Nicholas laughed heartily at that, “Shhh….you foul mouthed little vixen.” He felt her stiffen when he slid down to the bed and locked her against his chest, “You need to rest now; you can insult me when you are better.”
CHAPTER 31
Improvement in Ella’s condition was not immediate, much to his dismay. Her fever remained and she drifted in and out of delirium the next forty-eight hours. Nicholas kept vigil, leaving only long enough to quench his thirst in the stocked kitchen and mix up more of Myrrdyn’s medicinal concoctions.
Ella passed between deep slumber and restless fits, all the while he held her. When she opened her eyes, Nicholas could tell by their murky depths that she was not lucid. The previous night had been the hardest. She had woken twice, deep in the throes of the fever and not aware of him or her surroundings. The first time Ella had curled against him and sobbed, begging to know why he had left her…why her love was so unimportant that he could forsake her for the Darks’ war. She wanted answers that Nicholas wasn’t able to give because he had never truly considered his abandonment from her perspective. Her wrenching tears had tortured him until she had finally succumbed to sleep once more. If the guilt he felt over his treatment of her and her injuries had not already been enough to break his heart, the hour that she had pitifully clung to him, her grief unfettered, was.
When he had deserted her, Nicholas had also let go of everything he had become when he had been with her. Warring with the Light had made it easy to return to his evil, hard ways. During that time, he had simply put aside the memory of how exquisite it had been to love her. Nicholas came to the conclusion then that he would have to ride out all the hate she had to throw at him, in order to make amends for the damage he had inflicted.
A few hours later Ella woke him with the soft touch of her palm to his cheek. On some level she was aware of his presence, though she was still not registering this reality. She was smiling sweetly up at him as she caressed his face, but it was her eyes that shook him from his drowsy stupor. They were veiled, indicative of the magic flowing through her. She whispered his name, continuing with her soft touch, though her forehead creased in some confusion, “Cole?”
He touched her cheek in kind, “Aye, love?”
That brought the smile back to her face, “I love you, you know.”
Nicholas nodded, rubbing his cheek into the cup of her palm, “And I you, Ella.”
The confused look was back on her face and she dropped her hand to his neck, toying with the collar of his shirt, “When did I give you my vows?”
He was enjoying the time of sweetness, though he knew it was not real, “You have not yet Princess, but you will soon.”
Ella grabbed at his hand and slid it down with hers, pressing it to her abdomen. Her expression was gravely serious, “We must hurry. We are having a boy, you know.” He only nodded; there would be no point in talking about anything but the fantasy she was immersed in as a result of her fever. She continued, “Myrrdyn is quite thrilled. He has been longing for another grandchild.”
Cole held his breath, still, while he studied her upturned face intently. The magic overtaking her had to be the Seer. It was one of Myrrdyn’s most powerful gifts and one she must share. Something had caused her eyes to veil and there was definitely no Fire or Light sparking in her.
At his continued silence, Ella laughed at him, shaking her head playfully, “I know he is no favorite of yours, but he will adore your firstborn.” Nicholas stroked at her cheek again, nodding as he considered further. As far as he knew, Ella had no inkling that Myrrdyn was her father. He had only just received confirmation himself and Nicholas doubted that the Sorcerer had ever shared the information with anyone else.
Only Seer power could have given her knowledge of her parentage. She had to have gained the information through a vision. He rubbed his lips across her brow, promising, “Yes Ella, I will have your vows and we will have those three little ones you want so much.”
She was tiring; he could tell she would be gone again soon. The glow was beginning to fade, but she laughed once more, patting her hand against his chest as though consoling him, “Silly Vamp, the twins will make it four.”
Ella tucked her head against him and was gone to dream just that quickly. Nicholas was shocked over her little proclamation, but her vision bolstered his belief that he would be able to fix the damage he had caused. For the first time in many months, a true smile curved his lips, though he was still trying to decide if having a mate with Seer ability would be a good thing.
He remained vigilantly watchful over her the next few hours. The only interruption was Dunkirk’s arrival with news of the Realm. The warrior had left a short while ago, after imparting the information that Rhydach was now aware that Nicholas had given his protection to the Fire Queen. The Ancient Dark leader sent forces throughout the Realm in efforts to locate the two. Nicholas knew well enough that only the protection of the sunlight in this area of the world was keeping them safe. Rhydach would begin search efforts beyond the Realm shortly, if he had not already.
While only a few in his Coven knew of this particular location, a few was too many. He would need to move Ella. Nicholas had explained his plan to Dunkirk, having only one home in his possession that was unknown to the Darks and owned in the name of none of the aliases he used either.
The sun was setting when Nicholas finished packing the few things that would be required. The other home was completely stocked so he only needed a single bag. He tossed the black canvas duffel next to the bed where Ella was curled up in slumber. At his last check he thought her skin was decidedly cooler to the touch - not quite normal, but much improved.
Dunkirk appeared, studying her sleeping form for a moment before nodding his greeting to Nicholas, “She is on the mend.” It was an observation, not a question. The color was beginning to come back to her skin and she was not so restless or whimpering with pain. Nicholas merely nodded his agreement, slinging the bag over one shoulder before stooping to tuck the blankets more tightly around Ella and scooping her into his arms.
His friend reached to tug the bag from his shoulder and Nicholas allowed him to slide it off. Dunkirk offered the assurance, “All is ready.” At Nicholas’s puzzled look, Dunkirk hesitated long enough for Nicholas to become suspicious and then continued on quickly, “I had the same protections laid there that you have here. The home is hidden from both Light and Dark by magic. The surrounding area has a protective ring and the doors and windows will open only with your touch. I thought that best for now. We do not want Ella storming off in a fit until you have adequate time to apologize properly.”
At Nicholas’s raised brow, Dunkirk shifted and uneasily demanded, “What?”
Nicholas didn’t bother to temper his sarcasm, “I assume this was all done in collaboration with Myrrdyn. You would not dare entrust a Dark witch with this and you and the Ancient are quite the pair these days.”
His giant friend was so uncomfortable that he appeared to blush before he grumbled, “She needed protection.” It was the only answer Dunkirk gave before he disappeared. Nicholas sighed, not certain he had the strength to deal with Ella’s hate along with whatever the Ancient was cooking up for him. Myrrdyn seemed determined that Nicholas would keep Ella, for now. With that old Sorcerer, it was impossible to divine his end game and Nicholas was generally not inclined to play without knowing the rules.
The shadowing roused Ella, as he feared it would. Nicholas had taken her directly to the master bedroom to avoid inciting her anger when she was still in such a weakened state. He knew this move would infuriate Ella but he had no other options. Nicholas noted that the black duffel had been dropped by the bed but that Dunkirk had not lingered to see them settled. Depositing her gently onto the soft mattress, there was no sign of delirious confusion in the eyes that studied him, only exhaustion. He ran his hands swiftly over her face to gauge her temperature, then over her arms and lightly over her wounded side, examining her flank until she tried to
brush him away. That was a good sign and he grinned good-naturedly at her, “Good, Princess, you are awake just in time for your medicine.”
Ella was confused because she registered the change in her surroundings. The space seemed vaguely familiar, but she could not quite grasp the reason. Her brain felt foggy and her voice was hoarse when she responded, “Don’t call me that.”
He tapped her on the nose and tugged a vial free of the canvas bag on the floor, “Sorry, you do not give orders here.” Nicholas dumped the contents into the cup that was waiting on the nightstand and admonished her like a child, “You are the captive and I am the captor. Do you want me to explain to you how that works...Princess?” He could not help but goad her; he wanted to see that pretty green sparkle in her eyes. Instead, she turned her head the opposite direction, after flipping him off.
Laughter rumbled in his chest before he used his fangs to make a wound in his wrist. He let blood drain into the cup and combine with the herbal mix. Ella crossed her arms over her chest, staring out the window into the deepening night, “I am not drinking your blood.”
Nicholas was heartened to see some of her spunk returning, even though he knew she would try his patience with it before he brought her around. He waited for the wound to heal while swirling the mixture together in the bottom of the cup. Lowering himself next to her on the side of the bed, he lectured her on the way of things, “You do need me to explain how this works. Yes, you will drink what I tell you to drink, when I tell you to drink it, Ella. As my prisoner, I expect your obedience.” Seeing her bristle at the reminder of her current circumstance, he raised his hand to cup her chin. Rubbing his thumb across her lower lip, he deliberately switched-up his approach; keeping her off-balance would be good. His voice turned husky and she could not resist looking up at him, “Do you need me to give you some incentive to be a good little witch?”
He heard the shakiness of her breath as she exhaled and viewed the small twinkle of light in her eyes before she closed them. Batting at his hand, she shifted her head away once more, breaking his hold, “Give me the damn cup.”
His laughter was immediate. Nicholas pressed it to her hands and watched her take a few swallows before he tousled her hair, “Good girl. Let me know if you feel up to a bath and I will run one. You certainly need it.” At her scowl, he went on as he stood and crossed the room, “Do not get any ideas about crawling out the window to your freedom, Ella. The doors and windows here are protected, they will only open at my hand, so unless you learn to shadow…”
Nicholas exited the bedroom, pulling the door behind him as Ella launched the empty glass his direction. He couldn’t contain his grin when it broke against the door and he heard her alternate option, “…or I cut off your hand, you bastard.”
CHAPTER 32
Nicholas returned a couple of hours later to find her dozing. Curled on her side, her breathing was deep and easy. He went into the master bath and began to fill the large marble tub, placing soaps and shampoos that he knew would be to her liking at the edge, as well as warm fluffy towels and lotions easily within reach. As soon as he exited, he felt her eyes following him, so he turned to face her, “Hey gorgeous, how about you wash some of that grime off now?”
Ella pushed herself slowly up into a sitting position and swung her legs to put her feet to the floor with only a touch of a grimace. She remained there for a few moments with her head hung low. When she finally addressed him, her voice was strained, but there was no mistaking the malice in it, “Why don’t you burn in hell, you sadistic son of a bitch.”
Undeterred, he crossed the space and knelt down in front of her, “Sweetheart, just because I strongly suggested that you were in dire need of a bath, there is no reason to curse at me.” He wasn’t expecting the swing of her arm, nor the flat of her palm as it connected solidly with his cheek. The strength of the impact knocked his face to the side. Nicholas reacted without thinking, capturing her forearm and jerking her forward. The move tumbled her off the bed; she collided hard against him where he knelt.
The eyes she lifted to his were snapping. There were also tears in the corners and that was unexpected. He stood in a fluid motion, pulling her struggling form up into his arms, and pivoted towards the bath. Ella punched at his chest in her fury and was already breathing much too hard by the time he lowered her to her feet on the stone tile. Her fury was irrational and his voice reflected his impatience, “Cease, you little hellcat, it is water not acid.”
She kicked at his shin. Enfolding her tightly in his arms, his eyes flashed black while he struggled to restrain her. The crazy witch was insane to behave this way over a simple bath, “Do not cause me to have to drown you after I have just spent these many days saving your unappreciative life.”
Ella did not cease her struggle for freedom, but hissed, “I would prefer that to your torture, you vicious brute.”
Nicholas used the tangled hair at her nape to pull her head back. He was surprised to see the tears had escaped and were streaming unchecked down her cheeks. There was pain in her expression and he gentled his hold, “Be still, Witch.” He attempted to inspect the bandage at her side for new blood while maintaining control of her, “Did I hurt you?”
She mocked him humorlessly, “That is rich, Vampire. Playing innocent.” Ella freed a hand and smacked it against his shoulder, “Did you hurt me? Do you mean when you left me without a word on the night that I was to give you my vows? Or when you never came back? When you humiliated me in front of my friends by labeling me as your whore? Or maybe when you bound my magic and held me defenseless so that your man could shove his sword through me? Perhaps when you left me in a cold dark cell to suffer after you allowed Cordelia to torture me for hours?”
Not giving him time to answer, her eyes challenged him to deny any of it when she snarled, “Are there any boundaries that you will not cross in your mission to bring me pain? Would you at least mind telling me what I have done to deserve your attentions? Surely, something caused you to target me for your vicious games?”
Ella pummeled her fists against his chest, screaming in her anger, “Was bringing me here, to this house, the last twist of your knife in my heart? Can you just drown me now and cease toying with me?”
Nicholas allowed her to continue to beat on him. He agreed that he certainly deserved that and more after he heard her litany of accusations pouring out. She continued the assault with her fists until she had spent her energy. Finally Ella slumped against him and was making no attempt to hide her sobs. She flinched when he began stroking her hair, but he continued touching her nonetheless.
His voice was soft, willing her to understand, “Ella, this is the only place that I had to bring you that I knew I could keep you safe from Rhydach’s men. If there had been any other location, I would not have brought you to this house.”
She stiffened with his explanation, but she did not try to pull away and that encouraged him. Her sobbing stopped, leaving only her shuddering breaths to break the silence. He knew that bringing her here would probably hurt her, but he really had no choice since he had to move her so quickly. There had also been a slight hope in him that being back in the home that he had bought for her would remind her that there were parts of him that she did love.
Ella muttered simply against his chest, “You are one of Rhydach’s men.”
Nicholas dropped a kiss to the top of her head before turning and prodding her in the direction of the tub. He allowed no emotion to come through in his answer, “Not any longer Ella, apparently I have been disowned. He hunts me as fiercely as he does you.” He felt her gaze on him, but he did not look back as he tested the warmth of the water. Straightening, he waved her forward with his hand, “Let’s get you in before it turns cold.”
Nicholas helped her into a seated position. The edge of the tub was encircled by a wide laying of tile that would allow her to sit and swing her legs over the edge and then ease into the water. Moving everything easily within her reach, he instructed, “You ca
n remove the wrap from your arm. I expect your bone to be healed by now, just be careful with it. Can you manage from here?” Catching her gaze finally, his eyes slid down to indicate the lace undergarments that remained on her. At the inclination of her head in answer, he turned to leave.
“Call me if you need me Ella.” She did not acknowledge his offer of assistance but he paused, his broad shoulders filling the doorway. He kept his back to her with his confession, “I love you Ella. I started falling in love with you that first night.” Sighing heavily Nicholas shoved a hand back through his hair. He stared blankly across the bedroom, not wanting to turn and see rejection on her face, “I have made some horrible mistakes, but never with the intention to cause you pain. I thought I could keep you, outside the Realm, and have this life…” He trailed off, the wave of his hand indicating everything the house around them symbolized. He knew words weren’t enough, “I am sorry.”
He could not gloss over the damage he had caused the past few months. Ella had deserved none of it. This next part sickened him, but he would do what was right for her this one time, rather than persist with his own selfish desires, “Once I am assured that Lorcan can properly protect you from Rhydach, I will return you to Laverock.”
Nicholas did not wait for a response, he did not expect one. He shadowed to the kitchen because he desperately needed a drink. Her litany of accusations had shredded what was left of his soul. The detailed review of his offenses from her perspective obliterated all hope that he could ever regain what he had with her. Because he left so abruptly, he did not witness that tears that had rolled down her face the entire time.
Forsaken (Ancients of Light #1) Page 22