Page 11 of Emergence of Fire
“Cordelia!” The woman screams. Oh shit, that is Cordelia with her hands on fire! I turn to Adrian and Torin, but no words are exchanged as we take off running after her.
“Cordelia! Don’t run, baby! Let me help you!” The woman screams, she has tears falling down her face as we finally reach her. She takes one look at us, quickly wipes her face before she stops in her tracks.
“Well, if you made it through the protection spell then you are who I think you are.” She says as she steps in front of Torin and Adrian. I keep my eyes on Cordelia. I can feel her distress more acutely being this close to her. Our bond is weak, yet she must be in so much agony for me to be able to feel what I do.
“You thought right, now move.” Adrian steps up into the womans face with his teeth bared. Of course, he could just walk around her but he wants to intimidate her first. The woman doesn’t back down, she just stares Adrian down, daring him with her eyes to get past her. I wouldn’t take a chance if I were him. With the powerful magic she’s wielding I doubt he wants to fuck with her. She’s in mama bear mode right now.
“Wait, don’t I know you?” Torin asks her. He doesn’t even look at her, like me, he keeps his eyes on the woman who’s now in the middle of a circle with flames all around her. I can’t stand here and watch her suffer. Her eyes are wild with panic as she thrashes around in pain. Adrian moves slightly and we lock eyes. He wants to go to her as badly as I do.
“It was a long time ago, I’m surprised you remember, but you were in her nursery the night the queen died,” she said.
“You’re the Druid, Twyla.” Torin suddenly realizes. He doesn’t let her answer, he rushes around her and heads straight for Cordelia. Adrian and I follow him. We stop just outside the wall of flames.
“Do you know what’s happening? No, scratch that. Has this ever happened before?” I turn from Twyla to the guys in a panic. Adrian walks around to the other side, his eyes never leaving hers as she lay there suffering through a partial shift.
“Her Dragon wants out. She’s trying to shift but she can’t. We need to get her back to Arcadia, Torin!” Adrian shouts at us, clearly disturbed by the sight of our mate in so much pain.
“There is no way you can take her back like that,” Twyla says to Adrian. “They would take her from you the minute you pass through the portal.” She shakes her head in frustration and drops to her knees in front of the wall of flames. “Just help her!” She screams to us.
Cordelia is sobbing, her eyes are squeezed tight as her bright red scales appear and disappear on her skin. I feel useless in this moment, I don’t ever want to feel like this ever again. I can tell by my brothers faces that they feel the same way. Torin looks to me, then across to Adrian silently communicating what he’s about to do. Torin steps forward, places his arms out in front of him and passes through the flames. He grits his teeth as the fire licks at his skin. I am anticipating it will burn him, instead, they caress him like a long-lost lover. The flames embrace him! Adrian’s mouth hangs open as he watches Torin pass through unharmed. Everything that has happened since we got here has been unbelievable. I look down at Twyla and hold my hand out for her to take. She looks up at me and wipes away her tears before she takes my hand and I pull her towards me.
“We will figure this out.” I say confidently even though I have no clue what the hell we are going to do. Adrian paces in front of the circle, Torin gently picks Cordelia up, her body goes limp in his arms, almost sagging in relief. I feel for our bond inside of me and it doesn’t feel erratic on her end, she’s beginning to calm down, her Dragon is settling inside her once more. Torin cradles her in his arms as he speaks softly to her. I don’t know what he is saying but I watch as her hand reaches up to touch his face. I’m not going to lie and say I don’t feel a spark of jealousy. I want to be the one holding her close and easing her pain in whatever way I can. The flames die down and both Adrian and I move toward them.
“Torin.” Cordelia says to him softly before she passes out in his arms. All three of us lock eyes at her recognition of Torin. How is that possible? There is no way she knows him. I have so many questions.
“Take her to the house.” Twyla finally says, breaking up our silent stand-off. Torin begins to move, following her with Cordelia held tight to his chest. Adrian follows them and gestures for me to move.
I watch them go with my hands on my hips. I was the one that gave them the lecture about how we present ourselves, and here I am feeling put out and jealous. Yes, I’m jealous, but as long as she’s ok, I can work it out later.
I can’t help but laugh at the irony. Now who’s the surly asshole? This guy.
CHAPTERNINE
TORIN
“She needs to be in Arcadia. Her Dragon will continue to try to push a shift. Cordelia needs to allow her Dragon to Emerge. It’s already been too long.” Adrian paces in front of the couch that I am sitting on. I can understand his frustration, it goes against my nature to see her struggling in pain and do nothing. I would walk through fire for her, just like I did earlier, if it meant I can help ease her suffering. I was surprised that it didn’t burn my skin but it wouldn’t have mattered, I would have burned for her. Dragons heal fast, and even if we didn’t, I would have gone willingly into those flames. I know any of us would have done so.
From the look on Gale’s face, I guess he’s pissed he didn’t beat me to it. He stands against the wall with his head propped up on his fist lost in thought, he hasn’t said a word since we came into the house. That’s a first. It seems he and Adrian have traded places. Since we have been in the living room, Adrian has been the most animated out of the three of us. Again, another first.
I look down at Cordelia’s sleeping face, her reddish/brown skin is smooth and soot stained, her long black eye lashes hug the curve of her upper cheeks, and her eyes move rapidly underneath her eyelids. She is dreaming, and I hope it is peaceful. My eyes move down her heart shaped face to her full pink lips. She is perfection, and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I want nothing more than to brush my lips against hers but this is not the time or the place. She doesn’t know me, even though she said my name. It fell from her lips with such ease, for a brief moment my breath caught in my throat, and my heart clenched at the sound of it on the wind. Cordelia, I promise to protect you with my life, I think to myself, for the rest of whatever I have left of it. It was always my duty, to not only be her mate one day but to guard her with my life. I took up that mantle when I was young and first set eyes on her, and now that she is back it will be my duty again. The duty of my brothers and me.
“Torin, are you listening?” Adrian calls out to me. I snap my head up. I had been completely oblivious to all of them looking at me. I was listening, sort of. “I agree with Twyla. We can’t take her back to Arcadia, not yet.” I say to Adrian, and I can see him getting angry as he sits down next to me and gently places Cordelia’s feet on his lap. I can’t help the smirk on my face as he settles into the couch and sighs. Twyla sits in an armchair across from us and leans forward in her seat.
“It would be a complete shock to her system, and I don’t think she’s ready to go into any Realm just yet. We might not have a choice though.” She takes in a long weary inhale and exhales slowly. “Something tells me this is just a reprieve we are experiencing. With the amount of magic flowing through Earth at the moment from Cordelia, someone is bound to notice. Her magic reached for you, her mates, and you answered her call. Your bond isn’t strong, yet.” Twyla says to the room. I don’t necessarily think she is speaking to us, more out loud to herself. She’s worried, and she has every right to be.
“So, how did she recognize Torin?” Gale pushes off the wall, crosses over to the couch and sits on the arm. I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist the pull of her for long. Twyla looks up as we wait for her to respond.
“She saw him through my eyes.” She says to us. We all look at each other completely clueless. I didn’t know Druids could do that.
“Oh boys, you have a lot to learn about Druids.” Twyla chuckles, sitting back in her chair. “I inherited the power to show my memories from my father. It’s a form of memory projection and it is extremely rare. Cordelia wanted me to tell her everything, and with the return of my powers I wanted to see if I could show her. She saw the events unfold through my eyes and that is how she managed to see a four-year-old Torin looking over her crib in her nursery.” She waits for us to ask questions because we are all staring with our mouths open.
“Wait, I’ve never heard of memory projection before. I’ve studied Druid magical lore since I was a kid and the only Druids strong enough to do the things you can are the—” Gale stops. We always made fun of him for his extensive Druid knowledge, he always found it fascinating. Which is why Adrian and I are hanging on his every word.
“Twyla, who are you really?” Gale shifts on the arm of the chair and crosses his arms over his chest.
“I am Twyla, daughter of King Maddox.” She says matter-of-factly. She scoffs in response to the looks on our faces. “Don’t look so shocked. I am surprised your mother didn’t tell you that part, Torin,” she says to me.
“I don’t think she knew. I think Queen Thana kept it to herself.” I tell her with all the awe I can muster. I can’t believe it.
