Forged of Fire (3 page)

Ash was a Fire-bender born of nobility, same as all benders. But, unlike other royal benders, Ash was of the Ushum bloodline, the house of the Dragon. The Ushum house was forged from Dragons and was thus, the strongest of all the fire realm’s benders. Ash’s parents ruled over their realm until the fateful day Dante’s Vampire army invaded and slayed half their village, while enslaving the other half. Ash felt his hands tighten on the steering wheel. He had only been a small child. His father had died in battle defending their people. Ash, his mother and older brother were among those taken hostage. Ash could recall nothing else in the years between the age of seven and sixteen. Dante had his physicians erase those middle years for reasons unknown. The only thing Ash knew for certain was during that time his mother had been forced into marriage with Dante, or who the humans referred to as Lucifer, the Devil.

It was said that his mother died giving birth to a daughter born of their union but Ash never saw the Princess. His days were spent training with Dante’s army, his nights were spent in painful experiments trying to tap into his unique gift of fire manipulation. The only time he saw his brother, Teakin, was in the arena when they were forced to battle. On Ash’s twenty-fifth birthday, he was turned by the Devil himself into a Vampire.

Ash turned the car onto Constance Street and began winding through the lush surrounding of the Garden district. After three lefts and one right he pulled into his driveway, parked and climbed out of the vehicle taking in his surrounding with deliberate care. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The air around him seemed alive and heavy, drugged and sated as if the fragrant honeysuckle breeding on the vines and the Spanish moss dripping off the ancient Oaks had impregnated the atmosphere with their lust. The sound of softly cascading water, falling and splashing in its gentle pool signaled a fountain. A mocking bird’s song carried effortlessly through the trees that danced like wind chimes in the whimsical Louisiana breeze.

Ash opened his eyes. The old southern colonial house before him was just as described with its floor to ceiling windows, wrap around porch and massive columns. The expert craftsmanship of the hand carved trim work added a luxurious Victorian inspired detail that made it a one of a kind on the lane. It was simply the best of both styles, practical for its original era and just flashy enough to appeal to Ash’s appreciation of the finer things. He walked up the wide stone steps with their potted ferns lining the entrance to the large porch. In four long strides he was in front of the twelve foot tall double doors. He entered the code on the realtor’s lock, just as instructed and turned the handles. Both wooden doors parted with ease, introducing a massive foyer with a gorgeous marble floor rivaling any he had seen in Europe. Ash stepped in and turned around. Yes, this would do nicely and if anything did not come of his meeting later with Mr. Bane, at least he had a wonderful new residence in a city he loved.

****

The dark moved in slowly, taking its calculated time with every silk-laden step. The light broke apart and retreated into the shadows as the fight was, painfully over. A stillness cloaked the air, heavy and laborious in the battle’s aftermath. A voice crept into the mournful silence as the wind began to rise up once again. Faster and faster it swirled around her, victoriously dancing atop devil wings. The black pulled and drank from the control she now willingly laid at his feet. A thin chuckle laced its bony fingers around her soul and whispered the words… “Come home…”

Kielyn was dragged upright by her own scream. Her sheets were bunched around her waist and her breathing was coming in painful, racking waves as her eyes fought to adjust to the lightless room. Her hand shot out, knocking over a water glass before she could tap the bedside light on. “Damn it!” She muttered as the light flickered on, effectively smothering the nightmare. Kielyn shot her eyes quickly over to her roommate’s bed. She was out cold, not even a hint of movement from the snoring bundle of covers across the small dorm room.

Kielyn kicked her covers from her legs and stood, swiping a tee shirt from a pile of clothes and began blotting up the water. Another loud snort came from the corpse in the other bed. Kielyn sighed. There would be no getting back to sleep now. She always tried to get to bed before her drunk roommate could stumble home or else she would spend the night awake with a pillow over her head. Maybe she should try getting shitfaced. Seemed to be a fantastic sleep aid.

She stood and tossed the shirt in the dirty clothes pile on a sigh. She might as well take advantage of the time to get a head start on her new class project. Kielyn shrugged on a pair of worn in jeans and pulled a hoodie over her head before grabbing her bag and slinging it across her shoulder. Thank the heavens Mr. Panacia had trusted her enough to give her a key to the art room. She closed the door and headed down the dormitory steps, tip toeing past the sleeping guard in the main lobby.

The spring air washed over her skin as soon as she stepped out into the lush manicured courtyard. Sounds of merriment in the near distance signaled other partied out college students were making their treks back to their campus dorms. Kielyn hurried across the lawn and took a left. Cutting through the park was the fastest way to reach the fine art building that housed her sanity. Painting was everything to Kielyn. She could never remember a time when it did not serve as a distraction and an escape. Art was also how she could afford to go to the prestigious university. A full scholarship was her way in. She could not credit herself though, her grandmother had applied for her. Kielyn never believed she was good enough but her Nana always claimed she would someday rival the great masters.

Kielyn smiled as memories of the elderly woman’s loving smile came to her mind. She had passed away a year ago today and was buried beside Kielyn’s parents in Lafayette cemetery. Every week, after dark, she would sneak in through a gap in the fence and bring flowers to their tombs. Kielyn had no memory of her parents unfortunately. Her grandmother, her father’s mother, had taken her in after they died in a car wreck. Kielyn and her Nana managed to squeak by with just enough money to live a peaceful life on a small farm just outside of New Orleans.
God she missed her
.

Distracted by thought Kielyn turned absentmindedly down a tree lined path and ran into something hard. She heard herself yelp and leapt backwards. Three large fraternity boys stared down at her. “Well, well, what do we have here?” One of them raked her over with his wild eyes.

“Sorry.” Kielyn sidestepped in an attempt to pass but was instantly blocked by the second of the three giants.

“Hey, I know you.” He gave a crooked smile. “You’re the artsy chick my buddy here wants to get drunk and take advantage of.” He nudged his friend. “That’s her right Chuck?”

Kielyn felt her knees began to shake as she took a cautious step back. “I am flattered but you see I don’t drink…” The third one moved around her so she was circled. “I really must be getting back. My roommate…”

“Is the campus slut and probably sleeping off what will be a nasty hangover.” The one named Chuck cut her off. “You see, she sucked Billy’s dick for the better part of a half hour. She must have worn her mouth and knees out cause she left soon after.” He laughed and it sounded deranged and heavy, just like the little boy that used to live next door to Kielyn when she was eight. He would laugh the same way when he pulled the wings off butterflies. Kielyn felt her stomach flip. He stepped forward. “Now, you’re a good girl aren’t you? You would never willingly suck my cock would you?”

Kielyn tried to step back again, but her back met up with the third guy’s chest. She felt panic welling up in her chest. “I can see why you like her.” The frat boy behind her chimed in before squeezing her ass in his hands. Kielyn jumped forward only to be met with laughter from the other two, Chuck was not laughing, he was staring.

“Please let me pass.” Her voice was dry, the words were barely a whisper, a plea.

Chuck sneered. “Sure thing.” He stepped to the side.

“Thank you.” Kielyn started to pass but his hand darted out and grabbed her arm, yanking her back to face him, a sick smile painted on his face.

“After I feel those pretty lips wrapped around my dick.”

****

Stefen’s fist balled at his sides as he stepped from the shadows, a low growl emitting from his lungs. His palm lifted as energy began to churn from within. “You cannot interfere.” The female’s voice intruded, her aura surrounding him. Calming this time, unlike in the alley when she had been more challenging. “Not without losing your wings.” She whispered.

“I can’t just sit here and watch them rape her either!” He ground out into the darkness. “I was sent to protect her.”

“You were sent to watch her.” A slow, unseen pull gently relaxed his hand from its poised position. “Your emotions are too involved.”

Stefen kept his line of sight trained on the three mortals circling Kielyn. She was petrified and he was helpless to save her. The strange presence beside him was right. It was against Angel law to interfere with human dealings. He could fight and kill immortals all day, but to mess with a human meant an instant cast off. To walk the rest of one’s life as a fallen. Even more troubling to him than the thought of that was the fact that he was considering breaking the cardinal rules over a silly human with one unique gift. The largest of the males grabbed Kielyn and Stefen lurched forward. “They are going to hurt her!”

“Yes.” The voice spoke softly around his. “They will hurt her if she cannot figure out how to get out of this.”

Stefen’s head snapped around in a futile attempt to locate the voice’s owner. “And you will just sit here and watch them do whatever they want to her?”

“I have seen worse. So have you.” She answered calmly. “They won’t kill her but they may break her. But, if she is to be what she needs to become, the girl will grow and learn from the lesson.”

Once again, the woman’s wisdom was correct. Stefen had seen worse and the strongest survivors were the ones that had been tested and managed to rise above it but…Kielyn was different. She was not raised by her kind. She had zero training to understand her existence or hone her gifts. "She has no one…”

“She has you.” The female’s presence beside him began to fall away. “Be here for her, in silence, when it is over. Give her your strength during her pain.”

“I can’t watch this…” She was gone.
Fucking-A!

The man referred to as Chuck was now forcing Kielyn to the ground as the other two frat-boys circled like wolves waiting for their turn. She tried to push away but she was just not strong enough. The idiot began to unzip his jeans. Kielyn shook her head, tears running freely down her cheeks as she begged incoherently. “After you suck me off I am going to fuck you six ways from Sunday beautiful. I bet that sweet cherry will bleed all over my dick just like a good girl should.” He whipped out his cock and pushed it towards Kielyn’s face.

She jerked back but was held in place by one of the other men. “No!” She screamed, finally finding her voice. “Let me go!”

Stefen’s blood began to boil. No one should touch her so. He stepped forward. No one had the right to lay their hands on her. His focus grew keen as his nails dug rivets into his clenching palms. Damn it to hell but he would rip the fuckers limb from limb. He lurched forward just as lightning exploded across the sky, its loud thunderclap igniting into a single electrical current that charged from the heavens straight into the ground. Right on top of the four humans.

The hot blast hit his face with its flame from where he stood across the lawn. His heart sped up in his chest as he ran forward. Nothing but a fast swirling blaze remained where the previous rape scene had been unfolding. Two low pathetic meows could be heard from within the blaze.
No! Kielyn!
Stefen froze in place, fear gripping him as his eyes frantically scanned the carnage. His vision pierced through the blinding red wall. Three men lay burning to death on the ground but there was no sign of the girl. Stefen’s gaze was drawn up by a slight movement, something else was in the fire. There, within the embers dancing rage was a figure. A human form began to emerge from the inferno. The tall feminine outline walked steadily towards him. His breath caught in his throat as her naked body stepped free of the fire. Her eyes were glazed, almost dead as she continued forward, flames licking but not singeing her flesh. Stefen reached out to her as his own feet carried him closer. “Kielyn.” Stefen barely spoke. She seemed to look through him, lost. She staggered and he caught her right before she fell. “Kielyn?” He lifted her into his arms, she was lifeless in his grasp. He turned back to the woods.
She had to be ok!