Read The Burn for Free Online

tent, painted to create the illusion of an ornate temple in the desert. People mulled in friendly circles at its base, lazing in lawn chairs or talking. Most wore beads, or colorful hats, or costumes. Some wore nothing but paint.
    In the open sand beyond the camps, huge statues had been erected under the sun. Dreamlike cubes, large plaster faces, elaborate metal birds and fabric dragons stood against the wide open sky. People sat together in the abstract shadows created by the art pieces, sharing drinks and hiding from the heat.
    "The Burning Man Project," Julie murmured. "The power of human expression, one of the most impressive art festivals in the world. These people are here to celebrate freedom, beauty and life itself. You are life, Goddess, a part of life that is beyond the wildest of their dreams, the promise of life that is beyond mortal comprehension."
    Miranda cut her gaze back to the woman. "This isn't your first time here."
    Julie hesitated. "No."
    Miranda nodded, looking out over the long stretch of flat desert, to the shadowed mountain ridge in the distance. A feeling of familiarity settled in her stomach, something vague and uncomfortable.
    "It's not my first time either," she said, realizing the truth of the words as she spoke them.
    "No," Julie said quietly, her expression darkening for a moment.
    Along the sand of the road, a troupe of four men in white had gathered, carrying a large, canopied litter. The litter had silky fabric draping and gold silk pillows, obviously meant to draw attention as it was carried across the desert.
    "That's your ride," Julie said. "And your champion."
    Miranda frowned.
    Seth stood beside the litter, taller than the others, his muscular shoulders tanned and his chest bare. He wore a cowboy hat that covered his dark hair and jeans faded with dust. He looked up at her and tipped the brim of his hat.
    "Come." Julie smiled. "He's waiting."
    * * *
    "Hey there," he said as she approached, offering his hand to help her up into the litter. His hazel eyes seemed to glow in the heat, flicking over the curves of her body under the thin gauzy fabric of her dress. "Nice day to get carried around."
    His words were warm, his expression intent with meaning.
    Miranda accepted his help as she climbed into the litter and settled on the cushions. Her bearers lifted her off the ground, leaving Julie and the cowboy to walk beside her. The troupe began to move toward the open desert, heading for the throng of bicycle riders and thumping art cars.
    People stared, smiled and whistled. Julie began approaching the crowds right away, passing out handmade necklaces and inviting them to the camp for the night's festivities.
    Miranda frowned, turning her attention to the man walking beside the litter. "Is this is a game to you, Seth? What you did last night…you being here now. Is it all just part of the fun for you?"
    "No. I wouldn't put it that way."
    "What way would you put it?"
    His eyes strayed to the men carrying the litter, as if he were considering what he could say. "I want to know more about you. I want you to know more about me."
    She considered him for a moment. "What about you? Who are you? What is it that you do, when you're not trying to put your tongue where it doesn't belong?"
    He cleared his throat, then shook his head, trying to hide the ghost of a smile. "I'm a sculptor. I work with metal."
    "That's it?"
    "Takes a lot of time to do it right," he said, slanting a meaningful look at her from under the dark brim of his hat.
    She felt the color rise in her cheeks.
    "I live in Sedona. You ever been there?"
    Miranda grimaced, feeling a stab of panic. She couldn't remember. Her life, all of her experiences, seemed to call to her from some place that was too dark to see, too far away to reach.
    "Sedona is a different kind of desert than this," he continued smoothly, choosing to overlook the fact that she hadn't answered. "This place is a lot starker, in my opinion. Not even a single tree or blade