Fire and Ice

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Winner of the 2001 Prism Award for Best Novella Honorable Mention in the 2000 PEARL Awards

...Kept as a lowly slave by Kalidah, an old sorceress, Trina learns only what little healing and magic her mistress sees fit to teach her. Her past is a mystery, except that Trina knows "Baraka, " as the sorceress calls her, is not her real name. Trina is ignorant of the outside world. She has been warned to keep to herself. The villagers shun her or toss stones at her. In the early hours of a frigid morning, Trina huddles beside the hearth and stares into the fire. Suddenly, she is able to make out small images, resembling tiny humans, amongst the flames. The "flame-folk" appear to be dancing on the coals, swaying to some mystical rhythm. Still staring into the hearth, Trina abruptly finds herself among them. Rather than being afraid, she embraces the heat that surrounds her. Stepping out and joining the flame-folk in their dance, Trina delights in the acceptance she finds from these spirits. She is drawn to one spirit in particular who shines brighter than the others. When one of Kalidah's nefarious spells goes awry, that spirit, who calls himself Brand, is released into Trina's world in a mortal body. Brand is delighted to find, in the flesh, the mortal woman who so recently had danced the flames with him. When they are joined as one, he exalts in the myriad sensations of his new body. All too soon for Trina, Brand must return to the spirit realm, and she must leave to search for her family. Although she is now free, Trina must make her way into the world and does not know if she will ever see Brand again. Brand finds himself joining Trina again and again in her travels, pulled by a bondbetween them that he doesn't understand. The two of them face danger and self-discovery in their quest to find a way to stay together. Erotica/Fantasy Romance/Paranormal Romance/Novella]