have won, could have killed everyone, but my sisters would have died, too, and I couldn’t—”
“You don’t have to explain. I’m just glad you’re here. And no, I don’t think you’ll take the Rod from me. But it’s dangerous and I don’t know how to work it properly.” Should have explained that.
She tugged him to the right. “All right, then. I forgive you for snapping at me, but back to the subject at hand. You hate losing. Honestly, I think you would kill your own mother to win a battle. If you had one. And you put your faith in my ability, but I—”
“Kaia,” he said, cutting her off again. “You are too stubborn for your own good. Nothing matters but the fact that you’re alive, I swear. And to be honest, you aren’t even the one who needs to apologize. You told me not to take the Rod, to let you win it, but I took it anyway.”
“I had changed my mind about that.”
A tug to the left. “I know. That doesn’t change the fact that I—”
“You knew? How? Never mind. We’ll discuss it later. Now who’s the stubborn one?”
Despite his pain, he found himself grinning.
“Damn,” she suddenly cursed. “Juliette’s still on our tail and I can’t seem to lose her.”
His amusement vanished.
Kaia ushered him down a flight of stairs, around a corner. “She’s closing in, and if I don’t do something, she’s gonna reach us.” Without a pause for breath, she pushed him against a hard, cool wall. “Stay here.”
There was no time to question her. She released him and a second later, a sizzling blast of heat wafted over him. She’d just set herself on fire, he realized.
Female shrieks erupted.
“You will pay—” Juliette began, only to be cut off by a grunt of agony.
He wished he could see what was happening.
Sweat rolled down his body. His pain hadn’t lessened and without Kaia there to distract him, to move him, he experienced each lance full force. He hunched over, vomited. He should be fighting alongside Kaia, yet here she was, doing everything on her own. He was a hindrance. If not for him, she could have escaped already, with no problem.
“That should hold the bitch up for a while,” she said with satisfaction, once again winding an arm around his waist and jerking him forward. Though she wasn’t currently on fire, her body temperature had risen substantially.
“You’re getting good at that,” he said, gritting his teeth to help withstand the burn of her.
“Maybe because she keeps me in a constant state of white-hot fury.”
The scent of burning cotton filled his nose. His shirt, he realized. And then another thought hit him. She’d caught fire. Completely. Her clothing would have already burned away.
“You’re naked, aren’t you?” He hated the idea of anyone but him seeing her like that, but he was amused by the picture the two of them must make.
“Yeah.” No shame accompanied the affirmation. “I have been for a while. So how’d you get the Rod?”
A wave of guilt slammed through him as he explained about Lazarus, Juliette and the kind of power at stake. All the while, Kaia piloted him around corners, down steps, up steps.
“So Lazarus is dead?”
A cool, welcome breeze slapped at him. “Yeah. He wasn’t such a bad guy. I wish there’d been another way.” And maybe there was. Lazarus had said
“Yeah, he was growing on me, too. Perhaps—crap. Let’s talk about this later.” She released him. “Gotta get my things and dress. Hold on.”
So they were in the tent they’d occupied earlier, he thought as he swayed. His ears perked as he listened for her sisters, but only the sound of her movements greeted him. Then she was gripping him and ushering him through the maze. He could picture their surroundings now, and knew a fence loomed in front of them.
“Climb,” she said, confirming the layout in his head.
His already damaged body protested the entire way over, but he made it. Continued forward.
“Now jump.”
Another fence, though this one was barely more than a hurdle. He landed with a grunt of pain.
“Boulder,” she said, jerking him to the side.
Soon as they rounded it, they ran. Just ran. Through labored breaths, he inhaled the fragrance of pine, dirt and car exhaust. His boots pounded into rocks and grass, then pavement. A few times, he heard the surprised—and perhaps horrified—murmurs of humans.
Kaia slowed, stopped, then pulled away from him again. “Stay here.” Several minutes ticked by. He hated standing there, helpless, the Rod out in the open. “Cash,” she muttered when she returned to his side.
“Smart girl.”
A haze of gold broke past the darkness of his sight and he blinked. Another blink. No change. Just that dim little light, but that was enough. He was already healing.
What seemed an eternity later, Kaia rented a motel room and secured them inside. She helped him to the bed and he collapsed atop the mattress, taking the Rod with him.
“FYI, you look like shit, Bonin’.” She eased beside him and smoothed the hair from his brow with a gentle touch.
He leaned into the caress. “Thanks, Red. Must say, I’ve felt better, too.”
“Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Nah. All’s I need is time.”
“So what does that thing do? You mentioned the soul thing, yeah, but I’m confused.”
“You got a cell phone?” he asked, rather than answer. First things first. He had to get the artifact out of Rome and away from Juliette.
“Yep. Grabbed it when I got dressed.”
“Call Lucien and ask him to come here.”
As she obeyed, the light he saw expanded, his vision clearing a little more. He began to notice little details. Overhead, the ceiling was a mix of white and yellow. The walls were white stucco. There was a window draped by thick red material. Beside him was a scarred nightstand, a blue lamp resting on top. His gaze moved to Kaia, who paced as she spoke into the phone. That ended and she went silent. She jabbed at the keypad, agitated.
Another couple minutes passed before he could see her clearly. Bruises colored her left eye and jaw, and her upper lip was cut and swollen. Her hair lay in tangles around her shoulders. She wore a clean T-shirt and jeans, but no shoes. She’d run through the streets with bare feet, and it showed. Her toes were blackened from dirt and each step she took left a smudge of blood on the tiled floor.
Not once had she complained or even uttered a squeak of pain. She was a warrior to her core, and his heart swelled with love and pride for her. She hadn’t cared that he’d taken the Rod. No, she’d praised him. Even though he’d caused her nothing but trouble.
One of a kind, his Kaia.
She deserved the best. Therefore, he was going to be a better man. For her.
Frowning, she shoved her cell phone in her back pocket. “Lucien will be here in a few, he said. Also, I texted my sisters and told them where we are. Taliyah and Neeka are nearby and they’ll be here in a few minutes, too. I haven’t heard back from anyone else.”
Before the last word left her mouth, there was a knock at the door. Taliyah didn’t wait for Kaia to answer; she just strode inside, Neeka right behind her. The sisters embraced.
“Sorry about the loss,” Taliyah said, patting her on the head.
Kaia shrugged. “Like I haven’t caused my fair share of them lately.”
“So you’re a Phoenix, huh,” Neeka said.
“I know.” Crimson-streaked fingers scrubbed at her face, highlighting her fatigue. “I was surprised, too.”
Taliyah shook her head, a study of femininity as her pale hair danced around her shoulders. “Oh, Neeka and I weren’t surprised.”
Kaia’s brows knitted together. “Why not?”
“You’ve been exhibiting signs for several weeks now. Plus, you burst into flames the day you were born.
