Chapter Ten
Sienna stood on a wooden bench that Deb had placed at the center of the meeting room, the smell of hay and pigs pungent in the air. Nikolai kept to the right wall where he could see people coming in and keep a watch on every person in the room. It was a smaller crowd than the one in Hiddleston. Little more than twenty. But every man and woman who signed on was a valuable asset to the Black Lily.
The lot of them were working peasants—farmers and small merchants. And standing above them with the torchlight casting a pale glow upon her fair face was the goddess herself. Beneath the folds of her cloak, he could see the crimson gown he’d bought her, her delectable curves on display. She occupied every living, breathing thought he had. For that matter, she’d found her way into his dreams as well. He had to finally admit it. She’d ensnared him, body and soul. He’d even spoken of his secret sin, which he’d told no one before but Marius.
He was a monster. One who’d fallen too far before, succumbing to the beast that lived within, and who’d tasted the sweet pleasure and painful regret of gorging his appetite till his host breathed her last. He knew what horrors he and his kind were capable of. Perhaps that was why he’d felt a sense of relief when Marius asked him to abandon his post at the Glass Tower and join him in their fight. His dedication as lieutenant had been first and foremost to protect the people from the likes of him and to pay penance for what he’d done so many years ago as a lost and lusty youth. He’d been a restless soul his whole life.
And now, Sienna. She made him imagine dreams that had never once drifted into his consciousness. Quiet nights, a warm bed, a devoted lover. More.
But he knew she was too good for him. It wasn’t her roots in the gentry that made her so, but her pure and innocent heart, her willingness to sacrifice all for others. He felt the abject misery radiating from her when they left Silvane Forest. And yet, she did it anyway. Even now, as she stood before the crowd, her green eyes a bit wider, her pulse tripping a little faster, she waited with her head held high to do her duty for the Black Lily. A cause she needn’t have left the comfort of her cottage in the woods to join. And yet, she did.
“Oy! Shut it!” Deb’s sharp voice rang out. The murmuring ceased at once. “Ye all know why you’re here. The Lady o’ the Wood is here to set it to ye. Do what you will.”
The Lady of the Wood. Yes, that was the proper name for her. He gave Deb a polite nod for her correction in Sienna’s title as she stepped to the side and let Sienna take the reins.
Sienna roved the crowd, seemingly to look into the eyes of every one of them. She’d done the same in Hiddleston, and her charm had done its magic. There was something in her that made one want to listen. There was a fire inside her that made one want to reach out and touch, even if it burned. Nikolai would readily be consumed in the flames of Sienna. Anything to get closer to the woman.
Before she spoke, her chin notched up and her gaze narrowed. Her confidence—especially when he sensed her trepidation from where he stood in the back—staggered him.
“I bring you good tidings and bad, my friends. A gift and a warning.”
She let those words settle in. Nothing but the soft shuffling of cows and the rooting of pigs overhead could be heard. She clasped her hands in front of her and went on.
“I know the people of Lobdell have suffered at the hands of the Varis monarchy. That death has touched many lives here. Unnecessary and horrific death.” Not a sound but the guttering of torches. “The gift is the Black Lily. Whether you join her ranks or not, she will fight on. She will demand justice from the Glass Tower for those in chains of oppression. She will break the yoke placed upon the backs of the peasantry and bring freedom where now there is too much work for the poor and little prosperity of your own.”
Those in the crowd shuffled, nodding in agreement. Just as Harrison had called out in defiance at the Hiddleston rally, another broad-shouldered farmer spoke out above the rest.
“So you want us to die for the Black Lily and this hopeless cause? No one can defeat the army of the Glass Tower.”
Sienna didn’t miss a beat. “The only one calling you to die is the queen herself.” Silence ensued. “She is the one spreading this plague of blood madness throughout the land. She is the one building her own army to keep you bound in chains. She is the one who guarantees death or an enslaved life…which is even worse, if truth be told.” She paused to scan the gathering. Squaring her shoulders, she went on. “The Black Lily offers you a chance at liberty, a chance to fight for the life you deserve and the life your children and grandchildren deserve. A life where you do not have to fear the night, but a world where you may walk upright and proud in the light of day. You may think our numbers small, but you are wrong. We grow by the day and our fighters are being trained by the former lieutenant of the Royal Legionnaires himself.”
She nodded to Nikolai in the back with an appraising smile. His heart leapt at such a look from her. Eyes swiveled to him.
“Our leader Arabelle sends me news of their progress. Under the lieutenant’s guidance, we have an upper hand against the enemy. His skill and devotion to us may be the very thing that saves us all.”
Someone began to speak, but she raised her hand with a sharpness that matched the fierce intensity shining bright in her eyes.
“I know what you would ask,” she said. “Why would a vampire fight for us?”
Nods and murmurs of agreement buzzed through the small crowd.
“Because they are not evil incarnate as some of you may believe. I know the old tales. I’ve heard them, too. My grandmother once told me there is darkness and danger in fairytales, when one cannot tell the difference from what is real and what is not.” Her heaving bosom and her fisted hands at her side spoke of the passion welling inside of her. “I am here to tell you I have witnessed the selfless and heroic acts of both Prince Marius and Lieutenant Nikolai. They abandoned their life of luxury and power with the crown to help us. The very least we can do is join the ranks of the Black Lily and play our part.”
Her gaze found him. His muscles locked. She had no idea the effect her words had on him. Or that look of deep admiration she shined so willingly upon him. He didn’t deserve it, and yet, he savored the beauty of the moment, hiding away her perfection for the distant future when this quest was over and they parted. The vision of her standing there would warm him on many cold nights to come.
A burly, bald man called out, “I’m not a fighter. But if you need a blacksmith, I will lend a hand.”
Sienna’s smile brightened the dimly lit room. “Thank you, sir. A forger of weapons and arms is as needed as any soldier.” She nodded to him appreciatively. “I will say this and be done. You are right that there is risk in loss of life if you join the army of the Black Lily. But it is assured that you will continue to lead a life of fear and enslavement should you do nothing. The Glass Tower grows in power, and her demand for more blood increases by the day. The royal army must be fed. And we all know, they will not be eating the slaughtered calf or roasted pig to satisfy their appetites. The choice is yours, my friends. Should you be brave enough, report to the Bull’s Head in Hiddleston and sit at the booth painted with a black mark upon the table. Someone will find you and give you instructions from there. Good night.”
She stepped down but was surrounded at once with a barrage of questions. The others shuffled toward the ladder leading up to the ground floor. Nikolai shoved off the wall to keep a closer eye on Sienna. She spoke to each of them with steady ease, washing away their fears and rallying them behind the cause with reassuring words and a kind smile. One by one, they disappeared from the gathering until only the blacksmith and Deb remained.
Nikolai moved closer, arms crossed.
“Yes, your family may join you as well,” said Sienna, placing a gentle hand on the blacksmith’s arm. “We welcome them. Just meet at the Bull’s Head as I’ve said before. A contact will reach out when he knows it is safe.”
“Thank you, milady.” With a duck of the chin, the smithy sauntered off and up the ladder.
Deb stepped forward with a smile upon her face. The three of them ambled toward the exit together.
“Thank you for taking the risk and having us here,” said Sienna.
Deb scoffed. “No need to thank me. The vampires made me an enemy when they took my father from me.” She shot an apologetic look to Nikolai. “The vampires of the Glass Tower, that is.”
Nikolai walked between them. “Yes, I understand. There is good reason why I am no longer a part of their ranks.”
Once they reached the top, Deb held out her hand for him to shake. He did.
“If more vampires were like you, there would be no need for a bloody war.”
He smiled and released her hand, uncomfortable with the compliment. “Farewell and safe travels.”
“Aye,” replied Deb. “Same to you both.”
…
Sienna took the arm Nikolai offered her as he led them through an alley onto the street, the clip-clop of his boots and the swish of her skirt a soft accompaniment. Lobdell was smaller than Sylus, but it appeared to be more sophisticated. Cobblestone streets and paved walkways instead of dirt roads. Most shops were closed now. The streets were quiet except for the pub two blocks up, spilling yellow light onto the walkway. Street lanterns marked every corner. The starry night was clear of any clouds that had hampered the day, a half moon offering a luminescent glow.
“It’s a beautiful night,” she said, as if they were simply two lovers taking a leisurely stroll together.
“It is.” He crooked his arm against his side, drawing her closer, covering her gloved hand with his own. She liked that. “You did a fine job in there. Even if you overstated on my behalf.”
She tilted her head up at him. “It wasn’t an overstatement. What I said was true. Arabelle has spoken nonstop in her letters of you and your training, the tireless hours you’ve put in, the exhausting repetition of training new recruits.”
Sienna cherished those words about the lieutenant in Arabelle’s letters. She had imagined how he might look instructing the soldiers on the sandy shores of Cutters Cove. So grave and stern, the wind tousling his blond hair. Funny that she thought he was too serious to have such beautiful hair. Somehow, it made him even more alluring.
He clamped his jaw tight. The light of the corner lamp edging his profile in gold, his jaw a hard slant.
“Are you upset to have so many more recruits to train?” she asked, trying to find out the mystery that had cast such a gloom.
“No,” he answered definitively. “The recruits are needed. Direly. The Barrow brothers have become my sergeants at arms and can assist with training.”
“Then what has put you in such a mood? You’ve been so…angry since tea.”
He pulled her to a stop before the tavern, raucous laughter and singing spilling out of the open door. His face was fixed in darkness with his back to the bright window of the pub, silhouetting his broad shoulders and blond hair that hung loose and wild to his nape.
She could no longer make out his expression. But his hand tightened on her arm, keeping her in place as he pressed close and brushed a stray lock of her hair off of her cheek, his fingers leaving a trail of heat in their wake. They feathered down along her jaw to her chin, his thumb brushing across her parted lips. She could not move if the devil himself were after her. She was transfixed, his vampire eyes gleaming bright in the dark.
“You, Sienna. You make me angry…and afraid and desperate and fiercely protective and…”
He swept his thumb back a second time.
Sienna let her lips part farther, her breath coming out in white puffs. A deep growl rumbled in his chest, a beastly sound so low it trembled down her spine and settled low in her belly, evoking a breathy gasp and a tingle between her legs.
“The things I want to do to you, sweetheart. They are not good. But they would feel…delicious.”
“Tell me,” she whispered.
He chuckled darkly. “You tread such a dangerous line. I am doing my best to keep our relationship professional. But it is near impossible when you say such things to me with that look on your face. If I voice my thoughts, there will be no turning back.” He brushed the pad of his thumb a third time. “Are you sure?”
She slid her tongue out and licked his thumb, holding his catlike gaze.
“I have my answer.” He lifted her bodily and blurred vampire-swift out of the light of the tavern and into the quiet shadow on the next block where the street was empty. Pinning her to the wall with his body, his hands laced with hers and held above her head, his mouth hovered a hairsbreadth away.
“I want to tear these clothes off of you and taste every inch of your skin. I want to lick you between your thighs till you slide away into oblivion. I want to drive my cock inside you and mark you so deep that you know you are mine. I want to make you come so hard that you beg me to do it again. And again. And again.”
Then he crushed her mouth with his own, delving his tongue inside and demanding she open for him.
She did on a frantic whimper with the images he’d conjured floating through her mind. He let one hand go to wrap her nape in a possessive grip, keeping her still, while he plundered her mouth, stroking his tongue deep, giving her a small taste of the beast he planned to unleash. She clenched her free hand in the back of his hair, pulling him closer not pushing away, yearning for more.
“Nikolai,” was all she could manage when he scraped his canines down the side of her neck without breaking the skin.
A quiet footfall sounded on the pavement close behind them. Nikolai spun to face the intruder, shielding her with his body. No. Intruders. There was more than one. Sienna caught sight of three men in the royal Legionnaire uniform, silver buttons winking by torchlight.
“Well, well. So sorry to interrupt your late-night feeding, lieutenant.”
She knew the voice at once. Sergeant Aleksander Volkov. Nikolai made no reply, watching their movements as the other two moved slowly to flank them. He shifted his body to the left, where the largest of the three vampires had moved in too close.
“Mmm, but she does look like she tastes so sweet.” Volkov raised his head, nose in the air, and inhaled a deep breath. “Bloody hell, lieutenant. Her scent. How have you not drained her dry?” he asked on a laugh. “Doesn’t she smell sweet, Boris?” he asked the gruff vampire on his right.
“Aye, sergeant.”
Nikolai was stone-still, but the tautness of his shoulders and the fists at his sides told her enough.
“Volkov. If you so much as think of her again, I’ll rip out your throat before you can blink.”
He laughed, the sound sending a sinister shiver up her spine. “Oh, I plan to do more than think about her.” His voice dropped low and menacing. “You can be sure of that.”
Then the world turned upside down. Sienna was knocked to the pavement by one of the soldier vampires, but Nikolai tore him away from her. She could make out practically nothing, only blurs of action under the moonlight. Snarls, grunts, and growls filled the night. Then a crunch and one of the soldiers lay in the street, unmoving. Nikolai stood over him, heaving deep breaths, blood dripping from his mouth.
The second soldier charged Nikolai in a blur, the one called Boris. A blade left Nikolai’s hand and landed in the man’s chest. He howled in pain as he twisted onto the cobblestone street.
Out of nowhere, Volkov lifted Sienna with a jerk of her arm. She screamed. At the same time, a sharp burn coiled and leaped in her chest, pushing down her arms toward her hands. Then her body was tossed sideways as Nikolai and Volkov tumbled into the street. Just as quickly, the inner fire snuffed out, leaving a warm knot lodged in her chest. She clutched at the spot, while watching Nikolai and Volkov tumbling away.
The men grappled in a spinning torrent, then one of them flew in the air and hit the cobblestone a block away with a hard thunk. Nikolai stood victorious, though he wasted no time.
He scooped her into his arms and ground out, “Close your eyes and hold on.”
No time for questions or protests. She clung to him tightly, locking her arms around his neck, and buried her face against his chest, knowing what was about to come. He ran in vampire speed, the world blurring past until she felt the cold chill of the open air as they breezed away from Lobdell, spinning deeper into the night. Squeezing her eyes shut to keep the nausea of motion sickness at bay, she held on tight, comforted to be in his arms after the dreadful scene a moment before, the strange tingling fire still burning inside her chest. She’d felt the sensation when she’d been threatened before, though she couldn’t figure out what it meant. Even so, she knew it was nothing to fear, but rather something she needed to know and understand.
They seemed to run forever. Nikolai refused to stop, even when she whimpered in protest and begged quietly. “I don’t feel well. Can we stop?”
“Not yet,” came his grating reply, the cold night growing colder as they sped through the dark. “Not until you are safe.”
She saw the blur of trees and heard the coo of an owl once, longing for the safety of her woodland. But then they were crossing an open plain, the world spinning. The nausea finally overwhelmed her, and she drifted into the black.