Enchanter (5 page)

“Did I do that?” I had to be seeing things, only the evidence was clear. My handprint branded his arm.
 

“You just burnt me.” He traced the marks, although they slowly faded as his fast-healing kicked in. He shot me a look. “We have to try that again.”

I backed away but he advanced and gripped my arm before I could stop him.

“Shoot. Hot. Hot. Hot.” Blisters, red and angry, bloomed on his fingertips.

“No more trying. I’m clearly burning you.” His festered skin meant I’d come into a skill. “My Carver ancestors had the fire skill.”

“It’s been a couple of months since your eighteenth, but you and Silas were born prematurely.”

“By seven weeks, but Silas still came into his skills the week of his eighteenth.” Yeah, except Silas had been born healthy and strong, and me so tiny. It had taken months for me to catch up.

“Well, you definitely have a skill, and now there’s a wicked amount of heat pulsing off you.”

“There is?” Of course there would be. I’d just burnt him. “Stay there then. I don’t want to burn you any more than I have.” In awe, I grazed my fingers over my arm. “I have the fire skill. Wow.”

“A skill with a high temperature. You’re gonna have to get that down.”

“I wouldn’t have a clue how to. How much heat am I emitting? I can’t sense it.”

“A ton of it. Look, Belle’s a wizard with tracking information on our skills. She knows the castle library inside out and that’s where the facts about your fire skill will be. I’ll ’path her and ask her to meet us there. We’ll get some answers, and turn your heat off.” He whipped his shirt over his head. “This is damp, but I’ll roll it so I can create a barrier between us for ’porting. We’re gonna need something.”

I lifted my arm. My skin looked as lily white as it usually did, only as he touched his shirt to my skin, steam hissed from it.

“Ouch.” He dropped his shirt. “How did Moyer not notice this heat? He touched you right before you burnt me.”

“Maybe it started after he left?” Or maybe… “I can’t harm the one I’m mated to. It’s impossible because everything inside me would rally against it. Perhaps I controlled the temp with him?”

“Or he could be immune. As your mate, he physically holds the other half of your soul. A piece of you exists within him.”

I gripped the ring swinging from my neck. “We need to check those records and find out if that’s why. Go without me and find out what I need. I’ll wait here.”

“Leaving you alone isn’t an option. Anyone could walk down this beach. No. It’ll be easier to get Moyer to come back and simply have him test you as I did.”

“He’s busy—” My head swam, and dizzy, I dropped to my knees. “Whoa.”

“What’s wrong?” He crept closer then grumbled and backed away.

“My head.” It throbbed, and as I focused within, a channel slowly formed and tapered outward. “Telepathy, I think.”

“We’ve gotta get you out of here. Call to him.”

“No.” Only, my mind splintered with a piercing intensity. My own voice echoed Guy’s name over and over inside my head. Oh hell, I couldn’t stop calling to him. “
Guy. Guy. Guy.
” His name spun out along the pathway I’d opened. “
Guy, please. Where are you? I need you.
” I slammed my hands on the ground and a vapor rose from under them. Oh no.

“
Silvie? Is that you?
” His voice was frantic, yet vividly clear in my mind.

“
I can hear you. You have to come. Skill.
” The glassy granules within the sand fused together and hardened. “
Like right now. You have to come and get me out of here.
”

“
You’re a telepath? You have a skill?
”

“
Fire skill.
”

“
Hold on. The beach still?
”

“
Yes, and be careful. Apparently I’m hot. I just burnt Zayn.
”

“
I’m coming.
”

A rush of wind hit me, and I pushed myself up. He stormed toward me and I shoved out a hand. “No. Stop. I might burn—”

He yanked me off my feet and into a smothering hold. “You don’t feel hot to me.”

“Guy.” Why had he done that? “Didn’t you hear me say I burnt Zayn?”

“Yeah.” Pulling back a little, he eyed the protector. “He shouldn’t have touched you. His fault.”

“You don’t feel her heat?” Zayn circled us. “It’s pulsing off her in waves.”

“I’ve got nothing, although what are these?” He tapped his booted foot on the shards of glass I’d hardened.

“That came from me.” I gripped his shirtfront. “The fire skill runs through my family line. It’s been two-hundred years since it last surfaced, but we’ll find any information I need in our history books. Zayn will ’path Belle and have her search the volumes. Can you take me to the castle? I have no other way of getting back.”

“Of course I can. Whatever you need, I’ll provide.”

Zayn shuffled back. “Let’s hurry. She’s getting hotter by the second.” To Guy he said, “Follow my ’porting airstream.”

“Lead the way.” Everything darkened as Guy moved us through space and time. We arrived in the library, its thick double oak doors shut to any who might pass by. Rich mahogany shelves overflowed with burgundy leather-bound books, row after row of Peacio’s history lay before us. Exactly what I needed.

“Thank you for bringing me home.”

“You might need to be moved again. I’ll stay.”

“Belle’s on her way.” Zayn tapped his head. He’d ’pathed her. “She’s just down the—”

“Silvie.” Belle swung the doors wide and flew in. “Zayn said—” Gasping, she bent over, hands on her knees. “—that you have the fire skill. Ran all the way here. I really wish I could ’port.”

“Me too.” I hurried toward her. “I need help.”

“Hey, hot, hot.” She scrambled back, sweat popping up along her brow.

“Sorry. This is all new to me.”

Guy whisked me up and set me down further away. “Silvie can’t feel the heat she generates, and neither can I.”

“Who are you?” Belle shoved dark locks over her shoulder and eyed him. “And why is there such a protective emotion emanating from you?”

“You’re an empath?”

“Yes, and a protector. Now answer the question.”

“I’m her mate.” He moved in front of me, his back a solid wall.

“That would be released mate.” I gripped his arm and tried to move my territorial mate. Nope. He wouldn’t budge. “Belle, Guy’s one of the warriors from Hope’s outback station. Since my heat doesn’t affect him, he ’ported me home.”

A loud creak at my feet.

Belle stumbled back. “Okay, we’ve got to get you off the floor. Your heat is twisting the boards.”

“I’m on it.” Guy swung me into his arms.

“If I do more than warp the boards, get me out of here.” I clung to him.

Belle took a wide berth around us then motioned to Zayn. “Come help me. There’re a lot of books back there.”

The two hurried into the darkened recesses.

I stole another look at the floor. “I can’t believe I did that.”

“I can’t believe you ’pathed me.” He smiled and nuzzled my hair.

“What are you doing?” Butterflies abounded in my belly. “I mean, don’t do that.”

“Mmm, you smell like sunshine, and your hair, it’s a living flame with these strands of gold ablaze within the red.”

“It’s too curly.”

“I like curly.”

“We’re getting rather close.”

“Close is dangerous.” He pulled back and looked into my eyes. “Sorry, gotta kiss you. Now.”

“Wha—” His mouth stole over mine and whatever thoughts I had scattered, except for one. I wanted this kiss as much as he did. This moment couldn’t be denied, so I kissed him as deeply as he kissed me. Oh, so wicked. I stroked his silky black hair. “We should have done this sooner,” I mumbled against his lips. “So good.”

“Hell, yes.” He deepened our kiss.

I was lost in the sweet taste of him. My heart soared and my soul called to his. More. He was my mate, and it wasn’t a bond to be broken. Except, damn it, we had.

“We should stop,” he growled as he pulled away.

“Absolutely. What were you thinking?” Unable to help myself, I traced his full lips with a finger.

“I wasn’t.” He sucked my finger into his mouth, and I near exploded as heat raced through my veins.

“Silvie!” Belle screeched from the depths of the library. “Do you mind? Your emotions build on your skill, and you’re causing a heat wave. I’m about to drown in my own sweat over here.”

“Sorry, Belle.” I glared at Guy. “Sheesh, that was your fault.”

He grinned.

“He’s not feeling repentant!” Belle yelled. “Silvie, please think cold thoughts. Lots of them. Right now.”

“Do I have to?” A shiver chased down my spine. Yuck. Cold thoughts would suck.

“Yes.” Carrying a burgundy leather book, Belle scurried out of the row. Her long hair lay limp down her back and the front of her blue swing shirt was wet. She tapped the book. “It says here cold thoughts are your first tactical response to lowering your heat. Imagine a snowy day, or ice trickling down your back. Maybe even a whole tub of ice and soaking in it. Whatever it takes, think cold.”

“Just try it, Silvie.” Panting, Zayn trudged out, his cheeks blotchy and red. “You’re sucking all the moisture right out of the air.”

“Okay, a tub of ice.” Not wanting to, but not having any choice, I forced the image of a tub into my mind. Clumps of ice floated inside, and I shoved one foot in. Argh. I shuddered in revolt.

“That’s working.” Belle swept a hand through the air. “The room’s still hot, but there’s less heat coming off you. Whatever you’re thinking, go further with it.”

“Yeah, you would say that.” I poked my tongue at her, but kept going. In my mind, I lowered my other foot into the tub and stepped fully in. “Shivers, that’s cold.”

“Are you okay?” Guy tucked me closer against him. “You’ve got goose bumps all over your arms and legs.”

“Belle’s a cruel empath.”

“At least I’m a cooler one.” She thumped the book down on the large oak desk and trailed her finger along the thick parchment paper. “It says your mated one will be immune to your heat, but not if you heat something surrounding you. It also records your skill will be a little uncontrollable until your rising, although that’s no surprise. Our skills usually are.”

The library doors burst open. Silas stormed in, his chest heaving under his loose-sleeved white shirt. He pulled his sword from the scabbard at his side and planted his booted feet wide. “Zayn ’pathed me, sis. You’re mated to a warrior?”

“Hey.” I waved, albeit feebly. “As it happens, he’s right here.”

Davio, Peacio’s prince, prowled into the room in his battle leathers. He drew his sword and lifted it toward Guy. “Moyer. Once again we meet.”

Oh hell. This was all I needed.

3

“It’s not what you think.” Great. Now I had to face off against my brother and cousin.

“It looks exactly like what we’re thinking, Silvie.” Silas raked a hand through his closely cropped red-gold hair. “Zayn warned us you had a problem and to come as quick as we could. That problem is extremely evident.”

“Guy’s not the problem, and I thought since you all knew each other, you’d be on slightly friendlier terms than this.”

“We’re not killing him. That’s friendly.” Davio tipped his chin up a notch, which made his brown hair wisped with golden strands brush his shoulders. His dark eyes drew into slits as he stared at Guy. Close to six foot four, he matched my brother in height.

“He’s tight with Faith and Hope. You wanna upset them?” Mentioning their mates should help, and where was Faith? Didn’t this moment constitute a forewarning?

“You don’t have to defend me, Silvie.” Guy set me on my feet behind him then raised his sword toward Silas. “We never finished our last battle. It appears you’d like to.”