Ignite (Midnight Fire #1)

Chapter Four

"Oh, sorry, my Civil War paper." Kira frowned and looked beyond Tristan at Battery Park. "I see all of the history here, but I can’t seem to find a topic that really stands out to me."

"Come on." He put an arm around her shoulders and guided her toward a cannon across the street. "Who better to show you around than a Charleston native?"

After not speaking for three weeks, Kira had never expected to have Tristan as her own personal tour guide, but it was perfect. He seemed to know everything about the city, and spending the afternoon with him was exactly what she needed to get the paper done. It also happened to be exactly what she wanted in her heart.

Tristan led her around Battery Park first, pointing out a huge mansion that was a wedding gift from a father to a daughter after the war, and another beautiful town home that still had a piece of shrapnel lodged in the roof from a Northern attack. He explained that Battery Park had been Charleston’s first line of defense against any ships that made it past Fort Sumter and had not always been so picturesque. They kept walking as Tristan pointed out famous cemeteries where Confederate soldiers were buried and tons of buildings that had been preserved during the war that were truly from historic Charleston. They walked to the old slave market, which was now a flea market where local artisans could sell their goods. He showed her where the slaves had been kept, how they were sold, and where they were eventually set free. He painted the picture of a graceful city with an ugly undercurrent of racism that still needed to be weeded out.

"How do you know all of this?" She questioned him after two hours.

"You pick up a lot when you live here." He shrugged. "Charlestonians are very proud of their history."

"I guess, but you describe it like you lived there."

He breathed out a laugh, one that almost sounded like a sigh. "Do you actually believe that’s possible?" His squinted eyes caught hers at that moment and she knew there was more to this question, some deeper meaning. Her heart skipped a beat. Was it possible?

"Of course not,” Kira looked away, flustered, and focused on the old woman sitting on a blanket on the sidewalk weaving a straw basket. She could have been from a different era and almost seemed out of place near the busy intersection where cars zoomed by behind her.

Kira looked back at Tristan. Did he fit into the scene? His constant brood made it seem like he was years older than he looked. She knew he had more on his mind than the average seventeen-year-old, but was that enough to start believing impossible things?

"Come on." He nodded to the side making his hair slip to shield his eyes. When the piercing blue was hidden in shadow, Kira finally felt she could breathe and stopped her mind before it dreamed up even crazier theories. "I want to take you to my favorite place in the city."

They walked for a while, lightly chatting to avoid any serious topics, before Tristan stopped in front of a huge building. Four round columns shot upward into a huge triangular frieze that reminded Kira of a Roman temple, until she looked further up and saw the top of a steeple. The building was huge but rather plain with large wooden doors and sweeping windows, but no ornate decorations marred the beauty of the architecture. The yellow-tinted stone created a beautiful contrast against the blue sky, and Kira tried to take it all in before she looked to her left to read the sign that stated Saint Philips Episcopal Church. Kira was a little shocked. She had never figured Tristan as the religious type.

"I know what you’re thinking, but it’s because of the view." He started to enter and she had no real choice but to follow. When she walked inside, the sanctuary took her breath away. Huge white columns rose toward an arched ceiling that was also a polished white. The marble floor led her eye past the ivory pews toward a huge stained glass window behind the altar. With the sunlight beaming through, the window acted almost like a kaleidoscope, casting colors around the otherwise bare room. Kira looked up at the balconies that ran parallel down the sides of the church and were composed of carved mahogany, creating a striking contrast. And when she turned, an organ took up the majority of the back wall, and she could almost feel the music coming from the great instrument.