Death & Fire

by King Ellie

  “Cin, I need you to call your flames back, you’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.”

  Tears fell from her eyes as the flames dimmed but were still there.

  “No!” She shrieked as she tried to move out of the hold I had her in. “Someone is after me. They hurt me and took away our baby forever. I have to find my baby, Xáne.”

  I was speechless. What could I say? I saw her memory; our baby was stillborn.

  “Lucinda…” The tone in my voice must’ve triggered something because she began crying. Had she ever mourned for our baby?

  “Oh Xáne, our little girl is dead, I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you. I shouldn’t have left.”

  I hated seeing her cry. I pulled her into my arms enveloping her with my wings. Something was wrong, everything about this didn’t make any sense. Her leaving without saying a word to me. Everything Cin did, she gave me a clue about, but why was it that when she left, she didn’t say anything? Why had I never thought about that?

  Was it my fault? Did I cause her to lose our daughter?

  ****

  Lucinda

  When I woke up, I didn’t recognize where I was. This wasn’t the room that I stayed in at Asar’s place, or as he called it, our place. He was the best friend I didn’t deserve but kept because I was selfish. I surveyed the room. It looked familiar, but the décor was different. When I glanced up at the ceiling, the giant, black Victorian mirror reminded me where I was. The longer I stared at my reflection, the more glimpses of memories I buried deep inside invaded my mind; the way I rode Xáne reverse cowgirl, I would watch from the mirrors following his hands as they caressed my breasts and my midsection. Then, when I gazed into his eyes, he would be staring right back at me. The intense look in his eyes would drive me crazy, and I wouldn’t want to stop.

  My thighs would be shamelessly pleading with me to stop, but I wouldn’t. As long as those intense, pale blue eyes kept me captive, I’d keep going. The memories didn’t stop there, no. The memories escaped out of my head venturing to my body. I felt Xáne’s hands everywhere on my aching body. It’s been so long since I’ve felt him on me, and the best part of it, the high that I’m always chasing for is when he… Oh God, when his fangs tear through the first layer of skin, then sink deep penetrating every layer and pushing me to a climax that I couldn’t resist. Xáne was the only one who could snatch an orgasm from me with a touch. How did I stay away from him for so long?

  “Cin… ” He called my name out saying it as he needed me as his air to breathe.

  My reflection was no longer of me waking up in his bed. Instead, it was of a memory. The raw scene of us not making love but fucking. The way he lapped up my blood with his tongue as his fingers worked my clit into overdrive. I always felt full with him and now as I came back to the reality as Xáne yanked me out of the memory.

  My body still felt the aftereffects as I repeatedly blinked slowly sitting up. Xáne stood in front of me with a cocked eyebrow, his hair in a top knot, and a towel wrapped lowly around his waist. I couldn’t stop my eyes as they perused his body. This man was an orgasm personified. The addition of the tattoos over his body made him that much sexier. Fuck me!

  “Do I have to yank you out of another memory, Cin?” Xáne spoke.

  If he’d just shut up, I would be able to concentrate and come back to the here and now. He wasn’t helping.

  Just then, I felt Asar as he slipped into my mind.

  Don’t go raping my cousin, now.

  Xáne rolled his eyes as he turned away from me walking out of the room. Damn, his entire back had tattoos, too. He had angel wings and clouds that took over his entire back. This one was new to my eyes. It would be sexy to see from the mirror while my fingers perused his back as he slipped inside of me.

  I’m still here.

  Asar said, I felt him roll his eyes.

  Sorry.

  “You’re not sorry,” Asar chuckled as he came in the room wearing a suit.

  I eyed him up and down. He had a custom fitted, all black suit with a crisp, white dress shirt and bowtie. He had his hair freely flowing. He strutted towards me with his hands in his pocket and a big smile on his face.

  “You look sexy as fuck. Where are you going?”

  “We, my dear, plus one are going to the annual royal dinner,” he answered as if I should’ve known this a long time ago.

  “Oh… but I’m not part of the royal families.”

  Asar gave me his million-dollar smile.

  “You are and will always be part of the royal family. Now,” He gestured to the bathroom with his head. “Your dress is in there. Go get ready. You still know how to do your make-up… right?”

  “I went to the other side, not fucking mars, bro. Plus, this isn’t my house anymore. I don’t have any of my stuff here.”

  Asar had the nerve to shake his head at me, “Did you also lose your entire brain there? You really think this isn’t your home? Open your eyes, Cin… that stubborn-ass cousin of mine has never moved on even if he thinks he has. Now, I’d like it if you’d hurry your ass up so that you can braid my hair down like you used to.”

  I kissed my teeth, getting out of bed making my way to the bathroom. I glanced at Asar before heading in there, “Thank you for taking care and watching over him while I wasn’t here.”

  He placed his hand over his heart and bowed like a fool with his eyes holding my gaze, “I will always watch over the both of you, my Queen,” he grinned. “Even if the King thinks he can do it all by HIMSELF!” He yelled out the last part as if Xáne couldn’t hear him to begin with.

  I chuckled blowing him a kiss.

  “Oh, you spoil me too much.” He acted as if he caught it with his hand.

  “HURRY UP!” Xáne yelled from wherever he was in the house.

  Asar winked at me as he left with a mischievous grin on his face. He was too much.

  Chapter 5

  Xánur

  I left earlier than Asar and Cin, I needed some air. Plus, no one was expecting me to walk in with her, and I needed to keep my space. It was getting harder not to touch her. Her scent of brimstone and cinnamon enveloped me all over whether I liked it or not. I couldn’t get rid of it anymore, and the first time it took me a year and a half just to not have my body react to that scent alone. If my nose got a whiff of it, my wings would threaten to free themselves so that they could fly out to wherever to find her.

  Losing Cin was the hardest thing I had ever faced. Wars, killing, and even when I took over as the king, none of that was hard for me, but her not being there when I woke up that morning, it changed my life. I searched everywhere for her. I crossed to the other side of the world looking for her not caring about anything. I knew I wouldn’t die or catch the virus so that first year I searched for her, yet she didn’t turn up. I thought she died at first or that someone took her, but the tether though barely felt, made me know she was alive. I searched throughout our side of the world, as well, going from house to house looking for her, but then, it all became clear. That night when I made love to her, her flames burned me from head to toe. She knew that it would take twice as long for me to wake or heal, so she left then.

  I felt a hand cover my right one as I stared out of the window of the limo. I turned, staring down at Jaya’s hand over mine. She was beautiful to me, a great friend and partner, but I would never be able to love her. Cin had every part of my heart, and I didn’t know how to take it back from her without killing myself in the process.

  “We’re here, Xáne,” I cringed at the nickname.

  “I told you not to call me that.”

  “But she calls you that, why can’t I?”

  “Because I hate her and the nickname. I don’t want to hear it. I’ve gone three years without hearing it, and I don’t want to hear it again. Please.” I stepped out of the limo as the valet opened it.

  I should’ve known Jaya wouldn’t have dropped it. Lately, all she did was try to argue with me comparing shit to Cin. It wasn’t
helping the cause nor making me feel like I wanted to be with her. I got with Jaya because she didn’t remind me of Cin. I wanted a fresh start. She came up to my side slipping her hand into my arm, “Just give me something, Xánur,” she demanded.

  I glanced down at her. I knew my eyes had shifted from the reflection in hers, “I am your King, and you will do right not to press me about this shit again. Am I understood?”

  Jaya cleared her throat, straightening her back as she sharply nodded.

  We walked into Vali’s home away from the Kingdom. He liked to live lavishly, so he bought this mansion trying to one-up me, why? I don’t know.

  ****

  Asar and Cin showed up half an hour later as cocktail hour was almost over. I sensed her before she even stepped into the room, and when she did come into the grand hall where we were chit-chatting, the other royals gasped. I took a deep breath slowly turning towards her. When my eyes landed on them, all I could do was blink.

  “Is she serious?” I heard Jaya whisper to me, but nothing registered as Cin looked like a fucking goddess.

  She stole my breath away as she came in with an all-black, diamond embroidered, see-through gown that was off the shoulders. The diamonds covered her nipples perfectly, along with her pussy, but her legs could be seen through the material. She wore all black heels. I eyed her from her feet to her face. Fuck! My dick knew what it wanted more than anything else in the world. The material that covered the train covered everything else from her waist down in the back. The way the material held up her breasts made them appear so damn delectable. They were definitely bigger than I remember.

  Her hair was up in a messy bun making me want to pull it out and fuck her up against the wall. Her face was perfect from the natural look to whatever lipstick she put on her lips. My dick craved to slip in between them. My entire body shuddered at seeing her like this.

  Down boy! Asar’s voice slipped in my head.

  It took me forever to take my eyes off her, but when I finally did, I narrowed my eyes at Asar. This was his doing. He smirked at me, winking like he didn’t have a care in the world.

  I will kill you. I said to him.

  He smiled this time, showing all his stupid ass teeth. I lowly growled taking a step towards them. I didn’t like how they were all looking at her, and Asar just had to make it worse by slipping his hand on her back leading her away from me.

  A hand on my chest stopped me from advancing towards them, I looked down to see Jaya in front of me.

  “What?” I asked.

  She was pissed.

  “You forget that she left you… right? Not the other way around!” She whispered harshly.

  She didn’t get it; my dick didn’t care if she left me as long as she was wearing that damn dress. The same dress I forbid her to wear when she bought it for the first fucking time. My upper lip twitched as I tried to restrain myself.

  I leaned in as if I was going to kiss Jaya, and then, I went towards her ear, not wanting to embarrass her.

  “Don’t ever fucking tell me what she did or didn’t do. I know all too well who she left. Don’t push me, Jaya.” I shouldn’t have taken my frustrations out on her, but she was doing too much right now.

  I walked away needing a drink before I did something reckless like teleport in front of Cin and fuck her on the dining room table in front of everyone. I cracked my neck as I reached the bar on the far end of the room.

  “Give me something strong,” I told the bartender.

  “A vampire king needing alcohol is unheard of,” I knew that damn voice from anywhere.

  I turned to my right, “Don’t you have some duties to be fulfilling right now, Vali?” I eyed him up and down. His auburn hair was gelled back out of his face, and his green eyes shined bringing more awareness to his freckles. He wore a smoky gray suit, a crisp white dress shirt, and a bow tie.

  “I do, but my… my… ” He paused for dramatic effect. He was always so damn dramatic. As he paused, I got my drink and chugged it all in one go. “She’s looking exquisite, doesn’t she? She’s filled out much more than before.”

  I side eyed him before I fully turned my body to see who he was looking at. He was gawking at Cin as if she was a treat brought for him.

  “And she came in, like a true queen to a Vampire King. She looks delectable, just imagine the things you could do with those curves,” Vali could never shut up. “You’re a greedy one, King. You can’t have the main course and dessert. You have to give one up for the other, and I vote on giving up the main course because I’m quite famished.”

  By his last words, I knew my eyes had shifted once more. I placed my empty glass down on the bar not realizing that I had crushed it. Then, I stood in front of Vali blocking his sight of Cin. I cleaned off some imaginary lint from his suit leaving trails of the blood from my wound. I fixed his bow tie making it tighter messing with his circulation. I glared at him letting him know what wasn’t about to happen,

  “If you so much as lay a finger on her in any way, I will cut your dick off and feed it to you. She is not your main course or anyone else’s. She will always be mine. Do I make myself clear, temporary King Vali?”

  I could tell he wasn’t sure if I would take his head off in front of the other royals, but he clearly didn’t know me well enough. I would if he pushed.

  “You’d lay waste to your people for her?” His voice strained.

  “I’d lay waste to the world for her.” The severity of my words shook even me.

  Let him go. He won’t touch her.

  Asar’s voice slipped in my mind. I let Vali go with a scowl, and I walked off needing air before I changed my mind.

  ****

  Lucinda

  I watched as Xáne made his way out of the room. Asar made a move to go after him, but I placed my hand on his chest.

  “Let me go after him. I think it’s time him and I talk. It sucks that it has to be here but better than anywhere else.”

  Asar nodded.

  “Take the elevator to the third floor, he’s there. He knows the room is spelled so no one can hear him rage but you and I, Cin. We can feel it.”

  I nodded as I turned away to leave, but Asar’s hand stopped me. I looked at him, “What is it?”

  Asar sighed, and for the first time since I came back, I saw the worry in his eyes.

  “Don’t break his heart again, Cin. I love you, I really do but that’s my brother you hurt. I know he’s too stubborn to admit it to you, but he really wants to know why you left the way you did. He searched for you, Cin, and I went with him. You didn’t see his breakdown, I did so if you’re going up there to break his heart all over again, leave and don’t come back this time.”

  Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew what Asar was saying, and I understood him. This was his family that I hurt. I know he loved me and that’s why he forgave me.

  “I promise, I won’t ever break his heart again. He’s my everything, Asar. He really is,” I confessed.

  “Then, act like it,” Asar said. Then, he smiled like a kid in the candy store. I really loved this man. He was my family.

  I winked at Asar as I made my way towards the elevator. I took a deep breath knowing that what I was about to do was scary, and I needed to say it even if he pretended like he didn’t want to know.

  ****

  When I got to the third floor, I could feel the invisible barrier. It was strong, and as I took another step off the elevator, I hit an invisible wall. Xáne had to let me come in.

  “Xáne… ” I called out to him, but there was no reply. “I want to talk, and after I say what I have to say, if you still don’t want me around, then I will go but please, let me put your heart back together.”

  It was silent for so long, and I sighed. He didn’t want to hear it. I failed not only Xáne but Asar too. Just as I was about to turn away, I was pulled in through the barrier.

  I took in the room. It was big enough to be a ballroom, except, there were no decorations. It was just empty
as hell. I searched for Xáne, and I found him out on the balcony looking at the night sky. He was so gorgeous tonight with his all-black suit, black dress shirt, and skinny black tie. His hair was up in that top-knot showcasing the hell out of his eyes. I should’ve told him that he looked handsome tonight, but I was being a coward.

  I walked over to him, “Can I join you?” I asked him. Xáne didn’t say anything, but he shrugged his shoulders. I smiled as I walked out joining him.

  We stood there admiring how beautiful and quiet the night was. There was so much turmoil going on with me, and I was damn nervous. How was I going to start, and what was I going to say to this man? To my husband and father of our deceased child? I deeply inhaled and then exhaled, “I’m sorry Xáne… I, I wish I could’ve told you. I didn’t mean to break your heart or anything. What I did was selfish and stu-,” He cut me off.

  “Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve made sure to go with you. I could’ve protected you. You still could’ve had our dau-.” Shit, he couldn’t even bring himself to say it.

  Xáne snatched the hair tie off and ran a hand through his scalp. He was frustrated. He didn’t know how to convey his feelings properly. I knew this too well. I didn’t need the tether or his mind to tell me that. It was all in the way that I knew him.

  “You wanted to protect me just like how I wanted to protect you,” I admitted.

  This statement caused Xáne to turn around to face me abruptly. He was angry. So much angrier than I knew.

  “You wanted to protect me, Cin? From what? Don’t speak to me about protection. I didn’t even know that my own wife ran away from me in the middle of the night, and she was pregnant! PREGNANT! Cin!” The tears threatened to escape from his eyes as well. “I let you, the most important person in my life, slip through my fingers, and I caused you to lose our child. I lost that child right along with you even before I could rejoice in the thoughts of bringing her to the world. You robbed me of that, Lucinda.”

  Xáne put his hands up in surrender sniffing as he was trying hard not to cry for the loss of our child. He glanced at the night sky again, and then, he turned away from me. He wanted to walk away, but I wasn’t going to let him. As he walked back into the ballroom, I followed him and yelled out.