Black Rose (16 page)

           
The scroll Edward had been holding fell to the floor. “Mara?” His voice told a
story of disbelief as he slowly rose to his feet. He caught her wild gaze as
she quickly crossed the room.  “What are you…” he started to say but his
words were silenced as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled his lips down
to hers. She kissed him deep and thoroughly, pressing against him as though
attempting to thrust her soul out of her body and into his. 

When
she finally pulled back she did not speak, but began to peel the soaking
clothes from her body, revealing her pale skin to his gaze until she finally
stood nude before him. Then she leaned forward and kissed him again, giving in
to a desperate, wild sense of abandonment. “Mara, I don’t understand. 
What is going on?” he asked on the edge of a heated breath.

           
“It doesn’t matter.  All that matters is that I love you, Edward. I’m so
tired and scared and alone. Please.” She forced herself to meet his gaze. “I
need you.”

           
Edward looked down at her for several long moments, then he raised his own
shirt and throwing it to the floor beneath him, revealing the taut lines of his
pale chest. He then reached forward and pulled Mara toward him, kissing her
thoroughly. “You are sure?” was all he asked.

           
“Completely.”

           
He reached a hand to the side of her face and pressed it tightly against her
cheek. “I was such a fool. That last day…” His neck twisted in a tight spiral.
“Gods Mara, I was such a fool.  Forgive me.” He drew her to him, pressing
her bare breasts to his chest. Then he scooped her into his arms and carried
her across the room to the bed. He stared at her for several heartbeats, his
eyes roaming her still form as though trying to memorize every line and curve.
Then he stripped off his clothes and lay down beside the woman who, even after
all they had been through, remained the possessor of his soul.

           
Time seemed to melt as Edward ran his hands over her smooth skin, eternally
young despite her centuries of life. He traced his hands down her throat and to
her breasts, slowly circling each nipple before moving his lips to enfold their
sensitive tips. Mara moaned at the sensation, tracing her hands along his
spine.

           
When his hands finally moved lower, her entire body was trembling and she was
unable to suppress another moan as he ran a finger down her legs and up her
inner thigh. Very slowly, he slid a finger into her warm depths, causing her to
gasp at his touch. At the sound, he moved his attention higher yet again,
slowly settling himself above her and leaned down for another searing kiss.
“Mara,” he whispered. “Are you ready?”

           
“Please,” was all she could bring herself to say, but the single word was
enough.  He took her, sliding slowly forward as she whispered his name.
“Edward, Edward…”

           
“ego adsum, mea rosa. I am here.” He kept his voice at a gentle tone even as he
drove his body deeper into hers. “mea rosa immortalis.” At the sound of his
voice, Mara completely gave herself over to the sensations consuming her. The
world faded to nothing, save for the exquisite feeling of Edward’s body melding
into hers.

It
was only later, after their passions were spent, that the full range of her emotions
came rushing to the surface. Mara rose from where she lay to a seated position
on the edge of the bed, fighting to draw a steady breath. 

“Mara?”
Edward rose from the bed beside her. 

She
shook her head, still fighting to breathe.

“Mara,”
he said again, his voice washing over her with more intimacy than any caress,
pulling tears from her eyes. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gently
turned her to face him. “My Lady.”

She
drew a ragged breath and tried to speak. “You’re here,” was all she could seem
to manage as her left hand moved to touch the side of his face. “You’re here.”

He
moved his hand over hers, pressing her fingers firmly against his cheek. “Yes,”
he replied softly. “adsum, mea rosa, mi amor.”

“You’re
here,” she said again. “I…I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t…all I could
think of was getting to you.” She closed her eyes against the tears burring her
vision. “Edward, I’m…”

He
pulled her against him, crushing her in his strong embrace. “Oh Gods, Mara. You
can always come to me.  I…” He pulled back enough to see her eyes. “Mara…”
Her name escaped as a strangled whisper. “mea rosa immortalis.” His hand slid
to the back of her neck and he lowered his lips to hers. 

She
kissed him back, pouring her heart and soul from her body as into his as she
collapsed into his arms—surrendering all thought, all control everything she
was or would be into his powerful embrace. She spoke the words which bared her
soul. “I love you.”

She
laid down beside him, closing her eyes as he ran his hand gently through the
long stands of her dark hair, relaxing into his soothing embrace. “I am here,
Mara; te amo, rosa, mea rosa immortalis.” He whispered over and over. She
drifted to a dreamless sleep still listening to the sound of his voice.

It
was only later, when she awakened in the dark chambers, Edward’s arm draped
protectively around her, that the full weight of reality came crashing down
upon her. She drew herself slowly from Edward’s sleeping form, tears filling
her eyes and she forced herself to leave his warm embrace. 

She
walked quietly into his closet and pulled one of his shirts from where it hung
along with a long, full-length black cloak which she tied securely around her.
The clothes dwarfed her slender frame, but at least it was dry. She slipped
quietly towards the door, but no sooner did her hand reach the silver handle,
then she felt a touch on her shoulder. “Mara?” Edward said questioningly before
adding, “I expected to wake and find this a dream.”

           
“Forgive me,” she said softly. “I have to go.” 

           
“What is going on, Mara?” He turned her gently to face him, and realized she
was crying. “Gods, Mara, what is it? What?” He spoke more gently than before.
“Please talk to me.  Are you upset because of what we…”

           
“No.” Her protest rose louder than planned, but she didn’t care. “I…I love you.
I needed… I couldn’t...”

           
“Mara,” he said and pulled her into his embrace. “It is okay. Just, tell me
what is going on.”

           
“I know who killed her,” she said miserably.

           
Edward pulled back enough to see her face, a look of uncertainty crossing his
features. “Her…you mean?”

           
Mara nodded. “I know who killed her.”

“Liza?
You know who killed Liza?”

“Yes.”

Edward’s
lips parted and he drew a sharp breath. “By the Gods.”

“They
killed her, Edward.”

“Who?”

“It
doesn’t matter. They are all dead. I am going kill them all.”

           
“Mara…” He looked ill. “Are you okay?”

           
“No.” She continued to search his gaze then said, “Come with me, Edward. I
don’t think I can do this without you. Please. I need you.”

           
“Mara.” He drew an unsteady breath. “Oh, Mara. I…I can’t. I want to, but I
just…I’m sorry.”

           
She shut her eyes tightly. Her words trembled as she forced herself to answer.
“I know,” she whispered. “I know. I’m sorry.”

           
“Mara, please. You don’t have to go. Come back to bed, get some sleep. We can
talk about this in the morning.”

           
“No.” She shook her head.

           
“Mara you need sleep.”

           
“No,” she said again. “If I lie back down with you, I will never leave. I will
stay with you until the end of time and my vow shall remain unfulfilled. I’m
sorry, Edward. I…I have to go.” She shook her head and more tears fells. “I
love you, but I have to go.”

           
“Mara.” Something in his voice drew her eyes unwillingly into the depths of
his. “Promise me.”

           
Her entire body trembled as she said, “Anything.”

           
“Come back. Come back to me.”

           
She sank her teeth into her bottom lip drawing a constricted breath and gave a
single, slow nod before finding the strength to say. “promitto. I will always
come for you, Edward. Always. But I have to go now, mi amor. I have to go.”

           
With those words, Mara turned and left, leaving Edward alone in the ever
darkening room.

           
Mara still stood upon the beach, wearing a crystal blue gown that matched the
color of Phillip’s eyes. He ran his hand down the side of her face gently
brushing her dark hair away from her face. “I’m sorry, Mara. I never meant to
hurt you.” He pressed his palm against her cheek.

           
“You were trying to save me. You did save me. You sent me to the only one who
could.”

           
“I wish I could take it back.”

           
“You’re here now,” she answered, the cool breeze blowing gently through the
strands of her dark hair. She moved her own hand to touch his face when she
suddenly heard a distant thudding. She turned from him to stare at the ocean
waves. For a moment she heard only the crashing of the gentle oceans waves.
Then, the sound rose again, louder this time, more insistent.  She turned
back to Phillip. “I don’t want to go. Please, please Phillip—don’t make me.”

           
He looked at her. “They still need you Mara. You are not done yet.”

           
“Why?” She shook her head pleadingly. “All I know in this world is death and
pain. How can they possibly need that in their lives? It is so peaceful here.
Please, Phillip—let me stay.”

           
He stared at her for several moments and then suddenly gave a single nod. “The
choice is yours, my Princess. But what I stated before remains true; if you
stay, Edward will die.”

           
Again there came that awful sound only this time it was accompanied by a faint
cry: “Mara.”

           
She stared at Phillip. “It is your choice,” he said.

           
She drew a deep breath. “Don’t leave me.”

           
“I will always be here, my Princess.”

           
“Mara!” The cry was louder this time, more insistent than before.

           
Very slowly, she shook her head. “Captain,” she corrected. “Only Captain.”

           
He nodded slowly. “Then I bid thee farewell, Captain of the Rose.”

           
She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath of crisp ocean air, the taste of
salt dancing upon her tongue. She opened her eyes to find Garreth leaning over
her. He was holding her by both arms, his fingers digging into her pale skin
with physical force. He shook her body vigorously, lifting her upper body from
the bed as he did so. “Mara, wake up!”

“For
Gods’ sake, what is it?” she demanded, twisting in an attempt to get away from
him. “You’re hurting me.”

He
moved back, and she was ready to begin yelling at him for daring to invade her
privacy, when she suddenly heard a loud clatter, as though something very large
had shattered. It was instantly followed by the sound of clashing blades
echoing through the stone castle. Her head snapped to Garreth, giving him her
full attention, her exhaustion vanishing. Garreth’s silver blade lay on the
edge of the bed inches from his hand.

“We
are under attack.”

Mara
did not question this, but instead slid into her centuries of training without
a second thought. She moved from the bed to where her sword hung on its normal
place. She then grabbed her discarded clothes from where they lay crumpled and
slipped into them in moments, not caring that Garreth was still standing in the
room. Not bothering with the sheath, Mara grasped her naked blade, the familiar
weight grounding her. She moved towards the door with Garreth at her heels.
“How many?”

“At
least a dozen. Maybe more.”

She
did the math. The castle was only lightly guarded. A majority of her men were
out on assignments. No one had been foolish enough to attack the Rose in
centuries.
What the hell is going on
?  She broke into a full run
down the hall but slowed and took the corner to the staircase more cautiously.
Fortunately the intruders had not seemed to have reached the upper levels of
the castle. “We will take the back staircase,” she ordered. They took the
stairs quickly as they dared, pushed forward by the cries of men and the clash
of steel. When they reached the ground floor, they emerged into the deserted
study and rushed toward the large wooden door. “Who are they?” she finally
asked.

Garreth
avoided her gaze.

“That
bad?”

“At
least two of them are from the Arum Guard.”

Mara
drew a sharp breath, thoughts racing through her mind faster than she could
follow. Finally she forced her gaze upon her cousin’s and simply said, “No
mercy.”