Rule (Roam Series, Book Five)

by Stedronsky, Kimberly

  “This is your warning.”

  I shivered, the cold-hot sensation of my burning skin against the cool air tightening my body. When he took a step toward me, I backed to the edge of the lake.

  My eyes drank him in, finally focusing on the southern half of his body. He made no effort to hide his obvious arousal, and I nearly choked at his size.

  Blushing, I looked toward the lake. “Are you getting in the water?” I asked, my voice modest and hesitant to my own ears. I was so confident in the barn, and now a little nudity turns me into a nervous kid? Jesus, be mature!

  “We are both getting in the water.” He took another step forward, and I had to decide whether to allow him to touch me- all of him to touch me- or put my foot into the icy lake.

  Losing my nerve, I lowered my foot into the water.

  Shocked, I felt that the water was actually cool- but not freezing. “It’s not that cold.”

  “No?” Towering, bathed in moonlight, he leaned toward me. I held my palm up, grinning nervously.

  “Um, don’t get me wrong- it’s cold. My feet are okay, but your, um, penis won’t like this.”

  He stopped moving, a sudden grin breaking over his face. Those dimples again. Damn it. “You claim to know me very well,” he teased, reaching for my sides.

  I smiled, keeping my eyes on his face. Face, Eva! “I mean, penises in general don’t like cold…,” Penises in general? Stop talking!

  He bent, grasping my dress at my waist and gathering. “Lift your arms.”

  “You have spent a lot of time taking my clothes off over the past two days.”

  “I enjoy undressing you.”

  My grin fell. I trembled, lifting my arms. He pulled my dress over my head in one movement, tossing it backwards to the ground. His fingers worked over my back, at the clasp of my bra, and I kept my eyes locked in his.

  The water seemed to have grown even warmer, and I took another step back.

  “These are of no use here.” He tugged at the string band of my panties. I gathered up enough courage to slip them down my legs, balling them and throwing them into the pile of clothing by the lake.

  My frequency began, just barely audible, and our feet grew clear in the water.

  His fingers found mine as he raised our hands in the air, spinning a slow circle. The first few notes of Bryan Adams’ Everything I Do, I Do for You began. I cocked one eyebrow, exhaling nervous laughter.

  “You’re kind of a sappy guy, did you know that?” I accused, shamefully loving the corniness of the nineties power ballad.

  As if on second thought, he closed his fist over mine, and the music stopped.

  “I want to hear you.”

  I realized that I was grasping the small, round bar of soap so tightly that my fingernails left half-moon imprints.

  He took the soap and bent to dip the bar into the lake.

  On his way up, he slid both wet hands up the sides of my legs. By the time he reached my thighs, I could barely keep my balance. The water was nearly hot at this point; I trembled beneath his touch.

  The murky black night turned to a lighted, tropical blue, and the ultra-clear waves lapped at my ankles. Paradise erupted around us in the moonlight. A beautiful light from below the water illuminated the reflection of our bodies below the surface. The crisp air rose to a sultry, humid temperature, and a thick, white mist engulfed us. “The water…?”

  “You are heating the water, Eva.” He gestured to the center of the lake, and I watched as bubbles moved to the surface.

  I nodded, knowing my eyes were glowing amber.

  Lowering to his knees, in the shallow part of the lake, he gazed up at me, heavy-lidded. At that moment, I nearly fell backward as he pressed his lips to my inner thigh. His fingers molded into my sides, his thumbs brushing past my navel to toy with the silver stud. A million tiny sensations pulled in the very center of my body, and I took quick, manic breaths as I melted to the water.

  He caught me in midair, the desire in his gaze unsettling. “Slowly.” He began cupping the water and pouring it over my shoulders, leading me into the deeper part of the lake. I stumbled over a smooth rock, and he caught me again, drawing my naked body against his.

  “Will,” I breathed, holding onto his arms with all of my strength.

  “Better if I hold you.” He dipped his kiss to the nape of my neck, and I whimpered, every part of me below the water now distinctly on fire. “You are so responsive… alert. I touch, you burn.” He slid his warm, wet hands over my breast, the scent of the soap filling my thoughts with roses. “You give me more power than I have ever possessed, as king.”

  “I can’t help it,” I moaned as his hands slid lower, past my stomach, pressing deeply, again and again. The water stopped at my waist, I relished the heat, from the mist, from his touch, from everywhere.

  “Do not help it,” he ordered, cupping my bottom and lifting me against him. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I held his shoulders, weightless.

  Screaming, I cried his name as he thrust into me.

  The night sky fell away as I threw my head back, closing my eyes. With nothing but him to hold onto, I kept my legs fastened around his torso, exhaling sharply at exquisite pain of each of his gentle movements. The water burned now, steam rising around us and disappearing into the unusually hot March air.

  “Will,” I begged, losing control, setting tiny fires on the surface of the water as I fought what was happening inside me.

  “Lose control, Eva,” he ordered, coarse, his deep voice the only song in my mind now. I edged toward abandon, crying out softly when he stilled. As I opened my eyes, his face was lit by hundreds of tiny fires encircling the lake.

  He moved once, quickly, and stopped, and I nearly came apart in his arms.

  “I love you,” he cupped my face in his hands before pressing his lips to mine. “So help me, I love you, Eva,” The moment his tongue touched mine again, I cried, unable to control myself any longer.

  Time detonated into a series of moments, of uninhibited feelings and unrecognizable sensations. Nothing mattered but Will, and the heart of this man sharing my own strange, destined future.

  The multiple fires along the lake rose higher into the sky, creating a blazing ring around us. Even in my dizzied state, I could tell the moment that he found pleasure in me. I wrapped my hands over his neck, waiting until he opened his eyes.

  When he did, I let an uncontrollable tear slide over my cheek. “I love you, Will.”

  He groaned, catching my lips again and tightening his hold on me. Still entwined, he gripped me to him, trying to even his own erratic breathing.

  Long minutes- the best minutes of my life- passed as I clung to my husband in the water.

  Finally, he lowered us into the lake.

  “Quickly, little one. Wash. We must douse these flames.” I nodded, nearly dropping the soap with my quaking arms. Will took over, scrubbing efficiently before cleaning his own skin. “My God, Eva. What you do to me,” he stopped moving to catch my lips in his.

  “I think… it’s what you do to me, my lord,” I rasped, my voice heavy with renewed desire from his hands on my skin.

  “You belong to me, wife, in every way.” His tender kiss punctuated his words, and I folded into his arms. “There is much to do. We must prepare for your meeting with your father.”

  The moment he mentioned my dad, every flame hissed and extinguished. The boiling surface of the lake stilled and turned dark, and I sighed shakily.

  “Right… my dad.”

  Will smirked, grasping my hand. “Sorry, love. I had to sober you a bit.”

  “It’s okay,” I hurried through the now freezing air, reaching for the new gown that Vadoma had given me. “I need to figure out how to control myself. I want to do that again.”

  His breath on my neck, from behind me, set another small fire just to our right.

  “As do I.”

  He slipped the dress over my shoulders, and I turned in his arms, softening into his
kiss.

  “I can’t believe… that I love you.” I murmured. He smiled into my mouth, hugging me to his chest.

  “You are full of surprises, Eva.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Back at the camp, I cuddled close to Will as we listened to the Romani people sing. One man played a violin, while another blew into some kind of pipe instrument that Will called a pan flute. A few of them danced, and Will raised his eyes as Sinti brought him a tiny guitar.

  “Can you play a guitar?” I asked incredulously.

  “This is a gittern… and we shall see,” his eyes sparkled teasingly.

  “Will you play something… for me?” I asked, tucking my folded hands between my knees and batting my eyes in the most obnoxiously exaggerated manner possible. He laughed, looking up toward the moon thoughtfully.

  “I will,” he acknowledged.

  After strumming a few chords, he began the first notes. I waited for recognition, widening my eyes when Will actually started singing.

  He has a beautiful voice, I realized, as he sang some song about crimson and clover. When he finished the ballad, I smiled, tilting my face to his. “Crimson and clover?”

  “Your hair, your eyes.” He kissed my temple first, then my closed eyelid. “A song from your world… the 1960’s, I believe.”

  I love this man, I thought, drowning in his smoldering, blue gaze.

  Back in the tent, we touched and kissed, teasing well into the night. Trying desperately to keep his distance and not set the Romani camp on fire, he finally tucked me against him and quieted.

  When Will’s breathing evened behind me, I lay in his arms, listening to the sounds of the camp.

  I must have fallen asleep. Hours later, a deep voice rumbled from somewhere outside, followed by Vadoma’s rushed words and Sinti’s protests. Moving carefully out of Will’s arms, I grabbed his gun, strapping the holster to my side beneath the gown.

  Slipping from the tent, I noticed first that three men encircled Sinti and Vadoma, while a fourth man towered over them. His tone was threatening, his stance hostile. Trespassers?

  I smoothed my curls away from my face, walking directly to them. I could take the outer three down, no problem. The fourth is too close to Vadoma; he could grab her.

  Clearing my throat, I decided to try to diffuse the situation first (if there even was a situation.) As I closed in on the fire pit, the three men spied me first, alerting the one in the center. All white males, dressed in royal clothing. Those clothes, so familiar… I narrowed my eyes. They looked… very much…

  Like they were from Icepond.

  “I hold no fortunes, sir,” Vadoma was protesting, and the tall man’s fists clenched at his sides. “I cannot give you the future.”

  “I know of your kind,” he hissed, his eyes catching the firelight.

  I drew in a breath, freezing.

  Will’s eyes.

  “Not this camp,” Sinti argued.

  “My gold will feed your filthy people for more than a year,” he threw a coin at Sinti. He let it roll to the ground near the fire.

  Fury burned in the pit of my stomach. I stalked purposefully into the ring, catching all of their attentions at once.

  “You are Troy.”

  His face, cut very much like Will’s, focused on mine.

  This is the man who has killed my mother… and my father…

  And me. For centuries.

  “Ah, this wench knows my name. She is a Seer.”

  I stepped between him and Vadoma, meeting the frightened woman’s eyes before turning to Troy. “That’s right. Come closer to the fire, and I’ll read your future.”

  His eyes began at my hairline and raked over my body, lingering for long moments at my shoulders and chest. “This maid knows what gold is worth.”

  “I will see your future for… only the pleasure it brings me,” I countered, backing to the fire. His slow grin, repulsive, made my skin crawl.

  He’s tortured his own children, raped my mother… What kind of demon is he?

  He followed me to the fire, and as the light cast over our shadowed faces, he inhaled sharply.

  “God’s blood- your eyes,” he snarled, grasping my chin in his hand and forcing my face into the light. “Who are you?”

  I stared at him, focusing on the terrible heat of his smooth, manicured hands. My anger began with his touch and snaked through my body. He dropped my chin and staggered backward, and I knew at that moment my eyes had changed to dark amber.

  “What are you?”

  “I am a Seer.” I responded, my impromptu words flowing with ease. “I see what you see, in the future.”

  “I will find her, then. I will find my Mina.” He nodded, pleased. “What else, wench?”

  What else? What else is that I’d like to tear you from limb to limb with my bare hands.

  My mouth, always both my crime and my sentence, took over reason. “You are the devil. Your actions are evil to every God, in every land. You will burn in hell, someday.”

  He recoiled, his grin falling. “You know not of what you speak.” His hand shot out quickly, gripping my neck before I had any time to block him. “Choose your words carefully, little witch. ‘Tis only my resolve that leaves you untouched… and unsoiled… this night.”

  I tucked my chin to my chest, slapping my hand to his wrist and twisting his fingers in mine. He released my neck in seconds, and I reared back, slamming the heel of my hand into his groin.

  He choked as I locked my hand between his thighs in a brutal grip, thankful for the stupid, thin tights the men wore in medieval times. My nails dug into his skin, and I knew my eyes blazed.

  “You are filth. I want you to remember that it was my mercy that kept you alive tonight. And yes, I could end you- there are ways for an immortal to cease to exist.”

  I squeezed, and he gave a suffocated groan.

  The fire behind us roared, and his terrified eyes shifted to the inferno edging near us. “I’ll let you keep your balls because one day, you will have a son who will be your only redeemable quality. He saved your life tonight. Never forget that.”

  I released him and he scrambled backward, his eyes burning with fury. I raised my hand and drew a circle in the air over my head, surrounding my body with fire. He stumbled away, turning to his men.

  “We go. Now!” He shouted, turning back once more to stare at me from the edge of the woods. The flames lowered, and Vadoma stepped over them, grasping my hands.

  “Daughter of magic, you have saved us.” Her reverent voice barely raised above a whisper.

  I jumped as Will wrenched me into his arms, gripping my shoulders. “My God, Eva, what were you thinking?” He pressed kisses to my forehead, and I pushed away. Shaking my head, I let the flames extinguish completely.

  “They’re going now, to my dad.” I closed my eyes, concentrating on my father’s face.

  I traced his profile in my mind, his jaw… his ears, his eyes… I could feel the flames on his skin, and I cringed.

  Run, West. Run now. Go and hide. Go!

  I knew he heard my words in his mind before I opened my eyes again. Fatigue crept over my body, and Will held me, tightening his grip.

  “I am going to carry you,” he warned. I shook my head, gesturing to his ankle.

  “No, I can walk. Come on- they’re gone. Your people won’t see him again,” I promised Sinti, and Vadoma turned to me, taking my hands and closing her eyes.

  I felt the woman plummet into my soul, and I let my defenses down, leaning against Will. She released one hand and touched my waist, her eyes opening to reveal the depth of her knowledge.

  “You will face a battle, and will mourn. You may rule; your brother shall reign. Beware the sea,” Her hand tightened over my stomach, and Will pulled me away from her. “Your child grows apace.”

  “My child?”

  “Come, Eva, you must rest,” Will lifted me into his arms, despite my protests. Once we were safely in the tent, he lowered me to the bed. �
��You must be wary. The future is what we make of it, love. Nothing more.”

  “I’m so tired,” I fought to keep my eyes open. He stretched out next to me, pulling the furs over my shoulders. “What did she mean, I’ll mourn?”

  “Hush.” His lips on my forehead comforted me into a dreamless sleep.

  I woke up well into the morning, smiling as Will trailed kisses over my wrist and arm. He almost made it to my elbow before I giggled. “You’re tickling me.”

  “You must wake up. You will speak to your father today.”

  I pinched my lips together and closed my eyes, moaning. “Shit. I almost forgot where we were… and what I am.”

  “What you are?” He repeated, his kiss relocating to my neck. “You are but a slip of a girl- who has managed to frighten my evil father to his core.”

  “Just remember that when we get back to the castle,” I warned teasingly, and then narrowed my eyes. “Will, how are we getting out of here?”

  His exploring fingers stilled over my hip. “I don’t know, love.”

  I thought about the rushing words Vadoma whispered while gripping my waist… Battle, mourning… “And what about what Vadoma said? ‘My child grows apace?’ We made love like- five minutes ago.”

  “In the lake,” he added. I raised my eyes suspiciously.

  “Are you about to tell me that I can’t get pregnant in the water? I’m sorry. As my Grandpa Cam says, you can’t bullshit a bullshitter.”

  He laughed from deep in his chest, shaking his head lightly. “Certainly. No… I was merely reminding you of last night.”

  “When you declared your royal love for me!” I threw my arms around him exaggeratingly, and he groaned with laughter, diving for my neck.

  “I did,” he spoke against my skin, and I warmed. “Come,” he ordered, trying to pull me to my feet.

  “I did,” I assured him, unable to hide my bawdy grin.

  “Eva!”

  “Okay!” I huffed, cringing as my curls seemed to burst from my hairline like broken mattress springs.

  I sighed. “Seriously though. A baby? I’m barely eighteen. I’d have no idea what to do.”