Fire Stones - By Kailin Gow Page 0,23
my voice, in my trembling hands and limpid eyes: he would know how much I desired him. And then I would never be able to resist...
It was inevitable. My hunger for him grew day by day. But I had to resist. I had to stay strong. I was with Chance, now: Chance was my destiny. And if my desire for Varun was growing, so was my ache for Chance. We had decided to play it cool, to keep our relationship secret at school, lest another one of Alice's cohorts suspect that Chance thought that I, in fact, was Vesta. But that only made our hunger stronger. Day by day we had to fight on the wrestling mat, our bodies twined together, our hair tangling together, our sweat burning together, feeling each other's racing pulses through the stiff gym-wear. What torture it was – to be so close to him and yet to have to stay away. We fought, our adrenaline coursing through our veins, wanting nothing more than to tear each other's clothes off then and there, to kiss in full view of Coach Matthews and all the students of Aeros Academy.
After wrestling class, Chance would pull me aside, yank me into a deserted corridor, push me up against a wall: his lips hot against mine, his body tight against mine. I would feel him kiss me with a ravenous need, as if he was afraid that this time would be the last time, as if we would never kiss again. “Don't make me lose you,” he whispered throatily, his hoarse voice hot on my earlobes. “I keep dreaming about it – you going into the ocean, the waves lapping over you, you vanishing in that water, never to return. So many nightmares.” He clutched me tightly until my skin was red. “Like last time. Just like the last time. I can't bear it!” He pressed me to him. I could feel my heart beating faster and faster, throbbing and pulsing beyond my control. I could feel the fire in his skin – the true power of his immortality coursing through him. How I wanted to close my eyes and experience the full fire of his passion for me!
“Not here,” I whispered, against myself. “Not now. Someone might find us....”
“If only we had more time.” He nibbled at my ear. “Then I would show you right now how much I love you. How much I want you.” He pulled away slightly, looking at me intently with dark eyes that blazed with passion. “When I lost you, Vesta – it was like being torn in two. I swear to you – half of me was missing. But now I've found you again. I know it. You don't need the stones to prove it – I know you are! I've never felt this way since her. I can tell. Your hair smells like hers – just faintly singed, and yet so sweet, like burning sandalwood or jasmine. And your skin is so soft – and yet beneath it your muscles are hard, taunt, ready for action. You have such strength, Mac – I can feel it in you now. I felt it earlier this morning on the wrestling mat. The power within you is truly extraordinary. I can't bear to lose you again.”
I looked into his face and saw that there were tears in his eyes. How could Vesta have done this to him? I raged against my feelings – how could I have done this? I tried not to think of Varun. I had to keep away, no matter what the costs. No matter what the stones did or didn't do. I couldn't get close to Varun. I couldn't betray Chance. I couldn't break his heart one more time. Even the idea of causing him pain made me feel a deep cracking agony in my chest.
Our nights were easier. We spent each evening under the stars, wandering through the mountainous regions of the island. He showed me secret paths and dark, hidden caves where Vesta's servants had built bonfires. He and I flew above the forests, under the moon, feeling the soft wind whip against our faces. It was a glorious feeling. I felt as if this were my destiny – to always be like this, flying through the air, scrambling through the mountains, smelling the fragrant jasmine flowers that grew all over the island. Chance told me stories: myths and legends of the fire gods from all over the world.