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Chapter 80
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Fire and Water Chapter 1
“Boom, boom, boom,” the bass blasted from the speakers drawing everybody in the room into a rhythmic trance. As the beat pulsed and vibrated through his bones like the strikes of a war drum, his turquoise-blue eyes raked the dance club hoping against hope to spot a new object of desire. Seeing a possibility, the young man put a hand up to ruffle his sandy blonde hair, swallowed back his nerves, took a deep breath, and made his way through the throng knowing that tonight was going to be a productive night. He saddled up to the bar and turned to his left. “Can I buy you a drink?” he asked the raven-haired beauty. She was resting against the polished metal countertop in a suggestive way: all hips and attitude; she wore a skin-tight black dress that came down to her knees and left little to the imagination. A slight smile broke across her face as her eyes took him in, but then slowly, sarcastic indulgence washed out all else from her expression. “Maybe next time, sweetheart,” she
Fire and Water Chapter 2
The late afternoon sun blazed brutally overhead causing droplets of sweat to cascade down his forehead, hair spilling into his eyes. James crouched and stuck the sword of Achilles into the steamy ground. He reached up and swept back his medium-length dark hair out of his face and did his best to wipe the exertion from his brow. And here I thought the last few weeks were hot, he chided himself. The air was muggy and oppressive to the extreme, the humidity dense enough to slice through it like a warm stick of butter. He gripped the handle of the blade, slid it free from the ground, and took a deep breath. Ugh . . . tastes like swamp water. Suddenly, a gleaming bronze-like spear came whizzing toward him and as the sharp tip came within feet of his body, he took the force of it on the shield which he held aloft with his left arm. The metal on metal contact rang out, echoing around the granite stadium. James took off at a sprint, heading straight for his two oppo-nents. He
Fire and Water Chapter 3
“James, I’d like you to meet Captain Mars Roberts, USMCR,” said Blakeney as he introduced the newest member of the team. Mars Roberts was of average height, dark-skinned with an ath-letic build, and was maybe in his young thirties. The man held out a hand in greeting, the morning sun glinting off his polished bald head. “Good to meet you James,” he said as James shook his hand. He had a slight New Englander accent. “You too, Captain Roberts,” said James. The man smiled warmly, his dark eyes crinkling. “Please, call me Mars.” “Eliza, I believe you’ve met Captain Roberts?” ventured Blak-eney. She nodded. “Yes, sir. Nice to see you again, Mars.” “Likewise,” Mars stated. “Alright, James,” Blakeney continued with all eyes on him, “as I’m sure you’ve noticed, we are going to change things up a bit. What with Eliza here as a new trainee and myself taking you as far as I can, it was time.” James nodded mutely in agreement. “C
Fire and Water Chapter 4
James laughed out loud as he and Mars sparred under the high noon sun. Both wore only exercise shorts; the humidity and heat of the day being overbearing and brutal. Their shirtless torsos were glistening with sweat from the exertion of intense training, but James was clearly enjoying himself. He laughed once again as he easily deflected a strike from Mars. “You’ll have to do better than that!” he exulted tauntingly. Mars bristled at the remark and his eyes flashed. He drove for-ward with all his strength, aiming to deliver a forward thrust. James took it on the shield, but this was what Mars had hoped for. With his flank exposed, Mars brought his blade around and swept a strike at James’s legs. However, quick as a bounding gazelle, James leapt high into the air and crashed into his opponent. As shield met shield with a loud resounding clang, James used the energy to vault over Mars and landed lithely on his feet. Having been taken completely by surprise, Mars was at a lo
Fire and Water Chapter 5
The flashes of lightning, pure arcs of energy, filled the air all around him. Dark and angry clouds rumbled as if the sky itself was furious with him. For what, he didn’t know. Only the bubble of air that surrounded him kept his skin from the harsh rains hammering down against the thin protection. He took a deep breath of the electrically charged air: it tasted like newly minted copper pennies. At that moment the bubble that had been his protection burst, the icy pellets of rain crashing into his body. The downpour increased intensely as if the clouds wanted to drown him. Every nerve ending screamed in pain and protest at the freezing deluge. Slowly, a smile crept across his face despite everything else as he realized an important change to this nightmare. No longer was he afraid of dying and maybe because of this, he floated perfectly suspended in midair. He studied his surroundings, his blue-gray eyes searching for clues. Placing his exact elevation turned out to be impossible, he
Fire and Water Chapter 6
The days continued to melt away like an ice cream cone in the park during a blistering summer afternoon and before he knew it, Eliza’s birthday had arrived. Time had seemed to slip away even faster these days as every morning was filled with training while the afternoons were dedicated to research time in The Archives. It was tedious work and being among the dusty tomes wasn’t always exactly fun, but he was with Eliza and hey . . . that was enough. While Blakeney had Oliver polishing up his swordsmanship every day, for the most part the older man had him continuing to practice with his gift over fire. In the grand scheme of things that little number would probably be a lot more important than the ability to fight with a sword. Besides, Oliver was already decent and had only taken a few days to get used to the medieval-type sword that James had found for him when he had shown Eliza The Archives for the first time. So, as Eliza’s day of birth continued its approach—and conseq
Fire and Water Chapter 7
By the time they made it back to the house, walking together and perusing along at leisure, the sky had completely darkened, stars coming out to play. He held the door open for her, but she paused before going in. “Thank you for the necklace and earrings, James.” “Your welcome,” he said with a smile of accomplishment. Without warning—he did have the hormones of a teenaged boy—he grasped her around the waist and pulled her close; Eliza gasped then giggled at the move. Though they had been out on the water for more than an hour, the scent of her soap still lingered on her skin. He breathed deeply, the soap and the sweet, fruity scent of her perfume created an intoxicating mixture. James reveled in the feel of her warmth pressing against him and with one swift look into her welcoming eyes, he brought his lips to hers. His body responded instantly as his senses sharpened and every portion of his body felt tingly and warm. Eliza sighed softly, wrapping her slender arms around his
Fire and Water Chapter 8
The sun was blazing high at its noon-time position as he trekked his way down Massachusetts Avenue NW. The man—dressed in a lightweight navy-blue suit, crisply pressed white dress shirt sans tie, and oxford wingtips—took a right onto 2nd street and at the corner of D Street NW entered into the storied eatery. Being so close to the Capitol and the Supreme Court build-ing, the Monocle was a favorite lunch hotspot of Justices, Senators, and staffers alike. The restaurant wasn’t exactly the best place to have a private conversation, what with its close grouped tables, but he had wanted to impress his guest with his powerful connections. He wanted to be more than just some gossiping lackey and if all went well today, the first steps towards something closer to a partnership would have been taken. The man took off his designer sunglasses, slipped them into an inner jacket pocket, and approached the maître ‘d. After giving the man his name, he was led to a back table near the corner
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