Page 2 of A Blaze of Fire
He shook his head and scrubbed his hands down his face. “Learning the elements isn’t like riding a bike, Violet. It takes years just to masterone, and you have all of them inside you. What do you think your odds are?” he deadpanned.
“Well, withthatattitude, they’re not great,” I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes. “Let’s just choose one element for now and try to master it. The others will come with time.”
Alec shook his head and scoffed, “Kazimir will want to see you wield more than one element as proof that you are what we claim you are. You need to master at least two elements.”
I nodded. “Fine. Which ones are the easiest and I’ll—”
“No,” Alec cut me off. “I’ll teach you fire. I can teach you the basics. Also, most Unseelie are fire elementals. It’ll give you an edge.”
“Does being a fire elemental make you evil?” I mumbled.
“No,” he said dryly. “And not all Unseelie are bad, just so you know. That’s just a stereotype. Just like there are bad Seelies, even though they love to pretend they’re the good guys.”
“Well, I haven’t met anygoodUnseelie yet, so I’ll believe it when I see it,” I replied matter-of-factly.
“Fair enough.” He nodded. “I guess you’ll get the chance once you enter the Unseelie Court.”
Entering the Fae realm made me nervous, but I didn’t want to make that emotion known, even though I was pretty sure it was obvious.
“So, what’s the second element I’ll learn?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Water,” he said. “It’s an optimal balance for fire.”
“When do we start?”
Alec smirked. “Now.”
* * *
Alec ledme through a back door that angled up a flight of stairs to the house’s backyard, which gave us a semblance of privacy. It was risky being out in the open, but he reasoned it was early in the day and most people were at work or school. “Besides,” he said, “no one will pay attention to what we’re doing anyway.”
We stood in the middle of the yard facing one another, with a few feet separating us. Alec cleared his throat. “The first thing you have to remember about elemental magic is that it always comes with a price. If you use too much magic, it can drain you and leave you vulnerable. Especially if you’re in a fight. That’s why control and restraint are very important. You can’t afford to be reckless and involve your emotions. When emotions get thrown in the mix, you lose control.”
“Be an emotionless robot. Got it,” I retorted sarcastically.
Alec flung his head back and exhaled loudly. “That’s not what I’m saying, Vi, and you know it.”
“Fine. So how do I produce fire?” I held out my hand and wiggled my fingers, earning another scowl from my already frustrated elemental teacher.
“The elements are inside you; you should be able to feel them and connect with them. Concentrate on fire and feel the warmth in your hands.” Before he finished speaking, his hands were engulfed in flames, the blaze flickering and casting warmth over my skin.
My eyes widened, surprised how fast he was able to conjure fire. I closed my eyes and tried to dig deep inside me for anything that felt out of place, a feeling that hadn’t been there before, and concentrated on the idea of fire. What it felt like, how it smelled, how it crackled and flickered as it devoured. I flung my hands out and opened my eyes, certain I’d see a ball of fire, but all I saw was the palm of my hand. A frown quickly covered my face. “How?”
“Your powers have been dormant all your life, Violet. It’ll take a while to produce them,” Alec replied softly, though I didn’t miss the uneasy glimmer in his eyes. He peered at me as if contemplating something, then sighed and took the three steps that brought him to me. With his hands still engulfed in flames, he took hold of mine.
Without thinking, I shrieked so loud, I was fairly certain everyone in town heard me. “Oh my God! What are you doing, you freak?”
Alec chuckled and smirked. “I’mthe freak? You’re the one with all the elements inside her.”
I glared at him. “Why doesn’t it burn?” I tried to pull away, but he had a tight hold on me. I flinched each time the fire licked my skin, but it was comforting instead of painful.
“Because you’re a fire elemental. My fire recognizes that.”
He tugged me closer to him and I nearly fell against his chest. I placed my free hand on his firm chest and looked up at Alec’s beautiful face, mesmerized by his mis-matched eyes, one hazel, one green, watching me closely. My heartbeat picked up the pace and my mouth suddenly went dry.
His fire slid down my hand, down my wrist to my arm and up my shoulder, but I was so entranced by Alec’s eyes, I wasn’t paying attention. His hand slid into mine and interlaced our fingers as the fire engulfed us.
The corner of Alec’s mouth tilted up in a smirk. “Someone’s a little greedy.”
