Fire with Fire (Demonblood Series #2) (26 page)

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Kieron’s hand covers mine, and his thumb makes soothing circles on my palm. I instinctively lean closer to the warmth of his masculine body. I need him near. Never before in my memory have I felt so completely fragile…as if the wind itself could break me apart.

“Liora,” Kieron whispers, gracing me with soft kisses. “Oh, Liora, how I missed you. I’ve thought of nothing but your beautiful face since the last time I saw you. How desperately I wanted to return to you sooner, save you from what was happening. But this was the only way—”

“You got Bones killed…you almost got me killed…” My voice fades.

Kieron shakes his head. “I’m just as devastated by what happened to Bones as you are. It wasn’t
supposed
to happen. None of that was supposed to happen…”

I tilt my head to meet his cobalt gaze, torn between the desire to brush his dark locks away from his handsome face, and the urge to slap it. I clench some grass in my fist instead.

“What did you
think
was going to happen? They said you set some sort of trap for us.”

“No, Liora. Never a
real
trap. You have to believe me. The Hlbafa were coming to get you…well, Lucky and Bones, and whoever else got in their way. It was gonna be war…no two ways about it. And they knew about you, that you’d be human by day. They were going to send demons to get you when you were at your weakest, and send a small army into Dryndara to kill everyone in sight—”

“So how’d we end up over there as prisoners?”

Kieron looks down and runs his fingers through the grass. “I allowed myself to be caught. Then I convinced their leader, Xandria, that if I disseminated some info through the underground and made sure it got back to Lucky and Bones, that you’d—
Lucky
, would try to rescue me.”

“But I still don’t understand how—”

“It was the only way I could protect you. Otherwise, you were fair game, and Dryndara would be at war. I couldn’t risk having you get caught in the crossfire. By claiming to make a deal to trade myself for you and Bones, I knew I could then get the Legionare to step in and take it from there. It was the only way. Otherwise you’d always have a target on your back.”

“Yeah. And what a fine job the Legionare did. Killing Bones for no reason.”

“That wasn’t supposed to happen,” Kieron says quietly, looking away. “I don’t know why Abbaton did that.”

“Lucky will be inconsolable,” I say, rubbing my stomach. A flurry of nerves is creating an unpleasant tickling in my gut. “She may even want to kill you for revenge. Bones has been her very best friend practically her whole life.”

Sadness clouds Kieron’s features. “I know. And she’s already been through so much…lost so many she’s cared for…”

“And what was that about being banished from Thiberoux? I mean, that’s certainly no skin off my back, but what about Lucky? What about you?”

“That is something Lucky and I will have to deal with. But right now I’m more concerned with you. How are you?” he asks softly, his fingertips gently stroking the side of my face. “You’ve been hurt.”

I shrug noncommittally. Truth is, I feel no pain from my injuries. My pain is all inside my soul.

Kieron looks into my eyes. He moves closer, and his lips find mine. Finally, after all this time, he’s here…back in my arms. I should be ecstatic…I should be over the moon with giddiness. But I’m strangely calm. Sad, even.

“What is it?” he whispers. He pulls back, his eyes searching mine.

I look away. For a while, I don’t say anything, and his fingers lace through mine beneath the tall grass.

“You were gone for so long…and I didn’t know why. I thought maybe you didn’t love me…that maybe you changed your mind or something. I tried to convince myself it was okay, that I was over you. I really did. But not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of you. Of your smile. And how good it feels when you hold me. How much I love kissing you.”

“Liora,” Kieron chokes out before firmly moving his mouth to mine again, this time with a deeper, more intense passion than ever before. Gradually I feel our bodies getting back in synch, a rhythmic sense of energy flow that completes the magical, intense circuit that is Kieron and me.

“I love you so much,” he whispers in my ear. “Always know that and never forget it.”

“I love you too,” I breathe, a contented smile on my lips.

~~~

They say time heals all wounds. I’m not sure if that’s true, but by the time the day begins its transition into night, I feel better than I’ve felt in a long time. A really long time.

There’s nothing better in the whole world than lying here beside Kieron, feeling his hands on my arms, tasting his sweet kisses, hearing his loving words, breathing his hot breath. I feel the broken pieces inside me gradually healing and falling back in place.

I don’t want to tell him about Tristan. I know I should. But I just can’t. Not yet, anyway. Not when I just got him back and things feel so amazing between us. Besides, I’m sure he’ll find out about him soon enough. Then again, Tristan was probably one of those nasty Hlbafa demons out to get me. Maybe now that it’s all over he’ll just go away, and I won’t see him ever again. Then maybe Kieron will never have to know what a horrible wretched person I am, and how I betrayed him so soon after he disappeared. When he was busy sacrificing himself to save
me
.

“What is it?” Kieron asks, watching me with tender concern.

“It’s twilight,” I say, avoiding his question. “I’d say we should get going soon, but I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.” I give him a wry smile. “Remember the first time we came out here?”

Kieron chuckles under his breath. “How could I ever forget? It’s not every day I have angry farmers pulling shotguns on me.”

“Hey, whatever happened that night? The truth this time.” I narrow my eyes, remembering his fishy ‘explanation’ for what had occurred after I fell asleep.

Kieron laughs louder. “Okay, well, when Lucky woke up, she was pretty pissed. She wanted to know why I’d put you in danger like that.”

“Did you tell her it was all my fault?” I ask, sitting up.

He shakes his head. “She wasn’t exactly in the mood to listen. She disarmed the poor guy… nicely, I might add.”

“Nicely?”

“Well, she didn’t kill him. Which was pretty nice of her, considering. She was angry with me and left, but later we met up and talked it out.”

“Oh.” Then after a moment. “You must have thought I was so pathetic, playing it like a fool…lying, trying to cover up and acting stupid—”

“Liora,
stop
. I don’t ever want to hear you talk like that ever again. Got it? You did what you had to do at the time, and I understand. No judgments. If anything, I’m in awe of how well you manage to handle things. I don’t think I’d ever be able to—”

“Ha! You think I handle this ‘
well
’?”

He leans closer and grazes his lips against mine. “I think you are amazing,” he whispers. “Every part of you, everything you do. Right or wrong. I am under your spell now and forever.”

“Tell me why…” I murmur, nuzzling his earlobe.

“Why what?”

“Why do you love me? Why am I amazing?” I don’t care if my questions sound needy, or desperate, or insecure. I have to know what he sees in me…why he loves me the magical way he seems to do.

Kieron tilts my chin up slightly and looks into my eyes, his cerulean pools of liquid as bottomless as the darkest ocean. “This may sound like a corny line, but the first time I really looked at you, I knew those were the eyes I’d been waiting my entire life to see. For the first time ever, I felt like I was home. That I finally belonged somewhere and was born for a specific purpose—to know you…to be with you…and to love you.”

“But how could you really know?” I whisper over the thumping of my heart.

“Honestly, I don’t know how. I just
knew
. It’s like a light switch suddenly flicked on inside. Everything I thought I wanted was suddenly insignificant compared to you, and the thought of hurting or losing you—it makes me want to rip out my own heart. But above all, I just want you to be happy. Your happiness means more to me than my own. How crazy is that? Do you know how good it makes me feel when I see you smile? When I hear you laugh?”

My mouth twitches at the corners, and a small grin cracks through. “But what about now…now that you know what a complicated mess I—
we
—are? How can you possibly feel the same way—?”

“It was shocking, I admit. But seeing both sides of you like that…well, if anything, it’s made me love you more.”

I gaze at him, almost disbelievingly. But so desperately hoping. My eyelids grow heavy as the familiar fiery tingles start creeping down my arms and legs.

“I’ve never felt this way about someone before,” he continues, holding me closer.“…And quite honestly, I didn’t think it was even possible. Until I found you. Then I realized that anything and everything was possible. To find someone who—like me—lives between the world of Dark and Light. Someone who—like me—still embraces humanity despite the burden of our Dark powers…

“Many demions neglect their human side so much it completely shrivels and dies. They are nothing but a weakened half-demon with no trace of humanity left in them. But you hold yours so strong, so near and dear to you, you actually created an entire persona out of it, whether you meant to or not.

“…And it is only because of you—a wonderful, miraculous demion with a gift so rare and so special—that my heart awakened to a desire for love I never knew I was capable of. I just wanted to be with you, as I still do, and I always will.”

I open my eyes. Kieron slowly reaches down and strokes my face with his fingertips. The sheer intensity of his crystal-blue eyes fills my soul with white-hot fire. If he looked any sexier I would literally melt into the earth.

“Where are we?” I whisper, still lost in my trance-like state. I know I just woke up, but for some reason I remember Kieron’s words…or was I dreaming?

“We are safe. We are together. Everything will be fine. I promise.”

“I missed you,” I whisper, forgetting everything else.

Kieron leans down and grazes my lips with a soft kiss.

“I missed you, Lucky,” he whispers. “I missed you so very, very much.”

I stand up and take a few wobbly steps, inhaling the crisp, clean air. “Where are we?” I ask Kieron again over my shoulder. The last place I remember being was inside the dark, dingy dungeon…
Or is it?
Fractured memories swish and swirl through my head like a kaleidoscope.

“It’s just a place I like coming to sometimes when I need to get away…have some peace and quiet,” he replies softly.

I need a moment to gather myself together. I make my way over to a meandering stream by the rocks on the edge of a cliff and gaze at the darkening valley below. A water tower in the distance helps orientate me to our location; my cabin is a few miles southwest of it. I have to admit this place is beautiful…in a way it reminds me of my favorite spot in Dryndara. But as gorgeous as it is, this human world around me feels as foreign as Thiberoux feels like home.

I dangle my legs over the cliff, staring up at the rising crescent moon. Softly, I begin to weep. Although my last conscious memory is of lying on the straw-covered floor with Bones, somehow I’m aware of other things…a certain
knowingness
of events. I remember the Legionare showing up and vanquishing every demon in sight. I remember holding Bones’ hand one moment and feeling nothing but air the next. I remember Kieron taking me away on a giant red-winged horse after the Legionare leader banished us from Thiberoux. I remember hearing Kieron’s words of anguished love as he spilled his guts to Liora.

I remember
everything.

Oh, how I wish I didn’t.

It hurts…but strangely, not as much as it
should
. I should be destroyed with grief. Bones is gone. How am I still breathing? But the pain is numbed. For some reason, the bomb hasn’t blown up inside my chest yet.

There’s a soft rustling, and Kieron sits down beside me. “Are you okay?” he asks gently.

I breathe a long sigh. “I will be.” The preposterous words come out before I really think them through.
How can I be okay ever again?

“Do you hate me?” He stares out over the valley, his voice barely a whisper.

Another sigh. “No.”

“Do you blame me?”

I pause. “No. I blame myself.”

“Don’t do that.” He reaches across my lap and holds my hand in his. I clench it tight and pull it to my cheek.

“I can’t help it.” My whisper trembles.