Blue Skies on Fire by Zenina Masters Read Free Book Online Page A

slicing apples.”
    “Would you like to get up?”
    She answered by sitting up and creating a robe from one of the chairs at the small table. She slipped it on and headed to the bathroom.
    She showered and put the robe on again when she exited. Andor was putting on jeans, looking as fresh as if he had just been the one scrubbing his skin.
    “How did you do that?”
    He laughed. “Fire. It does wonderful things for the hair.”
    “Fire shower?”
    “It is more like a halo that starts at my feet and burns off oil, dirt and dead skin.”
    Teebie inclined her head as he continued to dress with a black button-down shirt that he rolled up the cuffs of.
    She turned the robe into snow-white underwear and a white sundress. She had to repurpose her shoes from the night before, but when she was wearing the white, low flats, she pinned her hair up with a clip that she summoned from her bedroom below.
    “That is a nice trick. Can you teach it to me?”
    She winked. “Nope. It comes with the genes.”
    He sighed. “I will show you how to fire bathe.”
    “Still no, but keep asking.” She grinned. “Oh, maybe you can start begging. I think I would like it if you begged.”
    His eyes glowed red again. “I think I would like to give that a try.”
    He reached for her, and she panicked. She misted out from under his embrace, and she disappeared through the small crack under the door.
    Teebie kept moving until she was in the kitchen. To her surprise, Dira was in the kitchen and baking muffins.
    “Teebie! What are you doing here? I thought you would still be upstairs with Andor.”
    Teebie scowled and watched as Dira baked the first round of muffins by putting the tin on her palms. The heat coming off her skin was palpable.
    “Why would I be up there? It is time to make breakfast.”
    Dira frowned and looked at her. “Didn’t you two...”
    “No. We were going to, but I only had the one night off, so it isn’t fair to me or him.”
    “Give me a minute.” Dira concentrated, and soon, the muffins were done and set on the counter.
    Teebie blinked as her aunty turned green and scaly, growing several inches. “What are you doing?”
    “I am getting into a position where I can take you over my knee. There is a perfectly lovely phoenix up there, and he is besotted with you. He is willing to live here at the Crossroads and make tiny pale-blue babies with you, and you won’t let him? You just about cry when you talk about him because you have convinced yourself you can’t have him. I am going to smack some sense into you.”
    Andor cleared his throat from the doorway. “As entertaining as that would be, I believe that Teebie and I need to work this out for ourselves.”
    Dira nodded and receded back to her human shape. “Fine, but I reserve an ass whooping for the future.”
    Teebie nodded. “Noted.”
    Andor extended a hand to Teebie, and she took it. To her surprise, they walked out the back door and headed for the gardens.
    “Where are we—”
    “Shush. You have said plenty. I want to be in the gardens when the sun rises.” Andor kept walking, and the garden hedge opened for Teebie.
    He pulled her through the doorway and into the dark space.
    “How can you see?”
    “I live in a world where light is everywhere. Light and shadows are always with me. Darkness doesn’t mean much.” He turned to her, and his eyes glowed red again.
    “Now, Teebie, you came to the Crossroads to hide, but nothing can hide you forever.” He knelt at her feet next to the herb patch. “I offer you a chance to become more than you are, and for me to become more than I am, by joining our minds, bodies, hearts and magic together. I want you, Teebie, and you want me.”
    She stared down at the flickering red of his gaze. “You would really move here?”
    “I really would. I may have to head to the human world from time to time, but I am more than happy to have this be my home. As long as you are with me, I can and will go anywhere you