My Warrior Fae (10 page)

“Yes, mistress. I will send Albadar with him. He is off today, but I believe he will not be happy if he is not involved.”

Tess thought that was an understatement, but let it go. She needed to know that Nathaniel was safe and she was not going to think about why that mattered so much to her. Not yet anyway, not when she had just realized that she needed him.

Tess went to her house and dressed in her armor. There may not be a need, the man could be a friend of the master’s, but she was not taking any chances.

Tess was naked by the time she walked into her bedroom, having chucked all her clothes starting at the door. She walked to the hidden panel in the wall and pressed her hand against the wall to engage the sensory system. Once it slid forward she put her thumb on the small pin and watched as blood welled from the puncture. It would read her DNA and only open for her. All the men in the Knights had a safe such as this. It kept their weapons out of the hands of any children they may have in the household.

The panel opened with a small hiss and she stepped in and reached for her leathers. Pulling them up over her legs she marveled again at the fit that accompanied their uniforms. The pants were loose until they buttoned. Once the last one was in place they molded and formed to her skin, becoming a protective shield against most common blades. Next came the t-shirt made of the same form-fitting material. It also protected her skin from the harsh bite of the chainmaille when she pulled it over her head.

Most people thought the protective metal was out of style as well as cumbersome and heavy, but this maille had been given to her by her great-grandfather when she was accepted in the Brianal Guard. She had tried giving it back to him when she had been disgraced, but he had told her to keep it, that he knew that she would again wear it someday.

Each member of the Knights was given a sword made especially for them. Size and weight calibrated to their hand and stance. Balance was important when in a fight and she would not have a man killed because his blade was not suitable for him. Tess still carried the one that the queen had given her. She had learned to fight with it and it fit her hand like an extension to her arm. She secured this to her back and then pulled on her knee-high boots, lacing them tight against her legs and securing the extra weaponry into them. Within twenty minutes of hearing about the demon imp she was standing outside the mansion with her troop.

“I don’t know what the vamp looks like so we cannot attack when we enter. Plus, if the imp belongs to who I think it does, we cannot harm him without just cause or we will start another war with his owner. No one is to do anything until I say so, got it?”

When they nodded their agreement they moved into the large room where five men were

sitting.

Tess had thought that the imp would keep his identity hidden from the vamp, but she did not know he could make himself seem like another vamp. She had never met the master, so she was not sure which man he was. Now her earlier admonishment about waiting for an attack was warranted.

While no one in the room could see her or her men she could see each of them. Pointing to six of her men she had them surround the shadowed men and, when they were in position, she had them kill them. She would not have her men harmed trying to keep the ones she was trying to protect walk into unseen forces. The guards that the imp had brought with him that were visible were flanked by two each of her team. Now all she needed to do was pause, listen to the conversation, and wait for one of them to make their move.

“You will see that things cannot continue on the way they are. Some of the other vamps in this and other realms are going to rebel once they find out that she is breaking the law.”

“Frankly, I think you’re wrong. The queen is going to reign for centuries more and as far as supporting her, I will do that as long as she needs me.”

Tess had just found her man she thought with a smile.

When the imp stood, Tess walked silently behind him. She needed to wait until he made a move to harm the master, but knew that she could not wait too long. The imp could kill the larger vamp in seconds if he had enough power. When he reached into his jacket pocket she wrapped her hand on the hilt of the sword at her back. The imp pulled out a small package, not much bigger than an index card, and she saw the magic flare seconds before he tossed it at the vampire.

She was too late to stop it from hitting the vampire, but not too late for her to dispatch the imp back to his maker in pieces.

The only sound that was heard was the small vibration of the air being sliced open when she pulled the sword out of the scabbard and brought it around to the imp. Tess did not slow her movements, but brought the sword around full swing and back into its holder as she moved to cover the vampire with her body. She was fully materialized before she hit Aaron full force, knocking him back hard into the chair and pressing the silver net that Tribuin had tossed onto Aaron deeper into his skin. It was unfortunate, but necessary.

The imp stood for several seconds, his body not yet registering what she had done to it until the blood starting spurting from his jugular. As Tribuin reached up to grab at the fatal wound his head tilted back and fell from his shoulders. Blood shot from his severed neck, shooting high and wild around the room and along Tess’s back. The leather and maille was no match for the acidity of his blood and burned through it into her skin. Blisters formed immediately and burst when they filled. It was a full ten seconds before Tribuin’s body dropped and another five before he disappeared. Tess stepped back and stood very still.

Pain ripped through her, tears formed in her eyes, and she felt faint. She knew that if she fell, the vampire in front of her would be touched with the blood she had tried to make sure he was not burned from. The door crashing open behind her had her turning. The scream of pain was out before she could stop it. Nathaniel was just suddenly there.

The two men that Tribuin had brought with him stood. Her men killed them both and then moved toward Nathaniel. Knowing that she would regret it, she jerked the netting off of Aaron and turned to her men and growled.

Pain. Pain like she had never felt before rippled over her, in her, and all over her. She knew that she was in bad shape, but Nathaniel would be killed if she did not act quickly.

“Stop, Shamus. This one, he is mine. Don’t harm him or I will kill you both. Samuel, go to the kitchen and see that the others are safe. The imp was not brave enough to come here with only these men. Daniel, I want you to go to Avalone; bring back the Fates. I won’t…you’ll need to tell them what’s happened.”

“My mate! My family, I need to go to them.” Aaron tried to move, but the silver had cut into him deep and he was in pain. It did not stop him from trying.

“Your family is safe. As soon as I realized who you where, I had my men take them. The people in the kitchen, they are safe as well. Mrs. MacManus and the three children are there now.

I did not have her brought here, as I was not sure if you wanted the children to see this. I’m sorry about the silver, but it was there before I could act. Will you be all right, sire?”

Tess felt rather than saw Nathaniel move up behind her. She had turned her back to

Nathaniel to face the master and could not see him, but she could feel him. His anger was palatable. It touched her in ways the tainted blood did not. She was not afraid of him, but she was afraid of what she would see when she saw him.

“Don’t! You can’t touch me. It’s poison. I need to…I have to wash it off before it’s safe.

“Yes,” the master finally answered. “Once I feed I would like an explanation of what has happened, but I believe you need to go with your mate. We will meet here in one hour.

Nathaniel, take her to your lair and heal her, please.”

“I cannot, sire. The Fates will be here…” Tess started to argue. She was not used to giving someone the reins over her, but she was falling fast now.

“I can handle the Fates for now. Go. And if I see either of you before the one hour, I will make the pain you are currently experiencing, young lady, seem like a paper cut. Do I make myself understood?”

She could not answer. Nathaniel had put his arms around her hips and pulled her close to him without touching her back. She wanted to lean into him, but knew that the blisters would be just as toxic as the blood that had caused them. Instead, she put her hands over his and nodded.

With her next breath she was in his lair. He still had not spoken a word.

~~~

Nathaniel turned on the shower as he moved them toward the bathroom. He had been burned once by demon blood so he knew how to care for the wounds. But he had never seen anyone who had been burned this badly and still lived, much less was still be upright.

There was not much left of the maille on the back so, moving around to the front of Tess, he peeled it off her shoulders and over her chest. He knew that he was hurting her, but she did not say a word and stood as still as she could while he worked. There were places where the chain was burned into her tender skin and some where the blisters had formed over it. He looked at her for a moment before he spoke.

“I need to get this off of you before I can heal you or the chain will heal into your skin. If I work at it slowly it won’t hurt as badly, but it will take a long time. If I do it quickly it will hurt like hell, but it will be over with. Which way do you prefer?”

He did not want to do it either way, if he was honest with himself. He would much prefer her not hurt at all, but he knew that if he left this to anyone else and she cried out or, worse, screamed he would probably kill them. No, he thought, he would kill them.

“The blisters, they’ll…you’ll get the pus on you. It’ll burn you. Maybe…maybe you should just let it go. The Fates will be able to…oh, Nathaniel, it hurts so badly.”

Her tears tore him up inside. His heart clenched tight and he knew that if the man who had done this to her was not already dead and beyond him he would go get him and kill him again and again. “I’m going to help you, Tess. I’m going to yank it off then put you in the shower. I’ll heal you there. Please don’t turn me down on this, baby. I need to make sure you are safe.”

“No, I won’t. I don’t know…I don’t think I’ll be able to stand once you do this. I may pass out. Please be careful that you aren’t hurt as well, all right?”

“I have you, sweetheart, and I’ll be careful.” Standing in front of her, he put both his hands on her cheeks and wiped away the tears then leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.

When she wrapped her arms around his waist he moved his hands to her shoulders where the maille was still laying. Opening his mouth over hers and feeling her respond he grabbed the chain, jerked it down her back and dropped it on the floor, gathering her as she fell forward unconscious.

~Chapter 9~

Sara came tumbling into the room just as Nathaniel was carrying Tess to the shower. Sara fell to her knees before her mate, tears falling freely from her cheeks. Aaron reached out and touched her cheek. He had not moved from his position in the chair; the silver had cut him deep and only she would be able to help him.

“Could you all leave us for a few moments? I believe my mate needs some reassurances.”

“Mistress said not to leave you until the Fates arrived. And we only answer to her. I’m sorry, sire, but that is the way it is.”

Aaron looked up at the fae who had not yet put his sword away. His face was determined and fierce-looking. “I see. Do you think your mistress would want you to watch me make love to my mate and feed from her? Because that is exactly what I plan to do as soon as she comes close enough for me to pull her into my lap. As a vampire sex goes hand in hand with feeding and healing, but I’m sure you know that. I’m not going to wait for your mistress to return. I need this.”

Aaron watched as the men looked at one another then headed toward the door. He grinned when he realized that they were really torn about which was the lesser evil, watching him have sex or their mistress’ wrath. Aaron thought the woman must be one hell of a leader to have such loyal men.

“We will be right outside. We are doing this under protest, sire. If she asks you, you will tell her this, will you not?” Shamus said, and Aaron could have sworn he saw a hint of a smile playing on the fae’s face.

“Yes, she will know that I forced your hand. Thank you, gentlemen. Oh, and if you hear screaming, do not open that door. My lady Sara tends to scream when she has her…when she is very happy. And I intend to thrill her hoarse.”

The men moved faster out the door. Aaron hurt, but not enough to not find the humor in the situation. He sobered when he looked at Sara. “Ah, love, it could have been much worse. The silver is gone now and the blood did not touch me thanks to our savior. I will heal once I feed from you.”

“Oh, Aaron, I was so terrified when those men materialized in front of us. They didn’t say a word, but grabbed us right out of the van and brought us here. Mac of course thought it was a great adventure and Lizzy is, as we speak, flirting with one of them in the kitchen. Brent nearly went wild when the man grabbed him; he had to put the poor boy to sleep so he wouldn’t hurt himself. They wouldn’t tell us anything. He kept saying that you were with their mistress and you would not be hurt. Now look at you. You are hurt.”

“Yes, hurt, but not dead. Had that acidy blood hit these open wounds it would have gotten into my bloodstream and killed me, immortal or not. That woman, the one you’re looking for, Tess, saved me at great harm to herself. She could have let it hit me, but she threw herself in harm’s way. I owe her a great deal. Come here, love, I need you desperately.” Aaron pulled Sara into his lap, careful of his wounds, and kissed her. The kiss was meant to comfort her, but it turned needy quickly. He wanted to bury himself deep into her as he fed, healing both his wounds and his heart. He loved her more than he ever had anyone and needed her more.

“Feed first, and then I’m going to ride you until I really scream.”