I thought of how he normally dressed and found myself in front a small closet near his bedroom. Opening the door, the only things hanging in there were a few pairs of leathers. Choosing one, I headed back to the bathroom and, still seeing Flame in the bath, placed them on the floor.

I then moved back to the fire, and sank to the floor.

And I patiently waited for Flame to appear.

Chapter Thirteen

Flame

I’d shouted at her. And she’d left.

I moved my fingers over my arm to dig my fingernails into the veins as I always did in the tub, but as I focused on my skin, I couldn’t feel the flames. Instead all I could think of was where Maddie was. Was she standing in the kitchen? All I could see were green eyes looking up at me through her long lashes, with cheeks blushing.

I liked her cheeks blushing. Because it meant she liked what I had said to her. It made her feel special.

Because she was special to me. She was everything. She was all I thought about, day and night. I had to be underneath her window just to be near her. And now she was in my cabin. My Maddie was in here, with me, now. Caring for me. She said she would care for me. No one had ever cared for me before.

Putting my hands on the side of the tub I forced myself to get out. My arms shook as I held my weight, but I managed to put my feet on the floor, skin stinging from the slashes. From the cold.

I stood with my head down waiting to dry. I saw a towel in the corner, that Maddie must have put out. But I never touched them. Instead I forced my wet skin to face the cold.

I ran my hand down my face and I closed my eyes. I was so fucking tired.

When I was dry, I went to move out of the door when I saw a pair of leathers on the floor. I stared at those leathers and my heart pumped hard.

Maddie. Maddie again.

I had to sit on the side of the tub to put them on, but I managed to push them over my legs, my teeth gritting together as the tight material scraped against my new slashes. But the pain reminded me what lived within me. Why Maddie could never get too close.

Planting my hands on the doorframe, I walked through into the living room and found Maddie sitting near a lit fire. The room was warm. This room was never warm.

Maddie’s tiny body was sitting on the floor, back facing me. But when I approached, her head whipped round and her mouth parted.

My stomach tightened. She looked so perfect sitting by the fire. Her black hair was hanging down one side of her body, but in the flames her green eyes were bright.

“Flame…” she whispered and her eyes dropped to looked over my body. My legs felt weak, my body feeling too heavy. I needed to sit down.

Using the wall, I staggered forward, until I sat opposite Maddie and slumped to the floor.

Maddie sat up straight and asked, “Do you feel better?”

My skin felt tight and numb from the cold. And the flames had calmed—I felt better. I nodded my head, and Maddie’s eyes narrowed. “You look cold.” I didn’t respond, and inching closer, her long dress dragging on the floor, she said, “Are you cold, Flame?”

“Yeah.”

“But you must bathe like that to stop the flames in your blood?”

“Yeah.”

Maddie sighed, and rose to her feet. “I have made you soup. You need to eat to regain your strength.”

I watched her go into the kitchen and put soup in a bowl. Then she brought it back to me and placed it by my side. But my arms felt too heavy to move, to pick it up, the warmth from the fire causing my freezing muscles to tingle with pain. Like shards of glass were scraping across my skin.

“Flame?” She sat before me, at my feet and pointed at the bowl. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah,” I rasped and looked to the bowl, but I could barely move my arms. My fingers bent, and then straightened as I tried to move my arms. I stared at my hands wanting them to move, but I was too tired.

Then Maddie, without saying a word, shuffled to my side and lifted the bowl. Her eyes were wide as she looked at me, and then the bowl. Her expression had changed, but I wasn’t sure what was wrong.

“What are you feeling?” I asked. Maddie froze.

Dropping her gaze, she stirred the spoon in the bowl and said, “It feels… it feels nice being this close to you.” Her lip curled at the side and she added, “And you are clean. I can see your skin.” She looked up at me through her long lashes and shrugged. “You are you again. You look… like my Flame.”

My body tensed. “Your Flame?” I asked, making sure I watched her face closely. I didn’t want to ever look away. I wanted to see her say it again.