Pyre Starter

It’s the funeral day. I shouldn’t be happy. I refuse to open my eyes and end this moment. Ian’s bed was the most comfortable place I had ever slept. The moment felt perfect and I didn’t want to acknowledge that it was because I was snuggled up with both Hue and Ian at the same time. Dani and Oliver had segregated themselves off to one side. Even with realizing that Briar’s head was resting on my thigh didn’t ruin how wonderful it all felt. I was starting to understand the Werewolf reasoning for sleeping like this. It wasn’t sexual – it was strangely comfortable.

How long are you going to pretend you’re still sleeping? Hue asked.

As long as she wants, Ian answered.

I sighed and finally spoke. “Three voices in my head feels excessive.” I opened my eyes and struggled to sit up.

“Three?” Briar asked sleepily.

“Yes, it would seem Ian is now privy to my brain as well.” I looked down at the very pregnant Werewolf.

“Good, you can have him and bear the next baby.” She growled, rubbing her extended belly.

“Whoa. I’m no baby factory,” I laughed.

She looked at me with brown puppy eyes. “It’s not so bad.”

“Yeah, I’m not buying it,” I told her as we all started getting up and moving.

Dani sat up and looked at me with her usual early morning confusion. She glittered. Not like my scales, but she left a little sparkly trail behind her everywhere she went. Her hair, even first thing in the morning… or evening, as it were, was perfect. “Is there breakfast?” she asked, stretching.

“Pixie dust…” I muttered.

“Huh?” She blinked at me.

“Your hair is perfect,” I told her.

She smiled and shrugged. “I know.”

“It’s the Pixie Dust isn’t it?” I asked.

“I think it’s just awesome genetics.” She reached over and poked Oliver a few times.

“Nope, it has got to be magic,” I exclaimed.

Oliver’s true form took some getting used to. I would say next to myself, his was probably the most shocking change… at least for me. His skin was dark and his eyes were black. His fangs were very visible. It wasn’t that he wasn’t beautiful, because he was. I just felt that standing next to each other, we looked like some strange depiction of heaven and hell. He met my gaze and just sighed. “Kat, she may have perfect hair, but you actually glow. As a Vampire it makes me a little uncomfortable to look at you.”

I winked at him. “Good, then don’t check out my rack today.”

“I can’t help it. You and Dani both just have… boobs. Shiny Fae boobs,” he argued.

I glanced at Briar, who was nodding. “He’s right. I’m not attracted to females and I can’t help but look at both of your breasts. Fae breasts are just magical.”

“I’m not Fae!” I argued.

“Yes, but you are Elven, which is still a creature of the light,” she explained.

Growling at the occupants of the oversized bed I crawled to the edge and made a dash for the bathroom. All I wanted was a quick shower.

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When I returned from the shower it was to find everyone waiting on me. “Sorry to keep you,” I apologized.

Both Dani and Briar glared at me in perfect unison. “Food.”

“Fine, fine,” I said, holding up my hands and following the others out of the room. I couldn’t figure out why we all had to leave together but there seemed to be some sort of rule about it because other rooms observed the same behaviors. What was weirder is that we could go to bed whenever we wanted.

“Are you hungry?” Hue asked, leaning close to my ear.

I shrugged. “I guess.”

“You should eat up. The funeral pyre is tonight and can take hours. Frequently, it lasts till morning and none of us can leave until it is over,” he explained.

“We eat after, right?” I asked.

“Not until the next moon rise. Then we feast.” Hue grinned.

“Got it, eat up,” I said. I followed Ian around the table, taking whatever he recommended. So far he hadn’t let me down on what dishes to avoid and which ones to eat extra of. Everyone ate in silence and as we finished we all made our way outside.

Just outside the doors the old Wolf women from the pond a few days earlier caught me by the arm. “Come with us child.” Before I could snag anyone else, I was taken away from them to the large pyre and circle. “You retrieved a sacred wood from the fire and weren’t burned. You will be playing a major part in tonight’s ceremony,” the oldest woman explained.

“Ummmm, are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean Hue probably wasn’t burned either. The Dragon thing makes us fairly fire retardant.” I was babbling and they just shook their heads. “I just wouldn’t want to mess anything up.”

The Wolf that had marked Grace smiled at me. “You won’t. All you must do is wait for the drumming to start, then dance around the pyre and make sure it catches fire. Then just keep dancing until the entire thing is ablaze.”

“Is that all?” I asked a bit sarcastically.

“That’s all,” they all answered. The oldest spoke again. “Wait here at the forest edge until you hear the drums.”

I looked at the row of trees near us. “That’s a forest?” I asked.

“Yes. A small one. Only forty or so acres,” she explained.

“Only,” I mumbled. I met their eyes and gave them a nod and watched as they made their way to the circle. I stood in silence, waiting and scanning the woods beside me. It was creepy how quiet everything was. I heard the crack of a twig and I spun around to completely face the forest. “Hello?” I called in a whisper. There was no answer. Something told me I wasn’t alone though. Looking once over my shoulder at the circle in the distance I decided unwisely to investigate the sound.

I had taken a dozen or so steps into the forest when I saw a shadowy figure. “You there, wait!” I called out. The figure froze. The closer I got the easier it was to see. The creature before me was pale and translucent. Her hair was black like the night’s sky. Her clothes were grey robes that seemed to float around her. “Who are you?” I asked.

She looked at me with confusion. When she spoke it was with a whisper. “I tell the passing of the soul. Don’t look at me like that,” she started to back up.

I reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Wait.”

She stopped and stared down at my hand and I let her go. She looked closer at me. “What are you? Who are you?” she asked again in a whisper.

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

She reached out and touched my cheek. She let out a slow breath. “I don’t understand. I don’t see it.”

“Don’t see what?” I all but demanded.

She sank back in fear. “Your end,” she said softly.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Tessa. You may call me Tessa,” she explained. She dropped her hand. “Your drums are sounding, Princess.”

I turned and look back over my shoulder at the circle. Sure enough, as soon as I did the sound of drums began beating. When I looked back at Tessa, she was gone. “What the fuck?” I said out loud, and decided to think about it later. I turned and went running for the circle.

The circle of watchers was huge. I hadn’t realized how many people had come for the funeral, but it made sense. I could feel hundreds of sets of eyes on me as I entered the circle. The drum beat matched my heart. It was then I realized I had no torch. I looked around frantically but couldn’t find a pair of eyes I recognized and panic rose within me. Just then a swirl of wind wrapped around me and I relaxed. I began moving again with the drums and chanting to the elements. I began dragging my hands about the pyre and watched with fascination as fire seemed to spring to life from my touch. The flames danced with me, their movement matching my own.

I danced and set glowing flames across every beam of wood. I danced until my body hurt, and then past that until it just felt numb. When the entire pyre finally danced with glowing flames I slowed my dancing and the drumbeat changed. I felt weak and shaky as I took steps towards the drums. I made it just to the edge of the circle and a pair of arms reached up and pulled me down to sit in a lap. I looked up into Hue’s beautiful eyes, then rested my head against his shoulder. The drummer beside us stopped playing long enough to give my shoulder a squeeze and I recognized it immediately. I rested there in Hue’s arms until daybreak, dozing somewhere between waking and unconsciousness.

When dawn came and the last of the flames died, I looked at the smoking ash at the center of circle. Everyone held their breath as a crow appeared, swooping down into the ashes. It picked through them and gathered something into its beak. It hopped a few times, then flew away. A sigh of relief  ran around the circle. It broke apart as Ian and Arjin went to the ashes and gathered them. Hue and I waited for them to finish and we all walked back to the manor together. At the door Ian handed his uncle the urn he held and didn’t say anything until he left. “Kat, if you follow me, we will go wash away the soot and ashes.”

I looked at Hue who nodded. I’ll see you tonight. I want a shower myself.

Ian took my hand and led me to a hallway I hadn’t gone down yet. We climbed a spiral staircase and entered a room that looked out over the grounds of the estate. “Where are we?” I asked finally.

Ian cleared his throat. “Tonight I will become Laird of my clan. I can choose one person to spend the day with in preparation for the ceremony.”

“Why me?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Because it has to be you. You’re the only one I would want to spend my last free day with,” he explained. “It should be with the person who owns my heart.”

I smiled. “What happens when this is all over?” I asked.

He looked sad. “I will stay here. You have your mate and I have mine. Hue and you are Soul Mates. You always have been and I will honor that bond. It’s the most powerful bond in existence.”

But what are we if not bonded? I asked without words.

Ian pulled me close and captured both sides of my face. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to mine. I melted against him. We are not Soul Mates. We can never be anything else beyond this day. 

“So I just go home and we never speak of our bond again?” I asked. Despite my efforts tears pricked at my eyes. I knew they shouldn’t be there because I was being selfish.

“I have sworn my life to you. I will always return to you. Once my heir is born there will be no others,” he told me.

The tears were unstoppable. “I don’t want you to be alone,” I cried.

You are forever in my head and heart. I will never be alone again. It’s not fair to anyone else to try and compete with you. Ian released my face and motioned to follow him. We made our way to a large shower and then to a bed where he made sure he would forever be in my heart and mind.