her hand, but she pulled back.

  “Erwan,” she said. “I’m not leaving him.”

  Joss let go of her to help Cain cut the ropes around Erwan’s arms and ankles, and to help an unstable Erwan to his feet. Joss lifted Snow into his arms and led the way. The rest of them, including the dogs, followed him down the stairs.

  Outside, Clelia started trembling when Joss lowered Snow to the grass. She couldn’t think or move. She stood rooted to the spot, staring at the house. Anger bigger than any she’d felt spread through her cold body. Not having to restrain her emotions any longer, she allowed it to erupt. She wanted the fury to scorch away the shame of being her father’s daughter.

  A terrifying explosion shook the house. The shutters imploded. Roof tiles were sucked into the core of the house before they projected like fireworks into the air. The inferno was visible through every crevice. Joss’s house went up in flames.

  Clelia’s gaze snapped to Joss. He watched the stone walls turn to ash with wide eyes. What had she done? Would he despise her now? Would he hate her for letting out her dark side?

  “I’m sorry,” she said, trembling. “I didn’t mean to.” Her teeth chattered despite the heat mounting in her body. Everything inside was on fire.

  Joss let go of Erwan’s elbow and rushed over. “Look at me, Cle. Focus on me.”

  Why was he looking at her like that? Her gaze moved to Erwan, who reached for her.

  “Do something, Cain,” Joss said.

  Erwan’s voice shook. “What’s wrong with her?”

  “She blew up your house,” Cain said with wonder.

  “I don’t give a fuck about the house,” Joss said. “She’s going to combust.”

  Cain chuckled. “She won’t. She’s just exercised an immensely powerful act. It’ll take a while for her body to stabilize.” He smiled. “I’ve never seen anything like it. The house imploded. We didn’t even feel the blow. Truly amazing. Totally against the laws of nature.”

  Her head spun. She heard their voices, but all she could feel was the heat inside her mind, the flames that burned and cleaned.

  “Cain, stop fucking delivering a scientific speech,” Joss said. “We’ll have time for this later.”

  Fighting the urge to give in to the darkness, she pushed forward, trying to get to Joss, to Erwan, but Cain’s hands held her still.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, and then the heat inside her body and mind turned to ice.

  Chapter 39

  Clelia woke up in Joss’s bed in the castle with a throbbing head and a tongue that felt like sandpaper. When her memory returned, she jackknifed into a sitting position.

  “You’re awake,” Joss said as if it amazed him.

  She blinked. He was naked. They were naked.

  “I had to wash the ash from us.” He reached for a bottle of water on the nightstand and handed it to her with two pills. “We had to give you a tranquilizer.”

  She frowned. “You stabbed me with a needle again?”

  He brushed the hair from her face, his smile grim. “Your body had gone into shock. Your teeth chattered so hard, you were biting the insides of your cheeks.”

  “The injection…” she said, her mind wrapping around the fact that she was alive. “I thought it was poison.”

  “Why would it be poison?”

  “I thought you’d kill me.”

  A deep line cut between his eyebrows. “Why would I kill you?”

  “Because of what I did.”

  His tone was resigned. “You did what you had to.”

  She looked toward the window. It was dark outside. “For how long have I been out?”

  “A couple of hours. How are you feeling?”

  She was feeling amazingly well, which probably wasn’t a good sign. It meant she was either dreaming, or there was something wrong with her.

  “I’m fine. Where’s Erwan? Cain?”

  “They’re both here.”

  “How’s Erwan doing?”

  “He’s resting.” Concern flashed in his eyes. “Cain is waiting to see us.”

  “About what?” Clelia asked, even if she had a good idea. When Joss didn’t answer, she said, “You were supposed to kill me.” She scrunched the blanket in her fists. “What do you think will happen?”

  He dragged a hand through his hair, messing it up. “As my wife, you’re protected. He won’t lay a finger on you.”

  Her stomach clenched. “But?”

  “He may ask me to quit the force, and then neither of us will be protected.”

  Open targets. “He can’t do that. This is my fault. Oh, Joss, I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m not, no matter what happens.”

  There were so many things that could happen, bad things, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on whatifs. “Lupien?” She had to be sure.

  “Ashes. Couldn’t find his remains in the debris. Even the walls are ash.”

  “Snow?”

  “Cain took him to the vet. His wounds are only first-degree burns. He’ll stay on pain medication until he’s recovered enough to come home. We’ll go see him later.”

  She exhaled in relief. “How did the dogs find us?”

  “Siril said they came sniffing around the castle, cornered him inside, and then took off. They must’ve followed your trail after we visited the cottage.”

  She inspected his arms and chest for burn wounds, but there were only the rough edges of his muscles and the smoothness of his golden skin. “Did Lupien hurt you?”

  “No.” His jaw tightened. “But what he wanted to do to you… When I saw you there in that house with him I died ten times over. What it did to me, I can’t even begin to describe. I can’t go through anything like that again, do you hear me? You’ll never put yourse
lf in danger.”

  “It’s over.”

  His expression darkened. “It’ll never be over.”

  Yes, she knew that, but it wasn’t a truth she wanted to think about right now. The other, much bigger truth, the one that had hit her when she’d seen Joss trapped in the flames, made her wrap her arms around his neck and pull him close.

  “What are you doing?” he asked in a husky voice.

  “I realized something today.”

  She traced the seam of his lips with her tongue, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth. He watched her through hooded eyes, wary and … uncertain. Joss was uncertain of her. For the first time since she’d known him, he looked vulnerable.

  “I realized that I didn’t want to lose you,” she said.

  He searched her eyes. “Do you mean that?”

  “Would I say it if I didn’t?”

  “No. Not that it would’ve changed anything. You’re mine today just like you were yesterday, and you’ll still be mine tomorrow.”

  She leaned back to stare up at him. “Are you ever going to change?”

  “I doubt it.”

  She smiled. “Good.”

  “You mean that too?” he asked in husky voice, pushing her down.

  “I already told you.”

  His hair fell around her face. “Say it again.”

  “I want to stay.”

  Stretching out over her, he covered her body with his. “Why?”

  “Because nothing about how I feel has changed.”

  A smile plucked at his lips. “You’ll still be my stalker?”

  “Probably until forever.”

  “Mm.” He lowered his mouth to hers. “I think I can live with that.”

  When he pressed their lips together, it was desperate, a reminder they were both alive. Cupping her face, he tangled their tongues. His breath tickled her ears and her throat, his teeth staking claims as he marked her skin. She moaned when he shifted down to kiss her nipple. His mouth was hot and wet, his fingers deft as he parted her folds. Without warning, he slipped two fingers inside, making her inner muscles clench around the intrusion.

  “I should wait,” he said.

  “Don’t.”

  He pulled out his fingers slowly and slid them in fast, a rhythm that soon had her crazy with need. She gripped his hair when he moved down her body and buried his head between her thighs. She couldn’t wait either. His tongue joined his fingers to drive her into a frenzy of desire. It didn’t take long for her orgasm to build. She kept his gaze, showing him what he was doing to her.

  “Please,” she whispered.

  He obliged by scraping his teeth over her clit. She came around his fingers with a gasp, her lips parting in a silent moan. The release was instantaneous, over too quickly.

  Satisfaction blazed in his eyes when he brought his fingers to her lips. “Taste yourself, how sweet you are.”

  She opened, letting him slide two fingers inside her mouth.

  His gaze turned dark. “Suck them for me.”

  She flicked her tongue around the tips, gently biting down on the pads. His eyes changed to that mercurial color that meant delicious trouble. In a second, she was flipped onto her stomach. He lifted her hips, positioning her on her hands and knees.

  He stroked his palms over her back in an impatient caress before taking her hands and placing them on the headboard. “Hold on.”

  Gripping her hips, he held her in place. The head of his cock nudged her entrance. The crest parted her wet folds. He slipped in easily, moving in shallow strokes that made her turn even slicker.

  “Take a breath,” he said, tightening his fingers on her hips.

  She’d barely filled her lungs before he plunged forward, giving her all of him, taking everything.

  The pleasure was overwhelming, exquisite, almost too much. He pulled back and drove home, over and over, until she thought she’d pass out from the intense sensations that blinded her vision. He yanked her to him as he slammed his groin against her ass, his breathing fast and uneven.

  A second orgasm built even faster than the first. She came with a cry while he pivoted his hips faster. Her knees gave out. She collapsed onto the bed as he gave a final, hard thrust that made her back arch. His groan was raw and primal. He convulsed, pushing deeper, keeping himself locked inside her until both their bodies went slack. He fell over her, keeping his weight on his arms, his breathing hard and his lips warm on her neck. She felt complete. She didn’t want him to move. She didn’t want the perfect moment to end.

  Too soon, he turned them on their sides. Regret stole over his features. The gray of his eyes seemed paler as he studied her face. “Cain is waiting. We can’t put it off much longer.”

  Her stomach clenched. “There’s a lot to talk about.”

  He got up and offered her a hand. “Come here.”

  She put her palm in his.

  “Whatever happens,” he said, helping her to her feet, “I’m not going to leave you. You’re my family now.”

  Family. A chill crept up like a shadow, invading her heart, when she recalled Lupien’s words. “Lupien said something.”

  At the mention of Lupien’s name, his jaw set into a hard line.

  “He said all the mothers of the babies like me die at birth,” she continued.

  Anger flashed across his face as the implication registered. He wanted children, but it might be the one thing she could never give him.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  He grabbed her wrists. “Don’t ever say sorry again. Listen to me.” He tightened his grip. “We’ll check it out to be sure the bastard didn’t lie, and if it’s true, we’ll make damn sure you never fall pregnant.”

  “My mother…” She licked her dry lips. “Is that why she died?”

  Something flickered in his eyes. “Let’s not make assumptions before we have all the facts.”

  He was hiding something. She pulled free. “Did Lann’s mother pass away when she gave birth?”

  He clenched his jaw. “Yes.”

  “And Maya’s?”

  There was a small pause. “Yes.”

  It was true. “I see.”

  Concern tightened his features. “When did you have your last period?”

  “Not so long ago. Maybe a week.”

  “Good.” His nostrils flared. “You can’t be pregnant. From now on, we won’t take any risks.”

  “I know how badly you want children.”

  The sadness was fleeting, a shooting star that burned out fast, but she noticed.

  “I want you more,” he said.

  She couldn’t stop the tears that built in her eyes. They weren’t for her, but for him. She tried to blink them away, only making the welled-up drops run over her cheeks.

  Brushing the wetness away with his thumbs, he said, “I’ll get the best medical advice I can. Whatever happens, you have me. We have each other. Understand?”

  She nodded.

  “Say it,” he said.

  “We’ve got each other.”

  “Good.” He kissed her lips. “We better have a shower.”

  The words he didn’t say hung in the air. They had to face Cain and get what was waiting over with.

  They showered together, washing each other and kissing again, gentler this time. Their relationship wasn’t conventional, but neither was Joss. What they had was real, and she wasn’t going to waste time fighting it, not after realizing how short life can be.

  After dressing in a comfortable jersey and jeans, she took Joss’s hand and followed him downstairs to the dining hall. Cain sat at the table studying a tablet, a bottle of wine open next to him.

  When they entered, he got to his feet. “I’m glad to see some color in your face again, Clelia.”

  “Sorry to have kept you waiting,” she said, hoping the color of her face didn’t give away why they’d made him wait. “You must really stop injecting me with drugs.”

  Joss squeezed her hand in warning before pulling o
ut a chair at the table for her.

  Cain waited until Clelia was seated before taking his again. “An enemy was destroyed today. For that, I’m indebted to you.”

  “Indebted?” He didn’t seem upset about Joss’s betrayal. “I’m more interested in how this affects Joss’s future.”

  Cain smiled. “Nothing needs to change for Joss.”

  Clelia frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  Joss pulled the wine closer. He didn’t move his eyes from Cain when he said, “I think I do.” He refilled Cain’s glass and served two more. “You knew I’d go after Lupien. That’s why you let me go in the first place.”

  Cain’s eyes crinkled in the corners. “I knew if Clelia was alive, you’d find her and then Lupien. Even if Clelia had been dead, you would’ve avenged her death. It was only a matter of tracking you.”

  “Then why let me go alone?” Joss asked.

  “The team was busy on other missions.”

  Clelia stared at Cain. “If you knew what we’d be facing, why didn’t you help us?”

  Cain’s gaze was level. “I did.”

  Joss took her hand under the table. “Cain came to help you when you faced Lupien.”

  She looked at Joss’s commander. “You didn’t pull any magic tricks.”

  “The only way I could help was not letting Lupien bring out your darkness,” Cain said.

  “I see,” Clelia said as understanding dawned. “If Lupien managed to turn me dark, you would’ve killed me.”

  “Naturally,” Cain said without as much as blinking. “Joss wouldn’t be able to do it, but I couldn’t allow Lupien to take your art and become even more powerful.”

  She wasn’t sure how to react to that statement. It made logical sense, but her heart protested at the ease with which Cain would’ve eliminated her.

  “And now?” she asked, barely keeping her voice even.

  “May I have a word with Joss alone, please?” Cain asked.

  Clelia glanced at Joss, who gave her a nod.

  “I’ll go check on the food,” she said, getting to her feet.

  Both men stood as she made her way to the door.

  Passing the fireplace, she noticed the fire needed kindling. As the thought to stoke it went through her mind, the flames shot up high and hot. Startled, she paused, but then a sense of wonder filled her. She’d just combusted a few logs with a mere thought.