Firestorm: Crossfire Duology, #2

FIRESTORM

Copyright © 2014 Kyra Dune

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All rights reserved under International Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Shadow Portal Books, a division of Shadow Portal Productions, USA.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from Kyra Dune.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

SPB First Edition 2014

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CHAPTER ONE

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The sweltering summer sun made heat waves shimmer across the dirty chrome and rusted steel of the junkyard cars. Damian, wearing nothing but a faded pair of blue jeans, dozed in a battered deck chair. Paul’s golden retriever lay sprawled on the ground beside him.

Angel stared out at them through the grimy window of what used to be an office, back before the junkyard was abandoned like everything else in this part of Industrial City. Or at least, mostly deserted, if you ignored the gang whose leader ran the place from a nearby auto factory. Luckily for Angel and her companions, the gang had no more use for the Boneyard then anybody else did.

It wasn’t the most comfortable hideout, for more reasons than one, but it seemed to be a good one. Nobody had found them so far and plenty of people were looking. Angel turned away from the window and started across the room only to be stopped mid-stride by the ringing of the telephone.

Angel’s head slowly turned toward the slim, black cell phone lying on the desk. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to get rid of it even though Bastion was the only one who knew the number and last she’d heard of him he’d been captured by the Arcanum.

She stepped over to the desk and picked the phone up. It continued to ring. She placed her finger on the answer button, hesitated, then pressed before lifting the phone to her ear. Bastion?

Afraid not.

The familiar voice sent a cold chill sweeping through her. Rezekial.

We need to talk.

Angel had to work to keep her voice steady as her heart trip-hammered in her chest. So talk.

Paul walked into the room cleaning his glasses on the edge of his plaid shirt. He paused and raised a brow in question when he saw her on the phone. She mouthed Rez’s name and Paul’s brows lowered in a concerned frown. 

What’s the matter Rez? Angel asked after several seconds had passed without either of them speaking. I don’t hear you saying anything.

We need to talk face to face.

Yeah, right. She glanced out the window. Damian was still sleeping. Good. The last thing she needed was for him to come in and find out who she was talking to. Last time I checked, I didn’t have stupid tattooed across my forehead.

Rez sighed. We both know you’re in a lot of trouble. Too much trouble for you to get out of on your own this time. I want to help.

Angel gritted her teeth, barely resisting the urge to squeeze the phone until it exploded into tiny pieces. What makes you think I want your help? Or even believe you’re really offering it. After all you’ve done I hardly have any reason to trust you again.

I told you from the beginning to get out before it was too late. But like always, you were too stubborn to listen. Now look at what you’ve done. Sphinx is dead, the Underground and the Delegation are on the edge of ripping each other’s throats out, and the Syndicate think a human murdered one of their elders. I told you you couldn’t stop the Arcanum. You couldn’t stop a war. Now you have to see I was right. So let me help you before you get yourself killed for nothing.

She hated herself for it, but part of her wanted to see him face to face again. No matter how big of a mistake it would be. The last time we talked face to face it didn’t turn out so well.

We were upset, he said. And we say nasty things when we’re upset. Things we don’t mean. We always have. But at least nobody threw anything or punched any holes in the wall. For us, that’s an improvement.

Angel found herself smiling against her will. Paul slid his glasses on and gave her a curious look. She turned her back to him. Keeping emotions out of the equation was impossible when talking to Rez and she didn’t appreciate having an audience to the fact.

What if I agree to meet, Angel said, but I don’t like what I hear you say? She was uncomfortably aware of Paul’s gaze on her back. Agreeing to meet with Rez would be both stupid and reckless. Nothing new for her.

I’ll walk away and you’ll never see me again, he said. Come on, Angel, say you’ll give me one more chance to talk some sense into you. For old time’s sake if nothing else.

She rubbed a hand across her eyes. Tomorrow. Noon. The Boneyard. She hung up before he could say anything more, then stood staring down at the phone and wondering what had possessed her to agree.

Who was on the phone? Damian’s voice cut through the silence.

Angel drew a breath in through her teeth, then squared her shoulders and turned to face him. She met his gaze firmly. Rez wants to talk to me.

So you told him where we are? Damian shook his head. Are you crazy? Do you want the Arcanum to come down on top of us?

We can’t stay here forever, Angel said. Before we make any kind of move, we need to know what’s going on out there. Rez can tell us. Every time she said Rez’s name, a muscle jumped in Damian’s jaw.

Bullshit, he said. You want to see him again, that’s what this is all about. Why do you have to be so damn weak when it comes to Rezekial Thorn?

An angry flush heated her cheeks. And with nothing else to say, she resorted to the first thing which came to her mind. Screw you. She brushed past Paul into the hall and strode toward the room where they’d been sleeping during their stay.

Where Damian and Paul had been sleeping in any case. Angel hadn’t been taking her pills, she didn’t want to leave herself vulnerable, and so the hours they spent sleeping, she spent prowling the junkyard. She’d been over this place top to bottom more than once, except for one particular area she already knew far too well. She had more than enough troubles without stirring up old ghosts.

Two bottles of sleeping pills waited for Angel in the tiny bathroom’s medicine cabinet. They were the over the counter kind instead of her special prescription, so it would take both bottles to put her to sleep. Like her ability to see in the dark, this inability to sleep without aid was a gift from her unknown father’s demon blood.

Angel only took out one bottle. She wanted some rest before she had to see Rez, but she didn’t want to sleep. Needed to, maybe, but that was beside the point.

We need to talk about this, Damian said, filling the bathroom doorway.

She focused on taking the cap off the bottle to avoid looking at him. There’s nothing to talk about.

Nothing to talk about? Damian asked. I don’t understand you at all. Telling him where we are was stupid and of all your faults I could list I never would have counted stupid among them. But maybe that’s because we’re talking about Rezekial Thorn here. What is it about him that makes you act like you’re still fifteen?

Angel dropped one hand to grip the edge of the sink. I didn’t ask for your opinion.

Well, you’re going to get it anyway. He crossed his arms over his chest, effectively assuring she would have to literally go through him to avoid the conversation. Not such a bad thought, really. A little physical action would relax her a lot faster than a bottle of pills.

What makes you think you’re even entitled to an opinion? She looked toward him. You’re lucky I even let you hang around considering the Arcanum sent you to kill me.

He made a face. Excuse me, but you’re still alive, aren’t you? So I guess that means I didn’t go through with it. In fact, I’m pretty sure I saved your life. He reached up to touch the barely healed gash where Antoine DeLace’s bullet had grazed his scalp. Or have you forgotten already?

No, she hadn’t forgotten. Not the sight of his face covered in blood or the way it felt when she thought he was dead. She remembered much too well. Angel scowled. One act doesn’t make up for all the lies and secrets. It doesn’t make me trust you.

Damian glared back at her a moment, then his shoulders slumped as his expression softened. I wish you could let go of the past and give me another chance. I would do anything to prove to you I’m worthy of your trust.

Sorry, I’m not the forgive and forget type. Not when she had already let herself trust him a lot further than she had trusted anybody since Rez. Maybe he didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. He’d betrayed her trust more than once and she wasn’t about to give him a chance to do it again.

So where does that leave us? he asked. Do you want me to take off? Say the word and I’m gone.

It was exactly what she should want, but Rez wasn’t the only guy around who could completely confuse her. I know this might be a trap, okay? I’m not stupid. So yeah, maybe I would feel better if you left, but I guess I could use some backup tomorrow, in case things go bad. I trust Paul more, but he’s no use in a fight.

You want me with you when you talk to Rez? An incredulous laugh spilled from between his lips. That should be really interesting, considering every time we’ve come face to face we’ve tried to kill each other.

Maybe you could restrain yourself this time, Angel said. Unless he tries to gut me, in which case you should feel free to shoot him first.

He won’t.

Angel had to look away from the intensity in his gaze. I’m glad you’re so sure. Because I’m not.

Aren’t you? He voice was oddly soft. Let’s be honest here, okay? You say you like that. Could you shoot him if it came to it? I don’t think so. You can’t kill him any more than he could kill you. So you want me there to do what you can’t.

Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do? Angel squeezed the bottle so tight it started to cave in. You don’t know me.

I know you well enough to see you’re still in love with Rezekial Thorn.

She barked a half laugh. Don’t start trying to pull that jealous boyfriend crap on me. One night in the sack does not qualify you for the title.

What does, I wonder? His voice remained soft, but it was somehow worse than if he had shouted. Shouting was something she knew how to handle.

You lived with Paul, he continued, was he your boyfriend? Bastion asked you to marry him, was he your boyfriend? Or how about any of the others I’ve yet to have the privilege of meeting? What is so special about Rezekial that he gets to be the only person you ever cared about? What did he do to own the part of you the rest of us can’t even touch? Tell me, I’d really like to know.

Angel tried to hold on to her anger. Anger was good. It burned everything clean. Other emotions were too messy. They hurt too much. She turned away from him and leaned against the sink. How about we call this one a tie and be done with it? I’m too tired to do this right now.

Right. Fine. Avoid talking about it and it’ll go away. Like always. He stepped into the bedroom and spoke to Angel over his shoulder. Take both bottles. Sleep. I’ll keep you safe. His footsteps retreated.

Angel squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to hit something. Anything. She punched the mirror in the door of the medicine cabinet. The glass shattered, slicing her hand. She flexed her fingers and stared at the blood. A familiar tingle started below her skin. Her natural healing abilities going to work to stitch the cuts. Wouldn’t even leave a scar. Another gift from her father.

She dumped the sleeping pills down the sink and went for a walk.

CHAPTER TWO

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The Boneyard was not Angel’s favorite place. Far from it. She had history here. History only Rez knew about, which was why he never would have guessed she was hiding out here. It was why she picked the place. Because it felt safe. Now, standing in the shade cast by a towering pile of car parts, she had to wonder why she was taking that safety away. 

Wanting to know what was happening among the factions was a good reason. So was wanting to find out what had happened to Bastion and Sarah. But were those her real reasons? If Damian had asked she would have said they were, but it was harder to convince herself.

Rez strolled up the aisle between rows of crushed cars. Black tattoos showed clear against his hairless, red skin. He stopped while still a good five feet away from her. Are we alone?

Why don’t you tell me? A heavy feeling settled itself in the center of Angel’s chest. She knew this was a trap, but she wanted to be wrong.

Are we going to be hostile? His gaze flicked to the shoulder holsters where her twin pistols rested. Is that what we’re doing?

I’m not really sure what we’re doing. She couldn’t see any weapons, but then a man who could twist steel and rip out guts with his bare hands hardly needed any.

I know what I’m doing, he said. I’m here to try and convince you one more time to give up. Come with me and the Arcanum will keep you safe. A lot of people are out there looking for you.

That’s me, little Miss Popular. Her smile was so tight she was surprised it didn’t crack her lips. But why should the Arcanum give a shit whether I live or die?

Bo has some pull with them, he said. And, believe it or not, he doesn’t want to see you get hurt anymore than I do.

"Oh, well maybe he should have