Silver Flame (Vampire Girl #3)(16)

"I'll see what I can do about that." His hand falls gently to my head and his fingers wind into my hair.

The muscles in his thighs flex as I adjust my position so I can look up at him. "I've missed you. We haven't been alone since before… everything."

He cups my face. "I know. When they dragged you away after the trial, I've never felt more like waging war on everything and everyone there. I killed four guards before they could get me back in my cell."

I suck in a breath. "None of ours, I hope?" I don't know the exact moment I began identifying Fen's realm and people as 'ours' verses 'his.' I don't know when it began to feel like home more than anywhere else in my life. But it happened. I can feel it in me, this shift. He is mine. I am his. Those people are ours to protect.

"No, not ours. Levi's." He growls his brother's name with so much pent-up aggression I could almost feel bad for the Prince of Envy, if he wasn't so deplorable.

I clutch Fen’s hand harder in mine, and then pull myself up so that we are facing each other. I search my brain for the perfect thing to say. For the exact right words to make this moment perfect. We are finally together. Finally alone. Finally safe.

And what comes out of my mouth is… "I have to pee."

My bladder is suddenly on fire and about to explode. I don't know how long I've been sleeping, but it could have been a month based on how urgently I now need a bathroom.

Fen laughs at my abrupt change of topics. "Washroom is there," he says, pointing to a door. "Do you need help walking?"

I shake my head no, but then realize I actually have no idea. I crawl out of bed slowly and take small but urgent steps toward the door Fen pointed to. It's dark, but the light of the ever-burning fire gives enough illumination to keep me from falling on my face and pissing myself.

There is nothing more instantly gratifying and pleasurable in the most basic way then relieving yourself when your bladder is close to busting.

When I return to the room, Fen is already standing. I walk to him and wrap my arms around his waist.

He holds me, and we stand there for I don't know how long, just being.

"Stay?" I ask as he eventually pulls away.

He looks down at me, then leans in. I stand on my toes to reach his lips. The kiss starts sweet. Gentle. Then deepens into something that makes my whole body wake up.

It ends too soon. "I can't. If I did, we'd do things."

I grin. "And that's a problem because… ?"

"Because you might feel better, but you still need rest. I don't want to hurt you." He leans in and whispers in my ear. "I don't want to have to hold back our first time together."

Heat pools in the center of my body and I crave him so badly I can hardly contain myself. "You don't have to hold back now."

He shakes his head and steps away, putting space between us. "I am not human," he says. "I'm much stronger. I have… more stamina and endurance."

He dances around the words, but I get the picture. "If that's supposed to dissuade me, I'm afraid you've failed miserably."

There is a long pause as we stare at each other. Then he turns and opens my door. "Soon. Very soon." He pauses, his hand on the knob, his eyes locked on mine. "I'm just across the hall if you need me… for anything else."

He leaves, and Baron trails after him with his head hung. I close the door behind them and sink into my bed, suddenly exhausted by the effort of walking and talking and containing all the pent up sexual energy between us.

I can feel sleep stealing me away within moments. I guess Fen was right. I am more tired than I thought.

***

When the door creaks open, I awaken, my body instantly on alert. He came back. My heart beats wildly in anticipation of what is about to happen.

I roll over, about to say something to him, when a knife lands in my pillow where my head just was.

I scream.

My attacker backhands me and tries again with the knife, but I knee him in the groin and use my body to flip him off me. His sharp blade grazes my cheek, leaving a crimson stain behind, but I barely feel it. My body is pumped with adrenaline and I am ready to fight. I reach for my sword under my bed and stand to face the man in black just as my door slams open.

Fen is there, wearing only pants, his eyes wild. He raises his sword and attacks the man.

They fight. Blades clash.

The attacker's knife is wicked sharp, and it lands a few blows against Fen. Each time the blade hits his skin I feel the pain inside me.

But it's all over fast. Fen waits until the moment is right and then raises his sword and swoops it down, cutting off the attacker’s hand. It falls limply to the floor along with the knife.

The man screams as he stares at the stump left at the end of his arm.

Lights turn on.

Sly appears as if from smoke, wrapped in a black silk robe. "What the devil is going on in here?" he asks.

Fen, whose sword is dripping with blood, points to the attacker. "He tried to kill Ari."

Sly turns to the man. "Is this true? Have you defiled the sanctity of my haven?"

The man shakes his head in denial. "He attacked me. I'm the one missing a hand."

Sly stares at the man—who is still masked—long and hard, then laughs. "We'll just have to see who's telling the truth, won't we?" He pulls out his wand and speaks words in a strange language.