Stroke the Flame

19

“Pretty much. Once I accepted that I really had been chosen by the Fire God I knew I had to quit. That turned out to be a lot harder than I expected. The Onyx Army wasn’t exactly happy about one of their finest soldiers up and leaving for no real reason.” Not when he was so good at hunting the Resistance, I mentally added. “But as the days went on, the tugging in my gut told me there was no other option. This was my destiny and I had to find you, no matter what. I escaped the army and became a deserter, even though it cost me everything. My job. My friends. Probably my family too.”

“I’m sorry.” She frowned as she glanced back at the camp. “It seems none of us want to be here on this journey.”

“That’s not true. Yes, I had to give up my previous life, but I do want to be here.”

She sighed. “You might be the only one.”

“Nah. We’ve all been ripped from our normal lives and given this larger-than-life destiny to fulfill with four strangers we’re now stuck with, possibly forever. It’s going to take some getting used to for all of us.” I reached out and pushed back a stray piece of her red hair, smoothing it on her head. “But we’ll get there, I promise.”

“Thanks. I appreciate your confidence.”

“Confidence is my specialty,” I said, giving her an arrogant grin. She laughed, and the sound was so perfect I knew I’d do whatever it took to make her laugh like that again. How was it possible we’d only met yesterday?

“You’re such a flirt,” she said. “I bet you woo all the women you meet.”

“I was quite popular with the ladies, it’s true.” I leaned against the tree and gazed into her eyes. “For good reason, I assure you.”

She c****d her head. “Let me guess. You have a lover or two in every town you’ve visited, who are now all pining away, awaiting your return.”

“Not quite. And every woman who shared my bed knew I wasn’t making any promises.”

An eyebrow darted up while her smile dropped. “Is that what I should expect as well?”

“No,” I said quickly. “My past is behind me. From now on, I’m yours and yours alone. Assuming you want me as your mate, of course.”

Our eyes locked and heat passed between us, but then she quickly looked away. “We should probably get ready.”

She straightened, brushed herself off, and headed back to the main part of the camp. I watched her go, checking out her behind in those tight hunting leathers she wore, then sighed. I’d ruined the moment with my stupid mouth, and now she doubted my loyalty. Sure, I’d slept with lots of women, but that was before I’d met her. She couldn’t hold that against me now.

I made another flaming ball, the frustration fueling my magic and making it especially large, and then I hurled it at the stones with extra vigor. Unfortunately, I missed. The fire hit the grass on the other side of the stream, instantly setting it alight. Panic rose in my throat as the flames spread to a nearby tree, but I was too horrified to do anything. Gods, what had I done?

Water leaped up from the stream and covered the fire, dousing the flames with a loud sizzle. I turned and saw Reven standing in the shadow of the tree. He gave me a sharp look, before turning away. How long had he been there, spying on us?

Worst of all, Kira stood behind him. And she’d seen it all too.

16

Kira

O

nce our camp was packed up, we continued traveling along the main road toward the Air Realm in the southeast. I rode with Reven first, needing some space from Jasin, especially after that last fireball. Thank the Gods Reven had put it out quickly before the flames took over the entire forest. How was I supposed to bond with Jasin when fear spiked through me every time he used his powers? Better yet, how was I supposed to face the Fire God? And after I did that, I’d be able to conjure fire myself—did I even want that?

Did I have a choice?

I tried to put the thoughts out of my head by focusing on the man sitting in front of me, but he wasn’t exactly one for conversation. Our last exchange had gone like this:

“So, you’re an assassin?” I’d asked Reven, after we’d been on the road for fifteen minutes.

“Yes,” he’d said, his voice showing no emotion at all.

“How did you get involved in that kind of work?”

“It’s a long story.”

I’d waited for him to go on, but he seemed content to leave it at that. Giving up, I’d sighed and turned back to gazing at the forest and the mountains in the distance instead. Good thing the Water Temple was last, because I had a hard time seeing the two of us getting intimate anytime soon. Assuming Reven would even stick around that long.

We stopped for lunch in another clearing and then it was time for me to ride with Jasin, who still wore his military uniform. Even though I would never admit it out loud, it was a good look on him, complementing the red highlights in his hair and enhancing his broad shoulders. There was something about a man in uniform, and Jasin looked commanding, dangerous, and incredibly sexy.

“Don’t you have something else you can wear?” I asked, as he helped me up onto his war horse. Unlike the others, he had me sit in front of him, and the solid presence of him behind me made my heart race.