by Kate Kelley
He licked across my mouth and I opened on a gasp before he took my mouth again in a slow grind, his tongue laving mine, tasting me. Desire bloomed low in my belly, in the apex of my legs as an exquisite ache took over.
Suddenly a picture formed in my mind--a harsh land with a black, lofty castle at its center, a land ravaged by great winds, twisting through in tornados that rips homes off of their foundations, and revenge in the form of hundreds of warriors spewing fire from their palms, burning homes. It faded to a man willfully demanding boulders to rise and float and crush what he wanted to be crushed. A woman swims deep in the ocean, taking deep lungfuls of breath easily as she swims with others like her.
The kiss had morphed into a light, closed-mouth touch as the images wracked my brain over and over again, the sensuality fading into fear. Finally Wolfram broke the kiss completely and clutched my upper arms, peering at me. His eyes glowed brightest copper as I stared at him, lost for words. I shook my head.
It was all real.
He backed off and the copper dissipated from his gaze, his face hardening. “It’s a harsh world. It’s not one that any human would easily believe in. But it’s real. And now,” he turned toward the cave again, “It’s time to go there.”
Chapter Eight
His hand was a freaking torch, lighting the way through the cavern. Stalactites hung down everywhere like dirty icicles, stalagmites rising up to meet them. We rounded a bunch of them, taller than our heads, and a thick column that seemed to be holding up the ceiling of the cavern. Something fluttered and squeaked above me and I didn’t want to know what it was.
We had already been walking for three minutes, though I was sure it had been closer to thirty. Caves weren’t really my thing. The thought of being stuck under there with no way out, or being crushed to death under a pile of suddenly collapsing rubble was not appealing. My breath became more shallow and the ball of heat in me screamed.
I clutched onto Wolfram’s torch-free hand and he whipped around, concern etched into his fire-flickered face. His eyes were copper again.
“How much longer until we get out of here?” I asked, trying my best not to sound panic-stricken.
He turned back around. “Not much longer. Trust me, what lies on the other side of this cave is far more dangerous than the cave itself.” He let go of my hand and a flush crept up my cheeks. Well, fine then. I can take a hint. What seemed like desire on his part during the kiss was nothing more than a means to an end--there was something about the kiss that made me able to read his mind. At least, that’s what I had gathered.
“So, let me get this straight,” I started, trying to weave through the information bursting inside my head. “I am an Air Elemental, and the heat illness is my magic trying to get out? And if it doesn’t come out, I’ll die?”
Wolfram kept walking, ducking low under some stalactites. “Essentially, yes.”
“Okay. And..going to the elemental world and looking through some records is supposed to somehow lead me to my clan and my cure?” The ground fell out underneath me and my stomach did a one-eighty as I slid down a steep slope, small, sharp rocks ripping through my leggings on the way down, my injured arm trapped between my weight and the rocky slope.
Wolfram didn’t bother to help me up--he’d landed solidly on his feet and was busy striding ahead.
I leapt up. “Oh, don’t worry about me. Though a warning would have done me some good. Ow.” I mumbled, my injured arm throbbing. I was sure the wound had reopened.
A bright tunnel of light was in line of my vision. “Is that the exit? Oh, thank God.” I jogged to catch up but Wolfram but he cut me off, quickening his pace until the cave widened and the mouth was visible. “Don’t move until I tell you to.”
I stopped.
I watched him exit the mouth of the cave onto a patch of vernal grass. He raised his arms, his fire gone, then he disappeared to the right. A swash of warm breeze met me and it smelled like grass and wildflowers and...heat.
It was clearly not winter here or night time and how that was possible was only another thing to add to the lengthening list of impossible things that had happened to me since I moved to this town.
Wolfram returned to let me know it was safe. I sprung forward, and breathed freely when the fresh air hit my lungs. I felt the wind on my face. I took in the sight of the blue, blue sky. It soothed me, at least for the time being.
There was a large rock--and I’m talking about six feet tall and several more wide, about three yards to the right. I peered around us. It was all hills and valleys of stretching green land as far as the eye could see, with the occasional jut of rock. If I turned my head to the left and waited, I could smell the faint scent of the sea--seaweed and brine.
“Get on top of it,” Wolfram commanded as soon as we reached the giant stone. I eyed the gray rock.
“How? It’s completely smooth.” I trailed my hands over it in search of a hand or foothold but only met dips and slopes that I was sure would not help me up. Suddenly Wolfram’s hands were at my waist and lifting me up. My hands came up and out to grasp the stone and a large palm on my ass lifted me the rest of the way. I plopped squarely on my tummy, my ass surely in Wolfram’s face, and wiggled the rest of the way up to sit.
I brushed back the mess of hair in my beat red face. “A little fair warning next time you decide to manhandle me?”
Wolfram didn’t appear to hear me. “Once I’m up, we’ll transport, okay? Hold on to me.”
He leapt up and landed squarely, and a suction pulled me away from the stone. I clutched Wolfram’s waist, my head bowed, as space bent me in half and popped me out the other side.
I landed on top of him, my hair draping each side of his face, my boobs squished to his chest. I rolled off as soon as the world stopped spinning. I stared up at fat, fluffy clouds moving slowly across a baby blue sky. “So, I’ve just contemplated the possibility that you’ve slipped me acid at some point during my employment.”
Wolfram clasped my hand and hauled me up. “No. Real life is much more alarming than anything you’ll experience on drugs.”
“Always so serious, tin man,” I mumbled.
“Where did the tin come from?”
“Like, the tin man from Wizard of Oz? Because, like, Tungsten is your clan name and tin is another metal...it’s okay, just forget it.”
Wolfram gave me a puzzled glance before starting down a back street, black asphalt clicking underfoot. It wasn’t until then that I realized we were in a city. One that looked a lot like the city I lived in before I moved to Emerald. Like, it was modern. And not at all what I had expected of a dangerous, magical world. Silver skyscrapers kissed the clear sky in the distance.
“Are you sure this is...?”
“I think I would know my own hometown, don’t you?”
He took a sharp left turn down a back alley, the shadows growing darker as we . stepped over broken glass. The smell of rotting food hit my nostrils. I gagged. “God, that’s awful,” I said through the cover of my hand.
Wolfram glanced at me while keeping a clipped pace. “What, you think we don’t have garbage in other realms? We are physically human, with food and other bodily needs. We just have other abilities.”
We passed the dumpster and I held my breath, letting it out when we were at the far end of the alley. Wolfram narrowed his eyes on me. “I didn’t peg you for a snob, considering you’re dirt poor. Ah, here.” We stood in front of a metal door and Wolfram dug for his keys, by the sound of the jingle in his pocket.
“Well, that was extremely rude to say.” I knew I was a snob, and it made me hate myself, but I had been humbled the past few months. I was used to comfort--growing up we’d been in a nice suburb and my dad made six figures. Then, when I was with Evan, it was more of the same. I never had to live paycheck to paycheck, until recently.
That’s what happens when you rely on someone else for your income. And those someone elses are assholes.
He didn’t reply as he open
ed the door to an apartment building, one that I was not expecting considering the rough looks of the outside of the alley. It was open concept, with high, industrial style ceilings, bared beams and a loft. Quite trendy.
“Is this yours?” I asked, spinning to look at the rustic brick interior wall and the all-stainless steel kitchen and bar.
Wolfram crossed to a closet in the hallway and wrenched it open, then pulled out a black backpack, unzipping it in a flurry and dumping out the content. His hands rifled through the contents on the floor until he yanked up a slim piece of folded, yellowed paper.
“What’s that?” I asked.
He slipped it into his back pocket. “Truce papers. In case we have to to to another kingdom. It’s good for a few visits without bringing trouble.”
“The animosity runs that deep?”
“Yes,” he clipped out.
Not very forthcoming on the details.
Wolfram shed his coat and padded into the hallway, disappearing into another door at the end of the hallway. I looked around awkwardly and realized I had to pee rather badly.
I walked down the hallway and peered around the door frame of the room Wolfram had slipped into.
“Oh, shit. Sorry.” I ducked back into the hallway, my cheeks sucking all the blood from the rest of my body. Who leaves the door open when they get undressed?
Wolfram appeared at the door frame a moment later, dressed in a white t-shirt and worn-out, fitted jeans. “Is there something you want?” he asked, his voice deep and alluring, like a purr.
My cheeks flamed again. “What? No!” I sputtered, before realizing he probably hadn’t been referring to his body. “Oh. Yeah. I have to pee,” I mumbled.
I don’t think the blood will ever return to the rest of my body.
Wolfram didn’t bat an eye. Instead he led me deeper into the other side of the apartment, next to the loft ladder, and into a giant, beautiful bathroom with a jacuzzi, shower, two sinks, and toilet.
“Uh, thank you.”
He closed the door with a click.
When I came back out, Wolfram held up a piece of red, sheer cloth. I thought maybe it was a flag. I passed into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water, downing it in a few gulps. The fever had subsided greatly since Wolfram had kissed me, but it was slowly returning and my throat was parched.
Wolfram rounded the bar and stood across from me, holding up the red cloth in his hand. “You’ll be meeting some of my family. It won’t be pretty, or fun. They’re vicious monsters under the guise of beauty and decorum. Don’t be fooled. Got that?”
My stomach flipped but I nodded my head.
“Also…” He hesitated and looked down at the red cloth, then held it out. “They’re exceedingly vain creatures, fire elementals. You’ll be considered more of an equal if you wear this.”
My eyes snapped to the red cloth and I took it daintily, then held it up. It was a tiny red dress with tiny straps, and a deeply plunging neckline.
“This...is not on the table. I cannot wear this.” I handed the cloth--for that really is what it was--back to him.
He pushed it harder into my hand, his black eyes not straying from mine. “Wear it, or you risk unwanted attention.”
“There is no way I am fitting into the tiny thing.”
Wolfram eyed my body calculatively from head to toe. “You’re, what, a size six? You’ll fit.”
Annoyance flared deep inside me and the ball of heat flared with it. How did he know? I snatched it out of his hand and stalked to the bathroom.
By the time the thing was on, I was unsure what was really happening to me. Again, I had doubts, despite the kiss vision. Maybe I was a sex-trafficking victim and didn’t even realize it. I clutched the marble sink and racked my brain, trying to remember if Wolfram had fed me anything. When he could have slipped me a drug…
The door opened and Wolfram stilled in the doorway. He perused the dress on my body through the mirror, then his eyes flicked back up to mine. “You won’t be able to wear a bra or underwear. You can leave them here or pack them in the backpack--”
I whirled around. “Are you kidding me?”
Wolfram shrugged. “They’re sticklers for fashion.”
Choking down a curse, I reached behind me, snapping off the bra and pulling it through. I glared at Wolfram through the mirror until he turned away so I could slip off my underwear. I bunched the panties and the bra together, stalked past Wolfram, and stuffed them into my backpack along with my clothes.
Wolfram came up behind me and the heat from him seared my mostly bare back. I don’t know what the hell was wrong with me, but my nerves were so tense, they could be plucked. The heat inside of me flared again. I turned around and Wolfram gently took my injured arm, unwrapping it. The slice was healing, but still very red. He wrapped it in gauze and medical tape.
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
He turned back around and held up a pair of strappy, black heels.
“Okay, I have to draw a line there, I cannot walk across the city in heels--”
“We won’t be walking. We aren’t amish.”
Wolfram grabbed the backpack and I followed him out of the door, stopping on the stone step as I stared at a black, luxury vehicle in the alley that had seemed to appear out of nowhere. A big, bald man sat behind the wheel, his glare searing us from behind his window. Wolfram handed me the shoes and I shoved them on as quickly as I could, hobbling down the steps. Wolfram slid into the backseat and I after him, the butter soft leather gliding over the backs of my nearly-bare thighs.
The car roared forward and I tugged my dress down as much as I could. It stretched almost to my knees now, which would have to do.
“Who’s driving us?” I asked Wolfram, my voice low.
He sat upright, his hands clasped in his hands. His hair was down and around his shoulders, his eyes straight ahead. “An acquaintance. He’s against the resistance--Wildfire--too, but under the radar. Sort of a double agent.”
“Will we meet Wildfire while we are here?”
Wolfram’s voice lowered, a dangerous edge to its cadence. “They better hope not.”
The thought of going into his fire realm was becoming more and more unappealing, and yet, what choice did I have? I was ill, broke, homeless, and a prisoner to the only person who’d attempted to help me. I wasn’t all that sure he was the good guy in this scenario. In fact, I was fairly certain he was the bad guy. The only thing I knew for certain was that my life would change radically now that he was in it, and whether for good or for bad, that would remain to be seen. All I could do now was hold on and survive the ride.
Chapter Nine
The city scene fell away outside of my window fairly quickly and the countryside opened up--vast forests, hills, and golden fields flowed over the land. Occasionally, we’d pass a house or a mansion hidden by thick trees.
I thought about my dad. Maybe I should have just talked to him. Why did I hang up when Wolfram came up behind me in his car?
I noticed the car had slowed and watched as we entered a parking garage in the middle of nowhere, taking a spot on the bottom floor between two similar black SUVs. In fact, almost every single car on that floor was black, and an SUV. Mafia?
My door opened, and Wolfram stood, waiting patiently. I unbuckled my seatbelt and scooted out, attempting to keep the dress on my legs as I did so. “Thank you. Is this where we meet my pimp or is that you?”
Wolfram frowned. Whether I had hit the nail on the head or he just had a terrible sense of humor, I didn’t know.
“Her Majesty doesn’t like cars. Or modern electricity in general.”
I sidled up to him as we made our way to a large wrought iron gate. “Kind of like you?”
Wolfram shrugged as he took out a giant, old-fashioned key and unlocked an equally giant padlock on the gate. “The Tungsten clan never used them. As a kid, I rode in a horse drawn carriage.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What happened to not being amish?”
>
Wolfram led me up a walkway with hedges and shrubbery marking each side. “The Fire Kingdom in general uses electricity. You’ve seen the city. It’s completely modern. It’s the Tungsten clan that tries to be above such vulgar, modern advancements.”
After a few minutes, I wrenched my killer shoes off and padded barefoot across warm cobblestone. We finally crested the steep hill and my mouth dropped open at the scene before me.
“That’s a castle!” I covered my mouth with a hand and pointed with the other as I stared at the castle sprawled out onto a vast expanse of land spread out into the valley.
By the time we reached the drawbridge, I was heaving and a stitch had knit itself into my side. The red dress stuck to my skin and my hairline was drenched. “If you wanted me to present a pretty picture, you wouldn’t have had me walk in this godforsaken heat.”
Wolfram eyed me up and down with a frown. “I apologize. I forgot what a walk it is, especially for those without strength.”
I internally rolled my eyes at the strength comment, but I had to agree with him. I was not in any way fit or in shape. Thin, maybe. Fit? No.
I eyed Wolfram’s face, noting how his skin was as matte as a chalkboard. “Okay, but how have you not even broken a sweat at all? That’s just not fair.”
“August?” A low voice sounded beyond us, and a formidable man with short wavy hair stepped through the gateway from the bailey. His steely blue eyes pierced me and lingered for an uncomfortably long time before he shifted his gaze back to Wolfram. I turned to Wolfram to see if he would address the man. Wolfram’s face had shut down entirely. He inched closer to me and placed his hand on my lower back. I avoided his gaze, and the gaze of the other man.
“Where’ve you been?” The other man came in closer and shoved his hands into his pockets. He wore dress clothes--a white shirt unbuttoned at the top and black slacks. I was expecting cloaks and tights.
Wolfram led me past him without a word, and I stiffly followed by his side.
“There won’t be a welcome party, August, that much I can tell you.”
