Apprentice of Death

“Make love to me, Adrian.” Cinder’s thoughts rang out in his mind as her soft, tantalizing lips moved with his, driving him crazy with need of her. A soft moan escaped him, and he slowly reached around and began unlacing her dress as they continued kissing. He was drowning in need of her love, to hold her close to him with nothing between them.

She clung to him, allowing him to free her from the heavy, dripping fabric while she continued to answer his kiss. The dress sunk to the ground in a heap at her feet, and she stepped out of the material. She threw her arms around his neck, kissing him and pressing herself against his bare chest, eliciting another moan from him at the feel of her wet body against his. His large warm hands came to her sides, caressing her, exploring the soft skin of her waist and back, igniting the rising heat for him she held into open flames.

He pulled out of their kiss and stepped back the tiniest bit as his glowing eyes wandered down her naked form, taking in the sight of her. His glowing blue eyes returned to her yellow ones, having flames behind them. He pulled her back against him, capturing her lips with his, his tongue gliding along them, begging her to open for him. His hands moving on her had her sighing, and his tongue pressed its way into her mouth to possess her, entwining with hers, making her moan passionately.

Her hands started to explore his massive, muscled chest as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the pavilion. His lips wandered down her neck, making her shudder and gasp with pleasure as he gently set them down on the bed of furs and pillows. Her hands explored his back and shoulders with her caresses while he sucked and kissed at the base of her neck before slowly wandering out over her shoulder.

She raised her thighs up at his gentle caress, framing his hips and waist as she clung to him, slowly undone with his mouth wandering over her flesh. His palms caressed their way up her body, and one cupped a breast while his mouth returned to hers, kissing her passionately. His mouth left hers, wandering down her chest, to cover the same breast with his hot mouth that he held with his hand. She gasped his name and arched her back, her hands digging into his shoulder blades where she clung to him.

He had her gasping again when his tongue trailed her body, stopping to pay homage to her hip and then wandering down her thigh and leg. He was burning up for her and felt like he would turn to ashes before the flames could be satisfied. His blazing blue eyes met hers as he sucked on the inside of her knee, his fingers tracing tantalizing trails along the sensitive skin of her inner thigh.

“Cinder, are you sure?” he thought, still looking at her while he drove her insane with his mouth and fingers.

His fingers wandered closer to her throbbing core, making her moan and close her eyes, thinking, ”I may burst into flames if you stop.”

He smiled on her knee and teased, “You may if I don’t.” She moaned again at the prospect of his words, and her hips arched toward his finger on another pass.

“Cinder?”

“Yes, I need you, Adrian; you’re a part of me now, no matter what happens.”

He groaned at her words, and his mouth kissed its way up her thigh, setting her more aflame with each press of his lips and swirling tongue. Slowly, that swirling tongue found her throbbing need while his dancing fingers gently teased at her entrance. Her head flew back on a deep gasp that filled her lungs, followed by a sob of pleasure when his fingers danced their way up deep inside her to work in tandem with his mouth. She couldn’t stop her hips from rising to meet him, moaning with the ecstasy he had washing over her so quickly she couldn’t fathom it.

His skilled mouth and finger never left her, pushing the wave on and overlapping to build her up into the next one that burst from her core almost before the first wave faded. She cried out at it, her legs buckling from the power of it.

His mouth moved back to her thigh, making love to her sensitive flesh as his fingers curled and hit her to begin building her up yet again.

“Adrian,” she choked out.

“Shhhh,” he said, laying next to her, placing a finger across her lips. Her glowing eyes finally opened to look at him, her trembling fingers reaching out to him, tracing the contours of his muscled arms and chest. He gave her a half smile full of adoration and bent to kiss her again while reaching down to remove his wet pants.

She shivered with the pleasure of feeling his warm body sliding up along hers, his skin hot and like velvet over his cording and flexing muscles underneath. She was quivering from head to toe with need of him, trembling where she touched him, exploring him with her fingers. She could feel his need in his own mind and heart; he was burning hotter and hotter with each touch, caress, kiss, and each noise he brought out of her.

She reached around and pulled him on top of her, surrounding him with her limbs, crying out, “Adrian.”

His illuminated eyes looked down at her for a moment, and he caressed her face, looking at her in a way that would have made her blush if she hadn’t already been flushed from his lovemaking; it was almost like he was looking at something sacred.

He rose up on his arms, still looking at her, and she sucked in a breath, knowing and hearing his intention, right before he pressed into her. She sucked in another gasp at the feeling of him filling and stretching her. Her eyes watched his reaction simultaneously, seeing him let out a quick breath, his eyes closing in pleasure, as his jaw went slack with it. He was so beautiful to her. She reached out and touched his face, making his eyes blink and then look at her.

He dipped his head down to kiss her as he started to move within her, swallowing the moan that came from deep within her. She ran her hands up into his hair, arching against his possessive thrusts, hungry for him. Her hands wandered slowly down his muscular back and pulled him to her, encouraging him, demanding he answer her need for him.

He groaned again, pulling back from her, looking at her with his predatory eyes that took in every detail of her. He was consumed with her presence, at her mercy in his mind and heart, his eyes taking in every detail, the scent of her washing over him, while he tasted her, felt her, and listened to her heart beating for him.

The look returned to his face, where he gazed at her like she was sacred, adoring in every minute expression and movement. His hands slipped under her back, and he lifted her as if she weighed nothing as he sat back on his legs, holding her above him while she gazed down at him.

The look remained as he gazed up at her, whispering in awe, “I have never loved like this before, Cinder. Never have I needed someone so much as I do you. Your power over me is nothing less than bewitching, Cinder. You have brought me, a King, to my knees.”

Cinder drew in a breath at his words and brought her hands to his face with her fingers spread. She held his face as she bent and kissed him from above, pouring all of her love and desire into the kiss, lowering her body down over his again, making him shudder and moan. His arms held her to him as he made love to her from below, building up the flame within her with each stroke. She sucked in a gasp and cried out his name on the final stroke that released the inferno within.

A scream of pleasure threw her head back as the fire spread through her body, consuming her from her core to every nerve ending. Her body went limp with the pleasure, laying back, his hands on her waist still holding her to him for the final thrusts that released his own wildfire within, his head also falling back on a moan.

She felt him tremble as he breathed out, bending them down to lay them gently on the furs in the pavilion. Now that they were both spent, he lay helpless in her arms, still utterly absorbed with her. She stroked his hair as he rested his head on her chest, thinking about how all-consuming his love for her was. Even the love that he had had for the princess hadn’t been this intense, this powerful. His mind was cherishing her closeness, her touch, her love. Every moment he had with her felt like a gift, even more so, knowing that that time was limited.

That realization had him thinking about possibly losing her in the future. It twisted his gut with agony and split his heart with grief. If she already knew, he could do nothing to protect her from her fate, which was now woven into his heart. All he could do was love her in the time left to them.

“Does Sebastian know?” Her hand stroking him froze in place as she tried to think what to say. She had no words and couldn’t say anything. “I’ll take that for a no, then,” he thought, grieved.

She stroked him again, thinking, “You must never tell him, Adrian. He can never know. You shouldn’t even know.”

He ran a hand up her thigh to her hip, pressing her against him, and pressed a kiss to her chest between her breasts, rising up. She watched him take their clothes and lay them out in the sun to dry, still thinking but not uttering a word. The truth that he had just been freed from one lost love to find another that would be taken from him was too much.

He exploded into his Lycan form, giving such a strong grieving cry that turned into a howl that she had to shut her eyes with the pain of it. The entire Kingdom could hear it, she knew.

His howl bounced off the rock walls, echoing and vibrating, filling her very being with his grief and despair.

She finally opened her eyes when he had gone silent, and she gazed at him, tears coming to her own eyes. This was what she had wanted to avoid all along; hurting him. She watched as he quivered and melted back down into his human form on all fours before looking over at her, his eyes glowing with the overwhelming grief he was drowning in. She reached out for him, and he came to her, now under control again.

She pulled him in for another kiss, thinking, “Shhhh, Adrian, don’t think about it. I can wipe it from your memory if you want me to.” That surprised him, and he looked at her.

“You can do that?”

She nodded at him with a sad smile, explaining, “Yes, if you want me to. You don’t need to bear this. You would lose the memory of all that happened here, after the moonstone cave, but I could do it if you want.” He closed his eyes, remembering their lovemaking.

“No, I don’t want to lose any part of you. If it is all I will have of you in the future, I could never bear to miss out on a single moment.” She nodded at him, sobbing with tears that finally escaped her. They held each other close for a long moment, trembling with grief and love. Adrian sighed and thought, “Come, we need to get back. I’m sure I was heard, and there will be plenty of concerned people to reassure.”

Their clothes were too wet to put back on, so they carried them with them as they walked back up the tunnel and into the King’s chambers. He had checked to make sure his room was empty before they entered. He gave Cinder one last lingering kiss before she left through the hidden door to her room; he almost couldn’t stand letting her out of sight.

She entered her room and dried herself off, including her long black hair. She then dressed in her armor, took her weapons, and put them on her body. She left to go to the practice arena to blow off some steam from all the emotions she was carrying inside her from her time with Adrian.

She found Sebastian training some of the soldiers there and watched him briefly. Captain Lyles was standing to the side, also giving instructions from the outside perspective. They both turned when they heard her approach. They stopped what they were doing, and both came to her with a look of concern on their faces.

“Is His Majesty alright?” Tristan asked her, “We heard him give such a cry that....” He let his question die, afraid to finish.

Sebastian and Tristan stood there, awaiting Cinder’s answer to the question of Adrian’s cry, as she chose her words carefully.

“He is alright; that is all you need know. Now continue,” Cinder motioned to the soldier. Tristan was still concerned but did as she said.

Sebastian, however, stayed and looked at her in his discerning quiet way; he knew she wasn’t telling them everything.

“Sebastian, please. Do you have any soldiers who need magical deflection practice?”

His eyes narrowed at her as he thought, “Don’t think to change the subject so easily, Cinder. I know you well enough to know you’re hiding something.”

She sighed and looked down for a brief moment before meeting Sebastian’s eyes, thinking, “Adrian is alright. I can’t speak about it; I’m sorry.” Sebastian looked at her funny. She had never kept anything from him before, except for her vision from the Oracle.

His eyes met hers, and it clicked, “That’s it, isn’t it? It has something to do with your Pathway. You wouldn’t keep something from me otherwise, would you?” She shook her head.

“No,” she sighed, “You know I wouldn’t otherwise. Please, can we just do some training while there are a few hours left in the day?” He nodded and called another Captain over with his men.

“I’ve been working with this unit on deflection.” He turned to them, “Are you ready to see who can deflect a basic stun?”

The soldiers nodded and followed them to a different training arena next to the one they had been standing in.

Cinder centered herself in the arena while Sebastian joined her, and the soldiers took up the formation to attack them. Deflecting while expecting it was one thing, but doing it while you were fighting was an entirely different skill.

King Adrian watched from above with his General while the soldiers attacked the two. Cinder shot off forces of magic to stun the soldiers as they rushed them. A few fell to the stunning spells, but most could move through them, the magic melting off their bodies without effect. The King and General were both pleased with the progress of the soldiers.

Cinder continued to throw the magic at them as the first soldier struck at her with his sword. She blocked him and sent him flying with a physical-force magical attack. Adrian watched her from the balcony above the training yards as she crossed swords with some powerful werewolves, and he felt his gut twist inside him again. Neither of them knew when the ax would fall that was hanging over her; it could be in a glorious battle or something as simple as an accident as she was walking down a corridor. He looked up towards the skies for a moment, noting that the daylight had begun to fade.

Cinder yelled at the soldiers to get up, which they all did.

“Now, go over there and take off your armor and change into your Lycan forms. Let’s see how you do handling magic in your Lycan form.”

Sebastian reached around and took her arm, “Are you crazy? If they lose control, they could bite you, Cinder!”

“They need the practice, Sebastian. You’re with me, and I won’t let them get close. Honestly, I could use the practice too,” she argued quietly with him. He gave an annoyed sigh and released her. He disagreed with her choice but let her continue.

Adrian had heard the exchange and also didn’t care for Cinder’s idea; if he had been Sebastian, he would have put a stop to it.

The huge Lycans, each towering on their two legs, surrounded the pair and came at them again, snarling, with eyes glowing. Cinder flew more intense stunning magic at the approaching Lycans, and all but three succumbed to her magic.

The captain of the troop crossed blades with Sebastian. He threw the captain off his sword, forcing him back, and they started circling one another.

The other two ran at Cinder, snarling, their natural speed closing the distance quickly. She crossed her arms in front of her and released a gigantic wave of power; as her arms flew out, that knocked both of the massive Lycans to the ground. It also knocked over anyone else in the vicinity, taking them off their feet, including Tristan and his soldier working in the other practicing arena. The King and his General held onto the balcony to steady themselves as the wave reached them.

“Bloody Hell!” the General exclaimed under his breath, drawing Cinder’s attention. She laughed and locked eyes with Adrian, so much passing between them in a glance.

Sebastian recovered quicker than his opponent and had him surrender under a blade to his neck. The other two Lycans were still trying to gain footing when Cinder stunned them. She released her hold over them, and one lost his temper from frustration, snarling and snapping at her as he ran at her.

Sebastian exploded into his massive black Lycan form and cut the other Lycan off, engaging him. A quick snarling command of the King’s Second had the other Lycan bowing before him in submission. Despite the danger and commotion, Cinder hadn’t moved. Sebastian’s armor lay around the arena in shreds. Cinder was so focused on the pieces of armor, thinking, that she didn’t look up at Sebastian when he came to tower over her.

“I warned you, Cinder. You need to be more careful. Are you even listening to me?” She wasn’t really, as she bent down and picked up a piece of his shredded black armor. “Cinder!”

She looked at him then, thinking, “Yes, Sebastian, I’m sorry. Where is the armorer? I just had an idea.” He rolled his large yellow eyes at her, irritated that she was dismissing his concern so easily.

“It’s the end of the day, Cinder.”

She shrugged, “Perhaps, but where is he?”

He growled slightly in annoyance, thinking, “We have court tomorrow.” She nodded and walked off in the direction he had pointed to.

That night, Cinder used the hidden door in her room to go to Adrian. He was sleeping in his massive white bed when she awoke him with a gentle touch. He opened his eyes and pulled her to him, rolling them over into the center of his great white bed.

“I love you, Adrian,” she said, caressing his brow with her fingers, looking at him.

“I love you too, Cinder,” he said back.

She smiled at him and thought, “Then show me.” He laughed at her sass and bent to kiss her.

She met him kiss for kiss, caress for caress, and soon they were swept away with their passionate lovemaking. He had her screaming while he moaned her name, both clinging to one another for dear life. They collapsed on his bed, and he pulled her close, surrounding her smaller frame with his.

She slept next to him until the sun rose above the mountains and then slipped away into her own bedroom, getting dressed in a white gown for the day. It was the day for the Royal Court to be held, and protocol dictated that she wear the King’s colors if she was to act as his High Advisor in the courts. The moonstone necklace complimented the dress she had chosen, and she pulled her hair back from her face using braids.

Court was to be held in the official throne room, and the three of them were supposed to arrive together.

Cinder entered Sebastian’s room to find him finishing getting dressed in his black leather pants and livery collar; he was sitting on his bed, pulling his black boots on when she entered. He looked up and gave her a smile, scanning her with approval as he finished, and then stood up to walk to her. When he reached her, he pulled her to him and kissed her gently before offering her his arm. She smiled at him, caressing him with her violet eyes; his kiss still made her heart flutter each time.

They left his room and waited for the King outside of the double doors while they gazed lovingly at one another. Adrian quickly joined them and led the way down different corridors to the throne room.

They entered, and Adrian sat on the larger centered throne. A smaller, less ornate one was to his right, and Sebastian took his seat there. Cinder moved to stand on Adrian’s left, just behind the throne. Adrian turned and met Cinder’s eyes, and she smiled a little at him.

The other advisors and court members took up their seats on the side of the room. The Alphas of those bringing cases before the King were also present. Typically the Alphas solved disputes, but if the issue was big enough, involved multiple packs, or couldn’t be resolved on the Alpha level, it was brought before the King.

The King nodded to the Court Officer to escort the first case before them. A man and his daughter, obviously with child, were led into the court first. They knelt before the King, and the father stood to plead his case. He was angry as he spoke. He explained that the daughter had disobeyed his wishes and was trying to marry a poor farmer instead of the banker he had arranged for her to marry. He claimed that she had conceived the child to force his hand into giving her in marriage to the man of her choice and that the banker had withdrawn his offer of an arranged marriage because of it.

The girl began to weep as she knelt on the floor. Marriages could be chosen by the couple with approval or arranged in the Kingdom, but either course was the father’s right to choose. The father reached down and angrily yanked his daughter up by her hair.

Adrian’s anger at the man was apparent as he shouted, “Control yourself, sir! Unhand your daughter, and do not lay a hand on her again. Am I clear?” The man immediately released his daughter, who fell back to the floor, and he bowed low to the King.

Cinder listened to the man’s mind, revealing that he had already taken some of his anger out on her earlier and would do so once they were alone again; unless Adrian gave him an Alpha’s command. She then turned her attention to the girl weeping on the floor. She was terrified of her father but even more afraid of losing her love in this process.

Adrian addressed the girl, “Is what he says true?”

The girl shook her head, not looking up and cringing at the growl that escaped her father. Her fear of her father prevented her from telling the whole truth.

“What is your name?” Cinder asked her in her mind. The girl gasped and looked at Cinder. Adrian noticed and knew that Cinder was speaking with the girl.

“My name is Lizzy, Your Highness.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“I am in love with a farmer, as my father said. I have no love for the banker he was arranging a marriage with. The banker would bring my father wealth, but he is cruel like my father.”

“And the child?” The pain in the girl’s mind was woven with shame and trauma.

Cinder saw the images of her being attacked by a man, and the girl cut off the horrid memory with a sob.

Cinder descended the steps to bend down to Lizzy. She gently lifted her face to look at her.

“I’m sorry this happened to you. What is the name of the farmer you love?” she whispered gently.

“Mark,” the girl answered. Cinder turned to Adrian.

“I would advise removing the father and calling for this farmer. The girl does love him, but the child was conceived after being attacked by another man.”

“Does she know her attacker?” he asked her. “I do not stand for that in my Kingdom, and I would like him brought to justice.” Cinder bowed to him and turned back to the girl.

“Did you know the man who attacked you?” The girl began weeping again and nodded.

“I was walking home from Mark’s house, across his fields, when his brother came at me.” Cinder sighed and closed her eyes.

She walked back to stand in her place by the King.

“It was her love’s brother. How sad.”

The King instructed to remove the father from the court and bring the two brothers, starting with Mark. Mark had been summoned for the court date in case he was needed, and soldiers were sent out to go find his brother and bring him; working as a trader, he was in the central part of the town, not far.

Mark was soon escorted into the court, confused and worried. He spotted Lizzy and became afraid for her life. Cinder looked into his mind, peeling back his immediate thoughts. He hoped and desired to marry Lizzy and have a family, providing and caring for them through an honest living. He loved Lizzy deeply and would be a good provider. His heart was kind and pure, and he was an honorable man. Cinder could see the pain he bore, seeing Lizzy with child because it was not his, but it didn’t change how he felt about her. He didn’t know about the attack.

“Mark.” He startled and looked at Cinder. “Lizzy didn’t betray you. She loves you deeply. She was attacked.” His face contorted in pain as he looked at Cinder and then at Lizzy. “She has told me that her attacker was your brother.”

His eyes widened in surprise and then horror before he shouted, “NO!” Cinder had let Adrian and Sebastian hear everything going on inside Mark’s mind, projecting it back to them. Lizzy began crying when she saw the look on his face; she believed he would leave her.

“Go to him, Lizzy. He still loves you and wants to marry you.”

Adrian addressed Mark, “You understand what this means? Would you still like to marry her?” Lizzy got up and went to Mark, who took her protectively into his arms.

“Yes,” he answered the King. The King nodded to him, observing how the young couple clung to one another.

The guards brought Mark’s brother through the doors. He spotted the couple and clenched his teeth in anger.

“Did you attack your brother’s love, Lizzy?” Adrian demanded of the man.

“I never touched her. I wouldn’t do that to my brother. She lies,” he spat, looking at Lizzy like a whore.

Cinder had already seen the truth in Lizzy’s mind, but she looked to Adrian for direction.

“Would you like me to see into the truth of his mind?”

“Yes,” Adrian said, nodding. Cinder walked down the stairs toward the man. He gave her a predatory look, taking her in as she slowly approached him; you didn’t need to be a Seer to know what he was thinking as he looked at her. Sebastian and Adrian observed how he watched Cinder approach, taking in a feel for the man before them.

Cinder extended her hand before her with her fingers spread and captured the mind of the man before her. He sank to his knees, his eyes glazed over, drawing gasps from the watching Alphas and court members; even Adrian was somewhat shocked. Only Sebastian was unaffected; he had seen Cinder work before.

“Who would you like to hear, Adrian? The entire court?”

“Yes.” She squeezed the werewolf’s mind, forcing out the confession’s truth, allowing Sebastian, Adrian, and the rest of the court to hear and see everything.

“Did you attack Lizzy? Are you the father of the child she carries?”

“Yes.” Gasps were heard from the court members hearing the exchange.

“What other crimes have you committed?”

“I swindled another man out of a year’s wages.”

“Anything else?”

“No.” She released his mind, and he collapsed to the floor.

Cinder turned her back and started walking back to her place by the King. Their eyes met as she began walking toward him, and she could hear the amazement in his mind, making her blush slightly.

The brother became enraged and exploded into his Lycan form, intending to attack her from behind, coiling to spring onto her. Adrian and Sebastian stood from their thrones as the guards rushed forward to restrain him, but he sprang at her too quickly.

Cinder turned, capturing his mind again, and the great beast fell inches from her feet, causing another gasp to arise out of the gathered crowd.

“Take him into chains!” Adrian commanded, furious, his eyes lighting up a glowing blue. “He is sentenced to the eunuch work camp for his crimes.”

His eyes turned on Cinder, and she looked back at him calmly, hearing the outrage in his mind that a wolf would dare attack a member of his royal court in his throne room. Cinder could hear the concern in both his mind and Sebastian’s. Cinder walked back up to them, giving them reassuring nods that she was alright, and they both calmed and sat back down. Cinder took up her place to the left of Adrian.

Adrian turned to Mark and Lizzy, saying, “Mark, you have my permission to marry Lizzy after the next full moon, per custom. For now, take her to your home to live with you. She is not to return to her father’s anger and abuse. Protect her.”

Mark and Lizzy tightened their embrace, and Mark bowed his head to Adrian, saying, “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Cinder could feel their relief and overwhelming joy at Adrian’s judgment, so she shared it with Adrian and Sebastian.

The couple left, and another man was brought in, chained. He was accused of murdering another wolf over hunting rights. Adrian wasn’t going to take any chances with Cinder getting close to another wolf who was possibly a murderer, so he mentally warned her to stay close to him this time; she bowed her head in submission. The King questioned the man, and he told his story. Cinder remained where she was, but she looked into the man’s mind, capturing it from across the throne room from where she stood, more murmuring and muffled gasps coming from the onlookers at her power. Capturing his mind without blinking, she confirmed the accusations, sharing them with everyone present, and the man was led away to face his fate.

Two property cases were brought before the King; a dispute between two of the Alphas in his Kingdom and another between a pair of farmers. Adrian listened to each case and ruled fairly and wisely for them.

The last case of the day was a theft, and Adrian encouraged Sebastian to take the lead on the questioning and ruling. When asked to confirm Sebastian’s suspicion that the man had been framed, Cinder used her abilities to confirm his suspicions. The man accused was acquitted of all charges and released.

Cinder was proud of Sebastian’s wisdom in coming to an accurate conclusion, even without her help. She let him feel her pride and admiration, and he rewarded her with a small smile and smirk in his yellow eyes.

The court was closed for the day, and the nobility and Alphas cleared out. The three began going to the courtyard when a soldier came running up.

“Your Majesty! The prisoner has escaped! He shouted something about revenge and going after his brother and that girl!”