by Vivi Anna
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in this world and the other.”
He trailed his fingers from her knee down her thigh, feathering light caresses to her skin. Her flesh vibrated as he neared her sex. She sucked in a breath as he slid a finger over her sprinkling of red hair and slipped inside her soft folds.
Shudders of pleasure raced over her body. She’d never felt anything so sensory before, so intense. She arched her back as he stroked her. She rode the swell of desire while Sebastian caressed her even more, then boldly slipped a finger into her.
She cried out, tangling her hands into the blanket on the bed. More sensations washed over her as he stroked and manipulated her, adding another finger, alternating between fast and slow. She was dizzy by the time she realized that he had removed his fingers and was nuzzled against her opening.
With one hand he pushed her leg back, spreading her wide. The other hand slowly worked the round knob of his erection back and forth along her slick folds. Biting her lip, she arched her back, urging him further. However much it would hurt, she wanted him inside.
“Relax, darling. I’ll go slow.” He spoke through gritted teeth.
She could tell that he struggled with restraint. His arms shook and sweat rolled down his face to drip onto her belly. It was an obvious effort for him to not ram into her body, yet he took care to go slow. Could she push him far enough so that he would lose control? Did she possess the power to drive him mad? The tantalizing thought filtered through her mind. She hoped to find out.
With a slow practiced stroke, he inched into her, then stopped as the first pang of pain radiated inside. She released her breath, allowing her body to adjust to him, allowing the pain to shift into something else. It did, and she took in a ragged breath.
Leaning forward, he pushed a little more of himself into her. She reached up and gripped his shoulders, digging her fingers in. “I won’t break. I promise.”
Clamping his eyes shut, he fell forward and drove the rest of the way into her. More pain flared up her thighs and over her belly. But the moment Sebastian started to move inside her, the pain receded, and only pleasure washed through her.
She wrapped her arms around him as he took her. He found her mouth and kissed her hard. For every stroke of his tongue he matched it with each stroke inside her core. Hooking her legs over his hips, she arched up to meet him.
He buried his hands in her hair as he drove into her, taking her to the edge. “My Drea,” he panted into her ear. “My beautiful girl.” Then buried himself deep, to her womb.
Crying out, she raked her nails over his back. A different type of warmth radiated over her, from her, from him. It was a sensation she didn’t understand. It reminded her of the magic she’d seen him do. Like green wildfire, it encompassed their bodies.
Writhing underneath Sebastian’s powerful form, Drea sensed she was near the verge. She could hardly breathe, she could hardly think. She could only feel. Every nerve ending in her body fired, every cell seemed to explode, every muscle clenched.
With every drag and pull, each thrust, she drew closer and closer, until finally everything around her exploded into feelings she couldn’t name. Squeezing her eyes shut, Drea screamed as she came for the first time in her life.
“Oh, Sebastian,” she cried as she squeezed her legs around him, milking him, trying desperately to hang on as her orgasm took control.
Gripping her tight around the shoulders, Sebastian pumped once, then twice, then slammed into her and, burying his face into her neck, he came. She felt every powerful surge as he emptied himself inside her.
She didn’t know how long it was before she could think, let alone move. Breathing hard, she ran a hand up and down Sebastian’s back, enjoying the feel of his sweaty skin. He groaned, then lifted himself off her to roll onto his back. His arm was over his face and he groaned again.
With her breath mimicking his, she whispered, “Is it always like this?”
Removing his arm, Sebastian glanced at her and smiled. He tugged on her, drawing her close into the crook of his arm. Once there, he stroked her arm with his fingers, then found her mouth with his. He kissed her so thoroughly that it made her toes curl all over again.
“I don’t know, as I’ve never felt this way before.”
She raised her hand to play with the hair on his chest. Her arm felt leaden and she giggled at the tingles in her muscles. “Although I’m tired, I feel more alive than I’ve ever felt before.”
Sebastian kissed the tip of her nose. “As do I.”
Yawning, Drea snuggled in closer. It felt right being here with him. But she knew it couldn’t last. He was determined to go home. She couldn’t blame him, not really. If their positions had been reversed, she knew she’d do whatever was necessary to get back to her village, to her father.
She was about to tell him how happy she was, when he stiffened underneath her.
Chapter Eleven
He covered her mouth with his hand. “Shh.” She struggled against him but he held her firm. “I heard something in the other room.”
Drea stopped struggling and he took his hand away from her mouth. Despite the imminent danger, he was acutely aware of her body pressed to his. The wildflower scent she always carried on her skin and hair. The light sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her dainty nose. And—most affecting—the firm swell of her breasts pressed intimately against his chest. If he didn’t suspect that the elves were outside looking for a way in, he might have given in to his rising feelings again.
As it was, he gently pushed her away. “Get dressed.”
She reached for her smallclothes and dress. “Maybe it’s just John or Lottie,” she whispered.
“Maybe, but I’m going to find out.” He quickly pulled on his trousers and shirt.
It was hard to hear anything over the persistent plinking of rain and the occasional wall-shaking clap of thunder but he knew he’d heard glass breaking. Whoever it was had broken the window in the next room and climbed inside. His bet was on the elves. Who else would have cause to sneak up on them? Any person without nefarious doings would’ve walked through the front door, especially on a night like this.
“I’m going to check on the situation.” He drew his short sword. “You stay here.”
She grabbed onto his arm. “I’m not staying here by myself.”
“I’ll take you down to John and Lottie. We need to warn them.”
Together, Drea pressed against him, they crept out of the room. There was no one waiting for them on the landing. Slowly, quietly, they made it down the stairs to the main room. John and Lottie were still asleep at the table, their heads down.
“You wake them and get out.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Confront our guests.”
“I’m coming.”
He sighed. “Drea, it’s too dangerous.”
“Stop. I’m tired of hearing that. What would you know is too dangerous for me?”
There was another flash of lightning coming from upstairs. It was enough light to see a streak of movement on the landing.
“We need to get out of here.”
“What about John and Lottie?”
The couple hadn’t moved. Surely the noise of their movements and the thunder would’ve woken them up. Sebastian stared hard at them and noticed a dark pool beneath the table. Blood.
“There’s nothing we can do for them.”
Eyes wide, she turned her head and looked at the couple. Tears formed in her eyes. “They’re dead because of us.”
Sebastian wrapped his arms around Drea and took her down to the floor just as an arrow zipped by. It imbedded into the side of the table with an audible thunk.
“Follow me. Stay low to the ground.”
He started across the tavern
, Drea close behind him. Another arrow flew overhead. It stuck in the door with a resounding thrang just as Sebastian pushed it open. They rushed outside. Sebastian shut the door behind them and dragged the water trough over to block it. It wouldn’t stop their pursuers for long, but might allot them a few extra moments to find an escape route.
He grabbed Drea’s hand, and together they dashed into the barn to find the horse was gone.
“We need to find a way out of here,” he said.
“There’s a boat. On the river.”
Sebastian looked up at the dark sky. Rain still poured down, lightning still flashed across the black clouds. Being on a boat was going to be dangerous in this weather. But he didn’t see any other options. There was no way they could outrun the elves in the woods. He suspected they had their horses tethered nearby.
He took her hand again and squeezed. “Don’t let go of me.”
“I won’t.”
Together they ran back out into the rain. The ground was slippery as they crossed the back yard toward the river. It was pitch black out but Sebastian couldn’t risk making a witchlight to guide them. The elves would see the light. He had to rely on Drea’s knowledge of the place and the occasional flash of lightning from the sky.
“Which way?” he asked.
She led him through the trees. They had to stop every once in a while so they didn’t trip over a tangle of bushes or a rotten log. Eventually, he could hear the rush of the river over the roar of the rain.
She tugged his hand and pointed. “There.”
Tied up to what he thought might be a dock was a small vessel. More a barge than a boat, but it would have to do. They made a run for it, just as an arrow zipped through the air, narrowly missing Sebastian’s ear. He felt the air move as it whizzed by.
“Go!” he shouted.
They dashed the last few yards to the river’s edge. The dock was merely five planks of wood hammered together. It looked barely able to hold a person’s weight. As he stepped on it, it cracked. He had to make a dive for the barge before the wood broke under his weight. He barely made it, but turned immediately to catch Drea, who was right on his heels.
She leaped just as he had, but wasn’t as lucky. He saw it happen in his mind seconds before it happened. One foot reached the boat, but the other didn’t. She fell backward into the water.
Sebastian reached over the edge to grab her. He managed to snag her arm before she went under. The river wasn’t that deep but with the storm and the waves the wind was making, a person would definitely get pulled under the swells and not come up. He dragged her up onto the ship. She was shivering violently. But there was nothing he could do about that now. They had to get downstream before the elves caught up to them.
The pole the barge was tied to leaned to the side, breaking under the strain of the wind and rain. Sebastian grabbed the rope and yanked on it. It didn’t take much for the wood to break and they were free from the dock. The water eagerly swept them along, as if ecstatic to finally have a toy to play with.
As they rolled along the river, he watched the shore. It wasn’t long before arrows sailed through the air toward them. Thankfully the wind made it difficult for the elves to find their marks, but he had to duck to avoid one well-aimed missile fired at his head. A wave knocked the barge toward the rocks. Sebastian pushed them away with the pole. It was going to be difficult to steer and dodge arrows.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Drea on her side, shivering. She was in no shape to be dodging arrows. Still holding onto the pole, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into the wheelhouse. The elves’ arrows wouldn’t be able to get her there. At least the roof and three walls prevented most of the rain from pelting her as well. He rubbed at her arms.
“We’re going to be all right.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, her teeth chattering.
“Yes,” he said, although he wasn’t too sure. The arrows were still coming. One had nearly speared him in the foot. He had to pilot them farther down the river and away from the shore. He also had to do something for her or she was going to get sick. There was a heat spell he could perform, but he wasn’t sure how effective it would be in the rain. But first he had to deter the elves from firing at them.
Sebastian came out of the wheelhouse and stood in the center of the vessel, positioning the pole in the water to steer them down the river. Another arrow flew over his head, just missing him. He closed his eyes and pictured the rocky shore, shaping a large boulder in his mind. When he opened his eyes again, the rock was floating in front of him. With all his energy he tossed the boulder toward the elves. His aim was better than theirs and it landed right in front of them, scattering them, and the elves fell back. He suspected they’d be off to get their horses and find a road that led them along the river. For now, they were safe.
He checked on Drea again. Her shivers were more pronounced, and he could hear her teeth chattering even over the rush of water all around them. He had to warm her.
Concentrating on her, on the air around her, Sebastian pushed and slammed the particles together. Over and over he did this. Until finally he could feel a warmth spreading through the air around Drea. Pushing on his magic even harder, the temperature increased. While he knelt beside her he could feel it getting hotter and hotter. Steam wafted off her wet clothing.
She stopped shivered and her teeth were no longer chattering together. Blinking back the raindrops on her eyelashes, she looked at him and smiled. “I feel warmer.”
“Good.”
She reached for him. “Come here. We can warm each other.”
“I can’t. I have to steer the barge.”
But even as he did that, he continued to work the spell. It put a strain on him. He could feel it in his head. After not using his magic, it was a lot harder to use and control now. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep the warmth coming, but he didn’t let up. It had to be enough for them to get to safety. It had to be enough for Drea to get home.
He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if anything more happened to her. Knowing it was his fault. That he had brought the danger to her.
Chapter Twelve
Although the storm rocked the barge as they swept down the river, Drea fell asleep. The heat from Sebastian’s spell lulled her into a dreamless slumber. When she woke, she was surprised to see the rain and wind gone and the stars in the sky.
She sat up to see Sebastian using a pole to pull them to shore. “Did we make it?”
He swiveled around to look at her. “I think so. We definitely came a long way downstream.”
“And the elves?”
“I didn’t see them. Hopefully that means they didn’t have a chance to follow us.”
She rubbed her face, trying to scrub away the dirt and grime she knew must be coating her skin. Her hair must be a crazy tangle around her face. She must look a mess. What she wouldn’t give for a bath and a clean change of clothes.
Sebastian jumped ashore and pulled the barge onto the rocks. He tied it up to a tree nearby. She came to the edge and jumped. He caught her and together they started back to the village.
“Are we going the right way?” he asked.
“Don’t know. It’s too dark to see much of anything. Once we hit a trail or road, I should be able to tell.”
He rubbed his hands together frantically. Within seconds a glowing green mass emanated from between his fingers. He opened his hands and a ball of light floated into the air beside him.
“Does that help?”
She smiled, charmed by the small magic. “It does.”
They walked through the trees, with the orb lighting their way. After about fifteen minutes they came to a road. It looked heavily traveled. She pointed to the east.
“It’s this way.”
“Are you sure?”
“No.”
They walked in silence down the middle of the road. She glanced at him every once in a while, but had no idea what to say to him. She was unsure of what he was thinking or feeling. Although they’d shared one another in the most intimate way, she felt further away from him than before. She wondered if he was embarrassed for confessing everything to her. Wondering if he thought himself weak to succumb to her.
She wanted to tell him she thought him the strongest man she’d ever known. She looked at him and was about to speak when she heard horse hoofs and a wagon coming up behind them.
“Off the road.” Sebastian snuffed out the orb of light with a flick of his fingers, then grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bushes.
They watched as an old horse came into view, driven by an equally elderly woman, and a rickety cart with wobbly wheels. Drea recognized that woman.
“I know her.” Drea stood from her hiding spot and went out onto the road before Sebastian could stop her.
The horse whinnied and shied away when she stepped in front of it. “Whoa, there,” the driver said, pulling the cart to a stop.
“Aunty,” she said.
Blythe squinted down at her, then smiled, revealing one missing front tooth. “Drea, girl. What on earth are you doing out here?”
“We need a ride to the village.”
“We?”
Sebastian came out of the bushes to stand beside her. He nodded to Blythe. “Ma’am.”
“Hop on,” Blythe said.
Sebastian helped Drea up, then climbed in next to her. They had to move a few things to find a spot next to the chicken cages.
“Why do you have chickens, Aunty? I thought you were going to Berit.”
“Just doing a favor for a friend, delivering these birds.”
“How far are we away from home?” she asked.
“Not far. An hour at most. It will be dawn soon.” She clicked to the horse and they were off. “Does your father know you’re out here?” Her gaze was penetrating and Drea looking away. “I’ll take that as a no.” She chuckled.