Pyromancist

by Charmaine Pauls

  He only shook his head. “Let’s get you away from here.” He looked over his shoulder, “Cain, can you get Erwan?”

  Cain nodded. The dogs had finally let go of the body on the floor. They huddled around Snow, Thunder licking his white fur where it was stained red.

  “Come.” Josselin tugged at her hand, but Clelia pulled back.

  “Snow,” she whispered.

  Josselin let go of her to lift the animal’s limp body into his arms. Cain had cut Erwan loose, and he was on his feet. It was Cain who took Clelia’s elbow to lead her down the stairs.

  Once outside, Clelia started trembling. She couldn’t think or move. She stood rooted to the spot, staring at Snow’s body, his head hanging over Josselin’s arm. An anger bigger than any she’d ever felt spread through her cold and lifeless body. Not having to restrain her emotions any longer, she allowed it to erupt, to burn through her like a white-hot flame. All she wanted was for the heat to scorch away the memory of the evil she had witnessed, the shame she felt at being connected to the man who had called himself her father. In the same instant that she allowed her emotions to run freely, a terrifying explosion shook the house. The shutters shot inward like dimples in a cheek. A second later, orange fingers reached through them. Roof tiles were sucked into the core of the house before they projected like fireworks into the air. The inferno was visible through every crevice. Josselin’s house had gone up in flames.

  Clelia looked around for Josselin in a panic. When her eyes found him, standing on the garden path with Snow in his arms, she saw the shock on his face as he stared at the stonewalls turning to ash in the blaze. She shook from the knowledge of what she had done. Would he despise her now? Would he hate her for letting her dark side out?

  “I’m sorry,” she said, starting to shake more violently. It felt as if her body weren’t hers to control. “I didn’t mean to.”

  Her teeth chattered despite the increasing heat that spread through her. Her organs were on fire.

  Josselin left Snow on the grass and rushed to her side. “Clelia.” He seemed strangely concerned. “Look at me. Focus on me.”

  Why was he looking at her like that? Her gaze moved to Erwan, who reached for her.

  “Do something, Cain,” Josselin said.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Erwan’s voice shook.

  “It’s the shock,” Cain said. “She just blew up your house, Josselin.” His voice was filled with wonder.

  “I don’t give a fuck about the house,” Josselin said. “Help her. She’s going to combust herself.”

  Cain chuckled. “No, she won’t. She’s just exercised an immensely powerful act. It’ll take a while for her body to stabilize.” He smiled. “I’ve never seen anything like this. Instead of blowing outward, the house imploded. We didn’t even feel the force of the blow. The energy of the explosion projected to the center instead of away from it. Truly amazing. This is totally against the laws of nature.”

  Her head was spinning. She heard their voices but all she could feel was the heat inside her mind, the flames that burned and cleaned.

  “Cain, stop fucking delivering a scientific speech,” Josselin said. “We’ll have time for this later.”

  Fighting the urge to give in to the blackness, she pushed forward, trying to get to Snow, to Josselin, to Erwan, but Cain’s hands held her still.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, and then the heat inside her body and mind turned to ice.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Clelia woke up in their bed in the castle. Her head was aching and her tongue felt like sandpaper. When the last event etched into her memory came back to her like a film clip exploding in her mind, she shot up.

  “You’re awake,” Josselin said, as if it amazed him.

  She blinked at him and took in his naked body. Looking down, she saw that she wasn’t wearing clothes either.

  Following her gaze, he said, “I had to wash his stench from both of us.” He reached for a glass of water on the bedside table and handed it to her with two pills. “Aspirin. Sorry that you feel like this. I had to give you a tranquilizer.”

  Clelia frowned. “You stabbed me with a needle again? Why don’t I remember it?”

  He brushed the hair from her face, looking concerned. “Actually, it was Cain who stabbed you. Your body had gone into shock. I couldn’t calm you. Your teeth were rattling so severely that you were biting yourself. The insides of your cheeks were bleeding.”

  She looked around and noticed it was dark outside. “How long have I been out for?”

  “Only a couple of hours. It wasn’t a strong dose. How are you feeling?”

  She was feeling amazingly well, which probably wasn’t a good sign. It meant that she was either dreaming, or there was something wrong with her. Surely, it couldn’t be normal.

  “I’m fine. Where’s Erwan? Cain?”

  “They’re both fine. Erwan is staying here. I had a room prepared for him. He’s resting. Cain is waiting in the dining room.” Josselin’s expression turned dark. “He wants to speak to us before he goes.”

  “What about?” Clelia said, even if she had a pretty good idea. When Josselin didn’t answer, she said, “He’s upset about what you did, isn’t he? He’s angry that you saved me instead of killing me, like you were supposed to. What do you think will happen?”

  Josselin pulled his hand through his hair. “I don’t know. He may ask me to quit the force.”

  Clelia’s eyes widened. “Oh, Josselin, I’m so sorry.”

  He pulled her to him. “Don’t say something so silly. Ever. Don’t be sorry for me loving you.”

  She wrapped her arms around him. “Lupien?” she said with a trembling voice.

  “Ashes. Couldn’t even find his remains in the debris. Even the rocks in the walls exploded.” He caressed her cheek. “If it weren’t for your dogs...”

  She pushed away from him. “Snow? He shot Snow, didn’t he?”

  “Yes, but he’ll make it. It’s only a flesh wound. Cain took him to the vet. He’ll stay there for a couple of days until he’s recovered enough to come home. We’ll go see him later.”

  “How did they find us?”

  Josselin sighed. “God knows, but I thank God every second of being alive that they did. Siril said they came sniffing around the castle, cornered him inside, and then took off. They must have followed your trail.”

  She moved her hands over his arms. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  “No.” He shook his head slowly. “But he would have destroyed me if he had managed to take the one thing in the world that gives me a reason to live, to breathe.” His arms folded around her. “I thought for a minute that I’d lost you, that he would kill you.”

  She lifted her head and kissed him. “It’s all right, Josselin. I’m here now. He’s gone.”

  His eyes darkened. “Do that again.”

  “Do what again?”

  “Kiss me,” he said with a thick voice. “Kiss me like it’s our last night together.”

  Clelia wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. She opened her lips and took his tongue, sucking lightly, giving him all the warmth and assurance she was capable of. She could sense his fear, the anxiety he had suffered at the thought of losing her, and she understood it. She could never go on without him, not now that they had found each other in so many ways.

  He pushed her down until his body covered hers, his hair falling around her face. She felt desperation in his kiss, as if he needed to be reminded that they were both alive. He cupped her face in his hands, nipping and sucking at her lips gently until the entry he sought with his tongue became more urgent. His hands smoothed over her shoulders and her arms, seeking her breasts. He pinched and rolled her nipples until they puckered and throbbed with a sensation that repeated in her clit. His tongue tickled her ears and her throat, staking claims on her skin as he sucked it into his mouth until he found her nipples. Clelia moaned as he took first the one and then the other into his mouth w
hile his fingers found her wet curls. Without further foreplay, he pushed two fingers inside her. Her vagina immediately clenched around the sudden intrusion.

  “I can’t wait, Clelia. I came so close to losing you today.”

  “Then take me,” she whispered.

  He started moving his fingers, slipping them out slowly and sliding them in fast, in a rhythm that soon had her humming in ecstasy. He moved down, taking her clit into his mouth, his tongue joining his fingers to drive her into a frenzy of need. It didn’t take long for her orgasm to start building. She kept her eyes open for him so that he could see the wave that was about to consume her with pleasure. He slowed his pace a fraction, drawing out the climbing sensation until she heard herself whimper and beg.

  “Please, Josselin.”

  Only then did he give her what she wanted. He sucked her clit hard while pumping his fingers in and out of her slick channel. She came around his fingers slow and hard, a wave that rode her mercilessly until she thought she couldn’t take more. Only when the last spasm had calmed, did he pull his fingers out and bring them to her lips.

  “Taste yourself,” he commanded, “how sweet you are.”

  She opened her lips and let him slide his wet fingers inside her mouth.

  His gaze turned dark. “That’s my witch. Suck them for me.”

  She licked his fingers, flicked her tongue around them and gently bit down on the tip as a preview of what she had planned for another part of him, but before she could put her intention into practice, his eyes changed to that mercurial color Clelia knew meant delicious trouble.

  In a second, she was flipped onto her tummy. Josselin grabbed her hips and lifted her body until she stood on her hands and knees. He stroked his palms over her back in a quick and hard movement before taking her hands and placing them on the headboard.

  “Hold on tight,” he said, and she could hear the effort of practicing restraint in his voice.

  He moved back and gripped her hips between his big hands, holding her in place. She felt the crest of his cock press against the entrance of her pussy. She was soaked. He slipped in easily, but her flesh still protested as it stretched to take his size. He moved in fast, shallow strokes that made her feel even slicker, the lips of her vagina even more swollen.

  “Take a deep breath,” he said behind her, one hand releasing her hip to push down on her back.

  He plunged forward, giving her all of him, taking everything she had.

  Clelia cried out from the sudden intrusion. He pulled back and slammed into her again, repeating the movement with an increasing pace and intensity until Clelia thought she would pass out from the pleasure that bordered on pain. Josselin tightened his hold on her hip, pulling her into him as he pushed forward, his breathing rugged and strained. Her orgasm built fast and came instantly this time, but it was as intense as it was quick. Her scream filled the room as Josselin kept on plunging into her. Her knees couldn’t carry her weight any longer. She collapsed on the bed with another cry as Josselin gave a final, hard thrust that made her back arch. The groan he uttered, as his sperm shot into her body was raw and primal. He convulsed, pushing himself even deeper into her, keeping himself locked inside of her until both their bodies went slack. He fell over her, his breath chasing in her neck. After a couple of seconds, he lifted his weight off her and turned her to face him.

  “I love you, Clelia.”

  “I love you, Josselin.”

  They stayed in each other’s arms for a while, until Josselin pulled away reluctantly. “Cain is waiting.”

  Clelia flushed, thinking about what they had been doing while he sat in their dining room.

  “I’ve asked him to stay for dinner,” Josselin said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not,” Clelia said. “There’s a lot to talk about.”

  She moved off the bed and flinched at the discomfort she felt between her legs.

  “Come here,” he said.

  He picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. “Did I hurt you?”

  She smiled. “No.”

  “I’m sorry I got so carried away. It was just ... almost losing you...”

  She touched his cheek. “I want you to make love to me like you need to, Josselin. I’ve told you before, I’m not a doll. I won’t break.”

  He grimaced. “You’re so small.”

  “And sometimes I need you to take me hard and fast.”

  His eyes immediately darkened. “I promise to take you gently when we come back to bed.”

  A cloud shifted over Clelia’s horizon when she recalled Lupien’s revelation.

  “Josselin,” she stared uncertainly, “there’s something I have to tell you, something that Lupien said.”

  At the mention of Lupien’s name, Josselin’s jaw set hard, but he kissed her tenderly before lowering her to the floor.

  Clelia brought her hands together. “He said that all the mothers of the babies like me die at birth.”

  She watched the full meaning of the words register, saw the pain and anger flash over his face.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking at her feet.

  He grabbed her wrists. “If you ever say you’re sorry again, I’ll spank you. Listen to me.” He shook her lightly until she met his gaze again. “First of all, we’ll check it out to be sure the bastard didn’t lie.” He suddenly looked like thunder. “And if it’s true, we’ll make pretty damn sure you never fall pregnant.”

  It was like a punch in her stomach. “You know it’s true, don’t you? My mother...”

  He pulled her into his arms. “Let’s not make assumptions before we have all the facts.”

  She pushed away from him. “Did Lann’s mother pass away when she gave birth?”

  He clenched his jaw. “Yes.”

  “And Maya’s?”

  There was a small pause. “Yes.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I see,” she said softly.

  “Clelia, listen to me. When did you have your last period?”

  She tried to remember. “Not so long ago. Maybe a week.”

  “Good. You can’t be pregnant. From now on, we won’t take any risks.”

  “But what about you? I know how badly you want children.”

  He sighed. “I want nothing as bad as I want you.”

  She couldn’t stop her tears from falling. He wiped them away with his thumbs. “I’ll get the best medical advice I can. I promise. Whatever happens, we have each other, do you hear me?” She nodded.

  “Say it,” he said.

  “We’ve got each other.”

  “Good girl.” He kissed her tenderly. “Now, you look well loved, so let me rinse away the evidence unless you’re willing to face Cain like this.”

  Clelia smiled as he placed her in the shower and soaped her down. He washed gently between her legs, making her blush with his thoroughness. She watched him lather the foam over his body, taking his big cock in his hand, and felt her body heat for him again. His gaze followed hers and in a flash he had her pinned against the wall.

  “I could take you right here, right now, again,” he said, “but Cain is waiting, so stop looking at me like that.”

  Clelia felt power at her newly found femininity, and indescribable pleasure in her lover’s hands.

  * * * *

  Cain sat at the table studying an ePad when they entered the dining room. He immediately got to his feet. He bowed slightly and kissed Clelia’s hand.

  “I’m glad to see some color in your face again.”

  She blushed some more, knowing that he knew exactly what gave her such a flush on her cheeks.

  “Sorry to have kept you waiting,” Clelia said. “You and your team really must stop injecting me with drugs.”

  “Please,” Josselin motioned to the chair. “Have a seat, Cain.” He reluctantly let go of Clelia’s hand to pull out a chair for her.

  Cain nodded at Josselin and waited until Clelia was seated before sitting down again. “I have a lot to t
hank you for, Clelia. A great enemy has been destroyed today.”

  “Aren’t you upset?”

  Cain smiled. “About what?”

  “About Josselin aiding me instead of killing me.”

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Josselin tensing.

  “Josselin loves you,” Cain said, as if that explained everything.

  Clelia shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  Josselin pulled the bottle of wine closer. “I think I do.”

  Clelia looked at her husband expectantly while he served them each a glass.

  Josselin lifted his eyes to meet Cain’s. “You knew I’d go after Lupien. That’s why you let me go in the first place.”

  Cain’s eyes crinkled in the corners. “Of course. I knew if Clelia were alive, you’d find her and then Lupien. Even if Clelia had been dead, you would have avenged her death. It was only a matter of tracking you.”

  “Then why did you let me go alone?” Josselin said. “If you knew all along, why not send the team with me?”

  “This was something you had to do on your own,” Cain said. “You had to find and save your woman and then kill her enemy.”

  Clelia stared at Cain in surprise. “Why didn’t you try to help us?”

  Cain’s gaze was level. “I did.”

  Confusion grew inside of her. “I still don’t understand.”

  Josselin took her fingers and squeezed them. “Cain came to help you when you faced Lupien.”

  “But how? I didn’t see you pulling out any magic tricks.”

  “The only way I could help you was not to let Lupien twist you,” Cain said. He sipped his wine. “It was the only way to save your soul.”

  “I see,” Clelia said slowly. “If Lupien had managed to twist me, you would have killed me.”

  “Naturally, yes,” Cain said without blinking. “I knew that Josselin wouldn’t be able to do it, but I couldn’t allow Lupien to take your gift and become even more powerful.”

  Clelia wasn’t sure how to react to that statement. Of course, it made logical sense, but something inside her protested at the ease with which Cain would have eliminated her.

  “And now?” she said, barely managing to keep the quiver from her voice.