Stroke The Flame

by Elizabeth Briggs

  The door suddenly burst open, and at first I thought it was the Gods coming to punish me. But it was no God, only Tash’s father, who was almost as terrifying.

  Roark stood in the doorway, his large hulking form completely filling it, as he glared at us. “There you are.”

  10

  Kira

  Roark quickly took us both in with disgust written across his face. “What do you think you’re doing? Lazing about while we have customers waiting! Get back to work!”

  Tash scrambled to her feet. “I was only taking a short break, Father.”

  He grunted, then narrowed his eyes at me. “And you. It’s been two days since you last brought us any game.” He pointed to the door. “I have hungry soldiers out there demanding some supper. What am I supposed to tell them?”

  Dread and panic shot through my blood. I’d been on my way to the forest to hunt when Jasin had shown up. “I’ll go right now. I’ll find something quickly, I promise.”

  “Too late for that.” A sick grin twisted his lips as he grabbed Tash’s shoulder, his meaty fingers digging into her dress until she cried out. “You know what the punishment is for slacking off.”

  “Father, please,” Tash started, but then was cut off when he backhanded her across the face.

  “Stop,” I pleaded. “I’ll get you whatever you want right now. Just don’t hurt her.”

  “The two of you siting here gossiping while the rest of us starve,” he growled, before striking Tash again. “You both need to be taught a lesson.”

  “No!” I yelled, then launched myself at him. He was double my size if not more—as well as being both my employer and my landlord—but I couldn’t let him hurt my best friend. Not again.

  I tore at him with my nails, reaching for whatever I could, caught in an urgent frenzy to protect Tash. With a roar, he threw me off him in a burst of strength. I fell back, my head slamming hard on the wall behind me, before slumping to the floor in a daze of pain and darkness. Tash, I’m sorry.

  When the black haze lifted, three silhouettes stood in the doorway.

  A flash of fire danced before my eyes. A rumble shook through my bones. A burst of wind tore at my hair. Roark was thrown across the room, knocked to his knees, and surrounded by flames. My three mates moved around him, their faces filled with disgust and rage.

  “You will not hurt either of these ladies again,” Slade said, his voice low and foreboding.

  Roark looked up at the men standing around him with both fear and hatred. “I can do what I want in my own inn. To my own women.”

  “Not anymore,” Jasin said. The circle of flames grew hotter and danced around Roark, who yelped and shied back from it.

  “Swear you won’t touch them in violence again,” Auric said, his voice as commanding as a prince’s. “Swear on the Gods. And believe me, they’re listening.”

  “I swear it,” Roark bit out, but his eyes were full of menace.

  The flames vanished. “Get out of here,” Jasin said.

  Roark scrambled to his feet and bolted from the room like it was still on fire. Although he seemed afraid, I doubted he would heed their warning. He would come for Tash again—he always did.

  Slade knelt beside me and asked, “Are you all right?”

  I nodded, though my throat was so dry I could barely speak. “Tash?”

  “I’m here,” she said, from behind Jasin. “I’m okay.”

  “Thank the Gods,” I whispered, as I grabbed Slade’s hand and rose to my feet. I swayed a little as a rush of pain threatened to knock me to the floor again, but he wrapped a comforting arm around me and held me steady. For a second I was distracted by his broad chest and strong arms, overcome with the urge to lean into him and let him hold me some more. He smelled good too, with an earthy, pine scent that reminded me of the forest in the morning. I took a deep breath to ground myself before pulling away from him.

  “Thanks for the help, but I could have handled it,” I said, as I rubbed the back of my aching head.

  “He hurt you,” Slade said gruffly, as if that explained everything.

  “We’re bound to protect you,” Auric added.

  “Thanks,” I muttered. “And now you’ve cost me my job and my home, no doubt.”

  Jasin sheathed his sword. “We need to head out in the morning anyway.”

  I ignored him and moved to Tash, checking her face for injury. “Are you truly okay?”

  “Yes, he didn’t hit me that hard,” she said, as she ran a hand over her jaw.

  I glanced between her and the three men, torn between staying and leaving. Between my old, familiar life and an unknown, new one. Both seemed far too dangerous for my liking. I had no desire to leave, but after what they’d done to Roark, I couldn’t exactly stay here anymore either. But who would protect Tash and make sure the inn had enough food?

  “We’ll talk more about this in the morning,” I told the three men. “I need some time and space to gather my thoughts.”

  Tash wrung her hands as she addressed them. “You’ll have to stay somewhere else, unfortunately. My father owns this inn.”

  “You sure we can’t sleep in here?,” Jasin asked, his eyes gleaming. “For Kira’s protection of course.”

  “Good idea,” Slade said, with a sharp nod.

  “Not a chance,” I said. “Like Tash said, it’s better if you don’t stay in this inn. I’ll be fine. He won’t bother me again tonight.” Unless he got really drunk, anyway.

  “Very well, but we’ll be nearby if you need us,” Auric said.

  “I’ll find you all someone else to board with,” Tash said, leading the men out of my bedroom. They followed her reluctantly, each one glancing back at me with emotions in their eyes. Curiosity. Protectiveness. Desire.

  As soon as they were gone, I changed my clothes and crumpled onto the bed, my head pounding. I had a lot to think about, but Roark must have hit me harder than I thought, because my eyes kept closing, and soon sleep carried me away.

  I awoke to the sound of the door creaking open and instantly tensed, reaching for the knife I always kept under my pillow. My bedroom was completely dark except for the dim moonlight coming through the windows, which revealed two tall figures creeping into my bedroom. Fear made me immediately alert, but I held my breath and waited. I recognized Roark’s broad profile and guessed the other man was his drinking buddy, Koth. Each of them reeked of alcohol, making my nose burn.

  This time, my dream men couldn’t save me. I was on my own.

  “You’re going to pay,” Roark said. He reached for me, but I slashed at him with my dagger. He jerked back with a howl as it sliced through his arm, and then I pivoted on the bed, turning to ward off my next attacker. I was better with a bow, but I’d been taught a few fighting moves while living for a short time with some bandits. I hadn’t fought in years, but luckily my body seemed to remember what to do.

  Koth dodged my attack, while Roark grabbed my arms tightly from behind. I struggled, lashing out with my feet, as he dragged me back toward him.

  “Let me go!” I yelled.

  “Where are your friends now?” Roark asked, his breath hot at my ear. He tossed me to the ground hard, then moved to kick me. I tucked my arms and rolled out of the way, gripping my knife tightly. I swiped at his leg and he danced back, but I took that second to get to my feet and bolt from the room.

  I ran through the dark kitchen as fast as I could, clutching my dagger in my shaking hand. Heavy footsteps pounded behind me as I reached the door leading outside, but before I could open it, someone struck me on the back of my head.

  I fell against the door, momentarily dazed, even as my brain screamed at me to run and fight. Through the haze I managed to spin around and knee Roark between the legs, but Koth was there too.

  His blow got me hard, right in the stomach. All the air left me in a swift whoosh and was replaced by lancing pain. Stars danced across my vision, but I wouldn’t let my life end, not like this.

  I stabbed the dagge
r into Koth’s chest with one last burst of strength. Koth howled as I buried the knife deep in him, and then he hit the floor. But I wasn’t safe yet.

  “What have you done?” Roark asked, as he stared at his friend. When he took a step toward me, I wasn’t sure how I could stop him. Not when he looked at me with murder in his eyes.

  A thin knife flew across the room and landed in the wall beside Roark with a sharp thunk. A dark figure in a black hooded cloak stood on the other side of the kitchen, with a sword in one hand. A matching sword hung from his waist.

  “Get away from her,” the cloaked man said, his voice like ice.

  “This is none of your concern, stranger,” Roark said, glaring at him.

  “I’m making it my concern.”

  Roark ignored the man and grabbed my arm, yanking me toward him. A blade flashed, glinting in the moonlight. A gurgling choke came from Roark’s mouth. Blood sprayed across my dress.

  Roark let me go and fell to the floor, his throat slashed by the cloaked man who now stood behind him. I hadn’t even heard him move.

  I gaped at my strange rescuer, wondering if I should be thankful or fearful. “Who are you?”

  “Reven.” He held up his blade and the blood flew off it in a magical swirl before he sheathed the sword. As he turned toward me, I caught a flash of dangerous blue eyes and a sharp jaw traced with dark stubble from under his hood. Familiarity crept through me and I realized who he was.

  The last of my four mates had arrived.

  11

  Reven

  Walking in on the woman I’d been sent to find being attacked wasn’t what I’d expected this evening, but it also wasn’t all that uncommon in my line of work.

  “Are you hurt?” I asked her, while I checked the area to make sure there were no other attackers.

  She rubbed the back of her head. “A little banged up, but otherwise fine. Thanks to you.”

  I examined the two men on the floor—the one I’d killed, and the one with a dagger sticking out of his chest, presumably Kira’s. I yanked it out, used my magic to remove the blood from the blade, then handed it to her. “Who were they?”

  “Drunken fools who enjoyed hurting women,” she muttered. “Problem is, one of them owns this place. Or he did, anyway.”

  Footsteps sounded behind us and I reached for one of my swords again, but it was only a young woman in a chemise. She paused in the doorway and gasped when she saw the bodies on the floor.

  “Father?” she asked, with a slight sob.

  “I’m so sorry, Tash,” Kira said. “Koth and your father attacked me while I was asleep. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  Another older woman ran into the room, and she let out a strangled gasp at the sight of the dead men. The other woman, Tash, was already crying, and the two women collapsed into each other’s arms with a sob. Kira watched with sympathy, while I took the chance to admire her. Despite being forced into this against my will, I had to admit she was pretty easy on the eyes. Her red hair was lightly mussed and her cheeks were flushed from the attack. Her thin chemise hugged her body in ways that awakened parts of me I usually tried to ignore. She was obviously brave and quite capable, since she’d killed one of the men before I’d intervened. But none of that mattered, because I was getting out of this mess as quickly as possible.

  Kira gestured for me to follow her while we left the sobbing women in the kitchen. We stepped into a back room with a small bed, which she sank onto as she covered her face with her hands. She took a long breath, then looked up at me again. “I’m assuming you’re here because you’re the next Azure Dragon.”

  “Something like that,” I said, with obvious distaste.

  “I get the feeling you’re not pleased about that.”

  That was an understatement. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  “Yes, you are. And a good thing too, because it seems it’s time I left this town.” She began pulling clothes out of a wardrobe and packing them in a bag, while I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorway.

  “I assume the others are already here then,” I said.

  “Yes, they’re staying somewhere else. It’s a long story.” She sighed as she shoved a pair of ragged-looking slippers in the bag. “A few hours ago I led a quiet life. Now two men are dead and four men say I have to bond with them and become a Dragon. Why is this happening to me?”

  I didn’t reply. It had taken me a long time to accept that the Water God had truly chosen me. I’d ignored it at first. Then I’d gotten angry. Eventually I’d tried yelling, bargaining, and even praying to get out of it. I hated the Black Dragon and her mates with every fiber of my being, but that didn’t mean I wanted to get involved in some mad quest that would only end up with all of us getting killed. But no matter how much I resisted, I couldn’t deny the tugging in my gut that got worse with every day that passed, until the need to find Kira became all-encompassing. So here I was.

  But as soon as I could find a way to get out of this mess, I was gone.

  12

  Kira

  I didn’t get any more sleep that night. After telling my story to the town’s soldiers and trying to comfort Tash and her mother, I’d accepted it was time for me to say my goodbyes. It was clear I couldn’t stay here any longer, no matter how hard it was to leave my home behind.

  Roark and Koth had never been especially loved in Stoneham, but they were respected. They’d lived in the town their entire lives and were related to half the people in it. The soldiers believed me when I’d said their deaths were a result of self-defense, especially when Tash and her mother backed up my story, but the townspeople would never look at me the same way again. Especially if word got out about my new companions’ strange magic. So far no one else knew about them, but how long would that last?

  No, the longer we stayed, the more dangerous it was for everyone. Including Tash.

  “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” I asked her for the tenth time. We stood in the middle of her kitchen, with dawn’s light filtering through the windows and illuminating the shadows under her eyes. Tash hadn’t slept much either last night.

  “I’m sure,” she said, with a weak smile. Her eyes were puffy and red, but she stood tall, as if a great burden had lifted from her shoulders. “We both knew something like this would happen eventually. I’m only grateful none of us were hurt.”

  I took her hands in mine. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s all right.” She squeezed my hands. “You protected me for so long, and my mother too. But it had to end someday. At least now we can live without fear, and you can fulfill your destiny without worrying about me anymore.”

  “I hate leaving you behind,” I said. “You could come with us, you know.”

  She chuckled softly. “What, and travel with world with you and your four men to help overthrow the Black Dragon? That sounds fun, but my place is here. I have an inn to run, after all.”

  I nodded. I knew that would be her answer, but I had to ask anyway. “You’re going to be amazing at it. But what about food?”

  “I’m reaching out to the farmers my father made angry to see if they’ll do business with me instead.” A sad smile touched her lips. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll figure it out. Just make sure you come back and visit sometime, okay? I want to hear all about your adventures.”

  “I will, I promise.”

  “And be careful.” She gave me a tight hug. “I believe in you, Kira. If anyone can save this world, it’s you.”

  Emotion made my throat tight as I hugged her back. “I’ll do my best.”

  We said one last tearful goodbye and then I rushed out the kitchen door and headed toward the stables. I lifted my pack up on my shoulder while wiping my eyes before approaching the four men who waited for me near their horses. The four men I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. Starting now.

  Gods, I was not ready for this at all.

  Reven leaned against the stable walls with his arms crossed,
his hood pulled low over his face so all I could see was his dark stubble. He’d barely said a word to the other men, so it wasn’t just me he was chilly with. I got the feeling he wasn’t all that excited about being here, and how could I blame him? We’d all been forced into this situation, but there was nothing to do except make the best of it somehow—and trust that the Gods had chosen us for a reason.

  The other men stood apart from each other as well. Jasin rocked on his heels, his fingers resting on the hilt of his sword as if he might pull it out at any moment, while he watched for any trouble from the soldiers or other townspeople. He wore his military uniform again, which consisted of black trousers with a stiff coat over them, both trimmed with dark red to show he was from the Fire Realm division. As a former member of the Onyx Army, could I really trust him?

  Slade stood inside the stables, saddling a large brown horse with gentle eyes. He had a calm way about him, perhaps because he was a few years older than the rest of us. I had no doubt he was loyal to our cause, and I couldn’t forget the way it had felt to be held in his arms for even a brief moment, but I had the sense something was holding him back too.

  Auric peered at a map and took notes in his journal while the wind tousled his golden hair. His clothes were finer than the rest of ours and I wondered how he felt about being stuck with a girl like me, so below his station. I got the feeling he saw our mission as a chance to uncover hidden knowledge, but was that all he cared about? Could he ever care about me?

  Would any of these men?

  Not Reven, for sure. Slade was just as distant. Jasin maybe, though I got the feeling he’d be willing to bond with just about any woman.

  “We need to make a plan,” Auric said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

  I drew in a breath as I stared at his map, which was more elaborate and finely made than any I’d seen before. Done in different colors, it depicted the four Realms, each one converging in the center at the capital, Soulspire, where the Black Dragon and her mates resided near the Spirit Temple. The Earth Realm, where we were now, was located in the north, with the Air Realm to the east, the Water Realm to the west, and the Fire Realm to the south. The map had each Realm’s capital labelled, along with some other major cities, rivers, lakes, mountain ranges, and—most importantly—the five Gods’ temples.