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Emotions came hard to me when I was too used to maintaining a state of neutrality. It was easy to lose control when the mind was turbulent.
As half-human, I’d always had trouble controlling the fire that burned within me. I couldn’t turn into the true form of the Vermilion Bird, and that wasn’t acceptable as one of the descendants of the ruler of the South.
It wasn’t hard to leave behind the little town I’d grown up in. It was quite the opposite. I was so ready to see something beyond the only place I’d known. It was exciting to think of the new people I would meet, to maybe even find a place where I finally belonged.
I’d stopped growing at the sizable height of five foot two.
As long as we kept moving forward, things would turn for the better. Change was good, and I was so excited about the biggest change that was happening to my life.
My real family at the circus, gave me space to finally accept myself and not fear the very thing that made me.
Unlike the phoenix who was born in flames, Vermilion Birds were the flames itself. It was the very essence of the god of the South and fire.
The first things I noticed were his bright green eyes that glittered as beautifully as gemstones.
It was hella embarrassing to be held under my armpits like I was a puppy, but it was worth it to get a clear view of him. He had smooth skin that was free from any blemishes or wrinkles. His strong features seemed to be cut from fire: sharp cheekbones, straight and narrow nose, and fierce eyebrows that had been narrowed with worry.
They were portraits of the people I’d met earlier today at the circus but with magical elements added. Fairies, mermaids, gargoyles, and there was even Cole standing in a blaze of fire. I wasn’t sure why, but the fire suited him.
the moon’s light, it led me to where a man sat on a bench. The way he glowed under the soft light of the goddess of night drew me in, and the closer I got to the man, the fire within him became even more evident. He was a man created by flames that burned as fiercely as the world that had shunned him.
Coal stood with his eyes closed for a few beats before he started moving. His pec muscles rippled under the mesh shirt, yet his movements looked as graceful as a ballerina’s.
The music turned faster still, and with a loud stomp of Coal’s feet, fire erupted in the air surrounding the man. The audience roared their surprise and the fireballs looked to be floating in the air as Coal continued his movements. With each jump and twist in the air, the fire swayed as if it was dancing along with the man.
I wanted to continue watching Coal play with the fire that moved at his will.
I imagined Coal’s glowing blue eyes burning as brightly as the flames he had danced with on stage. I wanted to experience the fire up close and personal. To feel the heat of his gaze on me, a gaze that was as comforting as the heat from his flames.
and it wasn’t just because of his petite size. The way he earnestly looked at me with shining eyes had me wanting to wrap him up in a hug, which was a very foreign thought for me considering hugging was not something I did.
I sat with my legs crossed on the soft grass and tried to think of nothing as I blended in with nature, but my thoughts returned to the short man that looked at me with such pure, bright eyes. Eyes that I could get lost in if I wasn’t careful enough.
Every time I closed my eyes, Rhett’s face appeared in my mind. The anger he showed when I’d mistaken him for a child. The hurt that marred his handsome face inside the tent. The confusion in his expression I’d caught a glimpse of when I’d left him inside the backstage tent. But most predominantly was the way he lit up when he smiled.
He was brighter than my flames, and I was the moth that was drawn to the deadly beauty.
I pressed on his shoulders to stop him in place and cupped his cheek so that he was looking at me. The tingles that spread from our touch like it had this morning had returned at full force. His smooth cheek was soft under my hand, and the warmth of his skin was a comfort I never knew was possible.
I had trouble trusting myself at times, but everything inside of me was telling me that I would never hurt this man. Just the idea of causing him any harm filled me with dread. I wanted to protect him, as did my fire. And for once in my life, the fire inside of me and I finally agreed on something.
“I can’t lie and say that I’m suddenly okay with everything, because this is a lot, but I do know one thing. I’m not scared of you or your fire. I meant what I said this morning. Your fire is beautiful, so I hope you don’t forget that.”
“Thank you. You’re the first person to describe my flames as beautiful. They’ve caused nothing but pain for me in the past, but when you compliment it like that, I want to believe you, and I do. So thank you.”
“Hey, I don’t want to hear you talking about yourself like that. You’re not a failure. Sure, you may be a bit different from your dad, but that’s not a bad thing. It just means that you’re your own person. And honestly, I like what I’ve seen of you so far. So please have some confidence in yourself.”
Maybe he couldn’t see the courageous person he was, but I could, very clearly. With every new piece of information I learned about him, he’d captured more of my attention. And I knew that I was in danger of having my heart captured as well.
I would never usually attempt to use my source fire at a show, but something felt different today. It wanted to show itself and willingly yielded control to me. There was no fear or hesitation, just the freedom of not having to restrain myself.
We hadn’t known each other long, but I was falling hard for this man. I may not have known everything about him, but I knew the essence of him. I saw the real him that he tried to hide behind his indifference to the world, and I only wanted more.
He lit up the fire inside of me in a way that I hadn’t felt before. It was intense, a burning that overwhelmed my entire body, but I didn’t fear it.
My fire danced with each movement with Rhett, desiring more of him until the need traveling through my body became a physical need for him.
“There’s fire dancing inside your blues. It’s breathtaking.”
How was I lucky enough to find someone like him? He wasn’t afraid of my fire but embraced it, even thinking it to be something beautiful when I’d only known it to be dangerous. He accepted me for who I was even after his world was turned upside down by my very existence.
I’ve never had a home, but I imagine being with you is what home feels like.”
Coal was what the others referred to me by, but my mom used to call me her little ember,”
Everything with Rhett had happened hard and fast, but it felt right. He had claimed me, my fire and everything that I was.
I already belonged to him, and I could only hope that he was serious when he’d said that he wanted every part of me.
“I could never be embarrassed to be with you. I want to proudly show everyone that you’re mine,”
We were both the lucky ones, and I thanked my fortune for whatever fate that had led us both here, to each other.
I wanted to be his.
“You’re mine too. All of you belongs to me. My little ember.”
The fire called to my body, and my skin tingled under their presence.
Rok turned to Coal with a raised brow and big smile. ”You found yourself a half-dwarf lover? What a perfect match! Dwarves are known to have great affinity with fire since their kind has worked with it since the age of time.”
It sounded like he was referring to more than the question I’d asked him, but I didn’t push any further. I chalked it up as yet another mystery of our ringmaster. Coal had told me that even after knowing him for years and considering him as one of his best friends, Seven was still a mystery to him as well.
“I’m sorry to hear that, but you have us now. You’re not an orphan anymore, not when you’re surrounded by family,” he said with a sweeping hand toward everyone in the tent.
I looked around at the laughing faces of people happily eating my food, to my friends who stood beside me with wide smiles, and to the man who made me feel more at home than any place I’d ever existed in before. These people were my family now, and they were the best family I could ask for.
