Flame (Fireborn) (33 page)

I'm one of the last to
enter the lines. I walk behind Nymphora like I've done since
yesterday. Looking at the floor, I notice faint swirling designs.
It's obvious that this place was built with care, yet one hundred
feet over these halls is a gloomy and rundown prison. I mentally
shake my head again at the paradox of our situation.
It must have
something to do with the Saguinox culture,
I think. Cleanliness
and beauty before an ultimate gruesome death, I conclude. A chill
washes over me that has nothing to do with the thin shift I'm
wearing.

Abruptly, I feel hot
hands grabbing mine. Chloris grips my fingers, squeezing them before
letting go. I gaze at her with surprise. She's breaking an unspoken
rule: never leave your spot in line. She pulls the girl in back of
her to the front, and she's so surprised she doesn't resist. Then
Chloris is beside me, breathless and nervous.

Her eyes are wide, and
tremulous when she says, "We're getting out of here
tonight
."

I'm dreaming.

I know I am because
I'm wearing pants. They're soft and silky, and not the least bit red.
Tumbling birds decorate it, and I'm reminded of home. A warm bed. A
fast meal. Dad.

I'm on a beach. And
even in my dreams I'm a bit embarrassed to be walking in my pajamas
on a beach. The waves are soft and gentle, only loud enough to make
me feel less alone. Oddly, I'm not cold even though my spaghetti
strap tank top is too thin for this weather.

At first it looks a
little gray like my mood. The clouds are dim, and leaves from nearby
trees look dark, like they've been rained on. The feeling of a calm
before the storm comes over me, and I shudder, not liking the
serenity anymore.

I stop to sit on a
small sand dune that appears beside me. It's as if the sand
anticipates what I want and supplies it before I can even ask. When
my body touches the grains, they slide over me, lightly covering my
body like a blanket. I sigh.
I
can get used to this,
I think with a wide smile. Leaning
back, I rest my head on perfect grains of sand. Unexpectedly, the sun
peeks through the clouds, valiantly pushing through, until a golden
beam swathes me with a circle of warmth. I feel so good my toes curl
inward, digging in as deep as they can. I watch the waves play with
each other, and my giggle rings out when I notice the color: clear.
Completely, and brilliantly clear.

Standing, I brush
soft pebbles from my body before running to touch the ocean. It licks
at me, teasing me with just the right touch of cool. I make a cup
with my hands, then pause as a thought unfurls inside my head.
Is
this safe to drink?
Impulsively, I take a sip, and I'm glad
I do because it's as cool and refreshing as it looks, not salty at
all. I wasn't thirsty before, but I'm ravenous now. I lap at the
water like I'm a puppy, and the picture in my mind is so ridiculous
that I laugh and laugh until my insides hurt.

"This is a
silly dream," I whisper to myself.

I hear my mom's
voice in my head. "Silly dreams are the best."

Her voice echoes
from my memories, and the usual pang of hurt grips my heart. I let my
body drift into the ocean, walking further in.

Amazed, I take in
the sight greedily. The water is so clear it's invisible, and I can
see through it to the ocean floor. It's white, completely pristine,
and devoid of any filth. A killer whale swims by, his dorsal fin two
feet above the surface. He circles me, swimming lazily around. I
should be scared, but I'm not. He's a gentle giant, and I beckon him
closer. When he comes he nudges my feet. I touch his wet skin,
marveling at how firm it is. Crouching lower, I peer through the
invisible surface as his wide face continues to nuzzle my ankle. Then
he makes a little sound and moves away, lazily circling me again. I
watch him for many minutes.

Suddenly I feel a
tingling sensation down the back of my neck.

"Of all the
dreams of all the creatures in all the galaxy, you had to walk into
mine."

My heart leaps with
excitement. I shouldn't feel happy, but I can't stop the eager breath
escaping my lips. When I turn he's watching me, and there's a relaxed
smile on his face I've never seen before. I wonder if I have the same
smile on my face because he's looking at me as intently as I am
looking at him.

"Is this your
dream?" I ask, unable to mask my happiness.

He looks adorable
when he glances at me. He points to the whale swimming further from
us. "Yes, but its turned into a joint effort."

I'm not sure what he
means by that, but I don't care. I open my arms wide because I want
to hold the ocean, the sand, and the whole world in my lap. I close
my eyes and say, "I think we did a pretty good job then."

He moves until he's
behind me. "I think so, too."

His breath is near
my neck, and I turn around. Instantly, I'm greeted by Rhys's broad
chest. In that second I realize he's not wearing what he usually has
on. Instead, a white buttoned up shirt is covering his tan body. He
leaves a few buttons casually open, and I see a slice of golden skin.
Dark shorts go past his knees, and his feet are bare. He looks
casual, and very sexy. He can hear my thoughts, and his grin
broadens.

I'm too happy to be
embarrassed. That's another reason I know this is a dream. I point to
my Angry Bird pajamas. "I seemed to have missed the memo about
the dress code."

"No worries,"
he says, flashing another white grin. His smiles are making me
delirious, and everything seems to glow brighter and become fuzzier
at the same time. I hear soft rustling, and cool air brushes my body
before something gentle touches my skin. Looking down I see a long
flowing dress. It's red, and the wind picks up the tail of the dress,
blowing it and my hair behind me.

"You're so
beautiful," Rhys says, his voice thick with everything he feels.
His gaze is so tender that I'm hypnotized by it. I feel so happy my
heart wants to burst with joy. The red cloth is blowing all around
me, and even though he's looking at me like I'm the most exquisite
woman on earth, my lungs are having trouble breathing.

"Rhys," I
choke out. "Not red. Please, not red."

A look of concern
and a flash of guilt cross his face and he says, "I understand."
He holds out his hands to me.

"Think of a
beautiful color," he whispers to me.

I let him take my
hand, and when our palms touch the breeze picks up. A quiet rustling
sound is heard, but our eyes never leave each other. His other hand
circles my waist. He shoots me another devastating smile, his black
hair perfect in the light. He looks down at what I'm wearing.

"Gold?"

"Golden eyes."
He looks so sweetly at me I wrap my arms around his neck. I fit his
body perfectly, and my gold dress is shining, shimmering as bright as
his eyes. We're swaying in the breeze, dancing as the waves play
around us. Questions swim in my head, and I know it's important I
find the answers, but I bat them away like flies. For once I'm not
thinking about escape and staying alive. I am happy, carefree and
filled with joy.

"I used to come
here when I was a little kid," he tells me. I watch his mouth
move, and I continue to even when he catches me. He looks amused.

Dreams
are a safe place for doing anything I want.

"Armin and I
would sneak off when we could. We didn't do much, just laid around,
sleeping. But this place holds some of my best memories."

"I can see
why," I say, pointing to the sand. "We need something like
that on Earth. It's like they're alive. They moved over me like
ants!"

"The particles
have a magnetic pull to blood."

I laugh. "That
makes absolutely no sense! Blood doesn't contain magnetic
properties," I inform him. "Even I know that and I'm a C
average in science."

"Now that makes
no sense." It's his turn to point out. "You get graded with
letters. How do you know how to improve? The letters tell you
nothing," he dismisses in his sexy accent.

"How do they
grade you in Sangine?" I ask.

His grip tightens on
me. "You probably wouldn't like it," is all he says. His
lips thin and I know we're talking too much about reality, so I lay
my head on his shoulders, listening to his gentle heartbeat.

"You're really
very handsome," I finally whisper to his chest.

"And you're
really very beautiful," he whispers to my hair.

"Is that why
you took me?" The question slips before I can halt it.

Hot
and cold.
Right now he's all hot. I don't want him to turn
cold. He's already sighing when I say, "Don't answer that."

"No," he
says quietly near my ear. "That's not why I took you. I had no
choice, Kenna. I'm wasn't born with freedom the way you were."
His voice is filled with such sadness and longing I shut my eyes.

"Let's not talk
about this anymore," I whisper.

We move together in
a circle, swaying with the water. Slowly doubt creeps into my
thoughts: about who he is, what he's done, and why he's sentenced me
to die. I hum loudly to cover the noise in my head, and he seems to
sense my distress. He hugs me tighter into his chest, breathing in my
scent like a starving man.

"I'll make
everything better." It's a lie. He can't. I know he can't. He
knows it, too. But I nod anyway.

Soon, much too soon,
I notice the sunshine waning and growing dimmer. I force myself to
step back from him. I gaze into his eyes, trying to memorize the
myriad of colors shimmering inside.

"Rhys," I
breathe. I don't know what to say, or how to express what I feel.
That one word seems to be enough though because he smiles.

"Kenna, you're
stronger than you think you are." He holds my face in his hands.
"You're special. You're a survivor." He looks deep into my
eyes. "Even when everything burns you won't."

Goosebumps rise
across my skin. I shiver from his words.

"When I wake up
am I going to forget all this?" I suddenly ask him, desperate to
know.

He gives me a sexy
smile. "No."

Relieved, I grin
back, unable to resist him. "So none of this is real?"

"Nope."
He's laughing at me.

I pull his face
closer to mine. "So none of this is real, and when I wake up
I'll remember everything," I repeat softly, my mouth a breath
away from his. Suddenly, he's looking at me with intensity and
hunger. I think about where we're at and I know it isn't really
paradise. I feel his arms around me, and his clean masculine scent
drifts through my nose and into my heart.
This
is paradise. I lean over, and touch my lips with his.

We meet in the
middle. As far as first kisses go this is the best one I've ever had.
He's soft and hard at the same time. His lips taste as fresh and
crisp as the water pooling around us.

When I finally pull
back, we stare at each other, breathless. "So when do we get to
do that again?" I ask, again, unable to stop myself. He laughs,
noticing what a truly impulsive person I am.

All he says is, "In
your dreams."

I attempt to frown
at him, but a smile is touching my lips.

Then the sky breaks
open with a roar, scaring me. It sounds like thunder when the clouds
part. The waves greet this noise with their own loud applause,
smashing into each other like giants. I can't hear my own thoughts. I
clutch him tighter.

He gives me the
saddest look I've ever seen, before he's gone, vanished from my
dreams.

I'm dreaming.

I know I am because
I'm wearing pants. They're soft and silky, and not the least bit red.
Tumbling birds decorate it, and I'm reminded of home. A warm bed. A
fast meal. Dad.

I'm on a beach. And
even in my dreams I'm a bit embarrassed to be walking in my pajamas
on a beach. The waves are soft and gentle, only loud enough to make
me feel less alone. Oddly, I'm not cold even though my spaghetti
strap tank top is too thin for this weather.

At first it looks a
little gray like my mood. The clouds are dim, and leaves from nearby
trees look dark, like they've been rained on. The feeling of a calm
before the storm comes over me, and I shudder, not liking the
serenity anymore.

I stop to sit on a
small sand dune that appears beside me. It's as if the sand
anticipates what I want and supplies it before I can even ask. When
my body touches the grains, they slide over me, lightly covering my
body like a blanket. I sigh.
I
can get used to this,
I think with a wide smile. Leaning
back, I rest my head on perfect grains of sand. Unexpectedly, the sun
peeks through the clouds, valiantly pushing through, until a golden
beam swathes me with a circle of warmth. I feel so good my toes curl
inward, digging in as deep as they can. I watch the waves play with
each other, and my giggle rings out when I notice the color: clear.
Completely, and brilliantly clear.

Standing, I brush
soft pebbles from my body before running to touch the ocean. It licks
at me, teasing me with just the right touch of cool. I make a cup
with my hands, then pause as a thought unfurls inside my head.
Is
this safe to drink?
Impulsively, I take a sip, and I'm glad
I do because it's as cool and refreshing as it looks, not salty at
all. I wasn't thirsty before, but I'm ravenous now. I lap at the
water like I'm a puppy, and the picture in my mind is so ridiculous
that I laugh and laugh until my insides hurt.