by Calista Fox
“Are you telling me you haven’t had sex in eight years?”
“Until tonight.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“When you’ve lived two hundred and thirty-five years, Jade, eight constitute mere minutes in an immortal’s mind.”
“So tonight really only equates to nanoseconds for you?”
He considered his response. Not that he worried about giving too much away. He’d done that already, hadn’t he? “The entire time you’ve been here, I’ve cataloged in my memory every moment. But yes, our time together is fleeting. Much too short.”
“Well, I guess there are some similarities between demons and humans. It’s much too short for me too.” She burrowed under the covers, still in his embrace. “Tell me more about the 1800s.”
He did. When she drifted off to sleep, he stared up at the domed ceiling, the dim lighting casting shadows across it. He hadn’t consulted his clock since he’d taken his shower, but deduced it was somewhere in the wee hours of the morning. Perhaps two or three hours before dawn.
The slayers would come sooner than he cared to admit. He would let them take Jade away. And though her cottage was only a few miles from the castle, at the base of the ridge and across the river, actually visible from his south side bedroom windows, he would feel as though she were a million miles away again. Completely out of his reach.
He contemplated this, and his actions of late, as the hours slid by. He didn’t need much sleep and couldn’t bring himself to give in to it with his one and only chance to hold Jade in his arms.
The knock on his door came regretfully early, though he deduced it was close to noon at that point.
“My Lord.” It was Morgan.
Jade stirred. She’d turned on her side sometime ago and he’d spooned her, curling his body around hers in not only a sensual cocoon but a protective one as well.
“Tell him to send the slayers away,” she said in a groggy voice. “I can make it back to the village on my own.”
“They won’t stand for that and you know it,” Darien said. “They’re likely chomping at the bit to ensure you’re all right.”
“I’m not all right. I want you again.”
He groaned. To Morgan, he said, “She’ll be down in ten minutes.”
“My Lord.”
Darien’s lips swept over her bare shoulder. “Your request is hardly one I can deny.”
“Lucky me.”
His hand on the back of her thigh guided her legs apart. He was already hard for her, no surprise there. He entered her from behind and she let out a soft gasp. One of his arms snaked around her front to cross her chest. He palmed her breast as his other hand covered her mound. His lips grazed her neck as his fingers rubbed her clit and his cock slid in and out of her.
She fisted her pillowcase and let out a stirring whimper of need and desire.
“You like me inside you, don’t you?”
“Impossible to think of anything more exciting. Or arousing.”
“I’m more than happy to arouse you.”
“And you’re damn good at it.”
He was turned-on himself. The feel of her tight, wet pussy surrounding him drove him wild. His cock sliding along her inner walls, hitting various spots that made her gasp, sigh and moan stimulated him as well. He plunged a bit deeper and she responded by squeezing him, nearly stealing his breath.
“I really should have more stamina,” he admitted, “but with you, I lose it so quickly.”
“Then we’re both about to come?”
He pumped in and out of her as he massaged her clit. He felt the tiny vibrations that moved through her body and heard the hitch of her breath, indicators that she was on the edge. Thrusting into her, he felt the tension grip her. Then she cried out and he pumped a bit faster as she clutched him.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Come all over my cock. You’re nice and wet.”
He erupted inside her as he whispered her name in her ear. His voice was full of desire and soul-deep yearnings he doubted Sheena would ever understand. He tried to keep the emotions between him and Jade this time. He didn’t know if he was successful, because Sheena was much too tactful to even make her presence known if she was close by, going about her daily business.
Jade’s body trembled and he kissed her shoulder again.
“Go with the slayers. Morgan and some of his men have been tracking the fire wraith. I don’t anticipate him coming back this way, but I have a patrol ready to scour the woods on my side of the village’s perimeter. The slayers will monitor the inner circle and your cottage. Don’t wander the woods alone. If you must go into the village or to the tavern, be sure Walker or Tanner escorts you. Will you do this for me?”
She nodded. “I can’t hide out at home, I’ll go stir-crazy. But I won’t do anything spontaneous or stupid either.”
He let out a long breath. “I would stay with you at the cottage if I could. But that would undermine my power here, create tension in the village and…I need to be hunting the wraith myself.”
“I understand.”
He withdrew from her body and slipped from the bed. A knock on the door a moment later made him almost roll his eyes. Sheena was much too efficient. He retrieved the towel he’d discarded the night before and wrapped it around his waist before opening the door.
His assistant handed over a bundle of clothes. “For Jade.” She even had tall boots and a black cape. “These are well insulated. She’ll be fine in the snow.”
“Coming down hard?”
“There’s practically a whiteout. The slayers are anxious to get her back to the village before the blizzard sets in.”
“Damn it,” he said. “The snow will make the border more difficult to patrol, with lack of visibility and freezing conditions.” Not a problem for his troops, but the slayers were human, after all.
He slid a glance over his shoulder at Jade, who still huddled under the covers. Likely out of sheer embarrassment. He found that a humorous thought. Or rather, a charming one.
Turning back to Sheena, he said, “She’ll be out in a couple of minutes. Escort her downstairs and then send Morgan up after he’s seen Jade and the slayers off. They brought a horse for her?”
She nodded. Then she said in such a conspiratorial voice, he was certain only he heard her, “Do you think she’s still in danger?”
“Depends on where the fire wraith is and what his true intentions are.”
“Then how can you let her leave the castle?”
“You’re fond of her. So quickly.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You know she can’t stay. She’s human.”
“Are you sure?” With that, she turned sharply on her high heels and sauntered off.
Darien stared after her, then shook his head. Sheena was still awestruck or dumbfounded that a human could self-heal at such a rapid rate. Understandable. It still perplexed Darien.
But no creature other than a human would experience pain in the fashion she did. When a demon was wounded, the recovery might not be instantaneous, but it was certainly quick enough—much faster than Jade’s own recovery had been. And the actual sensations were dull, unless multiple, near-lethal wounds were inflicted. Even then, one did not suffer the way she did. What she endured was excruciating—something only a human felt.
Returning to the bed, he sat on the edge and said, “Sheena brought you clothes.”
This seemed to perk her up. She tossed off the duvet and sat up. Eyeing the stack, and the boots in his hands, she touched the royal blue sweater on top and smiled.
“More color.” She pulled the sweater from the pile and unfolded it. “How beautiful. I thought the robe she lent me was spectacular, but this is equally gorgeous. That vampire—woman—knows her fashions.”
“Black seems to be a staple for you,” he observed.
“And for you. Which,” she said as she leaned in for a quick kiss, “is damn sexy. As for me, we don’t have colorful fabric in the village. Black a
nd varying shades of gray are mainstays. Easy dyes for our resident chemist to concoct when we receive bolts of white material from villages that grow cotton. And of course, we trade for leather and buckskin.” She collected Sheena’s offerings and slid off the bed. “I just need a few minutes.”
He dragged on his own clothes and ran his hands through what he was sure was disheveled hair. True to her word, Jade emerged a short time later. He did a double take, his pulse spiking.
“Huh,” he said. No doubt a lascivious look crossed his face. “I’ve seen that outfit on Sheena before. She doesn’t look like that.”
“I’m sure she looks much better. Everything’s a bit snug. She’s thinner than me.”
Actually, he thought everything appeared perfectly proportionate. The sweater pulled tight against her breasts, her defined waist and her shapely hips. The wide collar sat slightly off the shoulders, making him wonder what sort of lingerie Sheena had provided for Jade’s enticing chest. The black leggings and tall boots were a nice complement, completing the ensemble.
She’d pulled her hair over one shoulder and secured it with its own strands. She wore a part along the side, and her long bangs dusted her forehead and temple above the ponytail.
“You’re gawking,” she finally said.
He laughed. “Yes I am. You look…sensational.”
She smiled. “Now that was couth.” She crossed the room to where he stood. “And civil.” Her tone was playful. Jade stretched on her tiptoes, obviously necessary despite the three-inch heel on her borrowed boots. She nipped at his lower lip. “Unlike the things you did to me last night.”
He groaned. “And this morning?”
“Who would ever want to get out of bed?”
Admittedly, he’d been damn reluctant.
She was about to say something else, but another soft rap on his door cut her off. And made Darien simmer with frustration.
“Yes?” he asked between clenched teeth.
“The slayers, my Lord,” Sheena reminded him. Clearly, they’d grown impatient.
“I’m coming,” Jade said. She gave Darien a kiss and then added, “I promise to be safe.”
“I’m holding you to that.”
“And I’ll tell Sheena I’ll clean her clothes and have one of the slayers return them.”
With a shake of his head, he said, “Don’t bother. You won’t be able to get the scent out and it’ll be disturbing for her.”
“Good point.” She lingered, seemingly hesitant to go. Then she said in a soft voice, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
She smiled. “For being everything I didn’t expect.”
Leaving him to ponder her words, she opened one of the double doors and followed his assistant through the study as she thanked Sheena for her thoughtfulness. Jade glanced once over her shoulder before disappearing from Darien’s sight. Well…not entirely.
He watched her from his bedroom window when she left the castle, his eyesight keen enough to penetrate the thick clouds and blowing snow until Jade and the slayers entered the dense forest.
Dread consumed him, but what choice had he had, other than to let the two men take her away?
Chapter Seven
Per her request, the slayers escorted Jade to Jinx’s burial site, despite the inclement weather. She’d been at the castle when the memorial had been delivered. She felt horrible over having missed the service, because Jinx had been a good friend. Yet her absence had been unavoidable.
Slipping from her horse, she waded through the snow as Tanner and Walker discreetly moved away, giving her privacy. She fought to keep her distress at bay as she stared at the tall cross protruding from a snowbank.
Jade fought for an even tone as she said, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for the funeral, Jinx. I got held up.”
A wave of tormented feelings rose within her, despite her best efforts. Tears burned her eyes and her voice cracked as she said, “I always adored you. From the first time we met. You came to my fifth birthday party and told me you could read fortunes. Of course, you had to explain to me what that meant.”
She laughed quietly, painfully. “You spun a silver coin on the kitchen table and when it landed on its side, you gasped and said, ‘You’re the little girl who will always be smiling’.”
Indeed, she had been that child…until her parents had been viciously murdered.
Fat drops slid down her cheeks as she said, “When I was fifteen, I begged you not to tell my fortune ever again, because the one you told me ten years earlier didn’t come true. It didn’t last, Jinx.”
At eleven years of age, she’d wanted to scream at him for telling her a lie. Her parents were dead and she’d believed she’d never smile again. How cruel had it been for Jinx to lie to her, when he’d claimed over and over that his predictions were always accurate?
But, of course, she’d never truly blamed him. Yes, as a kid, she’d soaked up his optimism and it had been heart-wrenching when her personal tragedy had proven him wrong. The first time, from what she’d learned. Regardless of his otherwise successful track record, she’d grown wary. Still, she’d adored him and had eventually come around to basking in his warm light again.
Jinx was a man whose compassion and exuberance had won over even the most tainted of hearts—hers.
Jade was not one to put her personal troubles on another, but she’d had a need to believe in Jinx. And, years after her parents’ deaths, he’d done his best to provide her a measure of comfort in an uncertain world.
She said, “I always adored you. And I will always miss you.”
She brushed away her tears. After a moment of silence, she turned away and joined the slayers.
Later, Jade remained on the horse while Walker inspected her cottage to ensure it was safe inside. When he indicated all was well, she slid off the back of the stallion and followed the other slayer through the front door.
As Walker built a fire, Tanner said, “The general told us his patrol discovered a small colony of demons not associated with the alliance up by the Canadian border. But the fire wraith wasn’t among them.”
“Did Morgan say if they had a lead on where he might be?” she asked.
“No. But certainly not anywhere near this village. We’ve seen nothing out of the ordinary since you were attacked. I can’t imagine he’d come back after the king took him on.”
“Likely,” Walker said, “they had an assassination strategy plotted out. They’re too small a band of demons to actually storm the castle, but they found a way to lure King Darien from his protective walls.”
Jade quickly explained, “He thought I’d been working with Lisette and had developed some sort of magical powers. That was the reason he and the general followed me. Turns out, it was the wraith with the powers he sensed, since the rogue demon simultaneously watched me. This turned into a ‘which came first—the chicken or the egg?’ sort of thing.”
She kept her tone dispassionate, not wanting to give anything away, particularly the fact she now had a very personal relationship with Darien. Even if their one night together was an anomaly never to be repeated, she couldn’t dispute a strong connection had formed between them.
Continuing, she said, “Obviously, the fire wraith found an advantage with the fact that the king took an interest in what he thought I was up to.” She added, “By the way, I haven’t been practicing witchcraft with Lisette.”
“That’s good to know,” Walker told her. “I think we’re in the midst of a precarious situation. We don’t need to tip any scales with you and Lisette teaming up.”
“I understand and agree.”
Tanner said, “Maybe you shouldn’t stay here, Jade. You’re too remote. And damn, this house is freezing.”
“The fire exploded unexpectedly the other night and I had to put it out. I swear that wraith must have breathed flames down my chimney.” A couple days had passed, so of course the cottage was almost on par with the temperature outside. Good thing she didn’t ha
ve running water, after all. Her pipes surely would have frozen.
“Why don’t you stay with Michael?” Tanner suggested.
“No, I can’t risk it.”
Not just in the event the fire wraith returned and sought her out at Michael’s house but also because of her past association with him and the fact he’d nearly kissed her. If he truly was of the mind to reunite with her, she had to head that off at the pass. She didn’t need to taunt or agitate Darien with that relationship, nor did she have any desire to encourage Michael now that she knew who innately stirred her senses.
Of course, what had transpired between her and the Demon King could go no further. Yet she clearly couldn’t engage in a romance with Michael at this point. Or at any point. She’d quickly learned about true passion and knew it wasn’t something she and Michael would ever experience. They didn’t share the right chemistry to move beyond friendship.
Unfortunately, she and Darien did possess the right chemistry, but it was something she couldn’t dwell on. Yes, she’d instantly felt a void when she’d left the castle. And lonesomeness had immediately returned to her when she’d entered the cottage. But there was no denying she did not belong on the other side of the village border. She belonged in Ryleigh. And the two worlds that lay on opposite sides of the river should never collide again.
“I’ll stay close by,” Tanner offered, breaking into her dismal thoughts.
She said, “Not in this weather. I’ll be fine. I’ll stay inside.” There was no need to go to the tavern. She doubted even the diehards would venture out in this nasty snowfall. “But do me a favor, please,” she added. “Let Michael and Lisette know I’m okay and that I’ve returned home.”
“They’re not the only ones worried about you,” Walker told her. “The entire village has been on edge since the general reported you’d been taken to the castle.”
“For the record, the king’s staff took excellent care of me.”
“Still,” Tanner said as he unfastened the low-slung belt holding his sword to his hips before handing it over. “Keep this. I know you’re trained to use it.”