Seared by Desire

by Jennifer T. Alli

  “Why my Lord? Don’t you want me to help you?”

  “What I want is for you to stay and watch over this woman until she wakes. No one is to harm her or disturb her rest.” His eyes flickered to the fangs protruding from Russell's mouth and a beast rose within him, determined to tear the man’s head from his shoulders. “And no one is to drink her either. She is to remain exactly as she is now. Completely untouched.”

  “And if she doesn’t wake until after the sun rises?”

  Then burn but watch over her. He shook his head to repel the thought. “Summon some of our humans and have them watch her in your stead but I don’t want her to see you. As soon as you’re sure she’s awake, come back.”

  “Yes my Lord.”

  Though it pained him, Lucian turned away from his unconscious bride, wiping her blood off his hand and onto his coat all the while resisting the urge to bring the cool skin to his mouth and lick it clean. And people wonder why I wear so much black, he scoffed. The blood doesn’t show. Although, if there were anyone whose blood I would wish to be covered in, it’s hers. I have more important things to deal with than a woman, even if she is mine. He forced his mind away from his bride’s delicious blood, leaping into the air and disappearing into the night. There was a war going on and one woman wasn’t going to change that.

  Chapter Five – How to Hunt a Predator

  For the first time in days, when Sara woke, her head wasn’t throbbing. Her heart was however racing just as it had been every time she’d woken after hearing Seraphina declare her destructive intentions. She hadn’t managed to escape the city and as a result had killed hundreds, probably thousands. Her heart was heavy and her eyes refused to open despite the sunlight beating against her lids unprepared to witness the horror she’d unleashed onto the world. It had been bad enough knowing she was responsible for the deaths of the innocent farmers who had slept unsuspecting in their beds while she had ravaged their lands and their bodies. To come face to face with the blackened corpses of what was probably a large portion of the city was asking too much. Tears of remorse began to well beneath her closed lids before a sharp pain in her leg made her bolt upright, a colourful curse flying from her lips.

  “Well you shouldn’t sleep in the middle of the road,” the man whipped before staggering on, his blood shot eyes watering.

  About to curse him in response, the air was stolen from Sara’s lungs as she watched the city move about her, alive and teeming with life. Her head spun, trying desperately to understand what was going on. The city shouldn’t be here, it should be nothing more than a smouldering pile of ash, destroyed by the power and intensity of Seraphina’s flame. Her legs shook as she tried to rise, her knees wanting to collapse beneath her but the cold dampness of the floor was unappealing and she knew she’d wasted valuable time. She was being hunted, that thought had to remain uppermost in her mind. Her legs shaky but strong enough to bare her weight, Sara began moving, ignoring the stares of people as she passed them as well as the throbbing cuts in her hands from where she’d fallen last night. She had to get back to the inn, back to Lance and then she had to move on.

  Something happened here. These people should be dead. I heard Seraphina, she was hungry and whenever she’s said that things end up burning. What was so different about yesterday? She racked her mind as she walked, struggling to remember the events that had led up to her being passed out on a dirty cobbled floor.

  When she had first arrived in the city she was amazed at just how different the place could be from the village she had always known while at the same time being so similar. The sheer number of people in the city had stunned her when she’d first entered Acton, never in her life had she seen so many people gathered in one place. It was quickly impressed upon her that she didn’t like city people. They were rude, crude and more of a hindrance than a help on her journey. She couldn’t even remember how many times she’d been cursed as she and Lance created a path through the crowded throng to reach a respectable inn. Gold spoke volumes, Sara learned. The innkeeper, who had been so rude to her when she’d first entered his establishment, began to treat her as though she were the sun itself when he’d seen the faintest glimmer of gold. The moment she’d seen the room he was charging her for, she knew that she was being seriously overcharged. There was nothing in it but a bed to rest her head on at night but he expected her to pay 2 gold pieces of gold a night. It was only because the stables were of a high standard and she was in a hurry that she didn’t call the man on his ways.

  As it stood, even though she had accepted what amounted to theft, by nightfall she was no more aware of where to go than she had been when she’d first entered the city. Water elementals were difficult to track down, especially when everything about her screamed fire elemental, her hair, her eyes, even the flushed patches on her skin were all working against her. Fire and Water had been at war since time immemorial. Well, the fire elementals called it a war; everyone else called it planned massacres. The water elementals were as notoriously peacefully as the fire elementals were power hungry. It was rare for a water elemental to even raise a hand in defense. They were powerful healers and revered life to such an extent that they wouldn’t harm another even at the cost of their own life. No one was willing to direct her towards them for fear of being responsible for a bloodbath.

  As night had fallen, she’d felt Seraphina rise within her, her hunger wild and uncontrollable. Though Sara had run as fast as her legs could carry her, by the time Seraphina was almost free, she’d still been inside the city. Stumbling, she’d tried to make her way to the exit but her strength had been fading. She’d called frantically for help, falling to the ground as her strength deserted her grazing both her hands and knees in the process but no one had come, until him.

  Her brows furrowed as she remembered the dark stranger. His hair and eyes had been darker than the night sky but his skin had been so pale that under certain light she was sure it appeared white. His features had been sharp and angular, from the straight line of his nose to the strength of his jaw, all but his lips, his lips had looked soft, giving. As the fire had risen within her, she’d made her way to him, clasping his hand tightly. His dark eyes had flickered red the moment they touched but she was unafraid, she had to warn him. The words fell from her lips even as she tightened her grip on his cool hand, the heat seeping from her body until the world fell away, her mind succumbing to the darkness.

  Sara stopped abruptly, her heart racing at the implications of her memory. Seraphina’s heat had begun to fade the moment their skin met, hot against cold. Was it possible that she’d already found a water elemental, the one who would save her from Seraphina’s curse? Even as she thought it, her mind rebelled. The man she’d met was not a water elemental, there hadn’t been anything about him that said he was peace loving, the man was a predator. His eyes had been dark, merciless. The calluses on his palm spoke of his frequent use of a sword and his fangs had been sharp.

  Fangs?

  Already her mind was rushing to piece this new piece of information into what she already knew. Whatever the man was, he had saved the city and he would save her too. His skin had been so pale it was as though he’d never seen the light of day. His dark eyes had flashed blood red, revealing a glimpse of a monster hidden beneath his skin and his fangs had been sharp, sharp enough to draw blood.

  “Vampire,” she whispered, touching her neck in a gesture of protection.

  She had met a vampire and was no worse off from the encounter. It all made sense now. A water elemental wasn’t what she needed. Water couldn’t cool fire, it extinguished flame. A vampire on the other hand, a vampire might be just what she needed. Vampires were cold, their bodies sucking heat from living things, drawing the warmth from their blood into themselves. A vampire could cool Seraphina’s flame. She had been courteous yesterday in her search for the water elementals, which was a weakness she couldn’t afford anymore. Today she would have to be vicious, she would use the reputation her people had
cultivated to find the vampires and when she did she would make them help her.

  I don’t want any more innocent blood on my hands. Once was more than enough.

  She was a fire elemental, it was time she acted the part. Dangerous tendrils of flame erupted amidst the already wild curls of her hair making those around her step back in an instinctive gesture of self-protection, cautious of the destructive power she so obviously wielded. Blue eyes aglow, Sara let her eyes wander over the crowd, daring anyone to comment on the abrupt change in her demeanour and appearance. All eyes were on her in that moment before they turned watchful gazes on each other, searching for her companion. Fire elementals rarely travelled alone and everyone knew it. If something happened to her there would be consequences. Sara smiled, doing her best to make the friendly gesture seem cruel. Gazes were quickly averted as people tried to make themselves as small and as uninteresting as possible.

  Fear is good. Fear gets answers. Maybe today will be more productive. Water elementals are one thing, vampires are something else entirely.

  Head held high, she walked back towards the inn, cursing the landlord as she approached. She hadn’t even stayed the night and she’d lost two gold pieces.

  “At least they treated you well Lance.” The horse nayed loudly at the sight of her, stomping his hooves and tossing his head side-to-side excitedly in greeting. “Missed me eh?” she laughed rubbing her hand over the length of his nose. “What say we find a vampire?”

  It took mere moments for Sara to saddle Lance and have the horse ready for action. She swung gracefully into the seat, spurring him into action never looking back. Her chances of finding a vampire during the day were slim but if she didn’t find one, the chances were very high that people would die tonight.

  The city churned around her loudly, as merchants shouted the virtues of their products and potential buyers argued with them over price. The smell was almost overwhelming as it drifted to her nose and as she sat from atop Lance, eyeing the grime and dirt that covered the ground, she had never been so glad of his presence. Her spine stiffened as she made her way over to one of the larger booths on the market. She was going to get information even if she had to be as heartless as the people she’d left behind. If she wasn’t then these people could die.

  “Watch where you’re going!” A voice cursed from beneath her.

  Her eyes narrowed and the flames in her hair turned an ominous blue as the temperature of her fire increased. “What did you say?” she hissed angrily.

  The man’s face paled, his body temperature spiking as fear coursed through his blood stream. “I’m sorry,” he stuttered loudly, the volume of his voice attracting attention from nosy onlookers. “I didn’t realise it was you. If I had, if I had…”

  “If you had then what?”

  “I wouldn’t have said anything. I know better than to anger you.”

  “You should have known better. You’re probably not even aware of just how little effort it would take to kill you. I’ve killed people for far less slights than what you’ve done.”

  “I apologise. I’m sorry, please don’t hurt me, I have a family to take care of.”

  “You’re lucky, I have more important things to deal with than burning you to a crisp.”

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.”

  “I don’t know what you’re thanking me for, I haven’t done anything yet. I just haven’t killed you but trust me when I say it’s easy enough to change that little fact. Do as I want and I’ll consider letting you go home to your family unharmed am I understood?”

  “Anything for you my Lady,” he responded eagerly, wringing his hands as sweat beaded on his brow.

  She could practically smell the terror rolling off the man and knowing that she was the one causing it didn’t sit well with Sara but she braced herself against an attack of conscience, forcing herself to remember the charred remains of the farmhouse that had been a victim of Seraphina’s wrath. Innocent people, perhaps even innocent children, were dead because of her and more would follow if she didn’t harden her heart against his fears. “Where can I find a vampire?”

  “A vampire my lady?”

  Her voice was cold as she scolded him for his impudence. “I didn’t stutter and when I ask a question, I expect an answer unless you want me to go back to my earlier option.” She summoned her flame letting it wash over her right hand and she examined the burning limb carelessly, checking her nails for any damage. “Where. Can. I. Find. A. Vampire?” she repeated. She increased the heat in her hand until the red flame turned white hot, turning to look at the man with what she hoped was coldness in her eyes. “You’re very slow in answering questions. Maybe I should just kill you and ask someone else. I’m sure after they saw what I did to you they’d be much quicker in telling me what I want to know.”

  “I’ve heard of a group of them,” he rushed, “that live in an abandoned tavern.”

  “And where might this tavern be?”

  “Just down the way my lady.” He lifted a trembling hand to point down the road. “If you continue along this road then you’ll find them quickly. But they’re vampires lady, they won’t be awake now, it’s day.”

  “That has nothing to do with you and if I were you I would stop being so nosy. I don’t like the idea of people interfering in my business. It wouldn’t be too difficult for me to kill you. We wouldn’t want that now would we?” The man gulped, stepping back reflexively and shaking his head in agreement. “Exactly, now just keep what happened today between us. If I find out that gossip has spread about this, I’ll be back and I will kill you.”

  Turning Lance away from him, Sara forced her grip on the reins to tighten to hide her trembling hands trying her best to make her galloping heartbeat to slow. She couldn’t afford to show any weaknesses now. Lance’s girth combined with the fear people now had of her made it easy to cut a path through the busy street and reach the tavern her guide had spoken of. He was right, everything about it screamed empty. The windows had long since been boarded up, there were large patches in the thatched roof and the mortar of the walls was rotten, crumbling to nothing onto the surrounding floor.

  “I really, really hate you Seraphina,” Sara grumbled as she dismounted. “Because of you I’ve been chased from my home, my only friend is probably hunting me right at this very moment and now I’m having to walk into a vampire’s lair. My life has been so blessed since you came into it.” She grumbled until she reached the locked door when her grumbling turned into an angry growl. I am not in the mood for this.

  Sara placed a burning palm against the lock, melting the contraption away and pulling the door open with ease. Darkness enveloped her as soon as she walked into the tavern, her eyes straining desperately to see anything. A huff of frustration spilled from her lips before the room and her mind instinctively reached out, searching for wax to burn for illumination. The huff of frustration turned into a groan of exasperation but Sara walked further in, creating a globe of flame in her palm as a light to see by.

  As soon as she could see, she wished she couldn’t. The inside of the tavern was no better than the outside, worse even. The few remaining items of furniture were dilapidated, the wood rotten. Dirty tables were covered in left over ale and food, thick cobwebs hung from the rafters, spiders and other vermin apparently having chosen to make this place their home. Her eyes shifted, closing out the visible spectrum and seeing instead in terms of heat or as was now the case, a lack of it. Two cold bodies stood in front of her and a third came up behind her, pressing an equally cold knife to her throat.

  “What do we have here?” A male voice hissed, growing more menacing as he pulled her body closer. “Did no one ever tell you not to disturb a vampire in his lair?”

  “I’m a fire elemental. No one tells me what to do.” Her body temperature spiked, the heat making her captor release her and move towards the other two people in the tavern.

  Blinking easily dispelled the strange vision, the light from her
palm allowing her to make out the somewhat sunken features of the man. He was tall and pale, like the vampire she’d met briefly the night before but that was all the two had in common. The man in front of her was thin, as though he’d missed one too many meals whereas the man from the night before had been well build, solidly muscled beneath the tailored clothes he’d worn. The man in front of her and both his companions were fair, blonde haired and blue eyed, a far cry from the dark beauty of the other vampire she’d met briefly but the blonde new comer was definitely a vampire, his long fangs a testament to that fact.

  “What do you want?” he hissed angrily, baring his fangs as a warning.

  “What’s your name?” Silence greeted her question. “I asked you a question and if you continue to refuse to answer, I’ll destroy this roof and leave you to burn in the sunlight.” The words were harsh and Sara hoped the threat of violence would be enough to get compliance. She wasn’t going to hurt these men if their only crime was refusing to answer her.

  “David,” he threw back in response.

  “David, I’m here looking for some help.”

  A nervous glance was exchanged between David and his two companions. “I thought fire elementals didn’t ask for help.”

  “Well let’s just say that I’m willing to make an exception for now.”

  “Why?” he asked, his tone wary.

  “That’s none of your concern. I need help and you’re going to give it to me otherwise the consequences won’t be pleasant for you. It’s really that simple. Even you should be able to get your head around it. Don’t look so worried, I’m not going to ask for something impossible.”

  “Then what do you want?” One of David’s companions demanded.