Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 2 (Afterlife saga Book 7) (18 page)

I guess it was nice for a change watching it from the other side and knowing that the Draven from this time was being less cautious with being blinded by his feelings for me. For in the past, or should I say the future, it had always felt as if I had been the one ready to just dive right in there, saying to hell with the bad that could happen. Whereas Draven had been the one trying to shield me from the dangers as long as he could. Well it was quite obvious that this was the effect that time had bestowed on Draven’s personality and no wonder after living through how many lifetimes worth of enemies to deal with.

“Then I will double the guard until then,” Ranka said obviously foreseeing even more trouble ahead of me.

“Do so in the morning, for they will not be needed tonight. That will be all,” Draven said his voice remaining firm.

“Yes, my King,” Ranka replied obediently and I heard her footsteps take her to the door.

“And Ranka…” Draven said just as I heard her opening the door before she left. 

“Yes, my Lord?”

“You have done well.” Draven’s praise was no doubt a welcome thing to hear considering all the trouble she had gone through in just keeping me alive.

“As always my King, it is an honour,” Ranka replied respectfully no doubt bowing before she walked from the room. I heard the door close and waited for the sound of Draven coming closer but it never came. What was he waiting for? In the end I couldn’t help it so I opened one eye just a crack to see what he was doing. At first I couldn’t understand it, why was he down on one knee where I had been stood when Pip had dried me?

“Tut, tut little Lamb of mine,” he said to himself shaking his head. He still had his back to me so I couldn’t see half of what he was doing but whatever it was, it seemed he had found something out. When he stood back up I sucked in a silent breath at what he now had grasped in his hand…
my wet tunic.

‘Oh shit.’
I mentally scolded myself for not thinking of throwing it over the balcony along with my friend. I then watched as he lifted it to his face before taking a deep breath as though he was trying to draw my scent from it. I heard the quiet rumble rise from his chest as if this time it was his Demon responding for him. His head snapped back around to me with barely enough time for me to slam my eyes shut and go back to faking sleep. I heard my wet tunic slap back on the floor before I heard his footsteps bringing him closer to the bed.

I really wanted to open my eyes again but I knew then that I would have no choice but to answer why there would be my wet clothes on the floor.

“I know you are not asleep, little Lamb.” I couldn’t help but jump a little when I heard his voice whispering in my ear calling my bluff.

“No one’s heart beats that erratically when resting as soundly as you pretend,” he said running the back of one finger down my cheek.

“So come on now, open those pretty eyes for me.” I couldn’t help it but I bit my lip as I did as I was told knowing I wasn’t getting away with it any longer. His finger still travelled down along my neck but now he could see what I was doing with my lip he decided to use it to stop me. His eyes blazed into mine and the intensity of it nearly unravelled me. Why was it that with only one look this man had me almost ready to confess everything?

“Good, now hold still,” he ordered and I frowned, unsure about what he was about to do. It didn’t take long before I started to panic slightly with Pip’s warning dinging alarm bells in my mind as he put one knee at my thigh before lifting his other leg so he could straddle me. Then instead of lowering his body over mine like I thought he would, he sat back on his haunches looking down at me. It was as though he was searching for something and wasn’t happy with the results. He frowned as though whatever I was doing was insulting him but before I could ask him what I had done, he moved suddenly.

“My…Lor…?”

“Sssh.” I started to question what he was doing when he whispered his command down at me before snaking an arm underneath my body, starting at the base of my spine. The further he pushed his hand up the more pressure he applied, which slowly lifted me up to meet him. Then with his free hand he walked his fingers up over my breast, gathering the covers that hid my nakedness from him as he went. All that was left was a gentle tug and the material slipped away leaving the top half of my body bare for his pleasure.

He held me still as he lowered his head to my neck where he inhaled a deep breath and continued to do so all the way down my shoulder and at the side of one breast. I wondered what he was doing but then it quickly fit into place as it was no doubt doing for him.

He was just confirming that I was the one wearing the wet tunic as he could no doubt still smell it on my skin, just as he had scented my skin on the tunic. Sometimes I forgot all of his supernatural skills which included heightened sight and smell.

Which meant only one thing…

I was busted.    

Chapter 53

Moonlight Ashes

“It seems that my Little Lamb has been out wandering again,” Draven said in what I knew was a dangerously soft voice. I didn’t know what to say but thought desperately of what excuse I could use that would be good enough for having a soaking wet tunic lying discarded on the floor. I hated to admit it, but unfortunately it was looking like the best one was Pip’s excuse and that was me being sweaty.

“I…uh…I got hot,” I stammered out and he raised an eyebrow at me.

“Is that right?” he asked pulling me closer and making it even hotter. I gave him a series of little head nods letting him know how nervous he made me.

“And now?” he asked before grazing his lips against my shoulder as if testing the temperature for himself.

“Still hot,”
I said on a breathy sigh.

“Mmm, so you are… And what about now?” he asked after pausing to blow cool air along my neck. The shiver he invoked tingled all the way down my spine which he could feel for himself, if that smirk was anything to go by.

“I uh…think…” Actually, that was a lie because I couldn’t think, not with the way he was teasing me. Especially when he dipped his head lower and blew air across my nipple making it stand to attention silently begging for his hot mouth. 

“You were saying?” he asked after I threw my head back and moaned without restraint.

“I was saying?” I repeated back at him because as far as I knew I had been speaking in tongues.

“Yes, you were just about to tell me where my pale beauty dangerously wandered to, but more importantly…” This was where the sweetness ended and his voice turned hard and serious as though a switch had been flipped.

“How she slipped passed my guards unseen?”
The restrained anger in his tone was easy to detect but even if it hadn’t been then the way he circled my throat with one hand certainly was. He didn’t hurt me but he definitely applied enough pressure to warn me that he could if he wanted to. My eyes widened in my panic because truly, what was I going to say?

Think Keira, think! But no matter how I shouted at myself for the answers it would do no good, so as the very last resort I couldn’t help but call out to my friend, hoping she could hear me in my mind.

‘Pip, what do I do?’
When I didn’t receive any guidance back I knew it mustn’t have worked and had no choice but to try and explain what I had been doing. It was that or simply refuse to say anything, which might endanger my new position in his world. It didn’t exactly scream trust if I said nothing.

“I…can explain,” I said making the split decision to try and give him something. The look he gave me was a sceptical one as if he doubted that I could.

“I’m happy to hear it and more than ready for it.” he said, in other words telling me to get on with it. Although what I was going to get on with was still left to be seen, for what single reason could I have to have left this room? But not just that, he didn’t just want reasons, he wanted the ‘how’s’ and no wonder considering the guards were stationed outside my room.

“I must warn you, pretty girl, I am not accustomed to waiting,” he warned and I knew I could stall no longer.

“I am sorry but I just couldn’t…” I panicked and started to quickly blurt out the truth when suddenly the door burst open. Draven was off the bed and stood like a sentinel in front of me.

“Pip!?” I shouted when I saw her entering the room dressed from head to toe like a servant and carrying the biggest urn of water I had ever seen.

“I am sorry my Lady, but once again the coolest water to be found was in the fountain, so I …oh dear, my Lord!” Pip said pretending to play the part of only seeing the King after setting down her heavy load. Draven looked at me trying to gauge my reaction to all of this before addressing it for himself.

“Forgive me, my King, for if I’d have known you were with my Lady then I would have waited in bringing her the water she requested,” Pip said bowing gracefully. 

“It’s alright Pipper, the King’s arrival wasn’t planned,” I told her softly trying desperately to get my heart to calm its erratic pounding.

“This is your servant?” Draven asked me and I nodded. I could see him trying to piece the evidence of what she had said, together with what he had been accusing me of doing. I felt bad for deceiving him this way but couldn’t help that I also wanted to kiss Pip’s feet for saving my ass yet again.

“This water was for you to cool down?” Draven asked me and I could see in the way his eyes started to soften that his trust in me was seeping back in there. I ended up blushing with my guilt but thankfully this worked in my favour as it was one he took for embarrassment.

“Yes and I do hope you take my advice this time by undressing first before asking me to just throw the water over you. Won’t you look at all that pale skin, it must have been a cold place you travelled from my Lady for you can see that she is not used to the heat…why just look at her red cheeks now…” Oh yeah, they were red alright and if Pip didn’t put a lid on it soon they were likely to explode. But on the other hand, at least the King was now looking highly amused at not only me but Pip as well. And like most people, he also looked at a loss what to make of her.

“A cold bath is what she needs but alas we have nowhere to bathe her and when mentioning the communal bathhouse, then by the Gods no! She will kick up a fuss and say that her body is for the King’s eyes only…” This was the point where I popped my head to one side behind Draven and started doing the universal signal for ‘cut it’ by slicing my hand across my neck. She caught my action and smirked before saying, 

“…Oh, but would you listen to me rattle on…I will be leaving you young ones to your lustful ways.” Hearing this I thought I was going to choke when swallowing.

‘Lustful ways?!’
I mouthed to her making her just shrug her shoulders at me after Draven looked back at me. I gave him a little smile that I could only hope translated to ‘Don’t ask me, she’s crazy’. Draven turned back to Pip and I couldn’t help but smack myself on the forehead out of habit, which just so happened to be one of the side effects of being around Pip.

“My Lady, will you be needing my services again this evening?” she asked and in my head I said
‘Oh Christ, but I hope not!’

‘Charming. That’s the thanks I get for saving your ‘can’t lie for shit ass’.’
Pip answered in my mind and I wanted to laugh.

“No, that will be all.” I said out loud this time.

“Then I will take my leave. My King, My lady,” she said bowing and then huffing as she straightened up as though she was much older than she looked. Which had me wondering if I was the only one seeing her like I was used to and for everyone else she changed her appearance to a sweet unsuspecting older woman? Well, she had certainly played her part well because Draven mos
t
definitely looked convinced!

She was just about to walk out of the door when I stopped her as I couldn’t let her go before saying how I really felt.

“And Pipper…”

“Yes, my Lady?”

“Thank you for bringing me the water,” I said telling her much more.

“You're always welcome, My Lady. Good evening to you both,” she said in a way that told me that she understand what I was really thanking her for before she left.

“Your servant…she is…
different,”
  he said after pausing to try and find the right word.

“That’s one way of putting it,” I said sarcastically, momentarily forgetting myself. Draven burst out laughing, obviously finding my comment amusing and then seeming surprised by it. Did he not have any woman in his life who had made him laugh before? I had to admit, I liked the sound of that, just as I did when finding out from Draven back in my time that he found me funny.

Draven came to sit back down on the side of the bed and looked at the urn of water with a sigh. Then he pushed all his unruly hair back with one hand before looking back at me.

“I fear I owe you an apology.” This was when my guilt doubled.

“It is not necessary my…” I stopped talking when he held his hand up.

“I think it is. You told me yourself that you were hot and I thought it nothing but a feeble excuse. But your servant is right, it is quite obvious from your pale skin that you are not yet accustomed to our Parthian sun.” Well, I couldn’t argue with him there as I wouldn’t have been surprised if the chickens here laid omelettes instead of eggs it was that hot and this was coming from someone who had been to Hell…
twice!

“I am sure I will adjust in time, my Lord.” I told him not knowing what else to say.

“You must remember to cover up when outside, for it would not please me to see this beautiful skin of yours burnt and too sore for my touch,” he said running the back of his hand up my arm. I nodded as thanks to plenty of summer holidays in Spain, I knew all too well what could happen to pale skin under a burning hot sun…thank you, Aloe Vera, that’s all I could say.

“This new servant of yours, is she a trustworthy one?” he asked looking at the door, which made me wonder if Ranka finally had the chance to tell him about what had happened.

“I believe so,” I said smiling a secret smile, one put there when thinking of all the things that crazy Imp had done for me over the years. She was truly one of the greatest beings who ever graced this Earth and as far as I was concerned it was an honour to know her, let alone be privileged enough to call her friend. And one of these days I would get the opportunity to tell her that.

“Then I am satisfied,” he commented obviously worrying about who he was entrusting with my care.

“Now let's see if we can cool you down, shall we?” he said surprising me and making me squeal when he suddenly plucked me off the bed in one swift move.

“Wait, I…uh…what are you doing?” I asked as he yanked the sheet from my body, leaving it to float back onto the bed. He lifted me up to get a better grip and thought that giving me a cheeky grin was enough of an answer. I wanted to demand where he was taking me seeing as I was stark naked, but when he only went as far as the balcony I relaxed slightly.

He stepped outside and he was right, the night air did manage to cool my skin somewhat. But being naked in his arms I feared I would need an iceberg to cool me down fully, for the heat he gave off would more likely burn me long before the Persian sun would ever get a chance to.

He lowered me down, letting go of my legs first so that I could stand. I couldn’t help but frown in confusion as I had no clue what he was up to. I don’t know why but being naked both added to the excitement and to my nervousness, which I guess only ended up with one fueling the other.

“Wait here,”
he ordered and even though it came as a whisper it was still commanding enough to make me do as I was told. I didn’t dare look round but instead closed my eyes and let my other senses take over. I could hear his footsteps behind me and the slight scraping sound of something on the floor before obviously being picked up. Then I felt his presence enter my personal space once more, making my skin hypersensitive ready for his touch. So much so that when he traced his fingertips up my spine I jumped before shuddering at the sensation.

“I thought the view of my city at night was one that I would treasure throughout my lifetime but by adding your beauty to the picture it will no doubt stay with me, not only in this life but also on to the next,” he told me softly and on hearing such a compliment I couldn’t help but close my eyes and bite my lip after swallowing hard. It was such a beautiful thing to say I could feel the emotions inside me rising beneath my eyes.

“You do me a great honour my Lord, for your city is the most beautiful city I have ever seen,” I told him remembering how I felt when first seeing it in my dreams.

Scalloped stone peaks decorated the tops of palace walls where guards could be seen manning their stations. Hundreds of tiny lights were dotted inside the outline of sandstone buildings like flickering candles defying gravity. The distant mountains created a dark vista all around us, the tips touching the sky as if trying to reach the full moon. And speaking of the moon,   

“I love how your pale skin looks under the moonlight, but more so how it contrasts underneath my own,” he told me, coming up closer to my back and wrapping his arms around my torso. Then he entwined his fingers with mine and lifted our joined hands up so I could see the differences in our skin colour for myself.

“It is almost easy to believe you have been touched by the Goddess of Light and her power still lingers on your skin.”

“I…I…no, I just, uh…I’m just pale, my Lord,” I said not really knowing what to say or how to take such a compliment. He reached around and lifted my face up so that he could look down at me from behind. Of course, given our height difference it was easy for him to see whatever it was he was looking for.

“Tell me, how is it possible for such a beauty not yet to be accustomed to hearing such things?”

“You’re the only one who tells me I’m beautiful,” I said in a quiet voice wanting so much to add…‘that matters’ on to the end of that sentence. He gave me a disbelieving look and said,

“I doubt that.”