The Immortal Scrolls (18 page)

Lucian heard Araceli calling for him no louder than a whisper in the wind. He was on deck watching the pale crescent moon disappear behind the clouds. “Lucian, come to me,”
she said and giggled. He looked around and saw her standing in the middle of the deck.
They were all alone. Her long, dark hair was blowing gently in the wind. Araceli smiled and reached her arm out to him. “Come,” she commanded him again. He walked slowly to her, his body full of desire, and enfolded her in his arms. She looked up at him with her sky blue eyes. “Kiss me,” she whispered. Lucian leaned in, his lips slightly parted. Araceli shut her eyes and waited for their lips to meet. Then the full moon reappeared from the clouds.
He felt his body begin to change. Lucian yelled in pain as he tried to resist the change, but he couldn’t hold back. Araceli screamed as she watched him make his transformation into a wolf.

Lucian woke up from his nightmare and looked up at the moon. He had shaved, bathed, and then fallen asleep on deck. The cool night air hit his face as he stood up. A few of the men were awake on watch while the others slept in shifts. His father was asleep not too far away from him. Lucian slowed down his breathing and calmed down when he realized it had just been a bad dream.
Not all of it was bad, though
, he thought as he remembered Araceli. He felt desire stirring in his loins and tried to ignore it. He went below deck to check on her. Lucian heard her plucking away softly on the small lyre-like instrument that he didn’t know the name of. He knocked softly on her door.

“It’s Lucian,” he said and waited for her to respond.

“Come in, Lucian,” she said.

He opened the door, stepped inside, and closed the door behind him. “I couldn’t sleep,” he said as he stood there awkwardly.

“Nor I,” said Araceli. She smiled at him and patted a spot on the bed next to her. “Sit. Keep me company.”

Lucian walked over and sat down. “You look like you are feeling better. Took a bath, I see,” he commented. His eyes drifted lazily over her abundant bare skin.

“Yes,” she said, touching her wet hair. “I can’t wait until we are on shore again. It’s hard to feel clean after bathing in seawater. The salt dries out my skin.” Araceli ran her hand over her arm. Lucian watched with desire. Araceli could feel his eyes on her.

Lucian didn’t know what possessed him to do so, but he leaned over and licked the length of her bare upper arm and stopped at her shoulder. He inhaled deeply by her neck, smelling the jasmine oil. “Salty, yes, but you smell divine. What is that?” he asked.

Araceli was frozen and stunned. Lucian’s face was inches from hers. His eyes were closed. “Jasmine,” she said in barely a whisper. She waited for him to make a move. Her heart was racing, and her breaths were shallow. Unexpectedly, Lucian stood up quickly and walked to the door. “Lucian, wait!” she called after him. Araceli stood up and walked over. “You don’t find me beautiful at all?”

He was shocked at her question. Of course he found her beautiful. “You are the most beautiful creature my eyes have ever beheld, my lady,” he said as he gazed longingly into her eyes.

Araceli narrowed her eyes quizzically. “What’s the matter? Are you repulsed by my body?” she asked him with her hand on her belly. Her face was sad and confused.

“No,” he said with a soft chuckle. “You are even lovelier to me.”

Araceli bit her lower lip gently and then moved closer, positioning herself between the door and Lucian. She looked up into his dark eyes. “Kiss me, Lucian,” she commanded in a shy whisper. She sounded to him just as she had in his dream. He leaned in slowly and kissed her gently on her lips. She wrapped her hands around his neck and parted her mouth. His tongue found hers, and he kissed her more aggressively. It was close to the full moon, and his more animal side was starting to show. Araceli did not seem to mind as she kissed him back with equal force. He slid his hands up and loosed the clasp of her gown. It dropped to the ground, and Lucian backed her up against the door. He removed his tunic and pressed his naked body against hers. He was hard and muscular. She ran her hands over his chest, then down his back to his firm buttocks. She watched him seem to melt with her touch. Araceli smiled at him playfully.

Then Lucian made some sort of growling noise and bit her neck and sucked it. Araceli arched her neck back. Lucian grabbed her by the back of her neck and kissed her passionately. Suddenly, he broke away and looked at her to make sure this was really happening. Araceli gave him a lusty look and grabbed his hardness with her hands. To her surprise he was large and thick. Lucian made a low moaning noise as she moved her hands gently up and down. She felt his fingers slip inside her, and his thumb caressed her nub. She moaned with pleasure as he teased her with his hand. Lucian removed his hand suddenly and grabbed her wrists gently. He raised her arms over her head and held them with one hand. Without taking his eyes off hers, he lowered his body for a second and entered her when he rose. Araceli gasped and he covered her mouth with his own. Lucian let go of her wrists and grabbed her around her waist. Her arms dropped to his shoulders. She moaned louder as he thrust himself inside her faster and faster. Then he grabbed her buttocks and lifted her up in the air. Araceli wrapped her legs around his waist, and Lucian moved deeper insider her. Soon Araceli cried out as she climaxed. Her cries excited him, and he moved faster and faster. Lucian groaned loudly as he spilled his seed inside her. His thrusting turned into little jerking movements that continued to slow down until he stopped moving all together and let out one last groan.

“Lucian,” she whispered. He kissed her again.

“I have nothing to call you,” he said as he traced her lips with his thumb.

“What?” she asked, confused and breathless.

“You need a name,” said Lucian. “Let me give you a name.”

“All right,” said Araceli, smiling.

Lucian thought for a moment of a name that was similar in meaning to hers. “I will name you in the language of my mother’s land, Britannia,” he said. “I will call you Skye because your eyes are the color of the sky on a perfect day,” he said.

“Skye,” she said, pronouncing the word in this other language. Even with everything she had lost, she still retained her ability to speak Latin and Greek. This language was neither. “I like it.”

Lucian was still holding her tightly, pressed up against the door. When he realized, he let go of her slowly, and her legs drifted to the floor. His hands drifted to her belly. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked.

“No,” she answered.

“Good,” he said. Then he walked over to the tub and dipped a cloth in the water. He cleaned himself off and climbed into her bed.

Skye walked over and got into the tub once again. She sponged herself off and climbed out. Skye dried herself off quickly and shyly and then joined him in the bed. She lay with her back to him. Lucian curled up right next to her and put his arm around her. She ran her fingers through his, and he kissed her shoulder. Skye became drowsy with the gently rocking of the ship and soon drifted off into a deep sleep.

.

Chapter Eleven

H
ERCULANEUM, 79
AD

A
ndrocles walked through the ashes and ruins of Herculaneum. He escaped once Amara’s ship reached the shores of Egypt. There he found a ship captain and used his new powers to control the man. They sailed to Herculaneum at once. Androcles knew he couldn’t stay long if Amara was searching for him. She had tried to command him to return to her, but he was able to resist his maker’s orders. There in Herculaneum he found what had once been the ludus. The villa was destroyed. He walked to the gladiator cells. Rubble blocked the entryway. Androcles threw it off to the side and went below. Androcles found Araceli’s bracelet lying on the ground of the corridor. He picked it up and wept. Androcles put the bracelet in his sack and walked to his old cell. He had written his story, their story, on some unused scrolls he’d found on the ship. He decided to bury them here with her. Androcles chiseled a block out of the cell wall. Then he hollowed it out. Inside he placed the scrolls and then slipped the block back into the wall. He sealed the cracks with dust and dirt from the floor. Then Androcles walked out of the cell and out into the courtyard. He threw the rubble back in front of the entryway and walked away forever.

“Lucian, I can’t go on,” Skye said breathlessly. She was cold and tired, and her body ached all over. They were making their way through the mountains. It seemed as if they had been walking forever. Tiberius and the other men had trekked on ahead of Lucian and Skye because she moved so slowly. She was in her eighth month now, and her belly was huge. Despite all the seasickness she’d endured, Skye yearned for the ship when compared to all the climbing and walking.

“Let me carry you,” Lucian offered. Lucian had covered her as best he could to protect her from the snow. As a werewolf, his body temperature ran hotter than normal, and the cold didn’t bother him much. But he knew it was too much for her. Lucian admired her strength. He picked her up and carried her. “Is that better?” he asked.

Skye pressed herself as close as possible. He was toasty warm. She couldn’t understand why she was freezing and he was always warm. “A bit, but I beg you we must stop and rest.”

Lucian looked up and saw his father walking back toward them. “Lucian!” he called.

“Father,” he said, greeting Tiberius. “We must stop and rest,” he explained.

“I’m such a burden,” Skye said sleepily. “Leave me. Go on without me.”

“Shhh. Don’t talk that way, child,” said Tiberius. “We must get her warmed up with a fire. She doesn’t look so good. There is a cave ahead. It will be perfect for tonight.”

Tiberius’s eyes flashed amber. Lucian understood what he meant. The full moon was coming. He would have to leave Skye somewhere safe again when he phased. The last time Lucian left her he was able to make up an excuse that they were going hunting. He didn’t know what he would tell her now. Lucian followed his father. Ten minutes later they were at the mouth of a small cave. Tiberius and the men had already cleaned it out and made a comfortable bed for Skye to lie on. They built a small fire inside, and someone started cooking a soup. Skye was asleep in his arms. He was worried about her. The men were gathering more sticks to make fire piles to guard the entrance to the cave. Tiberius stayed in the cave with Skye and Lucian.

“Lay her down and take off your clothes,” Tiberius ordered.

“Why?” Lucian asked.

“She is too far gone for that fire. She needs body heat to warm her up. I am sure she would prefer you to do it over me,” he said knowingly.

Lucian looked down at Skye. She wasn’t moving, and she was pale. He removed his clothes quickly and climbed under the blanket next to her. Lucian wrapped her in his arms and pulled her face to his chest. Tiberius added some more sticks to the fire.

After an hour or so, Skye started to stir. She nuzzled her face into his chest some more. Tiberius had left with the men as the sun began to set. They wanted to distance themselves from the cave for when they phased. They wouldn’t hurt Skye in their other form, but they left so she would not discover their secret just yet.

“Skye, wake up,” Lucian said softly.

“Lucian?” she asked.

“How do you feel?” he asked as he stroked the hair out of her face. She looked up at him and smiled.

“Like I could sleep for a year,” she replied. Skye pressed her body closer to his. Lucian chuckled when he realized what she was doing.

“And I wish I could stay with you right here for that year,” he said. “But I have to leave you again tonight for a little while.”

“No, please stay with me,” she begged. “Don’t leave me alone again.”

Lucian’s heart broke to have to leave her. “I must go,” he said. The sunlight was almost gone. He could barely hold back against the change. Lucian stood up and dressed quickly. “There is some soup for you. You need to eat and regain your strength.” He turned around, and Skye was standing.

She went and looked outside. The men had made fire piles again on the mouth of the cave. Skye saw the moon rising. It was full. The last time they all left her the moon had been full as well. She was growing suspicious, but of what she didn’t know. She just sensed something strange was going on.

“The moon is full,” Skye said accusingly. Lucian couldn’t look her in the eyes. She knew he was hiding something because of the way his body tensed. “When we landed on shore the moon was full, and you all left me on board. We walk for a month and then the moon is full, and you all leave me in a cave. Now here the moon is full again, and you are leaving me again!” Her voice had risen in her anger and frustration. “Tell me where you go, what you do, Lucian.”

Lucian was looking at the ground. He couldn’t lie to her again, so he decided just to leave her without an explanation, no matter how angry she would be with him.

“Lucian! Don’t you dare walk away from me, you coward!” she yelled.

Lucian turned around and grabbed her. He kissed her fiercely. “Trust me, Skye,” he said, gazing deeply into her eyes. There was a loud howling coming from outside, followed by several others. Lucian looked at the entryway, his body stirring with impatience. “Please. I’ll be back.” Lucian kissed her again quickly, and then he leaned over and kissed her belly. Skye watched with tears in her eyes as he walked out of the cave and lit the piles with a torch. Then he was gone.