Burning Blood: Bonds of Blood: Book 2

by Daniel De Lorne

  As Olivier took her hand and gave her his jackal-smile, she easily saw the good that would come from his demise.

  And now the players in their little drama had arrived, she could do little else but watch, wait, and mop up the blood.

  XIII

  It worked. Praise the gods, it worked.

  Carn laughed and rocked on his ass as the three stones floated around him at perfect intervals without wavering. His happiness increased his energy and banished the heaviness in his limbs until he thought he’d levitate too.

  Now that he had the hang of it, he added a fourth and a fifth, and sent all of them around Hame as well, tracing a figure eight. He watched them with wide eyes, but he didn’t need to concentrate on them, just keep an output of power that pushed them where he wanted them to go. And then, with another release of energy cascading out of him, every stone within ten yards rose off the ground. They crossed over one another, each one intersecting without connecting. His heart buzzed, knowing he had achieved a great thing. And when he looked at Hame, he saw the same broad smile that had broken across his own face.

  He leapt forward, knocking Hame back onto the grass, and kissed him deeply. He let go of his power, knowing he’d need all his strength and focus to make his redheaded oracle as happy as he now felt, and he didn’t care if that meant the whole damn forest heard.

  Hame’s lips returned his hunger, his tongue sliding in and fighting his. The meaty wetness pressing, dominating had him moaning into the oracle’s mouth. His whole body vibrated from the invasion until he thought he’d break apart. But he needed more, and his hand rushed down inside Hame’s trousers and wrapped around the thickening cock inside.

  Hame’s body crunched forward. “Slowly.” He pulled his hand away.

  Carn drew back, his lips the last part of him to leave that divine body. He stood, ripped the shirt off over his head, and pulled down his trousers. His cock pulsed when he saw Hame lick his top lip.

  “Get undressed,” he ordered.

  “There’s no rush.” Hame smiled. “I want to look at you a while.”

  Only deep breathing stopped him from diving onto the oracle. The beast raged within, but he managed to hold back, for a little while enjoying the appreciation of his naked form. He smoothed his hand over his chest, running over the light hair that covered his pectorals, and then rubbed his nipples. Eyes followed hands, and his skin prickled from the combination of the breeze cooling his sweat, the thrill of being ogled, and the hard pressure he used to explore his body.

  As his hand slipped lower, Hame lifted off his shirt to reveal that beautiful body Carn had lusted after the first moment he saw it. But he was denied the full revelation.

  Hame twirled his finger in the air. “Turn around.”

  His cock twitched at the command, but he didn’t touch himself. He only wanted this man’s hands on him now; anything else would be a poor consolation. He turned, tensing his ass as he did so. He heard the rustle of trousers being dropped, and soon heat blazed against his back. A rough hand touched his shoulder blade before it slid down.

  “I like this.” Hame’s fingers circled around the three moles on his back in the shape of a pyramid.

  He laughed. “I’m standing here naked and all you like is—”

  Hame kissed the back of his neck, and bare flesh pressed against him. Carn moaned, a low sound that sent shivers rippling. He ground back, which earned him a quick and sharp bite to his nape. His heated blood powered his need. He’d had enough of games and waiting. He wanted the oracle now.

  He spun round, preparing to take them both to the ground, but Hame’s hand wrapped fast around his cock, causing him to shudder. The firm grip pumped up and down, each movement tensing his stomach and groin. He wasn’t sure how long he could last. He grabbed Hame’s wrist, halting him even though he wanted to keep going. He looked into green eyes and saw how much the oracle enjoyed having him this way.

  But Carn wanted his reward for mastering the lesson. He forced Hame to the ground.

  “I see you like to be in control.” Hame chuckled.

  Carn slid his hands over Hame’s solid bare chest. Straddling the oracle, Hame’s cock rubbed against the cleft between his cheeks. He reached behind, positioned him, and then pushed down, not caring how much it hurt. Hame’s hips shifted away, trying to slow his descent, but he wanted the oracle inside him, and he’d take anything as long as he got what he craved.

  He arched his back as Hame speared into him. It burned, but he wouldn’t be deterred. Pain darted through his body, but pleasure spiraled after it. He moved in a rhythm that had his new lover bucking beneath him.

  “Touch me. Please,” Carn begged.

  Hame’s fist curled around his shaft, the coarseness of his hands like fire on his skin. He rose up then plunged down hard.

  “Yes. Yes,” he gasped as Hame’s hand worked him.

  He locked onto the oracle’s eyes and lost himself in the knowledge shining within them that they were destined for each other, and all the joy and horror that would bring.

  “I am yours,” Carn whispered.

  The words lit gunpowder. Neck straining, Hame thrust harder, punching into his ass. The pressure built and Carn was getting close. He breathed rapidly, the tension swirling within his balls and rising out of them, ready to shoot. He tried to hold it back, but it was futile. He moaned, and screwed his eyes shut as he erupted. Grunting, he shot over Hame’s pumping hand, and his body caved, exhausted.

  A second later Hame groaned, pounding into his ass with one final blow, but he was like a rag doll on him then, pulsing as the orgasm racked his body, the warm tingling rushing up and down his spine. His breath heaved out of him, and he wiped his dripping brow.

  He managed to lift his drowsy head, the ecstatic haze shimmering over his vision making it hard to focus, but through it he noticed Hame lay silent. He breathed, but he stared into nothing, limp and unresponsive.

  “Hame! Wake up!”

  Hame jolted as if he’d been struck by lightning, and one word blew away Carn’s after-glow in a puff of smoke.

  “Aurelia!”

  XIV

  Most of the men left the castle the next morning to hunt. Olivier went with them, having already set his sights on the Duke and his son, Wolf, who’d arrived the night before. The Duke was like Henri; a lure Olivier could not resist. From her place on the steps overlooking a courtyard filled with servants and lords, horses and hounds, she wondered if all of them would return alive.

  Thierry and Reiner vanished to follow other pursuits, something that brought a twinge of a smile. They had become acquainted over dinner the previous evening and it hadn’t taken long for Thierry to recognize Etienne’s soul. She hoped he’d find some happiness in the remaining days.

  Her head pounded, and she rubbed her forehead to ease the ache a little. The worries of being here weren’t the only cause; Hame had been trying to get through to her since the previous evening. She had no desire to let him in, not after his pleasure had flooded her, leaving her damp and sick with envy. He could do what he liked with Carn, but she refused to be an intimate part of it.

  “Are you poorly, my dear?” Liesel massaged the back of Aurelia’s neck.

  Liesel’s touch soothed her. The stabbing behind her eyes dulled enough to let her regain some composure. When she looked at Liesel, she thought for the barest of moments that it was Elaine who offered such tenderness. Her breath caught in her throat, then she coughed to cover her alarm.

  “My head is a little sore. Perhaps I had too much wine last night.” She laughed.

  “Maybe you should retire for a while. The men won’t return for hours, and I know how you weary of sitting with the women.”

  “No.” She gripped Liesel’s arm tightly. “I mean, thank you, but I would rather spend my time with you, alone if we may.”

  Liesel’s brow furrowed; her eyes rimmed with concern. “Of course. Let’s go up to my rooms.”

  Aurelia smiled easy, but she didn�
�t let go of Liesel’s arm until they’d settled inside her chambers. Liesel dismissed the servants, the door closed, and the hustle and bustle faded away. Hame sat in the back of her skull, tapping away, but she bricked him up. It was a reckless act. He may have had a vision that required her attention, but she forced herself not to care.

  “Are you still thinking of your red rabbit?”

  Aurelia waved her hand. “Ignore me. My mother always said brooding never did anyone any good.”

  “She was right.” Liesel’s warm smile, so unfettered and without falsity, hammered her heart. “I haven’t heard you mention your mother before.”

  “She passed away many years ago.”

  “You must have been so young. I was lucky that my mother lived well into her dotage, but when she died, it was like I was a little girl again. What happened, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  Stone claws seized her intestines. She could have lied, but she had told Liesel so many lies. “She was murdered.”

  Liesel gasped. “Murdered? Oh, my dear, that is horrible. You poor thing. Your poor mother.”

  “It was so long ago now yet I wish for more time to know her, more time to be with her.”

  She kept her eyes downcast, tracing the gold inlay on the tabletop, but she looked up when Liesel sniffed. Tears shimmered in her friend’s eyes. At first, she couldn’t understand why. Liesel’s mother had not been the one murdered, she had not lost, but then she understood.

  Liesel’s empathy cracked something inside Aurelia, and what leaked out yowled for comfort, and it needed Liesel’s aged and wizened arms to enfold her. She ran to Liesel’s side, fell to the ground and lay her head in Liesel’s lap. She thought her tears had dried centuries ago, but she wept as Liesel stroked her hair, the way Elaine used to do. Each gentle brush of her hand scoured her heart, and she cried for what she’d lost and what she was about to lose.

  And because she wasn’t strong enough to find it again.

  Sinara was out there, centuries had passed without a word, and now it was too late. It was all too late.

  She could see it all happening around her, but fate forbade her to intervene. Thierry and Reiner became ever more entangled, and Olivier would soon uncover their secret. He already had Wolf in his thrall, and the Duke would eventually succumb to Olivier’s plans. Liesel was drawn too, despite Aurelia’s efforts otherwise, and before long she was alone. This world had moved on without her, its axle oiled with blood.

  After arguing with Thierry and trying to get him to rein in Olivier, she chose to leave. She told him other events required her attention, and if Hame’s persistent presence in her head was anything to go by, then it was likely true.

  She locked herself in her room, forcing down the last bit of pride as she sat on the cushioned chair. Her focus turned inwards. She opened her mind.

  Now are you ready to listen to me?

  The headache eased immediately.

  Hame, I’m sorry.

  Silence.

  Did you hear me?

  Are you feeling well? I don’t think I’ve heard an apology from you in the past hundred years.

  Her displeasure snaked through like some toxic miasma.

  Now that’s the Aurelia I know and love.

  Her pulse spiked. I mean it.

  Yes, yes, apology accepted. I should scold you for keeping me waiting for so long.

  You could try.

  He laughed. Have you checked on Georg lately?

  Aurelia’s stomach sank.

  Whatever trick he pulled before, it was a good one.

  Is Xadrak back?

  I can’t see him, but I think so.

  She let out a long string of curses, none of which made her feel any better.

  It’s not as dire as all that, Hame said. Not yet.

  He told her what he’d seen, that Georg was no longer the quiet clockmaker but rapidly growing in his power. Where he was, he didn’t know but she’d have to locate him soon. She wished she had more help, the thought leaking out to Hame who eagerly snapped it up like a fox pouncing on a mouse.

  Use Carn. He’s mastered your test, exceeded it even.

  She growled at the witch’s name. I’m sure you have more uses for him than I do.

  He laughed at her and sent an unwelcome flash of images, luckily too fast for her to see individually but she caught the gist. Her cheeks burned.

  I think he’s coming along nicely. But seriously, do not ignore this one.

  I know, I know. He’s important. They’re all bloody important. Just once I’d like to meet someone who isn’t.

  He chuckled. No, you wouldn’t.

  And then he left, and her mind echoed with his warning. Spurred on, she scried for the clockmaker. She imagined his bespectacled face but as soon as she tried to search for the real thing his likeness shredded.

  Could he be dead?

  After attempting a few more times to find him, she swung her attention to his workshop. That came together without any difficulty, though it had changed.

  Smoke blackened the front of the shop, the window-frame rimmed with glass teeth, the beams burned, and what clocks remained stood silent. Many of them were empty shells, their faces fallen off, their hands and cogs incinerated. For all the destruction, she saw no sign of Georg, corpse or otherwise.

  She had to return to Salzburg.

  XV

  Throughout the night, Aurelia ached to say a proper goodbye to Liesel, but she held firm. She would wait until the moment of her departure, a cruel act far kinder in the long run. It was some hours after the sun rose before she prepared to leave. The servant girl dressed her, then she ordered for her luggage to be packed quickly and brought down to her coach, which Aurelia summoned.

  She then left the room and stepped into the corridor. The quiet soothed her. Here she stood in between one action and the next, knowing that when she found Liesel, the emotions she’d rather not face would surface.

  But it couldn’t be helped. She had to relinquish her already weak grip on life at the castle and attend to matters that cared not for friendship and love. With no reason to delay further, she inhaled deeply, smoothed down the front of her dress, and went in search of Liesel.

  She heard her before she saw her. Liesel’s distinctive laugh, like that of a clucking hen, came as she reached the hall. Drawn into the parlor, she stopped abruptly, her heart stilling.

  Olivier’s grin sharpened as he spied her in the doorway. He sat beside Liesel, leaning forward a little as if he leered at her with his whole person. But Liesel didn’t mind; in fact, she enjoyed it, putting on an unfamiliar coquettish air. Such was Olivier’s power. No one else minded either; if anything, they looked like they wished to trade places with her. Wolf sat nearby with the same expression as the women. Her brother was the only one out of the ten other people in the room that noticed her. That realization stung.

  He tracked her as she entered and sat beside Liesel. Her throat throbbed, refusing to swallow, and to show how much Olivier’s predatory gaze unnerved her. Even though she could defend herself without any problem from whatever attack he might launch at her, she wasn’t so foolish to believe he didn’t pose a threat. He maintained a mirthless smile, his silence causing Liesel to finally wonder what had drawn his attention. When she turned and saw her there, a flash as cold as acid splashed across her eyes. Aurelia took hold of Liesel’s hand, and soon her friend returned.

  “Oh, my dear, I was wondering when you were going to join us,” Liesel said. “We’ve been listening to the most wonderful stories.”

  “I am sure the good gentleman knows all sorts of tall tales.” Her eyes flicked to his, but she may as well have been looking into the eyes of a statue for all the difference her words made.

  “And I’m sure the lady does as well,” he said.

  “Sadly, we will not have the chance to exchange them.” She returned to Liesel. “I am afraid I must return home.”

  Liesel’s happiness tumbled from her face, and a small part
of her rejoiced knowing that for all Olivier’s charms, she was the one truly prized in Liesel’s heart.

  “Why?”

  “I’ve received word about my estate, and sadly it must take me away.”

  Liesel’s eyes narrowed. Aurelia rarely had cause to leave quickly and over the years she’d spent with Liesel, she’d never mentioned her estate. But what other reason could she give?

  “I fear you are not being entirely truthful with me, but whatever it may be, I wish I could help ease your burden.”

  She tried not to squeeze Liesel’s hand too tight, but she couldn’t help but hold on. She was going to lose her.

  “I wish so, too.”

  “The place won’t seem the same without you.” Olivier’s voice slithered into her ear, and his hand reached forward and covered theirs. She looked up into eyes the color of fire and sneered at him.

  But as quickly as he’d intruded, he retreated. He’d won, and they both knew it.

  “I shall call your carriage.” He stood and summoned over a servant.

  “That won’t be necessary.” She rose from her seat. “It is already waiting.”

  “So soon?” cried Liesel.

  She nodded, her hand still clasping her friend’s, only this time the Baroness held tighter. She pumped her hand and bid her rise. The castle’s ebb and flow threatened to drag her back down, and the weight crushing her chest made her legs quiver. It would be so easy to stay, to banish Olivier from the castle and to pretend—for a little while longer—that this life was real and possible.

  She had to get away.

  With Liesel by her side, she exited the castle, barely able to walk without stumbling. That dread hampering her even more until she thought she’d become rooted to the earth.

  I don’t want to go. I don’t want to lose her.

  Her carriage waited, and a crowd gathered. Thierry and Reiner emerged; her brother already aware of her plans to leave. On the steps, Liesel cried, and Aurelia embraced her. She held onto whatever strength she could so she would not shatter, but her eyes came away wet from that hug. She held the Baroness’s hand until the last moment.