“We are officially lost.” She noted as she pulled out her compass and map to see which direction, they had been running in. Before she could determine where they were, she noticed smoke coming up through the trees and dazedly walked toward it. She vaguely heard Alyson asking where the hell she was going. She couldn’t answer or focus on anything but an incessant tugging beckoning her forward. Her blood started to hum, and the wind even began to sound like it was whispering, “Welcome home.” She walked faster and Alyson became louder with her growing concern. Loud enough that it got Viri to focus on her enough to lift her finger to her mouth and tell her to be quiet. Alyson stopped talking as they walked through the trees and stepped onto the marshes.

“Wow.” Viri thought at the same time Alyson said it aloud. The marsh was a large, beautiful area. Orbs of fire floated throughout the land and little cottages were placed all over it. She could see a large temple in the distance and pointed. “There.” Alyson looked over at her. “How did you know where to go?” Viri shook her head. “I don’t really know myself, but something at this place feels like it’s calling to me. It feels like it’s been waiting for me.” Alyson looked around the marsh quizzically. “Maybe it has something to do with your fire and this being a fire temple and whatnot.” Viri nodded and tried her best not to get lost in the pull again. They began to walk towards the temple. The cottages were placed on random solid areas of the marsh. She assumed they were houses for the people who used to worship here. After about thirty seconds of walking, she realized that it’d be easy not to get carried away again because the bugs were taking all her attention. One look at Alyson swatting herself let her know that she wasn’t the only one being tortured. They were worse than the bugs in the forest somehow.

They barely spoke as they walked. There was this eerily familiar feeling of someone watching them and Viri knew if she felt it, then Alyson did as well. The pull became slightly stronger the closer she got to the temple, which she expected, but something else began to tug at her senses as well. She couldn’t help but be drawn to this smell of crackling hearth, like a fireplace on a cold winter night. It made her feel safe somehow, even though the deserted lands and calls of wildlife they heard around them screamed danger. The more the smell wafted toward her, the more comfortable she became. The more she began to long for it and want to be near it.

Before she could get too carried away in it, Alyson spoke, “It’s getting dark Vi-vi. I think our best bet is to stay in the next cottage we come across unless we want to see what’s been making those calls to each other all evening.” Viri nodded back. As beautiful as this place was, she knew it wasn’t somewhere she wanted to be in the dark. There was another cottage a few feet away from them. They quietly scanned the area around it and didn’t see any hint of anyone living there. They crept onto the porch and tried to look through the windows, but the curtains were drawn. Viri jumped as she heard Alyson knock on the door and whispered, “What the fuck?” Alyson shrugged and whispered back, “I got tired of snooping.” No one answered so they silently nodded at each other and agreed to go in. Viri pulled one of her knives out of its sheath as they opened the door.

The place was empty. It was small but lavish. There was a dining area to their left with a dark oak table and matching stools around it. The kitchen was just behind it with white marble and gold accents everywhere. To the right was a living area with a large dark brown sectional sofa sitting across from a marble fireplace with a large television over it. There was even a glass coffee table on a dark fur rug that they dropped their bags on as they continued their little tour. There was a bathroom with fresh eucalyptus around the shower head and a small bedroom with a king bed and black and white accented furniture. All the articles about the marsh said that it had been abandoned ages ago, but this place looked like no one had left. There wasn’t even dust on the countertops. Alyson yelled. “Hello? Anyone home?” Viri turned to her with an arched brow. “It’s a cottage Als, not a mansion. If someone were home, we would’ve known by now. This place is kept up by magic. It wouldn’t be unheard of. Especially if tourists ever visit.” Alyson nodded absentmindedly as she went to go check the bathroom for running water. Viri heard the faucet start and Alyson’s squeal and smiled to herself. Alyson yelled, “I’m taking a shower!” and Viri decided to check her phone. It was at 5% and she had absolutely no service. She found an outlet and plugged it into the charger. She looked around for something to do next and decided to rummage through the kitchen.

There was a kettle on the stove and tea leaves nearby, so she filled the kettle with water and turned the stove on. She noticed carvings of symbols and possible letters she didn’t understand along the walls. There were also carvings of a large bird. Maybe it was meant to be Anzel. She was so busy running her fingers across the carvings and studying them that she’d forgotten the kettle until it whistled and scared her half to death. She quickly turned off the stove and found two cups to steep tea in for her and Alyson. She was about to go sit on the sofa with her cup of tea, but one sniff of herself almost made her gag. She decided it was probably best to shower first before the entire place began to smell like a dumpster because of her. She took off her clothes and threw them in a pile on the kitchen floor. She’d hand wash them later and Alyson wouldn’t care if she was naked until the shower was available. She turned to get her cup from where she sat it when a male voice crooned behind her, “Do you always decide to get naked in other people’s homes on the first night?” She yelped and turned around to see a beautiful man covered in flames with two small, curved horns on his head, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. She gaped and his answering smile turned almost wicked. She grabbed the kettle and threw it at his head. He dodged and the kettle hit the wall with a bang loud enough to wake the marsh.

Alyson came running out of the bathroom in a t-shirt and her hair dripping wet. She got into a fighting stance beside Viri. “Wait. Why are you naked?” Viri waved her off. “That’s not important right now. I need something else to throw.” The stranger chuckled and the sound sent small flutters through Viri’s stomach. This isn’t the fucking time, she thought to herself. He raised his hands above his head. “I’ve never really had to convince someone that broke into my home that I meant them no harm, but I mean you no harm if that helps decompress this situation.” Alyson flushed red and Viri was too upset to be embarrassed so she responded, “I’ve never known someone, whose home was just broken into, that didn’t mean to harm the perpetrators.” He laughed again and Viri rolled her eyes at her traitorous insides as they fluttered again. He picked up the kettle and sat it on the table before pulling a stool back and taking a seat.

He crossed his legs and pointed a finger at Alyson. “You aren’t at 100% right now with that recent shoulder injury so it’d be in your best interest to trust that I don’t want to fight you.” Alyson gaped at the fact that he knew about her shoulder as he pointed at Viri next. “And you smell like I’ve already killed you, so I’d appreciate it if we could skip the theatrics so that you can go bathe like your friend thankfully already has.” Viri gaped at his audacity, and he smirked in response. “I feel like I should be honored right now because you don’t seem like the type to be rendered speechless often.” She glared daggers at him. “Normally, I’d let a finger do the talking at this point, but since I'm apparently in your house and my nostrils have also had enough of my smell lately, I'll just accept your generosity.” She gave a mock bow and he winked at her. She rolled her eyes and walked to the bathroom in all her naked glory while Alyson was still gaping at everything. Before turning the door handle to go into the bathroom, she turned around and asked, “Who are you?” He smiled at her again, “My name is Xylas. We can discuss that further after your shower.”

She bit her tongue, walked into the bathroom, and turned on the shower. All she could think about was his stupid smirk while bathing. The very image of it made her feel like she was on fire, and she couldn’t figure out if it was because he grated her last nerves already or if it was something else. She shivered under the water at the thought of the latter. There’s no way she would ever be interested in someone so arrogant. He was almost as bad as the fae, but gods above he was handsome. Even though he looked like he’d set off the fire alarm just by existing. After a few minutes in the shower, her stink that had been worsening from the heat of the marsh faded away and it was replaced with the smell that tugged at her senses earlier. She froze. It wasn’t the cottage. She would’ve smelled it as she was walking around. She almost dropped the soap when she realized it was him. He was the smell that made her feel like she’d do almost anything to be near him.

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She realized she'd gotten lost in his scent when the water became colder. Fuck. She’d thought about him for so long that she didn’t even realize how long she’d been in the shower. She turned off the water and went through the motions of calming herself down. Deep breaths, mini-meditations, and even a slap to her cheek barely helped but it would have to be enough.

As she was towel drying her hair, she heard Alyson and Xylas talking. Alyson had been telling him how they’d ended up here and was apologizing profusely about breaking into the house because they thought it was abandoned. He laughed it off and it made every hair on her body stand up. Seriously? This was not the time for whatever the hell this was, and he was not her type. He told Alyson that this place was abandoned by its master and since then, people stopped coming to worship, but he and the other guardians of the temple remained. It was silent for a few seconds and then Alyson asked how he knew she was injured. He responded that he could sense it. If Viri rolled her eyes any harder, they would’ve been stuck. He was so pompous, and it irritated her beyond belief.

She finished dressing and walked out of the bathroom to meet them. She looked at Alyson and she only shrugged in response. She ignored Xylas completely as she walked over to sit at the table. “Dirt and grime don’t do you justice. I mean, you were a looker before you were clean but you’re practically gorgeous now.” She looked up to see that stupid smirk on his face and rolled her eyes. She cringed internally at the small satisfaction she felt from his compliment – if a compliment is even what she’d use to describe his remark.

His smirk softened as he said, “Well Viri, you asked earlier who I am, and I guess now it’s time to finish that conversation.” She was about to ask how he even knew her name but then she realized Alyson must’ve told him while they were talking. “I guess now is as good a time as any to hear your backstory, since you apparently know some of ours.” She gave Alyson a quick side-eye and Alyson looked up at the ceiling to avoid eye contact with her. Xylas chuckled and those damn butterflies returned to her stomach as he spoke. “I’m what you call an Ifrit. My people have inhabited this temple for a few millennia now. They cared for the temple and aided those who came to worship Anzel. They’ve remained here long after both Anzel and the worshippers stopped coming.” Viri cocked her head at him. “Why?” He stared at her intently for a few seconds before answering. “Because there is something very precious to my people here.” Viri arched a brow at him. “Would that something be The Ember Sea Stone?” He chuckled again. “Of course, anyone crazy enough to trek through these marshes after all this time knows about that jewel, but the answer to your question is yes. Anzel summoned my people here to protect it and stay here long after the rest of society forgot about it, like a pack of sad old dogs waiting on a dead owner to return.”

She thought she noticed the anger in his tone, or maybe it was annoyance. She decided to ignore it and focus on his “dead owner” comment instead. “Are you saying that Anzel is really dead?” Xylas shook his head. “No, of course not. The Ifrit at this temple would know if he was. He might as well be though since no one had heard from him in so long.” She couldn’t ignore the angst in his tone anymore. “I didn’t realize someone as celestial as yourself could sound so bitter.” Xylas smiled to himself. “There’s nothing celestial about me, and for an Ifrit at this temple, I'm considered rather young, so I’m allowed to be petty and bitter about having a life my elders chose for me.” She understood having someone else choose how she lived, so she just nodded. “Where are the rest of the Ifrit?” Xylas looked in the direction of the temple. “They’re mostly all in the temple. The cottages on the marsh were created as safe havens for worshipers that came to visit, but I chose one for myself to have as my own space away from the rules and regulations of the temple.” Viri was surprised that she could understand where he was coming from, but that didn’t change the fact that he was still arrogant. She looked around and said, “Out of all of the vacant cottages available, we just had to choose the one that belongs to an angsty little Ifrit.” Xylas laughed and she couldn’t help but smile at the sound. Her smile stopped dead in his tracks once she noticed Alyson staring at her in amusement. She glared at her, and Alyson’s smile widened.

She noticed Xylas’ glance between the two of them before asking why they came for the jewel. Alyson just looked at Viri. Apparently, she didn’t go into detail about it while she was in the shower. Viri sighed. “I’m a jeweler and I have a client who wants to purchase the jewel, so I've come to procure it.” Xylas arched a brow at her. “You can’t honestly believe that anyone in that temple would just let you walk in and take the jewel they’re all protecting.” Viri shrugged. “It seemed like an easy enough job before I realized there was a herd of Ifrit roaming the lands, guarding it for dear life.” Xylas leaned back in his chair with a smug look on his face. “Well, are you planning to turn around and go back home to inform your client that you couldn’t get the jewel?”

She had to contain her eye-roll at his smugness. He looked so puffed up on his arrogance that she could barely stand to look at him, but he was handsome enough that she looked anyway. The fire engulfing him was barely noticeable now as if he’d decided to switch it off. His skin was tanned, and his jawline was chiseled perfectly. His eyes were a calming blue-grey and his chestnut-colored hair was cropped and fell to the middle of his forehead, almost covering the two small horns that protruded from his forehead. She could see tattoos snaking up his arms, cut off by the sleeves of his t-shirt, which hardly covered up his muscled chest and abdomen. She could look at him forever as long as he smiled. Gods, that smile was like staring into the sun, and she was definitely staring which she didn’t realize until Alyson pointedly coughed, and Xylas’ grin widened.

She ignored both of them and asked, “Can I at least see the jewel for myself?” Xylas responded, “No one but the Ifrit and Anzel is allowed near the jewel because it would drive anyone else mad.” Viri looked at him skeptically. “Seriously? Anyone?” Xylas simply shrugged. “Yes, anyone. The Asai all have temples to their likeness with stones like the one this temple possesses and anyone who isn’t the Asai or one of their sworn protectors wouldn’t be able to handle being near the stone.” She cocked her head at him and asked why. Xylas shrugged again. “I don’t know if the jewels are cursed or if the fraction of the power granted to the jewels by their respective member of the Asai is so restrained in the tiny size of the stones that it somehow radiates madness to those unable to handle it.”

Viri looked at Alyson and pursed her lips before looking back at Xylas who was once again smirking at her. She managed to restrain herself from commenting on his stupid smirk and instead asked, “Can a relative or descendent of Anzel get near the stone?” Xylas sat up again and focused on her more intently. “The Asai made it so that none of their siblings could ever touch or harm their stones and they don’t have any descendants so that’s a theory we’d be unable to put to the test unless you have any groundbreaking news you’d like to share.” She just stared at him. He looked at Alyson and she threw her hands up. “Don’t look at me. I’m just as clueless as you are.” He looked back at her before leaning in closer to her on the table. She could feel his breath as he spoke. “You know, scent is a strange thing. It can be our own, but it can also take on hints of our ancestors. It’s like smelling a wet werewolf or shifter after the rain. They smell uniquely different, but also all the same and all disgusting.” She stiffened as he went on. “To those of us who are sensitive enough to it, a scent can give us clues to who a person is before they even open their mouth to do so.” He stopped talking and gave her a little smile and that time she couldn’t stop the eye-roll that had been waiting to happen.

“I’m sure you’re dying to announce your big discovery, so go ahead. Let’s hear it.” He chuckled. “Well, if you must know, your scent smells like that of a certain race. It’s a peculiar smell that’s been lost to the masses for thousands of years, so very few in this country would even notice it.” She glowered at him and interrupted him, “Let me guess. Because you’re so ancient, you notice it?” He smiled at her. “No. Because I’m so cultured, I notice it. The question is, do you? Because I'm not in the habit of revealing family secrets. That would go against my good guy image.” Her glower turned into an all-out death stare. “Don’t worry, I’m not the type to run off into the night screaming about how you will rue the day, so say whatever it is that you’re so determined to drag out.” Xylas laughed and the sound gave her butterflies again despite how much she wanted to punch him in the face right now. One glance at Alyson told her that she’d begun piecing everything together.

Xylas leaned back in his chair again. “Fine. You want to know if a descendant can bear witness to the jewel because you’re Anzel’s descendant, correct? And not some watered-down great-great-grandchild twice removed. You’re his daughter. Am I right?”