Blaze Read online

  "Do not come closer, witch. Or I will kill your beast," Keeper threatens, his face a mask of pure hatred as he stares me down.

  "You know, when I get him free, he will tear you to shreds, and then I will dance on your innards as you watch," I yell while stalking closer to him. He has a small dagger in one hand, and a gun in the other. Just a few weeks ago I wouldn't even blink at attacking him. But now… now, I have so much to live for. But I won't allow him to kill Baby. Baby paws at the metal bars in front of him, the growl coming from his chest vibrating in mine. Baby’s my kin; I’d lay my life down for him.

  "I know that look, your mother wore the same one when I told her that her precious daughter was no good for my boy," he spits at me, motherfucker. "Kill me, Kayla, and you'll never get the answers you seek. He," Keeper gestures to Baby as my eyes follow, "is not what he seems."

  "I know, he's a lion. One that’s going to tear your ugly fucking face off in about ten seconds."

  "Ah, yes. Lion. But also … family."

  My eyes make their way back to his beady little ones, family? Baby’s always been family to me.

  "That's right, Kayla. He's your brother."

  The sounds of fighting fade replaced with a buzzing as my head spins. That's not possible. Kyron died in an explosion when we were kids. No. Baby’s not my brother. Suddenly a face appears in front of mine, Keeper's rotten breath fans my face, my eyes snap to his.

  "Your brother is a shifter, he's broken. Can't change back. And Kayla, I broke him." Baby's high-pitched whine registers in my mind as hot liquid tickles my legs. My head shoots towards Baby as the pain kicks in. Flicking my eyes down, I realise Keeper has stabbed his dagger into my stomach, "We tortured him for years, killed the children I forced him to have so that he would remain wild. Yes, he's one of my finest creations. Shame I couldn't add a fire starter to my collection, you would've made a good pet..." Keeper's rant cuts off mid-sentence as a Brute appears in front of him, a fine line of brown blood running across his neck. Drip. Drip. Drip. The sound draws my eyes to the end of my Katana, blood drops off the tip and onto the floor. The Brutes body hits the floor before his head does, the Brute having taken the hit meant for Keeper. Shit. When I look up, Keeper’s gone.

  A scream of pain from a voice I recognize pierces through the red haze of battle. Charlie. I flash my blade out, separating the cage door from its hinges before rushing to where Charlie's scream came from. Jumping over the bodies littering the floor, I reach Charlie fast. But not soon enough. Charlie’s lying in a pool of his own blood; slashes mar his upper body. In an attempt to staunch the blood flow Crowley has taken off his shirt and is pressing it onto Charlie's chest. Dropping to my knees next to Charlie I pick up his hand with mine, with the other I pull the blade from my stomach, barely registering the pain.

  "Charlie?” His laboured breathing echoes in the now silent room. "Heal yourself Charlie, please!" I beg. My voice cracks and tears stream down my face unchecked. Not my Charlie, no. He can heal. "Heal, Charlie! Now," I scream. But he doesn't even open his eyes.

  "He can't, Kayla. He must be conscious. The wound’s mortal," Crowley says on a sob. I turn my accusing gaze on him.

  "No. No. Charlie can heal. I've seen it, this isn't the end… No." I throw my body across Charlie's, my ear to his chest I listen to his heart. Baby lays his massive body over both of ours. Thuthump…. Thuthump…...thuthump………. thuthump………..Thu...

  "Leave," The word leaves my throat burning. I push myself off Charlie's body and look Crowley dead in the eyes as Baby moves to stand by the door. "Get them out. Quickly. And far away, now!" My gravelly voice gets louder the more I speak. I need them to get out immediately. I can already feel my flames welling inside of me. Hotter than I’ve ever felt them, they clamber to reach the surface, to be set free.

  "Kayla…" Connor begins. Just as he's about to touch my arm, flames erupt from my skin. My whole body’s shaking as Crowley picks up Charlie's limp body and with one last look over his shoulder, he leaves the room. Chris follows with Connor and Can. Baby throws me one last look, then trots off behind my guys.

  Looking down, I realise almost all of me is covered in beautiful golden flames. I'm torn between doing what's right, and what my heart wants to do. Spinning in a slow circle I'm surprised to find Craven standing sentinel at the entrance.

  "You need to leave, Crave. I can't…" My legs wobble and I almost fall but quicker than should be possible for a guy his size, Craven grabs my flaming arm. "Shit, you'll burn!" I scream while yanking my arm away from his grip.

  "No, I won't. See?" Craven proceeds to run his massive hand down my shoulder. He doesn't scream out in pain as his fingers go through my fire. I crane my face up to investigate his, confusion drawing my eyebrows down.

  "I’m immune to your fire, Princess," he explains as I stare at his huge fingers. "Let’s get revenge for your lover." Craven, a man of few words. But when he does speak, it's like he sees into my soul.

  I nod and look around us. How the fuck did Keeper get out of here during the carnage without being seen? A wave of desolation hits me, knocking my breath away. Charlie. Fire drips from every inch of my skin. The wooden floor beneath my feet crackles and burns. I drop to a knee as another wave of grief sears through me. They killed my Charlie. His beautiful soul has been taken from this world, this fucked up ugly world is grotesque without him.

  "I am here, Princess." Craven’s booming voice breaks through my pain, reminding me I’m not alone in this awful place.

  I'm losing control, my flames are getting hotter. Spreading from me to where Charlie was killed, the blood there bubbles and pops. I try to fight it, the animal urge to tear this place down piece by piece. I have to find Keeper. He must pay for what he's done. He has the answers I've been searching for my whole life. I could search this building for hours trying to find him. By then the virus will be unleashed. Killing the world.

  My back arches as my fire escapes from me, it's golden colour slowly changing into bright blue. I fall onto my hands and knees as memories of Charlie flit through my head. Sweet, loving Charlie. Torn from me just as I open my heart. My eyes squeeze shut as I see myself from above, Charlie making love to me. Every touch, every kiss, sweet, loving. Tender. Beautiful. The heat surrounding me penetrates through the agony rolling through me. My fire’s out of control. I have little desire to reign it in. let it consume me. I don’t want to live in a world where Charlie is not.

  As I fall face first into the floor, I barely register my name being called over and over. Begging. Pleading.

  My Charlie. Murdered.

  "Kayla! I can't… It's too hot!" Craven's deep resounding words vibrate through my chest. He sounds so far away. The heat flows from me. Fast and furious. I'm out of control. Falling headfirst into oblivion and I welcome it with open arms. My last thought is how I hope the others have gotten out as the building around me collapses on top of me. Bits of wood and metal crash into my body, the pain barely registering as my flames consume everything around me, even me. Finally, the pain ends, and my world goes black.

  The ground is hard beneath my cheek. Something sharp is poking my hip and my mouth tastes like ash. Slowly cracking an eye open, I snap it shut at the white light that assaults me. Shit, that's bright.

  "Ugh, fuck." Is forced between my dry lips as I attempt to push myself up. Everything hurts. By the time I make it to my hands and knees, I'm panting like Baby does when it's hot. Sweat drips down my face and lands on the white floor. Wait, white? It definitely shouldn't be white.

  "Daughter," my mother's melodic voice snaps me out of my confusion and memories stab through me like bolts of lightning.

  Me running around the farm screaming at the top of my lungs. Connor, Crowley and Charlie chasing me, huge smiles on all our lips as the wind whips our hair around our faces. The smell of strawberries and cinnamon as we sit around a big wooden table. Craven carrying me around on his shoulder, telling everyone I'm his Queen. Charlie picking wildflowers for me, then
getting told off by his dad for wandering off the farm. Connor pushing me on the rubber tyre tied to a blackened tree. Crowley teaching me how to punch without hurting my fist, a wide smile on his face when I finally get it right.

  My mother holding me and my brother in her arms, utter love in her gaze as we snuggled in for hugs. Her body, oddly fluid as she lay in one of my father's arms.

  "Mum?" My head snaps up to find her standing above me, her hand outstretched like she’s about to touch me. But she pulls it back at the last second.

  "Yes Kayla. You…"

  "I died, didn't I?" I finish for her. I straighten out my spine as I stand upright.

  "You sure did, what were you thinking? You would’ve burnt the entire world!" she admonishes me.

  "I wanted to! My Charlie, he…" A sob breaks free. I bend over, hands on my knees as I break from the inside out.

  "I'm sorry, love. I know it's hard. But Charlie’s better off-"

  My head snaps up, flames crackle across my arms, the waves of heat coming from them blur the vision of my dead mother. "Don't fucking say that! Is he here? Charlie?" I shout his name in hopes that he'll appear from the white surrounding me.

  "He is, but Kayla, I can’t…"

  In a flash I move impossibly fast. Coming to a stop right next to the giant tree. My flaming hand outstretched, just inches from the bark. My mother lets out a surprised yip. "Give him back, and I won't burn everything to ash. I swear to you, I will blaze. And I won't even blink," I scream. I want Charlie back, and I want him now.

  "Kayla! Back away from the World Tree. Now. Please," her eyes dart around, her hands shake as she wrings them together. "Quickly! Oh, shit!" The ground beneath my feet rumbles. My stomach sinks as the feeling of weightlessness overcomes my senses.

  "Kayla, Kayla, Kayla," a deep bass voice calls out from nowhere. "What is this? A tantrum?"

  "Who's there?" I ask as I float through the air.

  "You don't recognise my voice, child? I'm offended," the man answers back, humour lacing his voice. What the fuck is this?

  From the nothingness walks a beast so tall I have to crane my neck to an uncomfortable angle to see his face. Blood red skin is tightly wrapped over sharp looking bones. His head is boulder-like. Long curled horns sit atop it. Fire drips from their ends. Oh, fuck me.

  "I don't think she recognises you, brother." Another smaller but still tall as fuck man walks from the blinding light. "You're all but forgotten on her plane. What a shame." He chuckles. The red beast beside him raises his lip, revealing pointed teeth.

  The shorter man is wearing what appears to be bedsheets wrapped around a plump body. Long white hair trailing all the way to the floor is covered with all manner of creatures. Some I recognise from earth; most I’ve never seen.

  "Looks like she doesn't know who you are either, brother. You’re obsolete," the beast counters.

  "Yes, yes. I have been absent for too long." He runs his hand over his full beard. "That'll change soon enough. Kayla,” the all-white man steps forward, or rather floats towards me. "It is lovely to see you again, Daughter. Oh, how you've grown!" He smiles fondly at me.

  "Who are you? And him." I thrust my chin towards Red. "What fresh hell is this?"

  "Not hell, dear. Limbo," my mother provides unhelpfully.

  "I am your creator, Kayla," White answers.

  "Joint," Red grumbles.

  "Yes, joint." White rolls his eyes. "We created you in the hope you could save the Earth plain."

  "You're lucky your true powers are yet untapped; you could've destroyed the entire planet with that show. Which by the way," Red leans in further, "I would've approved of. But," he shrugs his pointed shoulders. "Bitch tits here would've tore me a new one."

  White rolls his eyes again, this time adding a tut for full effect. "Lucy, now, now. This is your doing! That virus wasn't meant to mutate like that. It was merely a culling. Not an apocalypse. It went wrong. Now we need you to fix it, Kayla. " White bores his storm grey eyes into mine. I shrink under his intense gaze.

  "Me? How… I... the fuck?" My shoulders sag with exhaustion. This is all kinds of fucked up. "I just want Charlie back; he shouldn't have died. Please, " I try adding a little pathetic note to my tone, hoping these two will take pity and just give me my future husband back.

  Red cups his chin, his elbow resting on his other arm across his chest, "You can have the healer back, one condition-"

  "Anything!" I blurt before I've even had the chance to process what's happening. I have no idea what these two things are but really, I'm just so tired I wobble on my feet.

  "Just use the blood we gave you to cure what mankind did to itself," White replies.

  "Those Panda that bit you?” My mind’s thrown back to the field where Chris was trapped, surrounded by Panda. The last time I ended up here in limbo was because I’d been bitten by dozens of them. "They are now cured. You must cure them all, Kayla. Otherwise the Earth realm dies," White tells me softly while stroking his hand over my flame encased fingers. "Burn the rest. Cleanse the Earth, child."

  They want me to cure every Panda on Earth? And kill all the Advanced? I ask them to clarify.

  "They are not human; they must be taken care of," Red utters like I should absolutely believe what he says.

  "If you refuse, well… everyone on Earth will perish," White tells me. Looking around I realise my mother’s gone. As is the world tree.

  "Show her, Godfrey. She doesn't believe us." Red's angry voice cuts through me. Cure the virus? Kill the Advanced? Save Charlie.

  "But what about the innocent?" I ask them, my mind running through all my options. If I could somehow convince them not all the Advanced were bad, then maybe I could save them.

  "No such thing. They are all abominations," White announces while waving his arm in front of him. From nowhere, Charlie appears.

  "Charlie!" I try to throw myself at him, but I'm held by invisible arms.

  "Kill them all, and you can be free." Red smiles wide and grotesque at me. I turn my eyes back to Charlie. He appears to be asleep, his handsome face at peace.

  A jolt of power hits me from behind. Schooling my face, I turn to my mother.

  Take him, run. She mouths silently.

  My brow draws down in confusion as I swivel my body back to Charlie just as his eyes spring open. He looks into my eyes and before I have time to react, my flames burst from my body and I'm reaching out to take his hand. Something deep within bursts free. I feel power coursing through me like never before. Someone shouts the word, "Traitor", then suddenly I'm falling.

  The feeling of moving at warp-speed makes me squeeze my eyes shut. My stomach rolls and I almost scream out as my arse hits solid ground.

  "Umph!"

  A huge gasp comes from the darkness. It's then I realise my eyes are still closed. Snapping them open I'm greeted by the most beautiful chestnut pair I've ever seen. He's still over Crow's shoulder. "Charlie?" I manage to choke out as Crowley settles Charlie to his feet. Then I'm wrapped in so many arms I can't tell who is who.

  "Fuck, Kay! We thought you were dead!" Chris sobs into my hair.

  "How long was I out?"

  "Long enough we discussed where we should bury the two of you," Crowley growls in my other ear. Wow. Felt like no time had passed.

  The smell of burning hits my nose, smoke enters my lungs, making them burn. But all I can feel is the love of four amazing men saturating my every pore.

  We sit there, holding each other in the ashes of the epicentre of Tri-City. A perfect circle of charred earth surrounds us. A large pile of rubble moves, all of us tense, our hands fly to our weapons. The sound of metal scraping on rock rents the air then Craven's gargantuan head pops out from nowhere

  "Shit, Craven! How?" I ask, overwhelmed with thankfulness he's alive and I didn't burn him to death.

  "I found a large metal container," he says while heaving his massive body out of the ground. "I hid. That was seriously fucking hot." I push myself up and throw my arms
around his waist, steam rises from his exposed patches of skin.

  "Keeper?" I ask no-one in particular while Craven runs his hand over my hair.

  Crowley answers me. "We don't know. We didn't see him on the way out, or when we got here. But we do know the lab was destroyed. The virus wasn't set free."

  Oh, thank fuck! At least that's something. I hug them all to me once again, Craven’s huge arms reach around us all.

  A deafening roar I know well makes me spin around so fast I almost fall face first into the burnt dirt. Baby bounds over to me; his paws kicking up ash into the air behind him, giving him the appearance of a badass. Which he truly is. He crashes into me so hard we fall to the ground as he licks my face furiously. "My boy! Oh, thank God you're ok. Oh, jeez! Ugh." Slobber soaks my hair and face by the time he stops licking me. We’re both relieved to see the other alive and well. I wrap my arms around his neck and use him to pull myself to stand up, my face buried in his thick fur.

  "What happens now?" Connor asks looking out at the city without a leader.

  Perhaps what’s left of our island needs a Queen. One that will unite us all. Or maybe, we need to do things a new way.

  "We open the gates." I turn and face the gathering crowd of Advanced, my four guys at my back. "Now, we rebuild. We make Earth strong again. Together," I address the masses, the power in my voice projecting it louder and clearer than it's ever been. "We pick up the pieces of society. We open the gates and welcome our fellow man. We cure the virus and rebuild, we grow. As equals. As brothers and sisters. We take back what was taken from us so long ago… Our freedom!"

  A small metallic 'clink' breaks through the silence surrounding us. Seconds later a gunshot echoes off the buildings. Screams rent the air. Then, there's only pain.