Envoys Of The Vow

Chapter 21

Sara woke wrapped in Blaise’s arms.  She could feel his breath on the back of her neck.  His legs were drawn up, so his knees were cuddled in behind hers, her back pressed against his chest.  Gently as she could she lifted his heavy arm so she could slide out from under it.

 As she slipped from the bed, she stood and stretched and instantly regretted it.  She was a human shaped set of deep aches and bruises.  Touching her lips she could feel how swollen they were.  Walking over to the mirror was an interesting experience, so she settled for a subtle limp.

 The image that stared back at her was a vision.  Blonde hair tangled around her face in wild disarray.  Her lips were indeed puffy and swollen.  They were deep pink in colour that was shades darker than they naturally were.  A bruise stood out on her cheek bone.  Similar bruises were starting on her shoulders where his fingers had held her.  There was what resembled teeth marks across her breasts.  Looking down towards her legs she could see purplish bruising starting on her inner thighs.  Looking closely at her own face her expression was one of excitement, it glowed from her.  Her eyes held wonderment and the evidence of sheer stomach tingling flips of a new love starting.

 Last night was a crazy blur to her.  She remembered the initial fear but she had never felt sensations like it.  When he had come to her again in the night, she had expected the passion to have faded, for it to be gentler this time, if anything it had been wilder.   This time he knew she wouldn’t break so he could be himself with her.  Again she had clung to his body for support as the waves of pleasure had crashed through her like a tidal wave.

 To be with him had not been easy.  It was wild and passionate but she had matched him.  In places where her resolve had quavered her pride had carried her on.  Yes, he was exquisitely beautiful, but he clearly felt the same about her as she did for him, so to keep apart in the most intimate ways seemed pointless.  It was her choice to make, as much as it was his.

 Looking through his cupboards, she found one of his shirts and headed for the bathroom.  She turned the shower to hot to try and loosen her tortured muscles.  As she stepped under the torrents of water, it stung her skin in a fantastically exhilarating way.

 A hand on her shoulder made her jump.  She spun round and crashed into Blaise’s chest.  His eyes were guarded as he scanned her body.  The silver eyes met hers again hesitant.

 She stepped forward and kissed him.  It was meant as a kiss to reassure, but as she felt his body against hers under the torrents of hot water she could feel her longing for him stir again.  Scooping her into his arms, he pushed her back against the wall his mouth never leaving hers.

 Both were left gasping for breath half an hour later.

 “You amaze me.”  His smiled at her in wonderment.

 “Why?”  Sara wrapped her arms around him letting the water cascade over her sore and battered body.

 He leant out of the shower the movement flexing the muscles along the right hand side of his body, water cascaded down him.  Taking advantage of his attention being elsewhere Sara’s eyes took in every line.  The top half of him reappeared from round the corner where he had reached, he brought back a crystal bottle with a beautiful brushed silver stopper.  As he opened the stopper the same wonderful scent that had filled the bath last night reached her nose.  Tipping the bottle over his hand the palest pink cream poured into his palm. 

 “I never dreamt a mortal could or would even want to attempt what we did last night.  Can you hear Linwe in your head now?”  His voice sounded elated.

 He turned her until she was facing away from him, rubbing his hands together he then started to massage the pink cream into her shoulders working it into a rich foam.

 The sensation from both his hands and the lotion was intoxicating.  The soreness and aching was dropping from her muscles where he worked.  All tension was draining away and leaving them feeling toned and supple.

 “I felt and heard her last night in my mind.  I could hear her speaking to me, and I could speak in your tongue, but I don’t hear her today.” 

 Sara’s voice was husky from the pleasure he was inducing in her back, he had now moved down her spine almost to the small of her back.  Not a sexual pleasure but that of pure relaxation.  Her tortured muscles were loosening and regaining their strength.

 He turned her again and started to work on her shoulders and over her collarbones.

 “and what did she say to you?” his voice was a low chuckle.  “I know what she said to me” grim amusement played on his face.

 “She told me to be careful and not to push you past your limits.”  His mesmerising hands had worked lower it was very hard to concentrate.

 With that, his hands stilled, and he rocked with laughter. 

 “So she did have at least some small concern for your safety.  Banking on my good nature was a risk, I will give her that.”   His hands resumed the slow decent of her body.

 “Nah I thought you were quite tame actually.”  She grinned at him.  Watching surprise cross his features she smiled inwardly to herself.  He was not going to have this all his own way.  Yes he is formidable, and if he truly lost control with her she doubted she would walk again, but he was not going to dictate what was good or bad for her, that was her choice to make.

 His low chuckle sounded again

 “You’re lucky i was.” 

 He laid a light slap to her rear and stepped out of the shower to let her rinse the bubbles from her skin. 

 * * *

 An hour later a completely unblemished Sara was sat in Martha’s kitchen munching breakfast.  The lotion had done its job as she had applied it curiously to the bruise on her cheek she watched it vanish under the bubbles.  She now felt better and more rested than she ever had. 

 Martha had thought of everything, when Sara had walked back into the bedroom she found a suitcase packed with many of her clothes from home.  She noticed how all of them were riding clothes and sportswear, all practical and comfortable which gave her a flash of nervousness as to what was to come.

 As she dressed in jogging trousers, t-shirt and her favourite warm jumper.  The scent of her mother’s washing powder gave her a pang of homesickness for her parents.  She wondered how much they knew of all that had happened.  Her mind travelled back to the odd conversation she had overheard between Jonathan and her father.  It seemed a lifetime ago not only just yesterday, she shook her head that she had not read more into the conversation she had overheard.  Before she could think about it too deeply Blaise had walked in making her jump. 

 “You ready for breakfast,  Martha has set a feast out apparently?” 

 He looked glorious.  His torso was encased in a leather body armour that fitted his body perfectly.  It followed the line of his ribcage leaving his abdomen uncovered.  Fitted leatherwork covered his broad shoulders down to his biceps.  Silver stud work held the leather together creating an intricate pattern.  A thick strap at least three inches wide crossed his chest from his waist on the left to his shoulder on the right.  The strap was bound tightly to his body and clearly held the sheath to the sword, whose hilt gleamed above his right shoulder. 

 His throat was clear apart from his amulet. it glinted slightly in the morning sun that was flooding in through the window. His long legs were clad in belted dark trousers which clung to his hips before disappearing under knee length riding boots.  As she watched him, he whirled his floor length cape he had worn last night over his shoulders and pinned it at his throat.  It covered him completely apart from the hilt of the sword that still showed above his shoulder.

 He looked every inch the immortal warrior.  The stark difference from the who she had been with last night was the difference between day and night.  Yes, last night he had been formidable but dressed as he was now he became mythical again.  A creature from picture books that never existed and never asked you if you were ready for breakfast!  Her head spun slightly, but she pulled herself together and did not let a flicker of this show on her face.  Standing up she nodded and walked towards the door with him.