Set the Sky on Fire (Fire Trilogy Book 1) (22 page)

“Do you mean like Ari did in the car?” Nevaeh asked.

“Pretty much. He inflicted his emotions on everyone around him, constantly. He’d done it from an early age. It had always been a burden. He'd tried to minimize the damage by becoming reclusive. Anna found him in some hick town in the back of beyond, and they'd been together for about five years when a seether caught up to them. Anna thought David would be safe if he was with her. She was wrong. She only turned her back for a moment and the seether got him.”

“What happened to him?” Nevaeh asked.

“The seether took him to an old abandoned farmhouse. From what Anna could reason, the seether didn't know how to unlock David's abilities, so he tortured him, hoping his pain would unleash the same pain in others.

“That's horrible.” It terrified Ari they were capable of such cruelty. She played with the bandaging covering her scald.

“Did it work?” Nevaeh asked. Nate must have been unaware how greatly his words affected Ari otherwise he surely would have reeled them in. As it was, he didn’t hesitate to provide the details.

“David didn't give them the opportunity to find out. He knew all about the pulse, what happened to the seethers, if they were near. He would have felt Anna coming from a mile away, well before the seether did. The seether was too self-absorbed to work out what was going on until it was too late.”

“Oh God, no,” Nevaeh whispered.

“David, whether he meant to or not, timed it to perfection. He used a piece of glass to cut his femoral artery. The seether might have noticed he was fading if he hadn't already beaten him so badly. When David died, Anna was still 100 metres away. When she entered the building, the seether was already consciousness. And she saw David.”

“What did she do?” Nevaeh prompted, her voice breathy.

“She killed the seether—no mercy.”

“What happened to Anna?” Ari couldn’t understand why Nevaeh kept digging. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear any more but couldn’t bring herself to say so.

“As you would expect, she collapsed, but she was alone in the farmhouse, so it didn't make much difference.”

“I mean, what did she do after losing David?”

“She never really got over it. She’s always felt it was her fault it had gone down that way. She never moved; stayed in the same house she’d shared with David.”

Ari roused herself from the stupor that threatened to overwhelm her.

“What did Anna tell you to do on the phone?”

Ari was hoping she might have come up with a better idea than 'hide.'

“To keep you safe, and never for a moment to assume you are.”

*****

They booked into the first motel that had a vacancy. Ari could have slept anywhere, she couldn’t remember being this exhausted. The room was small, but the two double beds, with their dated red floral duvet covers, looked inviting. Nevaeh sprawled across one of them as soon as she entered the room. She looked at Ari and Nate.

“I’ll take this bed. I’m sure you guys won't mind sharing.” Then, she rolled off the bed and headed towards the bathroom. It was the first time Ari and Nate had been alone since she’d left for Singapore. Arguing in the car hadn't been the wonderful reunion she’d pictured but, as he stood there before her, she let the aggravations slip away.

A wry smile twisted Nate's face, and he raised his eyebrows a little before wrapping his arms around her and steering her to the bed. She’d missed those lips, as they played along her cheek and down her neck. Not wanting to waste any time, Ari pushed Nate back onto the bed. She followed him down, and finding his mouth she hungrily kissed him. His hands wandered under her shirt. His fingers were gentle at first, petting her back. It wasn’t enough. She wanted more. Fisting her hand in his hair, she kissed him more deeply. He pulled her in closer, one arm crushing her against him. This is what she craved.

“I’m coming out of the shower now,” Nevaeh announced before re-entering the room.

Ari almost screamed at her to get back under the water. Instead, she mustered enough control to roll off Nate and straighten her shirt. Nate slung his legs over the side of the bed, facing away from Nevaeh.

Ari climbed into bed next to Nate. To her satisfaction, he had taken his shirt off and was bare from the waist up. She snuggled into his warmth, his hand lazily running up and down her arm.

“One of these days, I’m going to get you alone.” He didn’t need to speak loudly as his mouth was next to her ear. In case Ari hadn’t gathered his meaning, he ran his tongue along the bottom edge of her lobe and then dropped onto her neck to scatter kisses across it. Her whole body tingled.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Ari moaned under his touch, hoping Nevaeh couldn’t hear either of them.

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Ari slept soundly. If she’d had dreams during the night, she couldn't remember them now. Her eyes stayed closed, reluctant to surface from such a good sleep. Instead, she listened. All she could hear was the sound of Nevaeh’s heavy breathing from the next bed. She wiggled her foot across the expanse next to her. Nate wasn’t there. Her eyes popped open to find him. But other than Nevaeh’s prone body, the room was empty.

Ari hoped he hadn’t gone far. Right now, she preferred to have everyone where she could see them.

Nevaeh’s breath hooked in her throat and she grunted before rolling over to face the other wall. She looked peaceful. Probably because, for now, she was out of any real danger. Ari’s thoughts went to her parents. The seether was extremely motivated now. And he’d said they would be his next target. She needed to call them, just to hear their voices. Just to know they were okay.

“Hello?” her mum answered, slightly out of breath. It was always a rush to answer the phone before the machine picked it up. The sound of her voice made Ari feel better.

“Hey Mum, it’s me.”

“Ari? Where have you been?” She sounded flustered. “I've been worried sick. I tried to get hold of you last night at the hotel, but they said you weren't there, never had been. Honey, Dad's in hospital. You were lucky to get hold of me. I only came home to grab a few bits and pieces for him, and then I’m heading straight back there.”

“What happened?” Ari's body tensed.

“Oh, darling, it was awful. Someone broke into the house. I think I might have left the sliding door to the patio unlocked. Your father always tells me off for doing that. We didn't know there was an intruder in the house until he came into our room.”

Her mum’s voice was shaking.

“The police think he was on drugs, but he didn’t take anything. He pinned your father down and poured a pot of boiling water over him. Oh God, it was horrible.”

Her voice broke, and Ari could hear the tears.

“If I’d just locked that stupid door.”

“Mum, this isn’t your fault.”
It's mine
, Ari thought, but she couldn't say it. Her mother would never understand. “He would have got in, no matter what.” She tried to reassure her. “How’s Dad? Is he okay?”

“You know your father, he doesn't complain much. The doctors are saying third-degree burns. Even in a hospital bed, he still tries to look after me. He wouldn't let me come home alone. He managed to talk the police into bringing me back, in case the intruder was still here.”

“How many were there Mum?”

“We only saw one, but who knows.”

Ari knew it was a stupid question, but she asked it anyway. “Did the police catch anyone?”

“They're doing their best, but no, not yet.”

Nate quietly opened the door and slid back into the room.

“I'll be on the next flight I can get, Mum. I'm coming home. Tell Dad I love him—I love you both.”

Ari hung up and then looked up at Nate.

“He's already there. The seether was in my house, and he’s made it very clear what his intentions are. I’m going back.”

“You can't. You’ll put yourself and everyone else in danger by going.”

“No, it'll just be me who'll be in danger. If I don't go, it's my whole family.”

Nevaeh blinked, bleary eyed. Holding herself up on an elbow, she asked, “What did he do?”

“He broke into my house while Mum and Dad were in bed. Put Dad in hospital. He poured boiling water over him, just like ...”

Ari noticed the brand new blue first aid box in Nate's hand. “What's that for?”

It was bad timing on Nate's behalf. “The dressing is about to fall off your hand, and the skin looks like it could do with some TLC.”

The bandage was ragged and filthy. But it only covered a small wound. How extensive must her father’s burns be to need a hospital? Ari’s body shook with a mix of fear and fury. Nate was looking after her wounds and expecting her to stay away from her dad’s.

“My burn must be minuscule in comparison to Dad's.”

Nate said no words of comfort, perhaps he couldn’t find any. At least he no longer tried to talk her into staying away from home. He quietly and carefully cleaned and bandaged Ari’s hand. She looked at the fresh pink skin, showing where a blister had broken. What would her dad’s skin look like? What agony would he be in?

The seether was capable of inflicting pain without remorse and brash enough to walk right into her home to do it. It was the tipping point. She would stop him—or die trying. As long as they were the rules, then the world wouldn’t be in danger from any damage she could inflict.

“I’m booking flights. Do you want to go home?” Ari asked Nevaeh.

Nevaeh had seen first-hand what the seether was capable of.

“You can’t go.” Nevaeh sat on the side of the bed, duvet draped over her legs. “He’s going to hurt you.” Big doleful eyes stared back at Ari. “I'll run with you. We can just disappear for a while. Perhaps, with a bit of time, we can find a way to stop him. We just need more time.
Please.
”

“Time's up, Nevaeh,” she said kindly. Ari would never be able to express how grateful she was that her friend would up and leave her life to protect her. But Ari’s mind was decided. She would go home.

“The seether and Michelle are back at home already. Dad is in hospital. Nevaeh, they know where you live too.” The last comment was pointed.

“I never thought I could hate someone so much.” Nevaeh threw her pillow across the room at the wall, bumping the edge of a wooden-framed picture, making it swish on its hook, threatening to fall.

“Let's go home,” said Nevaeh, hurling her head back on the bed.

Their flight arrived in Christchurch just before 6:00 pm. The wait to get through customs was agonizing. Ari chewed on her nails, whittling them down closer to the skin the longer she stood there. Wasting valuable time, standing in a queue, made Ari feel less than useless. Time she needed if she was to stop someone who was stronger, faster and probably smarter than she was. Ari hadn't said it out loud but, the more she thought on it, the more she ended up with the same conclusion. There was only one way this was going to end, and it wasn't going to be good for her.

Nevaeh stood in front of Ari, shoulders slumped forward as if the weight of the world was on them. Standing beside her, Nate was quiet. Seeing Ari steal a look at him, he squeezed her hand and offered her a throwaway line, something like ‘not long now.’ Ari wasn't listening but nodded all the same. The finality of her life was a dead weight hanging around her neck. Until the choice lay in your hands, it was a hard concept to grasp.

If the seether no longer needed to look for her, then her friends and family would be safe. She took solace in that reality. Part of Ari wanted to just give up right then, for all the pain and anxiety to be over, but she knew she couldn't. She at least had to try. If the seether couldn't have her, he would keep looking for someone like her, he’d keep trying until he found someone who had the same abilities.

Once they had made it through customs and back onto New Zealand soil, Ari ushered them all into a waiting taxi and directed it to the hospital.

She led them through the hospital corridors, their feet collectively out of time, tapping on the vinyl floor, the smell of disinfectant hiding any other lingering odours. They found her dad’s name scrawled on a small whiteboard next to a closed door. Leaving Nevaeh and Nate to wait in the corridor, Ari tentatively opened the door and went inside. A set of alert and attentive eyes watched her from the hospital bed.

“Hey, Dad.”

Ari moved in closer to him. His body was swathed in bandages, only the flesh on his head was visible. She wasn't sure if it was by luck or by design that his face was untouched. Even without being burnt, his face still didn't look right. It was grey and drawn. Still, he managed to smile. Ari's mum sat in a chair next to the bed with her back to the door. She bounded from her seat and hugged Ari, holding on tight.

“It's okay Mum, everything will be okay,” she soothed, though she gripped her mum tightly, like she might disappear.

“Where were you? I was so worried something had happened to you as well.” Her mother’s voice was concerned and scolding both at once.

“Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. The hotel we’d booked into was an absolute dive, so we changed as soon as we got there. I didn't think to tell you,” Ari lied.

“What happened to your hand?” Her mum lifted it to look at the bandage.

“Just a bit of bad luck. I was making a cup of coffee, and it didn't go so well. So I'm a wee bit burnt too.”

“Really, what are the chances of it happening to both of you?” her mum commented, without any suggestion they could be related

With a non-committal shrug, Ari moved past her, not wanting to discuss it any further. She sat on the opposite side of the bed, and her dad asked about her holiday in Phuket. She and Nevaeh had looked through so many travel books, she could give a credible account of time spent in Thailand. As soon as she could, Ari turned the conversation to the attack on her dad. It had been too dark for her parents to see anything, and the police only had one scrap of information. The neighbours had seen two people outside the house at the time, and assuming they were friends of Ari’s, hadn’t thought anything of it. The police had a vague description to go on—one male, dark haired and tall, one female, thin and blonde. That was it. The neighbours hadn’t seen their faces, or the number plate of the car. However, it was enough of a description for Ari to be certain.

After twenty minutes of careful conversation, Ari got back on her feet.

“I’d better let you rest. I'll be back in tomorrow to check on you.” She kissed her father on the cheek.

“You're not going back to that house by yourself?” he said sternly.

“I won't, Dad. Nevaeh and Nate are outside waiting for me. I'll be with them.”

“Nate?” Something in her mother seemed to snap at the name. “How did he know you were coming home? You've only known that boy for such a short time, and you go and see him before you come and see your father in hospital? It’s ridiculous.”

“Mum, you're over reacting.”

“But you're so wrapped up in each other. And so soon. It's not healthy, dear.”

Ari wanted the conversation to be over. “I'm young Mum. It's what we do.” It was a pretty poor excuse, but everybody else used it on her when she did dumb things, so it was about time it paid out for her.

“Please take care.”

“I will, Mum. Where are you staying?”

“At Jill's. It's only a block and a half from here. I’m not ready to be at home yet.” It was as good a place as any for her Mum to be hiding. Not that she knew that’s what she was doing. Ari pictured her mum freaking out if she knew the person who’d broken into her house had done it intentionally, and that he might show up again.

“I'll see you tomorrow. I love you both.”

She pecked her mum on the cheek and left.

Nate and Nevaeh milled around in the corridor looking at the old photographs of the hospital pre-1940s, that adorned the walls.

“So your mum's not a fan of Nate then?” Nevaeh said as they walked outside to find a taxi.

“What?” Ari asked.

“We could hear through the door. Don't worry Nate, I’m sure when she finds out you're trying to save the world she’ll take a different view.” Nevaeh playfully jabbed him in the arm.

“I doubt it. I imagine she’ll only see me putting her little girl in danger. I'm screwed either way.”

As they walked through the front door of Ari’s house, the antique clock in the hallway chimed 9:00 pm. Once inside, they locked everything they could in an attempt to make the house as safe as possible. When she was young, Ari hadn’t liked the dark. Not that the dark itself was the problem, it was not knowing what was in the dark that had scared her. Now, it was her sanctuary. Back in familiar surroundings, she walked down the hallway, hand trailing the wall. She flicked the light on in the spare room to check the bed was made up and then switched it back off. From where she stood, she could hear Nate and Nevaeh talking. Silently, she walked down the lightless hallway to the kitchen door, and watched them from the shadows. They sat in the kitchen, one on either side of the breakfast bar under the three radiant lights hanging overhead. They looked to be comfortable in one another's company.

“Do you sleep?” Nevaeh asked Nate.

It seemed like a strange question. Ari had assumed that he did. She’d gone to sleep next to him and presumed he’d done the same.

“Yes, we sleep. But it works slightly differently for us. We actually know
why
we sleep. And, we don't have a subconscious annoying us while we’re resting.”

“You’ve never had a dream?” Nevaeh glanced at him, a look of pity in her eyes.

“Never had a dream,” he confirmed. “Sleep allows us to process the day’s information, just like you do, but way more efficiently. So we get more time for regeneration of our bodies. It’s why we live so much longer than you. It's also how we can change our appearance. We enter sleep with a conscious choice to change. Mind you, it only works with soft tissue. On the downside, it takes a while to de-mature, and we have to stay out of the public eye while we age in reverse. Luckily, these days it isn't quite so bad. We can use surgery as an excuse. Thank goodness for appearance medicine, aye.”

“Wow, that’s cool.” Nevaeh perched on her seat, bright eyes stuck on Nate. “That means, you and Ari can get married and grow old together.”

Nate smiled, pure pleasure creasing the corner of his eyes.

“There is that too.” He blushed. Ari wasn’t sure she had seen him blush before.

For Ari, that brought only one thought—
no matter what happens with us, Nate will have to watch me die
. It was selfish, but she was pleased it would be that way around, she wasn’t sure she could bear losing him.

Clearing her throat, she stepped into the room and went to stand next to Nate. He placed a hand on her hip and pulled her in close. It might have been a mix of lust and looks that she fell for at the start, but as she stood next to him she knew it was his kindness that had drawn her in. Maybe it was the only benefit of her ability, being able to gauge his personality just by standing near him. He was full of compassion and love.

I can find my soul mate with my eyes closed.
It warmed her insides and made her feel complete.

Ari stood under the showerhead and let the water run over her as if trying to wash her problems away. To a certain extent it worked. When she walked back into her bedroom, she found Nate, shirtless and unabashed, perched on her bed, patiently waiting for her.

“So do I finally get you to myself for the night?” The devilish grin on his face made the hairs on her arms stand up on end. She called out 'good night', kicking the door closed behind her. She thought Nevaeh called back, perhaps a sarcastic 'sleep well', but she was halfway to the bed before she had even registered the sound.

Nate rose to his feet. Butterflies looped in Ari’s stomach. He placed tender kisses on her lips, then on her neck, and made Ari’s legs want to buckle. Nudging aside the thin strap of her singlet, his kisses wandered lazily further south. Ari urged him on with a sigh laced with excitement. Threading her fingers through his hair, she gently drew his face back to hers. With his full lips in range, Ari covered his mouth with hers, her tongue lapping at his. Ari tugged at his shirt, frantic to have it off. He gently removed her hands, took a step back and removed it himself. All the while, his eyes stayed fixed on her, drinking her in. His hands trailed up over her hips, dragging her singlet up, before whisking it up over her head and dropping it to the floor. Then, he grabbed her again, his lips once against finding purchase. His hand cupped her bottom, lifting her up. Ari wrapped her legs around him. She could feel his arousal.

“Are you sure,” Nate’s voice faltered as Ari moved her hips against him. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he panted.

“Yes, I’m sure. I want this—me—it’s not stupid lust.”

“I know.” Standing there smiling, he looked more delicious than ever.

“Then, stop talking and kiss me.”

“I love you.” Nate didn’t give her a chance to reply recapturing her mouth in a tender kiss. Ari couldn’t help but smile as his lips ground against hers and he lowered her slowly to the bed.