Rayne of Fire

by Michelle Young

  Rayne of Fire

  by

  Michelle Young

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Rayne of Fire

  COPYRIGHT © 2011 by Michelle Young

  All rights reserved. This is an “unedited” as is title. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: info@thewildrosepress.com

  Cover Art by The Wild Rose Press

  The Wild Rose Press

  PO Box 706

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Faery Rose Edition, 2011

  Free Read

  Published in the United States of America

  “Fire and water do not mix,” Rayne said logically. “Is that not why our territories have fought for centuries?” Using her magic, she toyed with a small flame, allowing it to dance in her open palm.

  “Aye,” her father said, massaging his temples, losing patience with this argument. “That’s why this union is so important. I’ve worked a lifetime to bring peace to our territories. This marriage will seal our treaty.”

  They stood in the throne room, along with a handful of castle guardsmen, awaiting Rayne’s betrothed.

  “This is your destiny,” said her mother.

  “I suppose.”

  On the day of her birth, the Great Oracle suggested the name Rayne, meaning queen. Her parents had understood the irony, and now, so did Rayne. She smoothed down the skirt of her pale blue dress, trying to untie the knot in her stomach. She’d soon come face to face with her future husband, the prince of Aquarius. Just as she had the innate ability to control fire, he possessed the same command over water.

  “I’m not so selfish that I don’t understand the greater purpose of uniting our two countries,” she said. She clenched her fist, extinguishing the dancing flame. Understanding didn’t make her situation any more tolerable.

  The brass doorknob turned, and two more guardsmen entered the throne room. No one else followed. “Where is he?” Rayne was anxious to get this initial meeting over with.

  “Rayne”—her father cleared his throat—”we have a confession to make.”

  “Arrangements were made as a precaution,” her mother continued in a vague fashion. “You already know one another.”

  “What?” Rayne snapped.

  “I’m sorry we kept his identity hidden.” His pleased expression belied the words.

  “Good evening, milady.”

  Rayne spun at the respectful greeting. Keegan, a knight who had served as her personal guard for the past six months, approached.

  Rayne’s eyes darted from her parents to Keegan. “Nay,” she said in disbelief as she frantically recalled all of the happenings and conversations this knight had been privy to.

  “Aye,” Keegan said, ending his charade. “I am the heir to the Aquarian throne.”

  “I can’t believe you did this.” Rayne’s gaze fixed on her parents.

  “It was a necessary deception,” her father declared with regal authority. “A soured marriage could prove worse for relations between Pyros and Aquarius than no marriage at all.”

  “I apologize, milady,” Keegan said. “Our fathers believed it was for the best.” He bowed low and then looked her in the eye. “Princess Rayne, will you marry me?”

  Rayne returned Keegan’s stare, but not his smile. “Nay. You tricked me. I’ve been played a fool. You knew my identity while I remained in the dark about yours.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father’s temper flare and her mother’s mouth drop.

  Keegan spoke before they did. “You have every right to be upset, milady, as I anticipated. If your parents agree, I have a proposition for you.”

  “What kind of proposition?” Rayne asked, raising her eyebrows.

  “Spend three days with me alone, away from this castle. I swear on my honor I’ll not harm you in any way.” He glanced at her father and then returned his brown-eyed gaze to hers. “If, by sunset on the third day, you honestly do not wish to be my wife, then I will release you from all obligation.”

  Challenge flared in the king’s eyes. “What about our treaty?”

  “The treaty is safe, regardless,” Keegan promised. “What do you say?” The question was posed to all three of them.

  Three days and Rayne would be free. Suspicion crept in, and she wondered what other ruse Keegan had planned. Her father’s expression told her she had to agree. With a single nod, she sealed her fate, whatever that fate might be.

  ****

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Keegan’s friend and fellow Aquarian, Marcus, asked as he helped Keegan attach packed saddlebags to the two horses.

  “What choice do I have?” Keegan gave the leather strap a final tug. “I won’t force her to marry me.” Six months ago when his father, king of Aquarius, and Pyros’s king devised the plan for Keegan to meet Rayne under false pretenses, he hated the idea. When the king assigned him as Rayne’s personal guard, he hated the ploy even more. He’d gone along with this plan for the sake of peace, but never dreamed he’d find Rayne so captivating. Now, Keegan could no longer agree to a marriage of convenience. “After three days, she’ll either kill me or realize she loves me.” His words were light, even though they carried more than an ounce of truth.

  “If the Raptors don’t kill you first.” Marcus crossed his arms and leaned against the pasture’s fence. “Rumor has it they’ll do anything to stop this treaty. If the war ends, so does their profit.”

  “I know how to avoid the Raptors.” Keegan brushed off the warning. “You worry too much.”

  Marcus looked skeptical. “What are you up to?”

  “Nothing.” He didn’t need Marcus talking sense into him right now. “Just be here when I get back.”

  Footsteps sounded from behind. “Keegan,” Rayne demanded, “tell me where you’re taking me.”

  He looked over his shoulder. “Where fire and water live in harmony.”

  The sun highlighted her loosely braided auburn hair. Some of her long curls escaped and framed her beautiful face. Her green eyes considered him for several heartbeats. “There is no such place. Even in nature, fire and water cannot live together.”

  “If you say so. Although,” Keegan argued playfully, “I’ve been by your side nearly every waking moment for the past six months, and we’re both still standing. I daresay you were growing fond of me.”

  A blush stained her cheeks even as her eyes narrowed. “Only because you wore the façade of my personal guard. I assume that masquerade has ended?”

  “Of course, milady.” He bowed his head slightly and then reached for her hand to help her mount her mare. “It may surprise you to know the man who wishes to be your husband is no different from the man who served you.”

  She jerked her hand away. “Aye, they’re both deceitful,” she retorted. Gracefully, she swung into her saddle.

  ****

  They traveled for a long while, meandering through the thick forest. Rayne’s anger simmered, but frustration slowly replaced it. They rode single file, with Keegan in the lead, to seemingly nowhere. The afternoon sun peeked through the forest ceiling.

  Keegan twisted his upper body to face Rayne. “You should drink something,” he said for the fourth time, holding out a waterskin. “You could get sick. That would make
for a very unpleasant three days.”

  She had refused earlier, but now her mouth was as dry as sand. Grudgingly, she took the skin and guzzled the refreshing water.

  “Keep it.” Keegan showed he had a second, water-filled skin in his possession.

  Rayne hmmphed under her breath. Dense brush, fallen dead trees, and narrow passageways made their progress painfully slow. Rayne hoped the sooner they reached Keegan’s mystery destination, the sooner this ordeal would come to an end. “Stand aside.” She maneuvered her horse past Keegan. Opening her hand, she created a flame and tossed it onto the dry ground. It obeyed her magical command and intensified, steadily moving forward, burning a path in its wake. She concentrated on the contained ball of fire and pushed it to move faster.

  Sparks flew off the fireball and ignited the dry, kindling-filled ground on both sides of its path. One by one, she used her magic to contain them, but there were too many. Several smaller fires escalated beyond Rayne’s control. She struggled to keep her horse calm amongst the flames. Swallowing her pride, she turned to Keegan in alarm. “I can’t extinguish them all. Is there anything you can do?”

  Keegan sat on his steady, war-trained stallion, staring at the fires. He raised his hand in a sweeping motion. Water sprouted from the ground and sprinkled down from the surrounding trees, gradually saturating the flames. Within minutes, only wisps of smoke and a few glowing embers lingered. A charred path lay ahead of them. Keegan brought his horse next to hers. “Are you all right?”

  “Aye,” she answered, dumbfounded. “Where did all that water come from? I thought you only controlled water, not created it.”

  “That’s correct. Even though you can’t see it, water is everywhere—deep in the ground, in the clouds, even trees and fresh wood contain a certain amount of water. I can summon and manipulate that water, no matter how minute the amount.” His tone was even, but Rayne could tell he bit back a triumphant smirk.

  She cursed herself for being so careless with her abilities. Although grateful for his intervention, part of Rayne hated that Keegan had rescued her. At least she had cleared a decent route enabling them to travel at a less tedious pace. Rayne had no idea where they were going, yet she urged her mare a half-body length ahead of Keegan.

  Without a word, Keegan picked up his pace until he was ahead of Rayne. She coaxed her horse into a canter. When he matched her pace, she kicked her mare into a full tilt run.

  Keegan matched her speed. “I know where this path ends. Do you?” he called to her.

  Rayne didn’t care. There was something exhilarating about the race. She leaned forward and surged into the lead, leaving Keegan in the trail of kicked-up mud. At the faint sound of her name, a grin spread her lips as she glanced over her shoulder. She returned her attention forward a moment too late. Rayne yanked the reins. Her mare stopped, turned, and reared in protest, sending Rayne soaring. The river broke her fall. She slapped the surface of the waist-deep water and shrieked in shock and rage.

  Keegan chuckled. “I tried to warn you.” He dismounted and stretched out his hand.

  “Leave me alone.” Rayne splashed water at him. The water hovered in midair for a moment and then plummeted back into the river, never touching him. Furious, she tossed a flame at his feet, which he easily stomped out with his boot. Getting out of the river proved difficult as she wrestled against the weight of her saturated dress.

  Again, Keegan crouched by the riverbank and extended his hand. “Let me help you.”

  For a second time, she swallowed a lump of pride and accepted his hand. He pulled her onto land. She untangled her legs from her dress and scrambled to her feet. “You did that on purpose!”

  Keegan rolled his eyes. “I can’t command water to create an entire river. Your own ego landed you in that river.”

  She stomped backward and gathered up a portion of her skirt to wring it out. “Can you command this water away so I’ll be dry?” It wasn’t exactly a polite request.

  Keegan folded his arms over his brawny chest. “I can.” His tone made it clear that can and will were very different.

  Rayne planted her hands on her hips. “I know what you’re trying to do.”

  “And what’s that?” Keegan asked with raised eyebrows.

  “Trying to show me that fire needs water. Riding for hours so I’d crave a drink, allowing my fire to burn a path while your water kept it under control. Next, you’ll probably take me to a village blacksmith, where fire heats metal to mold it, and water solidifies its shape. I know there are a million examples, but it won’t work. The problem is that in every instance, water ultimately squelches the fire. It overtakes and destroys it, never allowing the fire to maintain its properties.” Rayne plopped onto the ground. “I won’t allow a husband to smother me.”

  Keegan sat beside her. “Is that what you think? That I plan to change you into something you’re not?”

  “Isn’t it? I’ve heard Aquarian women are dainty and elegant. I’m not like that.”

  Keegan smiled. “I understand exactly who you are. You like to ride for hours and hate dressing for formal occasions. You want a say in political matters, though you have no patience for rumors and half-truths. You are afraid of nothing, save snakes, like to sleep with a window open no matter the weather, and detest citrus fruit. I know who you are and have no intention of snuffing out your fire. Stop trying so hard to hate me.” He waved his hand toward the river. The water from her clothes, hair, and skin slipped back into the river, and within moments, she dried completely.

  As her personal guard, Keegan had stayed with her day and night, listened to her rants, and even made her laugh. He’d seemed interested in her opinions and had obviously paid attention to the details of her life. Rayne released a heavy sigh. “Hating you is getting harder to do.”

  “I know.” Keegan winked and flashed a broad grin. After a long moment, his gaze broke away from hers, and he considered the area. “We’ll camp here for the night.” He then tied a canvas to three trees, fashioning a makeshift shelter, gathered some firewood, and set up their bedrolls.

  Rayne wasn’t thrilled at the notion of sleeping outside, but Keegan made a comfortable camp. At his request, she made a fire in the wood pyramid. Keegan caught a rabbit and cooked it over the open flame.

  “I constructed a ring of ice water around our bedrolls,” he commented with a wink. “It will keep the snakes away.”

  “How do you know I’m afraid of snakes?” They were her only phobia. She had never told anyone.

  “I noticed whenever one crossed your path, you cringed right before you scorched it.”

  By the time they finished eating supper, evening had arrived. The soothing crackle of the fire joined the melody of crickets and owls. Keegan stoked the fire and fed it another log. A swarm of butterflies fluttered in her stomach as Rayne watched him nourish the flames. His sandy-brown hair fell about his strong shoulders, and his dark eyes gleamed in the firelight. He was a handsome, decent man who’d make a fair husband. In addition, she’d secure the alliance between their territories. “I will marry you.” It was as logical as accepting a land-sharing deal or offering someone employment.

  “And what brought you to that conclusion?”

  “I’ve decided that you’re a man I could live with. Therefore, I shall marry you.”

  Keegan shook his head. “Nay. I don’t want you to marry me just because I’m a man you can live with.” He caressed her cheek with his fingers. “I want you to marry me because I’m the man you can’t live without.”

  That hit a nerve. “I don’t need a man to survive, especially you.” She had agreed to marry him. Now, it appeared, he was rejecting her. She jumped up and stormed to her bedroll.

  ****

  The next morning, they ate and readied to depart. Regret churned in the pit of Rayne’s stomach. Perhaps she’d been a bit too harsh on Keegan last night. He was only being honest.

  “Leave nothing behind. We’ll not be traveling this way again,” Keegan sa
id, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

  “How will we get back to the castle?”

  “We’re ultimately traveling in a large circle. Don’t worry, I’ll have you back there in the time promised.”

  She smiled to ease the tension. “I wasn’t worried. I trust you.”

  He nodded, and they set out on their way. They rode for several hours, chatting about everything, from their adolescent years to how they would solve some of their nations’ biggest problems. Rayne relished his stories and found his ideas intriguing. On occasion, they disagreed respectfully, never breaking into a full argument.

  By midday, the scenery changed. The lush forest melted into sparse, rocky terrain. And then the view took Rayne’s breath away. Steam rose from a small lake, ten meters in diameter. The flat rock surrounding the lake donned brilliant colors of red, orange, and yellow, forming an intricate, flame-like pattern. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Keegan beamed as they dismounted. “Come with me.” He took her hand and pulled her to the lake. “Feel the water.” He knelt down, bringing her with him.

  She lowered her hand into the water. “How is this possible?” It was hot, though did not burn.

  “It’s a hot spring. Fiery rocks deep within the earth heat the water, which flows to the surface.” Keegan’s eyes held her gaze. “The elements cooperate here, and each maintains its own properties. The water never cools the rocks, and the heat never dries up the water.” He cupped her face in his hands. “When fire and water live together in harmony, they can create something wonderful.” His lips brushed hers until she accepted his full kiss.

  A wave of emotion consumed her, frightened her. As the kiss ended, her cheeks grew hot. They became hotter when Keegan stood and began to strip. “What are you doing?”

  “Going in.” His tunic landed on the ground beside his boots and sword.

  Rayne’s gaze raked over his tanned, sculpted chest. With his breeches in place, Keegan hopped in the water. Drawn to the strong fire-energy that emitted from the water, she kicked off her riding boots and soaked her feet.