Enchanter (24 page)

“Yes. Yes. Yes.” Hope kissed Silas. “We’re loyal to our own people, but we’re also loyal to each other. We can do this. Already there’re us and our inner circles. We just have to keep extending our reach. The more people on our side, the better.”

I looked deep into Guy’s eyes, seeing the depth of his need. He wanted this, just as much as I did. “This is what your father would want too. He said so few Magiolings are finding their mated ones. Our skills continue within our family lines, but they don’t return to full strength unless we’re born of the mated bond. And we all know that. It’s also been centuries since my fire skill was seen, and you’re one of few left who enchant. Your father’s right in saying we’re losing the battle, and it’s with ourselves more than any other. Just imagine when we can all live openly with our mates. When our secrets are gone.” Oooh, yes. My blood heated at the thought.

“Love, that sounds—” He lurched back. “This rising really sucks, and you’re getting too hot to handle. I’ll spell again.”

Silas lifted Hope from the water. “Sis, really? You need to cool it. And could you please keep your distance from Moyer? It would be helpful.”

“Maybe Silvie should go for a swim,” Hope interjected. “So her energy distributes in other ways. I’ll come with you, Silvie. I have a gel which coats my skin. It’s part of my skill and kicks in when I’m diving deep in the ocean. It insulates me from the cold, but I don’t see why it can’t insulate me against your heat.” Her skin shimmered with the slippery gel, and she slid out of Silas’s arms, escaping him with ease. She swam around me.

Having someone swim with me would be good. I wanted my closest near.

She popped up then ran her palm down her arm. “Oh, it works like a treat. The gel melts away, but my skin produces it again just as quickly. I’ll have to watch my hydration, but I can do this. Let’s swim together.”

I blew Guy a kiss and followed her out into the deep, only, I’d barely begun to swim when a wave of heat shot through my veins. On my back, I lifted my hands free of the water and pointed upward. Fire blasted out and hit the rocky ceiling.

Beautiful. Such a glorious explosion of red, burnt orange and sizzling yellow.

“Silvie!”

I grinned at Guy’s shout. “Don’t you like it, honey?”

He let out a long sigh. “Get some control. There’s only so much I can spell at once, and now I have to cool the ceiling before it collapses on us. Aim for the walls if you have to.”

“Oh, good idea. The walls.” My fingers tingled to release more fire.

“Give me a second first to work out a spell for the roof.” He rubbed his forehead. “Okay, hopefully this will work. Take the rising steam and along the ceiling of rock, layer and lock it into ice. I need prisms of white, and I need them spun nice.” His words floated to me, and above, the steam crystalized across the ceiling, adding layer upon layer of the tough white stuff.

“Okay, ice opposes fire. Now for the walls.” Guy glanced at Faith. “You should be forewarning me of these problems before they arise.”

“There aren’t any forewarnings. You’re dealing with them first, but I’ll certainly holler if you slip up anywhere.” Her brow furrowed. “Hey, what was your rising like? I’m trying to imagine how that would work for an enchanter.”

“Nobody could stop the barrage of rhymes which spilled from my mouth. I did a number of terrible things whenever somebody attempted to contain me. It wasn’t pretty.” He shifted his gaze toward Hope, who now bobbed in the water, waiting for me to catch her up. A look passed between them.

“You were there.” I kicked toward her. “What did he do?”

“It was unbelievable. He turned me completely purple. Skin, hair, everything, and all because he liked the color of my violet eyes and thought the rest of me should match.”

I laughed. “No way.”

“Yes way.”

Silas chuckled from where he’d clambered onto a large rock at the water’s edge, no doubt to get a better view of Hope. “I would have loved to have seen that, Moyer. Can you do it again to my mate?”

Hope gasped. “Silas, not funny. And no, Guy won’t. Not if he values his life.”

Pushing a hand through his slick black hair, Guy said, “It took me a couple of days to figure out how to reverse the spell, and I’ve learnt my lesson. No one messes with a Wincrest.”

I kicked away from Hope as another wave of heat pulsed through my veins. “Guy, this one’s gonna be bad.” I aimed my fingers at the wall. “Can you get that now?”

“One sec.” He mumbled a short ditty, and ice shimmered over the surface of the walls as my fire flared.

It slammed into the layer of ice and blasted off. Chunks of pristine white flew and everyone ducked. “Stay low. My rising is definitely rising.”

“You’ve gotta swim.” Having dove off the boulder, Silas swung back onto the top of it. “Force your energy out, but not through your fire. There are other ways. Use them.”

“Sorry.” Yeah, I had to get busy and swim. I had to move and get the energy out that way. Kicking, I swam length after length as Hope dipped in and around, remaining solidly at my side.

She was fast, sleeker than a seal in her element and clearly having a world of fun, yet no matter how hard I kicked, my energy grew. It surged, and I battled my natural response to keep it in check.

Still, I did what I could, but as the hours passed, my fire bubbled and brewed, stewing beyond my control.

“You’re getting worse,” Guy called out. “I can barely keep up with your demand. The ice is melting from your heat alone.”

Energy rippled through me, only seconds after the last flare. I had no time to warn him and sent the explosive fireball upward. Fire lit the craggy ceiling. Sharp black rock sheared off and shot in all directions.

I couldn’t keep doing this. Someone would get hurt. I swam toward Davio. “It’s time for the bonfire. I’ll trail your airstream.”

“Done.” He nodded and flashed away.

I followed, fast.

12

Pine needles stuck to the wet soles of my feet. The clearing in the forest was dark, the sun having dipped below the horizon hours ago. A stockpile of logs awaited its fate. Beautiful. My kind of kindling.

“You’re glowing, Silvie.” Davio hunkered down, one hand pressed to the damp soil. Faith flashed in beside him and knelt with one hand on his back. Silas blinked in with Hope.

“Where’s Guy?”

He shimmered in. “I barely caught the others’ airstream.”

“No, stay back, okay? I don’t want you getting hurt.” Fire pulsed from my raised fingertips. It vaulted right over his shoulder.

He ducked. “Hell, the flames are moving up your arms. Your fire is spreading.”

Flames raced to my shoulders and across my chest. The fire swept down, around my hips, thighs and legs. My toes tingled as fire flared from the tips. I was ablaze, every inch of me. Sooo mesmerizing.

“Everyone, back to the tree line,” Davio yelled. The others sought the shelter they needed, all except Guy. He remained crouched, and close.

“You can’t handle this kind of heat. Go. I’ll be fine, Guy.”

“No. I’m not leaving your side. You’re my mate. You need me.”

“I’ve never lit up like this.”

“Send the fire from you. You have to release this excess energy. Aim it at the stockpile.”

My blood fairly sang as I zeroed in on it. It was all for me.

Oh yeah, this was what I wanted. To burn.

In anticipation, I stamped my feet, only, a ripple of fire flared out from my toes. It sent an undulating wave of heat across the ground. Smoke puffed and clouded around.

Guy fanned the air. “Don’t set fire to the ground. The stockpile.”

My heart burst with a hunger for more. “This is amazing.”

He edged closer, almost touching my flames. “Keep your focus, and your sight on the prize.”

“The prize. Yes.” Arms raised, I spread my palms toward the tower of logs. My blood exploded with heat, and fire crackled and popped in a sizzling rampage. My flames lit the night sky. Wow, this was one seriously hot skill.

“Let the heat go!” Guy bellowed.

Go. Yes. I drew every last ounce of energy and brought it forth. The flames pulsing from me grew thicker, stronger, and brighter. The red flickered with blue then a cold, dark thing shoved all my feelings aside. Burn. I had to burn and devour.

“Silvie, no!” Someone slammed into me, only, I was rooted to the ground by the sheer force of the energy bound within. “I’ve got you. Now, damn it, send the fire from you.”

Guy. I couldn’t harm him. My mate. With my last reserves, I thrust the build-up to my hands. I shot the fire like an arrow into the heart of the logs. It hit with a thunderous roar and flames soared into the sky, spearing out in a deadly array.

“Don’t let me go.” My energy drained from one heartbeat to the next. My limbs went rubbery and my body became a dead weight.

“Never. We stick together.” He scooped me up before I sank to the ground. “You did it. You managed not to burn me and your fire is out. Your rising is done.”

My vision swam, and I dropped my head onto his shoulder. My energy was completely gone, every last ounce sapped. Had I really done it? “Is everyone all right?”

“After that show, just.” Faith bounded in.

“It was spectacular.” Davio grinned. “There’re a few fires flaring up of course, but with Hope’s help we’ll deal with them.”

“Way to go, sis.” Silas kissed my cheek.

“I’m needed out there to bring water in, but congratulations.” Hope rubbed my back.

“Be careful. No one’s allowed to get burnt while they put my fires out.”

“We’ll get onto it now.” Silas pulled Hope into his arms and flashed away with her. Davio and Faith followed in their airstream.

I looked deep into Guy’s eyes. My enchanter who would forever enchant me. “Thank you for staying. You were amazing.”

He pressed his lips to mine, his kiss filled with more emotion than I could grapple. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else. You’re my world, my heart and my soul.”

“As you are mine.” I kissed him back.

Slowly, he pulled away, ending our kiss far too soon. “I’d better get you to bed so you can rest.”

“Yes, please. That sounds—” He ’ported us into my bathroom. “Fast.”

“I’m all spelled-out. It was exhausting keeping up with you today.” He set me on my feet between him and the shower then reached inside the stall and flicked on the lever. With one hand, he tested the heat. “Okay, this is good.”

“I don’t know if I need any more water today. I’m water-logged.”

“It’s piping hot. You’ll love it.” He carried me in. Steam enveloped us as he propped me against his side. Gently, he lathered a bar of soap then smoothed his hands over my arms and around my neck. “Tip your head back.”

I did, and he plopped shampoo onto the top and massaged it in. “Oh, that’s nice. You have magic fingers.”

“You scared me out there when you were on fire. You had no control.”

“It felt amazing to wield that much energy.” I washed the suds from my hair and slumped against the shower wall in my swimsuit. “Not that I have much now.”

“Here, I’ve got you.” He shut the water off and bundled me in a fleecy yellow towel. In my dressing room, he lowered me to my feet before my dresser. “I’ll wait outside.”

“I’ll be quick.” I changed into a pair of pink sleep shorts and a white tank top then dragged open the door.

“Let’s get you into bed. You look ready to drop.” He set a hand at my waist and guided me to bed.

I crawled in and let out the loudest sigh as my head hit the pillow. I would never have envisioned this day. Having the fire skill rocked. “I want to thank you properly.”

“You already have, but more sounds good to me.” He kissed me, his hot lips scorching mine. “Is this the kind of thanks you had in mind?”

“Yep.” Oh boy. I’d never be able to get enough of his kisses. “You have magic lips too.”

He flicked off the overhead light then returned to nibble his way along my jaw and down my neck. “That’s because I now have a very fiery muse.”