TO LIE WITH MIDNIGHT ROSES

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RENESSA

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Flames erupt from the palms of my hands, hot and heavy and burning with rage.

Seeing Xavier had created an abundance of mixed emotions because I want to hate him, I need to hate him but part of me cannot seem to let go of this one emotion buried deep inside my chest and as our eyes meet, I feel it.

"I felt you."

I glare at him, as his words catch me off guard, not quite understanding what he means.

"You're energy, I could feel it all around me, I had to find you."

"And what is it that you want?"

The flames flicker, reflecting off Xavier's face and I can see his jaw tighten and his body tense as he searches for an answer.

"What do you want from me?" I ask again, frustrated and impatient as he stands in silence as if I'm not already trapped here, as if he hadn't hurt me, as if I haven't dealt with enough. Yet here he stands before me with no answer.

The energy coursing through my body feels deeper than I've felt it before, as if before there was something blocking it, holding me back but now it feels more intense, more pleasurable as it pulses through me and I almost don't want it to stop.

I feel in control.

"Renessa..." His voice is cautionary and as I furrow my brows he takes a step forward reaching toward my wrist as if to grab me or stop me.

Quickly, I pull away from his touch and as my hand shoots down toward the ground the flames follow its path.

Suddenly, the ground snaps and cracks and flames shoot up from scattered branches and leaves, circling around me as the flames grow larger creating space between us. Xavier becomes a silhouette, a shadow, a flicker between the flames and my skin grows hot and in the blink of an eye, I've lost control already.

I can hear Roman calling to Jade, Finley's voice an echo in the distance and then Jade is saying something, trying to stop the flames but the angrier I feel the larger they grow. I feel myself tremble, my legs growing weaker as my hands shake and suddenly I cannot breathe.

The waves are crashing over me again, pulling me under, I gasp for air between short and shallow breaths but it's not enough. My chest tightens as I fall to my knees, hot tears brimming at my lashes. I dig my hands into the ground, focusing on what I can feel and then I feel... him.

Xavier's hands wrap around me, picking me up and pulling me into him.

"I got you," He whispers, "Close your eyes and hold your breath for me."

We move quickly, moving with the wind instead of against it. He stops, letting me catch my breath every now and then before he finally sets me down and when I open my eyes I realize he's taken me back to his cabin.

The floorboards squeak beneath our footsteps as we make our way toward the living room, the books that were scattered across the floor all those nights ago were placed back on the shelf ever so neatly.

The silence between us lingers now with every step and as I suck in a deep breath, turning to look at him, he speaks.

"You looked magnificent with that fire in your eyes," He says, " The wind blowing through your hair. That's the first time I've ever really seen you look alive... the first time I've really seen you."

I ignore the fluttering in my chest, focusing on the matter at hand and the fact that my heart should not be fluttering at all.

"Well, it doesn't really matter. I lost control, I could've hurt someone."

"If I hadn't shown up and taken matters into my own hands, you could've died and we can't have that now, can we?"

"That's rich, coming from you considering-"

"Renessa."

He cuts me off and I feel annoyed and yet amused that he is even this concerned.

"I told you I wouldn't let you die. Let me help you, you can learn to control your energy."

"I will learn just fine on my own. Besides, Finley is here to help, not you... you'd only get in the way, or encourage me to do something I shouldn't and I can't hurt you."

The last part slips between my lips faster than my heart beats and for a moment I hold my breath.

Xavier's expression stiffens as he steps toward me. His voice rumbles which startles me but something else washes over me too, chills inching up my arms as his eyes focus intently on mine.

"Here you are, worried about hurting me when I'm the one who hurt you..." He shakes his head, "Drench me in gasoline, for all I care, strike a new match and set me on fire."

My body stills, head tilting as I blink up at him.

"My heart, my mind, my soul. Set me ablaze and hurt me, tell me there is no going back. Go ahead and burn me, little fairy, take all your rage and all your energy that courses through your veins and drench me in it."

Xavier takes another step towards me, eyes darkening as his presence looms over top of mine, and yet I'm not the slightest bit frightened and I should be.

I should be terrified of what he did to me in a moment of weakness, in a moment of vulnerability but there's something in his eyes that tells me there's more.

Even though my heart hammers against my chest with a warning tune that hums through my ears, all I can focus on is him.

"I need you like that, Renessa."

His voice is low as his words etched their way into my mind, engraving their way into my heart and I could feel my soul pulling towards him. Craving him now, maybe even more than Vampires crave blood. More than he craved mine.

My eyes flicker to his lips and then quickly back up to meet his.

"I'd let you set me on fire if that's what you wanted."

He stops for a moment, hesitating as I suck in a deep breath. He glides his tongue along his teeth, exposing his sharp fangs as he tilts his head down towards me.

"I once said trying to control you was like trying to control a forest fire, but there's no need to try when you already are one."

I blink and between a breath and a heartbeat, he's closer.

"Renessa, cause me all the trouble in the world, you can make my life a living hell. I will walk through those flames time and time again, for you. I need you that fucking bad... I'd let you do anything to me."

I try to form words to respond, but instead, I'm lost in his eyes, wanting to tilt my head up, to inch myself closer, to feel his lips... instead I feel his chin rest against my forehead as he whispers.

"But that's the problem."