Heart of Fire (35 page)

Her gaze dropped to the floor. He
reached for her again, desperate to hold her. “Don’t be angry with
me, sweeting.”

She looked up, not quite meeting his
eyes. “I’m sorry for what I said about the alehouse.”

“I’m sorry I gave you reason to
think that of me, and I’m sorry for many other things.” He bent his
head to whisper in her ear. “If I don’t kiss you this moment, I
will die.”

Closing her eyes, she tipped her
head and offered her mouth to him. He captured her lips and
devoured the sweetness he had missed for too long. She melted
against him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Her lips traveled
down to the curve of his neck, and she kissed him there as he had
once done to her. He rewarded her efforts with a low moan. By
Saladan’s bollocks, he wanted her. Perhaps too much at the moment.
He pulled back and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. “If he
touches you again, I will kill him.”

Catching his hand in hers, she
kissed his palm. “I’m fine.”

“Aye.” he smiled. “That you
are.”

She traced his jaw with her
fingertip. “You pulled him off me, didn’t you?”

“Aye. Does that disappoint you? You
seemed so pleased with yourself.”

“It doesn’t disappointment me in the
least.” She rested her head against his chest and he embraced her
again. “I missed you.”

Words left him. He struggled against
the rush of emotion. “I missed you, too, lelaya. And as much as I
would like to keep you in my arms, I cannot risk being seen. I need
to hide myself again then we should get out of this
hall.”

“We can go back to my
quarters.”

He cloaked himself, knowing the
instant she could no longer see him by the change in her face. She
turned down the passage. “Stay close to me.”

Chuckling, he replied, “You needn’t
worry about that.”

Her stomach grumbled again. She
paused, unsure of where to look. “I was on my way to the kitchens.
Do you want anything?”

What he wanted wasn’t food. “I
haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“I’ll get enough for both of
us.”

Only the bakers occupied the kitchen
at such an hour. They paid little attention to her as she filled a
basket with bread, cheese, pickles, cold sausages and honey cakes.
He wished she would hurry. He ached to be hidden away with
her.

Finally, she started up a new set of
steps. He whispered, “Will anyone see us here?”

“Highly unlikely.”

He took the basket from her. “Let me
help, then.”

At a landing, she paused in front of
the door. “Wait here. I share these quarters.”

His heart sunk. “Why bring me here
then? I don’t want anyone to see me.” And he wanted to be alone
with her.

“Fynna knows all about you. I just
don’t want you to scare the blue out of her.”

“The blue?”

“Don’t move.” She took the basket
back from him and slipped inside. “Fynna,” she
whispered.

The pixie was curled on top of her
coverlet, still dressed in her tunic. Obviously, she had tried to
wait up. She yawned. “I smell food.”

“Are you awake enough for a
surprise?” Jessalyne set the basket on the table.

Fynna opened her eyes a little more,
a sleepy smile on her face. “Chocolate biscuits?”

“Not that kind of surprise, silly
goose.”

Fynna stretched. “What is
it?”

Jessalyne smiled. “Better than
chocolate.” She opened their chamber door. “You can come in
now.”

“Who are you talking to?”

Ertemis emerged out of thin air.
Fynna fell off her bed and onto the floor with a soft thump. She
peeked over the edge. “Is that...” She pointed then snatched her
finger back. “Are you him? The Bla—I mean, Ertemis?”

“At your service.” He bowed
slightly. “And you are?”

“Fynna.” She popped her head up a
little more. “I’m a pixie.”

“I’m a dark elf.”

She climbed back onto her bed. “I
know.”

Ertemis winked at Jessalyne.
“Talking about me behind my back, are you?”

Jessalyne unpacked the food basket
while Ertemis unclasped his cloak and threw it across her bed. He
reached into the basket to help. Their hands touched. His fingers
briefly interlaced hers. Smiles drifted across both their
faces.

“No liver dumplings?” Fynna grinned
at her friend. “I think I’ll go to the scullery and see if there
are any in the cold larder.”

She left, only to pop her head right
back in. “I’ll knock before I come back in. You know, just in
case—”

“Fynna!”

The pixie giggled as she shut the
door.

“I see subtlety is not one of her
virtues.” Ertemis sat at the game table.

Jessalyne took the chair across from
him, trying to find a place to start. “I have so many questions and
so much to tell you. So much has happened.”

“There’s something I need to say
first.”

He tore a hunk of bread into pieces,
keeping his eyes down. “I owe you an apology. Before we parted, I
treated you no better than that beast in the hall. You deserve
better. Much better. Please…please forgive me.”

Her eyebrows rose.

He glanced up. “Does my apology
surprise you?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry for that also. They don’t
come easy to me.”

“Why did you say so little to be
when we parted?”

“Another chance to practice my
apologies.” He rubbed his chin. “I thought it best if you just
forgot about me. I was a fool.”

He leaned back in his chair. “I’m
sorry for that as well. The sight of you walking away, disappearing
into this castle...it was not easy.”

She slid her hand over his. “What
made you go see your mother?”

Leaning forward, he looked into her
eyes. “I needed some advice.”

“You?” She couldn’t imagine him
needing advice from anyone. “I didn’t think you were coming back. I
was sure of it.”

“I knew time on Elysium meant
nothing but it never occurred to me what that would mean when I
returned. Lelaya, I’m most sorry for that.” He came around the
table and picked her up in his arms, kissing her forehead. “Do you
forgive me?”

She’d ached for him. Cried over him.
“Do you promise not to do it again?”

Still holding her, he sunk into the
chair she’d been sitting in. “You want me to stay?”

“Yes,” she whispered as she kissed
his mouth. “What was it like to see your mother after so
long?”

He broke the kiss reluctantly.
“Bittersweet. She’s happy enough. She still refuses to tell me the
name of my father, though.”

Jessalyne stiffened. “I need to talk
to you about that. That and so much more.” She slipped off his lap
and walked toward the fireplace.

“What is it?”

Before facing him, she took a deep
breath. “I know who your father is.”

His dark eyes fixed on her. “You
do?”

“Yes. But you must promise to hear
me out and that you won’t hurt him.”

“I’ll listen but I won’t promise
more than that.”

“I don’t know how else to say it so
I’ll just come out with it. You’re the firstborn son of King
Maelthorn. The man you yanked off me in the passageway is your
half-brother, Prince Erebus.”

His jaw tightened and the muscles in
his neck corded. He sat silently, unmoving, staring past her into
the dying embers of the fire.

“Ertemis? Are you all
right?”

After a long moment, he spoke. “I’m
the son of a king?”

“Yes, but it’s more than that.
You’re first in line for the throne.”

He shook his head. “That cannot be
right.”

She knelt in front of him and took
his hands. “It is right, and I would very much like to take you to
meet your father in morning, if you are willing. But there is one
more thing you must know.”

“There is more?”

She sighed. “Yes. In less than a
week’s time, I’m to marry Prince Erebus. Somehow he persuaded the
king to bless me as his bride.”

“What?” Ertemis sprang to his
feet.

She groaned at the thought of all
that had expired. “I’m betrothed to him. I had little choice in the
matter.”

“You will not wed that slavering
animal. I’ll kill him before that happens.”

She twisted her hands. She’d
expected his anger. “It’s not up to me. As soon as we wed, he will
become the new king of Shaldar. That’s all he wants me
for.”

“I’ll meet the king tomorrow morning
and see for myself what can be done about this.” His shoulders
straightened. “If he has any desire to right the wrong he did to my
mother, he will end this betrothal.”

“Your father still loves your
mother.”

He ran a hand through his hair and
dropped back into the chair. “She still loves him.”

“I know how she feels.” Jessalyne
walked over to him, trembling at how easily the words slipped out.
If only he would say them back.

His jaw unhinged. “What did you
say?”

“I love you,” she whispered before
reseating herself on his lap and burying her face against his
neck.

* * *

Ertemis closed his eyes and inhaled
deeply as the stone wall around his heart crashed down. She loved
him. The thought rippled through him, tingling down his spine and
quickening his breath. Before he lost his nerve, he fished his
mother’s ring from beneath his breastplate. Shifting Jessalyne off
his lap and onto the chair by herself, he knelt before
her.

Her face was buried in her
hands.

“Jessalyne, look at me.”

“No.” She swiveled away from
him.

“What’s wrong, sweeting?”

“I never should have said it. You
didn’t say it back.”

“Jessalyne.” He paused to take a
breath, willing himself to speak the words of his heart. “I love
you desperately and if you would look at me, you would see I am
trying to ask for your hand.”

“You are?” She peeked through her
fingers. “Even though I’m betrothed to your brother?”

“Half brother, and if you will have
me, I will rectify that matter. One way or another.”

With tears in her eyes, she nodded.
“I will. I will. Of course, I will!”

Emotion thickened his voice. “My
mother gave me this ring to give to you. My…father,” the word was
hard to say without grimacing, “gave it to her many years ago.” He
slipped the ring from its chain and onto her finger before pulling
her into a tight embrace. “I promise never to leave you again,
lelaya.”

She pulled away. “Then tell me
again.”

He paused, losing himself in her
pale violet eyes. “I love you, Jessalyne.”

Smiling, she kissed him softly.
Rapping at the door turned both their heads and they stood.
Jessalyne smoothed her dress. “Come in, Fynna.”

Fynna peeked around the door. “I
couldn’t eat anymore.”

Ertemis laughed. “We haven’t even
started our dinner.”

“Well, that explains why it’s safe
for me to come in.” The pixie shut the door behind her.

“Fynna!”

“It will be firstlight soon.” Fynna
crawled into her bed.

Ertemis looked out the window. “Aye,
that it will.”

Jessalyne smiled. “Then I shall be
better able to inspect my new ring.”

Ertemis rolled his eyes. “Is there
going to be a great deal of noise now?”

“What ring?” Fynna popped
up.

Holding out her hand, Jessalyne
wiggled her fingers. “Ertemis asked me to marry him.”

Fynna squealed, then shook her head.
“The Prince of Hands isn’t going to like that.”

“The Prince of Hands?” Ertemis
growled. “Your betrothal to him ends tomorrow.”

Fynna shrieked and started jumping
on the bed.

Ertemis folded his cloak into a
pillow. “Jessalyne, could ask your friend to contain herself long
enough for us to sleep a few hours?” He settled onto the carpet,
stuffing his cloak beneath his head.

“Fynna, he’s right. We need some
sleep.” She stared at Ertemis with curiosity as he stretched out on
the carpet.

Fynna stopped jumping. “Yes, your
highness.” She erupted into a fit of giggles.

Ertemis shot her a look. “Pixie,
please.”

She tucked herself back under the
covers. “Sorry, master elf. But it is very happy news.”

He smiled. “That it is.”

Jessalyne looked at him. “You’re
going to sleep on the floor?”

“Aye. And you are going to sleep in
your bed.”

“Are you ill?”

Just lovesick. “As tempting as you
are, that bed could barely hold me, never mind another.” He
wouldn’t torture himself by having her so near, but so unavailable.
He winked at the tempting pout of her lips. “Your days of sleeping
alone are about to end.”