Worlds on Fire (Guardians Book 1.5)

by Lexi Ostrow

  Laughter bubbled up and escaped at the thought. Her, a small princess, barely trained in the ways of keeping a home, assigned to protect and defend someone should evil come from the books he reads and to fight on the side of good in some war to end all wars. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the laughter slowly became nothing more than gasps for air. None of this bore any resemblance to sanity.

  Minutes passed before she righted herself and wiped at the tears from laughter on her cheeks. “I promise I'm not daft. I was merely thinking of the insanity behind assigning someone of my stature to protect someone of, well, your stature.” He smiled again and she felt the same surge of need. This was going to be impossible to convince him to let her leave if she was having trouble believing she wanted to herself.

  “Well, I won't disagree. But who knows, maybe behind all your fragile beauty you pack a mean right hook.” She flushed red at this comment about her looks and wrapped her hand over his outstretched arm. “I'm being given just enough time to take you to my place, then I have to head back to the firehouse for paperwork. But after that I'm all yours.”

  Her pupils dilated at the images that floated around her head and she wondered if his words held the implications she was imagining or if she was making a fool of herself.

  Julian was tossed a small black device by the man he had been speaking to and he played on the front of it before raising it to his ear. “Yes I'd like a taxi at the Best Western Inn. It's the scene of a fire so access won't be allowed, but I will be waiting on the corner.” He paused and nodded before uttering thanks and removing the apparent talking device from his ear.

  “What on Earth is that thing?” She reached out to take it and he hesitated before putting it in her hands. Amusement danced across his face and she felt foolish, but too intrigued to care as she looked over the black device that appeared to have nothing but a reflective screen on it.

  “We call them cell phones. It's a way for us to communicate across long distances very quickly.” He pushed a button on the bottom of it and the front became illuminated. “We can also use it to play games, send photos and pretty much anything else. Go on, touch it.”

  Serena hesitated for a moment before touching the surface. Something flickered and a bright box opened up with numbers on it. Her head cocked to the side as she tried to figure out its meaning. Unsure as the use she passed it back to him. “I can't say I understand anything you are talking about. But if it allows you to bridge distances so easily I should think it a wonderful invention and a shame not everyone can have one.”

  He chuckled as they walked out of the busy area in front of the hotel and stopped on the corner. “I have a feeling there is going to be a lot to show you.” A yellow version of the moving carriages with a box atop it pulled up in front of them and Julian opened the door after whispering, “It's a car. This helps us move great distances quickly.”

  Serena nodded, having no choice but to accept everything he told her at this point. With his guidance she slipped inside the...car and mimicked him as he strapped a harness of some sort over his chest. The car lurched forward as she was about to ask him something and she gasped at the sudden speed. Laughter touched his eyes, but he was polite enough not to utter it out loud.

  So many questions rattled off in her head as the car made its journey over the path and stopped at a house far larger than any she had seen before, except the castle. She'd not vocalized anything as another man had been taking them places like a footman. She didn't know how she felt about being overheard. She’d already made a fool of herself with that other man. Julian passed over something green and some coins and got out of the car. She followed his lead and his hand slipped perfectly around hers as they walked to his door. His actions had been knightly the whole of their interactions. Worthy.

  She was already aware of how much trouble she would be in if her heart began to desire this man anymore.

  Chapter Five

  Julian's hand fumbled to take the house key from his pocket. Sitting next to her in the cab had been intoxicating. She smelled almost entirely of smoke and ash. Almost. He could smell a faint trace of roses and wondered if she used rose water when she bathed as he often heard they did in her time period. His body hummed with pent up lust and he didn't know how he would handle being around her if his dick kept pressing into his zipper so damn hard it felt like it was about to slice into him.

  After two unsuccessful attempts, the key slipped into the lock and released the pin with a click. He pushed the door open and Serena did nothing to hide her gasp as she stepped inside. He didn't want to interrupt her, he knew this must be an overload, so he leaned against the doorframe and simply watched as the princess searched his place.

  Or at least he thought she would have. Instead she began to gently bounce on her toes. Her eyes were transfixed on the floor until she brought them to meet his and he swore he was lost to her then and there, completely. Her smile was infectious as it spread across her lips.

  “It's soft.” Her voice held an inquisitive note and he narrowed his eyes, confused.

  “Soft?”

  She moved on her tip toes again. “Yes, this floor. It is quite soft. May I?” She pointed at her shoes and he nodded, despite having no clue what she’d been asking him about her shoes. She stepped out of them and he groaned, even her feet were delicate and perfect. “This is wonderful. Please, what do you call it?”

  He laughed out loud at her amusement. Wait till she she's the electronics. “It's called carpet. Many houses have it and many more have hard wood floor or tile.”

  Her face scrunched and she shook her head. Clearly impressed. “Well I'm glad you have this carpet. Aside from animal rugs I have never felt such softness on my feet and it might be a better invention than that cell phone of yours.” She grinned and he pushed off the wall, fully laughing.

  “I can promise you, Lady Serena, there are things far better and more important than the invention of carpet.” He took her hand to playfully place a kiss on the back of it and when his lips touched her she gasped. Her hand remained in his and he lifted his head.

  Her eyes were widened; her tongue crept out and quickly wet her lower lip. Electricity sparked in the air between them and he would be damned if he didn't get to taste her. His hand slid up her back, caressing the satin of the destroyed dress and her shoulders as he moved it up her body slowly before cupping the back of her head. The flowers crushed beneath his hand and he felt the few remaining pearls press into him.

  He wasn't sure who moved first between them, but his lips were on hers and his groan of pleasure wasn't very well contained. She kissed so softly, almost as if she were afraid and it turned him on. He pushed her for more, gently tracing his tongue over the seam of her lips until she realized what he wanted and she opened her mouth for him.

  As his tongue swept over hers, she was timid, her movements were slow and allowed him to be in the lead. She whimpered and the blood flowed to his cock, making it harder than ever. He went as slow as he could. Using his free hand to trace a pattern up her back. As he deepened the kiss further, she finally relaxed. Her body pressed into his and if she was offended by his hard on he would never know.

  Her body molded perfectly to his and his blood was on fire with need. She groaned and nipped at his lower lip. His hands itched to undo the ties of the dress, but he knew from her kissing she wasn't ready, wasn't experienced enough and he did not want to take her out of desperation.

  Growling at his own sexual frustration, he took his hands from her body and carefully pulled away from the kiss. She looked up at him through lidded eyes, her lips were plump from his kiss and he cursed the do-gooder attitude he had just taken toward her. Her eyes shown with her own lust, but also confusion.

  “Did I do something wrong?” Her voice didn't hold any of the authoritative tone from the fire site and he almost smiled knowing she could be unnerved as well.

  He kissed the top of her forehead and forced his body away from hers. “No, never. But
I have someplace to be so I don't lose my job and if we don't stop that I won't be able to go anywhere.”

  She nodded, but stayed quiet. Annoyed at so many things he couldn't count he grabbed the remote off the couch and turned the TV on. She jumped at the noise and took steps closer to the wall. “Don't be alarmed. It's good. Just like the cell phone. It will let you watch things, be entertained until I can return.”

  “Moving portraits? But they do not look hand done?” She’d walked over to the TV and was staring at it as if she wanted to touch it.

  Julian pulled his gaze from her face and looked at the screen; saw Die Hard playing. Sooner or later something would explode and she would freak. The thought curved a smile on his lips. “Sort of. I will explain everything to you in a little bit. But for now please stay put. Don't go anywhere and the room down there—” he pointed into his kitchen “— just don't touch anything in there.”

  Color touched her cheeks just before she exploded. “I'll have you know, where I come from I am a princess and you will not order me around.” She stamped her foot and looked more like a petulant child than a member of the royal class.

  It was endearing and he closed the space between them, his body stopping a mere inch from hers. He tipped her chin up and kissed her. Once more her taste flooded his mouth and he pulled back to go to the door. Before closing it he looked at her; to see her one last time in case this was a dream and she wasn’t here. She had sat down on the couch and was still staring at the TV in horror and fascination.

  “I really will be right back.” He closed the door without another word and fixed his pants before getting into the taxi that had so patiently waited after dropping him off.

  * * *

  Serena watched Julian as the door closed behind him. The sound of it was so much quieter than when the large stone doors closed in the castle. Her hand absentmindedly raised to her lips and her fingertips brushed across her lips. They were numb from his kiss, but she still felt a tingle.

  “Serena you are in trouble.” Her voice was soft and barely audible over the sound of whatever was playing on what he had called a TV. Again, her hand rose to her lips and this time lingered there. He made her feel.

  She was not as innocent as her parents would like, even if she had not truly known a man. The summer of her fourteenth year she had stolen a kiss with a young duke at a ball. It had been nothing like this. Certainly he had not explored her mouth with his tongue or set her body on fire. She knew from talks with her sisters that it was lust and now that she had truly experienced it, her heart was a tangled mess. She could not stay here, she had a duty back in her world and no desire to learn all the craziness of this future world of Julian’s. That didn’t stop her from wanting Julian.

  An explosion from the TV caused her head to jerk around. Flames danced on the moving picture and for a brief moment she was paralyzed, her mind going back to being stuck in fire not once, but twice today. Tears stung her eyes as she thought of how unfair this was. She had never asked for an adventure and was quite content being raised to run a household and being a dutiful wife and queen. Now it would appear she would get to do neither. The man in the coat had been quite clear; if she could be seen by others then she was well and truly stuck.

  The tears slipped down her face and she rubbed them off. Her eyes stung from the dirt on her hands from the fires. “Really Serena you should be more careful.” She turned her head and looked around, seeking out a wash basin and hoping whatever they used would look similar enough that she would recognize it.

  The furnishings in this time really weren’t terribly different than in her own. There was certainly more glass used. She noted the table in front of her was clear and that his home had many more windows, larger ones too, than the castle did. But wood and cloth seemed to make the majority of it. Her eyes found a staircase and she was pleased to see that the plush carpet covered them as well.

  Looking down a hall she gasped at the room she saw. It was quite large and the countertops were topped with stone. But it was the devices inside that made her uneasy. All of the items near the counters were a shiny silver metal. One was tall, another short with a handle on its front. She spotted a faucet and silently thanked God that she had indeed located something to wash in.

  Pushing off the seat she walked, still enjoying the softness below her feet, to the room. The faucet was metal as well, and cold to the touch. Turning it she stuck her hands under the flow and began to scrub them. Out of nowhere the water grew hot, it was pleasant and she continued to scrub until she realized the heat was not stopping.

  “Ouch!” She jerked her hands back from the water and saw how red they were, be it from the scalding she just took or from scrubbing too hard. “Perhaps this was the room he mentioned staying out of.” If that was the case she had no desire to touch any of the other inventions in the room and see how they worked. Although her mind was spinning with the possibilities she wanted to try and avoid maiming herself.

  She slammed the faucet handle down and she frowned at not having been able to wash her face and gently ran her wet hands over it to feign cleanliness. Spying a towel near the basin she patted her face and rubbed it over her hands before folding it and setting it down on the counter.

  There was so much to explore she didn’t know where to start, or where she would get into the least amount of trouble. She let herself wander the rest of the first level and was surprised to find a strange bowl in a small room with another wash basin. When she pushed the handle water swirled and vanished. “Hmm, very curious. I should wonder what goes down here.”

  Leaving that room she climbed the stairs and noted how much easier it was than in the castle. They were nowhere near as steep or as many in number as at the castle and she was happy that she was not exhausted after climbing to the top. The narrow hall had three doors. Curiosity got the best of her and she stopped in each room. Two held beds and smaller versions of the TV downstairs and the third held a washbasin, a tall stall and another of the strange bowls. She made a mental note to simply ask Julian for a tour and an explanation of it all. She saw no reason to touch anything else after the disaster with the heated water.

  Serena went back to the seating area with the TV that was still playing and sat down. The moving painting wasn’t doing too much to hold her attention, but the seat was big enough for her to stretch out and she was quite tired. Laying her head on one end, she sighed contentedly as she lay down. Despite the loud noises in the room she was asleep as soon as her eyes closed, all thoughts of both worlds far from her mind.

  Chapter Six

  Julian finished the last of the paperwork and knocked on Chief’s door. A grunt from the inside told him to come in, but when he did he saw the man was on the phone and with a nod, left the paperwork on the desk and went to grab his basics from his bed.

  He eyed the book that he had left out on the bed when he’d changed out of his ash covered suit. When he looked around no one snickered at him. He scooped it off the bed and stuffed it in a bag with his computer and cell phone. “Catch you all in a few days.” With a salute he walked out of the firehouse.

  It felt strange to leave before his rotation was up and he was shocked that the chief had bought his story that it was a friend from Montgomery that he knew from college. The lie had come easily to him and he wondered how many more he would have to tell now that Serena was in his life. Others had seen her, shit everyone at the site had. She was really here and he had no clue how she could be an asset in any war. Though he had a strong idea of how she could be an asset to him. Aside from being beautiful, she was a spitfire, at the same time as she was loyal and demure. Then there was that kiss. His whole body had turned on, like she’d awoken something in him he hadn’t known was asleep because he’d never felt it before. His perfect woman had fallen out of a book for him and he was only just now realizing how dangerous bringing her into a war could, and most likely, would be.

  “Not to mention if we’ll even be alive for it.” As he s
tarted his truck he couldn’t help but wonder more about the apocalyptic type fight he had essentially been volunteered for. If this process of Guardian and Word Speaker had been going on for generations, did it meant that only those alive when it occurred were signed on? Or could he suddenly not die? “Why in the hell didn’t you think to ask these questions all those years ago, you dumbass? Oh right, because you were too in awe of a man popping in and out of a truck to think past it all being real.”

  Julian grumbled as he jammed the key in the ignition and backed out. His mind was all over the place, and his body was demanding sleep and more Serena. She’d been everything he’d been looking for. A real damsel in distress for him to save. Not to mention beautiful and passionate.

  A smirk spread across his lips as he thought about the kiss they shared before he left. Blood surged to his cock and he had to grind his teeth together to control the urge to speed home to her. There was no way she was going to be open to that and it had taken him almost twenty minutes to calm his dick down last time. This time he only had about eleven before he reached his house and he was fairly certain she didn’t want to be greeted by his erection. Even if he would like to screw her and sate the lust that had been riding him since his breakup, a hand only did so much and it was by far better to just ignore it.

  “Deep breaths, buddy, in and out.” He forced himself to breathe slowly and calmly. By the time he pulled into the garage and shut the car off, his erection had settled down, though he knew it wouldn’t take much to excite him again. He was a ticking time bomb and he had to figure out just where she stood on the matter before he made a move indicating his stance. Just because she kissed him didn’t mean she had any feelings for him. For all he knew she was just tense from everything and he had saved her, drawn out feelings of passion. He’d heard about that before, couldn’t remember the name of it, but knew it was real.