Simmer (Midnight Fire Series Book Two) Read online

  "David," Emma started, pulling him away to reprimand him for basically telling the group that Miles' only hope was someone who had no control over her senses.

  "So, I win. Susie it is," Luke said, pushing Miles forward. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say okay, shook his head to get in the zone, and then straightened his glasses before walking over.

  "This is going to be good," Luke put his arm around Kira so they could watch together.

  "Why? What do you know?" Kira asked, not liking the mischievous glint in Luke's eye.

  "Nothing, nothing," Luke shushed her.

  "Luke," Kira said harshly. He looked over at her, slightly deflated, as though Kira were totally ruining his fun.

  "Okay, so I might have already told Susie that Miles had a crush on her, and she might have already told me she would love to get to know him better, if you know what I mean." He wiggled his eyebrows and they watched as Miles led Susie to the pseudo dance floor that the circle of cars created. He shot both of them a not-so-discrete thumbs up and Kira silently prayed he didn't screw it up.

  "You're quite the matchmaker," she laughed.

  "I do what I can," Luke said and looked over at her. Their faces were close together, and Kira could almost feel his pulse quicken. Not for the first time, she thought maybe she was reading his mind, because Kira knew, before Luke even made a move, where his thoughts were going. She broke his gaze, pulling away, and Luke released his hold on her arm to step a few feet backwards. When she heard his shuffling feet pause, Kira turned her eyes around to face him, and eased her body back to rest against the railing. The small space between them might as well have been miles.

  "So, what about you?" She asked, trying to break the tension. "Amy's up for grabs, you can always try for one last high school hurrah before we leave tomorrow."

  Luke grinned at the joke, trying to ignore the fact that Kira had very clearly just blown him off. She wondered what would happen when they went to Sonnyville. He had not been overtly obvious about his feelings for her, and sometimes Kira thought she was making it up in her head, but at moments like this, when she caught a glimpse of his small tendrils of longing, Kira wondered what really went on behind his goofy exterior.

  "So, are you excited for tomorrow?" He asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall opposite her. Under the porch lights, Kira thought his bleach blond hair seemed to glow, and she realized she would be the only person for the next few weeks who didn't have almost white locks.

  "It's strange, to think about being surrounded by conduits. I'm excited, but it's a little nerve-wracking too," she said honestly.

  "Everyone will love you, don't worry. My little brother can't wait. I think he thinks you're a shiny new toy for him to play with."

  Kira smiled, already picturing a miniature version of Luke running around with a wide smile on his face, fascinated by everything around him. Luke's family would be interesting to finally meet. Kira wondered what his sister and parent's would think. Had he told them about Tristan?

  "And," Luke continued talking, recognizing that Kira still needed reassurance, "the Council really isn't that bad. Everything is going to be great, you'll see."

  "I hope so," she said and glanced back out at the party. Miles and Susie were still dancing, getting friendlier and friendlier Kira thought, and Dave and Emma had disappeared. So much for the five of them hanging out. Everywhere she looked, she saw her classmates, but they seemed more like strangers to her now than ever before. She wasn't sad to be leaving this town, just the few amazing friends she had made there.

  Kira looked back at Luke, ready to ask more questions about their travel arrangements for tomorrow, when she saw him focus on something beyond her shoulder. The muscles in his face tensed, his usual laugh lines disappeared, and Kira saw his whole body stiffen. It could only mean one thing.

  "Lover boy is here," he said and Kira turned to see Tristan weaving his way through the crowd. Like a shadow sneaking between the rays of the headlights, he molded into the dark. Every part of him was hidden except for his pearly skin. Kira tried to smother the smile threatening to spread across her face, and turned back to Luke to silently let him know she wouldn't abandon him to spend time with her boyfriend.

  "I'll leave you two alone," Luke said, pushing against the wall to straighten his body and prepare to walk away.

  "Luke, stay. I want to hang out with both of you."

  He shrugged, as if to say that's not possible, and started to leave. Kira heard the porch steps creak behind her, knowing it was Tristan, and spun around.

  "We need to talk," Tristan said, his voice full of concern. Luke stopped walking and looked back, alert.

  "What's going on?" He asked. Kira could tell he had transitioned to business mode and had let the personal drama go for the moment.

  "Privately. Can we get inside?"

  Luke nodded and walked over to the door. Reaching above the doorframe, he pulled out a spare key Miles must have told him about and opened the locked door.

  Tristan grabbed Kira's hand, entwining their fingers, and quickly kissed the top of her head before following Luke inside.

  Luke shut the door behind them. The kitchen was eerily dark and the soundproof glass dulled the strains of music coming from the party. Heavy shadows crept around the lines of light peeking through the windows making the three of them seem very alone. Kira shivered with a sense of foreboding and dropped Tristan's hand to lift herself onto the granite countertop. She knew she would need a seat to hear the news Tristan clearly felt was urgent.

  "What's going on, Tristan?" She asked.

  With traces of sadness lining his clear blue eyes, Tristan looked at her and responded, "You and Luke need to leave now. Immediately. I brought Luke's car and packed your stuff." He ended quietly, as if not wanting to believe the truth in his words. Kira reached out to grab his arm, pulling him closer. There was something else, something he didn't want to tell her. In the corner of her eye, Kira could see Luke pacing around the kitchen, thinking.

  "They're here, aren't they?" Luke stopped walking and faced Tristan, who just nodded.

  "What?" Kira asked, feeling left out, before realizing Tristan of course meant vampires. "Wait? They're here? As in Charleston or the backyard?"

  Tristan ran his free hand through his hair and turned to Luke in full protection mode. Kira had seen this act before, and she didn't like it. "The pack of vampires I sent away last time, they're back. We have five, maybe ten minutes before they reach the party and tear this place apart. You both need to leave now."

  "But, what about everyone else?" Kira jumped from the countertop, not allowing them to ignore her. She could not leave these people to fend for themselves.

  "We need to do something," Luke said, walking closer to the two of them in order to figure out a plan. Tristan nodded in agreement. "Okay, Kira and I will just have to face them. We're powerful enough to bring down a few vampires, this will all be fine."

  "No, that's way too risky," Tristan said, looking Kira in the eye. "You have to leave. You and Luke get in the car and start driving. I'm going to lure the vampires away, pretend I'm with them and that I saw you leave. Hopefully, I can lead them in the wrong direction for a while so you and Luke have a chance to escape."

  "Oh, and your plan is totally foolproof," Kira smarmily replied. "I would rather fight them. It's what, eight or nine vampires? Luke and I can handle it. You can't do this on your own, Tristan." She reached her palm up to cup his face, letting her finger brush against his hair. She wouldn't let him do this alone.

  "No, Kira," Luke spoke forcefully. "Tristan's right. He needs to do this. It's the best way to make sure you don't get caught."

  Kira turned to Luke angrily. "It's not like you wouldn't gladly watch him die." She hissed, then looked away, instantly sorry for the remark. Luke was better than that — she knew he was better than that.

  "This isn't about that, okay?" Luke replied softly, while staring at the ground to try and hide his involun
tary wince. "Everyone at this party is at risk right now and you being here only amplifies that. Tristan's plan is the best way to keep everyone safe. So, let's go." He grabbed her hand and started pulling her from the kitchen, towards the front door of the house.

  "Wait, Luke. Wait!" She tugged against his hold and stopped walking to glance back at Tristan. Drenched in shadow, he stood in the kitchen alone, turned slightly away from her and Luke as though he knew this was goodbye but couldn't bring himself to say it.

  "Meet me at the car," Luke said and dropped Kira's hand to leave the two of them alone. He disappeared out the door, and before Kira could blink, Tristan was by her side. His hands gently cupped her face while he stared into her fire-laced eyes.

  "It's going to be alright," he said, urging her to believe him. Kira tried to quell her racing heart and believe his words, but even if it was alright tonight, neither one of them knew what the future would hold in these next two months apart. He would be chasing down Diana, and though Kira knew he could take care of himself, even vampires could die.

  Kira rested her forehead against his, enjoying the brush of his cool breath on her cheek in this one moment of peace.

  "I love you," she whispered.

  He leaned in to kiss her and Kira pulled him closer, not wanting to let go and lose the touch of his soft lips on hers. Tristan lifted her off the ground, hugging her close to his body, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Everything felt perfect at least for an instant, before Kira felt his body stiffen. He broke their kiss, pulled her in even tighter for a final hug and then set her back down, still holding her.

  Kira stared into his sapphire eyes, reading the sadness tinted longing in his irises, and knew the vampires were here. Tristan let her go and stared, moving his eyes so he could take in every inch of her face. She ran her hand through his hair, pushing the ebony locks off of his forehead one last time, breathing in the moment.

  In the time it took for Kira to blink away a tear, Tristan had vanished, leaving just a memory, and she was left alone holding only the air.

  Chapter Two

  Kira dashed through the house, sprinting out the front door and down the driveway, racing to beat not only the vampires but also her own emotions, which were threatening to burst forth.

  Before she rounded the street corner, Kira saw headlights and heard the familiar rumble of Luke's pick-up truck. Really, she thought, the truck?

  "Let's go, Kira," Luke yelled from the driver's seat and the passenger door popped open. Kira jumped inside and slammed it closed while Luke pushed the gas pedal all the way down, throwing her back against the seat with the force.

  "Where are we going? Do we even have a plan?" Kira dragged her seatbelt around and clicked it into place.

  "Yes," Luke said, not looking away from the road. His hands were white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. "All we need to do is get to the airport. No vampires would dare attack us there, not in front of an audience and security cameras."

  "How far away is it?"

  "About half an hour."

  Thirty minutes, Kira thought. It didn't seem like a long time, especially not with Luke zipping through the empty, fog-filled roads as he was now. And, after five minutes, Kira was beginning to think they were in the clear. Tristan must have diverted the pack, or, she thought darkly, they had reached the party and decided to drop their chase. Kira searched the night for the sound of sirens. Twisting in her seat, she looked out the back window, just in time to see the faint outline of a body rapidly approaching.

  "Luke!" She yelled, grabbing his shoulder. He flicked his eyes to the rearview mirror and Kira saw his brows tighten into a frown.

  "They're here." He said it like a sigh, as if a faint hope had been denied. "Okay, Kira, listen. I want you to kick out the back window—"

  "What!" She jerked her head to the side and knew her eyes were just about popping out of her skull.

  "Okay...that might have been a bit drastic, but it would have been really awesome." He smiled. She rolled her eyes.

  "Luke, be serious!" She wanted to shake him, but she looked out the window instead. The vampire was gaining speed and fast.

  Luke reached back with his arm, unlatched the window and slid it open. "Kira, you're going to have to fight them. Remember to keep moving quickly and, whatever you do, don't lose control. You need to make speedy movements. Do not concentrate on just one vampire because we're probably already surrounded."

  Kira nodded and stuck her head out the opened window. The wind whipped her hair around and the trees swooshed by quicker than her eyes could follow. Of all the ideas they had had, this was probably high on the list of the worst, she mused and started pulling herself through the tight space. The vampire disappeared from the road, but Kira wasn't stupid enough to think they had lost him.

  Finally, Kira made it through the window. She tried to stand, but got knocked over by the wind and slammed against the metal bed of the truck. There was no way she would be able to stay up when every bump in the road sent her flying. She noticed a rope in the back, and crawled over on her stomach, grabbing the string. She looped it around her waist, and tied it to a hoop in the bed of the truck. At least she couldn't be sent flying over the edge.

  The wind still whistled in her ears, making it hard for her to hear anything else, and she was so concentrated on not toppling over that she didn't see the vampire jump through the trees until Luke shouted her name.

  Blindly flinging her hand to the side, Kira shot flames into the night.

  "Control!" Luke screamed from inside the car. Kira could only just hear him over the cackling of her fire. But, she stopped; realizing the vampire was long gone and she had been wasting energy on open space. Think, she thought and leaned against the back of the truck for stabilization. Finally adjusting to the rhythm of the road, Kira scanned the trees, waiting for something to jump out.

  She saw a blur of blonde hair before registering the female vampire that jumped out from the right side, and she shot a short controlled flame right at her face, sending the vamp in somersaults back into the trees. To her left, another blur, and Kira fired again. She watched as the vamp circled in the air only to land on stable feet. He kept charging from the road, and Kira concentrated again, putting a killing force behind the blow. He retreated back to the woods.

  A tingle in the back of her neck made Kira turn around seconds before Luke bellowed "in front!" The blonde female stood in the middle of the road with her hands outstretched, ready to stop their car. Kira sent a stream of light arching over to encase the female from above. She put all of her concentration into the kill and by the time Luke and Kira had reached the spot, all that remained was a pile of dust that scattered in the wind.

  Kira was amazed at her own power. She had never been this accurate or this fast before. It might have been the extra adrenaline, but she took a moment to look at her own hands. The scars glowed in the darkness like coals still cooling on the grill.

  The sound of boots slamming against metal jerked Kira awake. She stuck her hand toward the sound, letting her power go, and only saw the glowing blue eyes of the vamp as it flew off of the car.

  Another jumped from the left and she shot it. One more from the right, and Kira knocked it down. Next, two vampires planned an attack together and she threw her arms wide to the sides, shooting both at once. But, hands grabbed her neck from behind and she felt the tightly knotted rope slip free from her waist. Kira swung her hands back and latched onto the vampire's head, burning it. A high-pitched scream pierced her ears, but she refused to let go. Soon, the squeal came to halt and Kira's own hands slammed together. A cloud of dust swooshed in front of her and she knew the vampire had imploded.

  Something howled from the forest and before she could process, Kira had been lifted up and thrown down against the bed of the truck. A brown haired vampire with blood dripping from his lips stared down at her, growling. He crouched, ready to pounce, when the truck came screeching to a halt.

  B
efore Luke had time to turn around in his seat and fire, a new blurred figure slammed into the huge vampire, sending him over the side and into the thick trunk of a tree with a slap.

  "Go, Luke! Drive!" Tristan shouted and smacked his hand down on the roof of the car. Kira looked him over, noting the rips in his shirt and the blood seeping out of fresh wounds. He met her eyes and winked. Then a smile rose on his lips causing his dimples to appear.

  "Love you," Tristan shouted over his shoulder as he jumped from the speeding truck and slammed into yet another vampire that had come flying from the trees. He's enjoying this, Kira thought, flabbergasted.

  But, Kira still felt her heart sink when she scrambled to her knees and watched Tristan disappear from her sight locked in a death grip. She couldn't shoot the other vamp without risking Tristan, and before long, the two vampires has disappeared altogether.

  The faint sound of beeps and rumbling engines caused Kira to turn around and she saw the highway ahead. She and Luke were finally free from the country roads. They had made it.

  "Get inside," Luke said and slowed the car to make it easier for Kira to crawl through window and slip back in.

  "Are you alright?" Luke asked when Kira was safely seated and buckled in. She took a moment to survey the damage, and besides a bump on the head and a few scrapes, she was fine, just tired. She raised her hand, and let her palm glow, sending the light inward to heal herself. Almost instantly, Kira felt revived. She sighed and rested her head against the back of her seat.

  "So, let's agree to never do that again," Kira said.

  "I don't know. You were pretty awesome up there. That move where you twisted your arms and burned that vampire chick's head apart. I mean, that was like comic book amazing."

  Kira smiled. "That was pretty badass."

  "Kira, the Vampire Slayer...no...Kira, the Avenger...nah, still not right...Kira, the Human Flame Thrower...eh, maybe—"