Fire Stones - By Kailin Gow Page 0,4

me across the side of the cliff, both of us breathless with exhaustion and desire. We stopped, panting, at the mouth of a cave; Chance pulled me inside, pressing me up against its stone walls, kissing me again – even more passionately this time. He encircled my waist with his arms, and I could feel his fingers adapt to the contours of my skin. He brought me in for another kiss, and then another, each kiss more joyous, more ecstatic than the last.

I had always wanted it to be like this. From the first time I had met Chance Cutter, I had wanted this. I might have pretended otherwise – pretended to dislike him, even to despise him – but deep down, I knew, I had wanted nothing more than to feel his hot lips on mine, feel his hands fumbling expertly with the folds of my skirt. He had been afraid – I knew that. Afraid to hurt me as he had hurt Jana. He had held back. But I had convinced him – I had set us both free, free to fall in love at last. Until we couldn't help it any longer. We had no choice but to give in to our desires.

But something stopped me from going further. Something from my dream. That love I'd experienced in my vision – Mars and Vesta united on their thrones. Was that dream meant for me? I knew Chance was Mars – that much was clear. But did Chance love me the way Mars loved Vesta? Or was there someone else out there, some other girl, who represented his true destiny. How could I risk loving him, knowing that there was a chance that some other girl was meant to be his Queen?

I stopped suddenly, gazing into his glimmering blue eyes. “Why does it hurt?” I whispered. “When we're so close – why does it hurt to be together?”

Chance furrowed his brow. “Does it hurt?” he asked, his fingers stroking my neck gently. “For you to be with me?”

I nodded silently. “Yes,” I said at last, looking down. “I'm afraid. I want so much to be with you – to fully love you – but something stops me. I feel like I can't – no, that I shouldn't. We can't...not yet. Not until we're sure that I'm...who you think I am.” I wanted the tears that had sprung at the corners of my eyes to vanish. “If you still have some doubt about me being Vesta...I don't want to...” Go all the way? How could I – when we were still so unsure?

“You're so beautiful,” Chance sighed, tracing my face with his fingers. His eyes were filled with pain – his gaze earnest and heartfelt. This was not the ironic, jocular Chance I had known at school. “It's just that I don't want to lose you. I love you – you, Mac – whether or not you're Vesta. Others have died trying to prove that they're her – and I was sure with them, too. How can I let you take that chance, when taking that chance might mean losing you? And I couldn't live with that.”

“And if I'm not Vesta?” I couldn't resist asking.

Chance held me tighter still. “I'd rather tear my own heart out than keep up this search – this pain...” There were tears in his eyes, too. “I want to be with you. Vesta – she...you...I don't know. We had this love: an eternal love. And I know my destiny is to find her, to restore the lands in a way that only the united power of Fire can accomplish. But when she...you...I don't know...when Vesta left me, it left a cleft in my heart even centuries have not healed. If you are Vesta – then...how can I get over your leaving me once before? And if you're not...I could start over...”

“A clean slate,” I said. “Like all the embodiments here on Aeros Island?” I shook my head. “But none of us are clean slates. None of us on this island are new to this earth. Look, Chance – I had this vision. When we were flying. I don't know what happened – when you thought I fell asleep. I saw you, Chance. I saw us. We were in this place, this beautiful place, with fire everywhere. And we were in love, and we were happy, and there were these gemstones...”

Chance's eyes flew wide open. “Gemstones?” He turned to me, his expression serious. “Describe them.”

“They