Caress of Flame (16 page)

“Your class of distinction within our world. I am a multiple Caste, as I have told you. But multiple Castes are not common. You will likely have one skill that is powerful above all others, and your Caste will be set by whatever that skill may be.”

“You mean I might be able to make fire like you?” she asked in astonishment.

“It is a possibility,” he allowed. “It is clear you will not be a Traveler. Travelers’

eyes are black throughout. But there are still many Castes, some of them well known while others are entirely unique. My superior—Pulse—is known as The Generator. He can create and control lightning and that is a rare Caste indeed—no one else in our history has ever possessed such power. You could have any number of new skills. But it may take some time before we know what you are capable of.”

8Isis laughed joyously and threw her arms around him. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she told him with a smile and kissed him hard. Then she turned once more to the mirror, marveling at her strange new eyes. “I’m a Shikar.” She tried it out, feeling the excitement and impatience of the thought of what tomorrow would bring her. “I can’t believe it,” she said, clapping her hands and bouncing on her feet excitedly.

“Come,” he took her hand with a grin. “Let’s rest. You’ve been through a lot today.”

“But I’m not tired.”

“Then
try
to rest,” he answered with a show of patience in the face of her exuberance.

Isis shook her head. “I was hoping we could go back to the hotel and find my things. My car I don’t care about, but I have a picture of my mother in one of my bags and I don’t want to lose it.”

“Your belongings may no longer be there,” he pointed out.

“If they aren’t, I’ll just ask the desk clerk where they are and threaten police involvement if they don’t find my stuff—that motel is just seedy enough that I believe they’d do whatever it takes to avoid the law.” Isis went to Flare’s armoire herself and rummaged through the strange, alien clothes she found there.

Isis held up a black tunic for him to see. “What material is this?” she asked curiously.

“I don’t know its name, but it is fireproof. Most of my clothes are. I’d burn a lot of material if they weren’t and I doubt our seamstresses would be happy with me for that.”

“Help me find some clothes,” she urged.

Flare came between her and the armoire, sorting through the clothing until he came up with a brown tunic that would be as long as a dress on her. “This is all I have for now. We’ll get you some more clothes as soon as we return.”

“Once I get my stuff I won’t need them,” she said, donning the tunic then watching as he too dressed. In black from head to toe, his hair shining indigo in the dim light, he reached out for her hand.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

Isis knew he meant to Travel. She took a deep breath and nodded her head yes.

“Let’s do this.”

One instant they were in Flare’s room and the next they were standing in a completely ruined hotel room. All of Isis’ things were tossed about and the bed had been shredded, springs littering the floor. The walls looked as if a strong wind would crumple them. Isis stepped out of the room and saw that the rest of the hotel was in similar shape and was completely deserted. “Damn. This place looks worse than it did before,” she remarked. “Did the Daemons do all of this?”

8“Get your things quickly,” he warned her, already gathering up a handful of her underwear and stuffing it into one of her bags.

Isis moved back into the room and found a pair of jeans, a T-shirt and some modest cotton underwear. Grabbing a pair of tennis shoes, she went into the bathroom, closing the door softly behind her as Flare continued his swift packing. Isis used the toilet and washed her hands and face. Then she ran her fingers through her hair, working out the tangles as best she could.

Looking at her reflection in the vanity mirror, she was once more astonished by her transformation. She simply couldn’t resist staring at her new, alien eyes in wonder.

Isis put her hands up before her face, studying them carefully for any differences she hadn’t yet noticed. She looked the same as always. Curious, she slammed her hands down on the sink.

The sink broke off the wall and fell to the floor.

“What was that?” Flare immediately demanded through the door.

“It’s okay,” she called back hurriedly, looking down with shock at the devastation she had caused with one easy blow. “The sink just fell.” She didn’t tell him how.

Isis took off Flare’s tunic and donned her own far more familiar clothing. She was lacing up the tennis shoes when she felt something strange. It was as if someone was massaging part of her brain with feathers and a stifling, heavy weight seemed to press down on her chest. Her skin felt stretched and thin over her bones and her heartbeat rapidly sped up. This alien feeling alarmed her for she knew instinctively that it wasn’t a good sign.

“Flare,” she called, looking about for a weapon. She grabbed a plumbing pipe from the mess she’d made of the sink and tested its weight in her hand. Satisfied that it would make a good tool, she clutched it tight in her hand.

“What is it?” Flare asked. “There is concern in your voice.”

He read her so well. “I don’t feel right. I think something bad is about to happen,”

she called, stepping out of the bathroom cautiously. She hurried to help Flare pack the rest of her things, finding the dog-eared photo of her mother in her younger days and putting it in her back pocket for safe keeping.

Seconds later the feelings Isis was experiencing intensified alarmingly. There was definitely something wrong. “I feel so weird,” she told Flare.

He looked at her immediately. “How so?” he asked, concerned.

“My brain is all tingly and it feels like a Doberman is sitting on my chest. Plus my stomach hurts and my skin feels weird.”

Flare grabbed her bags. “Come on,” he urged hurriedly.

“What does it mean?” She had to ask.

“You are sensing a Daemon. Maybe more than one, judging by the strength of your feelings. We have to leave. Now.”

Isis reached out to take his hand, preparing to Travel.

8A Daemon appeared in the littered room. Roaring, it rushed them and swiped out at Isis with one clawed hand. Isis moved faster than she ever had before, ducking out of the way of the blow just in time to save her skin. But another Daemon had entered the room without her seeing it and when she moved away from the first monster, she tripped into the second one. This Daemon caught her arm and tugged. If she’d been any weaker her shoulder would have dislocated instantly.

The feel of the creature’s skin on hers was repulsive and horrific. Its claws dug into her arms, tearing her skin and making her bleed. Isis cried out and turned to face it, jerking away at the last second and raising the pipe in her hand high over her head. She brought it down with all the strength she could muster, screaming in a sudden, blinding rage.

The pipe sank down deep into bone and sinew. She had crushed the monster’s head…but it still grabbed out for her with a roar that threatened to shatter her eardrums.

“Take its heart,” Flare told her as he quickly took care of the first Daemon. His hands were already in its chest cavity, even as the beast beat him with its giant claws.

Isis took one more swipe at the thing’s devastated skull, tearing half the head off with her blow. She threw the pipe down and screamed a war cry as she launched herself at the monster.

Something happened, something unexpected. Long, blue-white glowing blades seemed to spring forth from the bones of her knuckles and before she knew what to do about them, she had sunk them deep into the monster’s trunk.

The creature was tall. Isis used her strange blades to walk up the beast’s body so that she could better fight for its heart. Then she took one strong swipe with the blades, tearing a long gash in its chest as easily as she might have swatted at a fly. Through all the gore that was gushing out of the ruined beast’s body, Isis saw the great, beating heart of the vile creature. She grabbed it and ripped it free with a horrible, wet wrenching sound that almost made her gag. “Holy shit,” she screamed and fell back away from the beast.

Flare came up behind her and grabbed the heart away from her. Instantly the still beating organ surged into flames. The monster fell back, a gurgling sound coming from its ruined head, dead the moment it hit the floor. Flare threw the ashes of the heart away and made sure he had Isis’ attention.

“Do you see this?” A small, round ball of flame floated above his hand. He turned his hand this way and that, rolling it like a quarter between his fingers. Isis watched in fascination as he turned to the beast’s body, the ball of flame growing from golf ball size to basketball size immediately. Flare threw the ball of fire at the creature and its body cooked in the flame. “If you want we can try to see if you can do this too,” he told her.

But Isis was doubtful that she’d ever be able to do the magic he did so easily.

The hotel room was full of smoke, but with her new eyes, Isis easily saw her way around. Both she and Flare moved at once, grabbing her scattered bags one last time 8before meeting in the center of the room, instantly entwining their hands. “Let’s get the fuck outta here,” she said.

The ruined room disappeared and they Traveled back home together.

8
Chapter Thirteen

The first thing they did when they returned to Flare’s apartment was take a bath in the great sunken tub. Together. First they scrubbed each other to get clean then they drained the dirty water and replaced it with hot, clean water, adding an herbal-smelling soap to create bubbles. Isis settled back against her mate with a heartfelt sigh. Flare cradled her in his arms as he healed her minor injuries with tender, thorough care.

“Did you see what happened?” she asked, looking at him over her shoulder through the wet curtain of her hair.

Flare brushed some of the wet strands off her face. “When?” he asked.

“When those things came out of my hands and I creamed that monster.”

“Those are your Foils. I suspect that you’ll have no problem learning how to control them.” Flare chuckled, as if looking forward to watching her try.

“So you think maybe I’ll be a Foil Caste?” she asked curiously.

Flare shook his wet head. “I can’t be sure. I don’t think so. It’s clear that you’re a strong Hunter—I didn’t even sense the Daemons until you told me what you were feeling. We can’t be sure yet what you’ll be.”

Isis felt the hard, thick weight of his cock pressing against her back. She turned in the water, straddled him and immediately took him deep into her body, coming down fully upon his thick girth. Flare gasped and clutched at her as she began to ride him.

“Slow down,” he moaned, but Isis was already fast approaching her orgasm and she didn’t want to stop the wonderful sensations flooding through her from head to toe.

Her hands brought him close as she kissed him with all the passion in her soul. His fingers dug into the soft skin of her ass as he helped her to bob up and down on his rampant cock. They both gasped into each other’s mouths every time she came down upon him, sheathing him completely within her eager body.

The tips of her nipples scraped deliciously against the muscled ridge of his chest.

The caress made her nipples as hard as tiny little diamonds, and her breasts felt heavy against him. An ache had started deep within her and she knew she would come soon.

But not before she told him what she wanted to say.

“I love the way you laugh,” she told him. “You don’t do it often enough.”

“I’ve laughed more with you these past days than I’ve laughed in a long time,” he admitted.

She ran her hands up and down his thick, muscular arms. “I love the way you’re always so gentle with me.” He started to say something but she shushed him with a finger on his shapely lips, moving her hips in a way that stole his breath away. “I love the way you’re always so strong and dependable. I love how noble and loyal you are to 9your cause, how proud and formidable a warrior you are. And I love
you
. I’m crazy about you.”

“You make me feel strong,” he said, surging into her over and over. “I feel I am the luckiest being alive—I have your passion and your love and I did not know it but I
needed
those things from you. Only you. You will never know just how desperately I need you.”

“Show me,” she said, rising to offer him her breast. He took her nipple into his mouth and suckled her, their wet bodies sliding deliciously against one another. The sounds of the waves they made in the tub lulled them. They slowed their vigorous pace and savored the moment.

“Oh, Isis, you make me feel such wonderful things,” he moaned and clutched her tight, moving to her other breast to suckle and tease.

Isis let her head fall back. Flare’s mouth moved from her breast to her exposed throat. He took her skin in his mouth, suckling, nibbling, leaving a dark mark behind.

His mark of possession and desire, clear for anyone to see.

“I want to steal all your pain,” he said, claiming her mouth.

They kissed, lips, teeth and tongues coming into play. The kiss stole her breath away and filled her with a fire that blazed hot and eager. “You’ve already done that,”

she gasped for breath, amazed that it was the truth.

There was no more room for words. Mindless with her pleasure, she rode him faster and harder until they were both moaning uncontrollably. He filled her so tightly, so fully, that tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes.

He slammed into her hard and she saw stars. She was close. So close. Flare’s nimble fingers moved between them and unerringly found her clit. It was swollen and aching and he stroked little circles around it, making it more and more erect. He rolled the tiny nubbin of flesh between his fingertips and she screamed, coming instantly.

Flare felt her body milking his, but he kept an iron-hard control on his urge to spend himself then and there. He had so much more planned for her before he could find his own release.