Set the Sky on Fire (Fire Trilogy Book 1) (25 page)

Ari stood and stepped away from the body. Nevaeh joined her, giving her a fierce hug. Over Nevaeh’s shoulder, Ari could see Michelle standing in the doorway watching, not moving, not making a sound. Ari broke from the hug so she wouldn’t need to look at her and went to sit next to Nate.

For a long time, she sat and wept, stroking Nate’s hair.

Finally, Nate roused and pulled himself up to sitting.

“I—I thought he was going to hurt you,” he stammered. His voice was weak and his shoulders slumped with remorse.

“What happened? What stopped you both?” Nevaeh asked.

The question seemed to give him purpose and he stood up offering Ari a hand.

“Somehow, Ari pushed her humanity on to us.” He turned back to gaze at Ari with gratitude. “If you hadn't, it would have been all over for me.” He pulled Ari in closer.

“While our brains were processing it, I think we went into some sort of shock. The seether...”

“Dominic,” Ari corrected him.

“Right, yeah.” Nate didn't sound comfortable with the familiarity. “After years of following him around, watching him turn unknowing people into hateful beings, it’s hard to think of him as anything but a seether. Can a singular moment of remorse really make up for that?”

Ari didn't have an answer.

“Dominic was in a better state of health, so I guess that’s why he woke first.”

“But you went down when he died? I thought you said that only happened when we died?”

“Whatever you did to us must have changed the rules.” He held Ari’s chin, leaning it back, so she was looking into his eyes.

“Whatever it was—
thank
you
for saving me.”

“You came into the house knowing that you couldn't beat him, that you would fade first.” He offered up a small shrug in response. “You knew you weren't leaving here alive. I don't think it is you who should be saying thanks.”

“When it comes to you, I only ever had one choice. I'm not sure I would think this world was worth saving if you weren't in it.”

Ari wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her mouth onto his. All the feelings that had built inside her over the ordeal culminated in the kiss. Nate wrapped his arms around Ari's waist and lifted her off the ground.

They finally broke apart.

“What do we do now?” She surveyed the damage around her.

“We get you to a hospital, and then we call the police and let them deal with it. They’re looking for someone who drugged Nevaeh’s parents, took Nevaeh and burnt your father, and destroying your lounge will be added to the list.”

Ari took a fleeting look for Michelle. But she had already disappeared.

“Where’s Michelle?” Ari asked.

“She took off when Nate woke up the second time. Does she get away scot-free?” Nevaeh asked.

“After what she’s done? Not a chance. The police will come for her soon enough,” Nate replied.

Neveah watched as Ari made her way out the shattered front door. She turned to Nate and raised her hand, barring his exit from the room. Nate looked down at Nevaeh, a look of nervousness flashed across his face.

Nevaeh glanced back at the door. “You could see what the seether was doing before you took the knife off me and shoved it into his back,” Nevaeh whispered.

“I don't know what you're talking about. If I’d done nothing he would have hurt Ari,” Nate replied, his voice lacked conviction.

“You don't have to lie to me. I don't blame you, but I was standing right behind you. I could see what you could see. I know when you came to. You lay there a while. You would’ve been able to hear enough of the conversation to know he wasn’t intending to hurt her.”

Nate stared past Nevaeh for a long moment, his face flickering with conflicting emotions. “I don't know what happened,” he confessed. “When Ari hit us with that wave I felt
so
much anger, hate, jealousy. It consumed me. Before I even realised, I had stabbed him. The irony is—I have always wanted to feel what you feel. The moment I get my wish I practically turn into a seether,” he paused, “Please don't tell Ari. She can't know.”

“After what he did to us—to our families? I'm glad he isn't around anymore. I won’t say a word. But if I so much as suspect you might hurt Ari, I will tell her everything.”

“If there is the slightest chance I might be turning out like him.” He looked down at the seether. “I would want you to do the same to me.” Nate patted Nevaeh’s shoulder and followed after Ari.

The four weeks since the seether died in Ari's lounge had been long and tiresome. The endless questions seemed to keep the events alive in her memory, and not let the scar fade. Ari prised her eyes open, and the sadness dissipated. Her focus moved to the chest she was using as a pillow, and the warmth of the body underneath it registered in her mind.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Nate's hand caressed her cheek.

Nate and Ari lay in a large round bed with only a white sheet covering their bodies. The air was humid and, from where they lay, they could hear the continual crashing of waves lapping at the golden beach. Ari had finally made it to Thailand to have the holiday she deserved.

When Ari had suggested to Nevaeh that they go, Nevaeh had politely declined saying she had already had enough of traveling for a while, although with a nudge and a few raised eyebrows she had suggested that Nate take her place. So here they were, curled up together on a beach in Phuket, with little to bother them. The first two days had been a blur and apart from sourcing food and drink, they hadn't left the room.

Today, they would venture out of the seaside villa and explore their surroundings. Although, as Ari raised her eyes to look at Nate her resolve on that idea wavered.

Nate’s other hand was behind his head, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

“What's on your mind?” Ari asked.

“We never really talked about what happened at your house,” he replied. “I’ve never heard of anything like that happening before, not even rumours of it. How did you do it?”

“I don't know. One minute, I'm so scared and angry that my chest felt like it might explode. The next minute it sprang from me like a cork from a bottle, sending Dominic sprawling,” Ari explained.

“It felt so strange. It wasn’t like being hit. There was no physical force behind it. More like my mind closed down in order to process the emotions it was laden with. It was so intense. After all the years I have been on this planet, I never had any idea of what you live with every day. It’s amazing to finally feel it myself, both the good and the bad.” He kissed her forehead. “I don't think I would want another shot of it, though. I wasn’t sure I was going to survive the first.”

“That day seems to have changed you,” Ari whispered.

A future lay in front of them, hazy for now, but with the promise of being spectacular. She knew Nate struggled with what he had done, and what he had become. She could feel the inner conflict whenever he heard Dominic's name mentioned, even though he thought he was hiding it from her. But when she opened herself up to him, her senses told her of his essential goodness.

“I like the new you,” she said, giving a huge sigh of contentment. “You seem much more … real.”

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