A Touch of Flame Read online

  ~ ~ ~

  Maeve drew back and stared into Braden’s green eyes. She felt way too much, especially a growing and profound need for the man whose hair felt like silk to her fingers. What she couldn’t determine was whether she felt this way because of him or because of her loneliness.

  Slowly, she pulled away from him then turned around. He moved in close once more so that she felt the warmth of his body all down her back. She refocused her thoughts on the difficult situation at hand, on adjusting to her bizarre ability to create a deadly stream of energy with her left hand.

  This was how she’d killed the vile witches in Veyda’s dark coven. She only wished she’d somehow located Veyda, herself, and rid Five Bridges of her terrible presence. She shuddered as she thought about how many people Veyda had undoubtedly killed.

  With her right hand, Maeve lifted the pouch of fresh mint to her nose and sniffed deeply. She felt her power ignite, as though the herb created a catalyst within her alter body and mind. Witches had the ability to kill vampires with just a touch of their fingers. She’d known this from the beginning and had always experienced a certain tingling in her fingertips. Though, to be fair, vampires could enthrall witches, so the playing field was very even.

  Yet, right now, it wasn’t just her fingers that experienced the same power. It was her shoulder, her arm, and her entire hand. For whatever reason, maybe because she had alpha-capacity, she’d received a heavy dose of the killing function.

  What she needed to know was the actual scope of her ability?

  She closed her eyes and examined the line of sensations, shoulder to fingertips. The sizzle felt latent, like it was waiting, but ready.

  She remembered how she’d done damage to the ceremonial torture room. She’d burned the crimson velvet drapes that hung ceiling to floor over the three walls. The mirrored wall had no drapes.

  She pulled away from him. “Braden, I think we need to go outside. It’s not safe to continue working in here.”

  “Whatever you feel you need to do. Lead the way.”

  With barely a thought, she rose in the air and levitated up the stone spiral staircase. Levitation rocks, she sent from her mind to his.

  I’m amazed. Duck-to-water.

  I’m grateful.

  She swept across the living room floor, just inches above the stone then rose easily up the second spiral stairwell. She stopped outside her apartment’s entry by long habit.

  “What is it?” He asked quietly. “And why am I seeing a hallway through a gray haze?” He stood behind her.

  “It’s the protection spell I maintain in front of my apartment. I don’t take any chances. It’s similar to the one I have around the entire property. Also, before I cross the spell, I like to get a sense of what’s going on in every area of the compound.”

  “You’re scanning for any sign of trouble.”

  “I am.” She took a moment to listen and to let her witch sensitivities reach out into the various areas of the complex. She could feel the industry of the construction site, the quiet nature of the medical facility, the joyful tenor of the communal areas, and the soft clang of pots and pans in the kitchens as the next meal was getting underway.

  Her heart swelled suddenly. Braden had called her a force, but she couldn’t see it that way. She was simply grateful she’d found the means to help others, good people, who’d gotten trapped in Five Bridges just like her. She’d come to love the Landing and everyone in it. “We’re good.”

  She turned her attention to the protective spell on the floor. She recalled now that she’d used mint in this spell as well as the property spell. It certainly seemed like mint had become a pivotal element for her.

  “We’ll leave the way I brought you in.” She stepped into the hall and as Braden joined her, she gave him a quick explanation of the layout. She gestured with her hand to the emergency rooms, the kitchen then the communal courtyard and living areas. These were scattered throughout several houses she’d bought up and added to the Landing complex over the past year. An architect she’d rescued had helped her to join the properties to create a more functioning space.

  She turned to the right and led him through the wide emergency entrance double doors to the outside. The Jeep was parked close.

  “We brought you here in this.” She glanced back at him. “Do you have any memory of it?”

  She wasn’t surprised when he shook his head. “Not even a little.”

  Once outside, she took him to a gate, again to the right, then into a small yard. It had been part of the original house Frank had bought for her when she first entered Five Bridges. Most of the house was used as Landing Offices now, though accessible only from the inside. The small garden, however, she’d kept for her private use.

  The yard wasn’t much to speak of, though it did have a tall Sissoo in which her screech owl had made a home. She kept promising herself she’d tend to it, but never had enough time. She knew as a witch she’d gain strength from her garden. But at this point in her life, she just didn’t care. Getting the still-living out of the Graveyard every night, then taking care of those she’d rescued, all had priority.

  Her owl, Whimsy, greeted her with his piercing shriek. “We’re doing some practicing with this.” She lifted her left arm. In the dark night, and with her skin tingling, it cast a faint glow.

  Whimsy left his roost in the tree and flew to the top of the roof. “Good call.”

  Whimsy shrieked once more in response.

  She glanced at Braden. “Get close.” Her words came out in a tight command. She almost apologized for being so strident.

  Braden didn’t seem bothered, however. He just resumed his position from earlier in her workroom, then shifted to whisper in her ear. “Relax. You’ll do better if you can let some of your tension go.”

  She readjusted her head-space and what do you know, her lungs opened up. She took a deep breath until her shoulders eased down. She even ended up adjusting her stance slightly.

  “That’s better.”

  He was good for her and again, she was grateful.

  As he’d done before, he ran his palm down the length of her arm. “When I train my new wolves, especially those recently arrived in Five Bridges, I always tell them to take three deep breaths before doing anything. With each breath, force your mind to focus on one particular object. In this case, see that dirt patch where your lawn isn’t growing? Aim there.”

  Maeve followed his orders to the letter.

  First breath. Rocks and dirt.

  Second breath. Rocks and dirt and a cluster of small rocks.

  Third breath. The center rock with a green tinge down the side.

  She lifted the mint pouch to her nose, brought her killing power to the fore and let a pulse fly.

  A golden stream, exactly like the energy she’d released during her failed induction ceremony, flowed at the group of rocks. It delivered the strongest part to the center just as she’d visualized. Dirt and rocks kicked up into the air.

  She took a moment to assess. She drew her hands together, but couldn’t detect even the smallest change in temperature with her left hand. Only a slight tingling remained.

  Braden stepped around her to meet her gaze. “How was that?”

  “Simple. Amazing. You’re good at training.”

  “I always like seeing my wolves succeed.”

  “You must miss them.”

  “Every minute of every day. But they’re here.” He slapped his chest. “And I know they’re with me as I take care of business. But they’re in excellent hands with Jeremy. He’s my main beta who, I’m convinced will soon be an alpha. Warren, the alpha of the Caldion pack, keeps an eye on them as well.”

  “I saw Alpha Warren once. He’s scarred.”

  “Yes. He is. A witch did it.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  He lowered his chin slightly. “But let’s keep practicing. My gut tells me you’ll need this skill at top performance.”

  “I’m
with you.”

  He took up his place once more.

  She repeated the process, just as he’d instructed. Each time she focused on the growing patch of debris, especially the center in whatever way it had changed with each firing. Within fifteen minutes, she’d dug out a small crater with rocks and dirt forming a hill behind. The more she fired, the better she felt. Honing this skill, as bizarre as it was, felt as natural to her as breathing.

  She was surprised on all counts. She’d thought she would hate the process and that it would always feel foreign to her.

  Instead, she knew the killing power for what it was, a part of her witchness in Five Bridges.

  She spent the next hour sharpening her focus until she could lift her arm and release a deadly stream straight for her target.

  “You’ve got this.” Braden’s deep voice flowed over her.

  He was right. “It’s amazing. Thank you.”

  Once more, he moved to stand in front of her. “I don’t know if together we can do this, but I’m wondering if we could form a telepathic relay.”

  “Say what?”

  “I’ve trained my wolves to work in pairs during battle. The goal is to hit each other’s targets because sometimes, that’s the only way to survive a situation. Say a wolf confronts an enemy, in close quarters, but can’t gain the upper hand. Through telepathy, he can contact his partner who can then come in and resolve the deadly situation.”

  “I get it. So, how would you and I do this? What do you have in mind?”

  “Given your phenomenal power grid, I’d also like to see if you require a direct line to the target.”

  “You mean, can my killing power move around corners? And through your vision?”

  “Something like that. You game?”

  She smiled. “You keep asking me that. What the hell do you think?”

  He narrowed his gaze at her. “Are you sure you’re not part wolf?”

  “No, but I always liked dogs.”

  He laughed outright. “Not the same thing.” He took up his training position again, right behind her. She wasn’t sure why his instincts told him to stick close, but she was feeling it as well, the need to be near him. “I’m going to connect with you telepathically now. Ready?”

  “Sure.”

  She had thought he would speak to her. Instead she felt his mind move right up next to hers, or at least that was the only way she could describe the sensation.

  She actually craned her neck to look back at him. He merely smiled. He’d surprised her and he was enjoying it.

  Fine. You’re a powerful wolf.

  He chuckled in response. I am.

  That’s when she realized he was using his wolf more than his humanity to align his mind with hers. You’re not in my head, exactly. More like parked next door.

  That would sum it up.

  She turned back around and forced herself to take three deep breaths.

  Very good. You’re more relaxed now. What I’m going to do is create a very specific image of something on the ground. That’s where I’ll want your power to go. Right now, I want you to locate the object if you can, then describe it to me. You’ll need to open yourself, however, to my mind. By the way, I rarely engage in this kind of connection.

  So, you trust me, Braden?

  I do.

  A wonderful warmth flowed through her body. Even her heart warmed up. Trust was an incredible thing. I trust you, too.

  His arms slipped around her and he gave her a hug. God, it felt so good.

  He released her but kept his hands on her hips. I’m forming the image now.

  She didn’t see it right away but she stayed relaxed and gradually opened her mind more and more to his. The image emerged of a large rock to the left with a flat, angled surface facing out. She described it to him.

  Hit it.

  With barely a flick of a thought, she sent a blast straight at the rock, though she withheld most of her power. When the killing energy hit, the rock flipped into the air, then landed almost back in the same spot.

  His deep voice hit her mind. Dead on. Let’s do it again.

  For the next fifteen minutes, he settled on dozens of objects one after the other. He’d also give her parameters for the hit. Blow the leaf off the tree or just cause it to wiggle. Make that rock jump five feet in the air or shift it to the left a centimeter.

  She worked at becoming easy with his commands and with his telepathic presence next to her. She got so she could respond within seconds to both the object and the killing strength. He was helping her build control.

  When she’d reached the point she could respond instantly to his commands and each hit was perfect, she stopped.

  Drawing away from him, she turned to face him. “You know what we should do. Why don’t we try distance?” She gestured to the wall behind him. “Let’s try you there and me here.”

  “Good idea. We should know if separation matters.”

  “Or how far apart we can be and still work this skill.”

  He took a quick look behind him then levitated backward landing a few inches in front of a sage plant. “Go ahead and face away from me.” His voice entered her mind once more. The base of the sissoo, tap the yellow flower of that weed.

  She lifted her arm and let her killing power bounce off the flower.

  He followed with three swift commands which she hit in stride. She turned to face him. “Easy-peasy.”

  His lips curved. For some reason, her comment made him smile. He looked young and relaxed. Her heart constricted hard. She wished she wasn’t so attracted to him. His green eyes flashed and with another sweep of levitation, he landed right in front of her again.

  She couldn't have looked away from him if she'd tried. His wolf scent, laced heavily with Madagascar vanilla, surrounded her in a sudden rush. “Oh, Braden. How am I ever –”

  He quieted her thoughts with his lips pressed to hers. She was so overcome, she parted her lips and had the supreme pleasure of feeling his tongue glide inside.

  Her knees buckled, but he caught her and held her upright. He kept on kissing her as well, thrusting and exploring her mouth. She’d forgotten how much she savored the pleasure of kissing, of feeling a man invade her in what was a very personal way.

  She slid her arms around his neck. Though they’d already had sex, this felt different. She knew him better and they were working as a team. This time, she was choosing to be closer.

  His body arched over hers and she heard a growl rumble in his throat.

  She drew back and saw that his green eyes now held a rim of gold. His nostrils flared. He looked like a wolf. She stroked his cheek. “I’m feeling the need to shift, probably because I was near death.”

  “I can feel it, too, as though your sanity requires it.”

  “It does. No question. But what I really need is a place to run. Though I should warn you, I’ll want sex afterward. I’ll need it and because you could be my mate, you’ll be in the cross-hairs.”

  She shivered. Everything was so different with Braden. This was sex on steroids and because she’d already had a taste, she wanted more. No, she craved more.

  “I’m not saying no.”

  He kissed her again.

  With his tongue pummeling her mouth once more, she swept her hands down his shoulders and gripped his arms. She wanted to feel his muscles flex beneath her touch as they had when he’d been driving into her.

  She pressed her body closer to his but it wasn’t long before he drew back. “I could take you right now.”

  “And I’d let you but I know you’ve got to shift. How about we head to a park?”

  “Good idea. There’s one not far from here and you can practice your levitation. But you should know that if we leave the Landing, there’s a chance Gammet may still be hunting for me. Or for you.”

  “Then we’ll deal with it.”

  He pulled her tight against him once more. “Do you have any idea how much I like you?”

  She chuckled
then caressed his face. “Yeah. And I feel the same way, dammit.”

  He grinned. “All right, let’s go. But as soon as my wolf has had his run, we’re heading back to your apartment.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  She rose into the air and headed straight for her protective spell barrier. He followed her then drew up beside her.

  There was never a problem passing from inside the barrier to the outside world. The spell only worked the other way around. Any of her rescues could leave her facility whenever they wanted. Getting back in was a serious problem, however, unless they’d made prior arrangements with her staff.

  Once outside on the street, Braden rose higher into the air, then shot in the direction of the park. She kept up with him easily and smiled the whole time. She could levitate.

  The trip was short since the park was only a few blocks away. She wasn’t surprised that the moment he saw a tree not only did he make his descent but with a full twenty feet to go, he simply shifted midair. His paws hit the grass with ease and he took off running.

  Wolves ran fast. Maeve knew that. But Braden, as a powerful alpha, became a streak of lightning.

  The park covered a square quarter-mile and had a couple hundred trees. The moonlight cast a silvery light on the grass below and the entire top part of the canopy above.

  She worked her new levitation skills and darted after him. She had no idea what this was like for him, but for one of the few times in her alter life, she was happy.

  ~ ~ ~

  Braden ran as hard and as fast as he could.

  He’d needed this like a tree needed its roots.

  His wolf had reached a point where a shift was going to happen whether he liked it or not.

  Running helped. A lot.

  He made his fifth circuit of the small park, with Maeve doing an outstanding job of flitting above him as she worked her new, extraordinary levitation skills. He was about to start slowing down, when he saw a warlock and five wolves all lined up the way they’d been in the Graveyard.

  Gammet and his five toughs.

  A few choice words rolled through his head.

  He drew to a stop, skidding on all four paws then reached for Maeve telepathically. We’ve got trouble.

  I’m right here. Are these the ones who tried to kill you in the Graveyard?