Forged of Fire (4 page)

“It is time.” The now familiar voice drifted to his ears from the tree line. Stefen looked up sharply. “We must hurry.” His eyes caught sight of a pair of molten gold orbs gleaming out at him from the darkness’s black rim. The creature stepped into the light. A black wolf. Before Stefen could form words the animal bolted back into the thick of the woods.

A siren’s wail rang out from a few blocks away. Stefen could hear the voices coming. With the only prayer he had left he hugged Kielyn tight, closed his eyes and vanished into the thin air.

****

Ash was welcomed in through the impressive stone pillars that flanked the grand entrance like guarding hell hounds. Mr. Bane did have good taste, Ash mused as he was ushered down a long hall. His eyes scanned the walls as he passed eight original oil paintings, the likes of Caravaggio’s “Conversion of St Paul” and Hans Holbein’s “The Younger”.
Maybe this Water-bender would not be all that annoying after all.
Ash paused on that thought when the butler showing him the way stopped in front of a large door and opened it revealing a dark stairway lit only by wall sconces. “Master Bane will see you in the lower quadrant.”

“You wish me to enter his meeting room unannounced?” Ash asked skeptically. It may be the twenty first century but Ash still favored the refinement of eras past. Judging by the interior design of his host, Ash suspected Bane did as well. “I would prefer to be escorted down.”

“Forgive me for not explaining Sir.” The butler nodded, a half bow of his neck that showed his expert training. “I am unable to enter past this door. Once you reach the bottom of the staircase, another will meet you to take you the rest of the way.”

Ash could only imagine Mr. Bane desired to keep his mortal and supernatural worlds divided. It would make sense if he kept a human staff in the main house and a Gilcolm staff underground. He walked into the hall and began to descend the steps. Sure enough, at the bottom was another perfectly adorned staff member. This one indeed, a Gilcolm. Ash resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the man before him, held suspended in an exaggerated bow. A mortal staff was one thing as they were paid, a blood slave was just that, a slave. “Continue,” Ash said.

The man righted himself and led Ash down another long hallway followed by another and then another. After what seemed an ungodly number of steps they stopped in front of two large doors. The Gilcolm opened them and entered while Ash hung back. “I present to you His Grace, Duke of Ushum, Ashdon LaGoryen.” The servant announced.

Ash almost faltered at the mention of his ancient title.
Almost…
He straightened his spine to his fullest height and walked into the room. What he found was not what was expected. Before him, in various stages of relaxed and uptight, sat five others.
Fucking hell! It was like an immortal intervention.
Ash slowed his stride, stopping In front of a large round mahogany meeting table. All but one of room’s occupants stood in unison. A refined older man with snow white hair and dressed in Armani, walked forward extending his hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” He offered a genuine smile that somehow felt oddly familiar. “I am Lord Bane but you can call me Walter if you like.”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Ash responded, unable to break with his refined upbringing. It had been a long time since he had been around other lords and, he looked to the pretty brunette standing to Bane’s right, lady Vampires. She was no bender. This was an Original. Ash grew increasingly wary.

Bane must have taken notice of Ash’s glance for he waved an elegant hand to his right. “May I introduce to you Lady Skyler Sinclair? Yes, she is a Vampire,” He grinned. “Turned renegade. She works for the good guys now.”

She offered her hand out for him to shake. Ash took it in his but turned the palm down, lifting it to his lips and placing a kiss atop it before lowering it. She smiled warmly. “A true gentleman.” She cast her eyes towards the angry looking thug glaring at Ash from his undisturbed chair before returning her gaze to Ash. “There should be more of you.”

The angry one snorted. “Gentleman are light in the loafers.” He stood, pushing back the chair with his legs. “There is a reason he has not joined our ranks.” The unusually tall and large Vampire-bender dressed in all black leather with a scar over his left eye walked forward sizing Ash up with every step he took. “All Dragons hide in caves.”

A darker skinned handsome male, also outfitted in a similar styled fashion put an arm out impeding the warrior’s advancement. “Stand down Dax.” He ordered. Surprisingly, the larger Immortal, Dax, stopped, snarled and sat back down, angrily folding two meaty arms over one another. The other man smiled a smile that Ash could tell had stolen many a ladies’ hearts. “I am Marcus Allister.” He gave a half bow. “Immortal, Air-bender extraordinaire.” He motioned a thumb over his shoulder to the jarhead. “That’s Dax Montis. He naturally hates you because you are better looking than him and he is an Earth-bender so he is naturally a little rough around the edges.”

“Fuck off Marcus!” Retorted the giant immortal.

“As you can see,” Mr. Bane raised a brow. “We are all rather… colorful in our own ways.” He smiled again before turning to his left. “Lastly we have my protégé, Lord Kizer DaRiykon.” The younger, pretty-boy bender with piercing blue eyes and tousled blonde, shoulder length hair, nodded. Ash nodded in return, still uncomfortable in this mixed environment. At least the large one seemed to stay on somewhat of a leash. For now. “Shall we all sit and begin?”

A round of agreement and scooting chairs filled the room. Ash took his seat between Lady Skyler and Lord Marcus. He felt instantly at ease with Marcus and Mr. Bane. Skyler was still a wild card. Ash had never, in all his years, met a renegade Vampire. She seemed genuine, but Originals were masters at deceit. The jury would stay out on Ms. Sinclair. Then there was Dax, the asshole, but, Ash could appreciate his blunt honesty at least. Zero head games would be produced from that one. He was as obvious as a Mack truck.

Which brought Ash’s mind to the much too angelic Kizer DaRiykon. Ash knew the family name, they dated back to his parent’s rule. Though they were beneath the Ushum house, they were still a well-respected lineage for the water clans. The young Water-bender was also tossing up some sort of thinly veiled mental block which either meant that the kid did not trust his Master’s judgement or…
He was Bane’s protégé?
Ash grew rigid in his chair. That would mean Bane was higher ranking. “What is your house name Lord Bane?”

The room grew silent before Bane chuckled. “Quick study.” He folded his hands on the desk across from Ash and leaned back in his chair. “I am of the Water House, Aegir.” He crossed his legs. “Our families were very close Ashdon. I was good friends with your brother Teakin. You would remember me by the name of Thatcher. ”

Ash was dumbstruck. That was why those gray smiling eyes were so familiar. They were the same eyes that used to sneak Ash treats from the kitchen when Thatcher’s family would visit.
How could it be? All
this time
…Bane’s voice broke his thoughts “I was taken by Dante’s army at the age of twenty-nine, seventeen years after they took you. He sacked our home right after you escaped but Dante feared another escape from a bender Prince so he kept me aging in his army for twenty-five years before he turned me.”

“Our intent is to reestablish the original houses and allow all descendants to reclaim their birth rights, Your Grace.” Skyler interjected. “Lord Bane will be King over the water clans. Just as Dax will rule the earth tribes and Marcus, the air people.”

“Which brings us to the two reasons we brought you here Ash.” Marcus continued. “We need a ruler for the fire clans.” A heavy weight settled in Ash’s stomach. “We need you to be their King.”

****

Stefen materialized deep in the thick New Orleans woods. He quickly spotted a moss covered patch of ground and laid Kielyn down. He stripped off his jacket and covered her. She was still out cold. Stefen pinched the bridge of his nose. What the hell had Alaric gotten him into? His kind was not supposed to concern themselves with mortals. Yet, here he was in the middle of a marshy woodland, following the direction of some cryptic shifter of sorts and carrying a naked woman, which he did not personally render that way. Stefen glanced at the now peaceful looking redhead. Holy hell she had some wicked power. He began to pace. He needed to reach his brother. There was no way he could just return Kielyn to her dorm and hope that she would not remember any of this. Not to mention the fact that she had fried three fraternity brats.

Stefen closed his eyes and silently called out to Alaric just to have the telepathy blocked mid-way. His eyes flew open on a curse. “Oh wolfey?” He looked around. “Come out come out wherever you are.” The wind shifted and he knew she was close. “Listen, I don’t know who or what you are or why you feel the need to include me in whatever this is…”

She stepped from the mist, only this time it was not a wolf before him but a woman, a beautiful creature draped in white silk with flowing ebony hair and eyes the color of molten gold. “Your brother cannot help her. Yes, he wants her. Everyone wants her. But her destiny has another path.” She walked towards him and the mist seemed to voluntarily part for her. “She is designed for another but her fate also aligns with yours.”

“How do you know this? Are you a seer?” Stefen felt the hairs on the back of his neck lift as he looked into her haunting, soulful eyes. “Oh my God! You are an Oracle!”

“Yes.” She said evenly. “But, you can call me Pythia.”

Stefen chuckled. “After the Oracle of Apollo and Zeus?”

Her eyes softened. “Not after.”

“But she was mortal.” Stefen’s hand swept the air in gesture. “You clearly are not.”

“She was. But things change for us in the worlds we occupy.”

Sensing that the topic of the Oracle’s immortality had collided with a brick wall, Stefen motioned to Kielyn with his eyes. “What do you mean everyone wants her? Who? My brother did not ask me to bring her to him, just to watch her. If Alaric wanted her she would already be in our realm and who is this “one” she is meant for and how does all of this concern me?” He could not halt the agitation lacing his tone with the last question. Damn it, but he was fond of the fragile human and her oddities.

“She can bend fire as you witnessed but she also has the ability to control water. Both Heaven’s and Hell’s elemental houses. Whoever she mates, provided the male is of noble birth and either a Fire or Water bender, will be able to sire a child that could control all four elements.” She paused. “Their child, if united by the parent’s blood strength, could rule over all.” She studied Stefen for a long moment. “As for your involvement, time will give you those answers when it is ready.”

Stefen stared at the innocent beauty asleep on the ground. “You are saying that a child of hers could rule every realm, beyond just the benders but, for every supernatural?” There had never been a solitary ruler in all of time. Heaven and Hell were both governed by the elements of fire and water, even though it’s Vampire or Angel occupants could never control it. If it were true, this girl had more power than anyone. The irony was beautifully dangerous by design.

A wisp of a breeze, like a touch, drifted across his arm and he looked back to Pythia. She was in reach but she had her arms held to her sides. “She is nothing but a pawn in a losing battle if not mated to the one male that is deserving of the power.”

Stefen felt his brows furrow. “I don’t understand? Without her there is no power.”

“Correction. The girl is a vessel.” She spoke softly. “If she meets up with anyone other than the chosen one’s destiny, it would all be for nothing. She could fall into anyone’s grasp but only one other destiny aligns with hers. Only one male alive bears the right to control all the elemental houses. Only one bloodline can unite us all with his offspring and only one is strong enough in spirit to guide her.” She stepped back. “It is up to you now to make sure she finds her way to him.”

“How do I know who it is?” Stefen felt her fading away with each backward step and a panic began to seize him. “How will I know? How do I find him?”

“Follow the stars…”

****

Egypt

Its torturous beauty exceeded his expectations. The flames rose higher, gathering strength in the arid breeze. The screams of the temple priest sang out like the finest eunuch choir boys from days of old. Their burning flesh wafting through the dry desert air like a perfumed candle. Zander laughed low, a vibration that tickled the inside of his throat and rose to the roof of his mouth before breaking the barrier of his lips and blending into the melody of popping embers.
Yes!
This is what he was born for.