Mask of Fire Read online

  “I missed him, but tell me about the biologic agent. How is it distributed?”

  “I truly do not know.”

  “But you were targeting the Crown Prince.”

  Gonnerth looked stunned and stepped back.

  “Right.” Abby grabbed Dr. Roth and returned to the isolation room. “Are any of you royalty?”

  The room stayed silent.

  “Men, I know you’ve been told for years not to respond to this question, but I need to know. The Ascendency is trying to take out the royal line.”

  All of the patients shook their head no.

  “We need to ask all the male patients,” Abby said.

  “What if we’re too late?” Roth asked.

  “Then let’s hope Barton can figure out how to save them.”

  “What is the crown prince’s name?” Roth queried.

  “When in the North he doesn’t use his given name. For all I know you’re the Prince,” Abby scoffed.

  “I would have told you when you first asked in the room.” Roth crossed his arms and cocked his eyebrow. “Then again I haven’t been raised to avoid the question at all costs.”

  “Gotta love the rules.”

  “Are you questioning the traditions suddenly?” Roth accused.

  “No, in fact I believe in them more than I ever have.”

  The further Barton went from her, the stronger a pull she felt toward him. That was how she was told it was in the beginning. Before the time of roads mates crossed deserts, mountains, and seas in search of the one they were to be with. Knowing in their hearts the one who they should be with did not reside among their province. She’d been drawn to Barton and now she feared she may not see him ever again.

  “Ma’am.” A soldier appeared behind her, causing to her to jump.

  “It’s Doctor,” she corrected.

  “I’m sorry, but are you Doctor Firestone?”

  Instantly Abby flushed with heat from the nickname Barton had given her, only to catch a cold chill from not telling him her real name. What would it have mattered? People were dying around them and she had to keep with a tradition that for some reason was upsetting the men.

  “Something like that.”

  “I was told to give you this.” The soldier passed a black mask that had been snipped on the side. She smiled in remembrance and knew she had a choice to make.

  “You got in here without being caught?”

  “As the Major said. I am but one. And we’ve taken the castle,” he confessed sheepishly, “I was sent down here to coordinate evacuating the wounded.”

  “Could you help me get off the island?”

  Moments later she was back with Cleric Gonnerth and no longer in the mood to hear her lies. She seemed apologetic for being pulled into this world, but she had yet to atone for her sins.

  “I want the cure.”

  “Cure? I know not—”

  Abby’s hand went to Gonnerth’s throat as she slammed her into a wall. Her patience was gone and more importantly her need to be reunited with her claimed mate had her turning almost animalistic.

  “You… you… will give me the cure or give me the one who can provide it,” Abby snarled in the woman’s face. “I could easily let those who are down here know about you and your friends. Injured or not I’m sure they could take down the handful of you in here.”

  “Handful? Because you do not see the mark on men doesn’t mean they are not with us. Look at Barton,” Gonnerth insinuated. “He left here without a thought or care for you. I was sent to your station. Why do you think that was?”

  Abby held on to her belief in Barton. Why would he send her his mask if not to let her know he was still with her? Or was he trying to draw her out? She missed the simplicity of a day before. Maybe she was delusional or blind to the world around her. Buried in books she studied the Lextran body, but never looked outside the window to take in the day.

  “Take me to whoever holds the cure.” Abby pressed harder against the traitor’s throat.

  “There is no cure,” she gurgled as she scratched at Abby’s arms. “We were testing its potency.”

  “No one creates a biologic without making sure they could survive accidental exposure.”

  “We didn’t care. We’re willing to die for our beliefs. Are you?”

  “You may be, those on the bottom tend to have more faith then those on the top. Something tells me as I climb that ladder I will find the cure.”

  “I won’t be your first rung.” Gonnerth, who’d feigned innocence, now suddenly became a threat.

  “Dr. Stone.” Roth placed his hand on her shoulder. Abby turned and wondered if she could trust him. “You have to let her go. Don’t become what she wants. Don’t make her a martyr for her cause.”

  “She… she… she’s lying.” Abby trembled as her hand shook, no longer able to maintain the pressure she wanted. “Why are you protecting her?”

  “I’m not. I’m protecting you. You’re a doctor, you don’t kill.”

  She had though. She chose the leg over the chest. She’d hidden inside the surgical suite to avoid making decisions on who to save. She didn’t want the deaths on her conscience, and as she looked into Gonnerth’s eyes, she couldn’t have another soul haunt her.

  With a gasp she released Gonnerth and both of them bent in half to catch their breath. Abby’s arm ached as Roth quickly pulled Gonnerth to the side and promptly tied her to a chair.

  ****

  Barton made it into Remaldy’s port unnoticed. The province, which usually bustled, especially on the night of the Gala, was abandoned. Shops along the beach showed the expectations of the night. Wedding gowns adorned large windows. Further down the beach were men’s garments. Flower shops hadn’t brought in their blooms. Clerics and newly claimed lovers should be walking hand in hand along the sand. Lights had not been turned off. Instead they twinkled in the night making Barton look back toward Harvester’s Island. A dark mass loomed across the gulf. He was too far away to see individual lights.

  He’d been haunted by the person he’d seen when he left. At first he was sure it was the Level One who’d helped him, but a part of him imagined Fire had come for him.

  A whistle called to him in the night. Surveying the alleys behind where he’d been crouched, he once again had been flashed safety. Staying low he found his way to the soldier, this time a female Level Three.

  “You the Major?”

  “Yes,” he replied.

  “Unclaimed and you came here.”

  “I need to get to Luster.”

  “It’s closed.”

  “You can’t close the capital.”

  “Fine, it’s surrounded. It’s their only stronghold. I just received communication that we’ve retaken Harvester.”

  “And the injured?”

  The Level Three placed her finger on her communicator.

  “I haven’t heard, but you must have some pull, Major.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I need to escort you to a speeder at the edge of the city. Still, a lone man won’t make it through.”

  “I grew up in Luster. I know ways into the city most don’t.”

  “How is that?”

  “I was a… adventurous child. Let’s just say I found places even historian’s forgot existed.”

  The woman crossed her arms and arched a brow at him.

  “Looking at you that was quite a few years ago.”

  “I’m sure it hasn’t changed that much.”

  “How did I miss you when I attended the Gala?” the woman growled.

  “He was waiting for me,” Fire snapped from behind him.

  She stood in a matching black uniform hugging her curves. Her dark tresses had been smoothed and contained by her gold shawl once again. Beside her was the Level One he’d given his mask to.

  “How did you get here so fast?”

  “I wasn’t trying to be stealthy. That takes time I hear.”

  “What about your patients?”


  “They’re being evacuated as we speak.” Fire stepped between him and the Level Three. “You… you… you had… had no right to leave without me.”

  A smile quirked on Barton’s lip from Fire’s stutter.

  “Didn’t I?” he teased as he stepped closer to her.

  “No, you didn’t. I… I… never released—”

  Barton officially had a weakness. Fire and her stutter did him in every time. Capturing her lips he cradled her head and pressed her against a wall.

  “I wish I had the time to ravage your body, but I need to finish my mission,” he whispered lightly, brushing his lips against hers as he spoke.

  “You don’t have a mission,” she replied in the same manner. Trailing her lips up his cheek he pressed his hardness against her hip. “You have placed yourself in danger. No one has ordered you. The only order you have right now is to pleasure me.”

  “Would if I could, my love,” he groaned as his hand slid into her pants. “Trust in that, but if I don’t go…” his voice trailed when his fingers glided into her wetness. “There won’t be anything for us.”

  “You acknowledge my claim then.”

  “Um…” the Level Three interrupted them. “Would you like to get going or fuck?”

  “I have to go.” Barton retracted his hand and lightly kissed Fire’s lips.

  “I… I… I’m coming with you,” Fire commanded.

  “If you haven’t noticed, you distract me.”

  “Adapt.”

  ****

  Barton’s golden eyes flashed at Abby when he finally acquiesced. Following the woman who dared to make a pass at her claimed, they weaved through the city. The audacity of a married woman who’d chosen a mate. What was going on in the Central Cities? Maybe the traditions she’d been touting weren’t right.

  “I need you focused on me,” Barton stated. “Imagine surgery, backwards. You seem to be lost in thought.”

  “She was propositioning you.”

  “Yes, she was. And the soldier who brought you was probably claimed by a woman twenty years his senior that he has no feelings for.”

  “That is not right. His mate could still be out there. She may be doomed to a life of loneliness”

  Barton stared at her as if she were a fool. She felt foolish. How could she be so naïve? The stories her mother told her each night made the transition to life in the South a thrill instead of a place where she’d be scared. The world wasn’t scary. She’d find the love of her life and they would have a life of love.

  Looking over her shoulder she saw Lawsen, the man who’d brought her. His face was drawn, and when she placed her hand on Barton’s back, he winced. She wanted to ask about how the other woman chose. Was it for love? Now she wondered if love still existed.

  Lawsen and the woman left them when they arrived by the speeder. It wasn’t made for two, but Barton put her on the back of the bike. Now fully armed, he had an assault laser and two handguns. For some reason she was given a gun. Although it was small she was sure she wouldn’t be able to wield it without injuring herself.

  Having grown up on a different landmass she’d never seen the capital city. She spent her childhood in the warm wetlands with tropical plants and animals wandering into her small province. The landscape here had high mountains and cooler temperatures. She clung to him for warmth and rested her head on his back. Trees reached for the sky as he cut along unpaved pack roads. Exhaustion from the day ate at her mind. She wanted to sleep, but feared she’d fall off if she did.

  Barton turned into a driveway only a member of the province would even know existed. With a thatched roof, the two-story building belonged in a fairy tale from her youth, not in a world of modern conveniences.

  “We’ll rest for a few hours. I need to check in with the current status of the war and… you need to eat.”

  “You don’t?”

  “You gave me grapes.”

  “Eight hours ago.”

  “I’ve run on less.”

  Barton lifted a pot that contained a dead plant and retrieved a key. Abby hadn’t seen a house key in her life. He inserted in a lock, and she watched in awe as the latch released. Despite the outer appearance the interior was state of the art. A vid screen larger than her hung over a fireplace. In the kitchen glass cabinets with lighting on the top shown down on dishware and canned goods. The fridge was larger than her kitchen. Then again, it’s not like she used any part but the counter. When she opened the fridge it contained fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats.

  “Where’s the owner?”

  “I am,” Barton replied and pulled eggs, ham, and a vegetable she’d seen in the grocer, but never ventured to try.

  “How do you own property here? Do you sneak in the central zone?”

  “No, it’s my family’s, but I’m next to inherit it. We’ve owned it for centuries. They tend to keep it well stocked. Usually one of them comes by often enough that it doesn’t spoil. We’re only about an hour from Luster.”

  Abby walked around the living space in hopes of seeing pictures of his family, but there were none.

  “Why don’t you take a shower?” he suggested as he took off his coat and tossed it on the couch. His tight medical top clung to his chest from his sweat. “It’s upstairs, third door on the right.”

  Abigail nodded and took off upstairs. The bathroom was larger than her first apartment. With doors on either side it must have direct access to other bedrooms as well as the hallway. Using the facilities first she stared blankly at a shower that did not fit the home she saw from outside. Then again outside of having wood floors and a fireplace the interior didn’t match. The shower had ornate gold fixtures that included a rain faucet and seven massage spigots along a tower. Stripping out of the borrowed uniform Abby let the warm water wash over her. On the wall were hair and body cleanser, and she was happy to scrub something beside her arms.

  A creak made her turn to see Barton entering the shower.

  “Our meal is in the oven. We have twenty minutes. I’d rather not waste time showering separately.”

  “I thought you were checking on the status of the war.”

  “Some things are more important.” Cupping her cheek in his hand he brought his lips to hers. “The night has been long and I have spent too little of it inside of you.”

  Dropping to his knees he licked at her nipple and suckled the perk nub. Stings of pleasure erupted on her breast when he bit and licked. His hands grasped her ass. Tangling her fingers in his long dark hair she stroked his locks. The width of his shoulders and sinewy muscles caught her off guard. She’d never chosen a man as large and forceful before. His strength was only matched by his willpower. Of course, he was in the military. That explained his large firm body with muscular cuts usually reserved for classic statues. Her core ached for him as his kisses cut their way around her stomach.

  Wrapping his hands around her wrists he rose and pressed her arms above her head. Claiming her lips that, no matter the cost, would forever more be his, she strained against his hold. Excitement traveled down her spine only to crescendo at her clit as it begged to be teased.

  The water fell between them before he brought her close enough that even water could not separate them. Their bodies merged and fell against the glass wall. This time there was nothing to stop Barton from pleasuring her. His hand reached for her thigh to open her up as he plunged inside while her leg wrapped around his hip. She clung to his back as they both groaned. His thickness filled her in a way she’d only dared dream. At the Gala he’d been tired, distracted, and, from his comments, uninterested in women in general. Now there wasn’t any softness to his form. He was hard and impassioned.

  Their mouths fused and seemed unable to break the connection. Moans passed between their lips, never to escape into the air. Just exchanged between the two lovers. Abby’s core clenched, which should have limited Barton’s strokes; instead his biceps flexed to help him pound harder.

  Abby swore he found parts of he
r body she didn’t know existed. Her orgasm became a starting line, not a finish as Barton pushed her body further. No longer able to hold on to him her hands splayed against the glass to find purchase in vain. He gripped her ass tighter and his golden eyes practically glowed as he claimed her lips one last time.

  Chapter Six

  Barton tucked the sheeting around Fire’s chest as he rolled from the bed. Aches from love making were not the worst thing in the world, he determined. Especially since he felt wanted for more than his body. Although the anonymity of the masks allowed him the dignity to be chosen on merit, not family name, the ability to see into your lover’s eyes as you entered their body was amazing. You could feel the connection on levels he didn’t know existed as her body succumbed to the rising tide of orgasm, then crested. The look was what sealed their love.

  Tossing on a pair of loose fitting shorts he glanced at Fire curled against a pillow with her dark hair strewn to the side. No longer held back by her shawl it cascaded in dark contrast to the light beige sheeting. He knew soon the soldiers he needed to meet on the edge of Luster would be waiting for him. They’d forwarded strategic breakdowns to his account and he needed to get online.

  Heading downstairs he took care to avoid the creaks his family had always thought added to the character and shouldn’t be repaired. The last thing he needed was Fire waking and trying to come along with him. Flipping on the vid screen he scanned his account for incoming messages. An encrypted message told of the break down of the Ascendency. In the last hour the army had retaken all but one small hold out in Remaldy.

  Strange. Why had they spread themselves so thin? It was like they didn’t care about Harvester’s Island or Remaldy. They only cared about Luster where the forces not captured retreated to.

  Pulling out the egg casserole from the oven he’d made hours ago, he got himself a serving. Thankfully his mother had updated the kitchen to include an oven that dropped to warm when the timer expired. The Nurils did have the tendency to get distracted and forget they’d begun a meal. He returned the dish to the oven for Fire when she woke.