Fire and Fantasy: a Limited Edition Collection of Epic and Urban Fantasy

by CK Dawn

  It took her a long minute to shake away the initial surprise. She stared at him registering the full weight of his question. He wants me to be safe. Not because he’s obligated. He wants me safe because...he feels something. Joy washed over her in one momentous swoop. She wanted to shout her feelings from the rooftop. But, reality set in. Training meant grueling workouts, running, sparring, repetitive movements and who knew what else a fallen angel could come up with. She was never averse to physical activity and had practiced martial arts for few years when she was younger. But she was sure what a fallen could come up with would be much harder than anything she’s done before. She groaned.

  “Well...” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I practiced Shotokan when I was younger. Does that count?”

  The lines of his forehead furrowed as his eyes widened. “What does a house of pine-waves have to do with fighting?”

  “Huh? No, not the literal meaning.” She smiled at the misunderstanding, impressed with his knowledge of Japanese. Then again, he probably knows most languages. Aloud, she explained, “Shotokan is a style of karate.” When the confused look remained on his face, she tried, “Self-defense.” Still nothing. “Martial Arts.” Same blank stare. “You know, fighting!” she cried at last.

  “Ah,” Gabe said. “An old human style. Good, should make it easier.”

  Yeah, sure. The thought barely had time to register when Gabe launched himself off the chair, over the table, and at her head. On instinct, she threw her weight to the right and rolled on her side. The impact of hitting the hard wood floor startled her, but she recovered fast and rocked herself to a kneeling position. Her knees remained off the ground and the weight sat in the balls of her feet.

  “You weren’t lying about your previous training.” Gabe flipped after he dove over the table and stood above her. “Good.”

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” She shifted on her feet and remained kneeling. The ability to stand seemed an uncertain assumption in her current state.

  Cassie didn’t have time to remain indecisive too long. In one swift motion Gabe grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her up. Crushing her to his chest, he captured her in a passionate kiss. All thoughts of protest fled.

  When he let her go, she staggered back. Damn, but he can kiss.

  “When you’re done eating, meet me outside and we’ll continue the lesson.” He swept out the door and into the cold without further comment.

  Cassie braced her hands against the table for support. Her emotions rode on an ever-flowing rollercoaster when it came to Gabe. She couldn’t determine from one minute to the next whether she wanted to kiss him, kill him, or...something else. Cautiously, she sat down in the chair, half-expecting Gabe to sneak attack her from behind. Instead, Maia jumped on her lap and meowed.

  “How’s my little one?” She stroked Maia’s soft fur and attempted to choke down a few more bites of the pancake disaster. When she felt sturdy, she shooed Maia from her lap, grabbed a light jacket and rose to meet Gabe outside.

  “We’ll start easy with running,” he announced as she approached him. “Three miles should be good for the first time.”

  “Are you serious?” Cassie couldn’t help asking. While she hadn’t trained in karate for years, she tried to keep in shape by exercising at home, keeping what she learned fresh, or making occasional trips with Zoey to the gym. However, running three miles, in the woods, in the winter, on an uneven ground sounded like torture.

  “I am.” Gabe planted his feet shoulder width apart and stared at her hard. His posture gave a clear display of his dead on seriousness. “I’ll run in front of you. All you have to do is keep up.”

  Without giving her a chance to say another word, he dashed into the woods. Cassie sighed and followed him in a slow jog. She soon realized her pace wouldn’t do. Gabe ran with ease, never faltering or breaking stride. Her frustrations mounted with each step. In the first five minutes of trying to match him, she stumbled a half dozen times, scraped both knees, and acquired a nasty bruise on her forearm that turned purple with merciless speed.

  “What’s the matter?” Gabe goaded her. “I’m not even going fast. And I thought you were in much better shape.”

  Anger washed over her, even as she recognized the infuriating tactic. Her former karate instructor had used taunting as a motivational tool as well. In theory, it was supposed to get students to work harder. Cassie never cared much for theory, but damn it if it didn’t work every time. With dirt-ridden hands, she rubbed her bruised knees and forearm while inwardly soothing her injured pride. Screw this! The shout resonated inside her head. I’m tough and I’ll show him, even if it kills me.

  As she picked up speed, her lungs burned from the brisk air but her legs pushed forward. They didn’t say another word to each other for the rest of the run. Before she knew it, they had circled back to the clearing in front of the cabin. She stood in the middle of it, hands on her thighs, panting and trying to slow down the rhythm of her insanely beating heart.

  “Not bad,” Gabe said. The cocky pull to his lips didn’t match the half compliment.

  Cassie glared at him. He wasn’t even out of breath. She knew better than to ask him if they were done. When he motioned for her to move again, she followed him behind the cabin and saw a number of uneven tree stumps of various height.

  “Your handiwork, I presume?” Her breath gave off a white mist from the cold, although her body was damp with sweat.

  Gabe just grinned and motioned for her to start. Cassie stepped onto the first stump. Holding her hands out for balance, she jumped to the next one and then the next.

  “Too slow.” She heard his voice as she eyed the higher of the stumps. Ignoring him, she concentrated on the distance and leaped. Instead of landing on a smooth wood surface, her feet slipped and she rolled awkwardly onto the unforgiving ground. Her elbow caught the worst of it, and she shouted as it made contact. “Shit!”

  “Start over.” Gabe growled.

  She grumbled, but gave no argument. Rubbing her elbow, she rose again and eyed the stumps with hatred. You can do this. Just concentrate.

  Three tries later, Cassie whooped as she reached the last stump. “How was that?” she asked, pride seeping into her tone.

  “Next go around you have to take less time,” Gabe said as he walked away.

  She could only stare at his back. Jerk, she thought, once more mentally massaging her ego.

  He let her take a sip of water before they moved on. Sets of crunches, pushups and lunges came next. As the sun hid behind a cloud, she collapsed in a heap on the ground.

  “I can’t do this anymore,” she let herself whine.

  Gabe sighed. “We’ll take a lunch break. Then move onto sparring.”

  Cassie shook her head in disbelief. While she wasn’t happy at the prospect of more training, she was more than happy to get into the house for a snack and hopefully a nap. She trotted into the house, not caring if Gabe followed or not, and went straight into the kitchen. She tugged on the fridge door just as Gabe intercepted her. He grabbed the door handle with one hand and laid his other hand on her shoulder.

  “You did good, Cassie.” He said, rubbing her tight shoulders, and eyeing her elbow. “Go sit and rest. I’ll make us something to eat.”

  Despite his earlier failed attempt in the kitchen, Cassie didn’t have the strength to argue. Dragging herself to the table, she sank into one of the chairs before her legs could give out. Gabe prepared simple sandwiches with ham and lettuce. Yet, they tasted like a five star meal to her. She drained a big bottle of Gatorade along with two sandwiches. After the meal, she curled up in a ball on the couch, and passed out as soon as her head hit the cushion.

  Gabe shook her. “It’s time to get up. We have more work to do.”

  Cassie opened her mouth to yell at him. Two minutes is not enough time to sleep. He’s insane. Before she could get the words out, a glance at the clock above the fireplace showed an hour had passed. She sighed. “Can’t we leav
e this for tomorrow? I’m exhausted.” She hated the desperation in her voice, but she had reached a breaking point.

  “We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.” His brows pulled together in a ferocious scowl. “I don’t know how many days we’ll have to get you ready, Cassie.” He sounded upset but determined. “We need to use every day, every moment.”

  She shivered. If that’s the case, a few weeks of intense training won’t be of much help anyway. Fighting to find courage and strength, she nodded in his general direction. Pealing her aching body from the couch landed her face to face with Gabe. He leaned in to close the distance.

  “If you work hard, you may earn a reward later on tonight.” It was just a whisper but full of so many promises. Cassie couldn’t help but smile as he lightly kissed her. Before her body had any more time to react to his touch, he took her hand and led her outside. The chill evening air had a sobering effect.

  For two more hours they performed various sparring drills and exercises, with Gabe explaining both attack and defense positions. They resonated with her, recalling to her mind lessons once learned earlier in her days in a karate dojo.

  “Many of these are natural reactions,” he said in the little break between the drills. “You just have to trust your instincts, trust those reactions. They won’t fail you.”

  They finished when the sunset colored the sky. Exhausted and in major pain, Cassie took a long hot bath. Afterward, Gabe delivered on his promise of a reward, easing her aches and pains with a different type of aching. When the evening ended and she lay sated in his arms, she whispered, “The day may have been rough, but if I get to spend my evenings like this, it might just be worth it.”

  Weeks passed in cycles of pain and relief. The pain came during the daylight hours with unending series of fighting drills, running, sparring, and the rest. Relief came in the evenings when Cassie could revel in Gabe’s touch, and then drop into bed exhausted but satisfied. Somewhere in between food, calls to Zoey, and showering took place, but the blessed events were mere blips in the training regimen.

  Around week four or so, all count of days lost, she had been given an early reprieve as Gabe went to prepare some gauntlet like test for her in the surrounding woods. She sat on the couch dreading whatever new torment he had in store for her.

  “If this doesn’t kill me, I’ll be the strongest woman in history!” She leaned her back against the soft cushion. The TV showed the latest weather report for the area, but she hardly registered the program. Pulling her knees to her chest, she hung her head. A chill enveloped her as the temperature dropped. It took but a heartbeat to notice the change in the air. The TV clicked off and the surrounding space charged with electrical currents.

  “I can feel you there,” she managed to say without shaking. “What do you want?”

  A soothing voice spoke in her ear, “Please bring me through Key. I need to talk to your Guardian.”

  While the request seemed polite enough, something inside her ushered a warning. She’d never used her powers to bring an angel to Earth before. Whenever Cassie’s abilities had been harnessed, it always had a demon behind it. Those creatures forced her to experience terrible headaches and as a result pushed their way into the world. A strange foreboding filled her soul.

  “I don’t know how and I’m not about to bring on a headache willingly.” Cassie squared her shoulders and looked around the room for signs of the angel.

  “It will not be painful.” The disembodied angel’s voice rang high like raindrops upon tin. “Concentrate on the energy around you. Feel it becoming a physical entity and I will appear.”

  Curiosity warred with caution. “You want me dead,” Cassie said, eyes narrowing. “Why should I help you?”

  “Angels do not kill humans, Key. The fallen must accomplish that.” The angel paused. “I cannot force him do anything, but I will speak with him.” The tone changed from a soft cadence to something far more powerful.

  Cassie considered her options. Gabe wouldn’t hurt me, so talking to him will change nothing. She stood up and began to concentrate on the energy around her. Probably better not to give an angel another reason to want to kill me. The seconds ticked on as a shape started to form in the center of the room. Dancing lights zipped along the air and materialized in the space. After a minute or two the outline of a woman appeared. Her limbs stretched forward, her hair swept a long golden wave down her back, and two shining wings expanded from between her shoulder blades.

  The angel flashed the wings outward in a dazzling display of white light. Cassie’s jaw dropped before she could help it. Brilliant feathers, appearing made of light, arched in a symmetrical pattern from the top of the angel’s head right down to her feet. The angel retracted her wings and stared at Cassie with head held high and confident.

  A flash of inadequacy swept across Cassie as she looked upon the magnificent creature before her. Yet, frustration soon replaced self-consciousness. The muscles in her neck tensed at the recognition. The angel was no stranger. Ariel stood before her in all her glory. Their last meeting in the Grand Canyon did nothing to prepare her for seeing Ariel in the flesh. When Gabe performed the communication ritual, the Angelic Council appeared on Earth in a temporary form. To gain any type of permanent physical shape, a Key needed to perform the act. Yet, Gabe had told her angels stayed only long enough to perform whatever their assigned mission, and then returned to the Light.

  “Well done,” Ariel said with a hint of condescension. “I will speak with Gabe now.”

  “He’s not here.” Cassie crossed her arms in an effort to shield herself.

  “No matter. I will find him.” Ariel said nothing further and brushed past Cassie out the door.

  Cassie followed her outside and stared in awe as the angel took to the sky. Like her or not, the image of the golden-haired white-winged angel against the darkening sky was a sight she would never forget.

  Twenty-Five

  Gabe took a step back to admire his work. Ten wood pylons stood like soldiers as they drove through the snow to the strong earth below. Each had been cut and erected at a different height to create an obstacle for anyone foolish enough to attempt walking through or upon them. He couldn’t suppress a laugh as he imagined the curses Cassie would have for him at this latest challenge. This obstacle course was twice as hard as the tree stumps she’d went through on her first day of training.

  All things considered, Cassie’s training turned out to be quite effective. Granted she complained at just about every interval, but her surprising resolve and determined nature guaranteed she would keep going, keep trying despite any pain she felt or setbacks she encountered. For one fallen angel that type of courage and plucky spirit turned into dangerous aphrodisiacs. Even now, he shook his head of baser thoughts, looked toward the sky, and considered stripping down into the snow to cool the growing fever.

  “Cassie,” he growled low and began walking toward the cabin. A chilling sight stopped him in his tracks as he caught a glimmer of white against the gray evening sky. “Seems I’ve found the cure for lust after all. Cold shower no longer required.” He grumbled as the white speck landed and came into full view.

  “Gabe. It’s been too long.” The angel shone bright and made the pure snow around her dance in an array of colors.

  “Not long enough. What do you want, Ariel?” Gabe’s voice sounded harsh even to his own ears. But, he couldn’t keep the anger from reaching outward. This seemingly beautiful creature had caused him nothing but grief for far too long, and now she wanted the woman he loved dead. Worse, she wanted his lover’s blood on his hands. I’d die first. His back stiffened.

  “Tsk. Tsk,” Ariel said, shaking her finger at him. “So much emotion will cause you nothing but trouble.”

  “I’m not in the mood for games.” He stormed past her, intentionally brushing against her outstretched wings. She recoiled at the contact, retracting her wings close to her body.

  “Neither am I,” she shouted as she outpaced h
im and blocked his path.

  Gabe halted and his jaw muscles twitched. He struggled to keep his emotions in check. For a moment, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he felt steady, he said, “Talk.”

  “You have been here too long.” A hint of sadness emerged from the usually frosty angel, but passed just as it appeared. The light emanating from her became more subdued as she spoke. “No matter. Your responsibilities have not changed. And you put everything in danger the longer you drag your feet.”

  “I’ve given you my answer already. You have no further business here.” He sidestepped Ariel in an attempt to shake her off, but she mimicked his movements, a second ahead of him at each turn. After a minute or so of this cat and mouse game, he roared, “Get out of my way.”

  Without warning, she faced him nose to nose, two inches of space between them. In a feral tone she whispered, “If I could do the deed myself I would.”

  A wild image flashed through his mind. His hands wrapped around Ariel’s throat, slowly, ever so slowly, squeezing her windpipe. Bone and muscle crushed together, the sound echoing through the woods. A hideous gasp as the angel takes her last breath. The silence that follows after her body falls to the ground…deafening.

  Gabe pushed the gruesome picture away. He took a pointed step back, frightened by his rage. Steadying his breaths, he let the tension drain from his body. “You push your luck, Ariel.”

  “I only remind you of your place.” She leaned forward but made no further move toward him. “This world makes you forget yourself, who and what you are.”

  “I’ve never been more myself.” The words spoken aloud took a weight from his shoulders he didn’t know he bore. He rose straighter, taller somehow with the revelation. His soul exploded forth as if released from a cage. The pine-scented air filled his lungs. What is the human expression? The truth will set you free. So be it.