Burned

Prologue

     Blood. I could smell it from even here. That sickening, coppery scent. My stomach revolted at the idea of whose blood it most likely was. And, as I broke through the last of the trees, I saw what I wished I could desperately forget seeing.

      Ryan’s fangs were buried into her throat. Her violet eyes were wide in shock as her pale lips parted slightly. A name—her name—ripped unbidden from my throat as I gained my ground.

      “Clarity.”

      Ryan's name tumbled from her lips as she finally realized who her attacker was. Her hand lifted to her throat and the expression on her face was almost laughable. But I couldn’t think about that—I was still too far away. He still had time to kill her.

      She turned sharply with no warning, her knee slamming into his groin and her fist connecting with his gut. The vampire’s eyes widened in shock and she glared down at him. I was more than a little sure she was perfectly fine with killing him.

      “You son of a bitch!” she cried out incredulously. “You’re a bloody vampire! A vampire! You have got to be kidding me!”

      Ryan’s hand grabbed her wrist, dragging her close as his other hand tightened around her throat. Anger boiled deeply in my blood and I could feel the liquid heating as he glared down at her, his eyes flashing a bright gold.

      “Yes, my pet,” the Queen cooed from a few feet away. “Finish this. I want to go home and then work on conquering the other Kingdoms.”

      Clarity’s eyes flashed to Valin and I froze in my tracks. The look in her eyes—the look of sorrow and desperation—was all too familiar. I’d seen it the last time as I plunged the knife into her spirit and tore it apart. That agony was too much.

      Valin, ever the fighter, shot from the overgrowth, aiming for Ryan. The vampire evaded narrowly and Valin’s fist connected with the ground. Ice quickly expanded over the area and the elf Alric let out a slew of curses towards Valin.

      The obscenities went unnoticed as he lunged after the vampire—and that was when I caught sight of the Queen. The look on her face was one of pure hatred and the area around her began crackling with ice, expanding and almost touching the river before she turned tail and fled.

      Ryan’s arm tightened around Clarity as he moved and evaded. Her hands tightened in his shirt and begin glowing a mix of indigos. Heat burned my hands as I felt my own fire ignite.

      Valin missed once again but Ryan couldn’t dodge two people at once.

      My fist came forward, aflame with my fire, and Ryan jerked her forward just as my hand connected. Her eyes went wide and he dropped her, fleeing. Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard Valin give chase but I was in too much shock to follow.

      Clarity’s eyes were as wide as my own as she looked at the flames as they fell away. I had barely managed to catch her as Ryan released her. My lips parted softly but I didn’t dare speak. I knew the sound would come out as only a sob at best.

      “Jack…”

      “Clarity.” I was right as my voice came out thickly, tears threatening my eyes as I tried to form a straight thought. “I’m…He…I am—”

      This was my fault. I’d done this. I had ended her existence again. She would die once more because of me. That thought alone was nearly too much for my mind to process—too much to even begin to believe.

      “This isn’t your fault,” she gasped, her hand touching my arm gently as I cradled her body close. “This wasn’t…you’re fault, Jack. Go kill that bastard. And then the…the Icen Queen. You can’t…”

      Her body grew hotter in my arms and I knew what was happening—my fire was eating her alive from the inside out, incinerating every inch of her veins and organs while still leaving her outward body untouched. It had to be an unbearably painful experience and I was surprised she was even able to speak.

      Her eyes fell closed, her hand going limp against my arm and I tightened my hold on her, pressing her body firmly into my own as I held her head to my chest. It took everything I had to not burst into tears in that moment—to mourn the fact that I had lost her once again.

      I couldn’t say that I loved her. But she was still like Clarity—and that Clarity I had loved completely with no thoughts of hesitation or question. That Clarity I had given and given up everything to.

      “This isn’t over,” the elf said suddenly, his black eyes wide on the sight of us. “You go after the Icen Prince and the witchy. You have no purpose here anymore.”

      Anger at his words filled me but I had to admit he was right. Sitting here and holding her as she died was pointless—especially not when I had to exact my revenge on the cowardly bastard that had used her as a shield against me.

      I set her body down gently, cupping her cheek. She didn’t move and inch and I closed my eyes, my blood on fire as I stood. Alric brushed her hair back and shifted side to side, eyes darting between the two of us.

      “Anything happens to her, you rat, and you’ll have me to deal with,” I warned.

      I didn’t bother to give him a chance to reply as I turned and ran after the two. I would get my revenge and it would be sweet.