Born in Fire (Fire and Ice Trilogy Book 1)

by K. F. Breene

  “I don’t think I am who you think I am,” I said, guarded. “I’m not a curse breaker. I don’t even know what that is.”

  “You didn’t tell that fool of a vampire what you are, did you?” At the top of the stairs, she saw my hesitation. “I knew your mother. I knew her when she met your father. I helped her after she kicked your father out. I know what danger you are in, which is why I agreed to cut all bonds until you were old enough. She died before her time, and I lost sight of you. You took her teachings to heart, which is good. But because of that, we’ve lost valuable time.”

  This time I didn’t resist when she pulled me down the hall.

  “I loved your mother like a sister,” she continued. “We all did, those of us who knew her well. We didn’t like that she tried to disappear. I was the only one powerful enough to confront her about it. Lord almighty, she gave me a good magical wallop, I’ll say that much. She had great offensive magic. I got through, though. I got to meet you.” She smiled and touched her hand to her heart before directing me down the hall. “Such a little cutie, you were. I couldn’t have kids myself, but I do love them. I got to hold you and rock you—Mother Nature is the most magical of us all. It is wise to use her for guidance.”

  Touching moments made me uncomfortable.

  I scratched my arm and contemplated making a run for it. Curiosity stayed my feet, however. My mother had never told me someone else knew about me. We’d always been alone. I said as much.

  “Your mother and I agreed that your identity should be a secret. At least until we assessed your magic. When it turned out you had a good deal of your father in you, keeping you secret became a necessity until you mastered your various gifts. I didn’t visit your mom because I am always surrounded by busybodies and power seekers. If someone followed me, it would’ve put you both in jeopardy.”

  Callie sat me down in front of a huge vanity. It didn’t surprise me to see that all the little boxes and serums were perfectly organized. A massive bed sprawled out behind us, one side ruffled and the other crisply made. An open door on the other side led to a bathroom and a giant bathtub.

  “I wondered if she would eventually turn you over to the Mages’ Guild.” Callie assessed my face. “They would want to claim you, and in doing so, protect you. But she was probably right in her choice. They’d seek to use you. Maybe even trade you. They’ve gone horribly corrupt. They don’t have a presence around here, thank God.”

  “When I was old enough to look after myself, I tried to get her to join the world of the living again.” I shrugged. “By that point, she said there was nothing for her anymore. She was happy with the life we had, working on her magic, seeing if she could create a spell I couldn’t break apart.”

  “I bet that was a challenge for her.” She leaned closer to my forehead. “Burned your eyebrows away, huh? And how’d you get the scratch?” She thumbed my cheek.

  “A plant-based sort of goo. I wasn’t paying enough attention.”

  “Ah. No problem. I can fix this in a jiffy.” She pulled one of the containers toward her and took off the lid.

  “My mother was excellent with healing magic. I didn’t inherit the ability.”

  “Not many do.” She waved her hand around. “Hence the big house. Rich humans pay me to smooth facial lines and cure hangnails. Vanity pays, dear, which you’ll learn readily enough from that vampire out there. He’s as vain as…” She let the words trail away. “Don’t trust him, by the way. I’m sure you know that.”

  “Obviously.”

  “And while he is gorgeous, and undoubtedly has great techniques in the bedroom, it’s not worth it. Think with your head.”

  “I know this.”

  “It doesn’t hurt to be reminded. A man that fine can wear on the logic, don’t I know. I got mixed up with one of them when I was in college. Time of my life. Getting away wasn’t so easy. Had to kill him and cover it up.” I jerked back in shock. “Hold still, honey. I only want to put this salve on the trouble spots.”

  “You killed him because you didn’t want to stop seeing him?”

  “It was the only way, I assure you. He wanted to bond me, of all things. I was extremely naive and powerful, a great combination for a predator. Thanks to the advice of an old biddie like myself, I got out. Otherwise I would’ve been lost to him. He didn’t want me to leave, of course. This might sting a little.”

  I sucked in a breath—it felt like acid was eating away my cheek. “This is helping me, not disfiguring me, right?”

  “Let me work.” She blew on my cheek. “It took a combined effort of a few of my friends to trap and kill him, but we managed. It was hairy there for a little bit. He almost broke free. But my friend—a dainty little thing—rushed him with a stake. She saved the day. We covered it up and no one knew. Or else they didn’t care. I assume you are excellent at killing vampires?”

  “At killing everything.”

  “Yes. Your mother told me she’d teach you to fight. She was fierce. Had been training since she was little. This will feel better. Here you go.”

  A cool liquid calmed my burning skin.

  “I was five when she enrolled me in a martial arts studio,” I said. “She lied on all the documents. Paid in cash. I have no idea where she got the money.”

  “Me. Don’t wrinkle your eyebrows, or I’ll miss and give you a hairy forehead.”

  “You?”

  “I was the middle man, actually. She made her potions and spells in the woods, shipped them to my warehouse for distribution, and I saw that her customers got them. It was no hassle, and since I had my own setup as well, no one was the wiser.”

  “You did all that for her?”

  “I got something in return, don’t you worry. She was a better healer than I am. I learned plenty, bought supplies from her—it wasn’t just goodwill. Otherwise, she would’ve cut me off. Okay, there you go. Back to normal.”

  I turned to look in the mirror. Except for the singed bangs, which could be swept to the side, I looked like myself again. “Wow,” I said. “That was quick work.”

  “I’ve been doing this a long time. Flesh and hair problems are easy. So is making a vampire disappear without a trace.” She tapped the side of her nose with her forefinger. “You know, just in case you sample the sexual waters and get stuck in them.” She gave me a knowing look.

  Gross.

  I hopped out of the chair. “Thanks.”

  “And sweetie,” she said quietly, her eyes flicking sideways toward the door, “I know it doesn’t need saying, but if you want to continue living life as you know it, you’ll keep your true gifts a secret. Better to be a bastard than to be dead or under someone else’s control.”

  “Maybe I won’t actually call myself a bastard, but…”

  “Smart girl.” She threw her arms around me for a tight hug. “There has been so much business, I haven’t let this sink in. What a treat! We’ve stayed in the area, hoping to catch wind of you again. I wondered if it was you when I heard about a particularly effective bounty hunter, but no one at the Magical Office would tell me anything. We had no way of knowing you were still around here.”

  She stepped back and smiled, staring at me with glistening eyes.

  “Yes, well…” I tried to wriggle away, feeling intensely awkward.

  “I wondered if I would recognize you when I did see you,” she said. “And look, here you are. I absolutely do. There is so much of your mother in you, amplified by your father’s good looks. He was a stunner. We were all very jealous when he gravitated toward your mother.”

  “You were probably relieved when you found out what he was.”

  “I can’t get pregnant, honey. I would’ve used him and let him go, like I should’ve done with that vampire.”

  I sidestepped away. “Okay, then. That’s… I’ll get going.”

  “Yes, of course. That vampire of yours is probably planning which village to pillage.”

  She waved her hand as we neared the door. Magic fizzled
away. She’d placed a ward and I hadn’t even noticed. Very good at finesse indeed. I’d definitely need to get some spells from her after Darius paid me.

  I walked out of the room and immediately met the vampire driver, who’d followed us in after all. He gave me his usual glower. “Trying to hide something?”

  “Trying to look creepy?” I passed him by, half expecting him to reach out and grab my arm. That’d get him stabbed, of course. Which he probably knew.

  “We’re ready to go,” he said, following me.

  “I’ll see you out.” Callie followed behind us, moving a bit slower down the stairs to the main floor.

  For a brief moment, I found myself alone at the bottom with the driver.

  “What were you talking about?” he asked in a low voice.

  “I can still hear you, love.” Callie waved, halfway down the steps. “And I am the distance-casting winner in all of Louisiana. Not to mention I always have a spell ready to go. Castration at a moment’s notice? No problem. Keep that in mind if you decide to manhandle that girl.”

  I grinned at the driver.

  His eyes narrowed, but he held his tongue.

  On the front porch, Dizzy was staring down at something in his hands as Darius looked on. “Callie, look at this. It seems familiar, but I can’t place it.” Dizzy glanced up and caught sight of me. He smiled. “Oh. I thought you were my wife.”

  “What’s that?” Callie stomped onto the deck, pushing the driver out of the way. The poor guy was not having the best of days. “Where did you get this?” Callie asked with a sharp voice, taking the object from Dizzy. They were looking at one of the casings we’d picked up in the Realm.

  I told them and then explained the spells we’d encountered.

  Callie’s eyes came up slowly, soaked in wariness and fear. She shook her head slowly and angled the casing so she could study it in the porch light. “I’ve seen one similar to this. Not exact, but similar. Sometimes the police have me look at a crime scene when the Magical Office is befuddled. I found a casing similar to this at one of those scenes.” She turned it around in her fingers. “No marking. This mage wants to stay anonymous.”

  “Ah right, yes. Yes, I remember.” Dizzy took the object back. “That was a horrible scene. The skin was peeled off the victim. A human.”

  “What good would skinning someone do?” Darius asked.

  “Why, create a lot of pain, of course. A lot of pain.” Dizzy tsked. “A mage who could create that kind of spell would also be powerful enough to capture the energy the human exuded. Pain is a great way to amp up adrenaline.”

  “Adrenaline can be turned into kinetic energy, which can increase power,” Callie said. “It is a more extreme version of a dark sacrifice—something used for personal gain rather than good will to the gods.”

  “Can that power be ingested?” Darius asked.

  Dizzy frowned as he studied the casing. It was Callie who answered. “Not to make the magical user stronger and more powerful, no. But if that mage were trying to invoke a stronger spirit to guide and help him, then indirectly, yes.”

  “A spirit…like a demon?” Darius asked.

  “Could be a demon, though they are usually self-serving. An experienced magical person would avoid that route and go with something more…amiable. Something easier to get rid of, like a poltergeist or half-banished banshee, that kind of thing.”

  “Half-banished banshee?” I asked.

  “They’re mute, but just as powerful,” Callie said. “Happens when the person who’s sent in to banish one from its haunting area doesn’t do a thorough job. It strips the area of the racket, so if the banisher is quick enough, they can get out of town before the folk realize the banshee is still hanging around.”

  “Well, that’s not so bad. I’ve heard their wail is the worst part.”

  “Not so bad? Their whole function is to herald the death of a family member. When business slows down, they’ve been known to drum up their own business, so to speak. Trust me, you don’t want one of them hanging around. A town drops in number pretty quickly.”

  “Is a demon more powerful?” I knew a few things about demons, but nothing about banshees. “Because this guy is definitely big on power.” I thought back to the spells I’d extinguished in the Realm. “And knowledgeable about how to construct his magic.”

  Callie was shaking her head with a vague look in her eyes. “I seem to recall the police thought the killer was out of state.” Her eyes focused again. “But if the styling is similar, it could be the same person. They didn’t catch him, I don’t think.”

  “A demon is more powerful?” I asked again.

  “A demon is much more powerful, yes, but they don’t like to share a body. Oftentimes, they’ll start off by sharing, prove to be lovely roommates, and when the body gets complacent, the demon takes over.”

  “Then what?” Darius asked.

  “Well, they find a larger source of power, of course. Demons always crave more power, in themselves and in their masters. It is always about power with them, which is why inviting them to the surface is trouble, no matter how insignificant the demon starts out. They can grow and generate more power, and they constantly seek to do so, much like humans.”

  “So, what if the body had ingested a very potent source of magical power?” I asked, trying to be as vague as possible. “A crazy-days boost of power, we’re talking. One that could destroy a magical person as easily as boost them…”

  “Then hell would be invited to earth, and the seas would boil in the blood of the lost.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Well, that was a terrifying and horrible end to a lovely visit,” I said conversationally as Darius and I drove out of the Garden District.

  “Mrs. Banks seemed overly familiar with you when we parted,” Darius said in an even tone.

  He could say that again. Before releasing me into the car, Callie had given me a fierce hug and a mighty pat on my back, promising me she’d see me again. The warning in her eye said I better not try to get out of it. I was stuck with her, which was a good thing, most likely. If she knew my lineage, she was someone to watch.

  Plus, the thought of actually having someone in my life made my middle squishy. My mom’s passing had left a gaping hole in my solitary life. I was lonely, whether I would admit it out loud or not. Having a friend, regardless of her age and liberal take on screwing and killing vampires, would be welcomed.

  Not like I could tell Darius any of that.

  “Yeah,” I said in answer to Darius’s hinted question. “I told you. I’m likable.”

  “Moss mentioned that Mrs. Banks muted her conversation with you upstairs.”

  “Moss?” I turned my focus to the front of the car. I smiled at the dark eyes that flicked up into the rearview mirror. “Is that his real first name?”

  The eyes in the mirror narrowed. When I laughed, he glowered.

  “Why did she feel the need to keep your conversation private?” Darius asked.

  “You’ll never know.” I entwined my fingers in my lap. “What a strange first name. Moss. Was your mom a hippy?”

  Moss’s gaze went back to the street. I could barely see the nerve pop out in the side of his jaw from irritation. Why this tickled me, I had no idea.

  “Dawn is fast approaching,” Darius said. “We will stay in my residence for the day, and tomorrow night will acquire more information.”

  It turned out his “residence” was a massive corner house in the French Quarter. I hadn’t closed my mouth since walking in the front door. Over six thousand square feet of a sort of modern elegance I’d never seen before, let alone actually experienced. Gorgeous furniture graced the well-appointed and spacious rooms. Art like I’d seen in the Dungeon hung on the walls, perfectly accenting other decorations. Fresh flowers sweetened the air. Freshly painted walls hinted at the total makeover this older home must’ve had in the recent past. It was…extraordinary.

  “I am nowhere near classy enough to hang
out in this place.” I flinched away from the arm of a light-colored sofa. “I’m dirty. Do you have any plastic I can put down before I sit on stuff? Even the floor looks too clean for the likes of me.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Darius directed me up a stairway, where I marveled at the textured walls. Strings of flowers periodically draped down from the bannister. They were real, too. Fresh.

  “Do they put flowers here every day?” I asked.

  “Of course. It is essential to be surrounded by living things. It reminds us of when we were alive, and the wonders of the living. I cherish it.”

  I grimaced, but refrained from mentioning that the flowers weren’t alive, not anymore. In essence, he was surrounding himself with fresh death.

  “Here. A meal prepared for you.”

  He gestured through an opened door, and when I entered the room, I started laughing. “No.” I walked back out. “Don’t you have a kitchen I can eat in? At the counter?”

  His brow rumpled. “Don’t be absurd. You are a guest. You cannot eat at the counter like a servant.” He practically spat the last words out.

  “Let’s not think of me as a guest. Think of me as a stray cat that you are hesitant to feed lest I stay, but you pity me enough to toss me a few scraps. Seriously. That’s the way you should treat this whole situation.”

  “Do you not want to eat alone, is that the issue?” He studied me.

  “Alone is great. I’ll just grab a few things and head on down to the kitchen, which is probably still cleaner than I am.”

  “I am losing my patience. I’ll send someone to attend you.” His hand on my back wasn’t as light as normal, and it became even firmer as he all but shoved me into the large room with a ginormous table that could easily seat twenty people. I knew this, because there were twenty chairs surrounding it.

  Twenty chairs.

  More could squeeze in, of course. There were another six chairs against the wall, just waiting for go time. A crystal chandelier hung in the middle, bedecked with electric candles. Big, draped curtains closed off the windows, blocking all light, which was weird but probably a necessity, and a large rug stretched beneath all of this.