Fire
The music filled her with joy, entering through her ears she felt tingles on her skin, and it poured out in the movement of her body, as if the sounds were a language being translated through her feet, hands and hips, she danced non-stop to one of Within Inferno's songs.
Everyone at the concert felt the same way. They jumped up and down; some screamed and waved their hands to accompany the beat of the drums and the rhythm of the guitars. Cassie didn't draw attention with her hair down and dark clothes, instead she fit right in with the Goth crowd...although she might have put on more eyeliner.
The eyeliner...not an issue really as it would probably smear anyway from sweating so much. New Zoldova was even hotter than her town, and especially at night when there usually wasn't a hint of a breeze in the air.
Tate and his band were also in tune with the upbeat atmosphere. His shirt was torn, as if somebody ripped off the sleeves for the effect and it wouldn't be a surprise if he was the one who did just that. It was the first time Cassie noticed how strong his bulging biceps were while playing the guitar. She was impressed with how good the band played live, Tate's voice held strong although later it started to sound a bit hoarse, which for Cassie made the songs even more full of emotion than they would have been.
Cassie chose not to be that close to the stage even though Tate offered her a VIP spot right at the side. She wanted to be part of the dancing crowd...to feel the excitement of the crush and energy of all those people around her. And then came the final, telling lyrics, ripped right from their lives.
"I'm gone and I won't ever return, we are a perfect match but baby we are meant to burn."
The lights turned off and the band left the stage leaving Cassie wanting more. She had to squeeze through the ecstatic crush of groupies to get backstage. Finally at the door, she showed a security guard the VIP pass hanging from her neck.
The guard pointed to Within Inferno's location but Cassie found herself lost and wandering through a sea of trailers and white tents. Geradinne Park was huge, a perfect place for a big festival that lasted a week.
She finally spotted the band's logo.
"Hello?" she said entering. The boys still hadn't arrived. There were a few chairs, tables with snacks and bottles of water. The tent was lit by portable lights hung from the ceiling.
Fancy was all Cassie thought after looking the place over before almost tripping over a guitar case and having to catch herself so she didn't flop right onto the floor, which would have been awkward given that Tate, Lip and Cheese were just walking in at the time.
"Hey!" she greeted while high-fiving all of them, "you guys did so great!"
"Thanks, Cassie!" Lip hugged her and added, "We killed it!"
"Yeah, it was amazing!" Chester patted Tate's shoulder and pushed him into Cassie.
Tate smiled and looked over to his friends. Cassie's first instinct was to hug him but Tate lifted her in the air and kissed her on the forehead.
"It was...soooooo exceptional...just like I told you it would be," she whispered.
"Uh...we'll let you guys be alone for a sec, come on." Chester grabbed a water bottle with one hand and Lip by his shirt with the other, "We're going to look for Mac."
Chester winked at them and both band mates disappeared. When the next band began playing, their wall of high-decibel sound crashed into the tent.
"Where is Mac?" Cassie asked.
"He vanished in a flash after we finished playing, racing off the stage first. We thought he would be here but he's been acting all weird today, you know... you've seen him at the hotel."
"You're right...he did have some attitude earlier," Cassie replied reflectively.
"But he is always acting weird," Tate frowned, he is always acting weird especially lately... he thought to himself, knowing just how serious the issue involving Mac just might turn out to be.
➳
Petra's eyes were stone cold coal black under the moonlight. He was looking better than he did before, but his stare was still brimming with hate. He had slipped into a disturbed state like some psychopath.
"Help me!" Mac yelled, "please...HELP!"
He moved his hands desperately and with every tug the rope around them burned and but into his wrists.
"Awe...don't even bother...nobody can hear you up here."
The festival music was so loud it carried to where Mac was being held, but not so loud that it drowned out the more delicate sounds coming from the hills with its animals moaning, the wind howling, the leaves rustling, and the branches being broken each time Petra took a step closer to him.
"So... Mac..." he began calmly, "here is the thing...you didn't do what I told you to do."
"I—"
"You didn't separate Tate and Cassie, now, the way I see it—they seem to be even closer than when I last talked to you, isn't that right?"
"Well—"
"We both know it's true," He raised his finger. "I promised to give you everything you wanted but since turned your back on me, our arrangement is over."
"Alright...alright...but then why did you drag me here? What do you want now?"
"It's not what I want...Mac!" Petra shouted, and coughed into his fist to clear his voice, "It's what I need..." he whispered, "Or what I don't need, in any case."
"And what is that?" Mac said faintly, feeling his whole body shiver.
"You!"
Mac didn't care his wrists were now bleeding, he needed to escape so he continued to struggle forcefully, but the ropes wouldn't come off and he was tied tightly to a tree.
"Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Petra got closer to him.
"Because I was your friend...remember...anyway, you can't kill me!"
"Wrong answer."
"Do you—" his voice broke as his eyes widened. Mac looked down, his shirt tainting with blood, his blood. Petra had a knife in his hand, and Mac caught a glimpse of a smirk of the satisfaction of retribution on Petra's face before falling over...dead.
Petra wiped his knife on his shirt. He made a mental note to get a sword next time. After all was said and done, he sighed upon seeing his once dear friend no longer breathing. He continued talking like he could hear.
"You may ask if this death was necessary.." he said taking a little glass jar out of his pocket and stepping closer to him, "But oh Mac, you were a living time bomb, you could have given my name to Tate at any moment. I didn't trust you but I thought that at least you could have accomplished the simple task I gave you." Petra kneeled besides him and cut his shirt with the sharp blade, slowly pressing the jar on his skin for the blood to fill it.
"Now that Cassie knows I'm in charge of her mission, and she will probably tell him, there was no point for you to live in fear of being assassinated." He put away the little jar and got up, before leaving he looked over his shoulder. Mac was still there, with his eyes half open and his back leaning against a tree. " I didn't want you to live like that."
Petra left the hills humming a song playing at the festival as if he'd just gone fishing, instead of having just killed someone.
➳
"Don't worry, Tate, he'll show up...anyway... now you know what your concerts are like," she said trying to do something about Tate's preoccupation with Mac's whereabouts by changing the subject...especially since these were probably some of their last moments together and Cassie didn't want to waste a single second with Tate.
"You mean how awesome our concerts are!" he teased in reply.
"Whatever...it was great!" she admitted.
"Yeah...you really think so?"
As Tate got closer Cassie started feeling a fire burn through her veins. She nodded.
"Listen to that," Tate pointed up with his finger, "do you hear that?"
"I love that song! We should go outside and listen!" Cassie said enthusiastically, but Tate grabbed her hand and locked his fingers with hers.
"Cassie?"
"Tate?"
Not about to spend another minute keeping his emotional distance from her, he took Cassie's chin and directed it slowly to his lips. Leaning down he whispered something in her ear that made her shudder.
"I don't know if you are going to kiss me...or kill me."
Before she could answer theirs lips met, at first gentle and soft, she felt the building passion trapped between them slowly release as their breathing turned to panting while he slowly slid his hand down the sensuous soft curves of her back.
He could no longer resist drawing her close to his body. Still not close enough, he wrapped her tightly with his strong arms until she couldn't breathe. Her hands on his chest, she felt Tate's heart beating fast under them. There was the taste of mint in her mouth. She stopped, opened her eyes, his were still closed, and she smiled and ran her thumb across Tate's bottom lip.
They kissed again, this time with her arms around his neck. Cassie felt his pulse, their hearts beating together. The burn she felt earlier where their skin touched was now spreading throughout her body.
Their alien bodies began glowing like starlit lanterns before sending out sparks.
Cassie suddenly felt a searing pain in her hands and feet as the burning sensation became excruciating.
"What the—" she screamed, horrified as she saw the tent being consumed by scorching flames. The fire was everywhere, spreading quickly from tent to tent throughout the festival grounds.
His scream pierced her ears as he stepped backwards, his hands like claws holding his head and Cassie cried out his name.
Tate's arms were glowing red and yellow, like a river of lava, and she could see the veins underneath his skin. He clenched his fists as his face distorted in pain. His tears were as bright as his arms, fire was his blood running through his veins and flames were his tears streaming down his face.
"Go away!" he ordered, wincing in anguish.
"Tate!" she yelled.
"Go away...NOW!"
It didn't even sound like him. Who was this gruff, obnoxious bully filled with rage and sorrow ordering her about? He looked at her and Cassie let out a high-pitched shriek, tried to turn away, but fell on the floor when the flames reached her skin.
Tate bent over and started to levitate. Explosions began in rapid succession, happening behind his back where wings of flames began to form. Cassie narrowed her eyes...the light was as blinding as the sun.
It was all over in a matter of seconds.
Cassie couldn't breathe. Between the smoke and flames she managed to open her eyes one last time and saw a figure running towards the entrance, trying to escape. It was Tate. She made an attempt to call to him but only blood came out of her mouth. She collapsed on the floor.
Closing her eyes, Cassie didn't feel the pain anymore. No pain, no light, only the end. It was when she felt her lungs fill with cold water that she knew that it was over once and for all.
END OF PART I
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! I FINISHED I FINISHED PART ONE AAAAAH!!!! omg ok chill Mad chill. Woah I'm so pumped to start writing part 2! Don't worry it won't take long until I start posting it, I just have to figure things out--- and I will also start writing a new fantas/mythology story soon too but you'll have to wait to read that one cx
Don't forget to vote and comment if you want part 2! What will happen next? Any guesses?
Thank you for all you who vote every chapter and read and comment, you are so nice and sweet and your messages to update make my day really ily all and thank you for reading this half of the story. Can't wait for you to read the next one :D
(pst also a big thank you Ric, my editor ,for everything)
xxMad
ps I JUST STARTED WRITING A NEW STORY! With magic and steampunk elements, Of Kings and Thieves is an adventure and fantasy novel which tells the story of two people who come together for a treasure hunt... or something like that. Anyway, check it out in my profile :)