`Astrid! That's enough!', he shouted, running back to the couple.
Astrid heard his voice and froze in horror. She saw the tiny puncture holes on Ace's neck and turned to look into his eyes. They were in amber colour.
`Ace, your eyes. I…I…Enlil….What have I done?', she stammered. This happened again!
`Shush, love', Ace comforted her. `It's not your fault. We just got carried away'. Ace kissed her clavicle and spoke sweet nothing into her ears while walking towards his Harley Davidson bike. He gently placed her on the bike and rubbed her cheeks with his fingers. She was afraid of his eyes, which changed to amber again wondering what went wrong.
Enlil checked on Ace and started asking questions.
`Are you okay? Did you feel anything strange when she bit you?', Enlil asked.
`I am fine, just breathless. That was intense, love', Ace pecked her lips, further embarrassing Astrid.
`Any sensations? Feelings? Mood? Anything?', Enlil was anxious.
`My eyes, they changed colour again. Apparently, it happens when she bites me', he rubbed her cheeks with his knuckles to assure her of him.
`Did it happen before? Aside from her?' Enlil enquired.
`Yeah, it did. Sometime back when I had this meeting. Anger issues. It never happened again until Astrid and I kissed and you know..... I had a medical test and the results were normal.' He sighed, wondering why his eyes keep changing.
`How many times did your eyes change colour? With Astrid?', Enlil had an idea.
`Twice', she replied. `Enlil, is he in danger?' she was trembling slightly, and Ace caught her hands into his warm ones and blew his hot breath into their wrapped hands. Enlil went silent.
`I need to moment to think. Just wait here', Enlil massages his temples and started racking his brains. If Ace Wagner's tests are normal then, he is a vampire for sure. And he is holding an element. The mutations have allowed vampires to hold an element. But his element is dormant, appearing in a moment of lust and anger. Exactly how to bring it out of him?
But Astrid is the catalyst for his reaction. Before his eyes revert back to his original colour he has to gauge something out of Ace Wagner. He made up his mind.
`Fight me, Ace. Throw me your temper' Enlil told him staring into his amber eyes.
`What? Why?', Ace let go of Astrid's palms and faced Enlil.
`Do it. How long before your eyes turn back to purple colour?', Enlil removed his shirt and started warming up.
`A day or two tops. Are you sure, Enlil?', Ace did not remove his shirt but steps away from his bike.
`Come on. If my guess is right, I may find a solution for you', Enlil lurched towards Ace and throws in punch after punches. Ace manages to block some before two stray punches hit his chest. He starts kicking Enlil but he expertly defends them. They alternate between kickboxing and Krav Maga again, but this time it is for real. Every punch, every kick meant to harm and injure.
Ace's anger was building up because Enlil was in a defence mode, blocking all his attacks and punches. He tried to headlock Enlil, but he slips away and ends up knocking him over to the ground. Ace flips his legs over his and straddles his and started punching Enlil's chest before he gets throwback into the dirt, sliding a few feet away.
Hell, this guy is powerful, Ace laments in his mind. They take a stance and lurch at each other again. Ace attacking and Enlil defending. After going on for roughly 30 minutes, Enlil got his cue. Ace's eyes were burning bright amber. Ace was getting extremely angry, irritated even when he could not hit Enlil directly despite repeated attempts.
Enlil swipes his leg at Ace who avoided it by jumping but Enlil sidekicks him mid-air, causing Ace to fall. Enlil doesn't waste time knowing with just a little pressure, Ace will show his true element. He locks Ace, in a position where he can't move and picked up a sturdy wooden stick and presses it against Ace's throat, choking him.
`Enlil, what the fuck are you doing!', Astrid was livid. She stomped herself towards them to attack Enlil if necessary.
`Don't come near, Astrid!', Enlil bellows. Astrid did not listen but stood a few feet away, in case Ace needed help.
`Don't fucking go Witch Blair mode with me, Enlil!', Astrid shouted at him.
`What the hell is that?', Enlil was gritting his teeth, using his power to hold Ace down.
`Gosh, so much for being a God!', Astrid spoke quietly. This is getting out of hands.
Ace's face was deep red now. He could hardly breathe, pulse going erratic and his brain getting desperate for oxygen. He could not move much, a strong force held him in place. Enlil continued to press the stick deeper constricting his airways. White dots started appearing into his vision. He started feeling weak, he could hear Astrid shouting in the background for Enlil to stop.
What the fuck is going on? One minute things were hunky-dory and next to this! Enlil did not give up on him. Almost there! He could sense it. Ace's eyes were fully covered in amber. His pupil was almost as dark as molten lava. Ace is going to go ape shit, now.
`Come on, Ace, fight or flight, push it harder!', he barked at Ace.
At that moment, Ace saw a flicker of fire in his peripheral vision. At first, he thought it was imagination. But the fire remained tiny, growing slowly. As if his anger was fuelling it. Enlil releases a little pressure off the stick just enough for Ace to focus on the fire. And Ace just did that.
`Push it, Ace, push it out. Don't give up!', Enlil encouraged him.
Ace used all his might and concentration on the fire which had to enlarge significantly, his canines elongated by now; he roared loudly, a burst of fire emerging from his hands that were desperately shoving the stick away from himself. The stick burst into flames and Enlil released his hold from Ace
Astrid knelt down beside Ace. Her mouth was wide open in horror. Fire out of Ace's hands!
Ace was astonished. He turned his body aside and took large gulps of air, filling his lungs with much-needed air. He coughed and Astrid passed him some water. Ace took a while to come back to his senses and looked at his hands. What the fuck was that? Enlil squatted beside him, showing him the burning stick and grinned.
`The fuck was that?' Ace demanded in between his breaths. He used his elbows and pushed himself to sit up.
`You my friend hold the power to burn' he smiled and hugged Ace. Ace was dumbstruck.
`You nearly killed him with your stupid experiment!', Astrid punched Enlil lightly on his shoulder and pulled his dreadlocks.
`OWW, don't touch them hair!', Enlil swatted her hands away.
Astrid pulled Ace to stand and hugged him. `Are you okay?' her eyes filled worries. Ace nodded. Why wasn't she surprised? She looked horrified, but the reaction Hadwin or his siblings would give out if they see a fireball out of his hands would be along the line so what-the-fuck!.
`Ace, your eyes are back to your original colour!', she grinned, unaware that he held the power of fire.
`Astrid, he is the fire elemental bearer', Enlil told her and positioned himself at the back of the bike.
`What does it mean?', Ace faced Enlil.
`What fire? Is he one of us now?', Astrid was delighted.
`Let's go home. Time for a reunion of our kind' Enlil patted his back and wore his shirt. Ace sat on his bike and revved his engine.
It was a silent ride, the night sky slowing down their ride. No one spoke. Ace was in an internal turmoil with the sudden burst of fire from his hands. His mind running a mile a minute. Astrid was lost in thought wondering if Ace will accept reality as it is or argue about it. Enlil was the only one whistling, seemingly annoying both Ace and Astrid.