Immortal Fire - Book One

Screaming, I woke up. It had just been a dream. Oh, thank God. Hayden was watching me intently from the driver’s seat and had a hand on my arm.

“Are you okay?” He looked concerned. Brushing a hand through my long hair, I nodded.

“Just a bad dream” I muttered a response. I snuck a glance at Hayden when he was not paying attention to me anymore. I hoped it was just a dream…

“Well, we are here... Aria, welcome to Lunzos.”

Sitting up straight and looking around, I saw a sign that said we had arrived at Pawling Nature Reserve.

“We’re at a nature reserve?” I had heard of it before; my parents always spoke about it with such adoration that it was the place they had met. It could not have been a coincidence.

“Yeah, a nature reserve, but the reserve is just a cover-up for Lunzos. Lunzos is situated in the forest, but it is invisible to Humans. The reserve saves us from being discovered as well as being an income from the visitors and hikers so that we have Human money when it’s needed…”

Hayden sounded as if he was extremely proud and yet there was a dismal tone in his voice. Looking back at him now as we drove up the dirt road that seemed abandoned, I could not help but ask,

“When was the last time that you were here?”

“A year ago, when my parents died...” He would not look at me and I understood why.

It must have been horrible for him to be here again with all those memories plaguing his mind. Deciding to change the subject, I told him about my parents talking about Pawling Nature Reserve. I missed them so much already. I did not know how to explain to them what was happening to me so I just texted them that I was fine and would let them know if I was okay each day until I returned home. I was breaking their hearts and I knew it; it was killing me to think about it.

“Your parents met here?” He was looking at me now with a new interest. “Yeah, that’s what they told me. You don’t think it’s a coincidence, do you?” I asked.

“No.” He was so brutally honest that I looked out of the window at the forest in the distance. “What am I...?” I was asking myself, but Hayden answered anyway.

“If your parents met at Lunzos, then they must be Elves, which means you are too; but…”

“But, what...?”

“You don’t smell like an Elf…”

Hold the fuck up… ‘smell’ like an Elf?

Hayden had started to blush at what had just slipped out of his mouth. Hayden Levi was blushing. Who knew it was even possible? I wanted to laugh at him but realized what he had just said, and confusion and shock settled in.

“I don’t smell like an Elf?”

“Um, no...” he answered warily.

“How would you know what I smell like?” I raised a brow at him and watched as he turned a startling shade of crimson. He looked like he would rather be anywhere else besides here at this moment.

“It’s an Elf thing and I have spent a couple of hours in this car with you…”

“Well then, Elf boy, seen as though I do not smell like an Elf; what the hell do I smell like?”

“Aria, c’mon…”

“Nope, I’m intrigued now as to find out about your freakish Elf ways; so please, enlighten me.” I was now fully facing him, brow arched, and arms folded. I would not budge, and I had the feeling he knew it.

“You smell of Vanilla and Lilac.” He mumbled the words and tried to look less tense. It was not working. I did not know if I should have been disturbed or flattered. My tummy was doing little flips again. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

“Oh.” That was all that I replied. He said nothing in return.

“So, what does an Elf smell like?”

He looked at me quickly and away.

“Elves smell like the earth after a thunderstorm.” My mom smells like that but it could not be…

“Can a human and an Elf have children?” I had to know if I was right in thinking that my mom was perhaps an Elf.

“No, why would you ask that?” he asked, now extremely interested. I could not help but be disappointed somehow.

“My mom smells like that…” I turned towards the front of the car and tried to spread my legs out as far as I could.

“Your mom smells like an Elf?”

“Yeah, but it can’t be right. My dad doesn’t smell like that, so she couldn’t be an Elf…” My legs were killing me. I needed to get out of this car soon.

“What does your dad smell like then?” he asked, being profoundly serious.

“He smells like oranges.” Hayden slowed the car down to a torturous pace and paled. He looked out at the dirt road ahead and took a deep breath.

“Hayden? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He snapped, still staring ahead. I knew he was lying; it was obvious that he knew something and did not want to tell me.

His entire body was rigid with tension. He pulled the car to a stop in an open area that was next to the road. Hiking trails led from the area into the forest in all directions. Huge pine trees lined the horizon and rising hills.

“We walk from here. Grab everything that you think you will need,” said Hayden unemotionally.

Having said that, he was out of the car and heading toward a trail that led off to the left of the forest. He had just left me here. What the hell did I do wrong this time? Watching him go, I was confused, hurt, and quite frankly getting irritated.

Deciding that I was probably making it all up in my head, I grabbed my cell and a bottle of water that I had left in the center console. Getting out of the car and shutting the door, I ran after Hayden. He was almost to the tree line. Cursing under my breath, I forced my legs to go faster and eventually caught up to him. By the time I had reached Hayden, I was out of breath and sweat beaded on my back. I need to start fucking working out…. Geez…

“What the hell is your problem?” I panted. I was annoyed right now, and he was being a jerk.

“Nothing.” He never faulted in his pace nor looked at me.

“Bullshit. Why are you racing off and just leaving me in the distance? Also, what’s up with your shitty attitude towards me suddenly?” I was struggling to keep up with him as I turned my head toward him. He was ignoring me. I had enough of it and cut him off. Staring him down with my hands on my hips I struggled to control my hard breathing. I could feel my hair, sticky with sweat sticking to the nape of my neck.

“What is your problem?” I asked, agitated.

“I said nothing. Now if you do not mind, I would like to get to Lunzos before its dark, and right now you are making that impossible to achieve.” His words were so cold; it was like a slap in the face.

Pushing his way past me, Hayden continued up the trail, disappearing into the trees. Watching him go, I could not contain the scowl that had spread across my face. Cursing once more, I raced after him. Fucking asshole and his mood swings… I eventually found him between the trees waiting next to a stream that ran alongside the small path. He had his toned arms crossed over his chest and his jaw set in a hard line.

“About damn time…” I could not believe him!

“Excuse me?” He ignored me and placed his hand in the water that flowed over his hand and caused ripples. “Is something supposed to happen?” I asked but, he just gave me a look that said ‘you are stupid’…

Standing there awkwardly and biting my tongue, I was about to say something when the water turned purple and the grass on the other side of the stream started to sway. Dewdrops appeared on the grass and started to sparkle and illuminate the shady area. I could not believe what I was witnessing. The grass sparkled and shone in a way that was illuminating a path of sorts.

“It’s beautiful…” I whispered to myself. Hayden looked at me and his face softened slightly before the cold mask appeared once more. I must have imagined it.

Hayden straightened and jumped across the stream to the other side. He was so grateful that, it was difficult to imagine him being able to fiercely hold off bloodhounds. Following Hayden across the stream and turning back to the water, I could have sworn I saw a ripple of sorts that was spread out in the air like a wall. Hayden saw me examining the area I had seen the ripple in the air and stepped toward me.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I could have sworn I saw something right here…” I placed my hand up in the air as if to feel the invisible barrier. Touching the barrier, I felt my hand go cold. It felt as smooth as glass and cold as metal. Hayden was watching in amazement as a kaleidoscope of colors spread from my hand, across the surface.

“Aria, no one besides an Elf can see the prism; never mind touch it like you are,” he said incredulously. Drawing my hand back quickly, I faced him.

“No one can touch it?”

“No, we can only see it, not touch it. It would kill anyone who tried.” Looking at my palm that was resting on the prism not only a minute ago, I also found that my mark was glowing again. Hayden noticed it too.

“C’mon, we need to get going.” And with that, the cold Hayden was back, and I was left to follow behind.