“So, what’s keeping you?” Donovan winked at Eileen. “I think your mate is cute, so it can’t be that.”
Erik rose to his feet abruptly, slamming his laptop closed. Sara winced but he spoke sharply. “We are gathered to decide upon a course of action with regards to the broken Dragon’s Egg, not to discuss my personal affairs.”
“Doesn’t look like there is an affair,” Donovan said wickedly. “Is there, Eileen? He’s not so bad, you know. We could vouch for him.”
Erik raised a finger, but before he could argue Quinn cleared his throat. “Aren’t your personal affairs our affair?” he asked softly. “Isn’t there a prophecy about the third firestorm after the moon changes nodes?” He glanced at Sara.
“Rafferty knew it,” she agreed. “Something about King and Consort.”
Consort. Eileen’s cheeks heated. How strange to hear that uncommon word twice in rapid succession.
“Why isn’t Rafferty here anyway?” Donovan asked. “It’s not like him to miss anything.”
Erik exhaled with obvious exasperation. “Because he and I argued, if you must know.”
“About what?”
“About the firestorm.” Erik shoved a hand through his hair. “I refuse to discuss this now, not when there are matters of import to be resolved.” He turned back to his laptop with a frown.
He was obviously shaken, which Eileen found interesting. It wasn’t like Erik to let his feelings be so clear. She knew that already and she saw that the other Pyr also recognized as much.
Was it the possibility of sacrifice that had shaken him?
Or could it be her?
“But isn’t this the big one?” Sloane asked. “Don’t all three firestorms after the moon changes nodes have to be successfully concluded to give the Pyr a chance at defeating the Slayers forever?”
Erik looked discomfited, as Eileen imagined he seldom did. “Yes,” he admitted tightly. “All the same, the progress of this firestorm is a matter between myself and Eileen.”
The Pyr clearly didn’t agree with Erik on this. Eileen had an idea that might resolve their conflicting viewpoints. “What’s the prophecy?” she asked. “Does anyone know?”
Everyone looked around. It was clear that this Rafferty, who was absent, was the keeper of such stories. Erik drummed his fingers on the tabletop, scowled, then tossed back a mouthful of coffee. He glared at his companions, then heaved a sigh. He spoke in a low voice, but his words echoed through the loft.
“Third match of three demands sacrifice
A blood cost of enormous price.
Then King and Consort in union complete
Choose trust over ancient deceit;
Shed blood alone can give the power
To aid the Pyr in their darkest hour.”
The room was silent as they each thought about it. King and Consort. The words recalled the Wyvern’s comments all too clearly to Eileen. She thought about what she wanted more than anything, thought about Erik’s needs, and knew what she had to do.
No matter what the consequences.
In fact, she was pretty sure that Erik had interpreted it wrong.
“Upbeat,” Donovan said finally. “Gotta love prophecies. So who dies?”
“Nobody has to die,” Eileen said, and put aside her knitting. “Blood is shed when a child is born, a lot of it. And there are other kinds of sacrifice, which just might be the point here.”
No doubt about it, she had the Pyr’s undivided attention.
Chapter 23
“What do you mean?” Erik said, his voice breaking the silence that followed Eileen’s statement.
Eileen smiled, her confidence in her own theory growing. “I was thinking of another motif, one that recurs in old stories of kings. There’s a persistent idea that the health of the land is a reflection of the health of the king. That’s why you have old fertility stories about the ritual slaughter of the king—in a warrior society, it was critical that the king be both virile and whole. A maimed king was no longer fit to rule, nor was an infertile king, a blind king, an old king, a crippled king—the list goes on and on, but the point is that the fertility and vigor of the land is a reflection of the king.”
“So, you want a hottie for president,” Alex said. Donovan rolled his eyes. “I’d vote for you,” she said, and he grinned.
“Because having an injured king would have ramifications throughout the land,” Sara said.
Eileen nodded and tried to choose her next words with care. “That’s where the motif of the wasteland comes from. It’s something you see in the Arthurian myths, like the story of the Fisher King. The king has turned inward because he has sustained a wound of some kind and, lacking his attention, the physical bounty of his kingdom withers away. It’s a metaphor that’s been used increasingly since the industrial revolution to refer to our own world—what is the root cause of the wasteland we’re creating?”
Erik spoke abruptly and his tone was icy. “Are you suggesting that I am maimed?”
“No, but you haven’t been balanced, not since Louisa’s death.” She continued before he could argue: “There are many kinds of injuries, just as there are many kinds of sacrifices. We could have consummated the firestorm the other day, but you chose not to do so. Why?”
“I told you that it wouldn’t have been fair to you,” Erik said. “You didn’t know that you would conceive—”
“Maybe I did anyway.”
He shook his head with finality. “No. The spark would have died. The firestorm fades when its demand is fulfilled.”
Eileen gestured to Quinn and Sara, Donovan and Alex. “But you’re still together.”
“It’s a choice,” Quinn said. “One that my father advocated.”
“The idea is that a team is more than the sum of the parts,” Donovan said, and put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. She smiled up at him. “That we’re transformed by love and commitment.”
“That the firestorm strengthens a Pyr, just as the forge tempers steel,” Quinn added.
Erik had averted his gaze and Eileen understood that he had doubts about making such a commitment. “Let me guess,” she said lightly. “There are others who think that it should be more like a Viking raid. Get what you came for and get out. If you leave little blond babies behind, that’s life.”
Donovan snorted. Erik flicked a hot glance at her and Eileen smiled. He watched her, his gaze slipping over her as if he would memorize the sight of her. She tingled as surely as if he had touched her.
“It’s one perspective,” he admitted.
Eileen rose to her feet and crossed the room, knowing what she had to do and perfectly willing to do it. “Then let me make you an offer. I have a good job and a comfortable life. I’ll have your child, Erik Sorensson, under the assumption that you’ll help me teach that child about the Pyr bits. You can have your freedom and do your duty, too.”
Erik blinked. “You don’t know what you’re offering. . . .”
Eileen was dismissive of his objection. “I know exactly what I’m offering. My sister has had hellish pregnancies, but they don’t last more than nine months. I’ve been there for her and I’ve seen it all. The fact is that I have good insurance, an employer plan for maternity leave, and no worries about my reputation suffering for my being a single mother.”
“But—”
“But nothing,” Eileen interrupted. “If you think I can’t deal with the dragon stuff, you can think again.”
“News update,” Alex whispered, her conspiratorial tone loud enough for everyone to hear. “They don’t come into their Pyr abilities until puberty.”
Eileen flashed the other woman an appreciative smile. “Even better. I can hunt down one of you Pyr by then if necessary to help out.”
The men exchanged glances as Sara folded her arms across her chest. “We’ll make sure they’re there to help.” Alex nodded agreement, the two women looking formidable. Donovan smothered a grin with one hand while Quinn took a sudden and avid interest in t
he view outside.
“But . . .” Eric began to argue again.
“Don’t protest on my account,” Eileen interrupted crisply, “when the real issue is that you’re afraid to have another son turn Slayer.”
The Pyr inhaled as one behind her, because she had spoken the truth aloud. Erik glared at her.
Eileen wasn’t going to back down, because she knew she was right. “But you’re not the only one who wants to see slimeballs like Magnus lose everything. I’m on the Pyr team, too, no matter what happens between you and me. It’s your duty as leader of the Pyr to make yourself whole, to balance your responsibilities to the world with those to yourself. Your main responsibility is to find balance, so that your equilibrium can be reflected in the world. That’s how the story goes.”
Erik might have argued again, but Eileen gave him no chance. “How can you expect to be healed unless you make the effort yourself? How will you know that you can do better unless you try again?”
It didn’t sound that different from what Lynne had said to Eileen but she understood it now, understood it enough to advocate for that point of view.
She just hoped she could persuade Erik.
“You can’t be worried about the prophecy,” she insisted. “Fear of dying is a lousy justification for not doing anything, or not making a choice. We’re all going to die sooner or later. Besides, if anything happens to you, the Pyr will help me raise your son.”
Erik held her gaze for a long moment, then sighed and ran a hand over his forehead. He looked tired, more tired than should have been possible, and she wanted to help him.
She’d always been compassionate, but this was different. She had a feeling that she and Erik could make a good team, that they could balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses, but the first step for her was trust.
The first step for Erik was putting balance back into his life.
She knew in her heart that this was the only way to do it. She didn’t blame him for being stubborn after the events of the past, but she wasn’t going to let him turn his back on opportunity that easily.
They had history.
She owed him a second chance.
She took his hand in hers, smiling at the crackle of sparks that erupted. She lowered her voice, hoping that only Erik would be able to hear her but knowing that the Pyr’s keen hearing probably precluded that.
“I’d like to have a child.” Eileen met Erik’s gaze, and saw in the surprise reflected there how long it had been since anyone had offered anything to him. She knew that as Louisa she had been in the company of those who took more than they gave. That realization made her more determined to give to him now.
Eileen smiled at Erik. “Given the choice, I’d really like to have the child of a man I respect.” She lifted his hand to her mouth and pressed a kiss into his palm. “You win the nomination. I think, in fact, that the world needs a whole lot more Erik Sorensson than it’s got right now. Let’s secure the future of the Sorensson genetic string while we can.” She felt him shudder and exhale, sensed that some barrier had tumbled.
Or maybe another crack had opened in his defenses.
“There is a lot that I should do,” Erik said, looking down at her with a slow smile. “But maybe the world can wait an hour or so.” The Pyr cheered behind them but Eileen didn’t care about them.
She winked at Erik, letting her voice turn husky as the firestorm shimmered all around them. “Let’s do it now.”
Eileen offered a gift beyond his wildest dreams. Erik couldn’t believe it, or his luck, but he saw the sincerity shining in her eyes. She meant every word of what she said, and her generosity humbled him.
If she could accept the lessons of the past and try again, he could do it as well. She gave him strength, or, more important, she gave him hope.
It was a precious commodity, one that had been scarce in his life. Was she right? Was he imbalanced? Erik had to admit that he had kept emotion at bay these past centuries, that he had focused on his duty to the collective rather than his personal objectives. He had made mistakes.
And maybe he did have it wrong.
Maybe Eileen’s offer was one he couldn’t refuse.
Either way, he found himself smiling down at her, urging her closer with a gentle tug. Her eyes shone with a thousand promises, and the firestorm heated to an insistent pulse. He cast a glance over the watchful Pyr, noting that each one averted his gaze. “Don’t you all have things to do?” Erik asked, and they immediately moved.
“We should look at Erik’s car while we’re here,” Donovan said, offering his hand to Alex. “Check out whether the engine can be converted easily.”
“Good idea,” she said, and got to her feet.
“I might be able to help,” Quinn said, pushing away from the wall.
Delaney squared his shoulders and spoke to Sloane. “Better yet, I think it’s time we tried your idea,” he said with obvious reluctance. “Maybe you can hypnotize me so I can remember more details about the academy or the Elixir.”
“You’re willing to try?” Sloane asked.
Delaney cast a smile at Eileen. “She’s right. You’re right. I have to make the choice to be healed, even if it hurts first.”
“Good plan,” Sloane agreed with relief. He put a hand on Delaney’s shoulder as if to reassure him. “Don’t worry. Maybe Sara can help us, give me another set of impressions.”
“You might be able to send me a vision of your experience,” Sara said quickly, taking Delaney’s other arm. Erik didn’t imagine that it would be easy for Delaney, but he hoped it might yield results. “Especially if it’s too painful for you to recall yourself.”
“That’s a great idea,” Sloane agreed. The other Pyr closed ranks behind them, offering support to Delaney and making suggestions.
Then they were gone.
Within moments, Eileen and Erik were alone. Silence carried to Erik’s ears, mingling with the scent of freshly roasted coffee and Eileen’s perfume. She tilted her head back to look at him, her eyes dancing. “You ought to patent that,” she teased. “Or at least teach me how to empty a room so easily.”
He pulled her closer toward him. “You’re sure about this?”
“I’m sure.” She spoke with utter conviction.
“It’s unconventional.”
She gave him a haughty glance. “I paint my toenails blue. Is that the choice of a woman concerned with convention?”
Erik smiled despite himself.
“That’s better,” she said, touching her lips to his jaw. “You look less ferocious when you smile.”
Erik wasn’t sure what to make of that, so he let it be. “If you’re sure, then I’ll just have to make it worth your while,” he murmured. He waited until her eyes lit with anticipation, then bent and caught her lips beneath his own.
Their kiss was hot and fervid, hungry and demanding. Eileen slid her tongue into Erik’s mouth and caught the back of his head in her hands. She arched against him, nearly devouring him, and he met her touch for touch.
The firestorm blazed with new power as he lifted her against him and deepened his kiss. Erik had to close his eyes against the brilliant white light that emanated from Eileen’s kiss.
His loft seemed darker, more filled with shadows and mystery, in contrast to the brilliance that they kindled together. He slid his hands through her hair, savoring the dance of the light through the red-gold curls.
This would be the last time he felt the firestorm. He knew there would never be another firestorm for him.
He knew there could never be another woman like Eileen.
He wanted to take it slowly, to enjoy every touch and watch every shower of sparks. He broke their kiss and framed her face in his hands, awed that she was so different from Louisa and yet similar. She was loyal. She was honorable. She would do anything for those she loved.
And she had learned to trust so that she could share more of her strength.
In so doing, she gave him more than Erik
knew he deserved. He slid his thumbs across her cheeks, watching the radiance of the firestorm follow his gesture, noting how its light caressed her features. She was touched with gold, looking all the more precious beneath the flame’s light.
Maybe this was the intent of the firestorm. Maybe it illuminated the greatest treasure a Pyr could possess.
Thierry had been right.
“What are you thinking?” Eileen whispered.
Erik shook his head slightly. “Just marveling,” he said, feeling his own lips curve in an answering smile. “The sparks will extinguish once the firestorm is consummated.”
Her eyes twinkled in a familiar way. “So you’re suggesting that we take it slow?”
“It’s a moment to remember.”
Eileen shook her head. “I am never going to forget you, Erik Sorensson,” she whispered with heat. “And I’m never going to forget this weekend. You can count on that.”
Her words reminded him of how brief their acquaintance had been and how generous her offer truly was. He bent his head and kissed her sweetly, determined to give her more pleasure than she’d ever experienced before.
It was the least that he owed her.
And as her lips softened under his, as she pulled him closer and welcomed his touch, Erik wondered just how he would go about courting Eileen.
Since Thierry was right, Erik needed to think about the future.
He wanted a future with Eileen.
Then she slid her hands under his shirt, starting an army of bonfires with her touch, and he forgot everything except the splendor of the firestorm.
Eileen was raging. It seemed to her that a child conceived with this kind of passion had to have a good future.
Her child would have a good future.
She would make sure of it.
And she trusted Erik to do the same.
If nothing else, having his child would guarantee that she saw him again.
She tugged off his T-shirt, impatient to see him nude. He was buff and tanned, slimmer than the other Pyr but powerful all the same. She liked his sinewy strength, liked how long and lean he was, and wondered whether any Slayer was foolish enough to underestimate him.