Chapter 53
Going back to sleep hadn’t been an option, not after she’d gotten out of the shower to find the burn mark she’d left on the floor.
Vega had used the fire in her sleep… and she hadn’t known it.
She took a right hook to the jaw, and her vision scattered with stars.
Leo winced, charging towards her with hands outstretched. “I’m so sorry, oh my gods.”
Vega had begged him to spar with her, specifically in the fancy ring where they could use their powers—she wanted to see what someone else using fire near her would feel like.
Would she crave it?
Why didn’t she feel the need to reach for the shifting power when she was around Khort? Or the invisibility when someone from Amora was around her?
Why was Vulcan the loudest?
Death was agitated inside her, pacing in a giant circle inside her mind, disagreeing with Vega’s attempt to test this out.
Leo had hesitated, finally giving in when she promised to warm up with him in the sparring mat first.
Vega couldn’t get out of her head, couldn’t get herself to focus on what she was doing.
Meyer’s death.
The anticipation of feeling someone else’s fire.
Hearing him again…
All of it swarmed her head.
Vega rubbed her jaw, flexing it open and closed. “Fuck.” She held her hand out, stopping Leo. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Nice hit.”
“I don’t want to do this anymore,” Leo said with a sigh.
“Why? Because you hit me? I’ve been hit harder,” Vega said, trying to reassure him.
He squinted his eyes, mouth opening a few seconds before he said anything. “I don’t know what I hate worse now. Hitting you and knowing Bridger might kill me if he finds out or the fact that you told me I hit like a wimp.”
Oh, now he’s worried about Bridger killing him?
Vega rolled her eyes, the pain in her jaw almost gone completely. “I didn’t say that, and Bridger won’t get mad. We’re training.”
“Uh-huh, sure.” Leo went to grab his things, but Vega ran around him, blocking him from his bag in the corner. “What are you doing?”
“What are you doing?” she retorted.
“We’re done for the day.” He stared at her with serious eyes, the crimson flecks in them catching Vega’s attention as they usually did.
“No, we aren’t. You’re going in the big ring with me,” Vega told him, pointing across the room, where a few people from the mines trained. “Leo, please.” She stuck out her bottom lip, slouching her shoulders.
“Not gonna work, Princess,” he responded with a sly grin and a boop to the nose. Vega swatted him away, but that didn’t stop him. “I bet you can con one of them into fighting you. I’m sure they’d love to land a blow to Marlena’s sister.”
Even the mention of her name made Vega pause, reeling her back into her head and all the questions she had.
Another that kept popping up was, Is this what Marlena feels? The power?
Death growled, its shadows melting from the dragon form, reaching for Vega.
Her lightning sprang to life, zapping it back in shape. It bared its teeth, snapping.
I have to know. It wasn’t Death who wanted others’ powers. How much control did the gods have of her?
Vega watched as Leo saw himself out. She huffed a breath, grumbling as she watched him walk away. With Leo gone, she slipped out of the current ring and made her way to the group of freed miners waiting for their turn on the big mat.
A girl who couldn’t have been more than sixteen or seventeen turned, eyes lighting with excitement when they landed on Vega.
Vega waved politely at the group, introducing herself as she always did. “How are you all settling in?” Really, she did hope they were feeling at home here in Vincere, but her current motivations weren’t for the sake of being welcoming.
The young girl with the bouncy blonde bob answered. “This place is insane. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.” Her hair fluttered over her cheek as she looked at the people around her.
Most of them were fire-wielders. Vega knew without having to ask. She could feel it.
“We can’t thank you enough for—”
Vega shook her head with a polite smile. “Please, don’t thank me. I wish I could apologize for what my sister put you all through, but it won’t change anything.” She had spent too much time apologizing for Marlena. Vega couldn’t do it for the rest of her life.
The blonde, to Vega’s surprise, laughed. “I mean, I burned down my community viewing center… I knew what would happen to me even before doing it.”
“You were fourteen, Ro. The mines weren’t a place for children,” Helena said, making her presence known as she walked up from behind Vega.
Ro shrugged her shoulders. “I took a stance, and Marlena didn’t like it. You’re lucky she didn’t come after you as punishment.”
Vega noticed the resemblance then. Their flawless dark-olive skin, the slight uptilt in their noses. If they weren’t sisters, they had to be related closely somewhere else in their lineage.
“I was untouchable in my position,” Helena said with a smile.
What she meant by that, Vega didn’t care.
“I got lucky. I was the youngest there, and people felt bad. It wasn’t all that awful… for me, at least.” Ro smiled at Vega, like she was trying to impress her.
Helena changed the subject without warning. “Leo mentioned you’re looking for a fire-wielder who isn’t afraid of Bridger’s backlash.” Vega wasn’t a jealous person, per se, but the way she purred his name made her consider letting Death have some fun with her.
“Don’t let her get to you.” It was the first time they’d spoken since he’d left the bathroom this morning.
Vega could feel his presence in the room but couldn’t see him from where she stood. “I guess you could say that,” Vega told her. “I suppose that’s you, huh?”
Helena pulled her hair into a tight high pony. “If you’re up for a challenge, yes.”
Bridger’s breathy laugh rose the hair on her arms as he approached from behind. “I wouldn’t be so cocky.”
Vega might have been gone for fifty-five years, but she wasn’t without her memories anymore. It was like riding a bike, coming back to her powers and skills. Her body wasn’t a weak little thing anymore—no, this version of her was deadlier than any of the others combined.
Even though Death had been scolded, it still flicked its tail of shadows in wait.
Vega had learned one thing since they’d returned to Tolevarre. Death would protect her like nothing else ever had, not even herself.
“God or not, you can still be outsmarted in combat.” Helena crossed her arms and popped her hip.
Ro spoke through the side of her mouth. “Helena.” She drew out her name, eyes nervously bouncing between her and Vega.
“You’re not wrong.” Vega wasn’t scared of Helena—no, she was too afraid of herself these days to worry about anyone else.
Bridger gently grabbed Vega by the forearm before she could head for the ring. “She’ll be there in five minutes.”
Vega looked down at his hand first and then up at his face. He looked exhausted despite sleeping for over an entire day. He pulled her to the side, still within eavesdropping distance of the group.
A sound shield wrapped around them, to no one’s surprise. “Is everything okay?” Vega asked, eyebrows knitting together.
“Yeah.” He pulled her against him. The sound shield didn’t hide them from view, allowing the entire room to see this moment.
Though most were trying to make it look like they weren’t watching…
Seeing Bridger and Vega back together was probably something no one had ever expected to see. Fuck, it was something Vega had never expected to see.
She breathed in his familiar scent, letting it calm her racing heart as he slipped his arms around her.
“I’ve got to head to the mines for a bit, look around and see if I can find a list of names for who was there.
The paperwork Khort brought back only accounts for half the bodies we brought in.
” Bridger ran his hands up and down her arms, like he was soothing her—or maybe it was himself he was trying to comfort?
“I just wanted to say goodbye before I left.”
Vega tilted her head back, his hand moving up the length of her body to settle on the back of her neck. “I can come with you.” Vega hummed at his soft touch.
“No.” Bridger’s hand slid from the back of her neck to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing the outline of her chin. “Go kick Helena’s ass and show everyone what happens when they underestimate you.”
“You’ll be back tonight?” she asked, a sense of worry creeping into her chest.
“Before you know it,” he replied, leaning in and kissing her like it was the last one they’d ever have. Bridger didn’t hold back. He didn’t care about the eyes on them. His kiss made Vega weak in the knees.
When he pulled back, Vega was almost gasping for air. Had she forgotten to breathe?
Even Death purred, the sound too clicky to be feline.
“I love you.” He placed a small kiss on the tip of her nose and let her go, stepping away as he let the sound shield down around them.
Something’s not right. Her gut twisted, and Death stilled.
Vega usually regretted it when she didn’t follow her intuition, but she reminded herself Bridger had just lost his best friend. The fact he was out of bed and trying to go about his normal life this soon after was a feat Vega wasn’t sure she’d be able to do if she’d lost Arlet.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?”
Vega nodded, watching him go. Halo stepped out of the shadows, unfolding his arms as his frosty-green eyes met hers.
“You coming or what, Caelum?” Helena called, waiting for her in the ring.
Halo followed Bridger out of the training center, disappearing behind the closing doors.
With Bridger out of sight, Vega turned and reached for the doorway between their minds. It was open.
That settled her enough for Vega to ground her powers and step into the ring, rolling her shoulders and wiggling her fingers. Her lightning hissed to life in her hands, ready to play.
Someone from the outside hit the button, and the shield traveled from the floor to the ceiling, locking into place.