Make Me Burn: Fireborne, Book 2 (34 page)

But the sand soothed her.
He released us. He gave us what we needed. We can do no less for him.

The blue-white flames glowed more brightly, so brightly they almost hurt her eyes. Then, without conscious direction from Aziza, her hands cupped Ram’s face.

He gasped. “Aziza? What are you doing? How…?”

In that moment, a light—so bright all the Enforcers in the room covered their eyes and turned away—hid his body. The two on the floor prayed for the Vessel to show them mercy.

Where had
their
mercy been?

But she had no time for them. All she knew was the fire and the light. All she cared about was Ram.

She saw him diving into the water to save Penn. Saw him with her on the roof before she took the second vial.

She knew him. And what was inside her knew him too. Cared for him.

Ram.

When the light dimmed he was no longer hunched over. His shirt was still shredded but the bruises on his face were already healing.

“Aziza, what did you do?” he whispered. “How?”

She shook her head, not knowing how to answer him. “Time to go.”

When she turned, Brandon was standing just outside the open door and watching her with an unreadable expression. But she could feel him now. His emotions. The regret. The lingering jealousy.

The love.

He moved out of her way without a word, and she walked past him with Ram close behind her. No one would dare touch him now.

Greg, Penn and Hillary, who were talking quietly with Devil in the foyer, went silent when the Fireborne descended the stairs, still burning.

“Mother fucking hell,” Greg whispered. “We heard an explosion but—Aziza Jane?”

When she reached the bottom step, she turned toward the ballroom, listening to the thoughts of all the werewolves gathered inside and the hatred that had been bred into them. Her arrival had only increased the zeal of the fanatics and had created dread and mistrust in those who craved change and peace.

This time when they stilled and turned toward the door, they had reason to fear.

“You call me yours.” Her voice rose in an eerie echo that filled the room. “You claim me, but I will not claim you. You are not the children of Justice. Your laws are twisted now, mutations of what they should have been—a travesty of justice.”

She pointed at the floor in front of her and watched as a thin stream of fire ran along the polished hardwood. The crowd drew back and then gasped as the flames found the Alpha and encircled him, separating him from them.

“Your leader is twisted as well,” she told them. “As long as he is
the
Alpha you will be led from your true path. Your true purpose. There was another meant to guide you. Not in war, but toward true balance. I name Devlin Nash the Alpha.”

William Nash’s eyes were cold, more vindictive and malicious than afraid.

The Fireborne smiled back at him. “I did as you asked. The Vessel was here. The Fireborne. Touch one hair of those under my protection again and I will burn the world you say you built in my name to ash.”

She willed the fire she’d started to die and watched in amazement as it diminished and then disappeared without hurting anyone. Without hurting the Alpha, despite Aziza’s personal desire.

When she left the mansion, with Greg, Penn and Ram following at a wary distance behind her, she was the only thing still burning.

Chapter Thirteen

Aziza couldn’t put the fire out completely. Not even when she was sitting alone with Ram and West in the backseat of the speeding limo.

And it
was
speeding. Apparently the Alpha’s hired driver couldn’t get them home fast enough for any of them. Someday she might feel sorry for him—he hadn’t wanted to take them anywhere until she threatened him with a fireball. Of course, he hadn’t wanted to take them anywhere after, either, but he’d been too afraid not to.

When West and Chiye came running up from the street to catch them as the driver was opening her door, Aziza—or the Mayet, she still wasn’t sure which—had ordered Greg and Chiye to join Penn and Hillary in the other car and meet them back at the flat. The keeper’s child and her exile were the only two she trusted herself to be with until she regained control. She didn’t question the logic. It felt true.

She studied her fingers and watched the flames cling to her hand and dance on her skin. It was beautiful. Hypnotic. And it could heal others as well as destroy.

A fact her blood hadn’t revealed until she’d seen Ram’s suffering.

West, who was sitting on the opposite seat from her and the still-silent Jinn, leaned forward. “Aziza Jane, before we get to your aunt’s I should tell you to expect Chiye’s heartfelt apology. Our girl is punishing herself more than anyone else could for her part in Ram’s capture.”

Ram spoke up, his voice sounding raw and rough. “There was no way for her to know a trip through the tunnels would end the way it did. I should have been paying attention. I should have been the one who went to the townhouse for more supplies.”

West reached out and patted Ram’s knee. “I have to thank you for what you did, my friend. I went to…meet someone and I didn’t see it. I’m not sure why. I didn’t think they would use her as bait, threaten her life, unless you came with them.”

Aziza tensed. They’d threatened Chiye as well?

Her anger sizzled again, her pain coiling around her like a living thing, cutting off her air. “It isn’t her fault. Brandon and his Enforcers were determined to exact their pound of flesh from Ram. Determined enough to try and get away with it right under my nose.”

How could he? How could Brandon, of all people, have fooled her so completely? He loved her, she’d sensed the truth of it when she was there. But not enough to understand how much Ram meant to her. Not enough to take her side.

“You were right, Ram,” she whispered. “He’s just like the rest of the dogs. Hate and violence are all they know.”

Ram swore and reached out to grip her fingers, hissing when the flames burned his skin. She gasped and put them out with a thought. “Careful.”

“No,” he growled. “You need to be careful, Aziza. This wasn’t Brandon’s doing. I heard his bitch speaking to the men who were using me as a punching bag. The Alpha ordered my death, not my capture. Somehow, Brandon found out and took over, demanding I be brought in alive for questioning. The men were afraid they’d be punished for disobedience, and Natalie was assuring them Brandon would protect them from his father.”

“They beat you. Broke your bones…” He’d been in agony. She’d felt it.

He reached for her chin and forced her to look at him. “And you healed me. But I was still alive to heal because of Brandon Nash. The
kalbu
may have saved my life. Again.”

“Don’t defend him,” she responded, still reeling from everything that had gone down, still unable to process what Brandon had done. Why he had done it. Wishing he’d been straight with her from the beginning.

The way you were with him?
she asked herself sarcastically. If only they’d both been more interested in talking than fighting or fucking, maybe none of this would have happened. If only she’d been more curious about his people’s culture and traditions, she might have been more prepared. If only they’d worked together to investigate the murders and Brandon hadn’t let the Enforcers focus on Ram, the killers could be dead by now. If only she’d known him as well as she thought she did. But the shameful truth was that while she knew every muscle and tendon, every sensitive spot on his body—she didn’t know why he’d decided to remain an Enforcer instead of going into business like his father or relaxing in the country like his uncle. She knew his mother had died but she’d never asked about her. What she was like when alive. She didn’t know much more about Brandon than how he made her feel. If only she had…

But it was too late now. There was no going back.

“This will always happen in the end, whether he gives the order or not. He said it himself. He does his job. And his duty as Enforcer, his personal prejudice—what
I
am—will always come between us. How can they not? And he’ll never understand how being Fireborne is changing me. What I need.”

It felt like her heart was breaking. Brandon wasn’t hers. And she wasn’t his to claim. When they were together, they’d set fire to each other. He was all she could think about. All she wanted. But he wanted to keep her wrapped up so safely she couldn’t escape. He didn’t trust her and she no longer trusted him. Not completely.

She wanted too much now. Wanted things she shouldn’t. People she shouldn’t.

“West, why did you come? What did you see?”

Aziza met his surprised gaze as he answered. “This. I saw you go Fireborne on the werewolves and I knew what I needed to do next. I’ve called a family of keeper’s children in France who are caretakers for one of the more fortified safe houses. Penn will need to leave tonight.”

She stiffened, knowing it was her actions that had put her aunt in danger. That William Nash would be out for payback, and he knew her family was her weakness. “Just Penn? Will they take Ram? Devil?”

West’s smile was gentle, as if he was trying to share his serenity with her. “They’ll be expecting Hillary and Penn. Ram is needed here and since you just declared Devil the Alpha…I imagine he’ll have his hands full trying to take back what belongs to him.”

When they got to the flat, Chiye had obviously filled everyone else in on West’s plan, because Penn was crying and Hillary held her, her own expression resolute.

Aziza hesitated in front of her aunt’s partner. How would William Nash’s assistant react to what she’d done? Hillary studied her for a heartbeat, then pulled her into her arms.

“Forgive me, Aziza, for not allowing myself to face what I’ve always known was true. Small as he was, since we were kids, Billy was the most dangerous werewolf I’d known. Cruel. He never should have been the Alpha. I should have left my job years ago in protest.”

Aziza hugged her back in relief. “There is nothing for you to be sorry for, Hill. You and Devil are the two best werewolves I know.”

Hillary pulled back. “And Brandon. The Alpha cut him when Natalie told him how he’d prompted you to save Ram at Underbridge. He still has Enforcers loyal to his leadership. I’m not sure what they’ll do to Brandon no—”

“Hill?” Penn interrupted. “I’m being forced out of my home indefinitely and as much as I love you, it is in large part because your upright Brandon lied to my niece. On multiple occasions if I understand correctly. If she wants to stay mad at the wolf wanker for tonight than she bloody well can and you shouldn’t waste your breath defending him.”

Aziza blinked rapidly, feeling a heavy ache in her chest. Penn would be taken from her now, like Joseph. Both of them hidden because of what she was. Hidden until the end. She couldn’t stay here, waiting to say goodbye. “I love you, Aunt Penn. West says we’ll be able to talk soon. And you’ll be safe.”

Penn pushed back her wild blonde curls, the strain showing around her usually sparkling blue eyes. “Don’t worry about me, Aziza. You do what you have to do so you can be safe. And hopefully what I’ve given to Greg will help with that.”

“What did you give him?”

Penn shook her head. “I told him to wait until tomorrow. Just give us a hug then and let’s get this done with. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back.”

Hill’s smile was bittersweet. “You always did want a honeymoon, Penn.”

Aziza didn’t say a word during the cab ride back to the safe house. Didn’t say a word when Chiye helped her change out of her party dress and back into a T-shirt and yoga pants. She found her way to the small living room and sat down by the fire, sticking her hand absently in and out of the flame—her emotions wrung out of her until she was limp. Empty.

Tired.

Greg came and sat down beside her. “Have you let Chiye apologize yet?”

“Four times now.” Aziza nodded, not looking at him. “I told her she didn’t need to. God knows, I’ve made worse mistakes in the last few weeks. Penn said she gave you something to give to me?”

“Pennies,” Greg murmured. “Penn’s pennies. Chiye figured out Adam’s pictures. One of those
non verbis, sed rebus
things.”

Not by words, but by things. It meant the pictures spelled something out.
Pennies.
She closed her eyes and saw the images in her mind again. The letter C on a billboard for Colorado. A mining pick. A picture of an animated DVD. And a penny. Why hadn’t she seen it before? It was right in front of her.

“See a penny, pick it up.”

“Exactly. I seem to recall you, Joseph and Adam telling a funny story about pennies. Penn gave me—”

“Aziza.” Ram’s voice brought her back to the present, pulling her gaze away from the fire. He stopped when he saw Greg. “I apologize. Am I interrupting?”

Greg sighed and got to his feet again, studying the two of them. “No, Ram. I think right now you’re the one she wants. The one she’ll listen to.” He put his hand on her head, tousling her hair. “We’ll talk about it later. We’re safe here. West said the tunnel is hidden and they won’t find it. No more sneak attacks, so you can stop standing guard, okay?”

“Okay.”