Treasure of the Fire Kingdom (The Elemental Phases Book 4) (28 page)

“Oh
for gods’ sake.”  Red eyes rolled up towards the ceiling.  “I would think no
such thing.  And how could anyone be a harlot in a
good
way?”

Apparently,
he’d never met Hera, of the Heat House.  Frankie’s Match gave seminar courses
on the joy of manipulation, with a whole lecture on “using men’s sexual
stupidity against them.”  Hope had flunked it, obviously, but she didn’t feel
too bad about the failing grade.  No Fire Phases did well in that class.  They
were a straightforward group about some things.

“Kingu,
if I let you help with Lycus, you’ll think
that’s
the reason I’m
standing here naked.  You don’t see yourself the way that I see you.”  She
stared up at his beautiful, brutal face.  “You still don’t believe that I
genuinely want you.  You’ll think you have to buy me.”  She patted his arm. 
“Really, it’ll be better if I just save Lycus myself.”

A
frown tugged at his brow.  “By yourself?”

“Sure. 
Don’t worry.  I’m positive I can pull off one little jailbreak. I scouted the
location yesterday and I’ve been planning it.”  She gestured to the maps and
blueprints that she’d taken from his library.  They were spread out all over
her bed.

He
arched a brow.  “Was my ancient map of the Cloudland
always
burned like
that?”

Hope
winced, even though Kingu’s tone was simply conversational.  “No.  It
accidently caught fire.  Somehow.”  Why did things only go up in flames when
she
wasn’t
trying?  “Sorry.  Was it really valuable?”  It looked really
valuable.

 “Yes.” 
He nuzzled her hair.

“Shoot. 
Well… I can pay you for it.  I swear.  I have money.  Not
here
, but if
you’d take an IOU.  Or maybe I could just fix it for you.”  She nodded
enthusiastically at the idea.  “I’m used to fixing things.  Do you have tape?”

Kingu’s
mouth twitched.  “Don’t worry.  The map is useless, since I have no desire to
explore the Cloudland.  Ever.”  His pressed a kiss to her temple.  “Tell me of
your plan for this jailbreak.”

Hope
brightened.  “Well, I’ve almost worked it all out in my head.  All I need it a
little dynamite and I’m good to go.”  Hopefully, she’d have better luck with
this
dynamite than she’d had in the past.  It tended to blow-up at inconvenient
times around her.

Stupid
jinx.

“Uh-huh.” 
Kingu didn’t look convinced that explosives were such a good idea.  “I’ll come
along and just… watch, then.”

“Watch?” 
Hope repeated skeptically.  “
This
started out as you watching and became
steadily more hands-on.”  She looked down at his palms covering her breasts and
promptly lost her train of thought.  The contrast in their skin was so… hot.

Kingu
thought so, too.  He followed her gaze and she could feel his arousal growing.

Hope
gave a soft, involuntary sound as he pressed against her, big and hard.  “Oh
dear.”  She wished she didn’t have to give Kingu more time to adjust before
they had sex.  Hope had to let him feel comfortable, but in the meantime, she
was going out of her mind.  She rocked against him, her body growing even
wetter.

Kingu’s
eyes gleamed.  There was no way he could miss the scent of her desire.  This
time, he didn’t accuse her of thinking of Zakkery.  He just looked surprised
and sort of smug.

His
fingers left her breast and traveled downward, under the lacy edge of her
underwear.  He could have vanished them right off her body in half a second,
but he seemed to like the sensation of slipping past the waistband.  Of being
allowed to touch her blonde thatch of curls beneath the silken barrier.  His
hand was so big it overflowing the small front panel of the panties as he very
gently explored the new territory.

Hope
swallowed as he traced along the seam of her body.  “Please.”  Her legs parted,
giving him better access.  His wide palm spread her open to his touch and
started a slow massage.  “Oh yes.”  Her head languidly fell back against his
chest.

He
gave a rumble of pleasure, liking that reaction.  “What if I promise to do
nothing but observe your rescue mission, unless you need my help?”  His voice
was a seductive murmur.  “It would be completely my decision to come along, in
no way based on your incredibly soft body and propensity to get into trouble.”

Hope
tried to think logically through the sensual haze.  “Now,
you’re
trying
to manipulate
me
.”

His
teeth grazed the side of her neck.  “Is it working?”

“
Yes.
” 
It came out as a gasp.  “I mean, no.  If you come along, I’m sure you’ll still
get involved and…”  She trailed off with a sigh as one large finger slipped
inside of her.  “Oh
dear
.”  There was no way she’d be able to hold out
against this.  He pressed upward and she melted into his touch.

“Gods.” 
He sounded out of breath.  Kingu was supporting all of her weight now, not
seeming to notice as he somehow managed to stroke every nerve ending in her
body.  He eased his finger deeper like he was amazed by the sensation.  Amazed
that she let him.  “I had no idea you’d feel so good.”  He groaned as she
shifted her hips and his finger sunk in right up to his knuckle.

Hope’s
mouth parted in pleasure.  “Oh, I feel very,
very
good, right now.” 
She’d always known she was a sexual person.  Most Fire Phases were.  At least,
when they found their Match.  Her whole body was going up in flames.  She gave
another whimper as he pulled out only to slide back in.

Kingu
let out a hiss.  “Fuck.  You’re so tight.”

And
he was so big.

Hope
heard the worried undercurrent in his tone and quickly reassured him.  “I was
made for you.  When we make love, you’ll fit inside me perfectly.”

His
whole body jerked at her words, his hand becoming rougher than before.

“Oh,
Gaia,
I knew it would be like this.”  The slow burn of desire was
becoming an inferno as he stoked in and out of her.  Her arm came up to wrap
around his neck, gaining leverage as she rocked against his palm.  “
This
is why I waited for you.  No one else could ever be so good at this”

Red
eyes met hers.  “Mine.”  The word wasn’t possessive so much as reverent.

“Yours.” 
Warriors liked to be reassured.  And it was the truth.  She was his and he was
hers.  That was the way it worked.

His
finger went faster.  “I want to come on your mission with you.”

“What…?” 
Hope tried to concentrate on his words and completely failed.  His thumb moved
and her mind went blank.

“Say
yes, Hope.”  This time is was a command and a second finger squeezed inside
her.

“Oh
God
.”  She loved it when he didn’t play fair.  She was so aroused.  So
totally at his mercy.  He could do anything, have anything, just so he didn’t
stop.  “Yes.”  She panted.  “Yes.  Fine.  You can come, if you let
me
come.  Right now.”

He
hesitated, looking strained.  “Tell me what you need to finish.”

Her
gaze lifted to his, hearing his wariness.  He stared back, looking braced for
some kind of insult, because he didn’t already know.  Did he really think she
was going to start
complaining?

“Do
exactly what you’re doing only harder.”  She panted.

His
eyebrow compressed in concern.  “Harder?”

“You
won’t hurt me.  I just need a lit bit more.”  Dazed blue eyes stayed locked on
his.  “Please, Kingu.”

The
sound of his name had his finger slammed into her.  It hitting some magic spot
and Hope screamed in release.  The whole world exploded, as wave after wave of
pleasure crashed over her.  All she could do was hold on and chant his name.

Just
for a second, she though she saw stars.

Kingu
let out a long breath as she collapsed against him.  His hand still milked the
final tremors from her body as if he couldn’t bear to leave her.  “Oh, we’re
going to be doing this
a lot
.  I need to see it, again.”  His mouth
glided over her cheek.  “And again.  And again.”

She
swallowed and looked up at him.  “You cheated.  No fair seducing me to get your
way.  You’d better behave on our mission, I mean it.”

“Of
course, treasure.”  He restarted the steady thrusting of his finger, harder
than before, and Hope sighed in helpless surrender.  His teeth gently nipped
her ear.  “You won’t even know I’m there.”

The
Revolution-element works itself rarer and rarer;

so that only
lighter and lighter bodies will float in it.

Thomas
Carlyle- “
The French Revolution”

Kahn,
of the Light House died in the Fall.

Not
literally.

He
could still feel his heart beating.  He still blinked and swallowed and
breathed.  Even though he no longer slept more than an hour at a time, he
continued to get up each morning and go through the repetitive tasks of daily
life.

But,
he was still dead.

Filled
with nothing but a blind, consuming rage at the world.  Sometimes weeks would
go by and he’d barely notice.  When the plague took his six younger sisters and
his cousin, Mara, it killed him, as well.  Kahn was only alive in the technical,
biological sense.

And
that son-of-a-bitch Chason wouldn’t let him rest in peace.

Kahn
stalked through the thick foliage of the Light Kingdom.  Usually, he took
solace in the knowledge that he was the only person for miles.  But, of course,
his cousin-in-law had to screw that up for him, too.

Since
the Fall, there were only six Light Phases left and even that small number
bothered Kahn.  He had never been a social butterfly, but now being around
anyone made him feel agitated and claustrophobic.

He
just wanted to be alone.

Not
surprisingly, the Light Kingdom stayed bathed in constant light.  The sun never
set here.  As a result, the trees and plants of the kingdom grew to wild and
unprecedented heights, with trunks the size of small buildings.  The ancient rainforest
towered hundreds of feet over the ground, shrouding the entire kingdom.  The
incredible, golden light fed the plants, but it never reached the ground. 
Instead, the actual inhabitants of the Light Kingdom lived in shadows.  Since
only about five percent of the light filtered through the trees, the Light
Phases existed in an endless, misty, green twilight.

Rainforests
were beautiful.

But,
living in one meant no roads or large structures.  The forest swallowed up any
attempts to build.  The trees wouldn’t allow for a lot of expansion and the
Light Phases wouldn’t cut many of them down.  As a result, they endured a
Spartan lifestyle.  Unlike the spectacular castles and gravity defying
architecture in so many kingdoms, the Light House built their homes in and
around the vast forest.  Modern conveniences were sketchy at best.  Electricity
flickered in and out, as the trees disrupted the service.  Nobody gave a lot of
thought to upgrading anything but battlements, even before the Fall.

So
many Houses were about high art and scholarship.

The
Light House was about survival.

Light
Phases were a paranoid bunch.  They hated anyone knowing where they lived and
slept.  The Light Fortress itself was a wooden stronghold, all but invisible
amid the forest.  If anyone invaded their homeland, they’d have to actually
find
the Light Phases before they could begin their attack.

No
outsiders came here.

Except,
his fucking cousin-in-law.

“Kahn!” 
Chason jumped down off the edge of the Light Fortress’s platform and stalked after
him.  The jerk-off was used to people instantly following his orders.  “Get
back here!  It took me this long to find you and I’m not done speaking with
you, yet.”

“Yes,
you fucking
are
.”  Kahn turned to jab a finger at him.  “You and I have
nothing
to say to each other.  I mean it.  Not ever, again.  When Mara was alive, I had
to put up with you, but no more.”

“Someone
stole her body, Kahn.  Someone stole my Match out of her crypt and I want to
know who it was.”

“Well,
it wasn’t me!”  Renewed fury went through him at the suggestion.  “I don’t need
her fucking body.  Mara and my sisters are
gone
.  I’ve accepted that.” 
That was a lie.  He would never fully accept the loss.  “You’re the one who’s
Norman Bates-ing over there in Magnetville.”

“I’m
not accusing you of taking her.”  Chason shot back.  “Not this time, anyway.” 
He caught up with Kahn, grabbing his arm and spinning him around.  “I need to
know about your tattoos.”

Kahn’s
gaze involuntarily slipped down to his left forearm.  The tattoos were memorials. 
Light House warriors used them as a method of commemorating the dead. 
Typically, there was one thick, tribal marking for each of the people lost. 
But, Kahn didn’t stop at seven neat tributes to his sisters and cousin. 
Instead, he compulsively added more and more, until every inch of skin from his
wrist to his elbows was covered.

It
was the only outlet he had for his grief.

He
saw no reason to tell Chason that, though.  Truthfully, he resented having to
say anything to the condescending son-of-a-bitch.  They had detested each other
from the moment they’d met and Mara’s death just brought all their resentment
to the surface.  Some of her final words to each of them had been pleads to get
along.

Obviously,
they hadn’t listened.

Kahn
blamed Chason for fucking up his cousin’s last request.

“Back
off.”  He shoved Chason backwards.  “You touch me, again, and, I swear to Gaia,
your
corpse is gonna be
real
visible to everyone.  I’ll dump it
in the middle of the Agora.”

It
would be an interesting fight if the two of them ever came to blows.

In
contrast to Kahn’s guerrilla warfare training, Chason had been raised as an
officer and a gentleman.  When Mara was alive, Chason had been like the hero
from a Frank Capra film.  So, neat and tidy and good.  Chason was the kid who’d
helped little old ladies cross the street and donated his allowance to help
homeless pet shelters.

Personally,
Kahn always thought the guy was a pansy.

Even
carrying half his former weight, this new obsessed Chason would be a worthy opponent
if the two of them ever battled it out, though.  At least he had some balls.

His
sunken face darkened wrathfully.  “I
will
have my Match’s body back.  I
don’t care who else I have to bury.”

“I
did not take Mara from her grave.”  Kahn ground out, still positive that this
was another Chason witch hunt.  In Chason’s new post-Fall reality, everyone was
always a suspect, regardless of how stupid the evidence.  He’d accused
everybody but Big Bird of stealing Mara, at this point.  “We’ve been over this
fifty times!  Just listen to what you’re saying, for God’s sake.  Are you
crazy?  I mean are you seriously fucking
crazy?
”

“Yes.” 
Chason said flatly.  “I am.  I know that.  And I don’t care.”  He pointed at
the tattoos on Kahn’s arm.  “What do those mean, exactly?  Mara had two on the
inside of her arm for her parents.  Smaller, though.”

“She
wasn’t a warrior.”  It took Kahn a second to catch up with the question. 
Insane-Chason often jumped topics, like his mind was always racing.  “Her marks
were…”

“What
do they
mean
!?”  Chason interrupted.  “Can you read that language?”

“All
Light Phases can read it, dumbass.  The actual words are none of your
business.”  The tattoos varied from person to person.  They were usually
prayers or laments.  Kahn’s were all poetry.  He would
never
decipher
them for Chason.  Period.  They were between him and his lost family.  “If you
were so interested in our language, maybe you should have asked Mara about it. 
You know,
before
she died.”

The
words were full of acid, because a part of Kahn would always blame Chason for
Mara’s death.  Okay, not just a part.  Half of Kahn blamed Chason.  Blamed him
for not being a better Match.  Blamed him for taking his cousin to the Magnet
Kingdom.  Blamed him for Mara being alone when she died.

The
rest of Kahn blamed himself.

Chason
gazed at him blankly for a long moment.  “I should have asked her about the
language.”  His tone suggested he was talking to himself, not Kahn.  Chason did
that a lot, too.  Just sort of faded off into his own world.  “Of course, I
should have.  I should have done so much differently…”  He gave his head a
sudden, forceful shake and focused on Kahn.  “I need you to read this for me.” 
He extracted a sheet of paper from his pocket and held it up.  “Do you know
what that says?”

Kahn
snatched it from his hand.  He squinted down at the Xeroxed page for a beat and
then swore.  “Where did this come from?”  Chason shouldn’t have this.  No one
should have this.

It
was right off the side of the Light House’s most sacred site.

In
the vast Light Kingdom, there were only a handful of stone buildings and,
ironically, they were some of the most beautiful, mysterious structures in the
universe.  Ancient generations built temples of granite in the Light Kingdom. 
The ruins still remained, but their exact purpose had long since been
forgotten.  The jungle swallowed up the secrets, leaving nothing behind except
twisting vines and strangely carved rocks.

Elemental
scientists constantly petitioned the Light House to let them examine the ruins.

The
Light House constantly told them to fuck off.

Kahn
spent most of his time wandering among the ancient structures.  He knew them
better than anyone.  Symbols like these were carved into the monoliths, some
kind of proto-language left by God-knew-who.  No one else should have pieces of
these forgotten words.  It made him furious that Chason, of all people, would
show up waving them around.

“Well?” 
He tore his eyes from the page and scowled at his cousin-in-law.  “What is
this?”

“It’s
a photocopy of the Justice Tablet.  Can you read it?”

“No.”

“Fucking
liar.”  Chason started for him, again.  “It looks just like those tattoos. 
Tell me what that says!”

“I
can’t read it!  It’s not really our language.  It’s older.  Different.”  Kahn
was telling the truth about that, but he wasn’t sure why he bothered.  “Every
fifth or sixth word, I can take a guess at, but that’s it.”

If
the Light Phases took the ancient language to the Water House or some other
intellectual stronghold, it probably could have been deciphered.  They could
have used the modern variation to code-break it or whatever.  But, that wasn’t
going to happen.  The Light Phases didn’t play well with others.

Chason
still didn’t believe him.  Kahn could read it in his swirling eyes.  “Do you
want Mara back or not?”  He snarled.  “Do you
like
her being out there
alone?”

Black
rage poured through Kahn.  A frenzy like he’d never known.  “
You
let
someone take Mari, not me.  You wouldn’t give her back to her people for burial
and now she’s gone!  That’s on
your
head, not mine.”  His mind
constantly whirled with nightmare scenarios of what could be happening to her
body.

“She
was my
Match
.  The Queen of the Magnet House.  Her people were the
Magnet Phases.”

“Yeah,
your loyal, asshole subjects who you love so much, right?  You wouldn’t know a
single one of them in a line-up, anymore,
your highness
.”  Kahn jabbed a
finger at him.  “This is all your fault, so don’t you
ever
say I don’t
want my cousin back.  You stole Mara in life and you let someone else steal her
in death.”

“The
barriers were down!  While I was killing Parald, someone came into the Magnet
Kingdom and kidnapped her.  Otherwise…”

“
I
was in the Air Kingdom, trying to kill him, too.  And no one got into
my
home and defiled any crypts while
I
was gone.”

“Maybe
the difference is, I actually
succeed
in avenging Mara’s death and you
spend your time playing Tarzan in the jungle.  Now, do you want to help me look
for her or shall I just do this on my own, too?”

“Fucking
hell.”  Kahn hissed.  He scraped a hand over his intricately knotted blond
hair.  The black streak at his temple matched his eyes.  All the Light House
warriors wore their hair long and braided.  Kahn had no idea why he continued
to uphold the tradition now that there was nothing left to defend.  Habit,
probably.  “If you weren’t such a piss-poor Match, none of this would have even
happened.”

Chason’s
expression changed.  The ferocity faded into agonizing sadness.  “I know.”  He
said flatly.  “But this isn’t about me.  Or you.  It’s about Mara.”

Kahn
hadn’t been expecting that.  He stared at Chason, breathing hard.  In his
memory, he saw a sudden picture of his cousin smiling at this man.  Mara, happy
and laughing on her Phazing Day, waving at Kahn from the dance floor.  And then
on her deathbed, asking him to look after Chason for her.

Shit.

Thanks
to Mara, he was going to be trapped into helping this dickhead.  Even now, Kahn
was helpless against his baby sisters and cousin.  He’d do anything for them. 
They used to drive him crazy with their constant problems and ideas. 
Sometimes, he’d pray for two minutes of uninterrupted silence.