The Flames that Bind Us Book 2

LYDIA

The evening sun was setting beneath the ambling hills of the Imarnian Kingdom.

She stood at the window to the balcony in her nightgown, her custom at this time of the day. It was easy to assume she did it only for the view, taking it in before she retired to bed. But her vigil was for a much more meaningful purpose.

He’ll come back, she thought. ~This is his kingdom. He must come back.~

The king had been gone for so long, disappearing without a hint of where he might have vanished. It was hard on the entire Kingdom of Imarnia not knowing their ruler’s whereabouts—not knowing if he was alive or dead.

Though her lover’s absence grew longer and longer, Lydia still believed deep down that he would return. Her king, Gabriel James Imarnia—a wizard of the shadows—would return to claim his rightful place beside her on the throne.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” said a familiar baritone voice.

Lydia spun around on her heels and gasped at the figure standing beside the bed. He was wearing the same outfit he had worn the moment he disappeared—his military uniform with epaulets adorning the shoulders. His shoulder-length black hair dangled tantalizingly in the orange rays of the sun.

She took a step back, at first afraid that he might be a ghost. But the handsome figure in front of her didn’t move. Instead, he smiled, and it took her breath away.

“Where have you been?”

“On a secret mission,” he said, moving forward. “I wanted to tell you. But I was afraid it would put your life in danger.”

His hand stroked her face, and the warmth of a thousand suns burned through her body. It was the touch she’d dreamt of for so many sleepless nights.

His fingers curled in her hair, tracing the streaks of red and orange accentuated by the setting sun.

“I can’t be away from you like that,” Lydia said, pulling him closer. “You can’t disappear and just show up whenever you like.”

The King smiled again. Lydia’s knees grew weak. She wanted to scream, to chastise him for leaving her alone. But they were together now. There was no point in fighting. Not when there were so many other feelings coursing through her body.

She kissed him, feeling the softness of his lips for the first time in months. It was everything she expected and much, much more. With no time to waste, she grabbed the jacket of his uniform and ripped it off. Buttons exploded from the fabric and bounced across the room.

He fell to the bed, and she was already on top of him. She could feel the bulge in his pants and longed to stroke his massive shaft.

Gabriel’s hands cupped Lydia’s breasts, letting them fill his palms with their soft warmth. He ripped her gown down the middle, its fabric no match for his brute strength and carnal intentions.

She felt the moistness of his mouth as it sucked on a hardened nipple, and then moved to her other breast. She feverishly unbuttoned his pants and pulled them down to allow his monstrous cock to swing freely.

Already wet from his gentle kisses, she positioned herself above his waist, gently lowering her hips until his sword slid into her sheath.

Gabriel moaned in ecstasy, and Lydia’s body trembled, already near orgasm—it had been so long that she could not hold herself back. Her hips swayed back and forth, slowly at first but quickly gaining speed until it felt as if the entire room was shaking beneath their lovemaking.

Shadowy tendrils snaked up from Gabriel’s chest and wrapped around Lydia’s neck, choking only enough to heighten the experience.

A fire burned deep inside her veins, growing in intensity until the entire room was aglow in orange light. But it was not the fading rays of the sun that filled the room.

She was on fire—and the flames only got hotter with each thrust of her hips.

“Gods!” Gabriel moaned. “I’m never going to leave your side. I will always be with you.”

His words filled her with enough fuel to make the entire room feel like a furnace. She took in a gasp of air as she felt him release inside of her, filling her with his royal seed….

***

“Not again!” a female voice shouted. “Lydia! Lydia! Your bed is on fire!”

Lydia shot up in bed just in time to witness the remains of her bedsheets burn up and turn to ash.

“Great!” Lydia groaned.

The young maid who woke the Fire Slifer from sleep stayed at arm’s length, uncertain what might happen next.

“I’ll get new sheets immediately,” said the maid.

Another set of sheets…this would be the third time this month! Not only was it getting expensive, but it was also embarrassing. She would have to talk to a master of charms to find a way to fireproof the next set before they went up in flames as well.

Tired and confused from the vivid dream, Lydia wobbled to the bathroom and closed the door. She splashed cool water on her face from a basin and looked at herself in the mirror.

It had been three months since the disappearance of the royals. Three long months that tested the mettle of everyone in the kingdom. In the aftermath of the loss of Gabriel, his sister Lis was named Queen Regent over the Kingdom of Imarnia.

She insisted that she wasn’t up for the job, but everyone knew she would be more than fit to lead. If nothing else, it would keep her occupied and distract her from her missing brother, as well as her stolen powers.

Not long after the disappearance, Lydia and the other Slifers were asked to move to the capital of all Ignolia—the wonderful city of Ellesmere.

The Slifers agreed to join other ranked wizards in the hunt for the royals. It was an honor to work for Chancellor Agatha Alastair, head of the Congress of Magic. But it was lonely for Lydia to be so far from home, and without the comfort of her mate.

Lydia braided her hair quickly while she watched her face in the mirror. She could see lines under her eyes—and she was only eighteen!

She slipped out of the burned tatters of her nightgown and put on the emerald green dress hanging on the wall. It was beautiful and suited her well; the green accentuated the streaks of red and orange in her otherwise coal-black hair.

Lydia Voltaire was ready to take on the day.

***

“There she is!” Redmond said, beaming as Lydia made her way to the central plaza of the massive city. Redmond was accompanied by a young wizard named Dorian whom Lydia had only met briefly, but who seemed charming and intelligent. His curly, dark hair and brown eyes gave his slender but muscular frame a mysterious look.

The three of them stood in front of a large fountain surrounded by a bustling market.

“It’s good to see you,” Dorian said with a bow. “And on such a lovely afternoon.”

Redmond chuckled. “Leave it to Lydia to sleep half the day away.”

“And leave it to Redmond to never let me live it down.”

“I’m only teasing. It’s not like we have anything important to do,” Redmond replied with a smirk.

“Chancellor Alastair surely won’t mind if we take the day to shop to our heart’s content,” Dorian added with a wink, glancing at the stalls of fresh meat and produce.

Lydia felt her skin flush with embarrassment, but she didn’t know why. Dorian was a handsome young man, but he was only an acquaintance. Yet something about the sparkle in his eyes caused Lydia to look away.

“Suit yourself. But I’m going out into the forest to keep searching for traces of the Royals,” Lydia said, determined.

“That’s what I like to hear,” Redmond replied.

“Where did you two last leave off?” asked Dorian.

Again, Lydia found herself mesmerized by his dark brown eyes and curly black hair. “Well…we…uh…”

She shook her head, still trying to fully recover from her deliriously real dream. And now this young wizard just couldn’t seem to stop looking at her…

“I believe it was the far western border of the Majestic Forest,” said Redmond.

“Yes! Yes, it was…” Lydia said hurriedly.

“Very well! Then let us begin.”

Dorian and Redmond grabbed hands, joining in a half-circle. Lydia took each of their free hands. As the only wizard among them who could teleport, it was always up to her to send them to the right location.

She closed her eyes and focused on her last memory of the forest: a babbling creek that led to a small waterfall deep in the dense brush.

“Ready? Here we go.”

A flash of light filled the lively plaza, and the three young companions were gone.

***

“I don’t feel anything,” Lydia said dourly. “There’s not a trace.”

“Don’t let it get you down. We’re bound to find them soon,” Redmond said positively.

It was good to hear the hope in his voice, but it only made the reality of their situation that much more palpable. The small group had been searching for several hours to no avail.

The sun, bright and warm when they had started, was now making its way beneath the horizon. They would have light for only another hour at most. Then Lydia, Redmond, and Dorian would return to the castle as they had so many times before—with nothing to show for their hard work and determination.

Chancellor Alastair had sent out search parties nearly every day since the Royals’ disappearance. Twelve weeks’ worth of empty clues and dead ends was enough to drive even the sanest person into a state of madness.

“Chancellor Alastair chose you Slifers to help for a reason,” Dorian said encouragingly. “And I trust her counsel. We will find them. If it’s the last thing we do.”

“Don’t say that!” Lydia groaned. “If there must be a last thing, it’ll be burning Evine to ashes.”

Dorian and Redmond both smiled at the thought. But Lydia knew Dorian was right. Agatha Alastair had confidence in their search efforts, and in the end, they would find Gabriel and the other Royals.

Lydia would make sure of that…yes, even if it was the last thing she’d do…

The trio began to make their way along the ridge of a small cliff overlooking a beautiful vista engulfed in luscious green treetops. Lydia was about to call it a day and teleport them back when she noticed Dorian had fallen behind.

She found him several feet back, staring off into the brush that surrounded them.

“What’s wrong?” Lydia asked.

“Something’s out there,” Dorian replied, looking tense.

She tried to dismiss the thought of anyone possibly watching them, but suddenly they heard the snapping of a branch.

Redmond stepped beside her, a determined look on his face.

“Get ready for a fight.”