Seared by Desire (19 page)

Spreading her arms, Sara let the fire course down her
fingertips, repeating the instruction again and again. As soon as
the flames hit the ground they spread, racing along the earth
faster and faster as they encircled the manor. The line of fire was
small, but with a simple command from Sara, the flames roared to
life, rising higher and higher until the entire manor was hidden
behind columns of fire. She smiled faintly, pleased with her work
before all the strength left her body and she collapsed against the
ground.

Lucian watched as though in a trance as Sara manipulated her
element, forcing it to bend to her will.
She’s even more beautiful when she works with her
flame.
His trance like state was broken
the instant Sara fell to the ground, her small body hitting the
hard earth with a resounding thud. His horse was moving the instant
she fell though he didn’t remember spurring it into action. The
Malachite messenger was safely hidden within the ranks of his army
so there was no need to hide his concern. Vaulting from his horse
he raced to her side, lifting her limp body into his
arms.

“
What have you done?” he cursed, shaking her
lightly.

“
Lucian?” she called drowsily.

“
What have you done now?”

“
Now the manor will be safe while we’re away and they’ll think
we’re still inside, hiding. No fire elemental can get through this
fire but everyone else will be fine. It will take a few days for
the fire to die down, more than enough time for everyone to get
away and then once the fire is gone and I’ve fireproofed the stone
so they won’t be able to destroy your home. Do you think it’s
enough?”

“
What more can you do in your condition?”

She began struggling against him. “It’s not enough? I can do
more.”

“
Stay still woman. You’ve done more than enough. Just get some
rest.”

“
But Lucian…”

“
If you insist on trying to disobey me I’ll be forced to show
you how I deal with insubordination.”

“
Fine,” she huffed, her eyes sliding shut.

“
And you,” he warned, eyeing Lance angrily. “If you try and
attack me once more, I’ll leave you here.”

He snorted as though he could understand Lucian's words and
followed docilely behind them.

“
My Lord, what has she done?” Gareth demanded as he rushed to
Lucian's side. “The manor is on fire.”

Looking down at the precious body cradled against his chest,
Lucian felt a stab of anger towards his people; she shouldn’t have
had to go to such lengths for their acceptance.

His voice loud and clear, he let his words wash over them.
“What she’s done is to protect our home in our absence at a great
cost to herself. None but those who live within these walls will be
able to get past her fire and even when it eventually burns itself
out, the manor will be protected. She has done us a great service
and when she wakes I expect all of you to honour her for
it.”

He looked down at her, noting that she was still wearing the
barely there outfit she’d been wearing to craft swords. A frown
appeared on his face as he pulled her further into his body to
shield her from the elements.
Silly thing,
probably hasn’t even packed.
“Make sure
she has her things packed. The fire won’t harm you I give you my
word.” Whistling, he summoned his horse, placing Sara in the saddle
before levering himself in behind her. “Come, we have a great
distance to travel tonight.”
The more
distance there is between me and the fire elementals the better,
after all they’re putting my bride through I’m not sure I could
restrain myself from killing them the moment I laid eyes on
one.

Chapter Eleven – Only by the
Night?

Lucian was born a vampire and never once in all the long
centuries of his existence had he resented that fact until now. The
night was slipping away and yet Sara slept on oblivious to her
surroundings after her exhaustive work. It wouldn’t be long before
they’d have to stop for the night and find sanctuary within the
earth. Things might have been different if she’d been raised among
them, her sleeping patterns would be more in line with his and his
nocturnal people. Her humanity made him wonder what life would be
like if he were human. There were things he would never be able to
do with her without endangering his life, simple things like
watching the sunrise with her at his side.

A strand of flaming red hair blew into his face as they
continued to trot down the worn path towards New Malden. The thick
tall trees that surrounded them on all sides would protect them
from the sun’s harmful rays should it rise earlier than
anticipated. The dappled patches of moonlight that managed to make
their way through the thick canopy landed on Sara’s hair, adding a
gentle sheen to the curled strands. He’d heard that in the sunlight
red hair could shine brighter than rubies and cursed the fact that
he’d never see Sara in such light.

Sara groaned as she began to wake pulling Lucian from his
pitiful musings. She blinked groggily, trying to regain her
bearings. Her heart began to race when she realised that she had no
idea where she was. She was surrounded by trees she’d never seen
before and moving towards an unknown destination. The last thing
she remembered was Lucian's pale, beautiful face becoming
increasingly fuzzy as she slipped into unconsciousness. Had she
been caught already? If so what had happened to Lucian? Had the
fire elementals killed him? The thought made her heart stop, the
breath rush from her body as a chill seeped into her
bones.

“
Lucian?” she gasped, terror gripping her.

He pulled her body closer, unnerved by the tremors wracking
her small body. Placing his head in the crook of her neck, he
whispered in her ear, “I’m right here.”

She relaxed instantly, her mind finally processing the
coolness at her back and the familiar arms holding her in the
saddle. “Lucian,” she sighed relieved.

“
Who else would be holding you this close?”

“
I didn’t know where I was, I was confused.”

“
That’s just an excuse,” he chuckled jokingly.

“
Where are we?” she asked, quick to change the subject. “Have
we been travelling long?”

“
We’re a great distance from the manor now. Some of us haven’t
slept the entire night away.”

She gasped horrified, her eyes trying desperately to scan the
horizon in search of the sun. Her time with Lucian was always short
but she had managed to waste what little she had asleep after her
exertions.
What is wrong with me?
she cursed silently.

“
Some of us also don’t look as though they’ve forgotten what a
bath is,” he commented casually, tightening his grip on her body
while drawing Sara’s attention to her dirty skin.

She was still covered in ash and soot from her time in the
smithy but hadn’t realised it until then. Her arms and legs were
bare, pressed deliciously close to Lucian's body and she had never
resented breeches more than she did in that moment. They were
preventing her from having Lucian's bare skin pressed against her
like it had been when they slept in the same bed. A mischievous
idea crept into Sara’s mind as she looked down at her sooty arms
and Lucian's words sunk in. Running a finger up the length of her
arm, she gathered the ash that hadn’t been washed away from her
time in the smithy and turned, swiping her dirty fingers down
Lucian's pale cheek. The soot stood out even more against his pale
skin and she began to laugh. “You’re one to talk,” she mocked,
struggling for breath as she laughed even harder. “You look as bad
as I do if not worse.”

Lucian frowned and for a moment Sara thought she might have
gone too far but then he started laughing, the rich sound pouring
over her like sunshine on a warm day. The sound surprised not only
her but all those around them, Lucian's laughter was a rare
thing.

“
Wow,” Sara gasped, her words making Lucian stop
laughing.

“
What?”

“
Your laugh,” she answered inanely.

His brows drew together in confusion. “What about
it?”

“
It’s beautiful. You should laugh more Lucian. I like hearing
you laugh.”

“
I rarely have anything to laugh about.”

“
I know. All you do is work, work, work.”

“
I have to.”

“
Your war will be over soon, what will you do
then?”

Drink you until I’m drunk on your blood.
“There are no guarantees that William will agree to
peace.”

“
Now you’re just being pessimistic.”

“
I’m being realistic Sara. It’s the sad truth of the world
that not all leaders keep their word. I have to presume that
William won’t and be pleasantly surprised if he does.”

“
My Lord,” Gareth began, drawing his horse close to
Lucian's.

“
Yes Gareth?”

“
My Lord the sun will be up soon. We should make
camp.”

Lucian looked around, pleased with what he saw. They were
still beneath thick trees that would provide them with additional
protection from the sun and the earth under the horse’s hooves
looked like it would be deep enough for his army to seek shelter
beneath it. They would make camp here.

“
Lucian?” Sara whispered.

“
Yes.”

“
How are you going to make camp? Won’t the sun hurt
you?”

“
Vampires can sleep underground. It’s how we travel long
distances if there’s no alternative shelter. Don’t worry so much
about me.”

I can’t help it,
she mentally
huffed,
I care for you Lucian. I don’t
want anything to happen to you.

He brought his horse to a halt and all those behind him
followed his lead stopping their steeds before dismounting as
Lucian was doing. Holding out his arms, he encouraged Sara to jump
into them. Her body pressed against his as she slid down the length
of him to stand on her own two feet. He was reluctant to pull away
from her but could hear voices clambering for his
attention.

Sara rocked on her feet for a moment before regaining her
balance, her eyes locking with Lucian's, the connection between
them strong and instantaneous. He turned to look at the people
gathering around them and the link was broken. It was then, as cool
air blew over her exposed skin, that she realised she hadn’t packed
and was wearing her sword crafting clothes. Fire elementals didn’t
feel the cold but it didn’t prevent her from feeling embarrassed.
While she’d been hidden by Lucian's body on the horse her lack of
clothing hadn’t been anything to be ashamed of but now things were
different.

“
Do you see those women over there,” he whispered in her ear
making her jump. She nodded. “They have your things. Get
changed.”
I can’t stand all these men
looking at you like you’re their next meal.

“
Thank you Lucian,” she stated genuinely overjoyed. She rushed
to the women, her eyes immediately landing on the familiar items
they had in their possession. “Excuse me but which of these bags
are mine?” She recognised a few things poking out of the over
packed bags but wasn’t sure if there were other things of hers
hidden in different bags.

“
These three are yours Lady Sara,” one of the women answered,
handing her three heavy bags.

“
Thank you.” Taking the bags from her grip, she placed one
over her shoulder and held the other two in each hand. She looked
around, trying to find somewhere that she could change before
remembering that she was covered in dirt and grime. Casting a final
look back at Lucian who was embroiled in an intense discussion with
Russell, she moved away from the vampires and their camp, confident
that she’d be able to make her way back to them.

“
There has to be a stream or something around here,” she
muttered to herself as she traversed the terrain, moving further
and further away from the vampires.

Her adamant belief that there was a body of water nearby
proved to be correct and she stumbled upon a tranquil lake. The
fading moonlight glittered off of the clear surface making the
water seem like glass and it called to her like nothing else. She
turned her head scanning her surroundings furtively before she
dropped her bags. Certain that she was alone, Sara began to remove
her clothes, the process taking mere moments with the lack of
things she was wearing. Naked as the day she was born, she stepped
into the cool water, wading further and further out into its
depths. The water was deep and soon she found that her feet could
no longer touch the bottom. Laughing, she delved down further into
the lake. It was a commonly held belief that fire elementals didn’t
like water; Sara proved that to be a lie, frolicking happily in the
water.

Lucian cursed as he flew over the trees in search of his
bride. She had been right beside him one minute and then she was
gone the next. The women he’d sent her towards had no idea of where
she’d gone and were just as baffled by her disappearance as
he.
If that silly woman is entertaining
ideas of running away from me again, I might be forced to shake
some sense into that beautiful head of hers.
The sound of loud splashing and laughter caught his
attention, the sound out of place in the quiet tranquillity of the
forest and he headed towards it, unsure of what he would find. What
he discovered made his heart race, his fangs lengthen and his
control shatter.