Treasure of the Fire Kingdom (The Elemental Phases Book 4) (17 page)

Kingu’s
eyes went wide.  “
No
.”  He sounded genuinely appalled.  “No, I don’t
feel that way, at all.  Hope, you are,” he shook his head, “above me.  I know
that.  Your soul shines like the stars.”

That
was lovely.

What
an absolutely lovely thing for her monster to say.

Hope
gazed at him, catching his eyes and holding them.  “I’m not above you, Kingu. 
I just want to be
beside
you.”

Kingu’s
expression went slack.

Hope
wasn’t sure why he looked so shell-shocked that she’d want to be with him, but
it was important that she finish this.  “I need you to be beside me, too.”

A
lot of his irritation seemed to melt away.  “There’s nowhere else I would be.” 
Now he sounded tired and confused.  “I would stay with you always, crazed plans
and all.  I know that it’s foolish to allow you this power over me, but I feel
as if…”

“…you
belong with me.”  Hope finished for him when he stopped.  He belonged
to
her, as a matter of fact.  Of course, he would feel that.

She
felt it, too.

He
sighed.  “Very well.  I will not waste my time on these pathetic Elemental
squabbles, but you can do as you wish.  If it would entertain you to plot
against the Banished Phases, I have no objection.”

“I’m
not going to just
plot
it, Kingu.  I’m going to stop them from… whatever
it is they’re planning.  I told you, I was raised as a warrior.  I’m a Fi…”
Hope faltered, “…bulous Color Phase.  Fabulous.  We’re all very fabulous
warriors in the Colorland.”  Damn, keeping that little fib going was a pain. 
Maybe she should discretely gauge Kingu’s feelings towards her family.  “We’re
not as incredible as
some
of the Houses, of course.  The Fire Kingdom
raises fighters like no other.”

Kingu
frowned.  “The Fire Kingdom?  Don’t they eat their dead?”

“No! 
That incident was
completely
taken out of context.  They’re a very
honorable and heroic House.”

“Uh-huh.”

“They
are!  They have a bad reputation because of all the malicious rumors spread
about them, but half those stories aren’t even true.”

“So,
there’s only a fifty/fifty chance that they once tied a man to a tree and took
out his eyes with an electric drill.”

“Oh,
that never happened.”  Hope made a face at the total lies that got told about
her family.  Missy had used a melon-baller on that guy’s eyes and the drill had
gone through the tongue of a whole different Gravity Phase.  “The Fire Kingdom
doesn’t even
have
trees.”

“Such
a relief to hear.”

Hope
pursed her lips at Kingu’s dubious tone.  “Are there any Banished Fire Phases
in the Cloudland?”

Kingu
thought that over.  “Not that I’m aware of.”

“See?” 
She gave a smug nod.

“See
what?”  Kingu bit off the words, looking annoyed, again.  “What is the point of
this tangent?  Are you suggesting that the Fire Phases would somehow be a
better choice to help you than I would?”

“No. 
But, since you said you wouldn’t help me, I was…”

“I
never said I
wouldn’t
help.”

“Yes,
you did.  I asked for you to stand beside me and help me protect the realm. 
But, you said you were too busy.  That you had better things to do than make me
happy and save the world.”

Kingu
started to look hunted.  “No.  You’re twisting this around.  I would always
want you content, but… this idea you have will be such a pain in the ass.”  He
made a vague hand gesture.  “Couldn’t I just get you
another
realm? 
Pick one and it’s yours.  It could even be pink, if you wished.”

“I
don’t like the color pink and I’m not leaving this realm.”  Hope wasn’t backing
down.  “Job doesn’t even know that the Banished Phases are here, Kingu.  He’ll
be caught completely off guard if they –like-- attack or something.  If nothing
else, I could just call him and warn him…”

“You
are not going to call Job or anyone else to save you!”  It was a roar.  “You
are
not
leaving me.”

“I
don’t want to leave you, dingus.  But, if you and I don’t do something…”

“Enough!” 
He waved a palm through the air, cutting her off.  “Forget it, alright?  If you
want all the Banished Phases dead, I’ll just go kill them.  Would that satisfy
you?”  Turning, he actually started for the door.  “It’s not worth arguing
over.”

“No.” 
Hope quickly grabbed his jacket to stop him.  “That’s very sweet.  But, what if
you’re right and they’re harmless?  I don’t want to kill hundreds of people
unless I’m sure they deserve it.”

“They
deserve it.”  Kingu assured her.  “Believe me, I’ve met them.  Also, I never
said they were ‘harmless,’ so much as I said they were ‘idiots.’”

Hope
ignored that.  “Besides, we have to figure out their plans first.  If we act
without recon, we could blow the element of surprise.”

He
turned to look at her in disbelief.  Even with Hope standing on the higher stair
tread, he towered over her.  “I don’t need the element of surprise.  I’m bigger
than them.”

“I
know.”  Hope couldn’t help by scan her eyes over his gigantic form.  “You’re
bigger than everyone.”  His body was so close to hers, she could feel the heat
arcing between them.

The
soul deep connection.

Kingu
might’ve convinced himself that he was soulless, but Hope could just look into
his eyes and see the truth.  She sensed the pieces of his soul lining up with
hers like they were one reunited whole.  They were made for each other.

Kingu
must have sensed it, too, because he swallowed.  “Don’t.”

“Don’t
what?”  She shifted closer to him, enjoying the way his massive body dwarfed
hers.  He was such a fearsome warrior.  Kingu could level whole kingdoms,
swatting down lesser beings like flies.  No other man could
ever
compete
with her monster.  He could plunder the entire universe, taking whatever he
wanted, and no one could stop him.

The
merciless strength of him was
sooooo
attractive.

“Don’t
look at me like that, Hope.  It won’t work.”  She reached out to touch his
cheek and Kingu released a shuddering breath.  “It won’t
work
.”  He
repeated a little desperately.  “I am not going to capitulate to you.  Using
seduction to manipulate me is useless.”

Hope
almost smiled.  She’d just have to seduce him for fun, then.  Fire Phases
weren’t a patient breed.  They wanted what was rightfully theirs and they
wanted it now.  Well, Kingu was hers and she wanted him.

Now
.

Her
thumb brushed his lower lip and Kingu’s whole body jolted.  His eyes drifted
shut for a beat. “You are
such
a dangerous creature, Hope.”  He
whispered.

“I
know.”  She agreed seriously.  “I’m a warrior.”

Kingu’s
mouth twitched up in a reluctant, devastating curve.

It
was the closest she’d ever seen him come to a genuine show of amusement and
Hope felt the impact of straight through to her heart.  If the man ever
laughed, she’d probably be out for the count.  Oberon had been right about
Kingu being her
monster, but he’d gotten confused about what to
call
Kingu because of Hope’s mixed DNA.  Humans didn’t have Matches, but they had
something almost as good.

Soul
mates.

“Does
my size… bother you?”  Kingu asked quietly.

“Oh
no.”  Hope shook her head.  “Why?  Does my size bother you?”  She was never going
to be a size two.  Or ten.

Or
fourteen.

“Oh
no.”  He breathed reverently.  “Gods no.  You are perfect, just as you are.  I
would not even change your hair color.”  His palm came up hesitantly and then
brushed across her messy curls like he was expecting her to recoil.

Hope
didn’t move, except to press her head closer to his hand.  “You prefer
brunettes?”  She guessed, going for a light tone and missing the mark.  The
fire was back again, burning at her insides.

Kingu’s
breathing grew harsher when she didn’t pull away from him.  “I prefer no one to
you.”  His touch slipped down to follow the curve of her throat.

The
feel of his rough hands on her skin had Hope gasping in need.  She tilted her
neck to give him better access, even as she reached up touch his wrist.  He
started to pull back, like he thought she was about to push him away, but Hope
held tight and drew his hand lower.

Kingu’s
eyes widened in surprise as she settled his palm over her breast.  He swallowed
hard.  Almost like he couldn’t stop himself, he shifted his thumb to brush
against her nipple through the fabric of her sweater.

Finally.

No
other Fire Phase had ever had to work this hard to seduce their mate, but Kingu
was
finally
catching on.  His fingers moved lower to cup her breast in
his hand, looking dazed.  Hope arched into his touch, her nipple beading
tighter and her body growing damp.

He
made an animalistic sound that made her want to beg for more.  “You are the
one, Hope.”  His hand gently massaged her breast, learning the shape.  “My only
one.  I searched for you for so long that I thought I would die from wanting
you.  And I’m immortal.”

She
whimpered at the soft words, her body going up in flames.  The man had dangled
Lycus by his spine but he handled her like it was made of silk.  He was exactly
what she’d always wanted.  Tender and fierce and
hers
.

Her
soul mate.

Hope
knew it with every molecule in her body.

Kingu
was still taller than her, but the steps helped Hope to close gap.  Standing on
tiptoe, she leaned up and pressed her lips against his.  Hope didn’t consider
herself the most expert kisser in the universe, but instincts took over where
dating experience left off.  Her mouth opened against his, her hands finding purchase
on his massive shoulders, and she just poured herself into the sensation of it.

For
a beat of time nothing happened.  It was as if Kingu had frozen in place.

Hope
had the half-formed thought that maybe she was doing something wrong and then
he gave a savage growl that had her body clenching.  Not even a Fire Phase
could have just swept her up the way Kingu did.  He lifted right off the stairs,
taking control and dragging her closer.  Hope gave a cry as her feet left the
floor and Kingu’s arms seized her against his body.

“Oh
wow.”  She whispered and then she was just caught up in the firestorm.

Kingu
wasn’t just kissing her, he was devouring her.  His hands felt like a brand. 
Marking her body.  Touching her with barely contained greed.  “You’re so pretty.” 
He swept his palm up to angle her head so he could deepen the possession of the
kiss.  “Why must you be so damn pretty?”

His
lips slanted over hers, exactly like a warrior should.  Demanding and carnal
and wild.  If another creature walked through the door, there wasn’t a doubt in
Hope’s mind that Kingu would kill him within two seconds, never turning his
attention from her body.  The thought of it made her even hotter.

“Please.” 
She closed her eyes against the onslaught.  If she’d been born with any energy
at all, Hope would have thought she was caught up in the first stages of
Phazing.  The helpless, all-consuming heat of it.  Whatever the reason
--biology, breeding or destiny-- her entire being wanted this man.

“Please
what?”  His voice panted, out of control.  “Show you compassion?  I’m not that
kind of god.”  His teeth grazed across her ear and he carried her back down the
stairs.  “Your mine and nothing can change that.  Your precious Elementals
scarified you to me, didn’t they?”

He
wanted an answer.  She could tell by the harsh tone.  “Yes.”  Hope swallowed,
her body throbbing.

The
Banished Phases
had
given her to Kingu and thought made her arch closer
to him in a kind of decadent haze.  They might as well have tied her to posts
and left her for King Kong.  Did anyone watch that movie and not know that the
woman
wanted
the monster to pick her up and carry her off?

“So,
you’re
mine
.”  One arm was around her hips, supporting her weight, while
Kingu’s free hand shredded the remnants of her tights, ripping them from her
body.  “You think gods give up their sacrifices, Hope?  Let them escape?  You
think we care about the wishes of those girls strapped to the altars or do you
think we just fucking take what we want?”

Oh
Gaia, did she want to be strapped to an altar waiting for him.  She grabbed
Kingu’s face between her hands and dragged his mouth back to hers.  “I would
never want to escape you.”  She got out between deep, possessive kisses.

He
was her soul mate.  Her should-have-been Match.  Her monster.

Kingu
groaned like she was torturing him.  “Gaia, you really were sent to kill me.” 
That was the first time she’d heard him invoke the name of the actual deity and
not just a derisive curse about the gods.  It meant something, but Hope didn’t
get a chance to figure out what.