Burning to Ashes Read online

  With Scarlet taking up the back seat of the SUV, more of them would have to squeeze into the Impala.

  “Seriously unfair, Heath.” Sophia shook her head and went directly to the passenger side of the SUV. She pulled open the door and got in, not giving any of the men a chance to get that seat.

  Archer stopped to check on the still-sleeping Scarlet. He pulled his jacket up higher on her, tucking her in before he leaned down and kissed her forehead. She felt hot against his lips, and he worried about the next night.

  How would her new Lycan and her pyro mix? Would she start to burn if she turned?

  No—he didn’t think so. She’d nearly completed the turn earlier without any sign of her flames.

  He sent up a fervent prayer to whoever was listening that he was right. Because if he was wrong—no, he wasn’t going to go there. He’d face the next night when he got to it.

  He closed the back door of the SUV quietly and slid into the driver side. Time to get rolling.

  Chapter Ten

  Scarlet came awake and stretched, which promptly led her to wonder if Eternals came with some muscle groups that humans didn’t have. The way her muscles ached, she was willing to bet on it. Her body screamed at her. She felt as if she’d taken on King Kong, and the monkey had used her to polish his teeth.

  Now that she’d acknowledged her body’s complaints, she could compartmentalize that, and focus on her surroundings.

  She was lying on her back on an overstuffed couch, facing a roaring fireplace. The walls were made of round wooden logs, the fireplace of fitted stones.

  Cabin! I’m in a cabin, but what happened and how did I get here?

  There didn’t seem to be anyone around, so Scarlet gingerly sat up. A wave of dizzying nausea hit her, and she stopped moving and waited for it to pass.

  She rose to her feet and felt better. The fireplace made the cottage a little too warm, but she didn’t mind. Even her bones ached, and the warmth was helping ease the pain.

  She looked around some more. She was on the ground floor of a log cabin. The living room and kitchen were one large open space, and in the corner of the room, a staircase led upstairs. The front of cabin had large glass windows, and the warm rays of late afternoon sunshine were streaming through them. She moved closer to the window, and closing her eyes, she tilted her face to the sun.

  The sound of metal hitting wood made her eyes snap open, and she tracked the sound.

  In the front of the cabin and to the left was a chopping block, and Archer was splitting wood.

  She watched as he lifted the axe over his head and brought it down on the log he was chopping.

  She saw Archer had thrown his t-shirt on one of the other logs, and a fine sheen of sweat covered his bare chest.

  His jeans hung low, hugging the flat plains of his hips.

  She stared at him, mesmerized by the way the muscles on his chest and back flexed and moved—pure strength under warm golden skin—and felt the tingle of lust spike in her stomach and lower.

  The urge to run her fingers over his smooth body was so strong, she found herself reaching and touching the glass with the palm of her hand.

  He tensed, stopping his swing mid arc, and turned his head to look at the cottage. His eyes met Scarlet’s. He must have recognized something in her expression, because his eyes blazed the bright yellow of his beast.

  He dropped the axe and turned, his long strides eating the distance between the woodpile and the front of the cabin.

  Scarlet faced the door as it opened with an impatient tug.

  Archer came through it and right up to her in less time than it took her to take a breath, then reached out a long arm and curled his palm around the nape of her neck, pulling her forward into his arms in one motion.

  “When you eat me with your eyes like that, you make me want to get you naked and under me.” His voice was a low growl that caused a tingle of pleasure to race up Scarlet’s spine.

  “I didn’t eat you with my eyes.” Scarlet tried for bravado, but her voice went all hoarse, ruining her plan.

  “You did.” He slid his hand down her arm and took her hand, placing it against the large bulge in his too tight jeans.

  “And this is what your come-to-bed look caused.”

  Scarlet gasped, heat flooding her cheeks, but instinctively she cupped him, then stroked through the thick material of his jeans.

  His answering groan made her feel fierce joy. She loved that she could bring that sound from his throat.

  He must have seen the satisfaction in her expression because he swooped down, covering her mouth with his.

  Damn, this Lycan can kiss!

  It was Scarlet’s last rational thought before the kiss swept her away.

  He deepened it, his tongue warring with hers in the sweetest of dances. She felt his fangs elongate a little and she liked it.

  Running her tongue over the sharp tip of one of the incisors caused him to drop his hands and reach down to lift her up, rubbing her hot core against his erection.

  Scarlet decided she wasn’t going to let him have all the control. She broke the kiss, hooked her hands behind his neck and leaned back, rubbing her heat against his hardness.

  “Damn,” he groaned in pleasure.

  Scarlet grinned and rubbed along him again.

  “No.” He started walking, pushing her up against the nearest wall so she had no leverage. “That’s not fair, belan”

  He dropped his head forward to capture her lips in another incendiary kiss that had her struggling to breathe.

  Scarlet reached between them, working the button of Archer’s jeans. She got it open and let her hand slide under the waistband. Her fingers curled around her prize, making him hiss in surprise and pleasure.

  She thought she heard him mutter too hot to handle before he bucked his hips, driving himself deeper into her fist.

  “Your hands feel so hot on my cock,” he groaned. Then he turned to carry her to the couch. He put her down on the overstuffed sofa and followed her down with another kiss before she could breathe or even consider what they were on the point of doing.

  His hands worked magic on the front of her jeans and all Scarlet could think of was that she wanted his hands in her panties and she wanted them there now.

  He started tugging at her pants to get them down. His tongue kept her from thinking, and Scarlet lifted her hips to help him get them off her.

  She moved her hands to his hips, tugging at his jeans, too.

  “Yes, that’s it, get them off me,” he murmured in her ear as he nipped down the length of her neck and throat.

  “I can’t believe you actually bought that puppy, Heath.” There was laughter in Sophia’s voice as it came through the wood of the closed front door.

  Scarlet and Archer froze.

  “Fuck, they’re back.” He jumped off Scarlet and they both did their best to straighten their clothes before the other Eternals could get to the front door.

  “He’s full of shit,” Erik replied, and Scarlet could hear they were on the pathway up to the cabin.

  Archer looked at her with such heat, she almost melted.

  “We aren’t done with this. Sooner or later, I’m going to take you.” He stepped toward her reaching for her.

  She ducked out of his reach. “They can hear you,” she said in a stage whisper.

  “I don’t really care.” His voice was still rough, like sex and chocolate, and all she wanted to do was take his hand in hers and find a bit of privacy. She started to step toward him when the front door opened.

  “Oh, hey, Scarlet, glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?” Sophia looked at the two of them, and her mouth formed an oh as she stopped walking.

  Erik stopped right behind Sophia

  With a grin on his face, Heath was behind him cradling a Husky puppy in his arms.

  He looked up. “What? Why did everyone stop?”

  Erik chuckled, and in a singsong voice, answered, “Archer got cock-block
ed.”

  Sophia threw her elbow back, slamming it into Erik’s sternum and causing him to let out an oomph as he lost his ability to breathe and his grin at the same time. “Erik, you are such a douche bag,” she informed him.

  Scarlet thought her face was going to self-combust, and Archer looked like he was about to murder the Blood Mage.

  “What a cute puppy.” She reached for the puppy in Heath’s arms, taking it before he could protest.

  The puppy immediately started growling low in its throat, looking terrified.

  “The pup smells your wolf.” Archer went to stand next to Scarlet and put his hand on the puppy’s head. A low growl trickled from his throat and the puppy settled down in Scarlet’s arms.

  “What did you do?” she asked.

  Archer’s answering smile was dazzling to Scarlet’s still hungry body.

  “I told him we are pack mates, and that he shouldn’t be frightened.”

  Erik had managed to get his breath back, and he stepped away from Sophia when it looked like she was going to use her deadly elbow again. “Yeah, normally he just scares a dog into submission.”

  The puppy licked Scarlet’s face and it made her laugh. “Please don’t tell me you named this beautiful dog Tinkerbelle.”

  Heath had the grace to flush, but was otherwise unrepentant. “Yep, I named him Tinkerbelle.”

  Scarlet opened her mouth to tell Heath he was being cruel when Tate pushed his way through the door, his arms full of packages. “Some help with the supplies would be good.”

  “Supplies?” Scarlet didn’t know why they were buying supplies.

  “Yeah, we’ve decided to hunker down here for a few days. Get a bearing on what we need to do next.” Archer’s hand had come to rest on the small of Scarlet’s back and she didn’t mind in the least. His hand was warm and large, and made her feel…safe.

  Oh, bleh, I’m not going to examine that thought too closely.

  “Well, are you all going to help or what?” Tate’s tone was grumpy.

  “On our way, oh, Lord and Master.” Erik left the cabin and went to the SUV.

  The breeze coming off the lake was nippy, so Scarlet wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. She wasn’t going to go back to the cabin, yet. She felt restless, and wanted a bit of fresh air and some time to think.

  Most of the time, she felt as if she was drowning in the newness of it all. Everything around her was strange and different, and she thought she was doing an okay job of adjusting, but sometimes it was too much.

  This evening was one of those times she didn’t need creatures that had spawned from the pages of myth and legend surrounding her. So she’d snuck out while Archer and the rest were butting heads about the next and best course of action in getting the Kalick lifted, then on how to deal with Jasmine.

  Erik had even suggested that they fake Scarlet’s death, and that had started up a whole new cascade of Eternals frothing at the mouth.

  The wind lifted Scarlet’s long dark hair, and she had to reach up to stop it whipping her in the face. Still, she didn’t go inside.

  It was getting dark fast, and Archer had filled in the blanks of Scarlet’s memory from last night, so she was aware of the fact that when the moon rose, he was going to take her into the forest for her first change into a werewolf.

  Scarlet felt her beast stretch and flex in her mind. A feeling of raw anticipation flooded her, but she knew it wasn’t her emotion, and she dreaded having to wrestle her creature into a coexistence with her.

  “How did I get myself twisted up in all of this?” she asked herself aloud. She wasn’t expecting a response, but a deep voice behind her answered.

  “Very good question, darling Scarlet, but take some reassurance in the fact that it will be ending very soon.”

  Scarlet spun so fast that her hair whipped her eyes, making them sting and blur for a moment. When they cleared, she was almost sorry that she could see again.

  “Geo.”

  “Yes?”

  Scarlet opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out as she felt a hand colder than deep space slide across her mouth, and an eerie laugh in her ears that made her hackles raise, and bile climb her throat.

  Geo wagged a finger at her. “Ah, ah, uh. Let’s not be raising our pretty voice in alarm now.”

  He looked over his shoulder at the cabin, then back at Scarlet. “I’d hate to have to kill all the Eternals that are currently in residence, but Scarlet, be assured that I will, if you force my hand. Will you be good?”

  Scarlet nodded, and Luke removed his hand from her mouth.

  “You are insane,” she gasped.

  Geo let out a warm chuckle. “Hardly, dear girl. What I am is an Eternal that gets the job done, and you…” He stepped closer to her, lifting her chin with a thumb and forefinger “Are a job.”

  “How did you find me?” Scarlet had to know.

  “I never lost you. Your guardians…” He looked back over his shoulder again as if making sure that no one had spotted them. “…got sloppy in all the excitement. I’ve been following discreetly from our last meeting, even though you chose to hide in the building for that one.” His tone suggested that she’d been a coward for hiding.

  “Kill me, and get it over with, then.”

  Geo rolled his eyes as if she’d just uttered something stupid. “I can’t do that. There are rules, you know. This has to be done in a certain way.”

  Scarlet gasped in surprise as large white wings unfurled from Geo’s back and hooked an arm around her waist.

  “Going up,” was all the warning he gave before his massive wings stroked the air once—twice—and they took flight.

  Scarlet grabbed on to him and held on, her stomach choosing to ride in her throat for the whole trip, which—thank any deity listening—was short.

  Within three minutes—that felt more like five hours to Scarlet—they landed in a clearing in the woods.

  Scarlet swallowed as her feet touched terra firma and she could let go of Geo and step back. As unsteady as she was, she nearly stumbled, but caught herself at the last instant.

  Grateful to be on solid ground or not, Scarlet knew she had to focus, and she had to do it now. Geo and Luke were intent on killing her.

  “Alright, now that we are all here.” Geo reached into the pocket of the trench coat he wore, and Scarlet fought the urge to ask him where he’d stashed his wings.

  “The Enforcers may step forward now.” His voice rang out, carrying across the clearing into the trees.

  Scarlet backed up as men and women began to step out of the trees. They all wore cloaks with hoods pulled up that shrouded their faces in shadow. She thought she had a handle on those in front of her, but then her beast set off an alarm in her mind, its senses saying there were more. Scarlet spun around and saw Enforcers who had stepped out of the trees in a neat circle around her.

  “Get on with it, we have places to be,” a dark bass voice spoke from Geo’s right.

  “Put a sock in it, Nathaniel. I’m getting to it.”

  Geo looked down at his hand, and the parchment he held in it. “Scarlet of the Pyros, you are hereby accused and convicted. Your crime: The betrayal of the covenant of the Eternal, whether witting or unwitting.” He paused for dramatic effect, and in that moment, Scarlet detested the angel with everything that was in her.

  “Your sentence is death.” The hand holding the parchment began to glow white, matching his eyes.

  Small wisps of smoke curled from the parchment, drawing Scarlet’s eyes back down to it.

  In a puff of vapor, the parchment disintegrated in Geo’s hands, and he smiled—A cold deadly smile that made Scarlet’s spine run with chills.

  Geo extended his hands to his sides away from his body, and the white flames climbed up his forearms. “I truly am sorry,” he said with a sad smile. “But now, I have to carry out your sentence.”

  Scarlet took a step back to give herself a little space. She threw her arms out, away from her
sides. Mimicking Geo’s motion, she focused, and red flames burst from her hands and forearms.

  She glared at Geo, lifted her chin and spoke two words. “Bring it!”

  Chapter Eleven

  The creature that had spoken earlier stepped forward and put its arm in front of Geo, restraining the angel. “Oh, my, this kitten has teeth, how…delightful.”

  “We don’t have time for you to be delighted, Nathaniel. I have an execution to perform.” Geo shoved the other male’s arm down and tried to step forward.

  Scarlet watched with her heart pounding in her throat as Nathaniel’s cowled head snapped towards Geo. “You will wait for me to be done, Geonevel, or suffer the consequences.”

  Scarlet had no idea what those might be, but Geo paled and took a step back. She would have laughed at the irony of big bad Geo backing off for a bigger badass, but her hands were on fire, and the burn was getting to the stage where she had her jaw clamped because if she relaxed it, a scream would escape and never end.

  She knew tonight was her night to die. If Geo didn’t get her, her own flames would, but she’d be damned if she was going out alone. She decided she was going to take that arrogant prick of an angel with her.

  “I see we have an understanding.” Nathaniel raised his hands.

  Scarlet watched his long, fingered pale hands as he pulled the cowl of his robe back and turned to face her.

  She forgot to breathe. She forgot the pain. She forgot the ring of Enforcers waiting for her death.

  Nathaniel was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. Hell, no one could imagine such beauty. Not even Narcissi could have been so beautiful. If there was a perfect being in the universe, then Nathaniel was better looking.

  Scarlet heard Geo snort at her reaction. “Why did she never look at me like that?”

  Nathaniel turned his head to Geo, causing the fall of his long midnight hair to caress his sculpted cheek and fall over his chest down to his waist. His long hair should have made his beauty feminine, but it was the opposite. The long hair only made him manlier.