Seared by Desire (12 page)

“
You need information about the oracle then?”

“
Yes but you know no more than me.”

“
That might be true, but I have a library that will have more
information.”

She brightened up immediately, pulling away slightly to look
into his dark eyes, a hopeful smile replacing her previously
forlorn expression. “Really?”

Her smile tugged at his cold heart and Lucian felt a
corresponding smile creep onto his face. His bride was a
distraction, one he could ill afford, but she had also made him
smile more in the few days he’d met her than he had in the decades
before her arrival. Her smile was drawing attention to her plump
lips, the redness making him want to kiss her until she was
breathless with desire, desperate from wanting him. His smile died
quickly, confusing Sara as he pulled away from her.

His voice was cold, his emotions shuttered the next time he
spoke. “Come,” he ordered as he strode away from her.

The instant he pulled away from her, Sara’s body was infused
with heat. Unwilling to risk another episode, she rushed after him,
gripping his hand tightly as she linked their fingers together.
While the heat from her flames left her when their skin met, heat
of an all-together different nature suffused her bringing a blush
to her cheeks. Her breasts tingled and an ache started between her
thighs as an image of her and Lucian in a heated embrace filled her
mind. The mental image was so vivid that she could almost feel his
lips moving against hers. She stopped suddenly, Lucian's hand
almost slipping from her grip.

Lucian’s mouth opened, ready to snap at her, she was more
trouble than he’d even thought possible but the words died the
instant he looked at her. Her freckled cheeks were flaming red, her
heart was thumping wildly, pumping blood around her body quickly
but it was the scent of her burgeoning arousal that got his
attention. He cursed himself, slamming all the mental walls he’d
acquired over the years down hard. The dazed look on her face faded
and he cursed himself twice over. His bride was far too susceptible
to his influence, his heated imaginings had slipped into her mind,
drawing her into a world that wasn’t really her own.

“
Sorry about that,” she murmured, coming back to her senses
slowly, reluctantly. Her gaze was drawn to his mouth, curiosity
niggling at her. Would his lips really move like that over hers?
Would he really be able to draw such intense reactions from her
body.
Yes!
Her
mind screamed. Her cheeks flushed an even brighter red and she
turned away from him, pulling him behind her as she strove to reach
the library and put her mind on a more appropriate
course.

“
Do you know where you’re going?” Lucian laughed.

“
I would have thought that obvious,” she responded irritably.
“We’re going to the library.”

“
And do you know where that is?”

“
This way.”

Lucian smiled from behind her, watching her walk undaunted
into the unknown. She was definitely his bride. No other appealed
to him as she did and no other could draw such reactions from him
without even having to try. She began heading in the wrong
direction and he pulled her slightly, encouraging her to move the
right way but still letting her pull him. With Sara leading and
Lucian guiding, they quickly reached the library. The sight of so
many books was distinctly unnerving to Sara. As a blacksmith she
rarely had to read but her spine straightened quickly in
preparation for the task ahead of her.
One
of these books might have the answers that I need to save my life.
What’s the worst thing a book could do to me? Nothing.

A short rotund man approached them as soon as the large
double doors slammed loudly behind them. Not even for a moment did
Sara believe that the man was a vampire. His skin was far too
tanned, his green eyes partially obscured by thick spectacles that
a vampire would never need with their superior eyesight, his brown
hair thin and balding. “Lord Lucian.” He bowed
respectfully.

“
Edward, I want a book on the ancient oracle.”

No questions were asked when Lucian issued a command. “Yes my
Lord.”

Edward rushed off, fingers trailing over the worn spines of
the books that he passed. From floor to ceiling, the room was
filled with books, shelves extending far overhead accessible only
by tall ladders. The smell of old paper was heavy in the air,
settling heavily into Sara’s lungs as Lucian guided her to a table.
The smell was very different to the heated metallic smell that
filled her workshop, the sight of so many books alien to her. She
sighed in relief when Edward came racing back to them with a pile
of books cradled close to his body.

“
My Lord, the books you asked for.” He placed the books on the
table gently, treating each as a treasure.

A groan escaped Sara’s lips at the sight of so many different
titles. “Is there one that deals specifically with the elemental
prophecies?” she asked forlornly, the very idea of having to read
so many books making her stomach turn.

“
My Lord?” Edward asked questioningly, finally looking at
Sara, confused as to her presence. His eyes widened when he took in
their linked hands, surprise showing clearly on his
face.

“
The elemental prophecies Edward,” Lucian repeated,
unconsciously gripping Sara’s hand tighter in
reassurance.

Edward stood shocked for a moment before shaking his head and
rushing into action. He pulled out a single thin book, handing it
carefully to Lucian.

“
Thank you Edward. That’s everything.”

“
Of course my Lord.”

As Edward backed away, Lucian turned to Sara, placing the
book in her hand. “Here’s the information you need. Now will you
tell me what is wrong with you?”

“
In a minute and again, there’s nothing
wrong
with me in the sense you’re
talking about,” she huffed, opening the book.

Lucian leaned over her shoulder reading the words on the
page, tapping his foot impatiently as seconds passed and the page
hadn’t been turned. “Do you know how to read?”

“
Of course I do,” Sara snapped angrily. “It’s just I don’t
have to do it much in my profession.”

“
As a sword maker,” he drawled.

“
Yes. I craft swords. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just
because I work with my hands, it doesn’t mean I’m
stupid.”

Sensing that this was a sore topic, Lucian pulled her closer,
taking the book from her hands. “I’ll read it to you.”

“
I can read it myself.”

“
I know,” he responded softly, unwilling to anger her any
further, already there were flames emerging in her hair. “I want to
read it to you.” And he did. He liked the feel of her pressed so
closely against him as she sought to see the images on the page
that matched the words so closely. Her head rested against his
chest, the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed pushing her
breasts against his arm. He didn’t mind reading to her when the
benefits were so obvious. Not allowing her the opportunity to
protest any further, he began reading.

“
The elemental prophecies were the last the Oracle Eleanor
made before her death. One prophecy for each of the elemental
people, each different, each related to the unique traits of the
elementals. Despite their differences a unifying theme runs through
all the prophecies. To each of the elemental people a child will be
born carrying within them the raw spirit of their element. Each
child will be powerful beyond belief but cursed beyond all
imagining.” He stopped, repeating the last sentence to himself.
“Cursed?”

“
Skip to the prophecy about the fire elementals,” Sara
rushed.

Familiar words flowed from Lucian's lips as he repeated the
prophecy she had heard what seemed like an eternity ago. He stopped
reading when the next page went on to talk about the water
elementals. “Sara, what has this got to do with
anything?”

She flipped through the pages, desperate to find more helpful
information but there was no more. She knew no more than she did
before.

“
Sara…” Lucian's voice held a note of warning in it and she
rolled her eyes at his stubbornness.

“
This prophecy is talking about me. I’m the one that’s cursed.
I’m dying Lucian.”

His heart stopped beating for a moment before it began racing
out of control. His bride was dying. It couldn’t be possible. She
was meant to be with him throughout the centuries. She was his. His
fangs were beginning to sharpen in anger. How could fate be so
cruel as to give her to him only to snatch her away so
ruthlessly?

“
Well, I was before I met you anyway. I’m not so sure
anymore.”

“
What?”

“
Well this is me.” She pointed to the page. “I’ve got the
spirit of fire, Seraphina, living inside me. Her fire is meant to
consume me. That’s what those episodes are about, when I can’t
control the fire that I summon. It’s not really my fire, it’s her.
She wants out. She likes burning things. She drains me every time
she does it. Her episodes were getting worse, her flames taking
more and more out of me every time she took over. I think
eventually she would have drained me so badly that I just wouldn’t
have woken up in the morning.”

“
What do I have to do with any of this?”

“
Everything Lucian, everything. This is you.” She pointed at
the page again. “You’re the one with the power to cool the flame.
Every time I touch you, the fires die down. The pain stops. I’m
myself again. As long as I have you then this prophecy doesn’t have
to come to pass. I can survive.”

Of course you’re going to survive! You’re mine.
His fangs were sharpening again and he had to
force himself to take a deep calming breath. “What do I have to do
to help you?”

“
I don’t know. I was hoping you did. But neither you nor the
book has any answers. At the moment all I have is a temporary
solution, I don’t know what we have to do to resolve the problem in
the long term.”

“
And what exactly is this short term solution. I haven’t done
anything.”

“
This is the solution Lucian.” She lifted her hand to caress
his cheek. “As long as I’m touching you I feel fine. All I have to
do is stay close to you; touch you whenever it feels like the
flames are about to over take me. Until I’ve figured out what to do
to get rid of Seraphina, please, let me stay with you.”

As if I could do anything different,
his mind scoffed but Sara was already trying to persuade him
to agree to her request.

“
You’re in the middle of a war right? I’m the legendary
Quicksilver. In exchange for your help I’ll make swords for your
whole army. You’ll be undefeatable. I can help win this war for
you.”

“
Won’t you fight alongside me? Win the war
with
me. You’re a fire elemental,
fighting is what your people live for.”

An image of the burnt remains of the farmhouse floated to the
front of her mind. “I can’t Lucian. I can’t. These people have done
nothing to me, that makes them innocent. I can’t kill
them.”

“
But you’re willing to make the swords to do the
job?”

“
I’ve always made swords. It’s the only thing I’m good at.
When I make them they’re innocent, what they’re used for after I
make them isn’t up to me. They’re as good for defense as they are
for offense and as for ‘my people’…I want nothing to do with them.
In case you didn’t know, they want to sacrifice me for this
prophecy, they want me to die. Even my best friend wants me to die.
I rarely fight and if I do it’s to defend myself and those that I
love. That’s it. I’ll arm your soldiers Lucian but I won’t fight
for you. I have enough innocent blood on my hands, I’m not going to
add any more.”

Her impassioned words struck a chord within him. His bride
might want to distance herself from her people but there were
things about them and her that were very similar. Fire elementals
were passionate and Sara was the most passionate one he’d ever
met.
I wonder if she’s this passionate
about everything? Will she be this passionate about me?
Her fingers danced lightly over the back of his
neck but from the look on her face she was unaware of what she was
doing. The answer to his question was instantaneous. Yes. When the
war was over and he could finally be with her without the noose of
warfare around his neck, she would love him and love him fiercely.
With her help that day could come all the sooner.

“
Swords for help? I think it’s a very good idea. I
agree.”

“
You do?” she squealed happily.

“
Yes.”

“
Thank you. Thank you. I’ll have to stay with you all of the
time though, I have no idea when Seraphina will erupt.”

He gulped. “All of the time?”

“
Yes. We’re going to need to change our sleeping arrangements.
I can’t be away from you just because it’s day. It’s too risky.
When I’m not making swords, I’ll stay with you from
now.”

A bead of sweat ran down his brow. While the thought of being
near his bride made him want to smile, pull her close before
ravaging her body and drinking her blood, it was a nightmare at the
same time. She was pure temptation, he could barely resist the need
to drink her as they sat together then, how would he survive being
near her every hour of the day?
Maybe I
was a bit too rushed in my decision-making.
He looked down into her smiling face, the freckles on her
cheeks beckoning to him to kiss each and everyone, his heart sunk.
It wasn’t as though he could deny her. It was either help her or
send her to her death and no matter how cold he might try and
appear towards her, she was his. She needed to live.