Page 66 of Blue Embers
“You’re going to destroy me,” I muttered against her neck, pressing my swelling erection into her back to let her know exactly what I meant.
“You are leaving tonight, you know?” she said.
“Only for a couple of days,” I smiled.
“Does it matter?”
“I suppose not.”
28
Killian
. . .
The day passed too quickly for my liking. I’d finally come to be at peace with what I felt for Persephone and all I wanted to do was be with her, but Draven, our Archon, needed my assistance and that duty was ingrained deep in my head. I couldn’t abandon him.
Knowing Malice and Lukan would be with the ladies in our absence offered a bit of relief, leaving room for me to focus on what my job was. Take Draven to my bunker, find our hacker, and figure out what the next step was. In truth, I felt as if I’d failed a bit in my expertise, being the one who was supposed to have answers. I had let my pools of information get invaded by a stranger.
After we’d eaten dinner, Persephone and I settled down on the sofa in front of the large fireplace. We talked for some time until the others eventually left for their beds. Soon after, I found myself staring into the orange flames in front of me while Persephone had dozed off, her head rested in my lap while her body was curled up tight along the couch. All I could hear was her light breathing and the crackling of the flames on the blackened logs. I watched the fire dance for a while, my thoughts winding around the idea of the inevitable conflicts putting those I cared about in danger. It had been many, many years since I’d felt that kind of fear and it wasn’t a welcome feeling. The stronger the thoughts clanked inside my head, the darker the fireplace became. The flames’ color faded to an icy hue that lit up the room in shades of blue.
Despite the cool color, the heat remained, keeping the sitting room warm and cozy, though the atmosphere had drastically shifted. When I realized what I was doing, I shook the troubles away, sweeping them to the back of my mind, and let the fire brighten again with its amber light. As if Persephone had sensed the tension, she opened her eyes, gracefully waking from her sleep to catch a glimpse of the flames just when they’d returned to normal. She sat up, looking at me like she knew I was thinking too hard. Seeing her firelit eyes put me at ease, but then the idea of leaving her tore that ease away. I lifted my hand, cupping it on her cheek as she blinked her short nap away.
“Are you ok?” she asked in a tired whisper.
“I’m fine, love,” I lied. “We should get you to bed.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Right now,” Draven’s voice cut through the quiet room.
Looking up, there he was standing in the doorway between the entrance room and the sitting area. I gave Draven a nod and turned toward Persephone once more. I could feel her wanting to ask me to stay, but she bit her words and simply looked at me with eyes that said everything.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said to her, memorizing every detail of her face so I’d have it while I was away.
“I know,” she nodded.
I stood and she stood with me, biting her lip. Gods, she was hard to leave. I’d only barely figured out what she meant to me and now I had to fly off and put her at the back of my mind while we dealt with pressing business. Leaning forward, I kissed her on the cheek, prolonging the gesture just so I could keep her scent in my lungs a few seconds longer.
Finally, I sidestepped and made my way toward Draven, who was waiting patiently at the front door now, dressed in his worn, black, leather coat. My own coat was hanging by the door, but where we were going, I wasn’t going to need it. Taking a deep breath, I straightened my posture and transitioned from one duty to the next.
“Are you ready?” Draven asked, his eyes moving from Persephone, who was still standing in the sitting room, to me. He looked as if he was about to question my ability to focus.
“Quite,” I inclined my head politely.
Draven turned to the door and pulled it open, welcoming in the frigid weather from outside. I immediately tensed, letting the fire inside me repel the cold. It had been a while since I’d used my flame and it had been even longer since I’d let the dragon loose in the world.
Stepping out onto the porch, I felt my body crackle with energy. Draven walked past me and descended the steps into the night, putting himself in the open space to shift. Before changing, he looked back at me. As a Red, he could sense my hesitation without trying.
“How long has it been?” he asked.
I started down the steps and took a position a few yards away from Draven.
“Many years,” I divulged. “And the last time I did, many people died, some of which probably shouldn’t have.”
“The dragon can be many emotions,” Draven sighed, his breath a cloud of thick steam in front of his face. Under the moonlight, his eyes glowed as bright as two candle flames. “Avoidance is never the way to control it. I’ll be flying with you the whole way.” His eyes glanced toward the cabin for a moment. “And now, with Persephone, you have an anchor. Use her to keep you grounded, for lack of a better term,” he shrugged.
I nodded, rolling up my shirt sleeves as I prepared to antagonize the fire inside me enough to change.
