Burn With Me (Legend of the Sun Whisperers) Read online

  Evernight Publishing

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2013 Christle Gray

  ISBN: 978-1-77130-333-0

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: JS Cook

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  To my husband, Ken. For so many reasons.

  BURN WITH ME

  Legend of the Sun Whisperers, 1

  Christle Gray

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  “But Maddie, I’m not ready to go back inside yet! Can’t we stay just a little bit longer? Please?” Serra Sowers stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, her blond locks swirling about her round face as they danced with the wind.

  “Oh, all right. Five more minutes. But you know how unsafe it can be outside at night.” Maddelyn Sowers gave in with a sigh. It was useless to argue. Besides, Serra’s cherubic face was difficult to resist.

  The little girl smiled and continued puttering about, stopping occasionally to peer at the sky. Maddelyn’s gaze followed. The once star-filled expanse had been reduced to a murky haze. Only sparse dots of light now dared show their brightness through the inky depths. Even the moon, that used to sit high in the sky as a beacon, had become swallowed up in the hungry mouths of the lurking clouds.

  Serra hummed as she kicked a rock lightly with her worn and tattered shoe. Such a small joy, standing outside for a few moments, one that had been taken for granted one too many times over the years. Maddelyn frequently marveled at how Serra kept her childlike wonder, with everything that had happened to them. War. Disease. Death. A child should never have to know such pain and loss. No one should, really.

  Maddelyn silently studied the desolate landscape around her. Years of war and devastation had taken its toll on her once beautiful home. The lush gardens and green fields of her childhood were now piles of ash and rubble. Charon, the quaint town Maddelyn had grown up in, was now no more than a collection of barely standing structures, crowded together in some small attempt at survival. Gone were the brightly painted buildings that had lined Main Street, the shops filled to bursting with items waiting to be bought. No more smiles as friends passed each other on the sidewalk. Hell—no more sidewalk, even. Only endless vistas of dust covered rock and contaminated air made up her world, now. Maddelyn’s chest twisted with grief at how much had been lost.

  The wind picked up and whispered through the thin fabric of Maddelyn’s clothes, stirring a cloud of dirt so that it swirled in a spastic dance. Serra coughed, and the sound echoed through the quiet night, shooting straight through to Maddelyn’s heart. Ripples of alarm rocketed through her body as Maddelyn’s attention snapped back to where Serra stood. The child’s chest wracked with heaving breaths as the coughs grew stronger, instead of fainter. Maddelyn rushed over to Serra and took the child’s frail form in her arms.

  “There, there. See? I should have taken you home already. All this dust in the air isn’t good for you.” Maddelyn stroked Serra’s back, gentle fingertips trying to soothe away the pain. Clamping her eyes shut, Maddelyn willed the spasms to cease with every fiber in her body. But deep down, she realized it would be entirely in vain. Serra’s fate was as sealed as all the others' had been. A lump of dread lodged itself in her throat.

  Serra trembled in Maddelyn’s arms as she struggled for breath. Maddelyn’s grip on the child tightened as she continued to stroke the shuddering girl’s back in a soothing motion. Though Serra’s struggle lasted only an instant, the seconds seemed an eternity to Maddelyn’s ears.

  Serra coughed once more, then grew blissfully quiet with a raspy breath. The sound of the child’s even, smooth breathing was the most joyous thing Maddelyn ever heard. For that meant Serra was still alive, and Maddelyn would not be alone.

  Maddelyn released Serra and held the little girl at arm’s length, staring into the pale blue eyes that dimmed more each passing day. “Let’s go home so you can rest.”

  Serra nodded weakly, giving in to the tiredness that gripped her young body so frequently these days. Maddelyn gently tucked the girl’s small hand into her own and turned in the direction of their own modest shack, their little piece of home amidst all this desolation.

  A low rumble suddenly vibrated the ground beneath Maddelyn’s feet. The waves seeped into her legs and traveled up her body, steadily growing stronger, as if the earth growled a warning to anyone listening.

  “Maddie, what is that?” Serra’s eyes widened in apparent alarm, her little hand fisting in Maddelyn’s grip.

  “I don’t know, Serra.” Maddelyn tugged the child close and wrapped her in a secure embrace. The vibrations shook the ground harder as a wind whipped the dust into a cyclone that tore at their clothes.

  Serra whimpered, and Maddelyn tightened her arms around the child. A screeching noise filled the air around them as the wind continued its assault. Maddelyn could scarcely keep her eyes open against the onslaught, but was able to barely glimpse a blurry shape as it soared overhead, then disappeared in the distance. The high-pitched noise turned metallic, scraping the sky like a scream.

  Then, it stopped.

  The dust settled once again into a brown blanket at her feet as Maddelyn glanced around. No one usually came out at night anymore, so she was pretty sure there were no other witnesses to whatever had just happened. But, she didn’t have the luxury of being careless these days, so her gaze searched the landscape around them. Even though she had to squint her eyes to focus in the darkness, Maddelyn still came to the conclusion that she and Serra were still the lone observers of this anomaly.

  Maddelyn hugged Serra tighter, struggling for her own breath this time. Her pulse pounded in her ears at the adrenaline rush, panic and curiosity flooding her senses in a tsunami of sharp sensation. She stared into the direction where the blurry shape had vanished. A faint glow appeared in the distance.

  She released a shaking Serra from her arms. The child’s eyes were wide and panicked. “What just happened, Maddie?” Her tiny voice was infused with fear.

  Maddelyn shook her head and tucked her wind-tossed hair behind her ears. “I’m not sure, sweetie. But whatever it was, I think it might have landed over there.” Maddelyn pointed in the direction where the faint glow reached gingerly toward the sky with thin fingers.

  “Should we go see what it is?” Serra’s voice was still somewhat shaky, but Maddelyn could hear the mild curiosity behind the fear.

  Maddelyn squatted to her haunches and clutched Serra’s shoulders gently. “I’m going to see what it is. You go back home and wait for me, where it’s safe.”

  Serra’s head bobbed back and forth, her blond curls swinging as her mouth turned down in a frown. “I want to go with you!” She stomped her foot, and a small cloud of dust issued forth accordingly.

  Maddelyn sighed, torn at what to do. Her own curiosity was piqued, but she wanted Serra to be safe. She chewed briefly on her bottom lip as her thoughts seesawed in her head. Serra would be safest where Maddelyn could see her, honestly. What harm could come of checking it out together? Besides, it would only take a few minutes, right?

  Maddelyn cupped the child’s face gently in her hands. “You stay behind me, then, all right? No arguing. N
o wandering off. Understand?”

  Serra nodded, the panic in her eyes changing to excitement at their adventure.

  She grasped Serra’s hand, and set off toward the distant glow. Rocks and dirt crunched under her feet, the sound mixing with the ragged breaths Serra took as they walked. Ragged breaths that grew more apparent with each step. What the heck am I thinking?

  Maddelyn stopped and glanced down at Serra, whose blue eyes peered up questioningly. Serra’s chest rose and fell rapidly, even those few small steps a true exertion for her failing lungs. Maddelyn stooped and hefted the child onto her hip. Serra weighed so little, her frame diminished by the illness that stole her life with each moment. The girl laid her head on Maddelyn’s shoulder and they trudged along once more. As she walked, Maddelyn’s eyes searched the sky. The distant glow grew fainter with each step, so she quickened her pace, hoping the light wouldn’t disappear altogether by the time she reached its landing place.

  A large mass of rocks loomed ahead, and Maddelyn altered course around the jutting pile. The glow appeared to originate immediately behind the shadowy silhouette the rocks made against the sky. She adjusted Serra on her hip. The trek was taking a bit longer than she first estimated. She quickened her pace.

  Her heart rate began an uphill climb as Maddelyn rounded the rocks, her breath catching in her chest in expectation. Her arms flexed around Serra, the girl’s tiny bit of warmth a huge comfort. Serra raised her head, sensing the nearness of what they had been searching for.

  And she saw…nothing.

  Maddelyn squinted in confusion as Serra slid down her hip and landed softly on her feet. Traces of the ethereal light still infused the sky, like bony hands searching for purchase, but its origins could not be identified. The familiar murky night was the only thing that greeted them.

  “Where is it, Maddie? What made all that noise earlier, and that light we saw?” Serra’s lilting voice tinkled like bells in the air.

  Maddelyn’s gaze roved over the area. Dark shapes in the distance revealed more of the same rock piles, interspersed with even more dirt and piles of rubble. The glow had pretty much faded, but tendrils of it still extended toward the sky. Nothing but blurry black night below it.

  How is this possible?

  Maddelyn stepped tentatively ahead, caution guarding her steps. “Stay here, Serra,” she said as an afterthought, her mind fully on the mystery before her.

  Serra grumbled in disapproval as Maddelyn moved further away. A slight vibration rumbled under her feet again, much weaker than the one before, but still as perplexing. The ever-present wind swirled the dirt around her feet as she walked, the vibration ever so slightly stronger with each step. Maddelyn pressed on, and collided with something so hard she fell a few steps backward.

  “Hey…” Maddelyn mumbled, rubbing her shoulder. Whatever she’d hit sent a stab of pain down her arm, a trail of pins and needles chasing it. But when she looked ahead, there still was nothing there.

  “What the…?” Moving slowly forward again, Maddelyn’s hand shot out in front of her body, fingers splayed. Her palm connected with something smooth, though her eyes still registered nothing but empty landscape. The invisible object hummed under her fingers and pulsed with a steady rhythm. Ripples of shock flowed down her spine as she reared back in alarm.

  “What is it? I can’t see.” Serra’s voice echoed behind Maddelyn, jolting her briefly.

  Maddelyn’s mouth worked a few moments in confusion before she found words. “I’m…I’m not sure. It’s like, whatever it is…it’s invisible or something.” She turned to look at Serra as she spoke.

  The child’s eyes grew wide as saucers as she pointed ahead, over Maddelyn’s shoulder. “Maddie, look.” Serra’s voice was so hushed, it was almost lost in the wind-laden night air.

  Icy fear made Maddelyn turn around slowly as panic blossomed in her gut and made her heart thump so hard it might just burst through her ribcage.

  A dark figure stood off to her right, silent and ghostly among the surrounding ruins. As her eyes adjusted past the darkness and her panic, Maddelyn realized it was a man. A rather large, hulking man, to be exact. His eyes were closed, and he swayed on his feet, as if he might collapse at any moment, despite his massive frame. Where did he come from?

  “Are…are you all right?” Maddelyn’s voice was an unsure whisper as she cautiously stepped closer to the man, her curiosity once again overriding any good sense.

  The man fell to his knees and Maddelyn rushed forward, awkwardly catching his shoulders. Heat emanated from his body so intensely it nearly burned her, and she grimaced in pain, barely fighting the urge to pull her hands back. He lifted his head and opened his eyes briefly, locking onto her gaze.

  “Please...help…me,” he croaked in a gravelly voice, as he closed his eyes and slumped forward. His bulk nearly knocked Maddelyn over, but she managed to regain her balance, planting her feet squarely in the dirt to keep them both from crashing to the ground in a heap.

  “Who is he, Maddie?” Serra asked, suddenly by Maddelyn’s side.

  “I don’t know, Serra. But I think he’s hurt.” Maddelyn struggled to find purchase as she balanced the weight of the mysterious man with her own. The heat coming off of him was starting to become unbearable, and her breath hissed through her teeth as she weighed the options. Their lives were hard enough without adding the difficulty of another person to the mix. But she couldn’t just leave him out here to die, either. What to do?

  The stranger’s muscles flexed under her fingers as thoughts see-sawed inside her head. He was strong, but obviously in need of help. “We have to try and get him back to our place.” Might not be the smartest decision she ever made, but Maddelyn had a feeling deep down in her gut that this man would do no harm to them. Hope I’m right.

  Maddelyn shifted her weight and tried to lift the man to his feet as she gripped his broad shoulders harder. The tips of her fingers burned where they made contact with his skin. He slid back to the ground with a loud grunt. Damn, this guy is heavy.

  “Is there anything I can do?” Bewilderment and shock permeated Serra’s question.

  “He’s very heavy, sweetie. Too heavy for you to help.” Maddelyn’s words came out through gritted teeth as she shifted her weight again, throwing the man’s arm around her neck for leverage as she tugged upwards on his bulky frame. The heat from him intensified, surrounding her in a warmth that did its best to combat the chill in the air. He must be running one hell of a fever.

  She leaned so that her lips were close to his ear, catching the musky scent of sweat and man from the intimate position. “I want to help you, but I can’t do it all by myself. I need you to at least try to walk.” She hoped he wasn’t too far gone to hear her whispered plea.

  With a groan, the man pushed off his knees to his feet, while Maddelyn roughly yanked his weight onto hers. He stood on wobbly legs and leaned into Maddelyn. Their balance was a shaky truce with the ground, but at least it seemed they were making progress.

  Maddelyn’s chest heaved with exertion. How were they going to make it all the way back to their home?

  She took a deep breath. “Serra, I need you to walk ahead and make sure no one sees us. It’ll be slow, so don’t over exert yourself. I can’t carry you both.”

  Serra nodded, and her little feet plodded slowly back the way they had come earlier. Maddelyn grimaced, pulling the man forward with each wobbly footfall. He groaned softly with every step, making her wonder what had happened to him, and why he was in such pain. What have I gotten us into?

  The walk back to the house was excruciatingly slow, each step filled with enough agony and effort for five steps. But finally, with Serra panting a little, and Maddelyn panting a lot, their small house loomed into view, its crooked outline a small relief.

  Serra nudged the lopsided wooden door open wide, giving Maddelyn the space needed to get them all inside. Maddelyn shuffled to the back of the tiny shack, her destination the bed in the rear of the room. Heari
ng the door close quietly behind her, Maddelyn swiveled and deposited the man solidly on the bed, which groaned in protest under his weight.

  His feet dangled limply over the side of the mattress. Maddelyn stooped, picked up his legs and swung them onto the bed with the rest of his body. He stirred briefly, moaned, and then grew still and silent, his chest moving evenly as he breathed. Maddelyn bent, her hands braced on her knees, while she struggled to even her own breathing. That walk drained her energy something fierce.

  Serra moved quietly, lighting a few candles around the shoebox of a house so they could see. She was careful and slow, just like she’d been taught. The child brought one of the candles and placed it on the bedside table. The flicker of the flame cast the room in a soft glow and Serra gasped. Maddelyn glanced over to the bed and straightened, her sharp intake of breath echoing Serra’s.

  “What happened to him?” The little girl’s voice was filled with pure horror as she stared at the man on the bed.

  In the light of the dancing flame, Maddelyn saw what the night had kept hidden. The stranger’s face was scratched and bloody, a mottled bruise covering his entire right cheek. His clothes were torn, long bloody gashes that left most of the fabric in tatters clotted with dried blood. Whatever had gotten hold of this man, he was lucky to be alive.

  “Did you see where he came from, Serra?”

  Serra shook her head, her eyes still glued to the man’s bloodied form on the bed. “One minute, there was nothing. Then, he was right there. It was like he appeared out of nowhere, you know, like magic.”

  Maddelyn glanced back to the man. No form of magic could have done this. Wherever he’d come from, he was lucky they’d found him, and not someone else. She needed to clean him up, and dress his wounds.