Fire Stones - By Kailin Gow Page 0,5
were shaped like the moon...” I thought back to the vision. “And inside there were these flames....there was an amethyst, and a sapphire, and an emerald...a garnet...and a topaz.”
“The Fire Stones,” said Chance softly. “She created them. Vesta did. To bring me back to her. Her Embodiment, whoever she is, should be able to find them – that's part of the Embodiment's test, to prove that she is Vesta. If you had that vision, Vesta's memories, surely it must mean...”
“I don't know, Chance,” I said. “I felt like I was Vesta in that dream – but it could be a mistake. An illusion. Maybe I wanted so badly to be Vesta that I dreamed I was in her place...” I shook my head. “But I can't live with not knowing who I am. I have to figure out my identity – I have to go through with it. Not just for your sake, Chance, but for mine.”
Chapter 2
Another kiss – and then another. We spent hours kissing in that secluded cave, as the shouts of thunder and the wailing of the wind raged around us. It was cold; the rain poured down in floods. But it didn't matter. Where we were – we were safe. Warm. I could feel Chance's strong arms around me, the rippling of his taut, tanned forearms as they held my waist, pressing my flesh. I could feel the softness of his skin, the roughnness of the stubble on his chin, the combination of tenderness and danger that made him so irresistible to me. How had this one man affected me so much? When I was near him, it was like I was no longer myself, like I no longer had any control over who or what I was. Another identity seemed to be tugging at my heart, at my soul – the identity of Vesta, love of the god Mars. When I was with Chance, everything else seemed to disappear – my old life, my status as Mackenzie Evers, girl-next-door: I felt different. Special. As if I could really be the goddess he thought I was. His lips were so hot on mine; I could feel my blood scorch with the fullness of his passion. I tangled my fingers in his dark, wavy hair, wanting to pull him tighter still closer to me. Our clothes were wet – soaked, even – from the rain, and the moisture from our clothes mingled with the heat and the sweat of our passion, so that we lay together, entangled, our clothes still on but largely rumpled and rearranged, in perfect silence. Chance stroked my hair, his lips against my forehead. I felt so small in his arms, I thought – he could encircle me so easily.
“When we're like this,” he sighed, “It makes me want to protect you. Normally, when we're together – you don't need any protecting. I've never met a girl as much my match as you are, Mac, my goddess. Equals – twins of fire. But right now, with me, I suddenly want to wrap my arms around you and shield you from the world.”
I laughed darkly. “I don't need much shielding.”
“You don't know what's out there, Mac. A lot of danger. A lot of things you'd never even know to dream. Things so beautiful that the greatest artists and poets couldn't even begin to imagine them. And things so terrible...” his voice trailed off. “I want to protect you from that.”
“But if seeing those terrible things means seeing the beautiful ones as well?” I looked up at Chance. “Isn't it worth it – taking that risk?”
“Only you can decide that,” said Chance, kissing me sweetly. “But now, my love, the sun is almost setting – and I promised my father I'd help him set up with the banquet tonight.” He laughed. “A mundane role for Mars, no doubt. But he's been at me since I've been back about not doing enough for the hotel...”
Once more Chance's arms were around me, and once more we flew. This time he didn't need to support me; I was able to navigate the fog and clouds of my own free will, holding Chance's hand for pleasure rather than protection. The rain had stopped, and the splendor of sunset was spread out before us. We swam through the sky, beams of orange and pink, purple and yellow light surrounding us in a miasma of beauty, the clouds like great heavy gemstones in the sky. The air was balmy and