Dante's Fire Read Online Free Page B

pavement, and then the glow turned hot.
    Flames burst from the circle.
    Selina moaned and stumbled back. A dim corner of her mind screamed for her to run, but her body wouldn't obey. She stood and watched the mysterious stranger hold out his hands and murmur a chant, his voice deep and hypnotic, and the flames turned into two, swirling around each victim as if ready to mark them.
    That’s when the screams began.
    Masculine voices rose in horror and agony as the flames burst forward and scorched each of their arms. Rooted to the floor, she stared as the flame turned sharp like a sword, and carved a symbol onto each of their arms, slashing from wrist to upper arm. The stench of burning flesh rose to her nostrils, the cries rang in her ears, and Selina stared at the man who had saved her, like a superhero turned demon in the dead of night.
    Suddenly, the flames extinguished and the night quieted. Sobs came from the men as they writhed on the ground. Police sirens rang in the distance.
    The stranger spoke. His voice rose like smoke, burned like fire, tempted like sin. Rich, dark, and silky smooth with a touch of violence. Selina knew this voice would haunt her for eternity.
    "You are now marked for your crime. If you ever touch another woman, these marks will turn to fire, to always remind you of what you did." His eyes dimmed until they were twin pools of inky blackness. "To remind you of who you are."
    Her ears rung and her heart thundered. A ragged moan escaped her lips. This wasn’t real. What if the stranger wanted her for himself? Dear God, he’d burned those men, the scent of scorched flesh still lingering in the air. Would he burn her, too?
    She had to leave. Had to save herself. Holding back choked sobs, she flung herself up the steps, but her shaking knees gave out and she crashed back down to the sidewalk. Frantic for safety, she scrambled forward, her skin scraping against the rough concrete as she focused on getting away from the nightmare around her.
    In seconds, he knelt before her. She opened her mouth to scream, hoping the police would get here in time, but his masked face contradicted the gentleness in his touch as he wrapped the torn coat around her. “I will not hurt you. Please don’t be afraid of me.”
    “This can’t be happening,” she whispered. “Help me.”
    With slow movements, he smoothed back her tangled hair. Produced a clean white cloth to gently touch the blood on her face. Then gazed deep into her eyes.
    "It will be okay, Selina. I promise you. I will make everything right again."
    “You burned them. You— “
    “Shh. You’re hysterical. Let me help you.”
    Selina had to be dreaming. Perhaps she’d passed out and was laying somewhere on the sidewalk bleeding out. The heart wrenching panic subsided under his touch. A gentle protectiveness settled over her, like a fuzzy blanket on a snow-ridden night. She lifted her hand to see if she could touch the stranger, or if he’d dissolve into a cloud of smoke.
    Then fell into blackness.
     
     

Chapter Three
     
    D ANTE sat beside her bed and waited.
    He'd spent many nights on these types of watches. The first was always the hardest. To watch a woman wake with violent confusion. The memory of what had happened and the terror that lurked behind their eyes was something that always ripped out a piece of his heart
    But this was his gift. Once he'd thought of his powers as a curse. No longer. He'd be doing the world and his mother a huge disrespect by ignoring who he was.
    So, he cut the bitching and took the heat.
    But he never thought he'd need to heal Selina.
    The burn ripped through his body, beckoning for blood. He fought it back, knowing taking lives was not his decision. He was forbidden to kill, no matter how violent the crime. Most of his sleepless nights revolved around the agony of letting them go, but he had no choice.
    The call of fire had always been his gift, but he was unable to play God. Sure, it took years to learn to