Page 59 of The Mating Fire
Best to concentrate on the training Jared provided in using her powers rather than the curse holding him hostage. A sore point, she could tell, and she felt it in her bones he didn’t want to discuss it further.
Even though she wondered if Serena the witch was the same one who cursed him as the servant he employed. Maybe later, when Jared seemed less tense, she could ask him.
“You’re not concentrating,” he roared.
She dodged a firebolt he suddenly lobbed at her and threw coldfire at it, dousing the flames, Harper realized he was not in a mood for discussions about the curse.
“Stop taking out your frustrations on me, Jared. Why can’t you blow off steam like other men and watch football and yell at the television instead of hurling fireballs at me?”
Harper tucked and rolled as he threw another one, which followed her. It singed her bare arm, making her cry out. Oh damn, that hurt, burned so bad. She rolled again.
“Use your magick, damnit!” he yelled as he tossed another fireball at her.
Closing her eyes she imagined soothing coldfire surrounding her body. The burn vanished. Harper’s eyes flew open.
Blue coldfire encased her body in a protective shell, preventing the fireball from penetrating and hurting her.
Through the blue haze she saw Jared nod, clench his fist. The fireball vanished. She pulled the coldfire back into her body as he came over, and helped her to stand.
Jared examined the slight burn on her forearm. His caress felt cool and soothing, easing away the ache. Or it was her own powers, for when she glanced at the burn mark, it had vanished.
“You have to be more careful, Harper. Demons aren’t going to give you a chance to react. Or a second chance.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Harper doubled over, gulping down deep breaths. The way he’d attacked her was scary.
Far worse was the fact another demon would not hesitate, or give her breaks. The attacks would keep coming.
Dragging in another deep breath, she straightened to see him quietly observing her. Arms folded, he leaned against the stone wall, his expression guarded.
“I mean it Harper. I’m absolutely fucking serious. Saqara is not giving you a second chance. If he sees you, he will drain you, slowly, toy with you and it will be excruciating.”
She fingered her ponytail. “I’ll do my best to avoid him. Where does he live?”
Sauntering over to her, he gently tweaked her swaying ponytail. “He used to sleep below the slopes of the volcano you visited, until you woke him by igniting your coldfire magick. Now? Best guess is beneath the slopes of Mt. Fiery, a volcano in Guatemala.”
“This demon guy, he likes the hot stuff.”
Jared did not smile at her joke. “Yes. Last time he caused Mt. Fiery to erupt in 2018, several dozens of innocent villagers were killed.”
Harper swallowed hard. “That’s horrible. Those poor people.”
“He likes to roam over the destruction he caused, and since that was the last volcano he stirred up, he’s probably there.”
“I’ll make certain to avoid that volcano.” Harper began to pace. “And look out for him.”
“It’s not enough. He’ll be searching for you.” Jared rubbed his bearded chin. “We need to test your powers outside this castle if you are to survive, Harper. I can train you for a millennium, but until you face the outside world, you won’t know how well your defenses work.”
“Like a simulation versus flying a real airplane?”
Jared nodded. “Best place would be someplace crowded.”
Suddenly she had a real craving for fun, for people and laughter and socializing.
“I know a good place. The Funky Alehouse back in South Florida.”
Raising his dark, sleek eyebrows, he stared at her. “A bar?”
