He felt Bindu’s hand on his shoulder and hung his head as he realised he had just voiced his monologue to anyone still linked to him, being too exhausted to guard his thoughts. Wiping his hands down his face, he sighed, his vision returning to the devastation before him. As Bindu tried to explain to his sister’s closest friend all the things he could not voice, he turned away, his gaze fixed upon the fire, watching it burn.
The dark backdrop of the night sky made the vibrancy of the flames even more intense than their ethereal shades. There was something hypnotic about the way they swayed as if in a dance, while destroying everything in their wake. Fire engines with silenced sirens arrived, their lights meshing momentarily with those of the departing ambulances containing the rescued Tabus. The lawn was overcrowded, two ambulances still waiting while the fire trucks drew closer to the blaze and the firefighters emerged to do heroic battle against the hungry beast. Shoots of water sent mist into the air, but the fire burnt through the water, seeming to ignite it as if it were oil feeding its flame.
Swearing, Alex ran towards them, his arms waving frantically. To a fire like this, everything was fuel, even water. It would burn with the power of the eternal flame until his sister’s life faded. Only when her own fire died would this one return to its mortal nature.
He sank to his knees as he saw the water begin to gain ground, vanquishing its foe as the first plume of smoke altered in shade beneath the barrage of water. Tess approached him slowly, holding Jack’s latest sketch before his gaze. It took a moment to realise what he was seeing, but when he did, he found the faintest of smiles. He studied the image for a long time, lifting it from her hands to absorb the lifelike details of a formidable ifrit embracing a Phoenix as the world around them burned.
Conrad felt her heat begin to wane. The fire surrounding her flesh became fine wisps of vibrant orange which peeled back to reveal her ivory skin beneath. She felt limp in his arms as he sank to the fractured floor, cradling her. His clawed hands combed through her hair frantically, his vision desperately seeking out any sign that she still held breath within her body.
“Ashley,” he whispered, pulling her close as he held her protectively, no longer fearing the effect his heat would have upon her. All along, she had been naturally resistant, immune to the blistering heat of his essence and able to withstand the touch of his rawest form. His soul had been right all along; she was his, she had always been his. “Please,” he begged.
There was so much he wanted to say… feelings so powerful that the only thing they could become was tears. He searched inside himself for the right words—the words that, if spoken, would somehow reach across time and space, across the realms and draw her back to him. But no such words existed, not in this world or any other.
The world crashed down around him, yet still he sat. His own world had already been destroyed beyond any recognition. He understood the tether now, why she sang to his soul. She had been part of him, the missing piece, his soul mate. Now she was gone. Without her, without her smile, the sound of her voice, the touch of her hand, life no longer held meaning. Now she was gone, nothing would be the same. Part of him would remain forever lost, dead and grieving.
He placed his lips to her forehead as he rocked her lifeless form. He had known her such a short time and, despite him fighting it at every step, he had known the truth. She was his soul mate, the very breath in his lungs, his reason for living, and now she was gone. He had spent so long fearing what his love would do to her, so long denying what he felt, but now it was too late to tell her. Too late to say he loved her, too late to place his lips upon hers and lose himself in the sweet promise of her kiss.
He placed his forehead to hers, pulling her closer still, gathering her in his embrace as if sheltering her tiny frame would somehow save her. But she was gone. Everything she was, everything she could have been, was gone. Her magic had burnt out, consuming her in the process. He stroked her jaw with his claw, placing his lips to hers, wishing her safe passage to the other realm. Her lips were as soft as they had promised to be, their coolness gaining heat as he refused to end this final parting. Heat engulfed him as he closed his eyes, his lips still on hers, using the connection to seek her spirit in the other realm, praying she had not burned out so completely that her very soul had been destroyed. He pulled away, feeling only emptiness. She was gone. He pulled her close again then gasped as her eyes flickered open.
“Conrad,” she croaked, lifting her hand to cradle his face. He leaned into her touch, relishing the coolness of her flesh upon him.
“I thought you were lost, I
