Set the Sky on Fire (Fire Trilogy Book 1) (6 page)

It was a relief when exams were finally over. They had become a landmark for her to reach. Ari told herself she would step back into reality once they were over, so much so that she began believing it. She didn’t even care how the exams went or what marks she received. She had survived. Luke's death had blown a hole in her heart. And yes, now, when she looked for the hole, it was still there, but she had learnt to walk around its edges and, as a result, the pain had lessened.

Ari decided to make more of an effort and go out to enjoy herself. With exams over, her focus was on her holiday; golden beaches, warm water, cheap food and the biggest draw—being away from all the pitying looks she’d had to endure. Freedom and fun were calling, and she had only two weeks to wait.

Ari hadn't seen the stranger from the church yard again, although the feeling he provoked seemed to occasionally flitter around the edges of her consciousness, getting a little more intense before receding as quickly as it came.

When it happened, she would close her eyes and focus on the sensation. It didn't take her long before she could tune into it and pinpoint the direction it came from. It was like an early warning signal. But it was exhausting, constantly trying to feel him out, to follow his movements. She kept at it, kept looking for him. There was security in knowing where he was.

So when she hadn’t caught a flicker of him in four days, she became nervous.
If that man was out there, she wanted to know where. Ari lay on her bed looking up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and reached out to find him; she really forced it. The feeling was faint, but it was enough of a handhold for her to grasp.
There you are.
She let the sensation recede again, happy to let the angry feeling dissipate.

Ari's thoughts lead her to the other figure in the garden.
Perhaps I can find the other one too.
She closed her eyes and tried to search for the positive feelings she now associated with the second person. In her mind, she held the image of the silhouette. She searched, finally glimpsing a trace of it somewhere off in the distance.

The two sensations were such a contrast to each other. Both so distinguishable, both so different to the vibes radiated from people she knew, her friends and her family. No one else could affect her the way the two strangers did.

For now, they were nowhere near her and that brought relief. She had been living cautiously, in fear of one of them showing up.

If somebody wanted to find me, it wouldn’t be that hard, they’d be here already
, she told herself.

She pushed the shadow figures to the back of her mind, no longer searching for them. In fact, she went so far as to hide them away. Years of practice meant she could ignore all but the most severe emotions around her. Looking for them had become an addiction. She had to stop. It was time to get on with life.

It took a few days, but then she started getting back into her normal routines. She needed to rid herself of all the worry. After all, there would be no point going on holiday if she was too scared to leave the hotel room.

*****

Ari had been a crappy friend to Nevaeh these last few months and was set on making up for it before they went away together. Nevaeh had had her final shift at the garden centre the previous week. It would be a safe bet she would be at home now. Just to be sure, Ari flicked Nevaeh a quick text, letting her know she was on her way.

Ari pulled at the bottom of her navy blue shorts. They put her legs on display, nearly all the way up, but they were so comfy to run in, and that was what she intended to do after seeing Nevaeh.

“Hey stranger,” Nevaeh wrenched open her front door before Ari had a chance to knock. Red glass panels in the middle of the blue wooden framing reflected a cheerful glow. Nevaeh pulled the door wider, until it rested against the hooks of the coat rack behind it. Ari kicked off her shoes, adding them to the pile, and stepped inside.

“I'm just getting something for breakfast. You want some?”

Ari followed Nevaeh to the kitchen, watching as she tried to flatten out the knots of hair on the back of her head. Her pyjamas, red and black oriental shorties and singlet, were well worn, the hem frayed.

“No thanks, I'm heading out for a run after this. But I'll have a drink,” Ari replied. Going by Nevaeh’s attire and the crease line on her left cheek, Ari assumed her text had proved to be the incentive for Nevaeh to get up. Not a big surprise, considering it was only 9:00 am.

Ari heaved herself onto a bar stool and rested her elbows on the kitchen bench, watching her friend fix herself some porridge.

“Hello, Ari,” Mrs van Houten’s face brightened. “Have you come to take Nevaeh out for a bit of exercise?”

“Not likely Mum,” Nevaeh screwed up her nose. “Not at this ungodly hour.”

“A bit of fresh air would do you good, love.”

“I’m saving my lungs for the Phuket fresh air.” Nevaeh put an arm around her mother and gave a squeeze.

Nevaeh’s focus rounded on Ari again.

“Oh, that reminds me, I've got something to show you.” She bounded out of the kitchen.

“How are you going, Ari?” Mrs van Houten asked.

“Getting better by the day.” She’d been saying that since the accident, and it was finally beginning to feel true.

“I’m happy to hear it. We miss seeing you around the place.” She gave Ari’s arm a motherly rub. Nevaeh reappeared at the doorway with a flourish.

“Ta da.” A new bikini hung from a small coat hanger. “What do ya think?”

“Bloody hell, that’s bright,” Ari said.

“Sweet aye?”

“Very nice.”

“Nice if there was more of it,” Mrs van Houten chipped in.

“Mum.” It was more of a whine than a name.

“Okay, I’m leaving. Lovely to see you Ari.”

“You too,” Ari called back.

“This is way too exciting. Only a few days to go and we'll be outta here.” Nevaeh rubbed her hands together.

“I know. I dragged my suitcase out yesterday.”

Nevaeh seemed visibly shocked.

“Is that it? I've had mine out for, like, two weeks. There's so much stuff in my bag I'm going to have to repack it all over again to get it to fit. I haven't checked the weight yet though. I don't know what I'll do if it's over.”

An hour later, Ari
emerged from Nevaeh’s house. As she moved towards the front gate, something shifted at the corner of her eye. Ari only caught a glimpse, enough to know it was a person, who had stepped back out of her line of sight when her head whipped round. She edged forward and peered down the street. A couple of parked cars on either side but otherwise the street was empty.

Ari’s first thoughts went to the man at the church. She let the feelings she had hidden away resurface, expecting to be confronted by the full force of his anger. It wasn’t him, not even close, but whoever it was she could sense their contempt. Ari’s heart pounded furiously as she inched out further. Small, slow steps. More movement, further away. This time, there was nothing obscuring her view of Michelle sliding into a white sedan, ten metres up the road. Ari sprinted up to the car and slammed the palm of her hand into the driver’s side window. Michelle kept her gaze fixed on the road ahead and narrowed her eyes, but gave no other response. Ari repeatedly pounded her fist on the window. Eventually, it slid down, stopping half way; merely enough to ensure Ari couldn’t do anything rash. Only then did Michelle turn her head. Sullen eyes stared back at Ari.

“Are you trying to break my window or something? Back off,” she shouted.

“What are you doing here?” Ari growled in reply.

Michelle rolled her eyes. “Little miss prissy thinks she owns the roads now.”

“Oh, suck it, Michelle. What were you doing checking out Nevaeh’s house?”

“I ditched that idiot Matt. He was way too clingy. He said he was going to try his luck with Nevaeh, and I wanted the pleasure of watching him crawl back to her. Now get those filthy, little knuckles off my window.” The serrated edge in Michelle’s voice took Ari by surprise.

She took a step back and gasped, “You are the most callous person I’ve ever met.”

The car lurched forward before speeding off, leaving Ari standing in the middle of the road feeling confused. The sting in Michelle’s voice echoed on, and Ari felt like she’d had a set-to with a banshee.

It was only a twenty-minute drive to Forest Park and, in that short space of time, the landscape changed drastically from residential suburbia to a rural vista with wide open fields complete with grazing stock. As she neared the park, Ari wound down the window, letting in the fresh air to rid herself of the pent up animosity Michelle had left behind. The scent of pine nipped at her nostrils, forcing her to take a deep breath to get the full effect.

She negotiated the speed humps at the entrance to the car park. Towering over her, a plantation of tall pine trees stood like soldiers. Among the dense foliage numerous trails braided the ground; some heading to the beach that lay on the far side of the park and some looping through the flat terrain to end up back at the start.

Ari was a creature of habit. She’d been running the same route for the past couple of years. It was the perfect length, usually taking her just under an hour. Long enough that she would feel tired but not so much as to feel desperate to be home.

Ari wedged a well-worn Yankees cap onto her head, threading her ponytail through the back of it. When her headphones were plugged comfortably into her ears, she hit play on her MP3 and started down the track. She was quickly engulfed by the shade of the trees.

The first fifteen minutes of the run were pure freedom; no thoughts, no worries, just the music beating in her ears, and her feet padding unhindered along the dirt track. A trickle of sweat ran down the side of her face. Her hand swiped it away, transferring the salty fluid to the front of her shirt. But it didn’t last. The lack of exercise over the last few months started to become evident. Her body began to protest. More sweat broke free from her brow, the brim of her hat not able to hold it. Normally, she could push through the bad patch, but her mind felt weak, trying to renege before her legs had a chance to. Her stride length quickly diminished. The next ten minutes were half-hearted, turning into a slow jog at best. The number of people she passed dwindled the further she ran from the car park. In the last five minutes, she hadn’t seen anyone on the path, which wasn't all that uncommon. The timer on her watch suggested she should have reached the halfway point by now. Not even close.

I’m not going to make the whole loop.

She took another look around. Not a soul in sight.

At least, no one is here to see me turn around.

Three strides back towards the car. That’s as far as Ari got before the change in her feelings registered. Even tucked away as they were, she couldn’t ignore the anger swelling inside her. She stood still, eyes focussed on the track in front of her. A gentle breeze tousled the pine needles on the trees. Branches undulated above her. She yanked the headphones from her ears, the bass of the music still audible, coming from the earbuds in her hand. She switched off the MP3 player and tucked the cord into the waistband of her shorts. Now, there was no noise beyond the rustle of leaves, no sight beyond the trunks of the trees. The sturdy shafts no longer bestowed a sense of freedom. As Ari looked around, it was like peering through prison bars. Sweat ran down her face, threatening to hinder her vision. She tried to wipe it away with the bottom of her singlet. But, as soon as she did, a fresh layer formed.

Ari tried to slow her breathing, to silence the loud exhalations. With the whisper of the wind being the only contender, her breath boomed like thunder.

Ari let the feelings out of their hiding place. It was definitely him…the man at the funeral…coming for her…coming directly at her…much quicker than she could comprehend. She pictured his face. Those ice blue eyes, they were out there, looking for her. She turned to face in the right direction, but his course changed abruptly.

How was he moving that fast
?

Ari turned with him, following his movements, walking in an erratic circle, waiting for him to show himself, waiting for him to come for her. But he held his distance. What were her chances of escape? Trees stretched as far as she could see, hemming her in on each side. She checked out the path, first looking in one direction, then, the other. Which way? They both looked the same. She couldn’t tell which would take her back to the carpark the quickest.

Ari was disorientated, alone and utterly terrified.

Her eyes flickered from side to side, looking for any small movement. A noise came from her left. She jumped. Panic seized her throat. Her head swung around, blurring her vision into a mottle of green and brown. A pine cone bounced on the forest floor and rolled to a stop two metres from where she stood. Gravity taking its toll. She breathed a sigh of relief.

A mocking laugh danced through the trees, severing the quiet. Ari doubted there was anyone nearby, but she screamed for help anyway. More chilling laughter was her only response. She was alone. And, it seemed, he knew it too.

“What do you want?” she screamed to the pines bristling in the breeze. “Just leave me alone.” Chest heaving, she threw the words into the abyss between them. Her eyes widened, not wanting to blink as she stood, waiting for a response—or an attack. She had never felt as weak or insignificant.

He started to move again, stalking her like prey. She stayed silent, following his movements, nudging backwards, trying to put distance between them. Her eyes scanned the area in front of her. A glimpse of black flashed through her vision before disappearing back behind a tree. Too fast—it moved too fast. This is what he wanted. Fear.

When the figure finally emerged, he was closer than she had anticipated. Only a few metres separated them. Ari’s heart thumped at the walls of her chest. He stepped towards her with slow and deliberate strides, pale eyes locked on her. This time, they showed no shock or confusion. He bared his teeth in a smile. Ari edged backwards.

“Pretty young girls shouldn't be out in the woods on their own,” he crooned.

“What do you want?” Ari's voice sounded like crystal shattering into thousands of pieces. She took a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. All her instincts told her to run. She checked the track again. Nothing looked familiar. She would have to choose a direction and hope for the best. Not that she would be able to outrun him. But she had to try. Before she’d made a decision, he started to talk.

“I want your help—and before you refuse, I’d like to point out that I know enough about your life, where you live, where your
friends
live, to ensure your commitment. Asking is merely a courtesy.”

“Why?” She couldn't say no, but every ounce of her body didn't want her to say yes, either.

“Why what? Why would wonderful me need your pathetic assistance? Hmm, I must admit that does grate on me a bit too. It's not that I can't do it without you, but you’ll significantly speed up the process. Save me a few miserable years wandering blindly around in this boring hell hole by myself.”

Ari stood in silence.

“Oh, come on, be like all the other jabbering idiots I’ve talked to. I think the question you are now looking for is 'how'. Wow, I'm bored with this conversation already. I was ever hopeful you might somehow be special, you know, something other than your precious little gift. And perhaps you might have improved on the drudgery of human conversation, but apparently not.”

The man stood, feet firmly on the ground in front of her, hardly taking a breath as he spoke. Ari was not sure how she had annoyed him so much, especially when she’d said so little.

As he stood there, less than ten metres in front of her, she started to sense something else, coming from behind. Coming fast. She felt light, even happy. The fear eased. Then, she noticed a look of fury appear on the man’s face.

“Noooooo,” he cried out, his face contorting with rage as he lunged at her.

The movement, which somehow opposed gravity, transfixed Ari. He seemed to be flying above the ground. The loose dirt under his feet began to dance and billow in the air. He propelled himself forward, gathering speed as he did so. Whatever he was, his actions were unnatural. He couldn’t be human. The thought was enough to finally get her moving. Instincts took over, and she turned and ran. It was a pitiful attempt given the speed of the man.

“Leave me alone,” she screamed, looking back over her shoulder. He was right there, behind her, arms extended ready to grab. Ari expected the hands to seize her at any moment.

It felt like a freight train hit her from the opposite side, lifting her feet off the ground. The wind knocked out of her, she sailed through the air, but not gliding like the pale-eyed man. No, she flew more like a stone. She had felt the pale eyed man’s outstretched hands trailing across her shoulder, snatching at her, then, when the force hit her, he’d been unable to hold on. His disappointment culminated in a shriek of rage.

She reconnected with the earth, her left arm taking the brunt of the fall. Her momentum skidded her along the forest floor. Ari’s eyes, which had closed just after the point of impact, snapped open as she slid along a bed of decaying pine needles towards the trunk of a large tree. She came to an abrupt halt at its base, pain searing down her side from the impact. Her lungs struggled to fill, as she gasped for air. The figure that had sent her sprawling off the path got to his feet only metres from her, concern in his eyes.

All she could think was
thank God those eyes aren’t soulless.

Ari propped herself up against the tree to get a better view. Her rescuers’ eyes followed her movements. He seemed to be checking she was okay. Then, after his brief examination, he turned and headed off in the opposite direction.

Ari stared at the man as he jogged away. Shirtless, the muscles on his back rhythmically contracted as he pumped his arms to gain speed. To Ari's complete disappointment the distance between them lengthened. The pale-eyed man stood in wait for him. Ari desperately wanted to yell at her rescuer to come back, but her lungs refused to suck in enough air for her to scream a warning. She saw her attacker in the distance, preparing to fight.

A deep and threatening, “let me have her,” tore down the path.

Her defender didn’t respond; he didn't even break stride. He launched himself, hitting her attacker at chest height and knocking him backwards into a nearby tree. The tree groaned under the impact, and a rain of fresh pine needles showered down. Both back on their feet, the assailant quickly struck in return. The fighting propelled them further into the distance, and Ari soon lost sight of them among the trees.

Ari sat back against the tree, able to take in full breaths again. Although still laboured, it was enough to get her moving. Her rib cage ached but, other than a scrape, there didn’t appear to be anything else wrong with her; nothing broken. She stood, then hesitantly put weight on her legs to make sure they could hold her. She steadied herself, relieved to find everything worked. She ran a hand over her head to free the pine needles interlaced in her hair. She looked around for her cap, but it was nowhere to be seen. At least, she was able to find the trail; she had been thrown only a few metres from it. Not knowing which way to go, she decided the opposite direction to where she’d last seen her new acquaintances might be the most logical option. Her sore ribs made her progress down the trail slow and arduous. The feelings that radiated from the two men were still intense, which meant they were still close by. At least, for the moment, they didn’t appear to be interested in her.

Nevertheless, they constantly drew her attention, making her nervous; like being forewarned of disaster then having to anxiously await its arrival.

She closed her eyes.

“Enough,” she whispered to herself, but her words had little conviction.

“Enough,” the demand rumbled from her throat, more determined this time. Taking one deep breath, she mentally pushed the feelings, that were not her own, out of her consciousness. Their intensity was drowning her. She pushed them away, so that she could be by herself, with
her
fear,
her
sadness and
her
confusion. Emotions that were hers and hers alone.

She ignored the two strangers and their sharp movements somewhere behind her. Finally, she controlled the sensations, no longer letting them play her like a puppet.

A moment’s hesitation struck her.
How can I be safe if I don't know where they are?

She dismissed the thought. At best, knowing their movements would give her a few seconds notice, nothing more. They could catch her whether she had warning or not. They had already proven that. Her aching bones a reminder of how quickly they could run her down. At least, this way she had a clear head, a chance of outrunning them. After all, they were preoccupied right now. With a new sense of purpose, Ari tore down the trail, hoping to reach the carpark before either of them caught up with her.

She didn't know how long she had been running; maybe fifteen minutes, maybe less. She vaguely recognised where she was, and it wasn't near the end of the track. Her lungs burned, screaming at her to stop. She kept going, begging to see her car appear through the trees.