Seared by Desire

by Jennifer T. Alli

  His superior tone clearly worked on some people as the blacksmith quickly appeared at his side, bowing in deference the moment he was within the man’s sight.

  “What can I do for you Lord Hugo?”

  “I wish to buy this piece of armour for 10 gold pieces, do you have any objections?”

  “None my Lord.”

  “Then it is settled, hand over the armour wench.”

  “Master smith, I will give you 15 gold pieces for the armour,” she countered.

  “Twenty,” Hugo rebutted.

  “Thirty.”

  “Thirty five,” he said, his cheeks reddening in anger.

  “Forty,” she responded calmly.

  “Fifty.”

  This is ridiculous, Sara thought. I’ve clearly insulted his pride and now he’s just being difficult. He doesn’t need this armour. I do. “And I’m going to get it,” she mumbled to herself. “Master smith, I need this armour and I am going to take it with me today.” Approaching the smith, she held out her hand waiting for recognition to dawn on him.

  “Quicksilver,” he gasped in shock.

  “I need this armour,” she repeated.

  “But you’re a sword smith.”

  “I know what I am. I’m embarking on a special project for Lord Lucian.”

  “Of the vampires?”

  “Yes. When I am finished with this armour, all will know of it. A legend will be born, tales sung, books written, all will know of you…if you sell it to me. What will happen if you sell it to this Lord? He will rarely wear it and when he does, he will not soil his hands and use it to its full potential.” The smith’s eyes wandered to the chinking purse Lord Hugo was throwing between his hands. “If you want money instead of fame then I can give you money.” She pulled her own heavy purse from inside the depths of her cloak, letting the smith see how fat with gold it was. “Not only will I give you gold but I’ll craft three swords for you, yours to do with as you will.”

  His green eyes widened with greed. “Three Quicksilvers?” He sounded as though the very thought was giving him heart palpitations.

  “Yes. I swear it.”

  “Keep the gold,” he rushed. “From the sale of three genuine Quicksilvers, I will make that and more. The armour is yours fellow smith.”

  Sara smiled in triumph, rushing back to the armour and gathering the many pieces into her arms.

  “When will I receive my swords?”

  “I’ll try to get them to you by the end of the week. George help me please,” she rushed before her attention returned to the blacksmith. “I won’t be able to leave the estate again so you will need to have your apprentice come to…” She turned to George for guidance.

  “The Whitechapel Estate.”

  “Yes, the Whitechapel estate and ask for the swords Sara promised you.”

  “Master Quicksilver,” the smith began. “What will happen to my mark?” He held out his own palm to show her his personal crest, a bolt of lightning.

  “When I work the metal, the two will join. Don’t worry master smith, people will know it was you that crafted the armour and I who tempered it.”

  “Will you need more?”

  “No. The armour I’m going to make for Lucian will be one of a kind.”

  “Lucian?” he questioned, confused by the lack of honorific title.

  Understanding the smith’s confusion, George rushed to clarify the situation. “Master smith, allow me to introduce Lady Sara Quicksilver, the future Queen of the vampires.”

  The smith’s jaw dropped as the duo rushed out of the store, their heavy burden in tow, some pieces worn to make transporting them easier while others were simply held. Though cumbersome and heavy, they managed to mount their horses, the beasts shifting restlessly under the additional burden. Lance snorted in discomfort and Sara ran a hand gently down his flank, cooing softly to him.

  “I’m sorry Lance, I know you’ve never had to carry anything this heavy before but you’re a stallion aren’t you? You can do it besides, it isn’t that far.”

  The horse snorted, throwing back his head as Sara spurred him into action. The return trip was longer, weighed down as they were by the heavy metal but they were soon in front of the large white gates that opened on to the estate. The moment her feet touched home soil Sara was off, she leapt from Lance’s back, rushing as fast as she could to an empty patch of soil. She carefully pulled the heavy and oversized gauntlets from hands, placing them on the ground. The helmet came off next and she shook her long hair out, placing the helmet strategically beside the gauntlets. She turned, intending to race back to the horses and gather the other pieces, but found that George was already at her side, the breastplate and greaves worn awkwardly over his non-muscular frame.

  She held out her hands expectantly. “Thank you George.”

  He looked at her hands disbelievingly, his mind struggling to understand why she thought she could bear the weight of such heavy metal when he himself was struggling. Her fingers wriggled, prodding him into action. With a sigh he pulled the breastplate over his head, placing it in her arms. She was his Lady; he couldn’t refuse a direct request. Much to his surprise, Sara’s arms didn’t falter under the new weight and she moved easily away from him, placing the breastplate on the ground before returning to him for the greaves. Confident in her ability, he removed the weight from his thighs and gave the metal over to her.

  Sara smiled as she put the final piece of armour in place before she sat down in he centre of the circle she had made. Her eyes wandered nervously over the metal, apprehension building within her. She was a swordsmith not an armourer and what she planned to do had never been done before, it was quite possible that her plans were simply not feasible.

  “Well I’m not going to get anything done by just thinking about it.” She shook her head and forced herself to think positive before letting her fire wash over her, the flames strong and intense. She let the fire build, the flames changing in colour as the heat increased until they were pure white and then she let them loose. The flames rushed along the grass, burning the green blades to ash before they reached their destination. Fire poured into the metal, coating the various pieces of armour in a translucent light and then Sara began her work.

  Chapter Seventeen - The Fall of a Lord and The Rise of a King

  It came as a shock to Lucian when he rose, he didn’t remember falling asleep in the first place. The last thing he remembered was pulling Sara’s unconscious body close to him, trying to reassure himself that the warmth returning to her body was a sure sign that she would soon be returning to his life. It had been three days since the events of New Malden, three days since he had seen Sara’s warm smile; three days since he’d seen her blue eyes twinkle with mischief; three days since she’d wrapped her arms tightly around him as though she never wanted to let him go but each day felt like an eternity. He hadn’t slept, intent on being with her when she first woke but his eyes had felt so heavy, his limbs exhausted from a combination of overwork and lack of feeding and when he had crawled into bed beside her the world had gradually faded away and he must have succumbed to his fatigue.

  He shifted slightly, pulling Sara’s limp body into a sitting position before caressing her cheek. His blood ran cold when he found that the skin against his fingers was colder than it had been yesterday. His hands roamed her body in search of exposed skin as he tried to reassure himself that the skin on her face was cool from simple exposure to the air but everywhere he touched was chilled.

  “Sara, you told me you were just going to sleep for a little while. You lied to me. I won’t let you leave me Sara, I won’t.”

  He lay her back down, rising from the bed and dressing quickly, there were things he had to do and if the lack of heat emanating from Sara’s body was any indication, he was running out of time.

  “Damn you William. You did this to her and I swear even if it kills me, I will make you pay for this.”

  He swept out of his room, sparing a final glance at
Sara’s sleeping form before forcing himself to close the door. He turned to the guard waiting outside of the door, his red-rimmed dark eyes glowing from within the shadows of the corridor. “Guard her well. If anything happens come for me.”

  “Yes my Lord,” the guard responded, his voice trembling slightly.

  Lucian walked down the halls to the first stop on what had become his nightly routine since the start of Sara’s long slumber. The usually boisterous halls were quiet now, the sombre atmosphere reflecting the mood of the estate’s master. He was no longer bombarded with questions the instant he rose, most were now reluctant to even speak to him, diverting their eyes as he passed them by. Under different circumstances he would have cared, would have tried to reassure his people that all was well but the fact was the circumstances were what they were and nothing could change that. Only when Sara woke would he concern himself with the lack of laughter in the air.

  His feet stopped in front of the room where a donor awaited him but his hand was reluctant to open it. A slight shiver of revulsion filled him at the thought of drinking the unknown person’s blood. He didn’t want someone else’s blood; he wanted Sara’s. His fangs ached with the desire to sink into her soft flesh as he pulled her close, taking her heat into him in the most intimate way possible. He sighed, gripping the handle tightly. There was no alternative. He needed to feed. William was still out there, his very existence a threat to Sara’s life and to protect her he needed to be strong. His free hand gripped the hilt of the sword she had made for him for reassurance. He had wielded Quicksilver’s before but this one felt different. Each time he held it he swore he could feel Sara’s presence, her warmth and her love for him, flowing though his body like a calming breeze. Though she had never said she loved him, Lucian was sure that she felt the same way he did and if she didn’t he would force her to see reason. Calmer now, he pushed the door open, his lips curling back in a snarl the instant he saw the woman standing before him.

  “I’m sorry my Lord there are no males available tonight.”

  At least she understands that she isn’t meant to be here. “If there aren’t any males then I won’t feed tonight.”

  He turned to leave but her hand against his arm prevented him from leaving. “Please my Lord,” she implored, “you must feed. You aren’t taking care of yourself. This isn’t what Lady Sara would want. I’m sure she would understand if you took from me. Feeding is natural for you.”

  “Do not,” he hissed, “presume to know what Sara would want.” Not even I understand how her mind works.

  “I’m sorry my Lord but you are unwell. I only wish to serve you.”

  Sara, he groaned, trying to decide what he should do. The donor was right; Sara understood his needs. She hadn’t been disgusted when she’d witnessed him feeding before and always encouraged him to take from her whenever he seemed weak. William's face floated through his mind followed by Sara’s screams and the decision was taken out of his hands. He had to be strong enough to protect her. He pulled the donor close and forced his unwilling fangs to lengthen and sink into her flesh. The donor gasped in shock at the suddenness of his action but didn’t murmur a word of complaint. Lucian pushed her away quickly; her blood left a foul taste in his mouth. He hadn’t taken much and wouldn’t force himself to take more.

  “Thank you for your assistance,” he murmured as he pulled away.

  Her hand lifted to her neck in surprise. “My Lord, you haven’t taken enough.”

  “I’ve taken all that I am going to take from you.” Sara what do you do to me? “Again, thank you for your assistance.”

  Shaking off her misgivings, the donor bowed in respect. “It is a pleasure to serve my Lord.”

  Somewhat fed, Lucian walked out of the room and began moving towards the second stop on his nightly tour. The library was filled almost to bursting with scholars all of whom were so engrossed in their reading that they didn’t notice his arrival. After Sara’s collapse, he had summoned all his scholars to this one place and demanded that they find out everything they could about Sara’s curse. To the oracle Seraphina might have been just another vision but to him and Sara she was a curse. It made no sense. It was supposedly because of Seraphina’s presence that Sara would live into eternity with him but it was obvious to anyone with eyes that the vengeful spirit was slowly but surely killing her. He was meant to prevent the spirit from taking her life but had no idea how he was meant to do it. They couldn’t continue as they were, it clearly wasn’t working, the time it took for Sara to recover from one of Seraphina’s episodes was getting worse not better.

  Tired and hungry but determined, Lucian strode straight into the library in search of the man he’d put in charge. It didn’t take him long to find Edward, his superior senses easily leading him to the man.

  “Edward,” he called softly.

  Edward spun from his task to face Lucian. “My Lord,” he stuttered, clearly worried about incurring his Lord’s wrath once more. They had made no more progress than they had yesterday despite working almost around the clock and Lord Lucian was not going to be pleased.

  “What have you found out?”

  “Well,” he began nervously. “There is definitely a way to save Lady Sara from the spirit but the time to do so is short.”

  “What do I have to do?” I’ll do anything.

  “Well that is the problem my Lord.”

  “What is the problem Edward?” His words were softly spoken but the promise of retribution was clear.

  His face flushed red as his pulse raced, his heart hammering wildly within his chest. He had been hoping to avoid this confrontation. “We don’t know what exactly it is that you must do.”

  “You are telling me that there is only a small window of opportunity to save my bride, your future queen, but you don’t know how to do it. How is that possible?”

  “The texts that we have here do not go into great detail on how exactly it is possible to save the child of flame. They seem to be more focused on how to avoid her wrath, how to avoid the fallout that will come when she destroys the enemies of the fire elementals. Lady Sara’s people are not well loved by anyone except the human kings that occasionally hire them to defeat their enemies, no author seems to want to save her.”

  He snarled angrily, “Well I want to save her and you are going to tell me how to do it Edward.”

  “Of course my Lord.”

  “I don’t care what you have to do or who I have to kill, we are going to save her.”

  “We all want to save her my Lord. The Lady of Light is already loved by all vampires and we humans who serve you want nothing but your happiness. I have requested another shipment of books, hopefully they will prove more helpful.”

  “Do not request anything Edward. Order it on pain of death.”

  He gulped. “Yes my Lord.”

  “If you find out anything then come and tell me immediately. I will be on the training grounds.”

  “Of course my Lord.”

  It was on a dejected sigh that Lucian left the library for the third and final stop on his nightly routine. He had quickly concluded after William's attack that he had grown complacent in regards to the war. It had been going on for far too long and now that there was a risk to Sara, it had to end quickly. He had been too compassionate towards William and his ilk, it was time to exterminate them like the vermin they were.

  The training ground lay at the centre of the Whitechapel estate, the large space fenced in on four sides by the walls of the estate. Though there were no markings to delineate the different areas, the grounds were broken into four different sections. At the far end of the grounds were the archers, the soft twang of their bows and arrows drowned out by those who trained in heavy armour at their side. While the archers practised taking aim at targets from afar, sometimes stationary and sometimes moving, those training in heavy armour practised one on one in close combat. Clubs and maces were wielded with ease as they tried to bludgeon each other and inflict damage that c
ould be felt through the heavy metal they each wore. Lucian’s eyes wandered next to the swordsmen assessing the accuracy of their swings and the power they were putting behind the blade before they finally landed on those training in hand-to-hand combat for use if they were ever caught unawares and without a weapon.

  Satisfied that the training was well under way he strolled towards the swordsmen, unsheathing his sword as he walked. His skill with a blade was second to none and if he wanted these men to protect Sara from both their enemies they would need to work towards his level of skill.

  “Gareth,” he called.

  He bowed in deference when he saw Lucian and those around him quickly followed suit. “Lord Lucian. How is Lady Sara?”

  The training grounds were momentarily silent, all within it waiting with baited breath for news regarding the Lady of Light. Her display of power had earned her the instant loyalty of all that had seen it and those who hadn’t were anxious for her to recover so that they too could witness what the sun looked like.

  “She is still sleeping. The scholars have no word on how to help her recover either.”

  “I’m sorry Lucian.”

  “It isn’t your fault Gareth, no, the blame can be laid squarely at Russell’s feet. If he hadn’t called me away to meet with his brother I would have been there when her flames first started to get out of control, I would have been able to help her rein them in.”

  Gareth shifted uncomfortably for a moment before he asked the question he had wanted to ask since they had arrived at the Whitechapel estate and Russell had been imprisoned. “My Lord have you decided what Russell’s fate is to be?”

  “I haven’t had much time to think of him and when I do my mind becomes so clouded with anger because of Sara’s continued sleep that I know any decision I make will be rash. I will let Sara decide what to do with him when she wakes up.”

  “But my Lord, no one knows how long she will be asleep. Russell’s actions weren’t wise but he was only doing what he thought was best for you. He would never try to have you killed, you yourself have said that he fought to defend you when William –”