Fire Stones (The Fire Wars #2) (12 page)

           
O
nce Varun had gone, I found it easier to pick up the pace and run. I hurried back to the cottage, bursting through the door, my heart beating fast. “Mom!” I called out, fear flooding my whole body. What if I was too late? What if something had happened to her? “Mom – are you there?”

            I stopped in surprise. Antonio Cutter was sitting in my living room. From the exhausted, jaundiced look upon his face I could tell that he had not slept in days. The bags under his eyes spoke to worry – even tears. His face was pockmarked with dark circles. My heart sank in terror.

            “Is it Mom?” I could barely force the words out. “Is she…okay?”

            “She’s alive,” said Antonio after a pause. “I’ve never seen anything like it. An illness coming on this suddenly – some sort of enchantment, perhaps?” He turned to me. “You’re old enough to face the truth now, Mac. You know that whatever’s wrong with your mother has nothing to do with medical science. And I hope for her sake – and yours – that you were able to find a cure. You’re the only one who can.”

            Antonio’s voice shook with pain and fear. I looked up in surprise. Antonio seemed almost as worried about my mother as I was! Was she really just an employee to him?          

            “I found…something,” I said at last, showing Antonio the stone. “Only, I’m not sure how to use it. I’m not sure what it does.”

            Antonio looked down at the stone, and then up at me, his eyes widening. “You found
this
already
?” He gaped at me. “This…this is a horse of a different color. Do you know what this is?”

            I nodded. “One of the Fire Stones.”

            “Then you didn’t find
it
, Mac. It found you. I expected you to be drawn to some magical cure – an herb, a gem, something. But I didn’t expect this. I don’t know how to use it, Mac – my way is not the way of Fire – but I know someone who does.”

            “Chance?” I gulped. I wasn’t sure how to face Chance after what had happened with Varun. I still longed for him – my whole body ached for his return – but I couldn’t bear to see the look in his eyes when I told him about the time Varun and I had spent together.

            “Yes,” said Antonio. Within a few minutes he had telephoned Chance, and moments later Chance arrived at my doorstep, breathless and exhausted. He had run all the way from the other side of the hotel grounds, and sweat made his black shirt cling to his muscled torso.

            “She’s got the stone,” said Antonio. “I’ll let you handle it.”

            “You found it?” Chance turned to me, joy mixing with jealousy in his eyes.

            “Yeah – it was at the bottom of the ocean, like we thought.”

            “Varun helped you?” He couldn’t mask the envy in his voice.

            “Yeah,” I admitted sheepishly. “I mean – he got me down to Abzu’s palace, and we found the stone there.
I
found the stone there.”

            Chance said nothing, but looked at me with pain in his face. I knew what he was thinking – how was it that Varun had been able to help me, when he – Chance – could not? How could he have let me go to the depths of the sea, to its untold beautiful and unplumbed darkness – and how could he ever expect to get me back again?

            “How – uh – how was the water?” He looked down at the floor.

            “Fine,” I said, turning red. “I mean – the ocean is beautiful.”

            “Oh.” His face fell.

            “But I prefer dry land, I think.’ I tried to smile brightly, pushing thoughts of Varun out of my mind for the time being. “As far as I’m concerned.”

            Chance’s expression brightened somewhat. Antonio cut in, clearing his throat awkwardly.

            “Well, Chance – do you know what to do with the stone?”

            Chance nodded. Then he looked up, a softness I had never seen before spreading across his face. “You – uh – you look tired, Dad. Maybe you should rest. Get something to eat. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

            “It’s been a long road,” Antonio admitted.

            Chance gave his father an awkward pat on the shoulder. “Listen, dad – I can take care of things from here on out. You just take care of yourself, okay?”

            Antonio nodded. “Are you sure?”

            “It’s really fine,” I cut in. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for my mom and me. You were a real lifesaver for her – I’m sure.”

            Antonio blushed a little at his cheekbones. “It was nothing,” he said. “Your mother is a remarkable woman.”

            “Then I’ll…well, I will just leave you to it, won’t I?” Antonio stalked off, leaving Chance and me alone together. Instantly we fell into each other’s arms, his hungry lips kissing my own, pressing me tightly to him, all his pent-up desire flowing into me like lava. My body began to heat to his touch.

            “I was so worried about you,” he murmured into my hair. “So very worried.” He kissed me again. “But now you’re back – and the stone – it will heal your mother. I promise you. She’ll be safe now.”

            He reached into my pocket, taking out the gleaming sapphire. “Look,” he said. I gasped in surprise. The stone was heating up to the touch, beginning to glow with an unearthly radiance. Tiny flames seemed to be burning within the stone itself, lighting it from within.

            “Vesta’s power,” whispered Chance. “Vesta’s flame. You see it all before you now.”

            “It’s beautiful,” I breathed.

            He handed it to me, and a volt of electricity shot through me. I had experienced a stone’s power before – but nothing like this blinding shock of intensity coursing through me. I felt as if my blood had been replaced with fire in my veins; I felt the power of the stone coursing into my body, making me stronger, making me more – dare I think it – like Vesta.

            “Put this on your mother’s body,” said Chance, stepping back.

            “Aren’t you coming?”

            “This is something for you and your mother to deal with together,” Chance said, shaking his head. “I know how much you care for her.” He lifted my hand to his lips. “Farewell, my darling,” he said. “I’ll wait in the living room.”

            I entered my mother’s bedroom. She was weak but conscious, propped up on a pile of pillows. She smiled when she saw me. “Honey…” she whispered, the effort so great that she seemed to fall back as she spoke. “I missed you…”

            “It’s okay, Mom.” I went over to her, wrapping my arms around her, pressing the gleaming stone at the small of her back. “You’re safe now. You’ll be better from here on out – I promise you.”

            “What’s going on?”

            She suddenly bolted up straight, her eyes widening in shock. A golden shimmer seemed to pass through her body. “What’s that?”

            Immediately the color began returning to her cheeks – a slow pink flush at first, followed by the ripe red of true vigor. Her eyes grew bright; her hair returned to its customary luster. Her fever cooled; her lips parted in a smile.

            “I was so worried about you, Mom!” Tears sprang to my eyes as I held her tight. “But I found a way to save you.”

            “I knew you would,” my mother said, her voice shaking. “But I didn’t expect that…”

            “What?” I looked up in surprise. What did my mother mean –
I knew you would
? I hadn’t told her anything – about Vesta, about the Embodiments, about anything that might confuse her or make her think I was crazy.

            A voice from behind me provided an answer: “I think it’s time you tell your mother everything. There’s so much she needs to know. A parent should know.”

            “Chance?” He had reappeared, a broad smile on his face.

            “But it’s different with Antonio,” I protested. “He’s already…well, you know! And my mother…” I sighed.

            “Don’t worry.” Chance leaned in and kissed me lightly on the forehead. “You doubt yourself too much. Your mother may know far more than you think she does. And whatever you need me for, Mac – I’ll be there for you, waiting. I’ll keep my phone on. Just call if you need anything at all.” He embraced me and kissed me tenderly on the lips, his kiss full of gentleness – so different from his customary savage desire.
A kiss almost like Varun’s.

           
“I missed you,” I whispered.

            “I missed you too,” replied Chance. “But right now, your mom needs you. I’ll wait until later – I’ll see you outside.” He bowed to my mother and left the room.

            “Mac – what’s all this about?” My mother looked up at me, confused. “Did you go to the ocean?”

            “What?” I looked up at her in shock.
How did she know about the ocean?

            “I may have been ill, Mac, but I’m not deaf. I heard you talking to Antonio in the other room. And now I want to know where you found this…miraculous stone.”

            “I was with Varun,” I said, hardly knowing where to start. How could I explain magic to my mother, or Embodiments, or anything at all? She’d probably think she was in some sort of feverish haze – or that I was.

            “I was…getting the stone from the ocean,” I continued. “It’s…special. Kind of – supernatural, I guess. I mean…it’s not like normal scientific medicine. It’s different. But it made you better, Mom. That’s what’s important.”

            To my surprise, my mother broke into a great laugh. “Poor Mac! You think I don’t know. Oh, my darling, I’m so sorry; I should have told you long ago. I never thought things would go this far…I thought I could protect you by not telling you about your destiny.”

            “My destiny?” I felt the familiar prickling of uncertainty shivering up and down my spine.

            “You’re special, Mackenzie. Surely you must have realized it by now. I knew that from the moment you were born. With a fever so high it would have killed any normal child – one hundred twenty-five degrees – but no outward signs of illness. No signs of anything at all – other than extraordinary intelligence, extraordinary strength.” She touched my hair. “And extraordinary beauty. I knew then that I had birthed one of the Embodiments, one of the special ones.”

            “But you never told me?” I took her hand. “Why, Mom?”

            “Because,” my mother sighed. “I wanted to give you a normal life – or, at least, a chance of one. In days like these, Embodiments are in danger – regardless of their alliance. The Fire Wars have claimed many lives, and I didn’t want yours to be one of them. It’s not easy being born a deity.”

            “Then you knew…all along…that I’m Vesta?”

            My mother shook her head. “I didn’t know
who
you were – only that you were one. And it shouldn’t have surprised me – Embodiments have at least a one in two chance of producing an Embodiment child.”

            “Then you’re a…”

            My mother nodded, a slow smile spreading across her face.

            “A Fire goddess?”

            “No,” said my mother. “That’s what made you so surprising. My alliance is to the Rivers – a faction of Water gods who recognize the need for alliance with Fire and earth. A river runs through soil, after all. I am Yami, goddess of rivers.” Her smile grew ironic. “Or at least I was, once upon a time. I can hardly remember that era now. My memories of the time before Embodiments are sketchy, the way many deities’ memories are.” My mother hugged me tight. “You were born into Fire, I to Water.” I felt the same calm waves rushing over me – waves I had only felt with Varun. But I couldn’t feel safe – secure. I felt only angry, confused. My mother had lied to me – she’d hidden her secrets from me! And she was a Water god – the very deities who wanted me dead!

            “But…how did I end up a Fire deity?” I asked.

            “Your Grandfather was the Sun God. Neither Fire nor Water – but with elements of both mixed in. It was from him that you gained your fiery strength.”

            But before I could respond, a knock at the door interrupted us both.

            “Come in!” I cried.

            It was Chance and Antonio, each holding an enormous pizza box that could easily have fed eight people.

            “We brought food,” said Antonio.

            “Thought you’d be hungry,” Chance added. 

            “I…uh…I’m not.” I was stunned, dazed by my mother’s confession. Everything was dream-like, surreal. “I think – uh – I’m going to go lie down. Or something.”

            I couldn’t let my mother see my face – or the pained expression on it. Before anyone could insist that I wolf down a slice, I walked straight past Chance and Antonio and out into the field.

Chapter
15

            “
M
ac, wait!” Chance called after me. But I didn’t want to listen to him – I didn’t want to listen to anybody! I only wanted to be alone with my thoughts, only wanted to have some time and space to deal with what it was I had just heard. How could it be true? My mother – the River Goddess Yami? How could she never have told me this before? With Water deities from all over the ocean out to get me – my own mother was one of my enemies? The pounding in my head blinded me; I could barely hear from the ringing in my ears. Tears were streaming down my face. All the confusion I had endured, all the uncertainty about my own identity – all of that could have been avoided if only my mother had been honest with me. But instead I had been plunged into a world I could not control, a world filled with wars and alliances and romances bigger than I was. Emotions I couldn’t handle.