Chapter Twenty Touched by Fire #2
"He killed them, Nox," she whispered, her voice breaking.
"He killed my mother, my father, and then—then he tried to kill me."
Her body trembled, and she instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around her knees, as though she could hold herself together that way.
The tremors shook her, every word, every memory, coming back to haunt her in full force.
Nox stayed silent for a moment, he just watched her, his eyes softening in understanding--not pity.
"I have this nightmare." He started, "it's more of a fear formed into a nightmare that could very well become reality."
He sighed, the sound filled with sorrow.
"Cias will command me to kill those that I love."
Adan thought it was a mercy that Nox did not look upon her in pity.
She blinked and he blurred in her vision.
She could do nothing to stop the two tears that fell down both cheeks.
He slowly reached over, as if afraid she might claw at him.
Once he knew it was safe, he brushed her soft skin with his knuckles, one cheek at a time.
"Sometimes I see people I have already lost, but it's the ones I love that are still living that cut the deepest. Those are the ones that wake me in a cold sweat." His green filled with despair and Adan wanted to reach out to comfort him.
Wanted him to know that she understood how he felt--viscerally.
"Have you ever done this?" She waved a hand to the destruction. On cue, his desk, and the tray from earlier finally succumbed and clattered to the floor pointedly. It was as if the Gods were mocking her.
"No, love. I have never let my power get the best of me."
She narrowed her eyes at the comment, the arrogance. Even now, he pushed her and she bared her teeth.
"Prick. Can't you ever just be civil?"
"It's not in my nature." He grinned, the look he gave her was dazzling, beguiling.
It turned her temper sour. The fact that he could be this insufferable and yet devastatingly handsome.
She hated him for it. The fact that he had this much power over her.
That she continued to pour her heart out to him.
That he had that much effect over her—It was unacceptable.
He had a partner, for gods' sake... he was completely off limits.
If only to distract her from the burning in her cheeks, she said, "I am sorry, about the room."
"It's fine, Asha has been dying to renovate for months. I'm sure she will thank you the next time the two of you cross paths." He was flippant, but suddenly grave. "Has this ever happened before?"
"Not in a very long time." Adan would have liked to blame the incubus had the dream been different.
It was a memory more than a dream--nightmare.
Even if Theo had managed to get inside her head, she could only create new thoughts, not Adan's memories.
She mentally checked those walls now, finally having the strength to haul them back up.
Nox's lush mouth dipped at the ends. Adan worried that he was suspecting Theo too.
Adan almost came to the incubus's defence when he said, "come." He stood and offered her his hand. It was then that she noticed the healing burn on the back of it that he tried and failed to conceal.
She snatched it up and turned it in her palms. "I did this." It wasn't a question, even as it healed before her eyes. It had to have been horrific for it to just finish heeling now.
He hid the shiver that raced up his spine as her thumbs brushed his hand. She turned it over again, his thumb rubbing the back of hers. The same way she had done to him moments before. Nox looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it.
Adan eyed him critically, it was odd for the demon to bite his tongue.
Instead of talking, Nox moved, swooping underneath Adan's body. Strong arms scooped her up and she had no choice but to throw her arms around his tattooed neck as he carried her over the carnage that she had inflicted.
"I can walk!" She squirmed, and he swiftly deposited her over the threshold. Adan noticed immediately that Nox was right, he had contained her flames to his room.
"Can't you ever just my accept help?" He chided.
Her mouth snapped shut, pressing into a firm line.
She was so used to having her guard up that she couldn't even see that he was helping. She was barefoot and instead of her tracking though ash and dirt, he had carried her. Not that he had asked. The brute had just done what he wanted. Adan suspected that was who he was—innately—at his core.
He would always act first, and then ask for permission later—if at all.
"You're an arrogant ass, I hope you know that." She wanted the words to hold bark, but she found herself slightly smiling.
The bastard.
He grinned. "I've been told that, once or twice."
"Thank you." She sighed, realizing that she had not done so yet. "For stopping the fire."
"... And saving your life?" He winked.
"Shut up and take my gratitude, Obbie." She beamed bright at the shock on his face. At the nickname Asha used for him. She burned the image of him into her mind, with his dropped jaw and wide green eyes.
He managed to compose himself. "I think I prefer you to call me an arrogant ass, love."
"You really should stop calling me that, what would Asha think?" Her eyes darted away.
Dangerous territory.
"What do you mean?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, he looked completely perplexed.
"Well... I don't think your partner-mate-girlfriend would like it if she knew." She stumbled on her words as his face contorted. "I mean—if I was your— I mean... I wouldn't like it if you—"
Nox burst out laughing, grabbing hold of his middle.
It was Adan's turn to furrow her brows, confused. "Okay... I know the thought of me as your partner is probably hilarious, but you don't have to be such an asshole about it." She pined her fists to her hips as she watched the hulking male keel over with laughter.
He finally reached his full height and sighed, brushing a tear from his eye. Those green eyes twinkled with unbridled amusement. "Oh, Adan. Asha isn't my mate... she's my mother." The shock on Adan's face almost had Nox in another fit of laughter.
"I thought you said your mother was dead."
"No. I said she was a whore. Not once did I say that she had died. I keep Asha and my relationship a secret so that no one will know how to use her against me." He grinned down at the tiny assassin.
"Oh." Adan's full lips stayed in a perfect O shape and Nox could not drag his eyes away from them.
"Oh?" He studied her face, the shock, the beautiful way her mis-matched eyes dilated in his presence.
Nox took a step towards her, assessing every small twitch of her face and grinned wider.
"Is that relief I'm sensing, princess?" He knew he was spot on when her dark brown brows knitted together in anger.
"What?!" She balked. "Yes... relief in knowing that your mother is alive."
"I'll let her know that you hold her in such high regard." He mocked, knowing full well that that was not what she was thinking. She was relieved that he wasn't entangled with anyone, and just for clarity he started, "and before you ask, no there isn't anyone--mate or otherwise."
"That is not what I..." she sighed, her head falling back to look up at the ceiling. "Unlike some people, I don't care what you do in your own personal time."
"Is that so?" He grinned, his pine green eyes dropping to her mouth, "you're such a liar." He turned to leave. "You can't hide the truth from me, love." He could feel her silently seething behind him. "Don't burn down the building while I'm gone."
She almost called out to him, to ask where he was going, but didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
Adan knew she was not going back to sleep anytime soon, not that she tried. Even so, she no longer had a room to do so. Instead, she mulled over what happened over a pot of coffee. Nox had excused himself, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
It wasn't until he was gone that she realized what he had said and done.
She rushed to find the closest awake person in her vicinity. To Adan displeasure it was Theo.
"I need to speak with Czandra Beflore."
Theo eyed her with distaste, but said, "The vampire whore is around here somewhere. Lennox already summoned her--she arrived late last night." She brushed past Adan without another word.
Adan was ready to smash her face in at the title that Theo had chosen for her friend. She was ready to stalk after her and rearrange her attitude with Adan's fists when the Harkness Brothers appeared.
"Good morning, Adan." Smiled the youngest brother. Thammas only nodded his head in greeting as they headed towards the kitchen behind her.
Adan sighed, and followed the brothers into the kitchen. She pointedly ignored Theo's glare as she sat down at the table with her mug of coffee. She felt Thammas's eyes on her, he no doubt knew about her accident with her fire, but he said nothing.
"Where is Czandra?" I asked no one in particular.
Theo sniffed pointedly over her coffee mug, "Why does it smell like barbecue in here?"
Thammas ignored the short incubus, and glanced pointedly at Adan. "She should be up anytime now."
"Glad to see you are feeling better, Adan."
Ren smiled as he took the seat across from her.
He held two plates in his hands, one he slid over to her.
It was filled with eggs, blood sausage, ham, and potatoes.
She grinned at the blonde-haired male who was growing on Adan.
It was easy when he was so thoughtful and kind, unlike his suspicious older brother.
"Thank you, Ren." Adan smiled down at the plate, and then at Ren for his kindness in thinking of her. "And yes, I am feeling better." She entirely ignored the fact that the smell Aster mentioned was coming from her. Mentally, she was ruined, she needed Czandra to wake up--and soon.
Adan took a deep breath and focused on the warmth of the food in front of her, trying to push the tangled mess of thoughts and feelings out of her mind.