Set the Sky on Fire (Fire Trilogy Book 1) (9 page)

“I had two friends who died in a car accident a couple of months ago. That seether thing turned up at their funeral. He didn’t look like he was expecting me to be there, either.”

“Actually, that is a relief,” Nate said.

“How?”

“I thought he had worked out a way to track your movements. But, hearing you say that, it sounds more like a coincidence.”

“I know this is a horrendous thought, but, if that’s all they’re after, why don't they simply kill people and feed off the grief of those around them?”

“That was their idea too, at first. They slaughtered hundreds. If it had worked—well it terrifies me to contemplate…,” he trailed off.

“What happened?” Ari asked.

“It was only a couple of the seethers. They must have worked out how to control people, change them, how they could make people want to hate. They launched themselves into a group of unsuspecting civilians, wielding pistols.”

“Pistols?” Ari repeated.

“Guns.”

“I know what they are, but no one calls them that.”

“They did back then.”

Ari regretted butting in. Now, she found it difficult to look at the man next to her. He might appear to be only a few years her senior, in image, but in reality he was
so
much older.

“They ran into a crowd, shooting.” He glanced at Ari, and his voice deepened. “Something happens when a person dies, which releases a massive surge of emotion, a burst of energy. Think of a star exploding.”

“Like a supernova?” Ari asked.

“Whatever it is, we cannot process it. We fall to the ground, rendered unconscious, no way to defend ourselves. The locals who watched the massacre never considered holding a trial for the seethers. They simply killed them where they lay with any weapon they could find. It was gruesome. The other seethers learnt from their failure and tried a few other ideas—like starting wars to get things moving quicker. That didn't work quite as well as they had expected either. It seems, when there are mass tragedies such as war, communities rally to help one another much more than, for instance, when death comes to only one or two individuals, like your friends dying in a car accident. The seethers find it easier to turn people when the grief-stricken look for someone to pin the blame on. When they are alone and heartbroken, that is when humans see the world as a lonely and dark place. And, that is when the seethers help them to take the next step.”

“So they roam around looking for victims?”

“They are always looking to make the job easier, but that is all they can do. Thankfully, the ones I have come across are not super intelligent, otherwise, they might have found a better way to search.”

“They're just super strong,” Ari pointed out.

“To you—yes.”

*****

The sight of her crappy old car was a welcome one. They had walked the remainder of the track at a brisk pace, not saying anything more. Ari, using the silence to think about what she’d learnt from Nate, realising that, with this complete stranger she felt safe, well safer than she had in a long time. He was inherently good. At least, when she wasn’t too busy lusting after him, that’s what her talent informed her.

“So what happens now?” Ari asked, pulling her thoughts back to the present.

“You are going to be stuck with me for a while, until I work out what to do. The seether has found a way to keep tabs on you. I don't know how yet. Until we find a way to get rid of him, or to hide you, I cannot leave you alone.”

Ari was relieved. The seether could do whatever he wanted if he was given free reign, but she had no defence, except for Nate.

When they reached the car, Nate pulled out a white T-shirt that had been discretely tucked into the back of his shorts. He pulled it on, over his head.

“For when I meet your parents,” Nate winked.

“Really? You're willing to meet my parents, to look after me? That might be the bravest thing you’ve ever done,” she joked.

Nate opened the passenger door, dropped into the seat and waited for Ari to get in. She slid behind the wheel, started the engine, reversed out of the car park and set off towards home.

“How am I supposed to introduce you?” Ari asked.

“You could always go with 'This is Nate'.”

“But they're going to think that we’re dating.”

“Is that going to be a problem? It’s probably easier if they do. It will explain why I will be hanging around so much, otherwise, it might seem odd.”

“But what do I tell them about you? My parents see right through my lies.”

“Tell them I’m new to town. That I will be starting university in the New Year. Perhaps a Geology major—I’ve done enough research, so I should be able to bluff my way through any questions, if I need to.”

“What if they don’t buy it?”

Nate rested a hand reassuringly on top of Ari's as she changed gears. His touch was electric, sending a shiver down her spine.

“It’s going to be okay. Just make it up as you go—nothing too fancy. I'll fill in the gaps.”
To Ari’s disappointment, he returned his hand to his lap.

“Okay,” she sighed.

They arrived at Ari's house, pulling into the paved driveway, past the white pillar letterbox.

“Nice place,” Nate said as he looked around. The house was a bungalow, clad in red brick, with a beautifully structured garden.

Ari brushed off his compliment. “Mum and Dad love their garden. It makes the house look better than it actually is.”

As they walked up the path, Nate whispered to Ari, “What's your last name?”

“Taylor,” she replied.

The front door opened into a foyer, with a direct view of the kitchen, and behind the bench, with her back to the door, stood Ari's mother. The low drum of water boiling sounded in the air and a small wisp of steam swirled from the spout of the jug.

“Hey Mum,” Ari called out as she entered the room. “Um, Mum, this is Nate. Nate, this is my Mum, Judith.”

“Hello Nate, it's nice to meet you. I don't recall Ari having mentioned your name before.” Her eyes narrowed slightly as she gave Nate the once over.

Ari’s mother hadn’t always been fussed with the boys she brought home. It was probably deserved. There had been a few shockers. Still, the look her Mum was giving off was hostile.
Nate had to have noticed.

“Hello, Mrs Taylor.” He flashed her a smile. “I'm pretty new to town. I've only been here about three weeks.” He took a step closer and gave her his hand to shake. Judith took the proffered hand and, looking up into Nate’s face, a soft smile forming her lips.

Oh yuck, does the lust thing work on Mum too?
She made a mental note never to ask. Even if it was only a little, there were some things she would rather not know.

“At least, this one can speak without grunting. That’s an improvement from the last
.”

“Thanks for that, Mum.”
Ari wanted to crawl away.

But her mother wasn't finished.

“Whereabouts did you live before coming to Christchurch, Nate, was it?”

Ari's stomach lurched into her throat. Nate had better be able to think quickly on his feet. Ari considered grabbing his arm and leading him away while telling her mum not to be so nosey, but that would no doubt make her more curious.

But Nate didn't miss a beat. If he had the same concerns as Ari, he wasn't showing them.

“It’s short for Nathaniel. I moved here from Auckland, nearly a month ago. I'm starting at Canterbury University next year and thought I would come down early to see if I can find a part-time job and a decent place to rent.”

“Wonderful, and the accent?”

“A bit Scottish. I moved here when I was younger, but I never quite lost it.”

“And what will you be studying, Nate?” It was like watching an awkward episode of Mastermind.

“Geology. Hopefully, Hazard and Disaster Management.”

Disaster Management, that's an understatement.
Ari thought.

“That sounds interesting,” Ari's mother looked satisfied with his answers.

Nate’s flawless shift into this different façade, was unnerving. Lies rolled off his tongue, which made her wonder about their conversations. As she stood there helping him to deceive her mother, she really hoped her judgement of him had been the right one.

Either way, it seemed best to end the conversation as soon as possible.

“Dad will be getting thirsty,” Ari hinted.

“You’ve got a bit of dirt,” Ari’s mum leaned over the counter to rub something off Ari’s chin, far enough to get a glimpse at the rest of Ari’s beaten and dirtied body.

“What on earth happened to you?”

Ari had been hiding the worst of her injuries behind the bench. Now, her grazed knees and dirt-covered clothing were visible. She unconsciously dusted her clothes down, a gesture that made no difference at all to the mess.

“Oh yeah,” she picked at the dirt on her singlet. “I took a bit of a slide.”

“You’ve taken some of the skin off,” Ari’s mum came round the side of the bench.

“It’s not too bad,” Ari said.

“It needs some cream—let me see it. How did you do it?”

“It’s fine, Mum, leave it.” Ari swatted her hands away. “It was embarrassing enough as it was, without you fussing. I tripped over a tree root.”
Great, I’m straight into the lies too.

She threw her mum a ‘that's enough’ look. It worked. Judith pursed her lips but said nothing more as she headed back to pour the boiled water into two cups. She gave them a quick stir before picking them up by the handles.

“Better get this to your dad.” She gestured with her head towards an open sliding glass door, which led out to the back garden. On the way past she added, “It was lovely meeting you, Nate.”

“You too, Mrs Taylor.”

“Jude will be fine, thanks,” she called over her shoulder. She was already out of sight when she yelled out, “Cream’s in the medicine cabinet, darling.” Her voice held a touch of amusement.

“Thank you,” Ari called back.

It had gone well, better than Ari had expected. She knew Nate looked normal, but she couldn't help picturing what would happen if her mum saw through the ruse and started shrieking about the weirdo she had brought home. A sense of calm snaked down her spine and wound down her legs until they felt light enough to move again. She led Nate into the lounge. It was a room arranged to watch the large television positioned on a cabinet at the far side of the room. Two comfy, black leather couches and a matching lazy-boy chair were lined up for viewing. Ari waved her hand, with a 'have a seat' gesture. Nate flopped down, making himself at home. He came across so casual and relaxed. Ari wondered how he could maintain the attitude, with everything that was going on. She could detect no hint of distress in him from the struggle at the forest park and no sign of physical exertion either.

As Ari appreciated the sight of him, it dawned on her she would not look quite so fresh. She looked down at her grubby attire and the blazing red graze on her thigh. She tugged at the bottom of her shorts, even though there was no possible way they could cover the mess below. Dirty fingers combed stray hairs back from her face and piled them onto the top of her head, aiming to return them to the ponytail they’d come loose from. To make matters worse, with her hand above her head, she caught a whiff of armpit. Her arm snapped back to her side. There was no need to share that around. She didn't need to see herself in the mirror to know what she looked like—an absolute wreck.

“I'm just going to jump in the shower. Will you be alright here?” Ari backed her way to the door as she spoke.

“I'll be fine.” Nate motioned towards a stack of magazines on the coffee table.

Ari walked into her bedroom and started fishing through her wardrobe for something to wear. A cute summer dress, still with its price tag on, caught her eye. It would look sexy. Jeans and T-shirts were her usual MO, more in her comfort zone, not like the dress. But the dress would make her look pretty, and Ari wanted to impress. Something about Nate drew her in. Whether it was her own feeling or not was still unclear. Ari threw the dress on her bed before rummaging in her drawer for clean underwear. Matching white-lace bra and panties found their way onto the bed too. Before Ari scooped them up to take to the bathroom, she stopped, for a minute, to consider her actions. The hot guy in her lounge was a complete stranger and not even human—although that seemed to be a blurred line. Physically, he was perfect, not strange at all. She shook her head to prevent her mind slipping off into fantasy again.

Species aside, a pretty little dress would be an impractical piece of clothing to be wearing if she stumbled into another scenario like the one she’d just survived. She threw the dress over the back of her desk chair and, in its place, grabbed a pair of jeans and a snug fitting orange T-shirt. At least, the tight fit would show off her assets. She gathered up the white-lace underwear and headed to the shower.

Once cleaned, dressed, with a touch of makeup—kept to a minimum so she didn’t seem to be trying too hard—she headed back to the lounge to find Nate. She expected to see him sat in the same place as where she had left him, with a magazine in hand. Instead, he stood near the bookcase looking at the multitude of family photos that were framed and on display.

“You have a charming family. You all seem so happy.” There was a sense of longing in his voice.

“Everyone’s happy in photos. They make you smile before they take them.” Ari dismissed his kind words.

“You can smile in a photograph and not look happy. Your family actually
looks
happy,” he corrected her.

“I suppose so. I get on pretty well with my parents. Better than most, I guess.”

“Are you an only child?” Nate asked.

“Yip, it’s just me and the folks.”

“What about grandparents, aunts, cousins? Do you have much in the way of family around?” The question seemed more calculating than inquisitive.

“None in Christchurch. Why?” This wasn’t simply small talk, Ari realised with disappointment.

“I am trying to get a feel for the situation.”

Ari sat down on the couch where Nate had previously been sitting. Nate followed her over and sat next to her, closer than she anticipated. His thigh brushed up against hers, and his arm arced around behind her head to rest on the couch. Ari's heart added in an extra beat. He glanced towards the door, before looking back at Ari.

He spoke softly. “At some stage soon, I am going to have to leave you for a while. I cannot stay here indefinitely.”

“Bad company, am I?” Ari flashed a smile.
What are you doing? Stop flirting.

He frowned. “Do you really want a babysitter?”

“I guess not.”

“I need to start thinking about how I can safely leave you alone.” He leant back on the seat, his head relaxing back, staring at the ceiling. “And what will we do with you while I'm gone? I don't know how he is tracking you,” Nate murmured, obviously talking to himself.

“Where do you have to go?” Ari asked.

“I need to talk to one of the other sentinels about what's happening. She has successfully protected someone like you before. Perhaps, she knows of something that can help us.”

“Can't you just call her?”

“If only it was that easy. We move around too much to have landlines, and the last time I saw her, cell phones were yet to become so popular.”

That sort of comment made Ari uncomfortable. She couldn’t remember a time when cell phones weren’t ‘so popular’. And on top of that, he wanted to bring another into the mix, another someone like him.

One of him is enough for now
. Ari was taking the ‘I’m not human’ thing well, but there were limits.
Suddenly, she wanted to talk to someone, to confide in them, maybe even ask for some advice. But who would believe her? Even Nevaeh, she expected, would have a problem with this.
As Nevaeh trailed through her thoughts, so too did their holiday, all booked and paid for. An image of her excited friend waving around a new bikini, popped into Ari’s head.

Telling Nevaeh the trip is cancelled might be even more dangerous than the seether thing,
Ari joked silently; although she didn’t feel it had enough comical relief to be said out loud.

“I’m going on holiday,” Ari said bluntly. “Me and a friend. We’re leaving in six days’ time.”

“Where are you going?”

Ari was relieved it wasn’t a flat out, no.

“Thailand—Phuket.”

Nate fell silent briefly, brow furrowed. “Don't cancel it yet. We might be able to use it to our advantage. Let me think on it, okay?”

Ari had no intention of cancelling. She didn’t get a chance to voice her opinion since her father chose that moment to poke his head into the room.

“Hi, you must be Nate.” Her dad walked up behind the couch. “I'm Arianna's father, Dave.”

Nate removed his arm from behind Ari's head and, turning, shook Dave's extended hand.

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Nate replied, before dropping his arm to his side and moving a short distance away from Ari, so there was a clear gap between their bodies.

“I was about to get some meat out of the freezer for a BBQ. Will you be staying for dinner?” Dave asked.

Nate glanced at Ari. She didn't protest.

“That would be great. Although, I am a vegetarian.” Nate inclined his head.

That seemed to stump her dad. He stood there for a while, a blank look on his face. “Jude will sort something.” He gave a weak smile.

“Sorry,” Ari whispered. “He is a definite carnivore. Vegetarian isn't in his vocab.”

“He would be very disappointed at my place then. We never evolved to eat meat. We are a whole
world
of vegetarians.”

Just as Ari was getting accustomed to Nate, he'd thrown her another curve ball.

He became increasingly relaxed as they continued to talk while they waited for dinner to be served. The interrogation portion of their meeting seemed to be over. Nate stopped asking personal questions and started telling Ari stories about his life in Auckland. For a short time, Ari chose to forget how she had met the man sitting beside her, and what he was. His company was soothing, like being with an old friend. Ari always had had to hide who she was but, with Nate, she didn’t have to.