“I’m not sure under control is exactly the way I’d choose to describe the situation.” She looked at Ainsley.
“And why not?”
“Ainsley looks like she is going to pass out. She has a wall blocking me out. Those aren’t exactly signs of things being under control.”
“She’ll be fine, and there is a reason for the mark. You know as well as I do that there ends up being a reason for everything.” I struggled to keep my voice even. Yelling at Charlotte would not help anything.
“And that’s what scares me.”
“I need to get her home.” I nodded to Charlotte.
“You know what, no.” She held up her hand as if to block me.
“Excuse me?”
“I’m in charge here, and I’ll be using my authority to prevent you from leaving this castle.”
“Why?”
“Because she is a guest of ours, and I need to know she is well.”
“You can’t heal her.” I took Ainsley’s other hand in mine. “But I can.” At least I assumed I could. If my father was right.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Charlotte narrowed her eyes.
“You want us to stay in the castle? Fine. We’ll be up in my old room.” I turned toward the stairs. “Give us an hour without interruptions.”
“Without interruptions?” Charlotte said to my back.
“You heard me.”
“You can’t tell me what to do.” Charlotte put a hand on her hip.
“No, but I know you like Ainsley. I can help her, but I need time and space.”
“Why would you need space?”
I thought over my words carefully. “It is a private matter.”
“You have one hour. One. I will be up there, and if she isn’t better I am sending out for a doctor.”
“Are there even doctors in Belgard anymore? You have negated the need for them.”
“We can get someone from outside Belgard if need be.”
“She will be fine in an hour.” I willed my words to be true.
“I’m okay.” Ainsley spoke for the first time in a few minutes. Her hand was still firmly inside mine. “I just need a nap.”
“We’ll go lie down right now.” I picked her up.
“I am capable of walking, James.” Her protest was weak. She didn’t mind. I ran upstairs with her and pushed open the door to my old room. I closed and locked the door behind us before laying Ainsley down on the bed.
I lay down beside her. “You are going to be fine.”
“I know.” She ran her hand down my cheek.
“I am glad you agree.” She smiled. It lit up her whole face. The added glow accentuated her beauty.
“If I was really sick I wouldn’t be having the thoughts I’m having.” Her eyes were heated.
“And what kind of thoughts are those?” I asked knowing full well what thoughts they were.
“Of you.”
“I am glad you think about me.” I ran my hand through her hair.
“I think about you a lot.”
“I do the same for you.” I brushed my lips against hers.
“Is it crazy that I want you right now?”
“Crazy is not the word I would use.”
“What word would you use?” She slipped her hand underneath my shirt. I did the same thing to her. Even without poison I craved her.
“Wonderful.”
“Yeah.” She ran her teeth over her bottom lip. “That is if you are feeling up to it.”
“I’m always feeling up to it with you.” I stroked her stomach.
Normally I would have insisted she rest, but I knew this sickness was something different. She needed exactly the thing she was asking for, and I was the only one who could give it. It was cruel. I got pleasure out of her poisoning. But it was not my fault or choice. I would fix it. I would fix everything.
I pressed my lips against hers, and she responded immediately. She reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck. I moved into her mouth, eager for her taste, and eager to relieve her suffering. I brushed off the guilt and enjoyed her kiss while I started to unbutton the back of her dress. First I needed to get her better and come up with a way to make it easier to go longer without me. I could only come up with one possibility.
She closed her eyes while my lips moved along the sensitive skin of her neck. She moaned peacefully as my hands explored her body. “James.”
“Hearing you say my name that way is music to my ears.”
“Having your hands and lips on me is music to my body.”
“Is that your way of telling me to stop talking?” I teased while quickly removing the rest of our clothing.
“Nope.” She tugged on my arm to pull me down on top of her. “That’s my way of telling you to do that.”
I laughed. “We will have plenty of time to talk later.”
“Good, right now I need you to go back to exactly what you were doing before.”
I kissed her instead of responding. That was what she wanted. She took me in her hand and led me where she needed me to be.
“James.” This time my name came out huskier, but it was still melodic.
I thrust into her over and over, needing her as much as she needed me. She urged me on, her strength returning as I moved inside her. I was relieved to be back in my favorite place. Ainsley was everything to me, and I would find a way to make things right.
* * *
Ainsley was sleeping peacefully beside me. I wanted to let her sleep, but we did not have that luxury. Having Charlotte walk in on us was out of the question. I kissed Ainsley lightly.
“James.” She opened her blue eyes.
“Hey.”
“That was amazing.” She snuggled up beside me.
“It was.” I kissed her again. We had made love three times in one hour.
“Now I know what to do when I’m sick.”
“And what’s that?”
“Get into bed with you.” She brushed her lips against my shoulder.
I forced a laugh. “I guess I am good at making you feel better.”
“I feel awesome.” She sat up, letting the blanket fall away. “No getting any ideas.” She noticed my eyes glued to her. “I don’t think I can handle any more right now.”
“Charlotte is going to come check on us soon anyway.”
“She really worries, huh?”
“She is upset that she was unable to help you.”
“Which is still weird since she helped me a few minutes before, but maybe I wasn’t really sick. It must be tied to our connection or whatever.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “This kindred thing is hard to understand.”
“But it didn’t happen to Samantha, right? And she’s Kevin’s kindred.”
“But you are not of this world.”
“Oh, so maybe that made it different?” There was skepticism in her voice.
“But the important thing is you feel better.”
“I do.” She got up, and I helped her into her dress. “I’m going to use the restroom.” She hurried off across the room. I got myself dressed before opening the door to the room. To my surprise Charlotte was not hovering in the hallway. It had been exactly an hour, and she was a very punctual person, particularly when she wanted to be.
The sound of pounding footsteps on the stairs had me stepping into the hall.
“Is she okay?” Charlotte appeared at the top of the steps. She struggled to catch her breath.
“Fine.”
“Prove it.” She tried to push through me into the room, but I stopped her. I wanted to give Ainsley privacy.
“She is fine, but tell me why you ran up here? What is going on?”
“First I need to see Ainsley.” Charlotte tried to peer around me.
“I’m here.” Ainsley appeared in the doorway. “What’s going on?”
Charlotte looked at her. “You’re 100% better?”
“Yes.” Ainsley grinned.
“What did
you do?” Charlotte looked at me. “How did you fix it?”
“You do not want to know.” I looked away.
“I do. Trust me.”
“You don’t.” Ainsley unsuccessfully tried to hide a smile.
“Ugh, please tell me you’re joking.” Charlotte made a face. “That’s impossible.”
“Ok, we are joking.” I did not particularly want to discuss my sex life with Charlotte.
“How could sex make her better? That makes absolutely no sense.” Charlotte shook her head.
“I agree, but I proved Ainsley was ok. What is going on?”
Charlotte sighed. “Nothing good.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning there have been undead spotted.”
“That is impossible.” Only a Cipher could raise the dead, and my father was gone. His power was gone too. He wanted to use me, but I knew I had not have raised them.
“Yet I doubt our sentries are making this up.”
“I agree, but maybe it is not the undead.”
“So a group of men disguised themselves as zombies?” Charlotte narrowed her eyes.
“Maybe.”
“Wait… zombies?” Ainsley froze.
“People brought back from the dead,” I explained. “My father was the only one able to do it. There is no way the creatures spotted are truly them.”
“We have to investigate.” Charlotte jutted out her chin. “A sighting like that cannot be ignored.”
“And you want me to go?”
“Yes, but only if Ainsley is okay with it.” There was a note of apology in Charlotte’s voice.
I looked at Ainsley. She seemed fine, and I wouldn’t be gone excessively long. I did not like leaving her, but I needed to find out what was going on. As much as I doubted they were truly the undead, I had a sinking suspicion they were connected to my father’s followers.
“You can go. I’m fine. I’ll stay out of dusty and narrow passageways.” Ainsley chuckled.
“I’ll make sure she does.” Charlotte touched my arm. “I will stay with her the whole time.”
“But if she gets ill again I need someone to get me.”
“Of course.” Charlotte nodded. “Immediately.”
“I will be fine. It’s more important that you take care of this. I’d rather not deal with zombies today.” She sounded so light and happy. I hoped my plan worked, and that it bought us more time.
“You sure you are okay now?” I looked right into her eyes, searching for any evidence that she was still unwell.
“Go do your job.” She pushed my arm. “I’ll find a way to stay useful here.”
“Meaning you can rest.” Charlotte smiled.
“Or at least stay out of the way.”
I took Ainsley’s hand. “I will be back as quick as I can.” I kissed her on the cheek. “Stay inside.”
“I’ll be fine.”
She would be. Otherwise I never would have left, but if I wanted her to stay fine I needed to find a way to reverse the poison, and the only way I was going to figure that out was to get near the men acting in my father’s name.
If I looked at her again, I would change my mind, so I hurried downstairs. I assumed Liam would be waiting to give me more specific orders. Hopefully he would let me do it alone.
* * *
Every mile farther away I rode, the more anxious I became. I hated the feeling. I assumed a normal kindred connection would make separation easier, but the one we had thanks to my father made me a mess. Being apart for too long could cost Ainsley her life, and that was not something I would ever let happen.
Belgard disappeared behind me as I retraced my path from the day before. I was not surprised when Liam sent me back in the same direction. I felt no surprise either by his decision to have me go alone. Charlotte’s Guard was small as it was, and Kevin still had not returned. Sending two men off when one could do the job would be ill advised. The Guard would be protecting Charlotte, but they would be protecting Ainsley too.
The temperature dropped as I neared Icentris. I hoped Talen would be easy to find again. I did not know the rest of his people well, and I was unsure how welcoming they would be, especially if they believed I had something to do with the appearance of the undead.
I would never escape the reputation of my father. I would always be the son of darkness, whether I supported him or not.
The icy terrain stretched on for miles, and I did not see a sign of anyone. If the undead were close, they were keeping themselves well hidden. I headed toward the prison. I had found Talen near there the day before.
“Back so soon?” Talen emerged out of the whiteness wearing nothing. His long white hair hung down his back.
I dismounted from my horse. “Not by choice.” I averted my eyes while I waited for him to put on pants.
“I take it you heard about our visitors.” He put on a pair of simple brown pants.
“I did, but I do not see them.” The ice was barren for as far as I could see.
“Because we took care of the problem ourselves.” He grinned.
I startled. I had not expected that response. “How many were there?”
“About a hundred.”
“And you took them out?” I was impressed.
“Luckily I learned some tricks from last time.”
“Where are the bodies?” Surely they had not burned them yet.
“In the prison. You can do whatever you want with them.”
“Tell me everything. How did you find them?” I was still convinced they were something other than the undead, but I needed evidence to support my theory.
“It is more that they found us. They were different from the ones we met in battle years ago. These were wandering around aimlessly. They were not following orders.”
“Now you tell me the truth. And you wonder why they were so easy to kill?” My horse startled as if understanding our talk about the undead. I patted her gently and calmed her down.
Talen shrugged. “The sight of the undead is upsetting. My people want answers.”
“And you think I have them?”
“If anyone does, it is you.”
“I wish I did.” I glanced all around us. The area appeared empty, but I knew Arcos or other creatures could be hiding nearby. Something had spoked my mare.
“You need to find out why they are building the gate.”
“Have you seen more of the ones touched by darkness?”
“No, the undead were enough excitement for the day.”
“And you have no other clues as to where this gate is?” I refused to go back to the castle without some more answers.
He shook his head. “No.”
“I need to find it.”
“I can go with you.” Talen held out his hand in front of him.
“You are offering to help?”
“The undead were not in Belgard, were they? No. They were in my home. We have suffered enough, and I will not watch my people enslaved again.”
“But you have never trusted me.”
“I trust you more than most men.”
“That says a lot.” Earning an Arco’s trust was no easy task.
“It does.”
“Where do we start?”
“We start by getting reinforcements.”
“And where are we going to get those?” I looked around again.
“The lost world?”
“Why would we go there for help?” Talen had hated his time in the lost world from what I knew.
He leaned in. “Our chief talked of a wolf kind that was once here, but left. They are said to be the strongest and have the gift to destroy those touched by darkness.”
“And you are just telling me this now?”
“The chief only told me last night.” Talen paused. “On his death bed.”
“Why then?”
“These wolves were our bitter enemies. Turning to them for help is...” he trailed of as is searching for the right word. “Difficult.”
> “Yet you are willing to ask for it?”
“The danger is too close. We have to be on the offensive.”
“How do we find these wolves?”
“I know how to find the leader. We have apparently kept tabs on him over the years.”
“Fine. We will need to pick up someone else along the way.” I would go nowhere without Ainsley.
“Who?” He smiled. “The girl?”
“Yes. She comes with us.”
“I would assume she would be safer in Belgard.”
“She is safer with me.” Normally Talen would have been right, but after seeing how sick she got, leaving her at the castle for an extended period of time was out of the question.
“Fine. I will meet you in Belgard at dawn tomorrow.”
“We will be ready for you when you arrive.”
He nodded. “Until then.” The air shimmered as he shifted into his wolf form.
I watched as the white wolf quickly disappeared among the ice.
7
Ainsley
I watched for James from the tower of the castle. Charlotte was watching the city and the area outside the gates to make sure she didn’t see any signs of the undead. I joined her, but it wasn’t to watch for zombies.
“He’ll be back,” she reassured me yet again. I never voiced my worry, but I didn’t hide it either. I was antsy, and I felt decidedly less comfortable in the castle without James around. I’d only know him for a few days, but it felt like far longer.
“I know, but it’s been awhile.” I looked out again at the city below us. The market appeared to be bustling as men and women came and went. I noticed a young girl running around in the grass beside the market. Her long brown hair streamed behind her, and for a second I wondered what it would have been like to grow up in Energo. It would have been such a different upbringing than my own.
“It’s a long ride. My guess is he will be home by tonight though.”
“I’d hope so.” I was feeling fine at least. Luckily the episode from the morning hadn’t repeated itself. That didn’t stop Charlotte from casting glances at me every time she thought I wasn’t looking. Her expression said it all. She was waiting for me to get sick again.
“Did you tell your parents you were leaving?” Charlotte switched subjects with no warning.
Forged in Ice Page 5