Seared by Desire (31 page)

“
Sara!” Lucian coughed, the smoke from her flames beginning to
hurt his lungs. He shook her body roughly, determined that she
wouldn’t slip away from him so soon after he had found
her.

Sara’s eyes fluttered open weakly, a tired smile forming on
her lips. “It’s okay Lucian, I’m just tired, please let me
sleep.”

“
You can’t leave me Sara.”

“
I’m not leaving you Lucian, I just want to close my eyes for
a little while. This isn’t the fire that will kill me, trust me if
it were I wouldn’t be talking to you now. I promise Lucian. Just
let me sleep, let me pretend that I haven’t done all of this, that
I didn’t cause this much damage, kill this many people…” Her voice
trailed off as her eyes closed again but this time Lucian let her
fade.

Though the fires had died down the building was a hazard, the
burned remains of wooden beams likely to fall on them at any
moment. He scooped her small body from the ground, cradling her
close to his chest as he walked out into the night. The sight of
battle only served to anger Lucian, his grip on Sara momentarily
tightening. He had risked his bride because of the Malachites and
their ambitions for power. They had tried to take her from him,
endangered her life and made her wreak damage she would only hurt
herself because of. He placed a chaste kiss to her temple before
lowering her to the ground, shrugging off his smouldering jacket
and covering her small frame. The monster had been satisfied and
now the man, the leader, was out in full force seeking retribution
for his bride’s tears.

Chapter Sixteen –
Aftermath

Sara groaned as she woke, her head was pounding in agony and
she stared unfocused at the ceiling struggling to remember where
she was and what had happened. When realisation dawned as to why
she was in such pain she cursed softly. Seraphina. Images flooded
her mind of the destruction she had caused, the loss of life that
had resulted from her lack of control and she had to bite back a
sob. Her eyes slid shut as she murmured a quick prayer for the
souls she had killed and for the new marks that her own soul now
carried.

Lucian shifted in his sleep, moving her body to be more in
line with his and drawing her attention away from her macabre
thoughts. As she looked at his sleeping face a measure of peace
crept through her. He was safe. Her memories of her last minutes of
consciousness were hazy and for a moment she’d thought she had
dreamt seeing him, her fevered mind simply playing tricks on her.
She frowned when she saw the dark smudges under his eyes, the
paleness of his skin making the marks even more pronounced. His
skin had lost what little colour it normally had and her frown
deepened when she realised he hadn’t been feeding properly. Her own
stomach grumbled loudly in sympathy, clenching hard as though she
hadn’t eaten in days. Another pained groan slipped past her lips,
forcing her into action. She wriggled out of Lucian's iron grip,
noting that he hadn’t stirred in the slightest.

“
He really sleeps like the dead when he’s hungry,” she
grumbled warmly.

It didn’t take long for her to find suitable clothing and
donning them she slipped out of the room and into the corridor,
immediately noting that her surroundings were unfamiliar. The first
thing she noticed was the different colour of the walls. While they
had stayed at the Pentonville Manor, the walls had been painted a
deep blue but the walls that greeted her eyes were completely
white. She took a hesitant step away from the door closing it
gently behind her so as not to wake Lucian. As soon as the door
closed she realised that there was no reason for her to be so
anxious about wandering the halls of this strange place. If Lucian
felt safe enough to sleep, it meant wherever they were was safe
enough for her to find a midmorning snack. Her steps now more
confident, she walked down the corridor noting the differences
between the Pentonville Manor and wherever it was they were now
staying.

The carpets were cream not red, the pictures on the walls
were landscapes not portraits, the windows were shaped differently,
the wall hangings for lights had been replaced with opulent
chandeliers; the list seemed endless. What really grabbed her
attention was the difference in layout. Despite the long length of
her wandering, she’d found no stairs. Everything was on one floor
with numerous corridors branching off into different parts of the
building. The layout was why after twenty minutes she had yet to
find the kitchens. Hunger tended to make her irritable and after
twenty minutes of her stomach clenching in pain she was cursing
after every step.

“
Goddamn kitchens, they should be easy to find. When I next
speak to Lucian I’m going to tell him to invest in signs and a
bloody map. I’m looking for food not the key to eternal happiness!
Aargh!” she screamed in frustration.

“
Lady Sara?” She turned at the hesitant call of her name.
“Thank the heavens Lady Sara it is you!” Sara frowned in confusion
at the maid’s exuberant tone, the frown only deepening further when
the large blonde woman enveloped her in a bone crushing embrace,
holding her tightly against her generous bosom.

“
Lady Sara, it’s so good to see you.” Regaining a sense of
propriety, she pulled away bowing low. “I’m sorry Lady Sara I was
too forward.” She lifted her head, her eyes momentarily meeting
Sara’s as though to gauge her mood. “It’s just very good to see you
back on your feet though at this hour you should be resting.” She
laughed, “Then again you have already done a lot of resting perhaps
it is better this way. Where are my manners? I haven’t even
introduced myself.” She curtsied, bowing even lower. “My name is
Theresa.”

Sara joined in with Theresa’s infectious laughter, guiding
her to stand upright. “Please, no bowing and my name is Sara,
there’s no need to be so formal.”

“
But Lady Sara,” she protested.

“
Sara is just fine though I’m curious as to why you acted as
though you hadn’t seen me in years.”

Her face fell. “Has no one told you?”

“
You’re the first person I’ve seen today. I’ve just been
wandering about trying to find the kitchens.” Her brows drew
together, her curiosity piqued. “Has no one told me what
exactly?”

“
I don’t think I should be the one to tell you.”

“
Well you’re the only one around so you have to tell
me.”

Grasping Sara’s arm, Theresa guided her down the corridor,
words flying hurriedly from her lips. “You must be hungry, I’ll
take you to the kitchens. You did say you were looking for them
right?”

“
Yes but Theresa, I want to know what’s going on?”

“
You shouldn’t try to think too hard on an empty stomach.
Please, let me just take you to the kitchens.”

Sara’s stomach grumbled again. “Fine,” she conceded. “But
once where there I want to know exactly what’s going
on.”

“
Of course my Lady.”

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. “My name is
Sara.”

With Theresa leading, the pair soon entered the kitchens.
More surprised faces greeted Sara upon seeing her and her desire to
know exactly what was going on increased. Guided to a chair, Sara
sat, waiting expectantly for someone to explain the situation to
her. Most however seemed too dumbfounded to react appropriately to
the question written clearly on her face and Theresa, the only one
not too stunned to react, seemed intent on avoiding her.

“
George,” Theresa called. “Lady Sara is hungry, is there
anything for her to eat?”

The cook blinked several times, re-orientating himself before
rushing into action gathering warmed meats, breads, cheeses and
fruits to present to her. The smell of cooked food pulled her mind
away from the unanswered question and she drew the plate close to
her and began eating, the pain in her stomach subsiding enough for
her mind to return to the shocked expressions on the kitchen
staff’s faces and Theresa's unusual greeting.

“
So,” she drawled. “Anyone care to tell me why you’re acting
as though I’ve come back from the dead?” Her question was greeted
by silence and her eye twitched in annoyance. “Theresa? You told me
you would explain what was going on once we reached the kitchens,
please tell me.”

Theresa twisted her hands nervously. George smiled, nudging
her gently. “Your Lady asked you a question Theresa, answer
her.”

“
Please,” Sara pleaded.

“
You’ve been sleeping for the past three days Lady Sara, we
were all worried you might never wake up and Lord Lucian….” she
trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

“
Three days!” Sara screamed, springing from her
chair.

George paled. “Calm yourself my Lady.”

“
How could I have slept for three days? What happened with the
Malachites? Was Lucian hurt? Where are we?”

“
Please Lady Sara, sit down and I will explain everything.”
She was hesitant but slowly lowered herself back into her seat,
waiting expectantly for Theresa to continue. “We're at the
Whitechapel Estate and you’re safe here. I wasn’t in New Malden so
I can only tell you what I’ve heard.”

“
It’s still more than I know,” Sara grumbled.

“
When Lord Lucian brought you here with the army contingent he
took to New Malden you were unconscious. Lord Lucian was injured
but in a far better condition than he should have been considering
what happened.”

“
What happened?” she pressed.

“
Commander Russell betrayed him.” Sara’s eyes widened in
disbelief. “He’s William's brother and led Lord Lucian straight to
him.”

“
It can’t be. Russell wants peace.”

“
He says that he thought William wanted peace too and that’s
the only reason he took Lord Lucian to him.”

“
Where is he now? Or does no one know? Did he
escape?”

“
Commander Russell is in the dungeons. Lord Lucian has refused
to even look at him since they got here. Commander Gareth says that
Russell fought against William to defend Lord Lucian, that’s the
only reason he hasn’t been stripped of his rank and
executed.”

“
So what’s Lucian going to do with him?”

“
No one knows. Lord Lucian has been so concerned with you and
his plans for the Malachites that he’s not had time to think about
anything else even his own health.”

“
What do you mean?”

“
Lord Lucian isn’t feeding properly and hasn’t slept since he
brought you here. From what I’ve heard he was determined to be
awake whenever you woke but the training must have taken its toll
on him.”

“
Training?”

“
The last attack seems to have spurred Lord Lucian to new
heights. He’s determined to see the Malachites extinct. He trains
the army every night, until they’re all exhausted. I doubt he’s
even properly healed from the last battle.”

Sara was silent for a few minutes, letting Theresa’s words
sink in. One of Lucian's trusted friends had betrayed him and was
in fact related to his worst enemy. He was hurt, determined to see
his enemy dead but failing to take care of himself. It all added up
to one thing, she was going to have to accelerate her plans. She
stood, eyeing those around her nervously. If Russell could turn
traitor so could Theresa and George. “I’m going out.”

“
You can’t my Lady.” George sounded appalled by the very
idea.

“
I can and I am. There’s something I need to get for Lucian.
You can’t stop me and I don’t advise you to try. If you’re really
that concerned then come with me but don’t tell me I can’t
go.”

“
But my Lady, the fire elementals are still looking for you.
Tell me what it is you need and I’ll go myself and get it for
you.”

“
You wouldn’t know what to get. I can handle the fire
elementals but I’ll hide my appearance anyway. I don’t want them
following me back here if Lucian’s hurt.”

“
You won’t change your mind about this will you Lady
Sara?”

“
No Theresa I won’t.”

Theresa moved then, returning with a thick dark brown cloak
which she hung around Sara’s shoulders pulling the hood up to cover
her distinctive hair and hide her face. She smiled, pleased with
what she saw. “If she goes out like this George, no one will know
who she is.”

“
I’m still not happy about this,” he groused. “I’m going to go
with you.”

“
Fine. Is Lance here?”

George smiled despite his unhappiness with the current
situation remembering how the horse had followed Sara loyally onto
the estate, trying desperately to follow her into the building.
“Yes, your horse is here.”

“
Meet me in the stables in five minutes. If I don’t see you
then I’ll go ahead without you.”

“
Of course my Lady.”

He bowed and Sara rolled her eyes at the gesture but said
nothing as she raced from the room. Her vision shifted from colour
to heat, the change in perspective easily allowing her to find the
stables and quickly saddle Lance. George didn’t disappoint
appearing at the stables mere minutes after she arrived. With her
self appointed guard, Sara spurred Lance into action confident of
the direction she was travelling in with body heat as her
guide.