Treasure of the Fire Kingdom (The Elemental Phases Book 4) (37 page)

“Yours.” 
She met his gaze desperately.  “
Please.
  I need you now or I’m going to
go burn up.  Please, just… Oh
God.
”

Kingu
pushed into her and Hope cried out.

Her
head when back on a wail of surprise and pleasure.  “Oh
deeeeeeear
.”

He
was big.  Really, really big.  She rocked, trying to accommodate his massive
size and he slipped in even deeper.  It was like he really was touching her
soul.  Hope’s glazed eyes met his shocked ones.

“You’re
inside me.”  She said softly, trying to process it.  “I’m not a virgin,
anymore.”

“Neither
am I.”  In the midst of his savage desire, he looked somehow confused and a
little nervous.  Like he had no idea how they’d gotten here.  Opponents of the
Fire House usually ended up feeling that way.

Hope’s
heart twisted in pleasure.  She’d had the feeling that he’d waited for her. 
Kingu wouldn’t just give himself to anyone.  No other woman would know what to
do with him.  “My monster.”  She whispered, turning his earlier words back on
him.  “Say it.”

“Yours. 
Gaia help you, Hope, everything I am is yours.”  The words were a haggard vow. 
Kingu turned his face away from her and let out a hissing breath.  “I’m so
sorry.”  He started to draw back.  “I shouldn’t have done this.  I didn’t mean
to let it go this far.  I’m sorry.  I…”  His jaw tightened and he slammed
forward again as if his instincts just took over.  “Ah
fuck!
 I’m
sorry.  I have to.  I can’t stop.”

Hope
saw stars.  Honestly to God, saw them glimmering all around her.  “More.”  She
got out dazedly.

Gigantic
arms came down on either side of her head, caging her.  Like –even with the
restraints-- he wanted to trap her beneath him.  “I need you so much, Hope. 
You have no idea how much.”  He mouth met hers as if a part of him still
expected her to disappear when he touched her.  “Don’t ever leave or it will
fucking kill me.  I’ll give you anything you want, if you’ll only stay. 
Anything, at all.”

As
if she was planning on going
anywhere
.  “I’ll always stay with you.” 
Hope’s legs gripped his waist, gasping in helpless desire.  “Always.”

Inside
of her, the fire burst free and started swirling into a tornado.  Bigger and
bigger, filling her.  It felt fabulous, like touching heaven itself.

But
it sure didn’t seem normal.

“Something
feels strange.”  She got out even as she kissed the side of his neck, her teeth
scraping his skin.

“Please,
don’t ask me to stop.”  He ground out.  “I can’t stop.  You’re so good,
treasure.  If I have to stop, my powers are going to explode.  They’re trying
to get to you and I…”  He broke off with a groan, trying to slow his strokes as
if he thought that’s what she wanted.  “I won’t hurt you.  I swear to Gaia, I
won’t ever hurt you.  Please.”

His
powers were trying to reach her?  Something stirred in her mind, beneath the
endless pleasure.  Why would his energy being trying to get loose, unless…

Hope’s
heart somehow started beating even faster.  “Let go.”

“What?”

“Let
your powers
go!
”  It was a wail as he touched some magic spot.  “Now! 
Do it,
now.
”  And just in case he still tried to resist her, she looked
right at him and kicked the blocks out.  “Please, Kingu, I love you so much. 
Just let everything go and I’ll be yours forever.”

Then,
Hope smiled hugely, her eyes bright and dimples flashing.

His
pupils did that expanding thing again and Hope’s whole world exploded.  Kingu
surged into her so deeply that Hope didn’t sure where he left off and she
began.  The force of it triggered a chain reaction inside of her.  “
Kingu!
”
 Her body contracted around him.

At
the same time, she felt his powers rushing over her.  So much power.  Different
from Elementals.  Older and more primal.  Hotter.

Kingu
roared.

His
release pushed her own even higher, the windstorm of fire inside of her
latching onto his powers.  Twisting tighter and tighter, until they just
exploded into something completely new and whole.  Something she’d never
thought she’d ever experience.  It felt as if a supernova went off around
them.  A galaxy of stars sparkled across their connection, now.  For one
timeless instant she could see them.  See
everything
…

And
it was spectacular.

Like
cresting on a rollercoaster and feeling the weightless freedom for that one
perfect moment at the top of the hill.  A clean glittering rush of liberation
and joy.  Of wholeness.  Hope felt tears welling in her eyes at the beauty of
it.

Kingu
had just given her something no one else ever could.  A gift beyond measure.

Phazing.

She
hadn’t expected the glittering constellation that briefly lit up the ceiling,
but she knew enough about the other symptoms to self-diagnose.  After one
hundred and fourteen years of thinking that she had a birth defect… That she
could never Phaze….  That she would always be alone…

Hope
had just honest-to-Gaia Phazed with Kingu.

She
started crying, so overwhelmed she couldn’t even speak.  She’d always been
prone to un-Fire House-like tears and now they erupted in a bout unrestrained
weeping that shook her whole body.  After so much bad luck, how could something
so miraculous happen to her?  Kingu was right, it was like a dream.  An absolutely
perfect dream.

She’d
actually Phazed with her monster.

Oberon
had told her truth.

Why
had she ever doubted him?

“Oh
Gaia.”  Kingu pulled back like her sobs burned him.  Breathing hard and looking
staggered, he scrambled to untie her.  “Oh Gaia, what have I done?  Hope?”  His
hands shook as he released her wrists.  He wasn’t meeting her eyes, but his
gaze frantically scanned her body for bruises.  “Hope?  Are you hurt?”  For a
second, she thought that Kingu was going to touch her cheek, but he pulled his
fingers back before they made contact.

“No,
I’m not hurt.”  Hope ran her freed palms over her face, drying the tears
herself even as new ones poured out.

The
whole world was realigning itself around her.  She wasn’t flawed.  She did have
energy.  Maybe it liked to stay hidden, but it had always been there.  Hope
could feel her powers connected to Kingu’s.  Binding them together.  Big and
pure and undeniable.

Kingu
wasn’t just her monster or her soul mate.

He
was her
Match
.

…Who
was
not
crawling into bed and kissing her like he should’ve been doing. 
Instead, Kingu looked shell-shocked and ashamed.  He glanced down at his hands
as if he’d never seen them before and backed away from her.

“Kingu,
are you okay?”  Why wasn’t he holding her like he was supposed to?  Didn’t he
feel their connection, now?  How beautiful it was?

“It
was my fault.”  His voice sounded hollow and he continued retreating from the
bed like he’d seen a ghost.  “I tied you up against you will.  I lost control.”

“No,
you didn’t.”  Hope frowned through the tears.  “I mean, you
did
tie me,
but it wasn’t against my will.  I would’ve told you if I didn’t like it and you
would have stopped.”

She
didn’t doubt that for a second.  Kingu had never used his strength against
her.  He’d just taken her like a warrior, hard and fierce, and he’d still been
considerate of her size.  There wasn’t a mark on her body and he outweighed her
by over two hundred pounds.

Why
was he acting this way?

Hope’s
tearful joy faded into anxiety.  Was he sorry that they’d Phazed?  Was that
some kind of social embarrassment to a god?  He’d tried to pull back and she’d
kept the game going.  Had she pushed him into something he hated?

Did
he not
want
to be connected with her?

Hope
swallowed.  “Did I do something wrong?”

He
didn’t hear her.  She could tell from the way he was shaking his head.  “You’re
free.  I’m releasing you.  I shouldn’t have ever,
ever
kidnapped you. 
What was I
thinking
to touch someone so above me?  I’m sorry.  I’m
so
sorry.”  Turning on his heel, he stumbled out of the room, without even
stopping to gather his clothes.

“Kingu!”

He
kept going, slamming the door behind him.  Leaving Hope sitting forsaken on the
bed.

Kingu
had left her behind.

All kinds
of things are coming to be subjected to fire, as it were—

hotter and
hotter blows the element round everything.

Thomas Carlyle- “Address as Lord Rector of Edinburgh University”

Hope
started trembling.  An asthma attack threatened, tightening her lungs, but she
couldn’t focus enough to go look for her inhaler.  Every fear of abandonment
that had ever woken up her in the middle of the night rushed back, clenching
her heart in their icy grip.  All her insecurities and nightmares swirled in
her head like a smog of bad memories, blinding her to everything else.

Her
parents rejecting her by leaving her in a basket to die.  Wanting to fit in
with the Fire House and secretly knowing that she wasn’t quite good enough. 
Holding Oberon’s hand as he died and realizing that nothing could ever bring
him back.

Always,
always,
always
being the one who got left behind.

No.

Misery
gave way to anger and Hope’s mouth thinned.

Not
this time.

She
looked down at the plastic restraint on her ankle and then over at Kingu’s
forgotten belt.  Grabbing the buckle, she folded down the frame so the thin
metal prong stuck up.  It took less than three seconds to twist the makeshift
pick into the lock of the cuff and free herself.  She tossed it to the ground
and stood up.

If
Kingu didn’t want her that was too fucking bad, because she’d already claimed
his ass.  It was
done
.  They’d Phazed and there was nothing he could do
to change it.  Her temper building to unheard of heights, Hope adjusted her
skirt and grabbed her sweater.

Her
idiot Match was about to learn that Oberon, of the Fire House’s granddaughter
did
not get left behind
on her Phazing Day without one hell of a fight.  She
would…

Hope
paused in the act of pulling on her top, her head tilting to one side.

A
soft eerie sound from outside filtered through her rage; an almost inaudible
whistle that she felt more than heard.  The twirling noise corkscrewed down her
spine.  In the wild, it would’ve been the kind of sensation that caused animals
to pause, their hearts racing and their bodies poised in preparation for
flight, even if they weren’t sure why.  And there was no way they
could’ve
known why.  No one could have known.

…Unless
they’d been trained in Fire House field opt communications.

Hope’s
head snapped around to look at the balcony, her mouth curving.

It
was about time.

She
strode over to the glass door and threw it open.  Putting two fingers to her
lips she gave a shrill whistle back.  In less than twenty seconds she was
surrounded by her family.  Six Fire Phases jumped right onto the balcony,
forming a circle around her.  Her eyes went from Teja to Missy to Satour to
Alder to Pele and finally to Djinn.  Only Qadesh was missing and she knew he’d
be around here someplace.

Teja
arched a brow.  “Lycus showed up, alive and apparently unBanished, whining that
you’d let yourself get kidnapped.  Care to explain why you’d do something so
stupid?”

“I’ve
been courting my Match.”

“Match?” 
Djinn looked her up and down, noting the changes in her energy.  For instance,
the fact that she
had
energy.  “You Phazed with someone?”  He sounded
incredulous.

Teja
groaned.

Pele
looked past Hope into the bedroom.  She made an impressed sound at the
decimated bed and the restraints.  “Nice
work
, kid.”

“Shit,
we’re not going to get to blow up anything to save you then, are we?”  Alder
muttered.  “Frigging Matches are like an epidemic today.”

Hope
had no idea what that meant.  All her attention was on Djinn.  Her big, older,
surprisingly kindhearted cousin, who’d once kidnapped a terrified bearded human
from Tupelo for her when she asked to meet Santa Claus.  In June.  Her eyes
filled with tears and she threw herself into the safety of his arms.  “Oh,
Djinn!  My Match doesn’t want me.”

Satour
took a quick step back, in case she tried to hug him next.

Djinn
let out a sigh, long resigned to Hope’s un-Fire Phase-like embraces. “Don’t be
ridiculous.”  He awkwardly patted her shoulder as she clung to him.  “Who
wouldn’t want you?  You’re perfect!  You’re one of us!”

The
others all nodded.

“And
if he kidnapped you, that’s a good sign.”  Missy added.  “All the best Matches
start out with a romantic abduction and some bondage games.”

“That’s
how my parents met.”  Pele agreed.  “Mom kept Dad locked in the attic for
twenty-two years.  It’s part of any proper honeymoon, Hope.”

“I
know, but Kingu just walked out on me.  What kind of Match does something like
that?”  She sniffed against Djinn t-shirt.  “He’s ruining my Phazing Day with
his lousy kidnapping skills.  He told me I was free.  And look!  I’ve escaped
and he doesn’t even care.  He
left
me.”

“Bastard.” 
Satour grumbled.  He looked around the ominous exterior of the fortress and
gave a grudging shrug.  “A bastard with good taste, but still a bastard.”

“Bastard
counts as cursing.”  Pele told him.

“Why
don’t you just take a few days and think about your options, Hope?”  Teja
suggested a little desperately.  “I mean, you don’t
have
to be Matched
to this guy.  There has to be a way out of it.”

“I
don’t
want
a way out of it!”

“Hey
if this is Hope’s Match’s fortress… then this is
our
fortress.”  Alder
reasoned.  “
Finally
, a nice weekend place.  Well, except for all the
Banished Phases running around.  Aren’t they supposed to be dead?”

“We
can have the whole pastel wasteland reduced to beautiful ashes by morning!” 
Missy clapped her hands together in glee.  “Oh, I’ve always wanted a
fixer-upper!”

“Nobody
burn anything, yet.”  Djinn ordered, which was possibly the first time he’d
ever said such a thing.  “Hope, do you want to keep this man as your Match?”

“
Yes!
” 
Hope’s earlier resolve came rushing back.  “He’s
mine
, Djinn.  The same
way Pele is yours.  I
love
him.”

Teja’s
hands went up in annoyance.

“Alright,
then.”  Djinn kissed the top of Hope’s head and he gave a resolute nod. 
“Priority one is getting him back for you.  Is he really a god like Lycus
said?”

“Not
just a god.”  Hope said proudly.  “He’s a gigantic monster with super-powers.”

“Ooooooooohhhhhhhh.” 
Missy breathed.  “He sounds
wonderful.
”

“He
is, but he’s going to be very, very hard to ‘convince’ in any of our normal
ways.”  Hope warned.  “He can lift Lycus with one hand and he can made plastic
barriers with a snap of his fingers.”

“He
does
sound like a good catch.”  Pele mused.  “What’s he look like?”

“He
has red eyes, a face like a dragon, and has to duck through doorways.”

“Fuck,
that’s awesome.”  Alder admitted.

“Cursing.” 
The others all chorused.

He
ignored them.  “Hey, maybe this guy just wants
you
to pursue
him
.”

“You
think?”

“Sure. 
If he’s used to being awesome, he’s used to being chased.  You just have to be
more persistent than the other chicks.”

“I
don’t think Kingu is trying to play hard to get, though.  He’s really very
sensitive…”

Djinn
cut her off.  “Best thing to do is to
show
him how much he’s wanted. 
Show him that he will never
ever
be free of you, so he might as well
just submit.  That’s how I got Pele.”

She
nodded.  “It’s true.  There are only so many times you can try to kill a guy
before it’s easier just to Phaze with him.”

“The
Phazing energy could be wrong.”  Teja insisted.  “Let’s not rush into this. 
You could put him someplace safe --like Yemen-- while you try and figure out
what to…”  She trailed off, her head tilting as she regarded Hope more
closely.  “Jesus, Hope.”  She whispered, wide eyed.  “Do you understand what’s
happened to you?”

“Oh
she’s fine.  New Matches are just a pain in the ass.”  Djinn set Hope away from
him and nodded like he was suddenly a marriage counselor.  “There’s only one
way to deal with this kind of stubbornness:  Rule seventy-seven.  It’s tough,
but it’s fair.  Are you ready for that?”

Hope
drew in a sharp breath.  “Don’t you think that’s a little extreme?”

“Do
you
want
your Match to escape with another woman and leave you alone
forever?”

“NO!” 
She cried.  “
No
.  He wouldn’t do that, though.  Kingu loves me, too.  He’s
just having difficulty adjusting to it.”  She hesitated, weighing her options. 
“Are you sure it’s the only way.”

“Absolutely! 
You’re looking at someone who’s been happily Phazed for four hundred years.  I
think I know a
little
something about winning a Match.”

Hope
gave a slow nod.  “Alright.”  She agreed reluctantly.  “If it’s the only way.”

Rule
seventy-seven of being a Fire Phase: When in doubt, use chains.

It
certainly
seemed
like a good idea… right up until the memories hit her.

*****

What
had he done?

Kingu’s
legs gave out and he collapsed heavily onto the stairs.  He’d tied Hope to the
bed.  He’d made her cry.  He’d gone into her room when he’d sworn that he
wouldn’t and he’d put his hands on her when she wasn’t his.  When she wasn’t
even a quarter of his size and less than a fraction of his age.  When she was
harmless and special and important, and he was…

Kingu
dropped his head into his hands.

What
the hell had he
done?

Insane
as it was, he knew that Hope had been willing when they started having sex.  He
would’ve stopped if she’d asked him.  He would do
anything
if she
asked.  At the beginning, everything had been fine.  Sort of.  Rationally, he
knew that she’d been maneuvering him, in that oddly endearing Hope way, and
ensuring that she won whatever game she’d been playing.  But, --Christ!-- it
wasn’t like she ever had to maneuver real hard to get him right where she
wanted him.  Hope was cheerful and devious and tiny and he’d fucking
chained
her.

Just
like his mother had chained him.

Kingu
cringed.

His
palms pressed into his eye sockets and he realized he was close to tears.  He
had no idea what his powers had done to Hope.  He could only imagine that
whatever it was --combined with the realization that she’d just given her
virginity to a hideous monster-- had broken her happy, teasing spirit.

How
could he ever make this right?

He
couldn’t.

He’d
kidnapped the girl, and tied her up, and now she was weeping from the horror of
touching him.  She would never forgive him and why the hell should she?

He
had to let her go.

Kingu
let out a shaky breath as the truth of what he needed to do really hit him.  He
had to let her go and then he’d be… nothing.  Without Hope, there was literally
nothing left for him.  Nothing left
of
him.  He couldn’t go on without
her.  There was no point.

“You
have something that belongs to me.”

The
flat words had Kingu lifting his head.  A Phase stood in his foyer.  He had no
idea how the man had gotten in, but it didn’t matter.  Kingu knew the bastard
and knew what he’d come for.

“Did
she summon you?”  He asked quietly.

He
wasn’t sure how Hope could’ve done such a thing, but he also didn’t
underestimate her.  She would want to leave and, from what Kingu had seen,
Qadesh would probably be her first call for help.  The man who taught her to
wield a knife and attended her tea parties.

“She
didn’t have to summon me.”  The assassin from Hope’s memories looked exactly
the same as he had in the dream.  A bandana was cinched around his head, his
clothing all Transylvania black and chrome.  He stood partially hidden in the
shadows, the opaque blue of his eyes glowing like death.  “I’ll always find her.”

“Are
you her soul mate?”  It hurt Kingu to even say the words.

“I’m
her brother,” he snarled, “in every fucking way that matters.  Did you think no
one would come for her, because she has no Match?”

“No.” 
Kingu said honestly.  “I knew you’d come.”  From the minute he’d woken from
that dream, he’d expected Qadesh to show up wanting Hope back.  He’d just
worried that it might be because the man was in love with her.  In the midst of
everything, he felt a knot of tension ease at the knowledge that Qadesh still
saw Hope as a baby sister.  “She’s the treasure of your House.”