Forged of Fire (2 page)

Marsala yanked the man back by his hair, her blade at his artery. “Tis no trickery!” He persisted. “She can bend both the elements. Her hair is the color of flames and her eyes the color of violets.” A thin bead of blood began to dot the slave’s throat. “She bares the mark of the Angel and she is guarded by one!”

“An Angel?” Ash twisted all the way around to face the panting servant, his interest piped. “I have not seen an Angel in over a thousand years.” He studied the man currently shaking in Marsala’s grasp. “Take me to your master tonight.”

“Master… Mr. Bane is in the US. New Orleans to be exact. I can have the jet readied…”

“Yes, yes, whatever. We will leave at midnight. I wish to arrive in daylight.” Ash turned and walked out the door. He had no doubt that the story of the chosen one was a fabrication to get his attention, but he was insanely curious now to see how Mr. Bane explained the Angel bit.

****

New Orleans

Bloody hell! She was going to get killed just crossing Magazine Street
. Stefen watched from the shadows as the young bender nearly missed getting smashed by a speeding taxi. Alaric was going to be pissed if he failed at keeping the clumsy redhead safe. Stefen ducked further into the back alley once his quarry was safely inside the coffee shop
. Is he trying to punish me for something?
He shook off the reasons why that theory was plausible, as the list was way too long to waste time on. Stefen was, if anything, consistent at being the exact opposite of whatever his older brother wished of him. But still…He may lack the desire to do, or care, in general but he was one of the better fighters. Why in the world would his brother take him, the most easily distracted and notoriously bored warrior and task him with babysitting duty?
This had to be retaliation for something
. Stefen considered walking away from the mission for what had to be the hundredth time today, but something about the girl made him curious. She was special. He could feel it, but more importantly she was amusing, such an interesting combination of untapped power and blind innocence. Yep, and she would surely be dead in twenty-four hours if he did not stick around, Stefen justified. And, for some unknown reason, he gave a shit.

Stefen put his hand to the stone of the building Kielyn had just entered. The smells and textures came alive in his mind. A scrawny boy was taking Kielyn’s order at the 1950’s decorated soda shop turned new age coffee bistro. The tables, chairs and neon lighting still spoke of the bubblegum era but the expensive espresso machines and flat screens reminded the patrons what century they were currently living in. Kielyn was rooting around frantically in her purse for change to pay the boy. With her head looking down she was completely oblivious to the fact that her sweater had slipped and that she was now gifting the adolescent with a supreme view of her breast. The poor teenage boy was practically salivating on her Chai Latte, his eyes glued to the opening of her sweater.

Stefen closed his eyes and mentally cursed. This girl was hopeless. At twenty-one she was unusually tall, thin as a rail and moved more like a baby deer than the supermodel she could otherwise be. All legs. She was beautiful though. Thick wavy long hair the color of fire and the most haunting purple colored eyes. She was also a bender of some sort. The gift to bend was not something Kielyn understood yet, though she had spooked herself often in the last month that Stefen had been following her. One time the young woman slammed a book, apparently unhappy with the romance’s ending, and accidently set off the dorm room’s fire sprinkler. The funniest one was when the redhead would blush. Whoever the deliverer of that emotion was, would receive a burning sensation in their pants. Stefen laughed out loud remembering the senior boy that had run like a man on fire and dumped his ass in a water fountain on the New Orleans campus.

Stefen’s acute hearing drew him out of his reflection and back to the shop’s interior. A man in jeans and a hoodie was seated across from where Kielyn had taken a seat. He was studying the beauty closely. Too closely
! Lift your fucking head
. Stefen silently ordered
. I just need to see your eyes!
As if he heard him, the man tilted his gaze up. There, plain as day in his pupils, Stefen read his whole life span like cliff-notes. He was a Vampire and he was likewise interested in Stefen’s young bender.

Kielyn rose from her table and began to exit the shop.
Fuck! Stay put!
The silent command did nothing to sway his stubborn charge. The male rose and followed her out the door. Stefen watched Kielyn pass by the alley he was hidden in. The Vampire remained a few paces behind, just enough to keep up but not close enough to register his presence...
Or was he?
No sooner did the thought pass than Kielyn tripped, sending the contents of her purse flying across the concrete. The pretty redhead yelped and bent at the waist to retrieve the contents currently rolling across the pavement. Her short skirt lifted in accordance with the daring posture, providing all of Main Street’s oncoming traffic a view of long shapely legs that led up to a perfectly round ass outfitted in delicate pink panties.
Bloody hell!

The Vampire faltered a step before seeing a new opportunity and rushing to her aid. He was joined by four other scrambling men, all begging to assist the beauty. Stefen could feel the irritation radiating off the Vampire from his vantage point beside a nearby light post
. However will you get her alone now dumb ass?
He chuckled. Probably too loudly, for the fanger looked over his shoulder at him and narrowed his eyes. Stefen winked, challenging him right back with his own acknowledgement. As planned, the Vampire drew to his feet and began to stalk towards him. Stefen cast a glance once more to make sure that Kielyn was ok. She was just fine and being escorted into a local bar by one of the Good Samaritans.
Correction!
His ward was good to go on the supernatural predator front. Stefen would have to take care of the human danger after he killed the Vampire.

He slipped back down the alley as the large male ground out a threat behind him. Stefen lazily turned around, drawing his weapon of choice, the double sided boomerang blade. “I am sorry. Were you talking to me fucktard?”

The jarhead curled his lips in a sneer. “What the hell are you?” He sniffed the air. “Fae?”

Stefen lifted a brow. “Really? That’s all you got?”

“Doesn’t matter much.” The fanger said in a thick baser-born British accent that dated him as young. “I like the taste of all blood.” He sauntered forward. “I bet yours will taste even better. And don’t worry, I won’t hurt you when I drain you dead.” He smirked.

He was unsure which impulse was stronger, the one to laugh or the one to retch. Stefen knew he was considered a rather pretty male with his violet eyes, glossy long dark-hair, dimpled chin and high cheek bones. At 6 foot flat Stefen was not a huge muscle bound male either, making others think that he would be easy prey. When he was younger the constant attention from both males and females was both flattering and annoying. Stefen had mastered the art of enlisting his good looks to get what he wanted and then he learned to fight like a Tasmanian devil to defend himself from bullies who did not take no for an answer. Between the combination of his natural charm and “pretty boy” good looks, he had not had an easy time growing up with some of the more audacious and perverted vultures at court. Both assets were a blessing and a curse. Stefen grew tired early on with the gift of attraction, however, he had learned to foster his irritation with superficial idiots into a more practical use - cunning manipulation. Anger always rose up in Stefen when faced with shallow fuckers like the meat head standing before him now. No matter if they were men, women, humans or immortals, anyone set to take what they wanted by victimizing those they viewed as weaker received his wrath. Maybe this was another reason Stefen was watching out for Kielyn. He saw a target, proverbially painted on her, similar to the one he himself had grown up with.

Stefen shook off the annoying notion that he might actually have a heart and focused on a more selfish train of thought, one that would bring immediate satisfaction in dealing with the piece of shit in front of him. With the quick snap of his wrist, he manifested the weapon housed inside his jacket sleeves and let the blade fly. It severed the Vampire’s head from his body before his shocked eyes could even grow to their fullest extent. Stefen caught the boomerang on its return, walked over to the body and pulled a dagger from his back. He knelt and plunged it into the idiot’s heart. A popping hiss from inside the chest cavity confirmed the death. Stefen withdrew the knife and wiped both weapons clean on the Vampire’s white t-shirt. He stood, stepped back from the widening pool of blood on the cement and looked down at his kill. “I’m a fucking Angel ass wipe!”

Stefen sheathed his blades and started to head back towards the main street when a shadow moved across the surface of the damp pavement. He spun, the hairs on his arm lifting. She was here, the presence that had been consistent since he had taken to watching the bender. The same way he had been keeping up with Kielyn, someone had been keeping dibs on him. He could not get a read at all on what she was either. Fucking ironic considering how annoyed Stefen had been with the fanger for thinking he was Fae. “Show yourself!” He called out.

“You are not going to take her.” A haunting feminine voice replied.

“Bloody hell! Is everyone and their mother after this damn woman?” Stefen searched the recesses of the darkness but even his vision could not lay claim on the voice’s owner. “And who are you to stop me if I desire to?”

A soft, feathery chuckle answered him. “You’re not stupid. It’s rather unbecoming to play that you are.”

Stefen canted his head to the right. “One might also conclude that it’s unbecoming to lurk in the shadows and taunt strangers.”

“One might.”

“Why don’t you come out so I can see who exactly is threatening me?” Stefen stepped forward. “I promise not to kill you.”

“That’s sweet.” A hot wind rushed forward as if challenging his advancement and collided hard with Stefen, whipping his hair about his face. “I have never made a threat in my whole life. Nor a promise.” The temperature rose several degrees as the wind retreated as quickly as it had formed. “Leave the girl alone,” she continued. “Watch her all you want but do not dare touch her.”

“And if I am ordered to take her?” Stefen asked, too stubborn to concede and definitely too willful to comply.

“Then I will be forced to stop you by any means needed,” she answered.

“I see. Can I at least get your…” She was gone. He felt the absence of her energy like a shift in atmospheric pressure. A chill raced up his spine. There were very few beings more powerful than his kind…Surely she was not…

Kielyn emerged from the bar. Stefen heard the distinct click of her awkward gate on the cobblestoned sidewalk. He would have time later to contemplate the strange supernatural that was tracking him. Right now he just had to make sure the redheaded beauty arrived back at her dorm in one piece.

****

Stepping out of the private jet, Ash brought his sunglasses to his eyes. His pupils had already started to sharpen into razor thin slits as the first smells of the southern city’s sins began to wash over his tongue. Aww, New Orleans…He had missed it greatly.

The trip over the pond had been quite nice in the spacious jet Mr. Bane had sent. Ash had gotten a great deal of correspondence done with Marsala sleeping and the Gilcolm, Samson, ordered to stay quiet. Ash would have Marsala awoken once night fell and brought with Samson straight to his new residence. He always liked arriving by day, it provided him the upper hand on the surroundings while most other immortals were shade seeking, safe from the sunlight.

Looking out over the tarmac he had to smile. Smith, his man of affairs, had done a great job of securing the proper means of ground transportation
. Nice!
The car pulled closer as Ash took the last step of the landing set. An enthusiastic valet jumped out and handed him the key-fob to the expensive piece of machinery. Ash slid in and quickly programmed two destinations, the first to his house he had purchased on the flight over and the second to Bane’s place on Napoleon Street for later that evening.

Ash whistled to himself as he shifted the car effortlessly into first. The Maserati Gran Turismo sang to life as Ash took the exit ramp, seamlessly passing through its third and fourth gears in less than twenty seconds. Not quite as fast as he could on foot but not too damn shabby for an Italian sports car. As he steered south towards the city he could not help but think back on some of Samson’s earlier ramblings. Turns out Bane was a Water-bender, also turned Vampire around the same era that Marsala was made. Marsala had been asleep for most of the trip so Ash had not yet inquired as to if she knew Bane. Perhaps they were enslaved at the same time. Ash would get all his answers tonight including why he had been sought out to help with the supposed chosen one. However, Ash already has his speculations. If all of this was indeed not a ploy and the child did really exist, Bane’s purpose in seeking out Ash would be a simple one. He would want him to train the young bender.