-Chapter Six-

"The Queen has requested that you help find Lady Kalin's friend, Bo-An." Kent told him. His blue eyes shifting back and forth.

"No, I don't believe that's going to happen," Reaver said, shaking his head gravely. He was not going to take his eyes off of that hut for the entire duration of her visit. She wasn't safe out of his sight. He couldn't trust the savage, especially not with Lilyana.

"She doesn't want you to worry," Kent said. "She has said that she can take care of herself."

"I realize that she is capable, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to simply sit around," He said. "Not when there's the possibility-"

"She explicitly requested.."

He exhaled angrily. "I will find him, but the moment I do, he's yours to deal with."

Kent nodded. "I understand."

Lilyana was being led from her hut by a small woman. He watched as she moved, her body held high and confident. He almost found himself distracted by her grace and the curves, but he knew that since he was so affected, that Teroh would be sure to notice as well. Her eyes flickered up to find his, and she offered a small, reassuring smile, but all he could do was grimace. He didn't like this at all, but he knew that she was determined to do this her way.

He gave her a soft nod, and he tore his gaze away, afraid that if he kept watching her, he would burst into the hut and kill Teroh just to prove that she was his. That wouldn't likely endear him to the woman he loved.

"Whatever she told you to do..." Reaver said. "Listen to me instead. At the first sign of danger, of anything unsavory, you go in after her, and you drag her out if need be."

Kent nodded. "Don't worry. I will not let any harm come to her."

Reaver cursed softly as he turned to look for this Bo-An. The first few villagers he approached refused to speak to him. They were probably terrified of what that mountainous beast would do to them for talking to the foreign stranger. He kept his eyes out, and eventually he found a woman that was eyeing him, a soft pink blush spreading through her. He could work with that.

"Well, aren't you a beautiful desert flower?" He asked, putting a hand on his hip. He tossed his hair gently, and he turned up the intensity of his smolder.

The girl giggled, and she shook her head. "If anyone sees me talking to you, I will be in much trouble."

"Well, we don't have to talk very long," He said. "I am looking for a friend of mine. His name is Bo-An. He came with a group from Aurora not long ago."

Her face suddenly shifted. "I am not allowed to speak of such things."

This didn't bode well.

He let his lips turn up into a grin, and he reached to tuck a strand of her ebony hair behind her ear. "Now, dear, I won't tell anyone that you spoke to me if you don't."

She glanced around, her breasts heaving as she breathed heavily.

"Come now," he said, pressing closer, their bodies almost touching. "I'm simply looking for my friend." He tilted his head, stroking her cheek gently.

She trembled, and her eyes once again searched. Her tongue flicked out of her mouth to moisten her lips.

"You're not going to make me beg, are you, darling?"

"The King gave him to the wicked ones," the woman said, her voice shaking. "He said that they demanded a sacrifice."

Damn. Reaver didn't let his facade falter. He simply leaned in and pressed his lips delicately against her cheek. "Thank you for helping me, lovely one."

Her breath caught in her throat, and a soft noise left her. "I must go."

He backed away, and he watched her scamper off, glancing back at him with a red face.

He regretted that he would have to report such bad news, but now he could focus on watching the hut.

A scream rang through the desert, and for a moment, his eyes shot to the hut. It hadn't been Lilyana that screamed, though. The scream was joined by others. Many others.

The sand furies rushed on the village, and he drew his a Dragonstomper from his waist. Every shot he aimed hit its target, but they seemed to be endless. His worried eyes shot over to Teroh's hut once more. Smoke rose through the doorway, and he cursed loudly. He saw Kent rushing for the door.

He drew his sword, and he sent the toe of his boot into a nearby torch, engulfing one of them in flames, slicing across three more as he fled. The whole village could burn. He didn't care. He only cared about making his way towards the town's center. He fought and shot his way toward the blazing hut. The door had caved in, and he heard a desperate cry. He stashed his sword, and he used his free hand to pull at the collapsing debris. Every second of touching the flaming building was painful, but he had to get in.

He used all of his might to push the very last beam out of his way. He rushed in, bringing his hand over his mouth and nose. He squinted through the smoke and flames. The heat and smoke made his eyes water with stinging tears.

"Lily?" He called out, jumping over the large table in the middle of the hut. He saw Teroh dead with his throat cut. A twinge of pride sprang through him, but it was quickly replaced with worry. Where had she gone? He hadn't seen her leave the hut. Could she be somewhere else? He turned over some of the fallen beams, double checking. His hands were burnt and trembling, but he endured it.

The hut was clear of all signs of Lily, so he made his way out, narrowly avoiding the collapse of the whole hut.

"LILYANA!" He cried out, looking around for any sign of her among the fleeing people and attacking sand furies.


The desert seemed endless, but he kept walking west. His plan was to reach the coast and follow it all the way back to Aurora, but he had to make it to the coast first. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep going. He'd run out of water the day before and he'd been walking without rest. He was determined to find his way back to Lilyana before he died of thirst.

He was walking through some large ruins. Everything looked as if it had been devoured by the sand, slowly sinking into the earth. His legs felt like rubber beneath him, and he grunted as he focused intently on putting one foot in front of the other. His energy was waning. He'd never felt so tired. He gazed forward and he saw something in the shimmering distance.

It looked very much like Lily and that soldier Kent rolling in the sand kissing like crazy. He squinted and he dropped to his knees. What a cruel mirage. Had he more energy, he might have asked to join. He coughed, and his whole body folded down into the sand. He couldn't believe that this was how it was going to happen.

He had lived so long without letting anyone in, and now that he had, it was done. He was done. Maybe that's what led him here. Maybe this was all her fault. She had no right to be so beautiful and tempting. She had no right to tell him no and draw him in deeper. She was literally going to be the death of him. He would have never gone into the wretched desert if he hadn't been searching for her. And yet, she was worth all of this. The short stretch of time he'd had with her was enough. It was enough to make him see that he could still be human.

He glanced up once more and everything went white.


"Let's go," I said to Kent. He'd forced me to sit down with food and water, but now that I was feeling slightly better, I was eager to get this over with. Perhaps once my quest was through, I'd be free to search for Reaver. Every moment I wasted was another moment that he was in danger.

He nodded, and he helped me to my feet. He stowed the water in the bag, and he slung it over his shoulders once more. "What exactly are we looking for?" He asked.

"I don't know...maybe this thing will tell me when we get close," I said. I didn't dare wear the thing, but I held it in my hand once again. I glanced down to the dazzling stone. Perhaps if I stared long enough, I'd be drawn back in for more clues.

"Well wherever...wait," Kent paused. "Do you see that? Or is it just me?" He pointed over to the east. "What is that?"

I brought the goggles down over my eyes, and I looked. It was a huddled up figure. It was a person. My heart stopped, and I tore off running.

"Lily!" shouted Kent, growing further away as I sped off.

I dropped down beside the collapsed figure, and I flipped him onto his back. It was Reaver, but he was unconscious and still. I put my ear by his heart, and I found that it was faintly pumping. "Kent!"

Kent was already approaching, and he just about ripped the bag off of his back, and he searched hastily for the water.

I pulled Reaver onto my legs, and I tried to stir him.

The muscles in his face twitched, and his eyes opened slowly. A vague, far-off smile settled on his lips. His voice was quiet and weak, "If you are a mirage...I will be ever-so disappointed."

Kent put the canteen in my hand, and I pressed it against his lips.

Reaver drank quickly and greedily. When the canteen was empty, I passed it back to Kent. His eyes glanced over me, and his smile transformed into a smirk. "You know what it does to me when you dress so androgynously..."

I laughed, wiping forming tears from my eyes. I pulled him upright, and I wrapped my arms around him.

He weakly embraced me, burying his face into my neck.

"I thought I'd lost you." I closed my eyes, tightening my grip and kissing the top of his head. "I'm sorry that I left you."

"As long as you were safe," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I managed."

"Maybe we should set up camp for now," Kent suggested. "Give him time to recover."

I nodded, and I pulled back to look at Reaver. He looked immensely better. He offered a smile, and he brought his hand up to cup my cheek.

"My dear, you aren't going to be rid of me quite so easily," He said.

"Here," Kent offered. He knelt and he lifted Reaver into his arms.

"My, aren't you strong?" Reaver said, looking up to Kent. He cocked a brow. "I never noticed how blue your eyes are. They're quite striking."

I stifled a laugh.

"He must be delirious from the heat," Kent offered, his face fully puzzled.

"Oh, you'd think so," Reaver continued. "But I'm just naturally this charming." He flashed his white grin.

His joking flirtation brought a flood of relief over me. He was going to be fine. I knew it now. I spotted a place in the shade of some of the ruins that would be perfect to erect our small shelter.


I settled Reaver down onto the bedroll, having stripped him of his shirt and boots. I knelt beside him, and I swept a wet rag across his torso. He sighed at the sensation, and he glanced up to me.

"Once I regain my energy, dear one, I think I might have to carry you the rest of the journey," He said.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "And why would I need carrying?"

"Because when I'm through with you..." He leaned up and put his mouth to my ear. "I daresay you will be quite unable to walk comfortably."

My stomach jumped, but I grinned down to him, intentionally glancing over to Kent. "We won't exactly have privacy, love."

"I don't mind," he replied. "He can watch. He'd probably enjoy it." His eyebrows moved up and down suggestively.

"You need to sleep," I told him.

"I need many things, dear, but sleep is not very high on my list of priorities at the moment," He informed me.

"If you go to sleep, I may consider what we were just discussing," I said, moving the cool rag to his neck, dabbing gently.

He merely smiled, and he closed his eyes. "If you absolutely insist."


I sat down beside Kent, and he handed me a hunk of bread. I glanced back to the tent, where Reaver slept deeply.

"It's good to see that he will be alright," Kent said, nodding softly and sipping at a flask.

"Yes," I said, but then I smirked. "Have you been holding out on me?"

He offered the flask, and to his surprise, I took it.

I swigged and sighed as the whiskey burned my throat going down.

"You aren't what I expected," He said, suddenly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You're The Rebel Queen. A hero born to kick ass and save Albion, but...here you are, having a drink with a soldier," He said. "Every time I think I have you pegged, you surprise me."

I laughed.

"I'm honored to know you," He said. "It'll be a grand disappointment when I have to go back to being a soldier and no longer be the The Queen's companion and protector."

I shrugged lightly. "You are always welcome to return to Albion. There is plenty of room for such a devoted soldier."

"Really?" He asked, tipping his flask back once more.

"That is, if you want to become a decorated officer of The Queen's guard," I laughed.

"That...is quite tempting, actually," He said. "I think I'm getting bloody tired of the desert."

A/N: So, I hope you enjoyed it! I'm working on getting more done, so be patient. Reviews are so very appreciated, even on my completed works!