Ryder felt the same warm tingle run up his spine and spread out across his arms and chest. "Uh… uh…"
Giselle laughed. "I'll take that as a no." She lifted her shirt up over her head and let it fall to the floor. She dipped her foot into the warm bath, making little circles in the water with her big toe. Then she crouched at the edge of the gigantic basin and lowered herself in.
Fully submerged to her neck, Giselle splashed the warm water, circling around Ryder as she did. She kept her eyes locked on him the whole time.
"You showed courage out there," she said, slowly moving her arms back and forth under the water.
Ryder could feel her movements. The waves pressed up against his chest and moved the tiny hairs on his legs. It was as if her hands extended through the water, reaching out to caress his skin.
He looked away from her eyes. "I would say the same about you."
Giselle moved back into his field of view. "I'm glad you were with us." She moved closer, putting her hand on his arm.
Ryder looked down at where she was touching him. "You are?"
"Uh-huh." Giselle slid her fingers down his arm and took his hand. "Come here," she said, pulling him toward her and placing his hand on her hip.
Ryder felt the urge to pull away, but Giselle stepped in closer, pressing her chest to his. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he could feel his heart quicken.
She ran her hands along his back, pushing him against the edge of the tub. Leaning in, she pressed her lips against his. They were soft and warm, and they felt so good. He stood there, letting her kiss him, not knowing exactly what he should do.
She must have sensed his hesitancy because she pulled away.
She looked disappointed. "What is it?"
"It's just…" He looked into her eyes. In the flickering candlelight the dark brown appeared almost black. They were so deep. "I could get lost in those eyes."
Ryder reached around her hip and wrapped her up in his arms, pulling her back to him and plunging into a deep kiss. Giselle pressed herself against him, seeming to almost melt in the warm water into his skin.
She placed her head on his shoulder. "What are you thinking?" she asked.
"I'm thinking," replied Ryder looking once again into her eyes, "that I am a weak, weak man."
Then, grabbing her with one arm, he lifted the two of them out of the tub and gently pushed Giselle down on top of the warm stone. Starting at her lips, he kissed her skin, following down the arch of her neck.
Giselle closed her eyes and leaned her head back, moaning softly.
"A weak, weak man," repeated Ryder, as he continued across her belly.
Chapter 18
Liam looked down at himself. There were leaves and splinters of wood sticking out of his armor at odd angles. He shook himself and scanned the ground for his sword. It was nowhere to be found.
The elf vampire stepped up beside Liam, dropping Knoblauch on the ground. The veteran groaned and shifted, but he was obviously in worse shape than Liam.
"I think I'll start with you," she said to Liam. "I prefer fresher, younger blood."
Dropping to her knees, the vampire straddled his chest and leaned down close to his neck. Under different circumstances, a woman pressing herself against his chest might have been nice. As it was, he struggled to get free.
"Hold still," hissed the vampire into his ear, "and this will only hurt a little."
Liam could hear a pop as the vampire opened her jaw. His hands probed the ground, searching frantically for the hilt of his sword. As the warm, damp air from the elf's breath hit his neck, Liam's fingers closed around something. It wasn't his blade, but he'd use anything he could get.
Lifting his makeshift weapon in the air, Liam jammed it down as if stabbing himself in the stomach. Whatever he had grabbed impaled the vampire in the back, and she let out an otherworldly howl.
The creature spun away and off of Liam, flailing around on the ground as if she were a stuck pig.
Liam struggled to his feet, ready to beat the undead elf to a second death with his fists if necessary. But as he got up he saw what it was he had stabbed the vampire with-a shattered tree branch. Its tip plunged deep into the creature's back, right between the shoulder blades. Liam realized his luck and, as the creature squirmed, he jumped on her, slamming his boot into the makeshift wooden spike and pushing it through the elf's chest.
The vampire hissed one last time then slumped to the ground motionless.
Liam took a deep breath. His hands were shaking, and his brain was buzzing with adrenaline.
"I told you," he shouted at the finally dead vampire, "nobody bites me."
Knoblauch groaned and pushed himself up onto an elbow. Having partially regained his composure, Liam went to the veteran's side.
"You showed her," said the older soldier.
"That was a nasty spill you took," said Liam, grabbing Knoblauch's arm and helping him to his feet.
The veteran drew air in through his teeth, obviously in pain. "Not the most graceful way to get off a horse."
The bushes rustled, and Liam stepped in front of Knoblauch, putting himself between the veteran and whatever it was that was coming after them.
"If you two lovers are done," said Captain Beetlestone stepping into view, his armor and face smeared with splotches of blood, "then I suggest you help us cut the heads off of those we felled, so we can get out of here before those that got away come back with friends."
Liam never thought he would be so glad to see the inside of Zerith Hold. He wearily tromped down the long stone hall that wound through the keep from the stable to the barracks on the other side. His body ached from the fighting, and the thought of his own room and a private bed was delicious.
Traversing the entire length of Zerith Hold, he finally crossed the threshold into the barracks. Voices wafted down the hall, and as Liam got closer, he could hear the conversation from around the corner.
"No, I'm telling you, he was great," said the first voice.
"Come on," argued another. "Everyone knows the Awl aren't anything more than a bunch of angry thugs. He's never even had any training."
"Hey, I don't know, but I saw him out on the parade grounds," said a third. "He looked pretty good to me." The man laughed. "I'll tell you what. I'm glad he's on our side now."
"So's Knoblauch," said the first voice. "Liam saved his life."
Liam came around the corner to see a group of four elite guardsmen leaning on their doorframes, talking. He hadn't seen many of them without their helmets on, but he did recognize a man with a goatee-the only one beside himself who still wore his armor.
"There he is," said the man, "the hero of the day."
Liam looked at the other three men then back to the speaker. "You're in my unit."
The man with the goatee nodded. "I sure am." He put his hand out. "The name's Claudius." He glanced at the other three men. "These men are in Captain Phinneous's unit, so they're completely unimportant."
The three guardsmen grumbled, one chuckling at the jibe.
He shook the man's hand. "Liam." And nodded to the others.
Claudius's face broke out into a huge grin. "Well, well, Liam. More than three months in the unit and finally you're one of us." He stood up from the wall and grabbed Liam by the shoulder. "Come on, friend. There is beer to be drunk and songs about your bravery to be sung." He turned Liam around and ushered him back down the hall.
Liam partially resisted. "But I still have my armor on."
"Me too, lad. Me too." Claudius slapped him on the back. "Believe me, it's safer that way."
The other men fell into step behind Liam and Claudius, and they marched together to a pair of plain wooden doors at the end of the hall.