Kirianne Everness - Origin story: Heated

No wonder her father rarely drank. This stuff hit hard. Kiri walked with her left hand in Finean's, and brought her right hand up to poke her nose. It felt a little numb. Weird. But, she thought, she was a strong-willed woman. She could definitely hold her liquor. Right?

“Your family is very close,” Finean started again, leading her towards the shoreline.

“I suppose they are. I've never known any other, though. I wish they weren't so observant, sometimes.” Kiri swayed a little, as a thought entered her mind. “Finean – let's go to the forest tonight. I want to show you something.”

Finean stopped, gesturing for Kiri to lead the way. “It is good that they know you well enough to see when you're... off. Isn't it? Woah!”

Kiri pulled free of Finean's hand and started running towards her clearing. She'd had enough of being polite and demure. If he wanted her fire, she'd make him chase her for it. “Come on, Captain! Can't keep up?” she taunted, yelling over her shoulder as her hair trailed behind her.

“You minx!” Finean laughed as he broke into a run. She had a decent head start, but surely he could catch her. By the Goddess, though, she was fast – even in that skirt. She was making it up the hill now, almost to the treeline. But he was gaining!

When he was a boy, she remembered he would run with his peers around the fields. Well, now she'd make him run a little more. A game of tag never hurt anyone. Good thing she had her comfortable slippers on, though. The ones the wealthy ladies wore would never stand up to this treatment. She took a moment to glance behind her as she approached the forest. He was much faster than she was. Good. She didn't want to run forever.

She was almost at her clearing – the spot where the moss was so pillowy it made a cushion almost as good as her bed. Sometimes better than her straw bed, truth be told. Especially when the stuffing needed to be replaced. She could hear Finean behind her. He was right on her heels. She turned to check on him again, and caught her foot on a twig, stumbling forward hard.

As her knee hit the soft moss, she felt a hand grab her waist and stop her from a face-first tumble.

“Kiri! I've got you!” Came the delighted growl from Finean as he pulled her towards him, turning himself under her as he toppled onto the forest floor. Kiri laughed even as she fell onto his chest, steadying herself.

“So you have, Captain. Although it seems I am in the position of strength. Am I in trouble?” She looked down at him, her red curls falling around her face and onto his shoulders.

“Hm. I'll have to think about that.” Finean's strong hands held Kiri's shoulder, and suddenly she found herself flipped over, his warmth over top of her. His thumb pushed a curl off her mouth as he brought his nose in to touch hers. “Didn't you want to show me something?” his voice rumbled as he took her mouth in his. He tasted like stew, and a hint of ale from earlier. But he smelled like the summer air and forest soil, and Kiri found herself reaching her hands around the back of his neck to keep him close.

Again, Finean pulled away too soon. “Something has gotten into you today, you know. You were shy yesterday. Delicate. Demure.” He stroked her temple and ran his hands over her hair. “But not today. Today you're all...”

“Fire?” Kiri finished his sentence, and pulled his mouth to hers again.

“Mmm, fire. And maybe a little drunk.” He smiled down at her.

“I'm not drunk! You're drunk!” Kiri lightly punched the back of his shoulder as he silenced her with another kiss.

“It's okay, Kiri. As long as you know what you're doing.” Finean's lips tickled her ear now, as she felt his breath on her neck. He was still breathing hard from the chase.

Kiri exhaled sharply. “I'm just taking what I want. Is there something wrong with that, Captain?” Kiri moved her hand down his torso, feeling the muscles in his back quiver under her touch.

Finean didn't respond with words. They tumbled together in the moss, exploring each other with kisses. Finean's touch on her skin sent shivers down her entire body – she felt like she was sparking with every movement he made. Kiri sat up for breath, and Finean followed, pulling her to her feet. He moved close again, wrapping his muscled arms around her.

“Is this alright?” Finean whispered into her ear, as her pulled loose the lacing on her corset. Kiri's eyes went wide as she nodded, pulling his shirt over his head. “You're beautiful, Kiri. Pale, like the moon.”

Kiri jumped back into his arms, and as they touched, she felt her skin grow hot again. Is this what love was like? Finean stroked her hair and put his hand on the small of her now-naked back. Kiri felt she could stay like this forever, but she wasn't sated yet. She returned the embrace, pulling him closer as her body heated further; she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drown in the emotions of the moment.

At what point their passion turned to screams, Kiri did not know. She opened her eyes and the brightness made her wince. Finean – her Finean – was writhing as flames licked his skin, encompassing his entire body as his clothes fell to ash. As she looked down in confusion, she saw her hands wreathed in flame – her body was alight! But she didn't feel any pain. Was she doing this? She quickly pulled her hands away, and looked up at Finean. He was no longer burning, but she could hear his flesh still sizzling with the heat. He fell to his knees. She panicked and reached towards him before realizing she couldn't – she was still all fire and flames. Tears welled in her eyes and immediately evaporated. Damn it! Where did this inferno come from?

After what seemed an eternity, her body returned to normal and she ran to her lover, dabbing at his skin, or what was left of it, with the damp moss. The smell of burning flesh permeated the air. Finean was charred black, like the coals in the base of a bonfire. He looked dead. Was he dead? A whimper escaped his cracked lips. Not dead, then. Frantic, she looked him up and down. She couldn't carry him like this. She'd need the healer. Now. “I'll come back, Finean! I'll get help. Don't move!”

As if he could move. What a stupid thing to say, she thought to herself as she ran naked back to town, stopping only when she reached the apothecary, yelling and pounding on the door. “Drunnor! Please come! Bring your salves – everything you have. Please come quickly!” The door flew open and Drunnor jumped backwards when he saw Kiri's nude but relatively unscathed body, charred cloth hanging from her arms.

“Miss Everness! What is the meaning -”

“No time. Please, Drunnor, he's dying!”

Drunnor's wife looked from their great room. Seeing the panic on her face, she thrust the brown leather healing bag into Drunnor's hands and pushed him towards the door. “Go, my love, you're needed. Don't waste time! Answer questions when you're done. Where is he going, Kiri?”

“The clearing – the moss clearing in the forest. Where I gather the mushrooms. I'll take you!” Kiri began turning to run back to Finean, but Milena grabbed her arm. “Not like that you're not. Go, Drunnor, Goddess make you swift.” She slapped Drunnor on his behind like a horse and, startled, he took off running towards the forest with his apothecary's bag.

“I have to go back to him!” Kiri screeched, tears finally flowing down her cheeks.

“And you will, lass, as soon as I get you something to cover your nethers.”

Milena dragged Kiri into the house and pushed her into a chair as she shut the heavy door and turned to rummage in a chest at the corner of the room.

“You go running outside like that again and you won't get through for the crowd staring at you, lass. Not every day these old men get to see a sight like yours. You may have given my husband a heart attack,” Milena continued to mutter as Kiri sobbed. She didn't hear a word.

“Ah, here you are.” She pulled out a green shirt and brown cropped pants with a wide leather belt. “It's been a year or two since I was shaped like you, lass, but you're lucky I don't like to throw things away. Throw these on and then you can get to the clearing. Don't worry, now. Drunnor will do what he can.”

It was the fastest Kiri had ever dressed herself. With as much thanks as she could muster, she ran back to the woods. A small crowd had begun to make its way up the hill, but she pushed past them. Drunnor had managed to make it to Finnean. Thank goodness they hadn't been far from town. He was applying some kind of cream to his skin and wrapping it with gauze. He didn't flinch as she approached.

“You weren't lying, lass. This is grave indeed. With burns like this, how is the forest still standing? And how are you still alive?” His expert hands continued to work swiftly. Townsfolk began appearing at the edge of the clearing, curiously gazing at the man in front of them. A few audible gasps could be heard, and a woman screamed and fainted.

“I don't know, Drunnor. You have to believe me – it was an accident. We were... and then he was... and then I was on fire too, but I wasn't burning, but he was. It was horrible! Will he make it?” The tears wouldn't stop now. She thought she might cry until there was no water left in her body.

“A witch!” came the first cry from the crowd. “A dark sorceress!” came another. “She was sacrificing her victim under the full moon!” The townsfolk were stirring. They wouldn't stand back much longer.

“Aye. I believe you, lass. I've known you all my life. But them -” he nodded towards the crowd as he kept bandaging Finean, “I won't be able to stop them. Not if you want this one to live.”

“What do I do, Drunnor? Please!”

“Lass – you can stay here and be lynched, or you can run. Goddess carry you safe. I'll distract them.”

Drunnor pulled something small and round from his pocket and threw it towards the crowd. A wall of dense fog billowed up from where it fell, obscuring the mob from view.

“Go now!” Drunnor commanded, quiet but firm.

So she ran. Goddess help her, she ran.