Endless

Fire and Life | Aleria

I paced in my room, waiting for the guys to come back. What if something had gone wrong? What if it had been a trap? Could griffons even be trapped by griffons? I ran my hand through my hair, shaking my head. I was being irrational, but I couldn't help myself. There was only one way to check. I dove into the small pile of belongings I'd brought from the hospital, searching for the business card Nick had given me.

I found it under a shoe, released a soft shout of glee, then shot to the telephone. I started tapping in the numbers, but stopped when the front door opened.

Power buffeted my back. Not Nick. Not Ryan. I slammed the receiver down and faced the intruder. The sight of his face seared a bright flash of pain through my head and I staggered back, putting distance between us.

This griffon was dangerous. Hundreds of little memories raced through my mind, featuring him killing the people I protected. I blinked and shook my head, trying to free up my thoughts to focus on the present. He gaped at me, as if initially shocked at my presence. A slow, leering grin appeared on his face, sending shivers cascading down my spine.

"Well, well," he said, skulking into the room. "This is a lovely surprise."

I slipped my hand into my pocket, squeezing Nick's lighter in my fist. "Wish I could say the same."

He closed the door. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment. The best part is, I won't have to share."

I tossed my head and pulled out the lighter, hiding it behind my back. Please, please, please let it be reliable. "Wouldn't want to disappoint," I said and sparked the lighter.

To my immense relief, the flame came to life. It was effortless to pull the fire into me. Second nature. My insides warmed and I dropped the lighter.

He stalked closer. "Here birdy, birdy."

I opened my hands, curling my fingers a little. With a tiny prompt of my will, two fireballs appeared in my palms. Not quite big enough, but then, the flame I'd started with was tiny. His leer faded and he paled. I threw both at him, aiming for his chest.

The fireballs impacted with small explosions, sending him flying back. I sprinted for the kitchen, lighting the oven and all of the stove's plates.

The griffon-Alick! That was his name. Alick roared in the sitting room. His power washed over me like a tidal wave, battering at my defenses. My heart hammered as I pushed back, fighting the draw he was trying to place on my soul. I needed to focus.

I placed my hands on the burning stove. The intense heat yanked my attention back to the fire. Hot fire. Blue flames. Lovely. This I could work with.

Alick burst into the kitchen. I vaulted over the counter and kicked him squarely in the face before landing. He staggered back, buying me more time. I drew in more fire, running for the supply cabinet. I grabbed a mop and sprinted for the fire alarm.

Alick grabbed me by the hair, yanking back with enough force to bring tears to my eyes. "Oh no you don't." He shoved his power against my defenses, trying to access my soul against my will.

Even though Alick wasn't as strong as Ryan, I'd buckle in a matter of minutes. I slammed the mop's handle to his temple. The wood snapped from the force of the hit. It infuriated him, but at least his focus was gone. I beat my head back against his face, earning a blistering curse and a slackening in my hair.

I scrambled away, gripping the broken mop in my hands. The fire alarm. I needed to deactivate it. I took aim and threw the mop like a javelin at the smoke sensor.

It hit home, shattering the unit.

Alick roared and dove into me from behind, slamming my body into the hard marble floors.

"So," he growled in my ear, pinning me down. "You're their dirty little secret. Why they didn't want to meet me here. Which one are you fucking? Or is it both?"

I narrowed my eyes. Let the idiot talk. He had no focus. First thing he should have done was turn off the stove. I drew in all the fire I could get. It warmed me like a mother's hug. It ran through my blood like lava.

I lit myself up like a roman candle, setting us both alight. His disadvantage: griffs don't do well with fire. Alick screamed and jerked away, rolling to kill the flames. I lit up the rest of the apartment, multiplying my power tenfold. The flames licked at the marble tiles as if I'd poured kerosene on them. Nothing could kill the flames now. Only me.

Alick screamed, his rolling growing frantic.

I made the flames white hot. "I'm pretty sure I warned you about attacking me," I said, watching. The cloying stench of burning hair and flesh invaded my nostrils. God, I hated this.

"Mercy!" he wailed. "I beg you!"

I couldn't go through with it. For some reason I couldn't explain, I kept myself from killing him. I sighed and let the flames drift off him while I headed for the bedrooms. Maybe there was something important I should save. Suddenly, Alick's power came at me again. When I turned, I found him on his feet and glaring at me. His jaw clenched and he pressed his power against my defenses again.

I snarled and grabbed the first thing at hand-a kitchen chair-and hurtled it at him feet first. The force of my throw pinned him to the wall opposite me. His power instantly faded.

His chest rattled. The flames grew white hot as I summoned all of the blaze's heat to me, watching him. He leaned his head back against the wall, blood dribbling out of his mouth. This time, he requested no mercy. Just as well, because I had none left to spare him.

"Ali, no!"

Ryan.

I closed my eyes. "Walk away," I commanded. He couldn't come too close.

"Please," he said, moving up behind me. I flinched back, afraid of burning him. "Don't. You're better than this."

There was no threat from him. Even as I felt his draw, I knew it was different. Alick was about greed, Ryan was about protecting me. Still, he shouldn't be this close. Not while I was in full power.

"Please," he said again, taking another step closer. If he came any nearer, he'd die just from proximity. I was burning too hot for any griffon to survive. His face was set with pain already. How was he withstanding this?

"Stop," I said. "You need to move away."

"Think, Ali. You hate killing. Don't do this."

How did he know? Was it a lucky guess? Because he was right. Even now, the thought of killing Alick repulsed me. Still, I swallowed and focused on Alick. The faster I took him out, the sooner things would be safe for Ryan.

"No!" Ryan rushed me and pressed his hand to my cheek, forcing me to look at him instead. His skin sizzled. I could smell it burning. "Ali..." He gasped in pain. His skin blistered and he collapsed.

I cried out and let go of the fire, catching Ryan as he fell. My whole body was shaky, giving way under his weight.

"Ryan!" I shouted, but nothing happened. Only Alick's eternal death rattle reached my ears.

Then I felt it, a feeble pull. Ryan. I held onto him, closing my eyes. After everything he had done to protect me I couldn't let him die. I closed my eyes and opened my defenses, basically handing over my soul. My life drained out of me. First slowly, then faster as his power grew. Once it started, it wouldn't stop. I caressed his face, watching the blisters fade away as he healed. Hopefully he'd understand that this was a gift; that he wouldn't have to feel guilty.

Eek! What do you think will happen now? What did you think of Aleria finding her inner badass? Let me know in the comments. I love reading what you guys think. And please do remember to vote if you enjoyed this section. :-)