Of Flame and Light
by Cecy Robson
Published by Cecy Robson, LLC
Book # 7 in the Weird Girls Series
Taran Wird holds the unique ability to conjure fire and lightning.
She is mated to Gemini, Second in Command to the Squaw Valley Pack of the Lake Tahoe Region, and the sole werewolf to possess the ability to split into two wolves. And although they are mates, Taran's insecurities have driven them apart. Devastated by an injury that left her with a zombie-like limb, Taran struggles to regain command over her magic. But when her arm and her power turn against her, lashing out on those she most loves, she knows she can no longer carry this burden alone. Not that she likes the alternative. The only way to regain control of her magic is to align and learn from the local coven of witches―the very ones who sought to banish her when she and her three unique sisters first moved to the mystical region. But although Taran is trying, the teachings don't come easy, and the tasks leave her weak and emotionally shattered. Yet Taran must learn and learn fast. Time is running out. The fire she once mastered so easily has become her greatest adversary and is now slowly burning her alive . . .
Genre
Triggers Violence, death, depression
Of Flame and Light is the seventh book in the Weird Girls series, and it is the first full length novel in the Weird Girls: Flame series. It is written in Taran's point of view, and centers around Taran, devastated over her falling out with her mate, Gemini, and dealing with depression, brought on by her new limb, that was given to her through magic, after losing her arm in book 4 after Anara attacks. When it becomes clear that the arm makes her magic uncontrollable, and the fire and light she used to yield so easily is now slowly burning her from the inside out, she is forced to accept Genevieve's help, the head of the local witch clan, that she hates, and knows is interested Gemini. She studies along other lesser witches, learning to control her magic, while learning to come to terms with her new limb.
Magic aside here, the story of a woman, depressed with a new disfigurement, trying to learn to accept her new body, is not often subject manner you find in books, and is a nice change. Add the magic back in, and its a totally unique conception. I always had a feeling that Taran would have to work with the witches at some point, and I love that despite her sadness, we still get Taran's classic attitude.
Taran really grew as a character in this book. She learned a lot of lessons, she stood up for what she believed in, but ultimately, she learned to accept herself ... flawed arm and all. It's a nice metaphor, that the more she accepts herself and her new limb, the stronger she becomes, and more control she gains. She even manages to get over her jealousy of Genevieve in the end, and finally accept that Gemini loves her, and only her.
I won't lie, Gemini and Taran's separation in this book was hard to read. Taran's feelings of inadequacy, feeling as if Gemini was disgusted by her, made me teary eyed every. Damn. Time. Who hasn't felt like that at some point, and it really brought forward some of those emotions forward. They were just so miserable without the other. I was pretty annoyed too. A little communication, and they could have avoided this whole mess. Gemini, who has grown up understanding mate-hood all his life, assumed Taran knew he could never be disgusted with her. I suspected that his problem was his guilt, but he really needed to communicate that with her right away. And while we learn at the end that he was with Genevieve at the compound solely to watch out for Taran, Taran has made it plenty clear her feelings on how Genevieve acts around him. All it would take is him asking Genevieve to give him a foot of space. Frustrations aside, I love Gemini and Taran together, and I am glad they talk over their issues in the end.
And come on ... the part where Taran changes her identity for a test, flirts with Gemini at a bar (while passing her test by fooling her sister Celia and Aric), and their insanely hot, angry sex at the hotel, was amazing. I suspected he knew along who she really was, and breathed a big breath of relief when he asked Taran where she was going the next morning. The car ride with Celia afterwards was a funny moment after an intense one between Gemini and herself.
I had a hard time liking Genevieve. One, because she was all over Taran's man, despite admitting in the end that she knew she never had a chance. But she is wicked smart. She knew she was making Taran's angry, and knew how volatile and uncontrollable her magic was. When she accidentally burns down Vieve's house and the whole compound, perhaps Genevieve should have accepted some of the blame herself. By the end she becomes a tolerable presence in the story, but I am still not a fan.
The introduction of "zombies" was a bit weird for me, but I liked the fact they weren't out for fresh brains, and they were the by-product of necromancy. Celia's pregnancy is weird as well. It's obvious Aric and her's children will be something really special, with the weird growth spurt the baby has and all. And WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON BETWEEN BREN AND EMME?!?! Like seriously? Something happened ... is happening ... ugh! I want to know!
I was unsure how I would feel about moving on from Celia's point of view, to Taran's, but Taran has added new life into the story, and her kick-ass attitude adds some much needed humor. While she does go through tough times this book, I think that would be expected from anyone who is forced to come to terms with a life altering injury. I am excited for books to come!
Taran: "Emme. What's the big deal? So what if Celia's banging Aric like the lead drummer at a Fourth of July parade. They're married. It happens."
Emme: "Taran, please let's keep their private life private."
Taran: "I would if they weren't so damn loud. I swear I thought the walls were going to come down around midnight when they -"
Emme: "Taran ..."
Taran: "Hey, do you suppose Celia's more flexible now, given how Aric knocked her up? As in ankles behind the head kind of flexible."
Emme shoves a muffin in Taran's mouth.
Celia: "The baby's not growing."
Taran: "But your body's changing. If your hooters don't scream 'I'm knocked up', I don't know what does."
Celia: "They are a lot bigger. "
Celia: "The magic that helped me get pregnant seems to complement mine. But my hormones are out of control. Poor Aric. I can't stop having sex with him. It's like every time I see him, I pounce."
Taran: "Yeah, poor bastard."
Bren: "Hey, Christie."
Christie: "Fuck off.
Bren: "I guess I should have called her."
Shayna: "Puppy, don't fret. I promise to make it up to you when I come home."
She whispers something that I don't catch, but that cracks Bren up.
Bren: "Holy shit. That's some kinky stuff there, Shayna."
Shayna: "He likes peanut butter. Most people do."
Bren: "Most like it on bread. Not on their -"
Emme: "I'm going to stop you both right there."
Bren: "That's rotting skin. It's a zombie hand - not like yours, no offense."
Taran: "Bren, I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to take that, but for the love of all, just keep going."
Taran: "But that doesn't change the fact that what we're doing is considered illegal. We're seriously screwed here."
Bren: "Relax. It'll be fine. Just call the house, see who's there, and we'll form a plan. Seriously, it's no big deal. Unless we get caught. Then yeah, we're seriously fucked."
Celia: "Aric won't leave either. He knows you're almost home and wants to make sure you're safe."
Bren: "Tell him you want to go thong shopping."
Celia: "Thong shopping?"
Bren: "Yeah. We'll come in, he'll see we're fine, and then you can distract him by asking him to take you thong shopping. There's this really hot lingerie place in South Tahoe called Spank Me. You should definitely check it out. They usually have good specials on chocolate body fondue. Tell Jeanette I sent you, she might give you a discount ... then again, don't mention me. I think she's still pissed I -"
Celia: "Bren, he's not an idiot."
Ginger was a bitch. Yet oddly cuter and kinder than Mrs. Mancuso. Ginger died, supposedly of old age. We're convinced she killed herself because death beat living with Mrs. Mancuso who'd force her into matching outfits.
Mrs. Mancuso: "Women like you belong in dirty alleys, lifting your skirts for men of equal caliber."
Taran: "And women like you belong knitting, silent, and far away from me. Jesus Christ woman, don't you have a set of dentures to scrub or a litter of kittens to drown??"
Mrs. Mancuso: "May God and syphilis have mercy on your soul."
Taran: "May your support hose choke you in your sleep."
Gemini: "Taran, get in the car."
Mrs. Mancuso: "You whore."
Taran: "Better a whore than something the Angel of Death wouldn't fu -"
Emme: "Taran! I'm so sorry, Mrs. Mancuso. You'll have to forgive Taran. She's starting a new course of study today and is under a great deal of pressure -"
Mrs. Mancuso: "What's she studying? How to be less of a slut?" And are you and the rest of your floozy sisters enrolled as well?"
Gemini barely grabs me in time when I launch myself at her.
Mrs. Mancuso: "Have a nice day in anti-tramp school."
Taran: "Die. For the love of all, just die and put us out of our misery."
Taran: "Ready to go, lover boy? I don't want to be late for my first day. Oh, and I'll bet our Most Superior Broom Straddler can't wait to see her favorite liaison!"
Gemini: "Why must you make everything so difficult?"
Taran: "Whatever do you mean?"
Mrs. Mancuso: "Harlot!"
Taran: "Shut up and die! You were saying?"
Gemini: "You're not going to behave. Are you?"
Taran: "Now what makes you say that?"
Taran: "Excuse me. I'm sorry. I don't think I caught your name."
Cynthia: "It's Cynthia. Cynthia Morton."
Taran: "In that case, shut the fuck up, Cynthia Morton. We're all a little tense here."
Is she a mystical powerhouse? Totally. Can she likely kill us all? Sadly, yes. That doesn't make her any less of an asshole.
Taran: "I didn't behave the way I wanted to."
Genevieve: "Really?"
Taran: "No. If I had, you'd be sweeping up Agatha's remains with one of your brooms."
Taran: "You want me to learn. You want me to do the work. I have. But I won't ignore my nature. Today, that nature compelled me to protect Paula. Weak or not, right or wrong - I don't care. You can expel me. I'd rather burn to embers. But no way in fuck will I allow someone like Paula to be treated like she's nothing."
Taran: "You're not going to believe my fucking night. It was totally hot, wicked, and awesome. I swear if angels had flown out of my vagina, I wouldn't have been surprised."
Taran: "Wait, where are you going? You can't take him with us."
Celia: "I can't just leave him here. Aric needs him at the Den."
Taran: "The hell he does! I'm not riding in the same car with him."
Celia: "Taran, you need to get back to the coven, he needs to return to the Den. What do you want me to do, throw him out of the window?"
Taran: "It would be a start."
Gemini: "You'll have to forgive my mate, Celia. She's irritable when she hasn't had any sleep."
Taran: "I'm not your mate."
Gemini: "You're wrong."
Taran: "And I had sleep!"
Gemini: "You needed sleep considering what happened between us. Or should I saw what didn't."
Taran: "Can you believe this shit?"
Celia: "Please leave me out of this."
Taran: "Yes. Leave her out of this. Do you think my sister wants to hear how you bent me over on the bed?"
And over the sink.
And against the wall.
And in the shower.
Oh, and the closet too - but that was an accident seeing how we fell into it when we were up against the wall and my left toe was pointing at the ceiling.
My girl parts sing Hallelujah at the memory, and the way he gripped my ass when he threw my legs over his shoulders and -
Celia: "Oh, God."
Gemini: "You want to talk about last night?"
Celia and Taran: "No."
Taran: "The only thing you took advantage of was me. Last night."
My comment makes him smile. A really sexy smile. God damn it.
Gemini: "Did I approach you? Or was it the other way around?"
Taran: "I just needed a place to sit - near Celia because she was my target. I didn't even know you were going to be there!"
Gemini: "There were other seats."
Taran: "You mean with those other weres? The ones who couldn't keep their eyes off me when I walked in? Or by the bouncer who asked me to his room the moment I arrived?"
He stopped smiling then.
Taran: "Yeah, looks like you weren't the only one who noticed me last night. I wonder what would have happened if I did sit somewhere else."
Gemini: "His heart would have landed beside you when I ripped it from his chest."
Taran: "Why?"
Gemini: "Because you're still mine. Even though you choose not to be."
Gemini: "What happens now?"
Taran: "What do you mean?"
Gemini: "Between us, Taran."
Taran: "We go back to how we were."
Gemini: "Do you mean before you left me, or before last night?"
Taran: "Don't do this to me."
Gemini: "You're the one who's doing this to us."
Taran: "Don't you dare put this on me. Not after you spent the night making love to this perfect body, only to reject the first glimpse at the real me."
Gemini: 'This isn't what this is about. You are my mate -"
Taran: "Don't call me that! Mates are real. They're Celia and Aric, Shayna and Koda. They are forever. You couldn't even give me more than a couple of years - not after what happened. Jesus, Tomo, arm or not, whole or broken, I never would have walked away from you!"
Gemini: "I never walked away, you told me to leave. You told me not to come back. You rejected me in every possible way. As a were, despite our matehood, despite our claim, I can't be with someone who doesn't want me. Our laws of nature forbid it, no matter who I'm bound to and how strong that bond is."
Taran: "Don't you blame me for this. Don't you spend a night craving this body only to shove aside the one beneath."
Gemini: "I didn't shove you aside."
Taran: "You did when you rejected my arm. It's a part of me. We're a package deal. You can't deny it, without denying me."
Genevieve: "You're late for instruction."
Taran: "My apologies, most Superior Sister. I was tired after spending all night fucking your boyfriend."
Gemini: "Nothing must harm you with me at your side. Because it did, it destroyed me. You tell me you're not the same. Neither am I. That doesn't mean you're still not everything I desire. I love you. You're my perfection."
Taran: "He belongs to me. And if you say one more negative thing against me, or anyone here, I'm going to set your ass on fire and use what remains as bait. Got me?"
Taran: "We might not make it, and I need you to know something in case we don't. You told me you love me. I believe you ... because I'll never stop loving you."
Taran: "We don't have time to argue, and this is not the time to be weak. I believe in you. If you want to live, you have to believe in yourself. Tonight you're no longer those so far beneath the rest. You are the coven. Use your magic to hex and curse those who seek to harm you, but most of all to protect each other. Don't be pussies, it's time to become the witches you were born to be."
Gemini: "I've used these hands for revenge and to protect the innocent from harm. I've used them to kill monsters, and to carry the fallen and those too injured to fight. But the best thing they've every done is hold you."
Misha: "Impressive."
Taran: "The destruction or my rack?"
Misha: "Perhaps both."
Check out the prequel novellas, and the rest of the Weird Girls series below!
(If picture has no link, it's because the review hasn't been posted yet. Stay tuned!)
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