Fire Angels

Chapter 14 Part 3 Shad returns

Shad looked well. How handsome he was with his dark eyes and mane of curls. He had new clothes on, a black and gold coat which fitted smoothly over chest, waist and hips and a white shirt which was slightly open at the top. He was obviously familiar with the house and well known to Ren Mara. As for myself, I did not want him to think I was pining after him so I tried not to look at him too much. But he had such an infectious smile, I could not help smiling back.

I lingered after dinner, but Shad and Ren Mara had become involved in a long conversation about the state of the southern troops and the best strategy the Duke should follow for going south and eventually I decided I must go.

To my horror, Silva said, "I'll just go get Shad. He offered to walk you home."

I protested, but Silva simply made it all happen. Within ten minutes I found myself standing in the street outside with Shad standing beside me holding my basket.

"It's a beautiful night," said Shad.

I did not want him to talk. I wanted to feel his arms around me and his lips against my neck. How deliciously he smelled of wood and woodsmoke.

"Yes. It's lovely." I said. "There's a nice walk home through the orchards if we can get out the gate,"

"Let's try it then."

The gate was locked but there was a little gate nearby for people walking that was open. A warm scent-laden breeze was blowing through the trees. It was quiet except for a chorus of frogs and the occasional call of a night bird. There was just enough moonlight to see the path.

Shad's hand touched my back lightly to guide me and rested there. His hard body was so close. I wanted him so much I could hardly walk, but I did not want to make a fool of myself. It's not a woman's place... Curse it. Who'd be a woman?

His hand slid into mine and squeezed it. I squeezed his back and at that he turned to me and said my name. I looked up at him. My breast and my belly tingled at the though closeness of him, the desire to feel his skin, skin against skin.

He reached out and ran a finger up my neck and cheek. I caught it in my mouth and bit it, enjoying the rough texture of it under my tongue.

He gasped and his mouth came down on mine, hard and hungry. We feasted on each other for a moment, all lips and tongues. I pressed myself against him rubbed my body against his feeling the bulge of his crotch against mine. His hands gripped my back and then my buttocks. I wanted to climb him, to mount him. A moment later we were off the path among the trees, kissing, licking, biting each other. A convenient tree branch was there. We hitched up my skirts and his hand caressed my thighs and the wet softness between till I was crying out in pleasure. A brief fumbling and he was loose and sliding into me. I gripped him tightly around the waist with my legs, dug my fingers into his buttocks. An ecstasy of thrusting, riding hot pleasure.

Afterwards we lay in a tumbled heap on the ground.

"Air and Fire," he groaned. "All I planned was to tell you that I missed you. I thought I was a gentle lover and I've acted like a rutting bull."

"I missed you too," I dared to say.

We talked softly of all the things that had happened to us while we had been apart. After a while Shad said, "I wondered if we might meet again. If you have no other commitments."

"Commitments?" I asked.

"Every time I've seen Tomas since that fight in the stone circle, he has filled my ears with talk of your imminent marriage."

"I'm not getting married," I said.

"He talked so much about it I figured that," he said.

I was torn between outrage and laughter. It was so ridiculous.

Shad grinned ruefully and said, "I don't want to make a scandal or cause trouble for you with Tomas, but I would like to see you sometimes."

I was determined he would have the chance to do more than just see me.

"I shall ask Lucien to organize a pass for you tomorrow. Then you can come and go in the White Tower as you please."

"Well actually, your sister gave me this," he said, holding up a small but official looking paper with the Sercel seal on it.

"Silva? Well, well. Do you know it was she who told me of this particular path home?" I felt laughter bubbling up inside me at the realization that Silva had engineered the whole reunion.

Shad laughed too. "I think I prefer your sisters meddling to your brothers, don't you?

After that, on evenings when he was not on duty, Shad would send me word and I would wait for him in my room. It became our little secret world as the cellar had been.

I did not think about what was going on between us, about whether he was making use of me or indeed if I was making use of him. I only knew I wanted him and the time we spent together cast a warm glow over the rest of the days, made textures, tastes and scents bright and fresh again. Even the council meetings seemed a little less boring.

Nonetheless since much of what we discussed in the council was to do with the army, I avoided telling Shad details, saying only that it was very dry and boring. I need not have mistrusted him. He only cared about one thing.

"Has the Duke set a date to go south?" he would ask every time we met.

And every time I was forced to say, "No, not yet."

"It is almost as if there is no necromancer," I said." I am beginning to be afraid that Lord Sercel has not told Duke Leon about my experiences."

"I'd be surprised if he needed to," said Shad. "The soldiers' camps are full of rumors of what is going on down south and plenty of people are suggesting that the Burning Light are keeping a necromancer down in Sanctuary. The Duke must know. Lord Quercy had instructed his officers to deny all rumors about the necromancer and that order is certain to have come from the Duke."

"He wants to make a peace with Hierarch Jarraz," I said sadly.

To my surprise, Shad said, "It would not be such a bad thing if we could take the south without fighting. As long as we do it soon. And there is enough violence against the Burning Light here in middle Moria without adding a charge of necromancy to it. I know it seems dishonorable but the Duke's way seems the wisest course. As long as he acts."

Around this time, my growing intimacy with Lady Julia Madraga suffered a check. Lady Blanche Shomnee had been named as Lady in Waiting to Lady Julia and they were almost constant companions. Lady Julia had far fewer gatherings in the afternoons, but I still went to read and chat to the two of them while they sewed. Lady Julia clearly did not trust Blanche. She was far more formal in front of her. I quickly came to share her opinion. At first glance Blanche seemed the most harmless of mortals. She was polite and proper almost to extent of being dull and she only said bland "nice" things.

But she moved like a snake, soft and slippery, and she watched everything from beneath her lashes, and she had a way of licking sugar from her finger... I did not begrudge her sensuality, for it is a fine quality, but it made her bland public face seem so false.

One day when Lady Blanche had left the room briefly, Lady Julia asked me quickly to meet her at dawn in the stable yards the following morning.

"I have a private errand to see to outside the town and I'm in need of someone trustworthy to guard me. Someone who can be relied upon to say nothing to anybody. Will you do it?"

I could not say no to Lady Julia.

At that moment Blanche came back into the room, all eyes and ears and polite curiosity and had to be distracted with questions about embroidery silk.