“I wasn’t talking about the flames. Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“Because I wanted to be able to hug you without turning you into a piece of extra crispy when you got back. I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”
“I don’t think you will. I’m holding you now, and I’m fine.”
I looked up at his red face and made a sound of doubt.
“This is because I was too close when you exploded. You’re not too hot now.”
I lifted up to my toes and kissed him hard. He kissed me back. For several long moments, there was nothing but me and Oanen and what we felt for each other. I basked in the ability to kiss him and touch him like I wanted.
Distantly, I heard Eliana clear her throat.
“I think you can safely conclude you’re in control of yourself now,” Eliana called.
I pulled back to see Oanen’s golden eyes. He still had all of his facial hair. I grinned. He threaded his fingers through mine and gave me a tender look.
“Since we know you won’t hurt me anymore, how about we promise to stick together from now on?” he said. “No more trying to break up with me.”
“I think I can manage that.” My smile faded as my temper spiked. “What is up with everyone lying in this dump?”
“The Council?” Oanen asked.
“No, the oracle. She said that there was no controlling my temper. I just hugged you without setting you on fire.”
“I think the oracle told you the truth, Megan,” Eliana said, standing by the car. When I focused on her, I noticed the car’s paint had bubbled.
“Holy shit,” I said, looking at what I’d done.
“Yeah, no more monkey hugs for you when you’re mad,” Eliana said.
“No kidding. Now, why do you think she told the truth?”
“Because if there was someone wicked nearby, I don’t think you’d be able to control your temper. That you’re not burning Oanen or me accidently means you’re in control of your power. I think you can control your power, but not your anger. Your anger is what helps you identify the wicked.”
“That’s splitting hairs. I have no doubt she purposely misled me. You know what the most frustrating part is? By my definition, she was wicked, yet I didn’t get fury angry at her.”
“Why do you think she was wicked?” Eliana asked.
“She’s been eating mermaids. A lot of them. And, I saw her do it.”
“There’s no rule that says she can’t eat mermaids or other creatures,” Oanen said. “Only that we can’t consume human flesh.”
“She did say she always tried to follow the rules,” I said, thinking things through. “That whole trip was a complete waste then. She didn’t tell me anything that would help me.”
My temper jumped a bit, and I quickly looked down at our joined hands. His thumb stroked over my skin, no hint of red appearing. I wasn’t generating any external heat.
“Not a waste,” Oanen said, drawing my attention. “Not if you really can control your powers now.”
“I think we should test it,” Eliana said.
“How?”
She grinned widely.
“Let’s go to the Roost.”
“I don’t like this,” I said, looking at the Roost’s red doors through the passenger window.
“Me, neither,” Oanen said.
“Stop being babies,” Eliana said from the back seat. “This is the best way to test if Megan’s fixed, and you both know it.”
I wanted to deny I was ever broken, but given the number of times I’d burned Oanen, I couldn’t.
“Fine. Let’s just get this done.”
I opened my door and stood, wincing at the cold air whirling around my bare legs. Oanen’s t-shirt extended past my butt by a meager three inches. While I’d wanted to go home and change first, Eliana had argued that showing up in nothing but a t-shirt would be more likely to illicit wicked ideas from the patrons.
“I swear, if anyone sees my butt, I’m going to be so mad.”
“Good. That’s the point,” Eliana said as she got out to stand by me.
“Mad at you,” I clarified.
She smiled, clearly not worried about my temper. The driver’s side door opened, and I looked back at Oanen.
“Are you sure you don’t want to wait in the car?” I asked.
“Together, remember?”
I nodded and started for the entrance. As usual, music already thumped from inside even though it was barely six.
The light dusting of new snow covering the sidewalk swirled around my feet as I opened the door. Warm air enveloped me, but I didn’t get a chance to enjoy it.
A tingle of annoyance immediately traced down my spine. Without pausing, I strode in and pushed my way through the dancers toward the back of the room. A few of the guys on the floor paused to look at me. I could feel the nudge of their wickedness as they took in the sight of my breasts barely concealed by Oanen’s thin t-shirt. That wickedness only inflated when they saw I wasn’t wearing pants. However, their thoughts were pure in comparison to what I felt coming from the back of the club.
Instead of trying to calm down or run away, I opened myself to my temper. Details flooded my mind. Things I shouldn’t know. Like my temper was flaring because Eras was harassing Kelsey and Zoe, again. But, that wasn’t the sole cause. Something else was poking at me. Something he’d done in the past that I couldn’t see for myself in the present.
I broke through the dancing crowd and found Eras and his friends sitting at the back table with Kelsey and Zoe, who were both clutching their books and keeping their heads down.
“Come on, girls,” Eras said in a seductive voice. “You don’t need to look at me. No one else needs to know. It’ll be between us. Just nod. I’ll reach under the table and have you shaking with need in seconds. It’ll feel amazing. I promise.”
“Not nearly as amazing as this,” I said, my voice echoing with my fury power. “Eras Amadeus Aeccin, confess your sins.”
Eras’s mouth fell slack as he turned to look at me. The boys at the table with him quickly scrambled away.
Kelsey and Zoe’s heads jerked up. They stared at me with wide eyes, both looking like they were about to cry. Eliana quickly stepped around me and slid into the booth to comfort them.
“Don’t make me repeat myself, Eras,” I said.
His mouth snapped shut.
“I wasn’t breaking any rules, Fury. There’s no reason for you to attack me.”
“Oh, but there is. Something you did in your past. Something that did break the rules.” The heat inside me intensified. I didn’t fight it as I stepped closer to him and leaned down.
“Confess.”
The soft word set off a blubbering confession about some petty theft, voyeurism (which I highly doubted was a crime), and vandalism. The last one made me scowl as he detailed how he’d smashed my window and seduced a mermaid into scratching my paint.
“You are guilty of wickedness,” I said, grabbing Eras by the collar of his polo shirt and hauling him from the booth. The boy was a sobbing mess.
“Continue on this course, and you are guaranteed a spot in Hell’s hall. Make amends and cleanse your slate.”
“I’ll make amends. I promise. Just tell me what to do.”
His eagerness and complete sincerity calmed my temper.
“Uttira needs a library. Help build it.”
He nodded frantically, and I let go of his shirt. He thumped to the ground and dashed for the door. Only after the fact, did I realize what I’d just done. I’d controlled my power by letting my temper go. I’d also just exposed the hell out of my backside.
I turned to face the room.
“Did anyone here see my butt just now?”
Every single head started to shake.
“Remember, lies are wicked,” I said with a frown.
Half the people nervously raised their hands.
“Can you reach over the table again?” Fenris shouted from within the crowd. “I didn’t get a good look. Oanen got in the way.”
I glanced at Oanen, who looked mad enough to skin a dog.
“How about you and I head home,” I said softly.
Before he could say anything, a portal appeared beside us and Adira stepped out.
“Oanen has other obligations tonight, Megan,” she said. “As do you.”