Next thing I knew, Jack was right in front of me, staring down.
I glanced away from him. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I’m saying.”
Jack cupped his hand around my chin and pulled my face back to his. Just his single touch sent an explosion rippling through my body. “You can feel it too, can’t you?”
I bit the inside of my lip as I gazed at him, unable to say a word.
“You do, don’t you?” His voice was soft even though he was demanding an answer.
I closed my eyes briefly and inhaled. “I feel something,” I answered as I exhaled. “Something weird, something I’d never experienced before.”
“Me, too.” He smiled and slowly brought his face down to mine. “Then why have you been fighting this, fighting me, all this time?”
My body trembled as his lips came closer and closer to mine, so close I could feel his warm breath blowing across my face. It felt as if a magnet were drawing us together, and no matter how much I wanted to deny it, how much I wanted to run away, I couldn’t. The force was too strong. “Because I was born to fight, Jack,” I whispered breathlessly.
“There’s something about you, Kenina,” he whispered back. “I don’t know what it is, but you make me crazy every time you walk into the room. It’s like the room lights up with your very presence.”
“I’m a goddess, Jack.” I smiled. “The room is supposed to light up when I walk in.”
He leaned in closer, his lips so close to mine. “It has nothing to do with you being a goddess.”
“Jack, please don’t.” I kept my voice soft. “Please don’t do this. I could hurt you, kill you even, and not even mean to.”
“Hurt me, Kenina.” Jack’s eyes challenged mine. “I might enjoy it.” Suddenly, without warning, he pressed his lips to mine.
I drew in a long, deep breath as my lips parted with his. Everything; my world, his world, and my life rushed past me in a blur. My entire body felt as if it were consumed by fire and flames, but none of the heat seemed to be reaching Jack. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to my feet, kissing me deeper, harder, as he pressed his body into mine. I took a step back until I was up against the side of the shed.
An explosion of sparks lit up my insides, and suddenly, I craved more of Jack. I placed my hands on the shed to steady myself as Jack’s hands slid down to my waist. Feelings, strong emotions, flowed through me as Jack’s lips drifted down to my neck. I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the sky, savoring every touch.
“Oh, my god!” Sarah suddenly screamed. “Stop! The shed’s on fire!”
My eyes flew open as Jack pulled me away from the building and whirled me around until I was standing behind him.
My breath caught in my throat as I saw two black handprints burned into the side of the shed. My handprints. “Oh, no.” I shook my head. “I’m so sorry, Jack.”
Jack stood there frozen, watching as the flames edged their way up to the roof of his shed.
“Hose, Jack,” Sarah screamed. “Where is your water hose?”
Jack blinked back to life. “Shit, the hose!” He raced around the side of the building. Within seconds he was back, dragging a long green thing behind him. He lifted the nozzle and squeezed the trigger, unleashing a stream of water onto the fire.
Finally, after a tough battle, Jack finally extinguished the flames. His shed was salvaged and so was the wood he chopped earlier, but I couldn’t say the same about me.
Jack turned to me and smiled. “See, Kenina. Everything’s fine.”
“Yeah, Jack,” I smiled weakly. “Everything’s fine.” Then I slowly turned and walked toward the house.
Nine
After what I did to Jack’s shed, I knew what I had to do. My only option was to distance myself from him. I decided after everyone went to bed, I’d make my getaway. It would be easier for everyone, including me.
Ignoring Jack all evening was harder than I thought it would be. He insisted I be included in everything, even cooking dinner. Of course, I managed to burn the roast he had in the oven while he went outside to fetch some firewood for the stove. Not that Sarah was any better. Instead of mashed potatoes, she turned them into a solid ball of mess.
Jack didn’t seem to mind though. His eyes never drifted away from me once while he was eating, even though I was doing the best I could to avoid him and the tingly feelings inside me.
Once everyone was asleep, I slipped into Sarah’s jeans and carried my shoes out the door so I wouldn’t make a sound. I sat on Jack’s porch and put my shoes on. Then I started the treacherous walk through his stones down the driveway, not having any idea where I was going to go. My only mission was to get as far away from Jack as possible.
I wasn’t even halfway down his driveway before I heard Sarah’s voice behind me.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Her words were full of anger, a side I’d never seen of her before.
I turned to face her. “I’m leaving Sarah. I don’t belong here.”
“Where are you going to go,” she shouted into the dark night.
“I don’t know, Sarah.” My legs became shaky and weak. Why wouldn’t she just leave me alone? “Go back to your family. I free you of all your duties.”
Sarah laughed. “My duties? I have news for you, Kenina, I didn’t stay here with you because I was your servant. I stayed here because I was your friend. I knew you needed someone from the mortal world to guide you. I put my entire life aside to help you, to keep you safe. Do you really think you could have made it here by yourself?”
“I’m a goddess, Sarah. We are meant to survive anything.”
“Really.” Her voice began to shake. “Then why are you running away from Jack? Why are you running away from me?”
I didn’t want to fight with Sarah. I really didn’t. But she was bringing this on herself.
“I’m not running,” I shouted, wishing she would just go back inside.
Sarah marched toward me, her lips twisted in rage. “You’re not going anywhere, Kenina. I swear, if I have to drag you back inside, I will.”
“Go back to your family, Sarah,” I said the words through clenched teeth.
“No.” She shook her head stubbornly. “I’m not going to let you do this to Jack. I stood around and watched your people destroy lives. They even destroyed mine. I do have a family. I have a boyfriend, a mother and father who love me more than anything, and I have two sisters. Your people took me away from that. I refuse to stand back while you destroy not only his life, but your life as well. He loves you, Kenina. And you love him. Why can’t you just accept that and go with the flow. See what happens.”
“Because I could kill him,” I shouted.
“Kenina, please stay,” Jack yelled out from the distance. He stood on his porch, leaning against the rails like it was his only means of support.
Sarah’s eyes glazed over as I struggled to swallow the lump in my throat. I didn’t want things to end this way, didn’t want him to see me leave.
“Please, Kenina.” He lifted himself off the rail and began walking toward me and Sarah.
Sarah reached out and grabbed my arm. “Don’t run, Kenina. Please. Listen to Jack. I know you think goddesses aren’t supposed to feel, but you’re wrong. Mortal or immortal, everyone feels something at some point in time. Let it out.”
I inhaled a shaky breath, taking in her words, as Jack came closer and closer. I did want to run, but not away from him. I wanted to run toward him, wanted to feel his strong arms around me and his soft lips on my skin.
I turned to Sarah. “I’ll stay on one condition.”
“What’s that,” she asked.
“You have to go back to your family.”
“No,” she said, slowly shaking her head. “I can’t do that. You need me right now. At least, let me stay a couple more weeks.”
“I’ll give you a week max, Sarah. But you have to call your family tomorrow and let them know you’re okay.”
Before
she could answer, Jack was standing in front of me. I threw myself in his arms. “I’m so sorry, Jack. I’m just so scared I’m going to hurt you. And I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It’s okay, Kenina.” He cradled my head in his arms as I buried my face in his chest. “We’ll get through this. Together.”
For some reason, I believed him.
Ten
That night, Jack insisted I sleep in his room where he could keep an eye on me. I slipped under his fleece blanket next to him, and he pulled me into his arms. This was the first time I’d seen Jack without a shirt, and I had to say, I liked it.
I cuddled up to the warmth of his body, placing my head onto his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
“Check this out,” he whispered. He lifted his hand, and he was holding something similar to the little box he controlled the picture box with in his hand.
The ceiling began to shift, sliding to the left, and revealing a sky full of stars. I was in awe.
“That is so amazing.”
His silent laughter shook his body. “I had it installed last year. I always loved the stars.”
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
“Kenina,” he said, keeping his voice low.
“Yeah.”
“Please don’t try to leave me again.” He swallowed hard. “You’re the best thing that’s ever come into my life. You helped me learn how to live again. And to be honest, I haven’t slept much since you arrived. All I see is your beautiful face in my mind when I close my eyes.”
“I’m sorry, Jack. I didn’t want to leave, but I can’t live with myself if I accidently hurt you. You have to see my point of view.”
Jack turned over so he was facing me, his green eyes boring into mine. “How about if I show you my point of view?” He shifted his body so he was on top of mine and pulled the fleece blanket over our heads, covering me in a darkness and a warmth I could definitely get used to.
***
I stood in front of the stove, flipping pancakes and whistling to some tune I’d never heard playing on the radio beside me. For the first time in my life, I felt so alive, even more alive than the day Jack and I had our pancake war in the kitchen. Everything seemed brighter, happier, and I had no worries at all.
“Well, good morning to you,” Sarah said as she entered the kitchen. “I take it you had a good night last night?” She pulled out one of the chairs from the table and sat down. “You set the table and everything.”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” I smiled as I scooped one of the pancakes out of the frying pan and dropped it onto the plate.
Sarah laughed.
I suddenly spun around, spatula still in my hand, and looked at Sarah. “So this is what having feelings for a guy is like?”
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” She smiled.
“Yes, it is.” I spun back around and gathered the rest of the pancakes out of the frying pan and put them on the plate. Then I walked the plate over to the table and set it down in the middle. “I can’t believe I missed out on this all these years.”
Sarah laughed again as she stabbed two of the pancakes and dropped them on the plate in front of her. “And you would have continued to miss out on it if you had stayed in Osarious.” She picked up the syrup and drizzled it on her pancakes. Then she set it back down on the table.
“Please, Sarah.” I glanced at her. “Don’t mention that place anymore. It’s in the past now. And all I want to think about is the future.”
“And Jack,” she added.
Just as she finished saying his name, he walked through the door. “Wow, look at you,” he said smiling. “You made pancakes all by yourself. Just let me know if I should duck or anything.” He winked.
Sarah nearly choked on her pancakes.
“No food battles today, Jack,” I answered, smiling. “But if you give me a hard time, I can make it happen.”
He laughed. “And I know you could.” Jack continued by us and grabbed his coat off the hanger by the back door.
“Where are you going?” I watched him slip his coat on. “I have breakfast ready.”
He walked back over to me, still smiling. “I’m just going to go get a few pieces of wood for the stove. I’ll be back in a minute.” He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek, unleashing the butterflies in the pit of my stomach.
“Okay, hurry up before it gets cold,” I said as he turned away and headed for the back door.
I sat down in front of Sarah as Jack closed the door. “You’re calling your family today, right?” I stuck my fork into the stack of pancakes and pulled out two, dropping them on my plate.
“Yes, I’m calling them after we eat. I promise.”
“Just making sure,” I said as I drizzled the warm syrup over my pancakes.
Sarah and I finished eating, and we started clearing the table as raindrops began bouncing off of the window over the sink.
“That’s funny,” Sarah said as she walked over to the window. “I watched the weather last night and they didn’t say anything about rain.
I grabbed my plate and started over toward the sink, but stopped in my tracks as the rain suddenly intensified. It thrashed against the window violently, shaking the pane of glass.
“Whoa,” Sarah said. “That’s one rainstorm raging outside.
The plate slipped from my hand and crashed to the floor, shattering into a million little pieces. “Why hasn’t Jack come in yet? He’s been outside for a while now.”
Sarah turned to me with wide eyes. “You don’t think—”
Before she could finish her sentence, I turned and raced for the door, terror ripping through my insides. There was no way he could have found me. I smashed through the door and stood on the back step in the pouring rain. “Jack,” I screamed as I searched through the monsoon for any sign of him.
I tore down the steps in my bare feet, splashing through the mud until I reached the side of the shed. A few logs lay scattered next to the neat pile we made yesterday, but there was no sign of Jack anywhere.
“Jack,” I screamed his name again as my insides became numb. I stood outside in the wind and pouring rain, searching and searching, but not seeing Jack anywhere.
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out, “Kenina.”
I whirled around to see Neveresis standing behind me, and he was holding Jack by his throat.
I stood staring at Jack’s lifeless body dangling in the air, as all life drained from my insides. “Please,” I begged as I shook my head, still focused on Jack. “Please let him go.”
Neveresis dropped Jack into the mud beside him, and he lifted his lips into a sneer. “Are you begging me not to hurt this mortal?” He glanced down at Jack’s body and spat on him, then he lifted his blue eyes back up to mine. “What has come over you Kenina?”
I ignored his questions and narrowed my gaze. “How did you find me?”
Neveresis stuck his hand in his pocket, when he pulled it out, my necklace was hanging from his fingertips. The fire stone glowed a deep, dark red, indicating it was close to its owner. “You left something behind.”
“Back to this mortal.” He tucked the stone back into his pocket. “Why do you care whether I hurt him or not. You never cared about mortals before.”
“First off”—I shot back—“kill the rain. It’s becoming extremely annoying.”
Neveresis waved his hand in the air, and like magic, the rain stopped falling.
“Second, that mortal is my friend.” I gathered my hair in my hand and wrung out the water while the flame inside me ignited. I knew there was going to be a battle. There was no denying it. Neveresis would never leave me here and admit to defeat. I just couldn’t let Jack be in the way when things started going down. I had to find a way to get him away from Neveresis. “And he has nothing to do with this. This is between me and you.”
My attention was directed back toward Jack as he began moving slowly on the ground.
Neveresis laughed.
“I really don’t believe you, Kenina.” He shook his head. “He’s more than a friend to you. I can see it in your eyes.” He glanced down at Jack and suddenly kicked him in the side. Jack’s body slid across the mud as he moaned in agony.
“Stop it,” I screamed as I threw out my hands. “I swear, if you harm him in any way, you will never make it back to Osarious.”
“There’s my girl,” Neveresis said as he grinned. “I knew you were in there somewhere.”
“I was never your girl. And if I have to, I will spend all of eternity kicking your ass. Over and over and over again.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Haven’t we been here before, Kenina? I told you that you can’t hurt me. You should know that by now.”
Suddenly, Sarah came racing out the door behind Neveresis. “Get away from him,” she shouted as she ran toward them.
“Sarah, no,” I yelled, but I was too late.
Neveresis spun around, a stream of water shooting from his hands, and knocked Sarah down to the ground as if she were a rag doll. She lay there, unmoving, as Neveresis turned and walked toward her.
“Leave her alone,” I shouted, stepping forward. The heat accelerated through me, flames dancing across my fingertips, as I unleashed the fire. The ball of fire struck Neveresis in the back and he screamed as the back of his coat went up in flames.
He whirled around, a waterfall of water appearing over his head and dropping down on him, extinguishing my fire. He glared at me through tiny slits in his eyes. “You will pay for that. I will kill your stupid servant girl and your boyfriend. Then I will torture you until you beg me to marry you.”
Jack slowly lifted his head and looked at me, his green eyes consumed by pain. Then his jaw tightened and he swung his leg around, knocking Neveresis’s feet from under him. Neveresis fell to the ground.
I lunged forward, but I wasn’t quick enough. Neveresis sprang to his feet and grabbed Jack by the throat, lifting him into the air. “You stupid mortal. Don’t you know you should never mess with a god?”
“Screw you,” Jack gargled the words as I froze in my tracks.
Goddess of Fire: Burn: An Elemental Short (The Elemental Short Story Series) Page 4
