A Flicker In The Still Forest: From Forest To Flames #1

by K. Lyn Hill

  She just threatened him again! In his own office and castle. The words slipped before he could reign them in. "You will do your duty and offer me what will no doubt be mine!" He shouted, wanting an end to this madness. No one spoke to him like her. It set him completely on edge.

  Her humorless laugh cut through the air. "Oh believe me my prince, no matter how much you think you own me, I will never belong to you. My body and my touched mind." Snarling pointedly at Elias previous words, "is not remotely close to owning my soul. Something I will never lay bare for you to see again." That was when he noticed the vulnerability behind her heated glare. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. He didn't imagine the look from before. He had hurt her. The girl who was quick with her fists and weapon actually had a soul. And he had crushed it.

  She straightened her back, placing her hands properly behind her as if her moment of weakness never occurred. All traces of tears disappeared. "May I have your word that my Elias will remain safe and can remain in my charge?" Her Elias. The wording raked nails down his spine. His teeth clenched so hard he was surprised they didn’t shatter. He didn't miss in her rant, she called him Prince instead of My Prince. Any leeway they had made prior to this was in tatters.

  "Yes. He will remain safe." As much as he wanted the sod out of his castle, he didn't want Aerity to hate him even more then she already did. His headache returned with a vengeance.

  "Thank you." She replied, stoic as ever. He wanted to bang his head against a wall.

  Turning on her heels, she grabbed Elias’ arm and ripped door open.

  "One more thing." Jealousy spurred him on at the sight of her hand so desperately clutching onto another. His cold indifference sounded foreign even to his own ears. "Make sure that propriety is shown and your friend is not seen coming out of your rooms or I will be moved to act in the name of treason.” Gliding over to stand beside her at the door, his whispering caressed her ear. "You are not the only one who can make threats, Princess."

  She lifted her head to meet his and whispered back, "Is this to be my life from now on? Accusations and belittling?" Sorrow overtook her expression and it severed his soul in half. "As selfish as it was, I understand why she ran from you."

  It felt as if someone landed a blow to his stomach and she was out of the room before he could finally breathe again.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Siel

  Siel’s vision blurred as everything inside him turned to fire. He tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword he always kept at his side. It was his only safety net preventing him from strangling his brother with his bare hands. Part of him was tempted to pull the weapon from the sheath and run it through Damien’s cold heart. He had never felt such hatred for his brother but then again, he never witnessed Damien treating a woman as he did Aerity.

  He didn’t even try to hide his fury. "I think perhaps you are the one touched in the head." Siel refused to call him brother after what just happened. Someone acting that callous, that reviled, wasn't worthy of sharing his blood.

  Damien rested his head against his office desk. It would be the perfect position to run his sword across his neck. This anger did not become him, yet he couldn't help it from poisoning his mind. He must have spoken the words out loud without realizing it because Damien’s concerned face looked up, meeting his steely glare. "Did you just say what I think you did?"

  Siel forcefully released his hold on the sword and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you realize how disgusted I am right now? I can barely look at you."

  Damien reared back as if someone spat in his face. "I don't know why I act the way I do around her, she just brings out this side of me and the words fall out." Damien grunted in frustration, his head falling into his hands.

  "You think that's an excuse? You are the bloody crowned prince and you speak to your future bride as if she is the filth beneath your shoe!" His voice rose well above shouting, but he didn’t care. Let the servants and courtiers hear what kind of monster their future king had become. Disgust rolled through him as he eyed his brother with distaste.

  Damien's expression shifted from regret to control in a matter of seconds. "Watch who you are speaking to, Brother."

  An uncharacteristic snort left Siel’s mouth. "You are no more my brother right now than the rapist that was hung last month." His words were meant to sting and they hit their mark as intended.

  Damien jerked out of his chair. "Get out."

  Not backing down, Siel moved closer. "No." His chest heaved up and down. "You are so blind that you don't see what is in front of your face. Did you ever stop to think twice about Aerity’s story? Doesn't it make sense? You see two of your own friend standing in front of your eyes and yet you still question it. Did you ever wonder if it's true? That she did in fact get sent to a different world and thrown into this life. Going about her normal life and then poof." Signaling a hand motion in the air, "She's sucked into a world where she is supposed to marry someone she doesn't know. Tied and dragged here like an animal to slaughter and then you sink your claws in her and act like a disgusting pig! I'm ashamed of you, Damien! More than I have ever been in my entire life! Even if Aerity was the stone-cold girl who ran from your wedding, she still would deserve better than how you’re treating her now! What is wrong with you?!" Siel knew his face turned beat red, all the blood coursing through his body.

  Damien barked. "I don't know!"

  They glared at each other for an icy second before Siel grew ill looking at Damien’s face. He shook his head and slammed the office door on his way out.

  ∞∞∞

  Aerity

  This is ridiculous!" Elias panted. "You cannot marry that beast. I would see him killed before I let him lay a finger on you!"

  "Calm down and be careful with your words. My protection only goes so far. I'm on thin ice as it is. Your words are treason here, so keep a cap on it!" She snapped, feeling all the tension pull tight like a bowstring. Rolling her neck, she couldn’t do anything other than agree. Damien was a beast. One she never imagined in a million years would be her future. Yet here she was, drinking the aftermath of his filthy words.

  "I don't care if he hears!"

  "If you’re dead, I'll have no one to protect me." She said, batting her eyelashes playfully at her unlikely knight.

  Eli snorted. "Oh please. We both know you could totally take me in a fight."

  A knowing smirk filled her face. Eli always treated her as an equal and a threat. "Don't you forget it. And I can also handle myself against the big, bad, scary prince. Everything will be fine. Remember when we went horseback riding last summer and Lightning bucked me off his back?"

  Chuckling at the memory, Eli grinned. "You mean when you stood up, stomped over to the horse, grabbed his reigns and threatened to turn him into horse bacon if he did it again? How could I forget? That poor horse was so fearful, keeping ram rod straight as you climbed back on."

  "And I rode him the rest of the day. I broke the beast. Damien is no different. I will break him too."

  "He is a prince, not a horse."

  "He is also a man which in my opinion makes him that much closer to being an ass." She paused for effect and he joke wasn’t lost on Elias. He snorted. "Haha get it?" She winked his way and despite the solemn occasion, she basked in it. Such a sweet sound that she hadn't heard in weeks.

  "Horses and donkeys are completely different, stupid."

  She shrugged. "Close enough."

  Siel’s voice carried through the bustle of people in the hallway and she turned back to eye the office door. His words helped soothe every bit of hurt in her heart. He believed her. Defended her. Willing to fight for her. Something tightened in her chest and she choked on a silent sob. She was to marry his brother, a beast.

  Eli must have realized where her thoughts were headed because he swung his arm over her shoulder, trying to tuck her into his arms.

  "You should be careful or dear old prince is going to chop off your arm. Being a beast, he's
very territorial of me." She flashed him more of her not so innocent eye flutters.

  He rolled his eyes. "I swear only you could make a grown man cry."

  She relished in his comforting embrace, burrowing herself further into his body.

  When the moment became too serious, she reached out and yelled, "Purple nurple!" squeezing and twisting his nipples. He yelped, which only encouraged her laughter as he jerked out of her grasp. With an exasperated look on his face, he glowered, rubbing the rawness from his chest. "I'm going to get you back for that, you know."

  She hefted an eyebrow. "You need to catch me first." Sticking her tongue out at him, she picked up her skirt and dashed outside.

  "I'm so gonna kill you!" Eli began to chase. She led them to the training yard, craving the feel of a weapon in her palm. Despite the humor, her life was spinning out of control. A fight to drown out all the crap going on was just want she needed. The idea of pissing Damien off only added to the appeal.

  Seeing the prince’s much more approachable brother strut up to them, she shouted, "Yo! I need some pants!" He kept a tight smile on his face as he approached but she could see how hard he was trying to shield his blazing anger from being let loose. He was still furious.

  "You created quite the stir young lady. My brother is quite beside himself about your story and your new friend." Feeling the need to fight grew even stronger with thoughts of her betrothed.

  "Not to mention your involvement in our secret affair?" She laughed but his jaw only clenched.

  It cleared another moment as he sent a very pretend dimpled grin her way. "My brother is just a snuggly wuggly teddy bear. Who knows? Maybe he will even want Elias here to join in your wedding night festivities. I've had my suspicions of him and his best buddy on previous occasions." It felt good to laugh, even though she knew Siel was faking his cheerful mood. Always putting on a tough armor so no one could see the cracks underneath. Siel always gave her that.

  "EWWWW you’re so gross! Never mention that again! I will never get that image out of my head. Now please give me pants. I need to punch something."

  Feigning fright, he blocked his face with his hands, peeking one eye out. "Just not the face. This is my money maker."

  She rolled her eyes and tugged his hands down. He cocked his head to the side. "No one will fight you my dear. You’re a Princess."

  That struck a chord since she had been training with him for days. "I don't need any of your men. Eli will fight me, and he will lose, won’t ya big guy?" She shot him a cocky smile.

  Siel crossed his arms over his chest as his judgmental gaze slid from her to her companion. After a moment, he plastered a wicked grin to his face. "Oh this I have to see. Daniel! Get the princess some fatigues!"

  Daniel appeared from the shed carrying a tight t-shirt and khaki pants. "It's all I got, Princess. I'm not sure if it'll fit ya or not."

  "Thank you, Daniel, it will suffice. May I borrow access to the weapons shed for a moment?"

  Siel kept the devilish expression on his face as he bowed and waved his hand to the storage shed. "Your chariot awaits madam." She smacked him in the arm as she passed. His snicker echoed behind her as she moved to change.

  After changing and performing warmup stretches and exercises, she rose, toe to toe with Eli to talk their usual smack. "Ready for me to make you cry, Buddy?" She taunted as they slowly began to circle one another.

  "It's been a while since I've got you on your back, Aerity."

  A hushed silence descended at the innuendo. Well played ya little butt munch, she thought to herself. By this point they had an audience of soldiers watching the commotion. Excitement thrilled through her veins, but she shook it off and focused, signaling her hands in a come-hither motion. "Come at me bro.”

  He smirked and lunged. Classic Eli mistake. Never attack first. After all this time he still hadn't learned. Dodging his punch with quick steps, she feigned right and then jumped to the left. His hand blew past where her head just was. Grabbing his wrist, she yanked him down to throw a jab to his stomach with her knee. He knew it was coming though and grabbed her underneath, dropping her to the ground with him over top. His sly smirk encompassed his face.

  Did he really think he won? So silly.

  Smiling sweetly at him she bucked her hips and jerked him off while reaching her leg up over his neck she pinned him in a choke hold. "Yield!" She screamed as he tried ripping her leg from around his neck. She squeezed harder until finally he tapped her leg in a signal of surrender. Letting him loose, she rolled herself into a hunch and looked him in his eyes. They both started laughing. The men around them stared in shock. Eli was first to his feet and then pulled her up on hers. Silence permeated the air as mouths still hung open. She wondered if they would even notice if flies flew in and out.

  "Soooooo....Who’s next?"

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Damien

  He slammed a fist on his desk as Elias sprinted into the room. The ink container rattled, splashing around the edges. His report needed to be completed and things kept interrupting his work. Wedding dates and wayward siblings were just the beginning of his worries. Attacks on the border were happening more frequently and the king wanted an update. One Damien didn't want to give.

  "What is it, now?" He growled, gripping the feather so tightly between his fingers it was a mystery it didn’t break.

  "Sir, it’s the princess. You need to come now." Elias’ tone was indecipherable, but Damien still wanted to slam his fist into something. What could Aerity possibly be doing now?! He needed to get a bloody bell to strap around her neck so if the bell went silent, he knew to be concerned.

  He pushed himself off the desk, mumbling under his breath. "Fine, lead the way. I have nothing better to do with my time."

  Curiously, Elias led them to the training yard. And then he saw why.

  Aerity and a soldier circled each other as the young man tried to land a blow. Damien tried to compute what he was seeing but his mind couldn't process it. She was feline grace while fighting. Quick movements, dodging blows. She could anticipate the soldier’s attacks before it happened. It was like watching a dancer twirling with beauty. A violent dancer who was bleeding, that is. Something primal snapped in him as he watched the dance. Left left, right left. Block, punch, lunge, strike. Then she spun into a high kick, knocking the soldier to the ground.

  A chorus of cheers echoed through the trees lining the training yard as the soldiers all took turns clapping her on the back.

  She wore a black tight shirt that hugged every curve of her body, and khakis that left little to his imagination. His temperature peeked, imagining ripping those clothes from her body as she dripped with sweat.

  Shaking his head to clear the fog, he stormed over to them. Noticing his menacing presence, the soldiers turned, gaping at him. Aerity was the last to acknowledge the commotion. As soon as she made eye contact, her jaw tightened, her features shutting down. Cold and detached. Not exactly the warm welcome that he would have hoped for.

  "Have you come to join the fun, Prince?" He ripped the shirt off his head as if possessed by someone else and tossed it to the floor. Her eyes trailed down the contours of his chest, a hungry need filling her eyes. Maybe he was imagining it. Or maybe she was just hungry to bring him pain. That seemed far more likely.

  Her toned arms hung at her side as she purred, "Do I get to take my shirt off too?" She was playing with him. Again. This was against everything he was taught and believed in but something in him needed to wipe the cocky smirk off her face.

  He shrugged. "I was saving that part for after our wedding. You might need the extra protection for when I slam you into the ground." Knowing this was all just a show to her, she swung her hips side by side as she walked to the center of the ring. Lifting the hair on her neck she turned seductively to look at him over her shoulder. She knew exactly what she was doing.

  "I'm not going to attack myself, Lover." Adding a wink to her list of temptations, she spun aro
und to face him. Chest out, chin up, she looks like a queen. Look past the dirt and scars marring her golden skin, and she simply shined like a crown. As soon as they connected, he knew he would lose his mind. This is foolish. His head said while other parts of his body egged him on.

  She watched him with a mixture of amusement and curiosity while Siel stood on the side lines with a sour expression on his face. Using his distraction to her advantage, she attacked. As she reached him, he thrusted out his hand to catch her in the chest but she anticipated the action. Using the sand as traction, she slipped under his arm, onto the floor, spinning her body as she aimed to dislodge his footing. As he righted his balance, she gained her footing again. How long did this go on for? twenty minutes? Sweat poured down both of their faces. She was obviously drained from her previous victories, a weakness he fully intended to prey on. He had some of the best trainers in the world. No one had beat him yet. Only Siel had ever come close.

  Enough of this. It was time to win.

  ∞∞∞

  Aerity

  She was losing her speed.

  She knew it.

  He knew it.

  She knew that he knew it but she refused to be an easy victory. His movements were precise and incredible. Wild and unpredictable. Like water in an ocean. She knew she was sunk the moment he thwarted her last blow, spinning at just the right angle to trap her back against his chest. His gorgeous, tanned, sweaty chest. So many things were wrong with her. For starters, he was a jerk and yet the feel of his chest on her skin sent her heart into jittering palpitations. They both paused feeling the same spark that remained lit between them no matter how pissed they were. His presence sang to her as her back stubbornly arched against his.

  Lips parted without her authority as his mouth came to her ear. "Are you ready to yield yet?"