FOREVER KNIGHTS: #16 To Keep Her

Once the carriage stopped, a rather stunned driver opened the door to find Sebastian within.

“My Lady?” He called in surprise.

She unfolded from the shadows of Bast’s lap where she’d been hidden by his flowing overcoat.

Bast watched her going forlornly. But when a small white hand shot out to catch his coat, he smoothly rose to his feet to follow her instantly.

The driver offered her a hand but as usual she brushed past it. The large long-maned man in tow, drug behind her. As he passed the driver, he gave him a look and shrugged.

The bemused driver watched them enter the house in shock.

They took the stairs to her chamber once there she rounded on him near violently. Shoving off his overcoat and yanking viciously at his tunic until it rent. He pulled it off before she tore it completely.

He was not as kind. He ripped her dress from her shoulders to expose her. She leapt to press her flesh to his to feel his skin. Her hands roving his shoulders and scarred back.

“Beautiful woman.” He whispered against her lips.

She kissed him voraciously. And he poured his affections into that motion. Once both their flesh was bared, he dropped backward to her bed and pulled her atop him so she could lead the intimacy. Choose the way of loving for herself.

She took from him. Her nails raking his chest. Her teeth cutting into the peak of his shoulder. And sinking teeth into the side of his neck. Making him still. Her movements were rough wanting to steal from him something like she believed he’d stolen from her.

Sebastian awoke blearily. Realizing he’d actually rested. The sun was bright and warm against his back. He lifted a forearm to shield his eyes as he turned to look around the room. The red smear on his arm.

Panicked he rolled to her. Seeing a bed covered in red and smeared down her back.

“Elsabet?” He shouted rolling her to her back.

She jolted and raked claws down his cheek at his rallying.

He reflexively caught her wrist. “You’re alive?”

“Of course.” She blinked. “What in bloody hell has gotten into you?”

“Is it your woman’s time?”

“No.” She shook her head. “What…”

“What is all this.” He gestured to the red saturated linens.

She glanced down and bubbling laughter began trickling up her throat and emerged in full blown laughter.

He frowned. “What’s gotten into you?”

“It’s clay dust.” She sputtered between laughter. “Lots of it.”

“For wha-” He gestured helplessly with a red hand before deflating mid-sentence. “Your hair.”

She laughed harder.

“Oh, have a good jest at my expense.” He caught her up and rolled her onto his chest. Smiling as she laughed.

At my foolishness. He stroked her hair lovingly.

As her eyes crinkled in merriment. Staring up at him.

“It’s good to hear you laugh…” He murmured when she had settled. “I’d feared never to hear it again.”

“It’s good to laugh.” She blurted without thinking. Her thumb absentmindedly stroking over his chest. “Why did you really come?”

“I couldn’t stay away.” He blinked down at her. Using a finger to move a tress of hair from her forehead.

“Nothing more.”

“That is everything.” He said, putting an arm up to slide his palm behind his head against the wall he leaned up against. “I wanted to hold you through your grief, to submit myself for your forgiveness, to ask if there’s anything I can do to make recompense, I wanted to hear your voice, smell your hair. Anything that you’d let me do.”

“This is not forgiveness.” Her tone hardened.

“I know.” He gave a half nod. Eyes steady on her.

“It is not you making any recompense.”

“I know.”

“This is a moment of weakness.” She leaned up and slid from beneath the linens to her feet next to the bed.

He caught her wrist. “Is that what every moment next to me was?”

“No.” Her lips grew tight. “Much of it was captivity.”

He released her so abruptly she nearly fell aside. He watched her fiercely pulling on her clothes and exiting the room without a look back.

His head fell back and thumped against the wall behind him in his frustration. He couldn’t begin to define the emotions ripping through him.

In a few moments his boots were taking him down the stairs.

He heard her cry out from the foyer. “Sebastian!” Sensed that she crossed the room to pursue him.

He didn’t dare look back at her. Couldn’t bare to see her face just now. He headed out the door. Slamming it behind him just as she reached it.

She slapped a hand against the other side. And he heard her broken sob as she slid down it to the floor.

He drug his hand down the door, feeling the heat of where she was as he followed her to the floor. Crouched on the other side of the bit of wood. So close he could reach her.

But with such complicated barriers between.

She slid all the way to the floor and crossed her arms, dropping her face to them as she wailed sobs.

And he sat. On the other side. Hearing every broken sound until they subsided. He injected gold flakes into the bit of wood, and they spat out the other side to seep into her hair. Lulling her into a deep sleep that would wash away the pain for a bit.

Swallowing a hard lump, he rose soundlessly and backed from the door. Turning violently with his coat blowing in the wind like dark wings.