Ember's Kiss

by Deborah Cooke

  Brandon rubbed his talon over the gap. “I don’t blame him so much now. It’s not easy, and we made different choices.”

  “Maybe he’s changing that now,” Sloane suggested.

  “Maybe you should talk to him and find out,” Erik said quietly. Their conviction was such that Liz realized they knew something about Brandon’s father.

  “I don’t even know where he is,” Brandon said. “I’d call him right now, but I don’t know where to start.”

  “Keep your heart open,” Niall said. “In case he comes to you.”

  Brandon glanced at Liz, and she smiled. “It can’t hurt to hear his side of the story,” she said, and he nodded agreement. He touched another healing scale. “My mom,” he said, and the others nodded. He brushed his claw across the third, the one that Liz had most recently seared. “But what was the third loss?” He looked at the Pyr in confusion, but none of them had an answer for him.

  It was Liz who stepped forward and put her hand on his chest. She looked up into his eyes and saw the change in him. “Yourself,” she said. “You despised yourself and the dragon within you when we met.”

  “But it wasn’t my dragon. It was what Chen wanted my dragon to be.”

  “Exactly.” Liz touched the newly exposed bit of skin with concern. “So, am I right that I have to give Brandon something to heal this fourth spot?” She turned to Quinn. “I thought the Smith repaired the scales of the Pyr.”

  “I do, but the repair of the scale lost in a firestorm will not take without the willing aid of the mate.”

  Liz looked at the dragons in the room with her. They all reminded her of jewelry, precious metals and precious stones. She wanted to give Brandon a magical token, something of herself that would become part of his armor yet still adhere to the expectations of the Pyr.

  “Ginger gave Delaney her mother’s amber earrings,” Sara said softly, as if she guessed Liz’s conundrum.

  Liz smiled at the other woman and tugged her grandmother’s jet earrings from her ears. “These were my grandmother’s,” she said, looking between Quinn and Brandon. “And I think they were her grandmother’s before that. They are filled with the magic of my lineage. Will they do?”

  “They will more than do,” Quinn said with satisfaction. He accepted them and turned them in his claws, his eyes gleaming as he examined the hallmarks. “Sterling,” he murmured. “It is one of my favored materials for a repair.”

  “Thanks, Liz,” Brandon said, his voice husky. “If you’re happy to give them, I’ll be honored to carry them.”

  Liz nodded, knowing that this solution was exactly right.

  That was when she realized that Garrett and Zoë had joined the group of Pyr. The dragons stood around the perimeter of the room, forming a casual circle, and the toddlers were in the center. Garrett pretended to breathe fire beside his father, in obvious anticipation of the scale repair. Quinn seemed to inflate as he took a breath, becoming larger and more imposing. He lifted the lost scale in his claw, then loosed a torrent of dragonfire upon it. The scale heated in his grasp, glowing with inner fire.

  Liz was enraptured. She felt the flicker of her own gift and knew from Brandon’s expression that she was sparkling again.

  She had to help. When Quinn heated the earrings in his other claw, Liz summoned the flame in her heart. She fed it with her ardor for Brandon and saw a tongue of flame leap from her own fingertips. Quinn pressed the earrings against the scale and Liz added her fire to his own to secure them there.

  She heard his deep chuckle.

  “I believe we have fire covered,” he said, his eyes glinting with humor. He heated the back of the scale, then pressed it against Brandon’s bare skin. Brandon arched his back and bared his teeth, exhaling smoke as the scale was seared into place. Quinn gave Liz a look and she added her healing fire to the scale.

  “Fire,” Quinn repeated with satisfaction. “And earth in the jet.”

  “Air,” Erik commanded, and Liz blew on the cooling scale impulsively. She felt Brandon tremble beneath her touch and knew the repair had hurt.

  “Water,” Sloane added, and Liz glanced up. She saw the tear on Brandon’s cheek and lifted it with her fingertip, touching it to the repaired scale. It sizzled on contact, emitting a puff of steam, and he shook from nose to tail in relief.

  Liz reached up to kiss him, proud of what he had endured and accomplished. Brandon shifted shape and caught her in his arms, dipping his head for a very satisfying kiss.

  Liz was starting to think that having a dragon baby wouldn’t be so bad at all.

  The Pyr had celebrated Brandon’s victory in grand style. They were at the beach bar at the resort long into the night, talking and laughing, eating and drinking. The children had fallen asleep and the sky overhead was filled with stars. They were wonderful company, but Liz wanted to do some private celebrating of her own. She felt both tired and invigorated, back in balance after a long time of ignoring who she really was.

  It was all because of Brandon.

  And the firestorm. Like him, she now believed in its promise and in their shared future. Their child would be a boy, she’d been told by the Pyr, a dragon shifter who came into his powers at puberty. Liz didn’t think it was out of the question that he’d also inherit some enhanced link to the elements from her side.

  He smiled at her and ran a finger down her cheek. “You must be exhausted,” he murmured, the wicked glint in his eyes telling her that she wouldn’t be falling asleep anytime soon.

  Liz feigned a yawn all the same, covering her mouth with her hand. “I am. Aren’t you?”

  “Beat,” Brandon agreed, then winked. “Don’t you have to teach at that symposium?”

  “Tomorrow at nine. Maureen rescheduled everything because of delayed flights.”

  Brandon cocked a finger at her. “I’m coming to listen.”

  “You’re interested in marine biology?”

  “I’m interested in oceans and I’m interested in you.” He grinned at her. “And I like the idea of our working together for a better future.”

  “So do I,” Liz agreed and kissed him. She could lose herself in his kiss, even now, and she suspected that was never going to change. Brandon’s fingers slid into her hair and he deepened his kiss, sparking the flame in her heart that was never going to die.

  “Look at the two of them,” Niall said.

  “I think it’s sweet,” Eileen said.

  “Get a room,” Sloane teased, throwing the paper umbrella from his drink at them. The other Pyr laughed as they cast an avalanche of paper umbrellas over Liz and Brandon.

  Brandon broke his kiss, laughing as he tugged Liz to her feet. “You guys staying a bit? Liz is teaching tomorrow, but I’m going to surf the Banzai Pipeline on Tuesday.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Erik said with a smile.

  “You’d better win,” Quinn said, his voice a low rumble and a glint in his eyes. “Seeing as how we came all this way.”

  “He’ll do his best,” Liz said, but Brandon was more confident than that.

  “I’m going to nail it,” he said with a confident smile. “I’ve got a new sponsor, and a son on the way.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Plus I’ve got to make sure Liz doesn’t just think I’m her boy toy.”

  They laughed together, as comfortable with each other and as supportive as a family. “Sleep well,” Sara said, drawing her shawl forward to nurse her son.

  Garrett waved sleepily from his father’s lap and Brandon urged Liz toward their room.

  “I like them,” she said, not sure what he was thinking.

  “Yeah,” he admitted, as if surprised. “It’s like discovering you have all these uncles who are okay.”

  “Even when you thought they were evil.”

  His smile was rueful. “I guess you shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”

  “Or maybe you need to remember the rule of three,” a woman said from behind Liz.

  Liz froze, not daring to
hope it was who she wanted it to be. Brandon looked from her to the woman behind her, his confusion clear.

  Liz turned, not truly believing that her mother could be with her again.

  Her mother was there, in a way. She looked as if she were made of smoke and will-o’-the-wisp, her figure silvery and ethereal.

  “Whatsoever you send out into the world returns to you threefold,” her mother said softly. “Today’s events proved that old adage clear.”

  “Mom!”

  “Why are you surprised?” Her mother smiled. “Haven’t you felt me with you every day and night, my Elizabeth?”

  Liz shook her head, her vision blurred with tears. “But it was my fault….”

  “No.” Her mother touched featherlight fingertips to her lips. “No.”

  Liz’s throat was tight. “I tried to forget what I was.”

  Her mother smiled serenely. “And I guarded you in darkness until you remembered.”

  “Mom!” Liz was overwhelmed to have this moment and felt blessed to be forgiven.

  She bent and kissed Liz once on each cheek, her eyes filled with pride. “Congratulations, Firedaughter. You have mastered the final test.” Her eyes glinted as she looked over Brandon and her smile broadened. “I knew that there was an unusual man in Liz’s future. She’s too special for anything less. I sensed that all would come together when you found each other.”

  “It did,” Liz said.

  “Absolutely,” Brandon said, holding Liz close to his side. “Brandon Merrick.” He held out his right hand with that confidence Liz so admired, his smile radiant enough to warm the sun.

  Her mother smiled back at Brandon, nodding approval of Liz’s choice. “Teach the young one all he needs to know,” she said quietly, her gaze dropping to Liz’s flat belly. “When worlds collide, it’s not always clear how they’ll mix.”

  “I thought it was the darkfire that made everything unpredictable,” Brandon said.

  Liz’s mother nodded. “Darkfire in the hands of a Firedaughter is even more unpredictable.”

  Then she brushed her fingertips across Liz’s collarbone, her touch as light as a spring breeze. Her skin tingled and Liz saw the completed pentacle glitter beneath her mother’s touch. Liz looked up at her mother, but the shadowy vision of the woman she’d loved all her life was gone. She blinked back her tears as Brandon took her hand in his.

  “You’re not rid of me, Elizabeth,” her mother murmured in her ear, her whisper filled with familiar humor. “I’m not an Airdaughter for nothing. I will appear to you, when I can and when you need me. I promise. You have only to look.”

  And that was more than Liz had ever expected. She met Brandon’s gaze and took his hand, her heart pounding with joy.

  “Blessed be,” her mother whispered, her voice already fading.

  “Blessed be,” Liz echoed, smiling because she knew that she was blessed beyond belief.

  Epilogue

  Kira had been right.

  The surf broke perfectly on Tuesday morning, just as she’d forecast. Brandon was down on ‘Ehukai Beach when the sun came up, watching the waves break on the reef. It was absolutely textbook. The waves had to be twenty-five feet high, the curl of the Pipeline exactly the way Brandon preferred it to be.

  This would be his day.

  He would succeed because of Liz and the firestorm.

  He hurried back to his place and woke Liz with a kiss, then put on some breakfast, following his pre-competition ritual to the letter. He did his warm-up exercises and tugged on the wet suit from Kira. His sense of anticipation was growing with every passing moment. They went back down to the beach, and the organizers had their staff ready. He registered and signed waivers, got his time slot, shook hands with the other competitors.

  Matt, Dylan, and Rick were there early, each of them nearly as excited about Brandon’s opportunity as he was. Kira fussed over the wet suit, Brandon’s impetuousness forgiven, and gave him a kiss on the cheek in encouragement. Liz talked to them all, then gave a cry of pleasure when she spotted a familiar face.

  Brandon could have told her that her friend Maureen would be there—he’d heard that diesel Mercedes pulling into town—but he hadn’t wanted to spoil the surprise.

  They both surprised him with the news that Liz had been offered a chance to collect samples at the reserve for her research. She’d made a good impression in her lectures and was optimistic—with Maureen’s encouragement—that the research opportunity could develop into a job offer at the Institute. She was ready to move to Hawai‘i to make that happen.

  Everything was coming together perfectly.

  Brandon was aware of the Pyr gathered on the beach, watching him with pride, and he waved to them all. Garrett and Zoë ran over to give him hugs, and Brandon felt as if he’d been welcomed into an extended family he’d never realized he had.

  He watched the waves, welcoming their consistency. He’d wondered whether he should use his affinity with water to improve the surf on this day, but it turned out that he didn’t have to decide. The ocean was cooperating all on its own, which suited Brandon even better. The sun got hotter and the beach got more crowded. Liz smeared lotion on them both and he felt the tension building. The Jet Skis pulled a couple of competitors out of the water, big names who had miscalculated the Pipeline, and the excitement on the beach grew.

  Brandon surfed twice and made good showings, although he knew that he had to completely nail his third run. The international team organizer had already spoken to him by lunchtime, but there was no firm offer on the table.

  It all depended on his last run.

  He needed to be perfect in the Pipeline.

  Finally the whistle blew and it was his turn. Brandon ran into the surf alongside the other competitor. They plunged into the water as one and started to paddle for the incoming waves. Although they were in competition with each other, a sense of camaraderie joined them. They were both really in competition with the waves. They punched through the break together, swimming with power into the trough. The other guy was on the inside.

  “Your choice,” Brandon said, because that was protocol.

  “This one,” the guy said. “I’ll take this one.”

  “Looks like a beauty,” Brandon said. “Have a good ride.”

  “You, too.” They grinned at each other, exchanged thumbs-up; then the wave began to swell against the horizon. The other guy turned his board and started to paddle toward the shore.

  “Go, go, go!” Brandon shouted, knowing the people on the beach would be shouting the same thing but that the other surfer wouldn’t be able to hear them. The wave moved beneath him, gathering power and momentum.

  “Get up!” Brandon cried as the wave’s high point lifted the other surfer high. The other guy was on his feet, riding the curve toward the shore. Brandon could barely hear the applause on the beach. The other surfer ripped the face of the wave, much to the approval of the audience. He’d get points from the judges for his moves.

  Then he tried to ride the Pipeline. Brandon saw immediately that he hadn’t read the curl properly. He’d no sooner gotten the front of the breaking wave than it crashed over him, driving him down into the reef. The Jet Skis roared, but the other guy was up.

  He looked pissed off when he began to paddle back out beyond the break. Brandon smiled. He knew what it was like to have the water get the better of you. He let the next wave pass, not liking it so much, and the other surfer joined him on the outside.

  “Nice rip,” Brandon said, and the other guy nodded.

  “You going?” he asked.

  Brandon eyed the wave swelling against the horizon. “Yeah,” he said. “This one’s mine.”

  “It’s going to be big.”

  “That’s the way I like them.” Brandon turned and paddled toward the beach with powerful strokes. He felt the wave gaining on him, then matched his speed to it perfectly. The wave moved beneath him, lifting him high, higher than he’d expected. He heard the surprised cry of
the surfer behind him and of the spectators on the beach. He had no time to be surprised. He had to concentrate.

  He didn’t rip the surf or try any fancy moves. He just rode it with control, positioning himself perfectly. The surf broke just as he’d anticipated, and the white curl of foaming water appeared right beside him. He let one hand trail in the deep turquoise of the roiling water and felt the spray of the Pipeline closing around him. He stayed right at the lip of the breaking wave, the white spray sparkling all around him, the roar of the ocean filling his ears.

  Brandon was surrounded by a tube of swirling water, as if the ocean held him safe in the palm of her hand. It was exhilarating, as if he’d stepped out of time. He felt in tune with the world and her elements, in balance with his dragon and its awesome power, and filled with joy for his future with Liz. For this moment, there was nothing but him and the sea and the happy pulse of his heart.

  Perfect.

  And it seemed to last forever.

  He soared out of the end of the Pipeline when it crashed to nothing on the reef, standing on his board and riding in to the beach on his own momentum. A roar of applause rose from the audience, and he saw that the judges were giving him perfect scores. Kira was shouting with joy, and the photographers were clustering around him, their shutters clicking. Liz was running across the sand toward him as the siren blared, signifying the end of the session, and he caught her up and swung her around in his arms.

  “You were great!” she said with excitement.

  “Because of you,” Brandon said, and kissed her. He saw the organizer of the international team coming toward him with a big smile, and he knew exactly what he was going to say. He turned to the man with a grin and stretched out his hand in greeting, barely hearing the invitation to join the team that had been his goal for years.

  Because he saw an older couple standing back from the crowd, their hands clasped.

  His parents had come to watch him.

  Brandon couldn’t believe it. He looked twice, but they were still there.

  Smiling at him.

  In a daze, Brandon accepted the coach’s offer and shook his hand, aware that Liz was practically bouncing beside him. “You did it,” she whispered in delight.