Rhuul's Flame (6 page)

The image of Avalea’s wet, naked body made Rhuul’s throat dry. He snatched the flagon from his belt and took a long swig.

“Yes, I’ll join you. We can start now if you want.” Talloc picked up his pace.

“Talloc, I swear by the gods—”

“Fine, Rhuul.” He walked next to her on the opposite side, chuckling to himself. “Doesn’t take much to work you up, does it? Though, if you’re feeling left out, I can become a woman. I think I have an idea of what you like.”

“You clearly have a death wish.” Rhuul found himself returning to his earlier question, only this time, he decided to rephrase it. “Gali called you a half-breed. Why would he say that?”

“Gali’s an ass, for one.” She sighed, and looked up at the sky for a few seconds. “I’m half Omala, half elemental. I’m sure you can guess which kind.”

“Oh that’s easy, hot stuff. Fire.” Talloc grinned and looked her up and down. “But how’s that even possible? I mean, wouldn’t a fire elemental burn an Omala to death? How did your parents … you know, do it?”

“When my father met my mother, he recognized her as his soul mate. Elementals don’t speak the way we do. To communicate with nonelementals, they share their thoughts through touch. In order for my father to touch my mother without hurting her, he shared his flame with her. It’s one of the most intimate acts between elementals.” She stared off into the distance, a small smile on her face. “After he shared his flame, they could communicate with each other. She fell in love with him, he took her as his wife, and here I am.”

He didn’t expect it, but Rhuul felt a stab of jealousy after hearing the story. Two beings, so different, so unconventional, but they stayed together. They raised her together.
She’s still welcome in her village while I’m … I’ve been exiled. They showed her love while I was only shown hate
.

“Rhuul?” She stopped in her tracks and stared at him.

He shrugged her off and kept walking. “How far?”

“Do you know the way?” When he turned around, she had a hand on her hip.

“I’ve never been there. How can I know the way?”

“Then why are you walking ahead of me?” She lifted an eyebrow and pulled the corner of her mouth into a smirk.

Oh, if only he could have thought of a comeback to wipe that grin off her face. But he couldn’t. She was right, and more than that, she managed to look even sexier with that wicked smile on her face. “Fine. After you, then.”

She walked ahead of him, moving several dozen feet before she froze. “Everyone get away from me! Ghena, run!” The fiend jumped down and ran toward him.

“What’s going on?” Ghena pulled at his wing, urging him to move away. Avalea started running, still heading in the same direction. “Where are you going?”

“Rhuul, stay back.” Ghena pulled harder, but he ignored him.

A large shadow passed overhead. When he looked up, he saw a large, winged creature, the likes of which he’d never seen. The skin of its body looked smooth, but it shimmered like oil on water. Long, feathery plumes ran from its beaked head, down the center of its back, ending at the tip of its long tail. Its leathery wings were wide, and its body was slim and long. Rows of sharp teeth hung down inside the beak, giving it a menacing grin. It looked like death on wings, and it was heading right for Avalea.

“That thing is after her!” He pushed Ghena aside and spread his wings. He raced forward, bringing his swords to his hands. “Avalea!”
I just need to get to her before it does. The last thing I need is more nightmares.
The logic seemed reasonable, but somewhere deep down inside, he knew there was more to his strange reaction.

Avalea turned around, glaring at him. “Stay away, Rhuul!”

The flying creature was fast and closed in on her. It descended, clutching her in its sharp talons before flying off.

“Let her go!” Rhuul could feel every ounce of his Celestan nature as rage took over his being. He jumped into the air, flapping as hard as he could. Working without wind was exhausting, but he forced his wings to beat. When he found a current of air, he used it, moving in hot pursuit of the beast. He was gaining on it, but still not close enough.

The creature let out a shrill cry, the sound of it making his ears ring. Rhuul was falling behind, so he decided on a different tactic. He flew up, moving as fast as he could into the sky, until he was too high to breathe easily. Tucking his wings close to his back, he fell at great speed. He angled his body, choosing a trajectory that would allow him to land on the creature. “Come on. I need to move faster.”

The winged kidnapper pressed on, flying toward a craggy mountain. He could see the remnants of large eggshells, and as he drew closer, he spotted juvenile versions of the adult below.
It’s going to feed her to its young!
He wouldn’t let that happen. He held his arms close to his sides, making himself as streamlined as possible to gain as much speed as he could.
I’ve got to make it.

He landed on the thick skin of the creature’s back just before it touched down onto the rocks. He thrust his swords deep into the flesh beneath him, twisting the blades. The beast shrieked and landed in a heap, and that’s when he heard it.

“N-no. D-don’t hurt her.” It was Avalea, but she sounded injured.

He jumped down and stared at the empty talons resting on the rocks. “Avalea? Avalea, answer me!” He pushed at the big body of the moaning animal, finally spotting her tucked under the opposite wing. Blood trickled from her mouth, and each time the monster breathed, its body pressed into hers. A powerful horror infused him when he saw her hair. The green strands hung down the side of her body, her flames extinguished. His hands trembled as he crawled into the small space and pulled her free. Her eyes were closed, her breathing labored. “Avalea?” She didn’t move.

He shook her gently, trying his best to shake the hollow feeling growing in his chest and the sickness in his gut. “Come on, Lea. Open your eyes … please.” She winced and parted her lids. The moment he saw her eyes he cradled her closer.

“Put me down, Rhuul.”

Her voice was weak, but he held her tight. “You’re hurt. I can’t put you down here.”

“No, put me down on the ground. I need to heal.” Her voice was quiet and strained, sending jets of cold through his blood.

He remembered the way she knelt on the ground at the Corri compound. Moving as carefully as he could, he climbed away from the twitching body of the injured monstrosity. When they were clear, he lowered her to the ground and watched as the blood stopped pouring from her mouth. When she tried to sit up, he helped her. “Lea?”

“I’m fine, Rhuul.”

He pulled her close and hugged her tight. He felt her melt into him, and his pulse quickened. He was more than a little surprised when vines rose up from the ground and snared him. “What the hell are you doing?”

She stood and moved toward the keening creature. “I told you to stay away.”

“That thing was going to eat you. I saved your life!” He pulled at the vines, but he couldn’t move his arms enough to slice through them, so he settled on sawing his way out. “Get away from that thing!”

“She wasn’t going to hurt me. You have no respect for life at all.” She placed her palms on the chest of the animal. As soon as she made contact, its cries ceased. “This is a calciphex. They are friendly to my tribe. Sometimes calciphex have problems with their young. When they do, they seek us out to heal them. That’s why she brought me here.”

“If they’re so friendly, why did you tell me to get away?” He watched as the calciphex got to its feet and lifted its wings. It trained its eyes on him and took in a deep breath before exhaling a torrent of flames. In the space of a breath, Avalea was in front of him, her arms wide.

No flames passed her body. He worked harder to free himself, filled with the need to save her from danger once again, but she never screamed, never showed any signs of discomfort. It was as if she absorbed the flames into herself. “That’s why.” When she turned around, she was the beauty he’d seen minutes before, her hair and eyes aflame. “You’re not Omala. The calciphex would try to kill you, and rightly so, I might add. Now stay back.”

He watched the creature lift her into its clutches, carrying her gently, like a precious treasure. They landed on a ledge not too far away from him. He could see Avalea as she hugged a sickly calciphex fledgling close. He looked on in awe as it recovered in her arms and flapped around the roost.

The vines around him disappeared, and she climbed over toward him. “Careful, Lea. Let me come get you.”

“No, you stay over there. She’s calm now, but that’s her nest. If you get too close, she’ll incinerate you.”

Seeing her teetering on the edge of a mountain was unsettling, and he paced a short circuit until she was within reach. He extended his arm out to her and when she took his hand, he pulled her close, staring into her eyes. “Never do that again.”

“If you had listened, this wouldn’t have happened.” She looked at him with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. He wanted to be angry. He wanted to yell at her, but all he felt was relief to see her well.
What is it about her?

He watched her in silence for long moments. He couldn’t fight the feeling inside, nor the voice urging him to move closer. It was pure instinct that drove him to lean in and brush her lips with his. “Are you doing this? Are you inside my head?” He kissed her again, feeling the warmth of her skin on his, the softness of her lips, and the heat of the flames from her head. Never had a kiss sent so many sensations through his body. No one had ever evoked such need in him, nor had they made him feel he wouldn’t be able to breathe if he was parted from them.

When she kissed him back, his entire being called out to her. Everything about her overwhelmed him, and that was going to be a problem. He pulled back, cursing under his breath and berating himself for the arousal straining in his pants. As much as he wanted her right then and there, he resisted and fought for control.

“If you’re asking if I’m manipulating you, the answer is no. Mind control isn’t one of my powers.” She watched his eyes, still rooted to the spot. “I had to convince you to help me, remember? It wasn’t an order; it was a request.”

He remembered, but it was difficult to recall those details when all he could think about was how it would feel to be inside her on top of a mountain. He swallowed hard into his throat and took a step back. “Weren’t we heading toward your village?”

She quirked a brow before smoothing her expression. She whistled and the calciphex flapped over, scooping her up, hovering with her just above him.

Rhuul exhaled and jumped into the air, spreading his wings wide. When he flew away, the calciphex moved too. He exhaled as he glided on the wind, his thoughts in flux. He’d come to a decision, one he didn’t like, but a necessary evil. “I cannot let her affect me. It’s just sex; that’s all. I just need a woman to get it out of my system.” His mind went back to the women in Kref and he swore.

He didn’t even feel a tingle of anticipation, even when he recalled the scene of Talloc beneath the four beauties in the inn. No one he’d ever met could compare to Avalea, and he doubted anyone ever would. “Damn that woman.” He’d only seen her covered in dust and dirt, and yet she was the most stimulating female he’d encountered in his life. If the throbbing in his pants was any indication, she would be worth the effort to pursue.

Somehow, he didn’t like the idea of a one-night stand with her. He envisioned many nights above her, behind her, beneath her, in front of her. “Gods! I just need to make a clean break.” He looked at her in the calciphex’s talons, her flames whipping in the wind. Even now she was glorious. “I’ll see her safely to her village and then I’m getting out of this realm.”

Chapter 5

As soon as the calciphex dropped her to the ground, Avalea started walking toward her village.

“Hey, are you all right?” Talloc sounded worried, but she waved him off.

“I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

When Ghena climbed into her arms, she held him close, taking comfort in his affection. “Let me guess. Rhuul was being Rhuul.” He spoke in a whisper, using the native language of the Omala.

She nodded, tickling his ribs to hear him giggle. They journeyed on until she was too tired to continue. Rhuul hadn’t spoken a single word since they’d left the mountain. A small part of her wanted to ask him what his problem was; another part wanted to get as far away from hiskill-first-think-last attitude; and a growing part of her wanted him to kiss her again. “How do you feel about sleeping here tonight?” She looked down at Ghena, but his eyes were closed, his breaths deep and even. “Lucky you.”

“Why are we stopping?” Rhuul moved his gaze around the landscape, avoiding her eyes.

“I’m tired. I need to rest awhile.” She called forth a bed of soft leaves and grasses, coated with a waxy substance that wouldn’t burn when she rested her head against it. Stretching out on top of the plants, she cradled Ghena close. “I don’t know what you like, Talloc. Will leaves be all right?”

“No worries, hot stuff, I can manage.” He winked and rubbed his arms. “A little fire wouldn’t hurt.”

“I can create a fire, but without fuel to sustain it, it will go out when I fall asleep.” She watched the Bruna turn in circles, presumably looking for something to burn.

Rhuul had been silent for hours, so when he strolled toward her, she wasn’t sure what to think. He stopped in front of her, leaned forward, and held out a pouch. “What’s this?”

“It’s been a while. You should probably eat something.” He pushed the leather container against the back of her hand, urging her to open it.

“I could eat. Whatcha got?” Talloc jogged over, eyes wide.

“Why don’t you morph into one of these animals and mate with it. That would guarantee a clean kill.” Rhuul glanced over his shoulder for a moment before turning back to her.

She really wanted to laugh, but she held it in. Instead, she focused on Rhuul. “You’ve got a lot of nerve.”

“Ooh, are you two having a fight? Will there be makeup sex? I really like makeup sex! What are you guys into, male, male, female, or female, female, male? I can go either way. Seriously. Either.” He licked his lips. “Way.” He made a thrusting motion with his hips and spread his lips into a wicked grin.