Chapter 10

Raging Inferno

Baldwin rushed back to Phillippe's office, Satu's memories swimming around his brain like a tidal wave, though the ones most prominent were those of Athena. He wasn't sure if it was because they were the most recent, or simply because Satu had been facing Athena when she died. Athena had been watching him as he fed. Stared straight into his eyes. She hadn't been disgusted. She'd been eager for him to do it. That fierceness.

He dropped his hands to the desk, hunching over to brace on them, trying desperately to organise both his thoughts and the images he'd taken.

"Are you alright?"

The voice of Matthew startled him. It wasn't often he could be surprised, even by another of his own.

"It's a lot to take in. She was dying and desperate. It all came in a jumble," Baldwin answered, standing up straight.

"Is there anything that stands out?"

Baldwin took a breath. How could he put into words what he'd seen of Athena whilst she was being tortured?

"I've never known anyone to take such abuse and not be broken by it. She tried to escape. Twice. Without any powers. The first time, they beat her. Bruised her face. Broke her fingers. The second time, they smashed her ankles. They did it in front of her sister, and she screamed, but it wasn't out of fear. She never once showed fear. She was furious. I can see the look in her eyes as Satu watched those men do it. But it was Satu who whipped her. Out of anger. She didn't scream then. She didn't make a sound. Barely flinched. It made Satu angrier."

Matthew listened carefully, and watched Baldwin's face. He'd rarely seen his quick tempered brother be so fascinated by anyone, let alone a witch. He was utterly in awe of Athena's strength.

"She has a strong spirit. I'd be curious to know her lineage," Matthew commented.

"She had no hope of escape after they broke her ankles, and what they did to her sister... Such brutality is rare these days. People usually crack with less. Did Marcus find her sister's head in the room they were holding Athena?"

Matthew frowned. "I believe so, why?"

Baldwin nodded. "Satu threw it in there with Athena, hoping the presence of it would be enough to make her talk."

"But she didn't."

"No. If anything, I think it strengthened her resolve. I remember the look in her eyes when we found her. She wasn't frightened. She was wary, as thought she was calculating whether we would be a threat, but she wasn't afraid. Defiance. It was pure defiance." Baldwin paced over to the window and slammed a hand into the wall, the bricks trembling and scattering old dust about. "Gods, Matthew, why can't I get her out of my head?"

"You've rarely ever met a woman who didn't back down to anything. She's rather like you. Hot-headed," Matthew said, smirking at the comparison even as Baldwin glared at him.

Baldwin straightened his tie and cleared his throat. "I think I'll go back to London. See if anything helps with the other memories."

He strode past Matthew and up to his rooms, gathering his hold-all and slinging clothes into it, trying to ignore the images of Athena in various states of distress and anger. As he forced the images away, they were replaced by those of her dancing. Watching her move had been mesmerising. He needed to get some distance, and this time for longer.

Athena had been searching for him for a while, hoping to ask him about what he'd seen from Satu. She needed something, anything. No matter how small. She finally tracked him down to what she assumed was his rooms. She hadn't seen them before, but then, it was so easy to get lost in this huge place amongst the various corridors and twisting staircases.

She found him packing a leather designer hold-all, his breathing faster than she'd become used from the vampires. Of course, she'd had no need to make her presence known, he'd both heard and smelled her.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, turning to face her.

He had discarded his jacket, but had kept on his bronze tie and silk black waistcoat. She found it difficult to move her eyes to his.

"I was going to ask the same of you."

"Yes, I'm fine. Just sorting through things." He tapped his head. "Memories are tricky. Most of the ones I've been able to discern are of your capture. They seemed to be the freshest."

"What about any others? Did you see any other witches she might have ben talking to?" she asked, looking at him, her eyes a little desperate.

Baldwin shook his head. "Nothing yet. I fear I may not have gotten them all. Her heart stopped whilst I was feeding. I had no idea you could do that." He flicked his hand, imitating what she'd done with the tree root.

"You were worried I'd be hurt?"

"She did threaten to turn you to ash," he reminded her.

Athena chuckled. "Yes, she did. It was a futile threat. I was in no danger from her fire. She's not a fire witch. She was like Diana. She could summon fire, but it was not part of her."

"How does that translate to you being in no danger?"

Athena looked at him. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" he asked, confused.

"Fire witches are fire proof."

She moved over to a wall sconce and placed her hand over the flickering flame, letting it curl around her skin. When she moved her had away, she turned it over, showing him the palm. He stepped forward to grasp it, examining it closely. The pale skin of her hand was utterly unblemished. She smiled at him as he looked in her eyes, shock evident.

"You were never in any danger of her power."

"Not of her fire power, no. I knew that she'd fall for wanting to see what I could do with mine. It's the one power she already knew I had, though I don't know why. She'd even said once or twice whilst I was held that she was tempted to unbind me, just to see it. She had one of the others mark me with the fire symbol."

Athena turned around and lifted up the back of her vest, showing him the small triangular symbol etched into her back, just above her tailbone.

Baldwin touched his fingers to it. It wasn't raised like a burn might be, but more like a tattoo, unnaturally white against her skin, as though this part of her had ever once seen daylight.

"Did it hurt?" he asked.

"No more than the whipping."

She turned and put her vest in place, looking around the room for the first time. It was filled with artefacts from centuries past. Swords, shields, and even an old Roman Pilum, bent from use. She wondered if he'd kept it from his human days.

As she looked at a small tapestry, she spotted an old handwritten declaration nestled between to cabinets. It was in old French so she had no idea what it was declaring. However, what struck her about it wasn't the age, but the long list of names. She spotted the name Baldwin amongst them.

"Lucius Sigeric Benoit Christophe Baldwin de Clermont," she read out, stumbling a little over Sigeric. "Are they all your names?

"Of course," he stated, as though it could never be otherwise.

"All five?" she said, chuckling.

"It seems excessive to you."

"Just a bit. I don't even have a middle name."

"It's necessary for a vampire to have multiple names. We can't just use the same name over the centuries, because people get suspicious," he explained.

She read them out again, then stopped and repeated one.

"Benoit... Ben..." she said, smiling as she looked back at him.

Baldwin considered her nickname. He'd only used Benoit a handful of times, and never had allowed anyone to shorten it to Ben. But, the look on her face, and the gentle familiarity it engendered had him smiling back.

"It's not the worst name..." he offered.

Athena's eyes dropped to his bronze tie. She was struck by how much it complimented his copper hair and golden brown eyes. She reached up to touch it, smoothing her fingers over the silk fabric, giving it a gentle tug to straighten it. He was always impeccably put together. Even grubbing around in the dirty tunnels of the London Underground when he'd found her, he'd still looked ready for a meeting as Parliament. Nothing he'd seen of her or her experiences had fazed him. He'd been considerate in his own straight-laced way. She'd never known such consideration away from her sister and her father. The few partners she'd had in the past had found her far too wilful and headstrong to stay with her. She would never be meek and mild.

She'd gotten so used to men only wanting one thing, and even then they often felt intimidated by her knowledge of her own body and responsibility for her own pleasure. But, the heat in Baldwin's eyes spoke volumes.

"This colour suits you..." she said softly, smoothing her fingers over his tie to where it disappeared into his waistcoat.

She was close enough that she could smell his scent. "You smell like bonfire night... I suddenly want treacle toffee..." she glanced back into his eyes.

She gave his tie a firm yank, going up onto her toes so she could press her lips to his. It wasn't quite the reaction she was expecting from him as he'd frozen in place. She pulled back slightly to look back into his eyes and was startled by the intensity of the gold in them. It almost glowed as the light hit them.

Before she could speak, Baldwin had responded with a kiss of his own, his strong arms going around her waist to pull her into him tightly. She flung her arm around his neck, gripping his shirt in a vice grip as she responded just as eagerly. Where the heat difference between them might have been uncomfortable for an average warm blood, Athena enjoyed the sensation of his cool hands and mouth. She found it thrilling as his hand found its way under her vest, stroking over her back, avoiding the newly formed scars from the whipping.

Baldwin had lost all sense of propriety as he sought to plunder her soft mouth, turning them swiftly so he could press her against the nearby bedpost. She hooked her leg up over his hip as her fingers worked to undo his waistcoat as he moved to attack her neck, running his nose along her skin, breathing in her scent deeply, then nibbling just below her ear, grinning at the groan she let out.

Athena waved her hand idly at the door, the heavy wood slamming shut with a thud, followed by a click of the lock. She was already working on removing his tie now that his waistcoat had fallen from his broad shoulders. She flung it across the room and reached for the top button of his shirt.

"Is this expensive?" she whispered against his lips.

"Always," he uttered back, his hands stroking over her behind, pulling her hard against him.

"Shame..." she said, threading her fingers through the gaps, pulling swiftly to rip it open, sending buttons flying everywhere.

Where normally he would be enraged by someone damaging his clothes, he was utterly aroused by her play at dominance. He growled as her fingers stroked over his chest, slipping through the dark hair covering his skin. He let the shirt slip off, then decided that turnabout was fair play as he took hold of her vest and tore it open, a large hand reaching to cup her breast, the nipple hardening.

As he teased her breast, she slipped her hands down to undo his belt, flicking open the button and reaching for the zip. As she slipped a hand over him, he grunted against her lips, his hips rocking as she slowly stroked, gasping as his erection twitched. She massaged his balls, enjoying how grunted softly.

"I want you inside me..." she muttered into his mouth.

Baldwin growled at her forwardness, shifting so he could reach the gusset of her pants, ripping them in two as his own pants slipped off his hips. He slipped his fingers through the soft hair, letting one slip between her lips, testing her arousal as she moaned. She was hot and slick, and he was eager to plunder more than her mouth as he grasped himself, angling his body so he could press into her. She cried out as he filled her, her arms wrapping around his neck as she shifted to lock her ankles around his hips.

He moved slowly and deeply, his mouth moving over her neck and back to her lips. She felt wondrous. So hot and tightly slick around him, he felt her rock against him as her hands slid through his hair gripping occasionally. But, he was surprised when he felt her slide a hand down between them, the rhythmic stroking of her fingers against her clit. He wouldn't have that.

He moved his hand to pull hers away, using his own to give her the stimulation she needed, his fingers far faster than hers, they practically vibrated. She cried out from the intensity, moving to kiss him firmly, groaning with each thrust of his hips. He moved so precisely, angling in just the right way that she shuddered with each brush past her g-spot.

Along with the hand doing magical things to her clit, his other hand was braced between her back and the bedpost, ensuring that it wouldn't rub against her scars. When the sensation became too much, she resorted to tugging on his hair and nibbling on his lips, moaning constantly as her body began to shudder, her core twitching as she gripped him erratically.

He could both feel and smell her pleasure building, enflaming his own desire as he sought to feel her topple over into blissful oblivion. With a few more purposeful thrusts and his finger still vibrating over her clit, she suddenly went rigid, her orgasm crashing through her as she cried out repeatedly, clenching hard around him, almost immobilising him as his own climax followed, a loud groan erupting in his throat.

He held her tightly as they both came down from their pleasure, pressing gentle kisses to her neck. He shifted them so he could lay her down on the bed, her legs falling open as she flopped boneless onto the sheets. He climbed on next to her, kicking off his shoes. He was utterly relaxed and more satisfied than he had been in years.

As he turned to see how Athena was, he saw her sleeping. He pulled the sheets over her and looked up at the old canopy. This was not part of the plan. He was supposed to be leaving, not having sex with her. He definitely preferred the latter.