Burned by Fire (Blood & Magic Book 3)

by Danielle Annett

  “You’re not the only one with abilities.” Aiden locked his eyes on mine, a tic forming along his temple. I felt pressure against the flames and pushed against it. The invisible restraint snapped like a rubber band and my flames grew, engulfing my forearms. Everyone stopped to stare at me. I quirked a brow. I knew I’d pay for this later. I was burnt out, and Declan would want to know what was going on. I’d owe him an explanation, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

  “What was that?” I taunted.

  “You’ve grown in strength,” he said. I shrugged my shoulders. I was never going to let him or anyone else try to contain my powers. Never again. Aiden turned to the men around him, signaling them forward. They each approached cautiously and spread themselves out, surrounding me. Awesome. Nine against one, if I counted the two Inarus had pointed out who weren’t psykers.

  I turned and briefly looked up at my apartment window, giving the window a hard glare. I knew he was watching, and he needed to stay put.

  “Aria, don’t be stupid. There are too many of us for you to take on at once. Step aside and let us have a look around. We know he’s here. Don’t make this harder on yourself than it needs to be.”

  Before anyone said or did anything else, I closed my eyes and pulled every ounce of fire within me. I’d been practicing with James for several weeks now. When I focused my flames, I could send out a concentrated flare. A single bright, hot burst of fire that grew in an arc around me. I could only do it once, at least so far in any given day. That was my max, but it was impressive to see, and with any luck it would discourage any action on their part. I wasn’t going to just step aside like Aiden wanted me to. Not in this lifetime, or the next.

  “I’m only going to warn you once. Leave now and I will spare your lives.” I made eye contact with each of the men around me. My hair whipped around my face in a flurry of wet tendrils. Aiden laughed like I’d just made a joke, and the men started closing in around me.

  Well, I tried.

  I pulled my arms around myself, wrapping them around my waist as if I were containing the fire inside of me and then—I let go. I opened my arms wide and a bright orange flash emanated from me, a ring of fire so hot that it scorched the ground, eliminating any sign of snow within a twenty-foot radius, leaving the ground wet rather than frozen.

  Aiden was quick to react, forming a shield around those closest to him. He couldn’t cover all of them, though. One to the left I noticed had formed a thick wall of ice, one my flare had burned through like a blade through softened butter. The ice had lessened the blow, but he didn’t walk away unscathed. His clothing was charred and hanging off of his body in strips, his flesh smoking, with raised boils on the surface. He dropped to his knees and wavered before crashing face first into the ground without any snow to cushion the fall. I hissed through my teeth. That had to hurt.

  He moaned but didn’t move. Alive, but in more pain than I cared to imagine.

  My stomach rolled. I gritted my teeth and surveyed the others. These men had come to my home. They were my enemies, and they were threatening the life of someone I cared about. I’d given them a choice. I refused to feel bad about this.

  The two directly behind me who’d been the furthest from Aiden fared much worse. There was no sign of life out of them; their skin looked like burnt wood, flaking away in the wind. Aiden had managed to shield the others with his telekinetic abilities.

  The six remaining men all looked as if they had some serious sunburns but were still standing and looked otherwise whole, if not a little shaken. Their eyes were hard. I could see their collective train of thought as they debated whether they should all hit me at once with whatever abilities they had, or walk away. I wasn’t the one they were looking for, and I prayed they chose option B and walked away.

  “You will not threaten me,” I said, looking directly at Aiden. “You will not come to my home and make demands. I suggest you take your people and get your asses back in your SUVs before we test whether or not you can protect them from a second flare.”

  If looks could kill, I’d have been dead where I stood. The men cautiously collected the bodies of their fallen. The psyker who’d demonstrated hydrokinetic abilities with his wall of ice was brought to his feet by one of the other men. He lifted his body into an upward position, pulling the man’s arm over his shoulder. His head lolled to the side, displaying large, quarter-sized boils along his neck and face. I watched in detachment as he was dragged to one of the vehicles.

  All of the men piled into their vehicles except Aiden, who defiantly stood with his arms across his chest. I waited. Whatever it was he had to say, he wouldn’t leave until he said it.

  “If you thought you could keep a low profile and make us forget about you, that little stunt put you at the top of our list. Being her daughter will only carry so much weight. Don’t get in my way again.”

  His words brought a chill to my spine, but I didn’t react. My mother, Viola Reynolds, was the head of the Human Alliance Corporation, but she wasn’t all-powerful. I also knew I wasn’t that important to her. She’d made that abundantly clear when she had sentenced my father to death and abandoned me to fend for myself when I was barely seventeen, just before the Awakening occurred. My whole life, I have believed her to be dead. If men like Aiden pushed for my head, she’d eventually give in. I watched as he climbed into the passenger seat of one of the SUVs, and one after the other, they left.

  As soon as the last SUV cleared the corner, I felt the last of my adrenaline drain out of my body. I dropped to my knees, my head suddenly dizzy, and I retched. What little I had in my stomach from earlier this morning escaped me, and my stomach rolled and heaved, filling my mouth with the taste of bitter chocolate and something sour.

  I’d killed two men. Moisture pooled in the corners of my eyes as I fought to control my emotions. My body swayed.

  “Aria, shit. Don’t pass out,” I heard Inarus say. My vision began to blur, but I fought the urge to close my eyes. Instead, I allowed Inarus to pull me to my feet. In a sickening pull of motion, I found myself back inside the confines of my living room. My stomach heaved once more.

  “Porting me when I’m already dizzy and drained probably isn’t the best idea,” I said. My breaths came out in gasps.

  “I figured it was better than the stairs.” He had a point. I slid my body down the wall, my butt landing on the carpeted floor. I decided to pretend that the puddle of my stomach contents didn’t exist. I leaned my head against the wall, suddenly wishing I was back outside where the air was cool on my face. I felt flushed, my blood boiling beneath the surface of my skin.

  “That was so cool,” Melody said. I groaned.

  “Aria, where did that come from?” Inarus asked, his voice hesitant.

  “You know me, full of surprises.” I turned my head to the side, my eyes at half-mast. “I’m exhausted,” I all but whispered.

  “I’ll get you settled in,” I heard Inarus say, right before I felt my body get lifted, and then, everything went black.

  I woke to a growl. It was deep and feral and jolted me awake. I instinctively reached for my blades, but they weren’t on my nightstand where I usually left them when I went to bed. The growl sounded again, and I turned to find Declan stalking towards my bed, his eyes murderous. That was when I realized I wasn’t the only one lying on the bed. Inarus was beside me, shirtless and alert.

  Shit. What was he doing in bed with me? Before I could say anything, he jerked out of the bed, and then Declan froze. His eyes were pure gold, no signs of their emerald color visible, and filled with rage that left me feeling like prey. He wasn’t moving, his body caught mid-step in an invisible grip.

  “Inarus—”

  “Aria, take my hand and I’ll port us out.” He reached for me, but I pulled away.

  “Inarus, let him go.” A rumble grew in Declan’s chest, the sound vibrating the space around me, sending a chill up my spine and making the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

&nb
sp; “You’re kidding, right?”

  I didn’t wait. I walked towards Declan, throwing caution to the wind and letting instinct drive me. I’d known he would sense the drain of power, and I’d known I would have to explain. I just hadn’t expected that he would come looking for me. I cupped his face, praying that whatever bond was between us would reach him. His tiger glared at me through feline slit eyes, but his primary focus was over my shoulder, on Inarus.

  “Nothing happened here. I passed out because I drained myself and he helped me to bed. That’s all. Nothing happened.” He still wasn’t moving. I could see the muscles beneath his shirt flex as he fought the telekinetic powers holding him in place. I tried again. “Declan, focus on me. Only me.” His gaze shifted momentarily before going back to Inarus. His body swayed.

  “Holy shit,” I heard Inarus swear behind me. Declan’s left foot slid slightly forward. Inarus was strong and he was now well rested, but Declan was a force.

  “Inarus, let go.” If he didn’t, somehow Declan would break the invisible bonds holding him and one or both of them was going to get hurt, if not worse. Declan was pushing his beast too hard. Blood would have to be spilled if I didn’t turn this around.

  “He’s going to kill you. Step away from him.”

  That brought a vicious snarl out of Declan.

  “He won’t hurt me,” I said. At least, I was pretty certain he wouldn’t.

  “You don’t—”

  “Yes, I do. Now let him go.” I retained my hold on Declan, my palms cupping either side of his face. The moment Inarus let go of his hold over him, I saw Declan fight the urge to pull away from me. Instead he stayed, frozen just as he had been, but this time by choice. Seconds passed as he glared at Inarus, neither man moving. Good. I silently prayed that Inarus would stay put. I didn’t think Declan would go after him, not right this moment. But if Inarus made any sudden movements, Declan’s tiger would lock on to him like prey, rather than just as a potential threat. I wasn’t sure which was worse.

  “Hey,” I tried again. This time, Declan looked down at me, his entire focus on my face. I gasped at the look in his eyes but pushed down the feeling of trepidation.

  “Nothing happened.” He closed his eyes and leaned forward, his head resting against mine. He let out a harsh breath. We stood there in silence as time ticked past, until Declan finally pulled away. My hands dropped to my sides, and I held my breath as I waited to see what he would do. I might not have gone into it willingly, but I knew the mate bond between us was strong. I also knew that finding your mate in bed with another man, no matter how innocent it may be, was enough to send any shifter male into a fit of rage.

  That Declan had managed to keep himself from tearing Inarus apart limb by limb was a testament to his control.

  “We’re going home.” His voice was guttural and filled with command. I bristled under the order before reason took hold. If I said no, it would only make things worse, but if I said yes, I felt like I was giving in. Like I was relinquishing control. The thought grated along my nerves. Suck it up, Aria. I turned to Inarus.

  “Stay,” I said. “We’ll sort everything out later.” He nodded, but his expression was pinched. The next time we spoke, I was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

  I turned back to Declan, his eyes now narrowed on Inarus. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  The car ride back to the Compound was filled with awkward silence. I looked out the window, watching the streetlights flash as we passed them. City quickly turned to forest as we headed further and further away from town and deeper into Pack lands. The drive took less than thirty minutes, but the silence between Declan and I made it feel like hours passed.

  The Compound loomed before us, a large stone fortress hidden behind walls of brick and mortar. Every time I came back, I had to fight the anxiety that would fill me, and force myself to drive through the gates. It wasn’t the gate itself that worried me—it was what it represented. The gates were intended to keep those within safe, but all it made me feel was trapped.

  Just as we passed the gates and the Compound itself neared, Declan stopped the car. It idled for a moment and I stared out the window, taking in the evergreen trees dusted in snow that surrounded us.

  “Do you love him?” he asked me. I widened my eyes. I didn’t know what to say to that or where that had come from.

  “Why would—?”

  “Answer the damn question, Aria! Do you love him? I deserve to know!” He practically roared the question, the car shaking in his anger. I’d thought that when he found me with Inarus that he’d been angry, jealous even, as most men would be. But as I sat and stared at him in utter surprise, I realized that I was also picking up fear through the mate bond. He was afraid that I’d been rejecting him because I was in love with someone else. I turned my head to the side, and that one small movement must have concerned him, because his face became an expressionless mask. Instinctively, I wanted to reach out to him. Stupid mate bond. My chest ached. I didn’t reach out, though. We weren’t there yet.

  Instead, I shook my head. “I don’t love him,” I said honestly. The breath Declan exhaled looked like a weight was lifted from his shoulders.

  “Okay. Good.”

  “I don’t love you, either,” I said. I couldn’t help myself. Declan pursed his lips into a thin line, and I turned away to stare at my reflection in the window.

  “I can live with that, for now.” Well, for now was going to be one hell of a long time. I hadn’t even decided if I liked him yet.

  “I meant what I said earlier. Nothing happened.”

  “I know. I would have sensed it, through the bond.”

  I nodded. That was true. I’d kissed Inarus once, and through the bond I shared with Declan I’d felt such anguish. The result had left me staggering. I’d felt disgusted with myself, and Declan’s pain had felt like a physical blow. Declan didn’t own me, and I didn’t consider the two of us to be in much of a relationship, but I didn’t think I could do that again. Let someone else touch me, knowing how it would make me feel, and knowing how it would affect Declan. I was selfish, but I wasn’t cruel.

  Declan parked inside the Compound gates. We both exited the car and I started for the front door. His hand around my forearm stopped me.

  “You opened yourself to my strength earlier.”

  “I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t have much of a choice.” Declan didn’t seem bothered by it.

  “You can lean on me.” I waited to see if he’d pry and ask me why’d I’d done it, but he didn’t. Instead, he released my forearm and I just stood there, staring into his emerald-green eyes before I decided to turn away and head inside.

  “I thought we had a date?” he said just as I reached the doors. I opened my mouth to ask for a raincheck and thought better of it.

  “It’s a bit late, isn’t it?” I’d let him decide.

  Declan smiled. “Denny’s is open,” he said. “Twenty-four hours.” I smiled. Denny’s was just my kind of place.

  “Okay, let me shower and change really quick and we’ll go to Denny’s.” I was pretty sure parts of the river were still in my hair.

  There was nothing like late-night diner fare to really set the mood. We arrived at Denny’s just after 11 P.M. The waitress took one look at Declan and it was like her brain fell out of her head. I couldn’t tell if she was acting like a ditz or if she actually was one. She was repeatedly falling over herself, dropping menus, spilling our waters. It was like the girl just could not focus. And of course, each time, Declan would smile and pick up the dropped menu, or reach a hand out to steady her and keep her from falling. It was really getting on my nerves.

  We’d been seated in a booth towards the back of the restaurant at Declan’s request. It gave him the perfect view of both the main entrance as well as the back hallway. No one could sneak up. We sat side by side, rather than across from one another, because I didn’t like my back exposed any more than he did. There was a walkway on either side so should trouble
come around, neither of us would be blocked in by the other.

  The waitress came by with our plates: chicken strips and fries for me, and a bacon burger for Declan. She asked if he needed anything else, and I listened as Declan told her we were set. I glared daggers at her as she tried to discreetly slip a piece of paper across the table to him. As soon as she turned to leave, I snatched the paper from the table and ripped it in half and then quarters before drowning it in my glass of ice water. It was childish, but I didn’t really care.

  Declan laughed. “That was our check,” he said. I eyed the paper through the glass, a phone number still visible, though it had started to fade in the water.

  “That was more than our check.”

  Declan smiled and took a bite of his burger, clearly pleased that he’d managed to get a rise out of me. It wasn’t that I was jealous, really. But she’d been out of line. When a man and woman have dinner together, it should be assumed that it is a date. There were no similarities in our appearance, so she couldn’t have mistaken us for siblings, unless she really was that dense. Oh well, I told myself.

  Declan ate with single-minded focus, as if the burger was his last meal. I noticed that all shifters ate that way, and rather than commenting, I decided to dig in myself. My stomach growled as I dipped my chicken strip in a side of ranch, as if to tell me to hurry up. I had yet to eat any real food today—chocolate pastries and lunchmeat didn’t really count as nutrition—and I was beginning to wonder if maybe I should have ordered two plates.

  Declan’s burger was gone before I finished my first piece of chicken.

  “James mentioned he’s working with you on your fighting skills.”

  I nodded. At least five days a week, James and I were working together.

  “He’s a sadistic trainer,” I said. Declan laughed. “And he fights dirty.” It hadn’t taken me long to realize that James wasn’t going to fight fair. He’d taken it upon himself to be responsible for my well-being, and every time I found myself flat on my back, he felt obligated to remind me that enemies don’t fight fair either.