Seared by Desire (32 page)

As they entered the city, Sara turned to George actually glad
of his presence. While she could have completed her task alone, it
would be done so much quicker with someone who knew where they were
going. “Where is the armourer?”

He didn’t even bat an eyelash at the strange question; he was
growing used to his Lady’s oddities. “There are several my
Lady.”

“
I need one that sells high quality armour.” She patted her
coin purse for reassurance. “I don’t care how much it
costs.”

“
Can you not make armour yourself my Lady? I’ve heard amazing
things about your skill as a smith.”

“
I specialise in swords, I’ve haven’t made a full suit of
armour in a very, very long time. I had planned to make it myself
but I don’t have time to anymore, there are too many threats to
Lucian for me to let him be without armour to protect
himself.”

“
Lord Lucian has armour Lady Sara,” George commented
confused.

“
Not like the one I intend to craft. It’ll be one of a kind,
now where is the armourer?”

He bowed his head in submission, missing Sara’s scowl. “This
way my Lady.”

Though Sara’s experience of cities was extremely limited, she
was quickly coming to realise that there was always a distinction
between the rich and the poor with the poorer parts of a city
drastically outnumbering the richer. As they moved through the
crowded streets of the lower districts, they passed several shops
that sold armour, the battered dirty metal in no way what she
needed. When the pair did stop, it was in the small wealthy quarter
and the armourer was proudly displayed in the centre of the
shopping district. The shopping district reminded her in some ways
of her home village. There was a central fountain with the many
shops forming a circle around it. She quickly dismounted Lance and
led him to the entrance of the shop confident that George would
follow.

“
Stay here Lance, I’ll be out in a few minutes.” The horse
snorted as though it understood her command.

Sara walked into the shop, her stride purposeful and her gaze
focused. Her eyes slid shut and a gentle smile formed on her face
the moment she entered the armourer, the familiar smell of heated
metal soothing her frayed senses. She stood still as stone for a
few seconds gathering herself before beginning her search. She was
so concerned with finding the right armour that the world around
her simply faded away. Starting at the door, she walked over to
each piece of armour on display, touching it lightly. To the other
customers in the store her actions appeared strange as she flitted
seemingly aimlessly from one suit of armour to the next. Little did
they know that her odd actions did indeed have a purpose. When her
fingers grazed the metal, a small flame jumped from her skin to the
armour, testing the metal’s properties.

She had originally intended to craft Lucian armour with her
own hands but recent events had forced her hand. It would take too
long to make armour from scratch and with her lack experience,
errors could be made, errors that might cost Lucian his life in
battle. Now she had to find armour that she could work with but
thus far her search had proved fruitless. None of the metal she
encountered would withstand the heat she planned to subject the
armour to.

She was almost ready to give up on her search when she felt
heat return unchanged to her fingertips. She pressed her fingers
together, a smile forming on her face when the armour retained its
shape. She had found something she could work with. Her search
complete, she let the sights and smells of the world around her
fill her sense.

“
My Lord, I’ve found armour that I think will suit your
distinct tastes. The metal alloy it is made from is rare, the smith
said it will take him weeks perhaps months to make another full
suit. You will be unique, unlike the others on the battlefield, not
to mention the strength of the metal means it would be very
difficult for anyone to cause you harm.”

Loud, cruel laughter filled the air. “Me enter battle? The
very idea is ludicrous but very well, buy it.”

The breastplate stirred beneath Sara’s fingers as the servant
tried to take it from her.

“
Excuse me,” she hissed. “What do you think you’re
doing?”

“
Let go. My master has decided he wants this armour and I must
purchase it for him.”

“
I don’t care what your master wants. I
need
this armour.”

He scoffed in derision, his brown eyes raking over her frame
with disgust. “I doubt you can afford such a beautiful piece of
work.”

Her eyes wandered back to the metal, noting the golden specks
in the material and the intricate design on the armour. He was
right, the armour was beautiful, but it didn’t mean that he was
going to get it over her.

“
My finances are none of your concern, now let go.” She could
feel her fire rising, destructive urges beginning to fill her as
thoughts of Lucian lying injured in battle flooded her mind. She
needed this armour, Lucian needed this armour and no one was going
to stop her from walking out of the shop with it in her
possession.

“
Daniel, what exactly is taking you so long?”

The servant’s master came into sight, his head held high and
his spine erect. He walked with the sort of arrogance that was
rarely earned, reserved only for nobility whose titles rarely
matched the actions of their daily lives. His blonde hair was
slicked back in what Sara assumed was an attempt to make him stand
out more than his title already entitled him to. His nose wrinkled
in disgust the instant he saw her and Sara’s hackles rose
automatically. This man wouldn’t appreciate the armour, if the
snippets of conversation she had overheard were correct he only
wanted it for superficial purposes. His smooth hands had probably
never even seen battle.

“
Daniel,” he snapped. “I have better things to do than to
spend my day in an armoury shop now pick up my suit and let us be
on our way.”

“
Yes master.” He tried to lift the breastplate once more but
Sara’s grip was unrelenting.

The noble’s blue eyes narrowed. “What do you think you are
doing?” His tone was haughty as though he expected the mere idea of
his displeasure to ensure obedience and beneath the heavy fabric of
her cloak Sara’s hands clenched into fists.

“
I need this armour and I’m taking it with me.”

He laughed. “How ridiculous! A commoner buying this piece of
armour? Ludicrous. Daniel I can’t believe you let your self get
held up by this filth. There is a simple way to settle this. Smith!
Smith, come here now.”

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.