Immortal Fire - Book One

“Well, what do we have here?” Trying to make out where Hunter was, was difficult as my eyes tried to adjust to the sudden darkness. A hand grabbed mine and I swung my other arm in the person’s direction, contacting their head with a solid thump.

“Shit Aria, relax, it’s me.” Hayden was rubbing his head vigorously on the spot where I had accidentally hit him.

“Sorry”

“We need to get out of here now. Come on.” Hayden dragged me through the darkness. I couldn’t see well enough yet, but it was better than before. We were nearly at the car when a fierce growling started right behind us. Hayden stopped immediately and pulled me to a stop with him.

“Don’t move or make a sound. Do you understand me? You move for nothing.” He whispered to me in earnest.

Nodding very slightly, I could feel my heart beating in my chest. The growling became louder and more aggressive. The only thing that it could have been was the Hell Hounds. The odor of burning and rotting had also become more prominent in the air around us. It was making me want to gag. Bile rose in my throat, stinging as I tried to hold it down.

My eyes, now fully adjusted to the darkness, could make out Hayden’s tense form in front of me; he was looking around as the Hell Hounds were circling us.

One leaped for us, and Hayden knocked the hound back with a punch to the snout and brought the gleaming sword down on its side. Black blood poured from the hound as it staggered back slightly. The blood dripping on the tarmac was bubbling and eating away at the ground where it landed. I wanted to scream, but Hayden had told me to stay silent and I had an idea that he probably knew what he was talking about considering he knew what the dogs were, to begin with.

Hunter was laughing as he appeared before us and shushed the hounds.

“Do you think that I will let you take her brother?” Hunter said mockingly to Hayden.

“Do not call me that. You are no brother of mine anymore Hunter; you fucking disgust me.”

“Oh Hayden, that stung.” The malice in Hunter’s tone proved otherwise. It was obvious that the two brothers despised each other. “Now why don’t you hand over the whore and maybe, just maybe, I will spare you for now…,” said Hunter.

Whore?! My temper flared.

“Hey!” I shouted. I could not help it. He had just called me a whore. Hayden stiffened at my outburst.

“Aria, keep quiet please.” He said between clenched teeth. He was probably right. Hunter was now glaring at me. There was such loathing in that look, that the next words I had prepared disappeared from my mind.

“So, brother, what will it be?” Hunter asked, sounding bored, yet annoyed.

My heart stopped. Hayden was keeping quiet in front of me, and I thought he was going to give me to Hunter. He was taking far too long to answer Hunter.

“No,” Hayden said determinedly. Hunter and I both looked at Hayden in shock. My heart swelled in gratitude towards Hayden.

“Fine; have it your way.” Hunter cracked his neck and then whistled. The hounds sprung up and were circling us again. Hayden cursed and grabbed me, pulling me tight against him in a protective stance.

“Stay close” He all but growled at me.

Hunter took a step back into the shadows and smirked at me. What a bastard. Clutching on to Hayden for dear life, my heart was beating at an alarming rate.

Sweat had begun to pour down my back as the adrenaline kicked in. My hand had started to burn again; looking down, I saw that it was glowing. The power radiating from my hand was like nothing before. Instinct kicked in and I knew what to do.

“Hayden, get down now!” Yanking on him was productive as pulling a mountain. He was in an attack stance and watching the snarling hounds.

“Aria, not now, I’m kind of occupied right now in case you hadn’t noticed. I’m not exactly sitting on my ass having a beer.” Men. I could punch him right now.

“Get down, you are a fucking idiot; I know what to do to get us out of here!” Hayden snuck a glance at me then and finally understood as he saw my flame-engulfed hand.

“Well, why didn’t you just say so?”

“Really; what do you think I have been trying to tell you, you are big, annoying, frustrating…”

A hound stormed at us, and Hayden knocked it back a few feet. Shaking off the pain from the blow, he now faced me.

“Technically annoying and frustrating could be the same thing,” he said with a wink.

“Oh, for the love of God, just get down!” I shoved him down which was much easier this time as he complied. “Cover your eyes.” Hayden did as I said. Standing and facing the hounds that were ready to pounce on us, I lifted my hand and prayed to whoever was listening that this worked. The words came, just as I knew they would.

“Libera in igne, venerunt tibi. Libera me et pone.”

“No!” It was Hunter shouting as I felt the power leave my hand and sapphire flames slam into the surrounding area with enough force that the windows of the convenience store shattered, and the tarmac started cracking apart. The light was blinding, and I forced my eyes closed as the power started to ebb. Once the flames had fully receded, I just stood there in shock. The hounds and Hunter were gone.

Scanning the surrounding area and damage, I told Hayden to get up. The gas station’s sign was swinging as it dangled treacherously from the roof.

“They’re gone,” I said numbly, still looking around. What had I just done? Hayden looked around with disbelief clear on his face as he dusted himself off. With a whistle of disbelief, “Damn.” was all he said.

“Management is going to be pissed.” He snickered, still looking around at the carnage and catching a glimpse of the store clerk peaking from behind the counter at us with wide eyes. He was worried about what the management would think. Seriously?

“We better go. I don’t trust that Hunter would have stayed for that now that he has that little disappearing trick.” He looked around once more, whistled at the destruction again with a shake of his head, and then started towards the car.

“Oh, thank God!” He was inspecting his Jaguar for any damage and was pleased that nothing had been affected. Shaking my head in disbelief that, of all the things to be relieved about, he was relieved that I had not hurt his Jaguar, I headed towards the car.

Climbing in and buckling up, my hand felt like someone had just branded me. Jerking my hand up to my face for inspection, I started to freak out.