Fire Stones

Chapter 7

It was indeed Varun – in the flesh. And plenty of flesh. Varun's shirt was wide open, revealing his taut, tanned chest. He was drenched far worse than I was; his long blonde hair dripped water onto the hotel carpet, and his shirt was see-through, his trousers tight with moisture. “Sorry,” I muttered, flushing. I wasn't interested in conversation – I couldn't let myself look at him again. Would he try to tempt me once more? I thought back to what Haven had said about him – how much he'd lost, how much he'd suffered. Was I really to be so surprised that he was trying so hard to regain his Vesta in me? If she really had left him high and dry, broken his heart, then no wonder he was so insistent on getting her back.

Come on, Varun, I thought. Was Vesta really worth it? I couldn't imagine leaving either Chance or Varun – how could she have left them both?

“Mac,” Varun smiled at me. “I've been hoping to see you.”

“Swimming?” I looked Varun up and down. Water from his trousers was pooling on the floor.

“No,” Varun shrugged. “I got caught in the storm. I was helping serve cake at the party outside when the storm came, and I had to salvage the cake before getting inside. The garden and the chairs are soaked through – but the cake is free. Our priorities are in order, at least. Can't say that I mind, though. I like the water, as you no doubt have figured out by now. And sweet old Mrs. Sonderheim can eat her 80th birthday cake.” He grinned at me, and I couldn't help smiling back at him. This was the old Varun, the one I remembered – the one who made a trade out of helping sweet old grannies and awkward new girls like me. This was the Varun I had first been attracted to, so many weeks ago. Not the insistent, frightening Varun I had seen on the beach. This was the Varun who had been my first friend, taking me under his wing when even Haven and the other girls had been wary. The Varun who took time out of my schedule to help my mother when times got busy at the hotel.

“Well, you're a hero, then,” I said, patting Varun on the shoulder. “Only problem is – you're also sopping wet. I've been looking for a towel – I thought the linen closet might have a few of those.”

“There's a closet at the end of this hall,” said Varun, leading me down to an empty room lined with closets. “There's a spare of at least one of everything in here.” He removed two towels from the cabinet, handing me one as he used the other to dry himself. He looked up at me, and the teddy bear look of sadness in his eyes was more than I could take. Haven was right, I realized. Varun really was like a big bear – prone to sudden fits of love and sadness, eager to please, eager to love. I could see in his eyes that he was slightly awkward around me now, afraid to approach me.

After all, I had pushed him away quite violently. But as I looked in his eyes, I saw my old friend once again. The friend I trusted – the friend I missed. I had been so busy worrying about Varun as a romantic rival for Chance that I had forgotten what mattered most: that before Varun and I were a couple, we were friends. And that was worth holding on to.

“I'm afraid one towel won't help much,” I said, taking a few more out of the linen closet, trying in vain to dry him. “Here's a few more. We'll have to try, at least.” I rubbed his hair with the towel, wary of getting too close.

Varun blushed a little as he stripped off his shirt, wrapping his torso with the towel. “Sorry,” he said, looking down. “The shirt'll never dry unless I get it onto a radiator.”

“No problem,” I said, trying not to look at his shirtless chest. He really was a Greek god – everything about his muscular, toned body gave off an aura of power, of perfection. I swallowed hard. Was this the attraction that Varun was talking about? The desire I was supposed to feel for him – that Vesta had once felt for Neptune. A desire that was strong enough to make her leave even the passionate God of Fire for his lair of water and shadows? I colored slightly, willing myself to ignore the sparks of longing I felt as his bare chest appeared before me. He dried his hair, running his fingers through his long, blonde locks. I felt my fingers itching to touch him.

“Mac...” he sighed, catching my glance. He could see what was in my eyes. “I'm not trying to pressure you – I'm not. I'm just...confused. One second you liked me – the next you were with Chance. It's like we never even got a chance to break up. I thought everything was great with us and...I just want to talk about it, that's all.”

I sighed. Varun was right. I'd fallen for Chance so quickly that I'd never even gotten a chance to talk it out with Varun.

“I didn't mean for it to happen like that,” I said. “I really liked you. I did. But all this stuff about Vesta and my destiny – it got me over my head. I didn't have time to think. I just...if I am Vesta, I mean...”

“But you liked me, right?” Varun's face was gentle, even hopeful. “I mean, I didn't do anything wrong? When we were together?”

“No, Varun, of course not!” I put out a hand on his shoulder.

“Then what happened? What changed – to make you stop liking me?”

“Nothing!” I tried to explain. “Only Chance...Mars...I don't even know what to call him. If it's my destiny...”

“Even if you are Vesta,” Varun said hotly. “Then that doesn't mean he's your destiny, no matter what he's telling you. Vesta left Mars once before she was with me – she was even willing to give up the power of Fire for those of Water in order to stay with me in the sea.”

“But that doesn't mean I have to!” I cried. “Whatever Vesta did...I'm not responsible for that.”

“And you're not responsible for what Mars is or does, either, then,” said Varun. “You can't have it both ways. Either you're dictated by destiny, or you're a free agent. And if you let destiny take its course, then you'll leave him again. Fire for water. Like you did once before. She stopped loving Mars; you will too. She loved me. You loved me. And if you're a free agent – then you need to make that decision without Chance. Who you want to be with?”

“Do you believe I'm Vesta?” I stared him straight in the face. “Or do you believe Chance is wrong?”

“I don't know,” said Varun. “What I feel for you – it's what I felt for her, Mac. So of course I want you to be Vesta, want it to be true. But part of me doesn't want you to be Vesta. Because if you are, because if you fulfill the prophecy...” his eyes narrowed and his voice trailed off. “I'll do what it takes to disprove it. To prove you're you – and not someone who lived centuries ago. But tell me this. If you were sure, absolutely sure, that you weren't Vesta, would you still have left me for Chance?”

I was shocked by the question. “I...don't know,” I said honestly. “But I do know that, thanks to Water's power over Fire, the Erosion is drowning more and more people by the day. Soon there won't be any land left. And if I'm not Vesta, that puts you and the other Water deities in a pretty good position.”

“How could you think that?” Varun grabbed my shoulders, his gaze intense. “It isn't like that. It's nothing to do with water or fire. I just want to be able to be with you – to save you from going through the test, from risking your life needlessly. I don't want anyone else hurt pursuing Vesta, least of all you.”

“But you loved her so much,” I insisted. “Don't you want her back?”

“Because, Mac!” Varun sighed. “Because if she comes back, everything will have to change. Not just between me and you, but with the whole world. Her coming back means destruction of the whole world – the danger of fire.”

“Is that what you water deities believe?”

“Look, Mac,” Varun took a step forward. “Just let me kiss you, just once – and if it doesn't mean anything. If you feel nothing. Then I'll back off, okay?”

I sighed. “Okay,” I said.

He leaned in, pressing my arms above my head. His kiss was searing, powerful, passionate – like a tide flooding over me. A kiss that heated my blood – that made me want more.

He pulled away. “Well?”

I swallowed. “It doesn't matter,” I tried to say. “I'm with Chance. And you're Water – I’m fire.”

“If I wanted to destroy Vesta, if you really were Vesta, I could have done lots of things to stop her from coming back in you. I could have let the sharks get to you. Or the mermaids. I could have let the Siren take you. But I didn't.” He looked at me with desperate eyes. “I saved you because I care about you. Because I wanted to protect you, Mac. I still do. And part of protecting you is protecting you from Chance. He's dangerous, Mac – no less dangerous than the sharks and storms. Why can't you believe that? If he's got you thinking that I'm here to destroy you, to fight you as Vesta, then I wouldn't have saved you in the first place!”

I looked down, pursing my lips. It was true – Varun had a point. But that didn't matter. I'd made my choice. I had to fight my desire. Vesta couldn't make a choice – but I would. “I'm sorry, Varun,” I whispered.

Varun put a finger against my lips. “That's all right, Mac. Don't worry. I know how much danger you'll be in once everyone starts thinking you're Vesta. I know you don't know whom to trust – but I promise you, Vesta, Mac, you can trust me. Just give me one chance. One chance to prove my love to you. To prove that you feel something for me. You felt something in our kiss – you can't deny it.”

I shook my head mutely.

“Then let me prove myself to you. And if I can do that – will you promise not to go through the test of fire? Promise not to risk your life?”

I sighed. I didn't want to die – Varun had a point there, too. But how could I live not knowing?

“One chance,” I said. “To prove I'm not Vesta, okay?” I was trembling.

“I promise,” Varun said. “I just want to save you. That's all I want.”