Touch of Flame

"Good morning," Malachi replied after tearing his lips away from her.

Ravina was breathless, her body tingling all the way down to her toes. The heat that had been bothering her reached another level, and now it ran in her blood. It amplified the taste of his lips on hers, the feel of his body against hers, and his addicting scent.

Slowly, he released her, and she was down on her feet again, feeling unsteady for a moment. Malachi walked over to the chair and sat down at the table, and Ravina had to quickly collect herself. She pulled up her robe that had fallen off one shoulder and moved to the side slightly to sit on her chair.

"I might get used to this," he said, nodding toward the tray.

"It is alright. I don't mind serving you every morning."

His gaze was still dark, and he narrowed his eyes with a slight smile. "And the kiss?"

Her heart skipped. "What about it?" She pretended not to understand.

His smile widened. "A good morning kiss would be good."

"You are getting too greedy. I have never served someone breakfast. I used to get served."

He chuckled. "I will serve you breakfast tomorrow." He said. "With a kiss."

Her heart did some strange things in her chest, and he smiled knowingly as he picked up his cup of coffee. Her mood died when she remembered that these people could hear and smell everything.

"Did you talk to Ares about your sister?" He suddenly became serious, but there was a struggle in his eyes as he looked at her with some kind of distance.

"He said he will try to meet with the half-breed."

Malachi nodded thoughtfully.

Ravina watched him, remembering the time she pulled the bullets from his stomach and leg. He put himself in danger to find her sister. Then she remembered when she first came to him, and he threatened her with finding her sister. She almost smiled at how things had changed.

"You should visit the X-Clan for a while," he said after some deep thought.

Ravina frowned. What did that mean?

Malachi looked up from his plate. "I know Nazneen had Ares by her side. It would still be good to have you there, and you can work with Ares on the weapons."

Ravina almost dropped her jaw. "You are sending me away to work with Ares?"

"If... you don't mind."

Did he hurt his head this morning? "And you don't?"

He pretended to think. "Nazneen is there. I am sure she will keep an eye on her man."

And poke her eyes out as soon as she saw her as a threat?

"I will be very busy from now on anyway, and it might be good for you to get away and meet other people."

Ravina frowned. What was he planning on doing? "What will you be busy with?"

"With making changes."

"Then I should be here to help you."

"The best way is to hurry the process of Nazneen settling down so that we can all help each other and also have our weapons and defenses ready."

Ravina nodded. "We should make a training facility."

"Set it up with Ares if you can and I will send my choice of men. I will send a word to Nazneen, and you can leave tomorrow if that is alright. I will talk to Brenna and see if she can go with you."

Suddenly, he sounded like a different person. Confident and determined. He was beginning to sound like a king.

Ravina agreed.

Standing up, "I should go. I will see you tonight."

She could only nod.

Malachi paused for a moment and then came over to her. He leaned down, cupping her face, he placed a kiss on her hair, and then, without saying a word, he left.

This left her more stunned than the previous kiss. She had avoided intimacy for so long. It made her uncomfortable, and the more intimate a touch was, reaching to the depth and empty cold rooms in her heart, the more it alarmed her.

Only her father used to kiss her in the hair before he left. She felt cherished each and every time. She touched her hair lazily, feeling like she was home for the first time.

Taking the tray downstairs, Ravina couldn't help but feel emotional for a while, and in all of it, she remembered when she hugged her uncle right before she left. Again, she felt that same feeling. She had the impression that her uncle was her father, but she couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't recognized him if that was the case. How could she only now remember the details that strengthened her theory?

Just as she was done getting dressed, Nako came into the room after a knock on the door. "You have a guest."

"Who?"

"Aaron."

"I am coming," Ravina said, glad that he came to visit her. She needed to consult him.

Going to the backyard, she found him studying the swing that Malachi was building.

"Will this be a swing?" He asked.

"Yes."

"I am glad he got back into it." He looked at her. "You are helping him heal."

Ravina smiled, thinking back to how Aaron was the first people to help her through her tough times here. Her first ally and now her friend. It would have been difficult here without him.

"I need your help," she said.

"Of course you do," he grinned teasingly.

She just shook her head at him with a smile. "I want to provide the people with knowledge about the weapons that humans have developed. how they work and how they can inflict harm."

Aaron frowned. "Why? Isn't that giving away your secret?"

"Simply knowing about them won't make them able to utilize it, but we can utilize their response to the information. Those who fail to see the benefits of joining our side will do so out of fear. Fear is one way to control, and knowing the full extent of these weapons and what they can do can achieve the results we want."

Aaron smiled. "You don't know our people. They will never admit they are scared."

"They won't have to. They will join in on the guise of reaping the benefits of working with humans to possess those weapons as well and all those on Malachi's side can do so."

Aaron nodded. "Hmm... it doesn't sound bad. How do we spread the information."

"That is simple," she smiled willfully.