Liam

Chapter 43

He smiled back at her and gingerly patted her hand. "I'm sorry if I was harsh earlier. I mean Liam no harm." With a wave of his hand, his staff appeared. "I need your full attention now, Rayne. I'm going to create a column of flame, and you are going to go inside it." She looked at him like he was insane.

"I'm going to what?" she stammered. "I'm not fireproof. Only my fire doesn't burn me. How am I supposed to walk in fire?"

"You must feel the fire, focus on how it moves as you did at the lake. Let it talk to you." He tapped the staff and a column of flames appeared. "Study it, watch how it moves, and breathes. Fire is just like any other element, it has a life of its own. It has the power to create and destroy."

His words sounded like an echo in her mind. Rayne watched as the flames danced. They looked like lovers wrapping around each other in an embrace. The flames seemed to beckon to her, pulling her into their arms. She could feel the warmth spreading across her body. It felt caring, almost sensual. She wanted to be embraced by it, letting it invade every part of her body. She saw her hand in front of her for a moment, looking as though it was burning, but then it wasn't there. All she could see were the hues of the flames, she felt herself rising with the flames, her mind flowing out from her as the embers spread across the night sky. She heard the faint voice echo in her mind again. The words were so soft at first, then becoming clearer she heard Merlin's voice, "Come back." In a flash, she was pulled back down to the fire, and then it was gone. She turned to face Merlin, a euphoric grin spreading across her face, then she collapsed.

Rayne awoke the next morning to see Liam's worried eyes staring down at her. "Morning handsome," she smiled at him. He held her gaze and sighed. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?" she asked sheepishly. He leaned down, wrapped his arms around her, and held her tight. He wouldn't say a word, he just clung to her. "Hey, Liam, I'm okay. I promise."

He pulled her chin up and kissed her fiercely, "You call this okay," he asked, pulling her hand up. Her eyes went wide. Her hand had dark black burns streaking across it, but she couldn't feel it at all. "What happened last night, and why didn't you wake me? I can't believe you left me here!" His words were filled with pain. She looked back up at his eyes and saw the tears.

"I'm so sorry, my love. I didn't want to leave you, he put a spell on you. I couldn't wake you. I tried, Liam, please, believe me, I tried." Rayne's words were choked by tears. "I don't know what happened to my hand. I think I passed out after I was in the fire." She stared at her hand again, gently touching the blackened spots with her other unblemished hand. She pulled back the covers to see if there were any other areas of burns.

"It's only your hand. I already checked," Liam sat up, "What do you mean he put a spell on me? Why would he do that? I swear I'm going to k..." Rayne cut off his words with a kiss. He let out a frustrated breath. "I don't like this, Rayne, I don't trust him. He's manipulating us for his own benefit, and trust me, I know a thing or two about that!" he huffed.

Rayne leaned against his shoulder, "I know. I don't trust him either, but it did work, sort of. Let's get dressed and see if he can explain what happened and if this," she waved her burnt hand, "can be healed."

They found Merlin in the great hall where they had eaten the previous day. He stood as they entered the room, "I've had food prepared for you both, please join me." He motioned to the empty seats at the table. They sat down as Liam poured a glass of juice for Rayne.

Rayne cleared her throat and waved her hand for Merlin to see, "What exactly is this and how do I fix it?" she demanded.

He looked at her hand, then stood and came closer to inspect it. "Hmmm, curious." He created a flame in his hand, just below Rayne's hand. She gasped from the sight of it, but there was no pain. "Well, it isn't a real burn, otherwise that would have really hurt. Have you tried to heal it?" He looked up at Liam.