Stroke The Flame

by Elizabeth Briggs

  “Not me,” Reven said, his voice cold.

  “What do you mean?” Auric asked.

  “I’m not going to be one of you.”

  Slade gave him a steely look. “We were selected for a purpose. The Water God chose you for a reason.”

  Reven broke a branch in half with a sharp snap. “Then he can choose another.”

  “Why are you even here then?” Jasin asked.

  “I didn’t have much of a choice,” Reven said. “I couldn’t deny the urge to reach Kira, same as all of you. But as soon as I find a way out of this mess, I’m gone. I have no desire to be a Dragon or to be anyone’s mate.”

  Jasin’s eyebrows drew together and he looked furious, and both Auric and Slade looked like they might respond, but I held up a hand.

  “It’s fine,” I said. “None of us chose this. I understand if you don’t want to be here. Gods know I don’t want to be a part of this myself.” I glanced between all of them, watching the fire’s glow flicker on their masculine faces. “If there is a way out of this, you’re all welcome to take it. I won’t hold it against you. But at the moment we need to work together to get through this.” I turned to Reven. “Can you do that?”

  He gave me a cold look. “For now.”

  I supposed that was the best I’d get from him. “This isn’t easy for me either. I never expected to suddenly have four men show up in my village and claim me as their mate, but here we are. Right now we’re all strangers, but I’m hoping we can change that.”

  For some time, the only sound was the popping of the fire, but then Slade spoke up. “I’m from Clayridge, a town on the western side of the Earth Realm. Lived there my entire life working as a blacksmith, like my father. Not much more to tell really.”

  I was certain that wasn’t true, but I didn’t blame him for not wanting to spill all his secrets to what were effectively a bunch of strangers he’d only met yesterday. At least he was trying.

  “Ever been in a fight?” Jasin asked him.

  “A few,” Slade replied.

  Jasin nodded, and everyone looked to him next. “My turn, I guess.” He gestured at his uniform. “Pretty sure you’ve all guessed what I did before this. I come from a military family actually. Everyone in my family has served at one time or another. Grew up in the Fire Realm, but I’ve been all over as part of the Onyx Army.”

  “Are you still loyal to the Black Dragon?” Reven asked, his tone deceptively casual. I instantly tensed, worried the question might cause a problem, even if I’d been wondering the same thing. It was something no one would ever ask out loud, and something no one would ever deny. Of course we were all loyal to the Black Dragon. Everyone was, unless you wished to be cut down by her soldiers or her mates.

  Jasin looked caught off guard, but then he stared into the flames with his jaw clenched. “I was, once. Not anymore.”

  I wanted to ask him what occurred to make his loyalties shift, but I wasn’t sure now was the time. Was it being chosen by the Fire God? Or did something happen before that?

  Auric cleared his throat. “Guess I’ll go next. I’m from Stormhaven. I’m a…scholar, I guess you could say. I have a special interest in history, culture, geography, and religion. All of which might come in handy now, I hope.”

  Jasin snorted. “You’re a nobleman. That much is obvious.”

  “Well, yes.” Auric straightened up, raising his chin. “Is that a problem? If you doubt my usefulness in combat, I’ve been trained in sword fighting since I was a child.”

  “Ceremonial sword fighting, no doubt,” Jasin muttered. “Maybe we should be asking him about his loyalties. All the noble families serve the Black Dragon too.”

  Auric narrowed his eyes at Jasin. “I’m loyal to this mission. Can the rest of you say the same?”

  “That’s enough,” I said, feeling even more exhausted after listening to them bicker. It was a bad sign if they were fighting already. “No one is questioning anyone’s loyalty.” I turned toward Reven. “I assume you must be from the Water Realm then. What did you do before you were chosen?”

  He leveled his dark gaze at me. “I killed people for money.”

  We all froze, staring at him as if to check that he was serious. Yes, he definitely was. An assassin. I supposed that explained all the black clothing and the way he’d killed Roark with silence and ease. But why would the Water God choose such a man for me?

  Jasin forced a grin and broke the awkward silence. “Well, at least we know he’ll be good in a fight.”

  15

  Jasin

  I coaxed a small flame to life on each of my fingertips. Even after a month with these powers, they never ceased to amaze me. I doubted having magic would ever get old. After all, who wouldn’t want to be able to control fire?

  The sun had only just breached the horizon, its light filtering through the thick trees around us. My companions were still asleep, but it was my turn on watch and I’d been passing the time playing with fire. Literally.

  I’d moved to the other side of the stream, far enough from the camp that I wouldn’t spook the horses or accidentally set fire to anything important, but close enough to keep an eye on my companions and watch for any threats. I summoned a ball of flame between my palms, making it hotter and hotter, until it burned blue underneath my fingers. I threw it as if it were a rock, aiming it at a cluster of large stones in the middle of the stream. The fiery ball flew across and hit the stones with a burst of embers and the hiss of steam.

  A twig snapped behind me and I turned quickly, but it was only Kira. Her long red hair was messy from sleep and her eyes were huge, as if startled. I glanced around, but didn’t see any signs of danger. Then I realized she was staring at the spot where I’d thrown the fire.

  “Everything all right?” I asked.

  She blinked and seemed to shake herself out of it. “Fine. Just half asleep.”

  I nodded, but I got the feeling there was more to it than that. Was she nervous about all of our powers? Or just mine?

  “Should we wake the others?” I asked, glancing back at the other men. I wasn’t sure what to think about any of them. Slade seemed like a decent enough guy, even if he didn’t talk much. Auric was a useless nobleman who shouldn’t even be on this journey. And Reven? I didn’t trust him at all. I planned to keep my eye on him so none of us ended up with a knife in our backs.

  Kira, on the other hand, was everything I could have hoped for. I’d never thought I could ever settle down with just one woman, but the second I’d met her, that worry had vanished. Sharing her with the other guys though… I wasn’t sure I’d ever be okay with that. Sure, I’d shared women with other soldiers before for a night or two, but that was different. None of those women were mine. Not like Kira would be.

  She moved beside me, leaning against the same thick tree trunk that had been my backrest for the last hour. “We’ll give them another few minutes to sleep. Were you practicing your magic?”

  “I have to, since my new powers didn’t come with any kind of training lesson or manual on how to use them. Good thing I seem to be immune to fire now, or I’d be dead many times over, or at least a whole lot crispier.” I flashed her a grin. “The barracks I was living in? Not so lucky. But after a lot of practice over the last month, I’m learning to control what the Fire God’s given me. Mostly.”

  She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, even though it wasn’t that cold. “Probably a good idea. Just be careful.”

  “Always,” I said, conjuring another fireball over my open palm.

  She flinched back, her eyes fixed on the flickering flame like it was a live snake. Maybe she wasn’t scared of our magic—she was scared of fire. I closed my hand over the flame, dousing it immediately, and her shoulders relaxed.

  “You don’t need to be afraid,” I said. “I’d never hurt you, Kira.”

  “I’m not afraid of you.” She tore her gaze away and stared into the forest, then drew in a breath and faced me again. “Tell me about

your encounter with the Fire God.”

  “It was pretty incredible. A giant made out of flames came to me in the middle of the forest and told me to find you. At first, I thought maybe I’d eaten one of those weird mushrooms in the forest again. Last time that happened I saw pink dancing water elementals for two days and had a raging headache for a week.” I winked at her and she gave me a smile that made my heart beat faster. “But there was no denying this was all real and not a hallucination—not after I accidentally set my bed on fire.”

  “No wonder you’re practicing,” she said. “Is that when you left the Onyx Army?”

  “Pretty much. Once I accepted that I really had been chosen by the Fire God I knew I had to quit. That turned out to be a lot harder than I expected. The Onyx Army wasn’t exactly happy about one of their finest soldiers up and leaving for no real reason.” Not when he was so good at hunting the Resistance, I mentally added. “But as the days went on, the tugging in my gut told me there was no other option. This was my destiny and I had to find you, no matter what. I escaped the army and became a deserter, even though it cost me everything. My job. My friends. Probably my family too.”

  “I’m sorry.” She frowned as she glanced back at the camp. “It seems none of us want to be here on this journey.”

  “That’s not true. Yes, I had to give up my previous life, but I do want to be here.”

  She sighed. “You might be the only one.”

  “Nah. We’ve all been ripped from our normal lives and given this larger-than-life destiny to fulfill with four strangers we’re now stuck with, possibly forever. It’s going to take some getting used to for all of us.” I reached out and pushed back a stray piece of her red hair, smoothing it on her head. “But we’ll get there, I promise.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate your confidence.”

  “Confidence is my specialty,” I said, giving her an arrogant grin. She laughed, and the sound was so perfect I knew I’d do whatever it took to make her laugh like that again. How was it possible we’d only met yesterday?

  “You’re such a flirt,” she said. “I bet you woo all the women you meet.”

  “I was quite popular with the ladies, it’s true.” I leaned against the tree and gazed into her eyes. “For good reason, I assure you.”

  She cocked her head. “Let me guess. You have a lover or two in every town you’ve visited, who are now all pining away, awaiting your return.”

  “Not quite. And every woman who shared my bed knew I wasn’t making any promises.”

  An eyebrow darted up while her smile dropped. “Is that what I should expect as well?”

  “No,” I said quickly. “My past is behind me. From now on, I’m yours and yours alone. Assuming you want me as your mate, of course.”

  Our eyes locked and heat passed between us, but then she quickly looked away. “We should probably get ready.”

  She straightened, brushed herself off, and headed back to the main part of the camp. I watched her go, checking out her behind in those tight hunting leathers she wore, then sighed. I’d ruined the moment with my stupid mouth, and now she doubted my loyalty. Sure, I’d slept with lots of women, but that was before I’d met her. She couldn’t hold that against me now.

  I made another flaming ball, the frustration fueling my magic and making it especially large, and then I hurled it at the stones with extra vigor. Unfortunately, I missed. The fire hit the grass on the other side of the stream, instantly setting it alight. Panic rose in my throat as the flames spread to a nearby tree, but I was too horrified to do anything. Gods, what had I done?

  Water leaped up from the stream and covered the fire, dousing the flames with a loud sizzle. I turned and saw Reven standing in the shadow of the tree. He gave me a sharp look, before turning away. How long had he been there, spying on us?

  Worst of all, Kira stood behind him. And she’d seen it all too.

  16

  Kira

  Once our camp was packed up, we continued traveling along the main road toward the Air Realm in the southeast. I rode with Reven first, needing some space from Jasin, especially after that last fireball. Thank the Gods Reven had put it out quickly before the flames took over the entire forest. How was I supposed to bond with Jasin when fear spiked through me every time he used his powers? Better yet, how was I supposed to face the Fire God? And after I did that, I’d be able to conjure fire myself—did I even want that?

  Did I have a choice?

  I tried to put the thoughts out of my head by focusing on the man sitting in front of me, but he wasn’t exactly one for conversation. Our last exchange had gone like this:

  “So, you’re an assassin?” I’d asked Reven, after we’d been on the road for fifteen minutes.

  “Yes,” he’d said, his voice showing no emotion at all.

  “How did you get involved in that kind of work?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  I’d waited for him to go on, but he seemed content to leave it at that. Giving up, I’d sighed and turned back to gazing at the forest and the mountains in the distance instead. Good thing the Water Temple was last, because I had a hard time seeing the two of us getting intimate anytime soon. Assuming Reven would even stick around that long.

  We stopped for lunch in another clearing and then it was time for me to ride with Jasin, who still wore his military uniform. Even though I would never admit it out loud, it was a good look on him, complementing the red highlights in his hair and enhancing his broad shoulders. There was something about a man in uniform, and Jasin looked commanding, dangerous, and incredibly sexy.

  “Don’t you have something else you can wear?” I asked, as he helped me up onto his war horse. Unlike the others, he had me sit in front of him, and the solid presence of him behind me made my heart race.

  He took the reins in front of me, his arms brushing against mine. “Not really. I only grabbed a few things when I left, and since I was traveling alone I figured it would be safer if I was in my uniform.”

  “Maybe, but it might draw attention now. It’ll be hard to explain why you’re traveling with the four of us. Plus a lot of people don’t look fondly on the Onyx Army around here.”

  I felt him shrug. “It’ll have to do for now. I can take the coat off when we enter a village.”

  “That could work, and once we get to a larger town we can see about getting you some other clothes.”

  He snorted. “Make sure to get some for Auric too then. He sticks out more than I do.”

  I cast a glance over at Auric, who sat straight on his white horse wearing clothes that looked more suitable for going to a ball than for traveling. “You have a point there.”

  We continued for another few hours through a bit of road that had thick trees on either side of it, cutting out a lot of the light. I nearly dozed off, with the horse moving rhythmically underneath me and Jasin’s very warm body behind me. I almost leaned back and rested my head against him, but managed to restrain myself. My body was comfortable with him already, even if my mind wasn’t yet.

  As the hour grew late, we decided to stop at a village up ahead for the night so we could get supplies and feed the horses. But as we approached, it was immediately clear something was wrong.

  We walked our horses slowly into the center of the village, their steps the only sound we could hear. The stone buildings around us had all been turned to little more than rubble, with huge pieces missing or crumbled to the ground. It seemed fairly recent, since the nearby forest hadn’t taken over the ruins yet, but there was no sign of anyone still living here.

  “What happened here?” Auric asked, as we spun around to take it all in.

  “An elemental attack, most likely,” Slade said, his tone grim. “The people must have abandoned the village afterward.”

  “I heard about a town that was attacked by rock elementals a month ago,” I said, remembering the doomed travelers’ words. “This could be the same place, or one that suffered a similar fate.”

  “If so, where are the elementals now?” Jasin asked, his hand on his sword as he glanced around.

  “Perhaps the Dragons took care of them,” Auric said, with a shrug.

  “Unless the Jade Dragon is the one who did this,” Slade said.

  “It doesn’t matter what happened,” Reven said. “No one is here now. We should look around for any supplies they might have left behind and find a place to sleep for the night.”

  The thought of staying here in this abandoned town made my stomach twist. “What if the elementals return?”

  He met my eyes. “Then we’ll deal with them.”

  I still didn’t like it, and the other men seemed wary as well, but they nodded and dismounted their horses. We did a quick search through the crumbled buildings, with Slade moving the stone so we could look for supplies or any sign of what had happened. We found very little, which made me think we weren’t the first people to pick through these ruins.

  We found a small building that was mostly intact except for one missing wall and decided to sleep there for the night. As I pushed aside the debris and laid out my things, I wondered what the building had once been used for before. A small house? A shop? It was hard to tell. I picked up a dusty old doll with only one leg and shuddered, before tossing it aside.

  Between exhaustion and the eeriness of the place, none of us spoke much that night before we took to our beds. I fell asleep almost instantly, but it seemed as if only minutes had passed before Reven’s voice woke me.

  “Wake up,” he said in a low voice. “We’ve got company.”

  I rose to a sitting position and blinked back sleep as his words settled over me. Reven had taken the first watch, and now he stood over the four of us with only the moonlight illuminating his dark frame. Outside, the night was silent. Maybe too silent.

  Jasin jumped to his feet instantly. “What kind of company?”

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