Fire's Flame [Elements Book 1] (13 page)

“What the hell is going on?” Barkley muttered. He turned his hands upside down and shook them. What looked like fairy dust floated to the floor.

Jag looked at Flame with ferocity. Flame looked back innocently. “It wasn’t me.”

Jag wrapped his large hands around her upper arm and squeezed until she yelped. “Your parlor tricks won’t work on me. And remember, if this vessel goes down, so do you and the child.”

“Damn it, Jag, explain to me what’s going on,” Barkley demanded.

“I can’t. I’m needed elsewhere.”

“What the hell do you mean you’re needed elsewhere? We’re in the middle of a fucking storm in the middle of the fucking ocean. Where is there to go?”

“I’ll explain later, James.” Jag was ushering Barkley from the room. “Just trust me and stay away from her.”

When the door slammed shut, Flame called for Fire.

* * * *

Ignis could hear Flame calling to him. He knew for now she was safe, a hostage of Orion. Jag had no control when it came to Orion, he would be summoned back physically when the time came for him to appear in the night air, bodily pulled to his place in the heavens. The universe was abuzz with Jag’s intentions. Orion was none too happy and had summoned Jag back for battle. Flame’s fire wall had already taught Barkley a lesson, Ignis had sensed it. Now, the constellations were gathering; the stars were bickering like children. Ignis was needed in the Heavens.

Damn Father Universe and his battles. Negotiations with the constellations were often difficult, but now they were drawing attention to Sun and Moon who were free spirits. Sun was a star like no other, she answered to no one. The bickering was beneath her, as it should be; she was after all the most powerful star in the universe.

During all of this unrest Jag, a rogue star, was wooing a human, a man who didn’t even know what Jag was. The elements were laughing at Orion for not seeing what was under his nose. Ignis had the decency and respect to show his Flame to his family. Orion was fit to be tied—and gagged.

Petulant constellation.

Did Jag really think Barkley would go supernova with him? All Barkley cared about was himself, how the hell did they meet anyway? Ignis’ thoughts were never ending. The time to ask questions was later.

Billions of stars dotted the heavens. Ignis held no concern for their numbers. When elements battled, they were just as fierce in the skies as on land. The stars could no more take control than humans during a raging storm. Fumus was having the time of his life, having failed both times keeping Melinda Barkley and her child safe. Mother Nature had sent him to his father. A thick black smoke covered Orion so none below could see him. That was infuriating to the constellation, the Hunter had his followers.

Each constellation was on the move in their forms. Arrows sluiced across the heavens from Orion’s bow. The great bull Taurus lowered its horns and charged Father Universe. A dangerous plan to be certain. Father Universe gripped the bull by his horns and tossed him onto his ass, skidding him across the brilliantly lit blackness of the galaxy. Ignis thought his father was having as much fun as Fumus from the look on his face. Ignis just watched, shaking his head.

“The waters are a mess on Earth,” Ventus said, coming to stand with Ignis. “The tides have a life of their own. Nimbus has his hands full.”

“What is Moon thinking?” Ignis raged. “Moon knows Flame is on a yacht out there.” Moon’s former words popped into Ignis’ mind. His worry for Flame could be his undoing, Moon was right; Flame had the ability to wound him without meaning to—just like Sun had done to Moon.

“Moon’s petition for new life was denied,” Ventus said and sighed. “Why would Father Universe grant him life when Sun snuffs it out? Controlling the tides should be enough.”

“What does Sun say?”

“She loves Moon but agrees with Father. She couldn’t like the idea of destroying Moon again, and she can’t stay away. She is trying to temper his outrage as she did a hundred million years ago.”

Ignis remembered that: the Hawaiian volcano cracking and slipping into the sea. Another one of Moons attempts to control and bring the waves to the height of the Eiffel tower on Earth. Moon had been pissed, and Terra had been heartbroken with the destruction. Father would not take kindly to Moon once more tormenting his third and sometimes sensitive son.

“Do you ever think the stars will come to an agreement? Not all of them can form shapes humans will idolize. They fight amongst themselves because others are held in higher esteem. I don’t know why the constellations feel so threatened. Change won’t kill them, they need to acknowledge their ancestry, but new stars are forming and detest the old ways.”

“Why is change so damned difficult for some, Ignis? Really? Surely you must understand. You can’t see it because you are fire, you will always be fire. You will always know who and what you are, forever. You will always know where you come from and where you will be. You will always belong to the same family. Even though you think you have changed you will never really change except to grow older. I am wind and will always be wind and Nimbus is water, he will always be water. Fumus is smoke and though he may change to mature in attitude, he will always be smoke. There may always be stars but not always the same stars. If they can control the heavens they will never change.”

“Yes I get it.”

“Then come with me. Father wants us to crack some heads together. The star that calls himself Jag will not let harm come to Flame. He is part of the Universe.”

“He says he’s going supernova.”

“Foolish star. It’s not happening now. Father has too many other things to worry about and will discuss this with him later.”

“He’s not the only one who will be discussing this with Jag,” Ignis said when he noticed the rogue star battling. The bastard was no longer on the vessel and Orion was getting his ass kicked. Scowling, Ignis once more checked on Flame mentally with the help of the universe; she was fuming in a cabin, alone. Ignis shook his head, wishing he could go to her, then went to war.

* * * *

Once again, the door to the cabin slammed open. Barkley stood there wild-eyed. He had changed into another shirt and no longer smelt like a cinder block. The idea amused Flame when she pictured him roasting like a marshmallow. Gasping in a deep breath, he raced to Flame then pulled up short, stopping a respectful foot away and commanded her to follow him or there would be hell to pay. His pale face made the hair at the nape of her neck stand tall, but nothing more, she wasn’t afraid of him; he looked creepy, like he had seen a ghost. She had to jog to keep up with him as he fled onto the deck.

The wind was crazy-wild, flapping Flame’s hair into her face and eyes. The darkness of night was almost upon them. Barkley was pointing at an object in the sky. Flame gaped. Half of a body was visible amidst a ball of glowing white. The torso vanished into the mass soon followed by the thighs, calves and feet. The brilliance of the star was stunted then gone altogether when it hit a funnel of smoke.

“It was Jag,” Barkley screamed in her face. “How is that fucking possible? He was talking to me one second then pulled into the air, howling he wasn’t done.
Wasn’t done what?”

Flame could see he was on the verge of hysteria. Only sheer will power kept him from grabbing bodily at her. Flame was feeling very smug. It was about time someone or something scared the shit out of this bastard.

“What the hell is going on?” he bellowed.

“Why not ask your lover, you bastard. I’ve got nothing to say to you,” Flame yelled to be heard over the storm, she clung to the railing. Her hair whipped around her face. Splashes of waves swept over her bare feet.

“Bitch, let’s see how smug you can be.”

Barkley took off below and Flame had a bad feeling in her guts.
He wouldn’t
. But he did. When he returned, he carried a terrified Lisa in his arms.

“She’s your child,” Flame yelled.

“I have two others and am capable of having more,” was his response.

“Oh my God, how does Jag not see what a sick and twisted bastard you are? You will never love anyone but yourself.”

Barkley held Lisa over the railing. The child screamed; Flame had no choice.

“
He’s a star, Jag is an actual star
.”

Barkley yanked Lisa to his chest. His sinister look made Flame’s skin crawl. “A star for a lover, interesting. No wonder he could heal me. You can’t touch him, can you, bitch? If you could have, you would have burned him. This is proving to be very entertaining.”

Flame almost hit the floor. Barkley would do anything for power,
anything at all.
“You better be careful,” she warned. “Look around, you’re not the only one with a lover of intense power.”

“I have yet to see anyone looking after you, except for burning my hands with a parlor trick. Are you human or a star?”

Flame clamped her mouth shut until Barkley once more dangled the child over the railing.

“I’m human,” Flame screamed. “Which is more than I can say about you.”

“Who burned me?”

“Ignis’ firewall. Go ahead you sick bastard, touch me.”

“Will you burn the child? Hmm. I doubt it. Go ahead—Flame. Save yourself, or the child.”

Barkley thrust Lisa into her arms, balled a fist and smashed it into Flame’s face. Flame went down.

Chapter 10

Ignis bellowed in rage, feeling Flame’s panic and worse—her pain. If he didn’t have a constellation in his flaming grasp he would have exploded onto the yacht. Nimbus wasn’t able to jump aboard the vessel carrying Flame; Ignis’ brother was too busy battling Moon for control over the tides. Every element had their hands full with the stars and Orion’s hunters. Mother Nature gathered her sons and battled alongside them with Father Universe.

With a snarl, Ventus began whirling the heavens scattering the stars and constellations. It was a good thing Fumus obscured everything from the humans below. Ignis could only imagine what they would do if, when looking up, they saw Orion change form and fling arrows or race across the sky.

Orion, Taurus and Gemini banded together, encircling Ignis. Enraged, he crushed three lone stars offering the constellation aid with their promises of a joined union. Gemini backed off a bit in surprise as the life of the stars was snuffed out in powerful explosions, a testimony of Ignis’ rage. Betelgeuse formed a union with Bellatrix, Mintaka and Rigel. The four stars glowed brilliantly. An intense ball of whirling and whizzing light, pounding their forces at Ventus. Ventus would have none of that. Like the constellation Monoceros who once thought foolishly to battle Ventus, the four stars were flung far into the celestial equator.

“Say hello to the little unicorn for me.” Ventus laughed deep within his belly, the noise thundering across the sky as the stars grew dull with each mile they slipped further away.

“Damn you, Ventus,” Orion bellowed. “It will take half my strength to pull them back. And damn you too, Ignis; those young stars had promise.”

“Damn the lot of you for placing my Flame in this position. If any harm comes to her, I will hold you, Orion, responsible and Betelgeuse won’t go supernova, I will crush him into
super nothing
.”

“Then end this now,” commanded Father Universe.

Taurus attacked. Grabbing the bull by the star-horns, Father Universe once again flung the constellation farther than Ventus had blown the four stars. Warily Gemini approached, but it would seem the other constellations realized their folly and were slowly backing off.

“Enough,” Terra boomed. “As we battle, the Earth is in an uproar. There is no one controlling the elements running amok. Fires blaze, tidal waves bash my shorelines. Humans are being killed and injured. This ends now.”

Ignis couldn’t have agreed more. He could hear Flame calling frantically, she was terrified and he was wild with his worry for her. Barkley was near land, Nimbus could just make out the vessel. Moon was neither aiding Barkley nor stopping him. The damned stubborn moon was on his own rampage. Sun tried her best to calm her partner but until Moon settled, the waters would be a war zone with Flame in the middle of it.

Working together, the element brothers hurled constellation stars deeper into the bowels of Father Universe, scattering them like human remains. It would take too much energy for the constellations to draw them back to where they once settled and called home in the galaxy. For a constellation, the loss of one star was akin to losing a finger or toe, but to lose many was the shedding of a limb. Over and over like baseballs, the stars were pitched, turning them into shooting stars.

Every so often, a human would witness a star’s falling as it annoyed an element. This night there were millions of them flying across the heavens.

The constellations scattered across the blackness in defeat, their stunning brightness stunted from battle. Ignis knew by the time Orion was able to bring Jag back Barkley would long be dust in his grave. Even now, he could hear the star weeping his loss, begging to be brought back. In Orion’s fury, Ignis knew Jag would be one of the last to return to his place. Jag would still shine and would still be seen from Earth; many humans might not even notice. The star’s place was now way back in the galaxy, tunnel vision. Ignis couldn’t care less, the star had brought this upon himself, let him grieve.