Strange Fires (2 page)

4

I did my best to act like an experienced party attendee, but I felt like I’d been thrown into a foreign culture, one where I recognized each word but incorrectly interpreted its meaning. In this world, “Woo!” appeared to be some kind of attention-grabbing mating call, and “Want a drink?” was code for “I want to see you naked and will react to your refusal like a petulant child.” I’d watched every teen movie ever made, but this world had no resemblance to anything I’d seen on screen. No handsome, charming man stepped in to save me from the more obnoxious party-goers, and not once did the group break into a spontaneous but perfectly choreographed dance number. I was sorely disappointed.

I dealt with my disappointment as millions before me have: through the power of beer. Growing up with three wine-swilling aunts, I thought I knew a thing or two about holding my alcohol, so when the first two cups went down with no obvious ill effects, a third didn’t seem like a big deal. It didn’t take long before the party felt less intimidating and the people became more interesting and attractive, so once that third drink vanished, I decided a fourth cup was an excellent idea.

While I waited in the keg line, Sera chatted with some guy she knew from one of the local cafes, where he apparently made women swoon on open mic nights. He had a crooked smile and a glint in his eyes, and he was without question the handsomest guy there. She smiled up at him, dark eyes suggesting all kinds of naughty shenanigans they might get up to later. A sting of resentment poked at me. Somewhere, below the thick layer of beer coating my brain, I knew she wasn’t doing anything wrong, but that part of my brain was no longer in charge. Drunk brain now held the reins, and it insisted she’d dragged me to a party in the middle of nowhere and then ignored me.

There was only one thing for it, insisted drunk brain. I would take some quiet time in the forest, sober up a bit, and then insist we leave. Somehow, drunk brain knew that disappearing without telling Sera where I was going would teach her a lesson. I couldn’t say what the lesson would be, exactly, but at that moment I was convinced it was an important one.

I stepped into the trees, losing sight of the people and cars, but the party noise was harder to escape. There were no marked paths, so I stumbled over fallen trunks and a few exposed roots in my efforts to get away from the noise. I tried to walk in a straight line, but the forest had other plans, and it urged me along a twisted path.

Once I was clear of the noise, rationality began its slow return. I’d been having fun, mostly, but without warning it all became too much. I needed silence, and I needed peace. More than anything, I needed my element. On my family’s island, I’d never been more than a few feet from water. I didn’t want to go back, didn’t want to return to my life as my mother’s hyper-protected only child, but I still felt a wash of homesickness. The part of my brain that could once again manage rational thought knew it wasn’t the island I was missing so much as the confidence that came from knowing a place and its people. Here, no one knew me. No one cared. I had no idea what I was doing, and making it up as I went along was proving less fun than I’d expected.

I did what I always did when the world started to feel overwhelming. I sent my magic before me, looking for a nearby water source. It had been a dry summer, and the soil and tree roots were parched, the small streams dried up months ago. I needed more, and I walked faster and faster. Soon, I was running, desperate to find the one thing that could bring me peace.

At last, the magic latched onto something pure and powerful. It pulled me, dragging me through the trees until I emerged on the bank of a large reservoir. Though the water level was low, it was more than enough for my needs. It took me less than two seconds to shed my shoes and step into the cool water.

As always, it felt like coming home. The moment the water lapped around my calves, tension exited my body in a rush. The irrational anger I’d felt earlier softened and released its hold.

I stayed in the water for a long time, letting the doubts and fears recede and giving the water time to heal the scrapes I’d acquired during my dash through the forest. Perhaps more importantly, I stayed long enough for my metabolism to power through the last beer I drank, leaving me feeling almost sober and more than a bit foolish about my disappearing act. I needed to get back before Sera started to worry, assuming I could find the party again. My magic might be able to find all sources of water, but to the best of my knowledge it couldn’t do the same thing with beer. Resigned to facing my own stupidity, I turned back toward the shore.

Sera stood there, watching me.

“How’d you find me?” She raised one eyebrow. “Oh. Right. Water.”

She took a step closer and sat on a rock near the shore. Her movements were clean and precise. To watch her, you’d never know she’d drunk twice as many cups as I had. She saw me watching and shrugged. “Fire. We can burn off whatever alcohol we don’t want. So don’t ever bet against me in a drinking contest, okay?”

Sera didn’t strike me as a person who lost often, whatever the contest. “You don’t need to babysit me. I just needed a moment with my element.”

“I don’t babysit. If I thought that’s what you required, I’d already be at the housing office, requesting a single.”

“What, then?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she glanced with interest toward a spot about a half a mile down the shore. Someone had lit a bonfire, and it cast a bright orange glow against the night. “Let’s see what’s going on down there. Unless you feel the need to drink more cheap beer?”

I emerged from the lake, calling my magic back to me and letting it settle in my core. I joined Sera on the rock to dry my feet and pull on my green Converse.

“It takes time,” Sera said. I glanced at her, but she wasn’t looking at me, her eyes still fixed on the fire to the south. “It doesn’t matter that we carry some of their blood. We’re not human, and it’ll take a while to fit in. Don’t worry about it so much.”

“But you’re a freshman, too.”

“My father sent me to a human high school. I’ve got a four-year head start on you.”

“Does that mean you have lots of humiliating stories you can share to make me feel better?”

Her mouth quirked, just a little. “Of course not. We’ll get along so much better if you accept that I’m too cool to ever embarrass myself.” She glanced at me, eyes full of mischief, then jumped off the rock. The contained energy she always seemed to carry exploded in a sudden need for movement, and something within me responded to its pull. It was pretty obvious she was looking for trouble. The real surprise was how much I wanted to go along for the ride.

This time, I didn’t follow her. As we approached the bonfire, I was at her side every step of the way.

5

“What sort of neo-pagan fuckery is this?” Sera stared at the people before us with the sort of horror usually reserved for serial killers or circus clowns.

“I think we’ve stumbled into a recreation of
The Wicker Man
. No human sacrifices, though.” I kept my voice pitched low, not wanting it to carry to the gathering of half-naked women only a hundred feet away. We were outside the ring of light cast by the fire, but we hadn’t been stealthy in our approach. Only the noise they made and their fixation on the fire prevented them from noticing us.

Sera cast an unimpressed eye toward the dancing women. “We could change that.”

I forced myself not to laugh. I should at least attempt to be a decent person. “Be understanding. They’re just a bunch of humans trying to get in touch with nature. We can’t blame them for wanting something we take for granted.” Even if they did look like damn fools in the process.

I wasn’t sure exactly what to make of the seven women. I imagined they’d call themselves Wiccan or maybe Druid, but they didn’t look that organized.

I hadn’t been in Tahoe long, but I’d only needed a few days to discover that Northern California, and the Sierra Nevada mountains in particular, had their share of peace-and-love earth goddess sorts. It looked like we’d stumbled into the middle of one such gathering. It made the party we’d left seem downright sensible.

“What are they trying to do, do you think?” I asked. They danced with abandon around the fire, singing and chanting. One beat a small hand drum, and as she picked up the pace, the others followed along, spinning faster and faster. It was difficult to make out the women’s individual features. I only had an overall impression of beatific faces and naked limbs.

No one sang the same song. Rather, each person hummed or howled, spoke in English or in tongues, as the spirit moved them. It was utter chaos, though it did make me appreciate Sera’s music a bit more.

One woman stripped off her top, and without missing a step threw it in our general direction. One by one, the other women followed suit, until they were all either topless or in bras. Sera shook her head in mock consternation. “It’s an orgy. And they didn’t even invite us.”

“Well, that would be one way to solve my pesky virginity issue.”

I caught a flash of white teeth. “I’m not sure he’s your type.” With her chin, she indicated the man stepping into the middle of the circle. Really, he strode, every movement exuding confidence and certainty that the women would welcome his presence.

He looked to be in his thirties, with dark hair and eyes, and he wore all black clothing. His cheekbones were sharp and his eyebrows were strongly arched. Even his goatee was pointed. The look was studied and precise. He was only missing horns and cloven feet, and I imagined he’d have added those if he’d known a way.

He raised his arms to the sky and spoke in a clear voice that carried to us easily. As soon as he began speaking, the others quieted. “My children of fire. Tonight, you will be cleansed at last.”

Sera and I exchanged a loaded look. “Elemental?” I mouthed. He had the look of a fire, though he’d played up the more diabolical aspects of their appearance. Still, I hadn’t expected to meet one fire in Lake Tahoe, let alone two.

“Maybe.” Her whisper was so low I barely heard it. She studied the dark-haired man. It would be a simple thing to stretch out her magic and discover if he was using his own, but to do so would alert him to our presence. I wanted to know what he was up to first, and Sera’s intent face told me she agreed.

“On this night, you will be restored to purity. Your pasts will no longer hound you, no longer sully your bright futures. Fire will remove the stains of sin and filth, and you shall be as you were. Innocent. Unmarred. As a child cannot sin, neither will you.”

The women watched him, rapt. His eyes were gentle and held no judgment, and he took a moment to speak to each woman. I didn’t have much experience with charismatic men, but even I knew this guy was pretty damn impressive. The seven women hanging on his every word seemed to think so, at least.

He walked from one woman to the next, lightly touching their foreheads as he passed. “When you are cleansed, you will discover a world of desire without sin, without darkness. Tonight, we will return to a state of innocent desire. We will share it and be whole in each other.”

Our jaws dropped. “It
is
an orgy,” Sera said, eyes wide. I wouldn’t go so far as to say she looked shocked, but she was definitely more than mildly surprised.

This wasn’t just a group of goofy hippies. This was a cult. A small, underfunded cult, but a cult nonetheless. “Should we go?” I asked. I doubted they’d welcome our presence, and while I tried to be non-judgmental about other people’s kinks and what body parts they stuck where, that didn’t mean I wanted to watch it, either.

Sera’s mouth twisted, and for just a second she looked uncertain. It was the first time I’d seen anything but absolute confidence on her face. Then she gave a reluctant nod, and we began to retreat from our hidden spot in the trees.

I stepped carefully over the roots, the carpet of pine needles softening my steps. No one would have known we were there, except for one small oversight. I never put my phone on silent, and my mother chose that moment to check up on me. The shrill ring cut through the night.

Fearful eyes turned toward us, scanning the dark for the source of the disturbance. Two of the braver women took hesitant steps toward our hiding place.

The phone continued to ring. I fumbled for the switch that would send the call to voicemail, but it was a new and unfamiliar phone. I only succeeded in turning the volume up.

I turned to Sera with my most pathetic “oops” face firmly in place. I expected her to look angry, but when I met her eyes, they only held rueful amusement. She held out her hand, and I gave her the phone. She pushed a small button on the side. Like magic, the phone stopped its insistent braying.

“Now we run, right?” I asked, stepping backwards.

Sera didn’t move. Her eyes were locked on the cult’s leader. The man showed no nervousness, despite the unplanned interruption. He stood relaxed, unconcerned about a stranger in the forest. “Whoever is there, bring them into the light,” he instructed the women closest to us.

I shrank back into the trees, keeping my presence hidden. Sera’s eyes blazed. She had no intention of hiding.

She didn’t wait to be hauled forward by the half-naked and gullible. Before the women could reach her, Sera stepped into the circle of light cast by the fire. Though she wasn’t tall, she projected the confidence and certainty of a giant. I had to admit, I was impressed.

I wasn’t the only one. The leader took in Sera’s aura of pure control, and the wild dark hair and black eyes of the fires, and his smug expression slipped at last.

“Sorry about that,” Sera said, holding up my phone. “I told them I’d call them back as soon as I figured out what the creepy dude in the forest was up to.”

At Sera’s words, the women murmured in protest. Even surrounded by seven hostile women, Sera looked perfectly at ease.

The women stopped moving toward me once Sera appeared, and I used their distraction to step deeper into the woods. I still had a clear view, and assuming nothing buzzed or beeped again, no one would know I was there.

Keeping my eyes on the group, I headed toward the reservoir, staying as close to the clearing as I could without being visible in the firelight. I stretched out my magic toward the water and said hello, letting the water molecules attach. Just in case.

My new position gave me a better view of the entire group, including the epic staring contest Sera was having with the leader. If she was three-quarters fire, it was unlikely the man was stronger than she was. Whatever he was planning, he had little chance of success. If he wasn’t such an unsettling freak, I’d almost have felt sorry for him.

“It’s not very nice what you’re doing.” Her tone was casual, even relaxed. “Fooling these people.”

“He’s not fooling us,” protested one woman. “He has dominion over fire. We’ve seen it.”

Sera and I both turned to the speaker, and for the first time, Sera’s muscles locked with tension. I felt mine do the same. Somehow, when the women were all dancing as one, we’d missed one obvious fact.

It wasn’t a woman who spoke, not really. She couldn’t be more than sixteen, her arms and legs still showing the disproportionate length of adolescence. Despite her youth, her eyes carried stories many adults would never know, and her skinny frame and lank hair hinted at a lack of care. A runaway, perhaps. The perfect prey for a man offering new beginnings.

“Dominion over fire? That would be impressive.” Sera glanced at the leader. Sweat beaded on his brow, and it wasn’t due to the fire’s heat. “What’s your name?” Sera asked the teen.

“Alice.” Her voice was sullen, and I doubted it was the name she’d been born with.

“Well, Alice, I’m not sure I understand why someone having dominion over fire means you have to sleep with him. I mean, if I could control fire, would you have to sleep with me, too?”

The young woman had no idea how to answer the question. She’d been prepared to have sex with the man because that’s what he said should happen, and she didn’t want to question the man with the power to offer her a new life.

Another woman spoke up, wanting to defend her faith. “It’s not the fire. It’s what it represents.” She was a bit older than the rest, with deep lines etched along her mouth and eyes. I guessed the lines had less to do with the years she’d lived than with how she’d lived them.

“You know nothing of what we do. We’re not harming anyone.” This came from a smaller woman, rail thin with mousy brown hair.

Sera studied the seven women in turn. Three were, without question, adults, and therefore responsible for their own decisions. The brown-haired one looked like she might have seen her eighteenth birthday, but if Alice and the final two girls were of legal age, I’d strap fish to my body and wander through the forest in search of bears. There was no way they were old enough to be put in this position by a grown man who knew damn well what he was doing.

To think we’d almost left them to their own devices. If ever there was an argument for sticking your nose in someone else’s business, this was it.

Sera shared my assessment of the group. “Not harming anyone? That’s debatable. How about this? Let the younger ones go, and the rest of you can carry on playing whatever weird sex games make you happy. You should take advantage of my offer.” She directed the last sentence to the leader. He was inching his way backwards, toward the trees and possible escape. “After the council hears about this, you may not get another chance for a while.”

He stopped walking and stood erect, attempting to hide how Sera’s words unnerved him. The elemental councils were our governing bodies, and they ensured that humans remained unaware of our existence. They wouldn’t be pleased to learn he was using his power to exploit young women.

The man shook his head, forcing a laugh. “You have nothing to tell them. I haven’t done anything wrong, and you don’t even know my name. These women will not tell you, either.”

The seven women shook their heads and murmured indignantly. “We won’t tell them a thing, Leroy,” insisted one of the younger girls. Leroy closed his eyes, fighting for control or possibly regretting his decision to prey on women of questionable intelligence.

It wasn’t much—a man with a messiah complex would be only too happy to borrow a French name that translated to “The King”—but it was a place to start.

Sera continued to stare at the man, her eyes dark and unforgiving. “So, Leroy. Do you accept my offer? If everyone under eighteen comes with us, we’ll leave. It’ll still be a perfectly good orgy with the remaining women, I’m sure.”

The women bristled, offended, but it was hard to defend themselves against the truth.

I watched Leroy consider his options. Unlike Sera, he was easy to read, one emotion chasing another across his face. Fear, uncertainty, anger and greed all battled for dominance.

In the end, his desire for power was stronger than his fear of an unfamiliar fire. If he gave in, the women he’d convinced to follow him would see him as weak. He’d lose everything he’d built for himself. The cult. The adoration. The wild monkey sex.

Only one woman stood between him keeping it all.

I knew the exact second he chose to fight. As that moment coincided with him drawing a ball of fire and hurling it toward Sera, it was easy to recognize.

With a flick of her fingers, she sent the fire flying toward the reservoir, where it met the water with a hiss. The women gasped.

“It’s okay, Alice,” Sera said, her eyes never leaving Leroy. “I won’t even ask you to sleep with me.”

Leroy was not amused. He shaped one fireball after another, using the bonfire as a source, and launched them at Sera. He couldn’t hurt her, not really. She was immune to fire, and he’d know this. He just needed to put on a good enough show that the women believed he was still the most powerful man they knew.

The size of the fireballs suggested he was about one-quarter fire. It was a respectable amount of power, more than enough to be accepted by the old ones as a pure elemental. He obviously expected Sera to possess less magic than he did, as most who lived outside the enclaves were one-eighth and less.

He was about to be very disappointed.

The second fireball was also redirected into the reservoir. The next one Sera evaded, letting it land behind her. A few sparks showed signs of life, and I doused them with a bit of water. No one noticed. They were too busy watching Sera absorb the remaining balls of fire. “Ow. Ouch. That tickles,” she said, in a bored monotone.

Too late, Leroy understood just who he was fighting. Panic contorted his features, fear and desperation ruling his actions. He dipped into his magic reserves and sent one last, enormous ball of fire toward her.

Sera plucked it from midair and ate it, smiling. He might as well have sent a huge ball of cotton candy her way for all the damage it did. Hell, at least cotton candy could cause tooth decay. Fire was her element, and it nurtured her. In attacking her, he’d only made her stronger.