Igniting the Spark (Daughter of Fire Book 4) Read online

“You know what I mean.”

  I couldn’t make him understand, even after months of my gentle coaxing, he still saw himself as two separate entities—the before and after, each distinct people.

  “What’s to say restoring your memory will make you lose the last few months?” I asked. “Maybe you’ll have all of your memories.”

  “Do you know that I almost think it would be worth it if it made you happy?”

  “I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  He met my eyes, no doubt searching for any hint of deception. “Do you need me to do this for you to be happy?”

  “Of course not,” I said truthfully. “I’m happy now.”

  “You really didn’t ask Ethan to find answers?”

  “I really didn’t,” I reassured him, moving closer to where he stood. “I think he did it because he felt so guilty about dragging you to Alaska in the first place.”

  “From what you’ve told me, he didn’t have to coerce me very much.”

  “Not really, but I understand why. You like to help people. That’s part of who you are, with or without your memories. That’s what I’ve learned out of this experience, Clay. It’s not a matter of who you used to be and whether you’re still him or not. It’s a matter of who you are in here.” I pressed my palm over the beating warmth of his heart. “That’s the man I love. And that has nothing to do with memory or experience or anything else. It’s to do with the good you want to do, the way you make me feel, and how, whatever else is happening in your life, family is one of the most important things in the world to you.”

  “So what you’re trying to say is that you don’t care if I never get my memory back?”

  “What I’m saying is that you have to choose what you want to do, and I’ll support you either way.”

  “What did I ever do to deserve you?” he asked.

  “Just lucky I guess,” I said with a chuckle. “Although I guess you did spare my life . . . a couple of times. That’s a pretty good way to win a girl over.”

  Twisting the lid off the flask, he moved over to the sink and stood poised next to it with the flask tilted ever so slightly, as if he was ready to pour the contents out at any second. His apprehension was clear in every motion.

  “So I could tip this out?” he asked, tilting it ever more.

  I figured he was waiting for a reaction from me, but he wouldn’t get one. I wanted him to be happy—whatever that took I would support his decision. “You could.”

  “And?”

  “And, well, Ethan might be a little miffed that you didn’t at least try it.”

  “Only Ethan?”

  I nodded.

  His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he lifted the flask away from the sink and placed it against his lips. “Just in case this goes badly, goodbye, Evie.”

  His words panicked me and made me doubt in the safety of the drink. I began to worry once more what might happen if Ethan had filled it from the wrong spring.

  “You don’t have—” I stopped as he tipped the container and drank deeply of the water within.

  A clang rang through the house as the metal flask fell to the floor when his fingers released their grip, but I ignored the ringing sound that reverberated around us and instead watched Clay carefully. For a moment, his eyes screwed completely shut and his mouth twisted into a grimace. When his eyelids fluttered open a second later, I couldn’t tell immediately whether there was any change.

  “How do you feel?” I asked. My nerves were eating away at me. What if Ethan took the water from the wrong spring? Are we back at square one?

  “Good,” Clay said with a deliberate slowness. “I feel really good.”

  “And?” Did it work? I bounced on the balls of my feet and wanted to shout the question at him, but held my tongue. I didn’t want him to think I was eager to know whether all of his memories had returned because that wasn’t really what caused my concern. I was more worried that he might have lost everything and we’d have to rebuild our relationship for the umpteenth time.

  “And . . . you look beautiful.”

  I gaped at him, although internally I released a massive sigh of relief. At least he recognizes me. Doesn’t he? “You’re not going to tell me whether it worked?”

  “Does it really matter?” he asked with a curled lip and one raised eyebrow, no doubt replaying all of our conversations over the last few months just as I was and using them to tease me. At least, I hoped he was.

  “Not really,” I said. “But I am curious,” I relented.

  A sly smile crossed his lips. “Evie,” he started, but stopped to chuckle when my whole body relaxed instantly at the sound of my name on his lips.

  I crossed my arms and gave him a death stare. “It must have worked because you’re having way too much fun with this.”

  Closing the distance between us in less than a heartbeat, he pulled me against his body. I closed my eyes and listened to his strong heartbeat.

  “I don’t mean to tease you, but you’re just too cute not to.”

  Still holding me around the waist, he pulled back to focus on me. One hand lifted to cup my cheek.

  “I know who you are. I know our two beautiful babies. Do you need anything more than that?”

  I shook my head. “I really don’t, but does that mean that it didn’t work?”

  “Yes,” he said.

  “Yes, it didn’t work, or yes, it did?”

  With a chuckle in his throat, he leaned forward and touched his lips to the side of my ear. “Yes,” he breathed against my skin before nibbling my earlobe.

  A shudder of pleasure rushed through me, and I knew it really didn’t matter. I really didn’t care. I had Clay—all of him. Memories or not, that would never change. I twisted my head and claimed his lips as desire raged through me like wildfire.

  EPILOGUE

  I WATCHED MY beautiful girl cross onto the stage to open Rainbow Refuge. Financed from donations and private financiers, most of who belonged to the Rain, it was the culmination of years of hard work by Ava—work that had started when she was fifteen and continued throughout all of her adventures with the Rain.

  It was to be the new North Brothers Island, a place where non-violent non-humans could find refuge and food. Where the girl I’d once been could have found a place of safety. Once the Rain had begun to see past their old prejudices, they’d realized the value in the supernatural assistance some others were able to provide. The shelter offered the chance to recruit talent, and the charity side offered the opportunity for additional fundraising to support the hunting of the real monsters.

  The red, gold, and copper strands of Ava’s hair—colors which were once bright in my own locks but that had faded with the passage of time—shone brilliantly as she stepped forward in the sun to take the microphone. Somehow already twenty-two, she’d blossomed into a young woman I couldn’t be anything but proud of.

  I considered how different her life had been compared to mine. My father had done everything he could to keep me safe, but he was just one man fighting a corrupted system. Ava had two parents at her side—and more importantly on her side—all of her life. We’d both been there when, at four, she’d set her brother’s bike on fire because he wouldn’t share. And at six when she’d cried for hours when we’d told her she couldn’t sleep at a friend’s house.

  As soon as we thought she was old enough to understand, we sat with her and told her everything we knew about her nature and heritage. On the eve of her seventh birthday, with the impending loss of her abilities, we’d sat and reminisced about all of our favorite stories of her accidents while she learned to control her heat. We’d shared her surprise when, three days later, she set her bed on fire after another, thankfully rare, fight with David. He’d teased her about losing her abilities when he’d have his gifted sight for life.

  We held her, celebrated with her, and then fretted in private when she still had her heat six months later. Each day we woke, expecting her
temperature to have dropped and for her to be without that ability, but each day we were surprised. By the time she’d turned eight we accepted that the small fae part within her must have manipulated the sunbird in ways we couldn’t comprehend. I could still recall her small voice telling me about a presence inside, comforting her with the reassurance that the sunbird would be there for her forever.

  The same voice that had once been my companion through the lonely days. I hadn’t missed her since she’d left, no longer needing companionship from within when I had so much around me.

  “This building has significant personal value for my family. Had this sort of facility existed, complete with the safety provided by the Rain, my mother’s life might have taken a very different course. It is in my mother’s name that I now dedicate the opening of this refuge, certain it will serve as a permanent testament to the strong, courageous woman she became despite the adversity and prejudice she faced.”

  While she continued her speech, I turned my eyes toward David, sitting to one side of the makeshift stage and watching his sister with clear adoration. The two of them had the sort of relationship I know Clay longed to have with Louise—the one he might have had under different circumstances. One where each twin balances the other and where growing older didn’t mean growing apart.

  David, despite being older but just by minutes, had taken the mantle of older brother on himself and had always watched out for Ava—even though he didn’t need to. He’d been nearby to smooth things over the night Ava had inflicted flesh wounds on a junior who’d tried to force her to second base in the backseat of a parked car.

  In return, she’d dragged David into situations that were well outside his natural comfort zone.

  Both of them had taken up the family battle, joining the Rain as soon as they were able. Partnered together, they were a perfectly balanced team; where Ava was all heat and passion, David was calm and heart. Of course, in typical fashion, he’d taken the lead in their first mission, much to Ava’s disgust.

  “I asked Mom once what positives she took from the experiences she’d been through, and her answer was that she had the chance to fall in love with Dad not just once but over and over.”

  A hand clutched mine, and I squeezed it tightly before turning toward the love of my life. Age had barely touched his face, only a few small wrinkles and laughter lines dared to encroach on his boyish looks.

  Gray hairs peppered his dark locks, particularly at the temples. Sometimes, I was taken aback by how much he looked like his father, but other than their physical appearance they were nothing alike. I rested my head on his shoulder, silently telling him that I knew what he was feeling.

  The love we felt for our two precious children was matched only by the love we shared. Time didn’t lessen it like some would claim; it didn’t remove the luster. If anything, our love was like a diamond and each year was another pass with a cutting tool, making it shine even more brilliantly.

  “For as long as I can remember, my mother has stood as a beacon of hope for me. She was the one who taught me that greatness and love are not exclusive to humanity, and neither is being human a guarantee of righteousness. The greatest lesson she ever imparted is the certainty that it is our choices, rather than our species, that determine whether or not we are monsters. It is this wisdom I have carried with me through my travels and that has given me a faith in myself that extends beyond my heritage. I wouldn’t be where I am today, I wouldn’t be who I am, without her.

  “I love you, Mom.”

  I smiled and nodded to acknowledge her words. My life may not have always been easy, but it led me exactly where I needed to be and gave me the family I’d never thought I would have.

  THE END

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Fleur Smith is the paranormally inclined pen-name of Michelle Irwin.

  Other books by Fleur Smith:

  Daughter of Fire Series:

  Prequel: Under the Magnolia

  Book 1: Through the Fire

  Book 2: Rise from Ash

  Book 3: Into the Rain

  Book 4: Igniting the Spark

  Son of Rain Series:

  Book 1: Besieged by Rain

  Book 2: Among the Debris

  Book 3: Court the Fire

  Book 4: Living with Embers

  Fall for You Series:

  Book 1: Happily Evan After

  Book 2: All Amity Allows

  Also coming soon:

  Tales from Motor City series