Night of Fire Read Free

reach forty.”
    “Give me the damn lighter,” Taron interrupted.
    Paul stared at him then shrugged. “What the hell.” He dug
into his pocket and handed Taron the expensive silver lighter. “Maybe it’ll
work.”
    Taron had his doubts but tucked the lighter in his pocket
anyway. “So tell me about this festival.”
    “Shit. Look, all I know is that Beltane takes place on April
30—something to do with celebrating spring. There’s dancing and drumming until
you think the top of your head’s going to come off, but you don’t care. There’s
some kind of play or something with people dressed in costumes. They paint
their skin different colors and jump through fire. That’s where the animals
come in.”
    “They’re roasted?” Taron didn’t like the idea of that cute
little goat winding up on someone’s dinner plate.
    “Hell no. Like I said, farmers and anyone who feels like it
brings their livestock near the smoke. Some kind of purification thing, I
guess.”
    “Sounds like chaos. And you think I’d give a damn? Why?”
    Paul laughed and punched Taron on the shoulder. “Because
it’s the night to get laid. It’s like the whole place turns into a huge
orgy. People jump the nearest bones. I know, I know. You don’t have to look for
excuses to have the broads fighting each other over the chance to rock and roll
with you, but you’ve got to admit it sounds like a hell of a lot more fun than
picking up some broad at a bar.”
    * * * * *
    Movement, noise, light and dark. Flames from the fire at the
top of the hill seemed to dance with the night sky. What had to be thousands of
people packed Carlton Hill, and so many musical groups were doing their thing
that Taron felt as if his head might explode.
    Despite his better judgment, he’d agreed to accompany Paul
in trekking up the steep staircase once it got dark. What he hadn’t counted on
was the sheer mass of bodies he’d encounter. One moment Paul had yelled at him
to look back down for a panoramic view of the city. The next, he’d lost his
friend.
    He’d briefly thought about going back to Paul’s place, but
that would mean fighting the tide of humanity surging upward. Besides, there
was something about the music—especially the drums. The longer the
frantic-sounding beats went on, the more his body seemed to absorb them.
    He had to get closer to the action.
    Using his size and strength, he pushed past knots of
laughing, yelling merrymakers until he caught a glimpse of a group of brightly
costumed people who were obviously the center of attention. Most noticeable was
a tall woman dressed in veils of every color in the rainbow. In addition, she
was weighed down by flowers and assorted greenery. She was surrounded by a
number of women dressed entirely in white who looked for all the world as if
they were protecting the rainbow woman. A man who was green from head to foot
hung near Rainbow Woman. In contrast to the others’ exuberant dancing, he
trudged along like an old man.
    “Hell if I know what that’s about,” Taron muttered.
    The group had been whirling to and fro in one spot, but now
a number of Blue Men—Taron couldn’t think of anything else to call
them—presented themselves to Rainbow Lady and her attendants.
    Suddenly the drumming kicked up a notch. Now the earth
itself seemed responsible for the driving rhythm, it was almost as if lava were
trying to break free. Barely aware of what he was doing, he swayed with the
reverberation. Extending his arms, he stomped and whirled, grunted in time. His
vision blurred, he no longer cared about the celebration, about tomorrow’s
agenda or the rest of his life.
    He was—simply was part of the force and power.
    Wild, free, totally in the moment, he looked up. The night
was clear, making it possible to see the stars. Stars? How long had it been
since he’d studied the sky? Danced? Existed only in this single moment?
    No one seemed to notice his pounding, driving legs, no one
cared that this