“Don’t worry Lucian,” she reassured, pulling her hand slowly from his, already hating the distance that was being made between them. “She only comes on once a night. We’ll be fine.”
“You’re sure?”
“Quite.”
“I’m not convinced. Stay close.”
He pushed the large doors open, his arrival breaking the tense silence that filled the room. The Malachite messenger stood in the centre of the room, all those gathered staring intently at him from their various sitting places in the richly decorated room. Lucian wasted no time on courteous pleasantries, striding across the room to stand directly in front of the man. The violent and dangerous side of his nature was on full display as he towered over the slender shorter man, baring his fangs angrily. A tremor of fear slid down the messenger’s spine, his already pale skin whitening even further making his brown short hair stand out even more. Frightened blue eyes lifted to meet Lucian's terrifying face.
“What do you want?” he snarled.
“Lord Lu-ci-an,” he stuttered.
“I know my own name. Get to the point or get out of my home. You can leave peacefully or I can send you back to your leader in pieces as a warning that they should see reason and submit to me. If they do then this war will end and we can be allies, they should realise by now that they will never win. I’m too powerful, my allies too numerous. This war is futile, I’ve already won in all but name.”
“They know my Lord.”
He cocked an eyebrow gracefully in disbelief. “Repeat what you just said,” he demanded.
“I said they know that the chances of winning against you are slim. That’s why they sent me here.”
“Just what exactly is your message,” he asked curiously. Never in all the years that he’d been at war had the Malachites admitted that they couldn’t win against him. His interest was piqued.
The messenger reached into his satchel, pulling out a sealed letter and holding it out to Lucian for his inspection. Lucian eyed the hand cautiously for a second, searching for any hint of foul play, seeing none, he took the letter, tearing it open easily to reveal the paper inside. His eyes scanned the page briefly, shock coming over him with every word that he read.
“What does it say my Lord?” Gareth asked, taking Lucian's attention away from the words on the page and bringing him back to his army’s commanders.
He began to read. “Dear Lucian, it has been many years since we last spoke and in that time I’ve come to the realisation that my resistance against you is futile. This war has been going on for over a hundred years that, by any standards, is a long time. The only reason that it hasn’t ended sooner is because my people are forced to hide themselves to avoid you. A life in hiding is no life at all and I have come to understand this unfortunate fact. We don’t want to live hidden even further in the shadows. We want to be free. And it is for this reason that I am writing to you. Lucian, I wish for peace. Let us end this pointless war, there has been enough blood shed on both sides, I don’t want there to be another hundred years of meaningless sacrifice. I would have you meet us in New Malden to discuss the conditions of our surrender. Myself and a few of my men will be there for the next week, waiting for your arrival. William.”
Lucian's mind was reeling with the implications of the letter and judging by the stunned expression on the faces of those present he wasn’t the only one. Peace? The Malachites had never once voiced words of peace. Could the war really be over that quickly? His eyes wandered to Sara and he had to resist the urge to smile. Could he really be together with his bride within the week?
He quickly dismissed the messenger, eager to discuss the implications of the Malachite’s message. “You have delivered your message, you may leave.”
“Yes my Lord. I will be waiting for your response.” The messenger bowed before turning on his heel and fleeing the room.
A moment of silence passed, all present trying to think of what to say.
“Lord Lucian,” Russell began. “I think we should hear them out. Never once have they spoken of peace, we can’t waste this opportunity to end the war.”
“Exactly!” Gareth crowed. “The Malachites have never ever spoken of peace between us, they don’t know the meaning of the word. So that begs the question, why now? It’s a trap my Lord. We can’t go to New Malden, we can’t walk knowingly into a trap.”
“It might not be a trap,” a voice retorted and just like that the silence died in the face of loud voices each trying to convince Lucian that their point of view was the right one. He rolled his eyes in disbelief, even at the prospect of peace those around him argued. If he didn’t know better he would think that they’d instigated the war so that they could have a legitimate reason to argue.
Peace? He mused silently. In these situations he’d found it best to keep his own council. Could it really be that simple? It was hard to believe. Gareth is right, the Malachites have never spoken of peace, it could be a trap. But then again, they might be as sick of this never-ending war as I am, maybe they truly want peace. The lure of peace was strong especially when his tempting bride was standing right next to him. Should I consider this? Should I meet them?
His train of thought was interrupted by the frantic calling of his name, the voice sounded desperate, it’s tone urgent, forcing him to leave the sanctuary of his mind and face the harsh reality of life as leader of his people.
“Lord Lucian! Lord Lucian!”
“I’m right here,” he drawled. “There’s no need to scream in my ear.”
The sound of yelling died quickly. The boy in front of him looked no older than 14 but youth was not an excuse. All those that lived in the manor knew that once the doors were closed, Lucian and his commanders weren’t to be interrupted. The boy was human with familiar dark brown hair and dirt streaked, ruddy cheeks. Lucian knew every person that lived within his home, especially the human residents. They had served him faithfully for generations, he had known their parents, their grandparents and even their great, great, great grandparents. With his life span being so much longer than theirs, it was only natural. He was struggling to remember the boy’s name so that he could scold him when he spoke again, his power over his tongue apparently returned by the urgency of his words.
“Lord Lucian, you have to listen to me.”
“I don’t have to do anything but what you need to do is leave. This is not the place for children and their games.”
“But Lord Lucian, this is serious. I was in town today and I overheard some people talking. The fire elementals are looking for us. They say that we took one of their own and they’re coming to get her back. They’ll be here any day now.”
All eyes turned to Sara, her flaming red hair making her stand out even more than her unusual attire. She bowed her head, unwilling to meet their gazes, ashamed that she had brought the wrath of the fire elementals onto the vampires especially when their leader was responsible for saving her life. Will Lucian send me away to save his people? Her head flew up at the thought, her eyes locking with his. They were dark, unreadable, serving only to confirm her fears. It isn’t as though I should have expected any different, I can’t expect him to sacrifice his people for me, we haven’t known each other long enough for him to do that for me and even if we’d known each other for longer, he might still sacrifice me. Abigail has known me for almost my entire life and she’s prepared to send me to my death, why should Lucian be any different?
Unbeknownst to Sara, Lucian's mind was reeling, trying to find a way out of their current predicament. He couldn’t afford to be at war with the fire elementals while he was trying to deal with the Malachites, his forces would be spread too thin and he would lose both wars. Nevertheless, he couldn’t hand Sara over to them, she would die and he wasn’t prepared to lose his bride. She was his, no one had the right to threaten her.
What to do, what to do, he mused, ignoring the multiple eyes that were trained on him, waiting for his response.
Whatever he deci
ded, they would follow him without question, the loyalty of his people was infallible but he didn’t want any more deaths than were necessary. He was trying to save his people not lead them to their downfall. He couldn’t abandon Sara for them and he couldn’t step down as leader without having vampires fall into chaos.
If only they didn’t know where we were. The thought floated through his mind and suddenly the solution became clear. He strode to the doors, flinging them wide open, his eyes searching the hall for any sign of the Malachite messenger. He didn’t have to look far, the doors had barely missed the frightened man.
“We’ll go,” he declared. “We’ll go to New Malden and meet with William to discuss the term of his peace.” Shocked gasped filled his ears. He turned to face the crowd. “There’s no harm in simply going to meet him and if it is a trap then we’ll have a good deal of our army with us to avoid his trick.”
The messenger turned as if to depart but Lucian's firm hand on his shoulder stopped his movements dead. “No, you won’t be going ahead of us. If it is a trick then I don’t want to warn William that we’re coming. He said he’d be waiting for a few days regardless so we’ll go together.”
The man’s blue eyes darted to the exit before his shoulders slumped in defeat. “Of course my Lord.”
Lucian clapped his hands together in triumph, guiding the messenger back into the room. “Good, good. Russell?”
“Yes my Lord?” He answered swiftly his shock at Lucian's actions well hidden. Though he had been the one to suggest agreeing to meet William, he’d never actually expected Lucian to agree. He smiled warmly at Sara, for the positive influence she was having on Lucian's behaviour, he doubted that she could see him, her head was hanging as though in shame. She had nothing to be ashamed of but he could tell from the many scowls that he was one of the few that thought that.
“I want you to arrange for the manor’s human residents to move to the Whitechapel Estate, it is easier to defend and a large contingent of the army is based there.”
“Yes my Lord.”
“Gareth?”
“Yes Lord Lucian.”
“I know you aren’t in favour of this plan but I think it’s the right thing to do.” Gareth scoffed lightly. “Have I ever led you wrong? In all the decades we’ve been together have I ever made a decision that’s ended negatively for our people.” He shook his head. “And that hasn’t changed. You are a good commander Gareth but there are times when words are more powerful than the sword.”
“And if words fail?”
“That is why I want you to ready the contingent we have here as quickly as you can. We’ll be leaving as soon as we can.”
“Tonight?” he asked shocked.
“Yes.” I can’t afford for the fire elementals to know where we’ve gone. No one would ever suspect that I would talk peace with William; his timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Sara belongs with me and I’ll start a war I can’t possibly win to take her back if she falls into their hands.
He let his eyes wander briefly in her direction, his hands forming into fists at his side when he saw the dejected figure she made. His hands itched with the need to pull her body close, to shelter her behind his strength but he was all too conscious of the enemy in their midst. Her head lifted and their eyes met, the connection between them strong and compelling. Her blue eyes were watering with unshed tears, the sight causing Lucian's heart to falter before she fled the room, the scent of her tears lingering in the air even after she was gone.
He forced himself to stand still as his eyes followed her out of the room. Hopefully William is telling the truth Sara because I don’t know how much longer I can resist you. The thought wasn’t as shocking as it had been when he’d first met her and that worried him. She might not know it but his bride had him completely captivated, there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her, to keep her with him.
Chapter Ten – For Those We Protect
One of the many things that Sara had learnt while living at Lucian's manor was that news travelled fast and the news about the upcoming relocation seemed to have travelled like wildfire. It felt as though within mere minutes of her fleeing the meeting angry stares were being directed at her. She could hear them whispering about her as she rushed down the hall, the meaning behind their words all the more transparent because of the hushed voices murmuring as she passed. She was starting to get a headache, her temples throbbed, her palms were beginning to bleed because of the force of her nails against the skin and the insidious words around her weren’t helping the situation. She ran, ignoring the wide eyed gazes of those around her and headed for the one place where she would be left alone.
The smell of hay and horses greeted Sara the moment she walked into the stables. Her eyes fluttered shut and she breathed deeply as peace stole over her. All was quiet except for the naying of the horses and the calming sound of their hooves against the floor. The quiet wouldn’t last for long. Soon all the horses would be commandeered for the move. The quiet would disappear, replaced by loud shouting and heavy boots stomping the earth. She sighed at the idea, her feet leading her unerringly towards Lance. His strong legs moved about restlessly when he saw her, his mane flying about wildly as he jerked his head from side to side.
“It’s good to see you too,” she laughed, running a hand gently over his long nose. “I’ve missed you.” He snorted, almost as though he could understand her words but didn’t believe the truth in them. “I’m serious,” she laughed pushing playfully against his face before a wave of melancholy washed over her. “What am I doing here Lance? I’m going to get these people killed.” Her eyes wandered to the exit before she turned back to Lance. “I should leave.”
“And what would that achieve?”
The darkly whispered question made Sara jump and she clutched her chest as her heart began to race frantically within her chest. “Lucian,” she gasped.
“Are you planning on leaving me Sara?” The very thought made his fangs sharpen dangerously and his control teeter on the edge of collapse as the monster within him began rising to the surface.
She turned away, ashamed, burying her face against Lance’s neck.
Lucian moved silently, pulling her body flush against his to wrap his arms around her small frame. His dark eyes slid shut as he tried to regain control over himself. His bride was a walking contradiction. Her body seemed weak but she was stronger than he could ever have imagined. At times she could be forward to the point of seeming brusque but at other times she could be delightfully shy. It was hard to know what to expect with her but deep within himself he’d known that she would think about running away to protect him and his people. If there was one unchanging aspect of his bride’s personality it was the care she extended towards others. She would put him and those that lived here first even at the risk of her own life. He sighed, quickly realising that the move had been an unwise one. The soft curves of her breasts were now pressed firmly against his forearms and his body was reacting to her nearness. He pulled away quickly.
“How did you find me?” she mumbled against Lance’s warm neck.
I have people watch you during the day and they tell me what you’re doing while I have to sleep. You spend all day in here with him, where else would you be? “I have my ways.”
“Lucian, you know that I can’t stay here right?”
“I won’t let you leave me Sara and where would you go if I did?”
“But Lucian,” she protested. “I can’t stay, I’m putting your people in danger.”
“They’re stronger than you think. No one is going to die except for you if you do something stupid. Sara you know that you can’t leave me without Seraphina taking over. I’m the only one that can help keep you alive.”
“I can’t risk it Lucian. The fire elementals are ruthless, they’ll never let me go.”
And neither will I. “I can be just as ruthless when I put my mind to it.”
“You shouldn’t have to be Lucian. You’re a good man and
a wonderful leader, I can’t be the reason you fall.”
“I’m not going to fall Sara.”
“Lucian, I’m not worth the trouble. I’m nothing to you. Just let me go.” Her voice began to waver. “I’ve had a good life.” These past days have been the best of my life. “I’m prepared to go if it means your people will be saved. No one will miss me anyway.”
“Damn it Sara!” he cursed loudly, spinning her round to face him. His strong fingers dug into her skin painfully but any protest she might have made died in her throat when she saw the wild, almost crazed look in his glowing red eyes. “What do you do to me?”
Lucian’s lips crashed against her own, a low groan slipping from her lips as sizzling heat filled her. His grip slackened for a moment as he pulled her against him. She gasped when she felt his hardness pulsating against her stomach, the knowledge that she had pulled such a reaction from him making her stomach flip frantically. She flicked her tongue experimentally at the seam of his lips and was rewarded when Lucian's soft lips parted, his hot tongue twining with hers.
She was on fire. Her entire body was hot, her breasts ached and the secret place between her thighs throbbed. She needed more. Her movements were limited but she clutched at his chest, desperately trying to get closer as the reason for wanting to leave him slipped away when confronted by the intensity of the kiss. Their tongues duelled, alternating between gentle forays and all out battles for dominance. Sara’s lungs burned from a lack of air. She was beginning to feel light headed as the kiss continued depriving her of vital oxygen but she didn’t want to let him go even to take a breath. Her hands rose to his neck, trying to keep him close but he pulled away as though he’d been burnt.
Sara panted heavily, confusion evident in her gaze as she tried to understand what had made Lucian withdraw from her embrace. His fingers gently touched the pale skin of his neck and he cursed when he pulled them away finding rich red blood on his fingertips.
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