Forged of Fire Read online

  Her brows knitted with concentration. “I see it!” She exclaimed excitedly after a few minutes! “I can visualize the center!” She beamed.

  “Good girl,” he praised. “Now, you will feel your palm warming as you think about placing fire into the log’s center. When the heat starts to burn, send it into the wood. Make sure it travels the exact path your eyes mapped out.” Ash directed.

  Kielyn squeezed and un-squeezed her palm. “I feel it. It’s warm.” She smiled but it withered instantly on her face. “It’s hot!” Her eyes went wide with panic.

  “Put it in the log!” He ordered.

  “I can’t…”

  “Now!” Ash said sternly as he stood.

  A puff of smoke rose out from the ridge. “I…It worked! It worked! What do I do now?”

  Ash smiled. “Fan it with your mind. Draw it out the same way it went in. Focus on that burn and give it a clear path out of the wood.”

  Her beautiful face became serious once again and within seconds a yellow-orange glow began to dance atop the bark, running alongside the crevices of the ridges like lava before giving life to a flame. Kielyn leapt to her feet and squealed. Ash had never heard such a wonderful sound. “I did it!” She gasped. “I created fire!”

  She threw herself into Ash’s arms, hugging him tightly. His arms instinctively embraced her and for the second time in the course of a mere minute, Ash knew he would move heaven and earth to hear and feel this woman’s joy.

  ****

  New Zealand

  The head hit the ground with a resounding thud, its lifeless body crumpling to the dirt to lay beside it. Zander’s neck slowly lifted his steady gaze from the carnage around him. Twenty lay dead by his hands, seven by his blade and one by his fangs. His tongue still tasted the bitter sweet tannin of the Air-bender’s blood on his canines as they retracted with a snap back into his gums. The thin cat-like slits of Zander’s eyes began to grow round again as the fever slowly subsided in his veins. He did the only thing left to do and breathed in the stench of their demise, swallowing it whole to complete his hunger’s desire.

  His appetite sated, Zander looked over the small village just outside of Napier. Off to his right his sister joyfully kicked a torso down the hill, chuckling as it rolled. The Air-benders had not even seen them coming. He almost felt sorry for the poor mortals. Almost… Their leader could have better prepared them by turning more of them into immortals. His eyes sought out his commanding officer. “Did we get Marcus?”

  The large Vampire turned and walked over to Zander. “The King is not on the continent Your Grace.”

  “King?” Zander’s pivoted to face the officer head on.

  “Yes your Grace. We caught one of his Gilcolms.” The general smiled coldly. “It’s amazing how quickly the weak trade loyalties when you promise to let them live. He was full of information. Including the interesting fact that the elemental houses are reestablishing. Marcus was chosen to be the Air-benders’ King.”

  “Reestablishing?” Katara joined them. “I thought father laid waste to all the elders from those bloodlines. What?” She scoffed. “Are they going to try and build from the ground up with mortals and the few half breeds that remain?”

  “Bring the blood slave to me!” Zander bit out, ignoring his sister.

  His general headed over to the few cowering slaves. “There can’t be more than seven still alive,” Katara continued. “It will be easy to weed them out.”

  Zander cut his eyes to her. “We don’t know how many there are you fool! How can you assume anything when we did not even know they were reorganizing in the first place?” He hissed.

  Her eyes lit to a devilish red and she leaned in. “Another one of your great disappointments. Father will be thrilled to learn of this oversight of yours.”

  Zander focused on the bloody Gilcolm being dragged towards him. The little bitch was right. Zander was head of communications. It was his job to know everything about the Benders and rogue Vampires. “Leave him and get a body count.” He ordered the commander when he pushed the blood slave down to Zander’s feet.

  “Please have mercy, my Lord.” The Gilcolm begged.

  “Your Lord? I thought Marcus was your Lord?” He sneered down at the much smaller man.

  “Forgive me. Master Marcus is away. I only meant respect…”

  Katara kicked him in the ribs. “We don’t care! Where is your King?”

  “In the US.” The man spat up blood. “Seattle. Meeting with the three other Kings.”

  “Who are they?” Zander stared down. “What are the names of these other Kings?”

  “I only know two. King Bane and King Montis.”

  “Well, there are your Earth and Water lords.” Katara said sarcastically. “Wonder who the Fire King is?”

  “There is only one that it should be but he reigns alone.” Zander said. “Father cured him of his desires to ever sit a throne again.”

  “You can’t mean Ashdon.” Zander could feel his sister’s eyes on him, ferreting out the truth. “Father said he was dead.”

  It was the great lie their father told in order to escape his own failure. Ashdon was the biggest mistake Dante had ever made. After the Fire-bender turned Vampire had escaped, their father had hunted him unmercifully for the better part of a hundred years. During that time his father’s obsession with Ashdon grew so rabid he allowed his government to weaken. Chairs sat empty, council members too afraid to rule in his absence. With no clear set order, many other turned benders escaped. Dante cared not. He only needed one back. Ash... The handsome second son of the house of Ushum. His father’s protégéé and Katara’s half-brother. When Dante finally accepted the fact that Ashdon was too smart to be caught he created the lie that the Fire-bender was dead. Zander was the only one that knew better. He had been watching the boy, jealously from the shadows, his whole life. Zander knew Ash was far too strong to be dead. His father knew it too.

  “Your Grace, the head count is one hundred and sixty-five. I believe we got them all.”Zander’s commanding officer announced.

  Zander knelt down in front of the Gilcolm. “How many total Air-benders are there?”

  “Two hundred.” The man answered before raising his head to look at Zander. “The rest of which are in Germany.”

  Before Zander could ask his next question Katara swung her sword and severed the blood slave’s head from his body. “He is lying to you.” She said flatly. “Gilcolm’s don’t betray their masters and people truly afraid to die won’t look you in the eye.”

  “Still!” Zander stood and wiped the blood spray from his face. “That was not your call to make.”

  “Well here is a call you will approve of and the only one that might actually save your ass with Father.” She stepped forward. “Let’s go find my big brother.” She tilted her head to the side. “The favored one.”

  ****

  Stefen watched as Alaric perused the library’s shelves, hands clasp behind his six foot five frame, his studious clear-green eyes missing nothing as they scanned the bindings. They had been at this stand off for twenty minutes now. Other than Alaric’s arriving instructions to be left alone with his brother and his swift dismissal of the others, no words had left either of their mouths. Stefen knew Alaric well and in all his years he had yet to render his older sibling speechless… For this long. Alaric was never without an order, an invitation, a judgement or a reprimand. This was worse than Stefen had imagined.

  “Alaric…”

  One commanding finger sliced through the air leaving no quarter for speech. “One simple task!” Alaric focused on one book amidst the thousands. Stefen knew his stoic brother had not just decided on Moby Dick as an after dinner read. No, what Alaric was really looking for was the strength to not kill him here in the Vampire-bender’s library. “Would it be so hard, for once in your life, do what is asked of you?”

  “Are you wanting an answer or is that a rhetorical question?”

  Alaric turned to face him. “
You have displeased the elders and I am not sure I can get you out of this one.”

  Stefen sat forward in the large leather chair. “What do you mean? The girl is here and safe. I have done nothing wrong.”

  Alaric steepled his hands together and brought them in front of his mouth. “You interfered.”

  “A young woman walked naked out of a burning fire, which she created from the clear night sky and fell into my arms!” Stefen stood. “I would hardly call that intervening! More like divine placement. What do you think would have happened to her if the local authorities had arrived to find her passed out at the crime scene?” He could feel his blood simmering. “What good would it be if your little element bender was in a cell right now? A man made one no less.” He waved his hand in an arching fashion. “Hell, why not put a sign on her that reads, chosen one, free to a good fucking home! A perfect fucking immortal buffet!”

  “I agree.” Stefen froze. “The alternative was worse.” Alaric took a seat. “However, you should have brought her to me.” He leveled his eyes on Stefen. “Not shut off all communication with me and stolen the girl.”

  “I did not steal her…I took her to the place she belonged.”

  “Right. Because you believed the word of a dead mythical Oracle.” Alaric sighed. “Stefen, it’s your word against the councils that this being even exists and if she does, why did she show herself after all this time to you?”

  Stefen mentally rubbed off the sting of his brother’s words. He was used to being judged and found lacking. Especially when compared to his brother. “I know what I experienced. I know what energy I felt from her. Let them say what they want about me but you know my instincts are never wrong. Self-guided and belligerent perhaps, but deep down, you know I can see truth.”

  “I know you do, Stefen. You have always had that gift but your blatant disrespect for my ruling is once again placing a negative light on you.” Alaric looked him in the eyes. “For just once can you think about what your headstrong actions do to me?”

  “Nothing affects you Alaric! You’re the fucking golden child! They adore you!”

  “And just when I believed that you have truth as a vision on your side.” Alaric shook his head. “You have missed the greatest truth of all, little brother.” He pushed up to the edge of his seat. “I have been judged since the day I was born too. Only I was the one that had to be perfect! Whatever pressure you have felt is nothing compared to the weight that was placed on my head and now here I am… A blasted King that cannot even get the simple respect I am due from my own blood!”

  Stefen sunk back in the chair as if he had been physically pushed there. He never considered how his defiance affected his brother, other than to annoy him. Stefen had always placed Alaric on the pedestal, same as everyone else. It never occurred to him that Alaric might not wish to be on that pedestal or that anyone would view Alaric based off Stefen’s actions. They were like night and day. But, it made sense, how could Alaric be seen as good ruler if he could not even command his little rebel brother.

  “I am sorry,” Stefen offered after a long pause. “I never saw any chink in your armor. I always viewed you as impervious to judgement for I never thought you gave anyone an excuse to doubt you. I have never seen you make a wrong move. Not once!” Stefen scoffed. “And here I am, your biggest flaw.”

  Alaric reached over and clasped Stefen by the back of the head, dragging him forward in his chair until they were nose to nose. “Don’t ever say that again brother! You may be my greatest challenge but you’re still my little brother.” A smile lit in his eyes. “Now, tell me about LaGoryen.” He leaned back grinning.

  “How did you guess?” Stefen asked, utterly perplexed. Other than the speed of light introductions before Alaric had closed them off, his brother knew nothing of the Fire King. Or did he?

  “Come now Stefen, you yourself just said I was basically perfect.” Alaric chuckled. “I felt his energy from the door. He is everything his legend predicts.”

  “His legend?” Stefen tilted his head. “I know his backstory and how he came about. I also know how strong he is, but there is more? Legend implies that his story has already been written and told. That immortal in the other room is hot tempered and still very much in existence.”

  “I am sure you read about his bloodline, the house of Ushum?” His brother stood.

  “Yes?”

  Alaric walked to the sidebar and filled two glasses of wine before turning back to Stefen. “There is a myth, as abstract in thought to our culture as your Oracle is.” He handed Stefen one of the thin stemmed Waterford crystal flutes. “But as you have seen, there really are no myths are there?”

  Stefen took the glass. “Are you saying that Ashdon is more than what he appears to be? More than just some badass royal Vampire-bender with a knack for fire manipulation?”

  Alaric nodded. “I am saying exactly that.” He took a sip of the chardonnay. “He is the same as his mother and three others from that family tree.” He smiled knowingly. “Ashdon LaGoryen, of house Ushum, is more than a Fire King by birth… He is a Dragon...”

  ****

  Alaric, same as his brother, was beautiful in a way that only paintings could capture. Kielyn’s curious eyes scanned the room to land on the other four that had arrived with the King. Sure enough, they each seemed to carry an otherworldly glow about them she noted. They were not as magnetic as the two royal brothers but they would never be turned down for dates back on her college campus either. Kielyn wondered if all Angels were so… Angelic.

  Ash told her that Vampires stayed as they had been born in terms of looks. He must have just had exquisite model-type parents. Marcus too for that matter. Even Bane was attractive in his own right, but each of the bender Vampires were individually attractive, like humans. Stefen and his imposing brother, while both very different looking, appeared as if they had been carved from marble by a craftsman’s hands. Alaric was taller than Stefen though, with blonde hair and green eyes so light that they almost appeared translucent. Stefen also had the same haunting clear eyes but they were crystal blue and his hair was a rich chocolate color. Stefen was smaller than Alaric in size too but the general cut of their physiques was identical. Anyone could tell they were brothers even though Alaric was all business and Stefen, by contrast, seemed to only ever be half interested in anyone else.

  Kielyn felt eyes on her. She looked to her right in time to catch Kizer staring at her from further down the dining table. She quickly feigned interest in her lobster. The blonde Water-bender looked like he could be related to Alaric, she realized. He did not have the same energy that seemed to make his skin glow but he was like them in that he looked as if he had stepped off the pages of a Ralph Lauren catalog. Maybe it was a trait of all beings, human and Angel that were born of a water element. Perhaps the fact that she was of both fire and water explained why she was not as attractive she thought.

  Her eyes lifted, as if commanded, to find Ash’s penetrating gaze directly across the mahogany table. Then there was him. She felt a blush rising in her cheeks and she mentally fought to quell it. He was the most handsome of them all. He was equally as regal as the Angel King but he was harder and more rugged around the edges. The sexiest male in existence. She lifted her glass to try and hide the grin threatening to tattle on her wanton thoughts.

  She must have not hidden the evidence in time for he grinned which reminded her of another difference between him and the two Angels. The tiny scar that was barely visible on the left corner of his mouth. When his lips curved up, the action caused a perfectly placed dimple to highlight the old injury. God she wanted to kiss that perfect imperfection. No, Ash was not angelic in the least and to Kielyn that made him the most gorgeous man in the room. That, and the fact he did things to her that made her toes curl with desire.

  “You fancy him, don’t you?” Kielyn jumped and Stefen laughed beside her. “We really need to work on your masking abilities dear.”

  “I, er…” Something told he
r that a lie would be futile with him. She sighed. “He intrigues me.”

  “We all intrigue you.” He smiled. “But be honest, he does more than that. Doesn't he?”

  Kielyn cut into the lobster tail. “I suppose there is no getting out of that question.”

  “Not in the least.”

  She faced him. “I feel a certain connection to him, yes. A rather strong pull that I can’t explain.”

  “It’s called attraction.” The rotten male chuckled. “But fear not.” He lifted his glass, took a long sip then lowered the crystal. “The feeling is mutual.”

  “How do you know?” The question spilled from her lips.

  Stefen grinned a grin that reminded her of the Cheshire cat. “Trust me, it’s obvious.”