Kindling Flames: Smoke Rising (The Ancient Fire Series Book 3) by Julie Wetzel

her.
    “Careful,” he cautioned.
    Vicky concentrated on limiting the flow, and the pain eased up.
    “Better.” Darien’s power withdrew, leaving Vicky holding the ley line connected to the ring of silver. “Now, think of a wall following that line, something to give protection, and will it into being.”
    Vicky thought of the barriers that she had encountered, and the air around the circle solidified.
    “Very nice.” Darien released her.
    Vicky opened her eyes and watched as he walked over to the thin line.
    He raised his hand and pressed against the solid air.
    “Wow,” Vicky said, amazed she had done that.
    Darien looked back over and noticed Vicky was no longer concentrating on holding the barrier. “You could be better at this than I am.”
    “What do you mean?” Vicky asked, confused. She could feel the barrier around them, but it didn’t feel any different than the one Darien had made.
    “It took me months until I could hold a shield without thinking about it.” He grinned as this fact dawned on Vicky.
    She stood there with her mouth open in awe.
    “I think that’s enough for one night. Drop the shield.”
    Vicky finally found herself. “How?”
    “Do you still feel the power flowing through you?” Darien asked.
    Vicky nodded. The coolness of the lay line slithered up inside of her before heading over to the silver.
    “Cut the line.”
    She closed her eyes so she could better feel what she was doing. Touching the strand with her mind, she split it. She felt the energy over the silver line collapse, and the sliver of cold in her dropped away. Vicky’s knees buckled as two warm arms pulled her in against a familiar body.
    “You are much too sensitive to magic,” Darien said as he held Vicky against him.
    She breathed in his scent as she recovered from the sudden void the magic had left inside her.
    “Please don’t do that without me until you have had some more practice.”
    “No problem,” she mumbled into Darien’s chest. She wasn’t sure she wanted to do that again even with his help. The magic had left her more than a little drunk. She worked to get her feet back under her.
    “Are you okay?” Darien asked as he leaned back to look down at her.
    Vicky felt his warm power skate over her as he made sure the ley line had left her completely. Swallowing, she tried to force the queasiness she was feeling back. “Maybe,” she said, unsure how she was. Her insides felt as if they had taken a quick ride in a drink shaker.
    Darien snickered at her. “Let’s get you home.” Shifting her in his arms, he scooped her legs from under her and carried her from the warehouse. The only protest from Vicky was a light moan as the world spun rapidly from the quick movement. Darien settled her into the front seat of the car with her bag on her lap. He considered laying her seat back slightly but decided against it as he clicked her seatbelt into place.
    Vicky relaxed in the seat, waiting for the drunken sensation from the magic to pass.
    Settling into the driver’s seat, Darien set out for home. He hadn’t been on the road for more than a minute when the phone in Vicky’s bag went off.
    Vicky stirred and pulled the device out of her bag. She held the phone up to her ear. “Hello?”
    “Tell Darien to stop,” a male’s voice insisted.
    “Elliot?” Vicky guessed. “What’s wrong?”
    Darien turned his head to look as Vicky sat up a little better in the seat.
    “ Tell Darien to stop !” Elliot nearly screamed into the phone.
    Vicky looked over at Darien, shocked.
    “Stop!” she cried as Elliot screamed into the phone again.
    Darien slammed on the brakes, but the tires slid in some gravel and carried them out into an intersection. The car’s forwards momentum was halted, but they found themselves spinning off sideways as a black SUV plowed through the red light and tagged the front end of their car.

 

     
    Darien moaned as he pushed himself up off the steering wheel. The airbags had