Sorry this took so long, everyone! I've been really stressed out with
school and finals are coming up! Not to mention I'm moving out next week.
However, I did want to take some time away from studying and I completed
chapter 12 just 5 minutes ago! Exciting, isn't it? I hope you all enjoy
this. Thank you for the reviews, new comers, and old followers. I enjoyed
all of them. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. There is a bit more. .
.um. . .risque scenes in this one, so if you're opposed to that at all,
don't read it. I don't want any flames about the moments that Rei and
Jadeite experience together. At any rate, tell me what you all think! I
promise I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner. Read and review,
please! Ja ne! ~Lady Hino
* * *
The paintbrush danced over the canvas, smoothing over angles and dipping into corners. The green paint was lush and bold and formed the most beautiful foliage. He dipped the brush into the cup of water that had been gathered from the stream and then rolled it in the sky blue that he had mixed earlier. He stroked the brush over the top of the canvas, dragged it across and around the green. His hand moved with a mind of its own. It jumped over colors, sprayed shades and cast shadows. His blue eyes absorbed the blue of the canvas, his breathing quickened. It was going to be a masterpiece. His arm moved again and before he could even blink, the image came blazing to life.
It was his home. The home that he had painted for Belle that night he sent them away with Rodney.
He was standing in the field of tall grasses, staring directly at the ivy covered brick house. The gravel drive was paved perfectly; the trees tall and strong beside the house. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scents. Clean air, fresh blooming flowers and crystal clear water filled his senses. He was overwhelmed by the beauty of the place; it was even more amazing than his painting.
A tinkling sound filled his ears as he stood there taking in the smells, feeling the wind whirl around his body and lift his hair off his forehead. It was the delicate sound of laughter that made his heart lift and made his face break out into a genuine smile of happiness. This was his home. This was where he wanted to be.
He opened his eyes and looked about the scene. As he stared at the front of the house, a lithe figure slipped from behind the door. She was dressed in a white concoction of silk hemmed with a line of dark, blood red. She was the most exquisite creature he had ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on. She was smiling brightly, a crown of white daisies and roses fell delicately over her head. Her raven hair fell soft and gently against her back, strands fell over her shoulder and brushed against those silk clad breasts. Her eyes were bright with violet fire and they sparkled with light. The silk dress flew about in layers around her slender legs as she gracefully made her way down the front steps of the grand home and ran into the meadow.
Behind her two small figures leaped and screamed and laughed and sang. Jadeite felt his chest swell just looking at them.
His children.
Tiny Belle was skipping quickly behind her brother, her blonde curls flapping up and down on her back, small daisies clinging to those curls like little jewels. She wore a white satin dress trimmed with a very girlish lace. Hawk ran in front of her, a pair of blue breeches covering his young legs and a white linen shirt flowing about him in the wind. They were both chasing his lovely raven-haired goddess. They were smiling and shouting her name. "Mama!" he heard Belle shout and Jadeite felt a tightening in his chest so deep that he wanted to wrap in and around himself and just cling to that one word for all eternity.
Without a thought, he ran toward Rei and grabbed her hand. "Goddess," he whispered.
"Jed. . ." she said with a smile. "We must not let the children catch us," she said happily. She let go of his hand and ran ahead, the children close at her heals. "Quickly, here they come!" she called out as the two laughing angels slipped easily past him.
Jadeite let out a shout of laughter and started chasing the group. But as he ran, he got further and further. They ran faster and faster until all he saw were three specks of white in the distance. "Rei!" he called out to no avail. "Hawk! Belle!" But no one heard him. He heard laughter as he ran uselessly.
Then all was silent.
"Rei! Hawk, Bell!" he shouted. The wind began to pick up. The sky darkened over a sun that protested. He felt a chill run up his back and back down again. His heart stopped beating and his mouth went dry. What was going on here?
"Jadeite. . ."
He spun around on his heal so quickly that the wind protested and danced around him. "Who's there?" he shouted.
"Jadeite. . ."
"Who the hell are you?"
"You mustn't give up. . ."
Jadeite felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His voice was harsh when he spoke and he almost regretted it until he happened to look through the swaying trees and into the red eyes of his moon maiden. "You. . ." he gasped softly. He didn't understand what was happening. His moon maiden never approached him when he was on earth. He had always gone to her on the moon to seek release from his trying days. "What do you here?" he asked.
He could barely see her. She was standing behind those trees, only her white gown visible. And those eyes. . .those eyes that haunted him when he was awake, yet strangely, as he looked at them he could not see eyes of pure ruby red, but eyes of soft, warm violet, smiling up at him with such trust, he felt his heart expand to fill his entire chest. "I don't understand," he said shaking the image away.
"You mustn't give up."
"Why are you saying that?" he asked with a frown. "Do you know where Rei is?"
The maiden cocked her head to the side and blinked those eyes at him. "She is beside you," she said gently.
Jadeite shook his head and pointed in the direction that Rei and his children had run off to. "She is gone. I saw her run away from me. . .where is she?"
The maiden was silent.
"Tell me where she is!" he shouted. He could feel the fear engulfing him. He didn't like feeling this helpless and scared, it dulled his senses. "Please. . .tell me," he finally pleaded.
"I cannot help you. . ." she whispered. A light began filtering through the trees and enclosed her in its brightness.
"No. . .where are you going? Stop!" he cried as her body took on that of the light and she turned into nothing but a floating memory. Jadeite fell to his knees when the light faded; the wind swirled past him and sent twigs and leaves crashing into his chest. Why was everyone leaving? "Rei. . ." he breathed. "Rei. . ."
"Jed?"
He turned his head in all directions trying to find where her voice came from. "Rei?"
"Jed. . .open your eyes. . ."
He didn't want to, knew that if he did, all he would see was a dark forest with wind and cold racing each other to beat down on him. "I can't. . ." he sighed.
"Please, Jed. . ."
He felt a kiss on his forehead and one on his nose. His goddess was kissing him awake. How could he ignore that? With a grimace, he opened his eyes, expecting to see the forest from his memory, but what he saw made his heart speed up and his mind race. "Rei!" he cried, bolting up in bed and pulling her to him.
She clutched him to her as hard as he held her and pressed her ear to his chest. His heart was beating quickly. "You called my name while you slept. . ." she said softly.
He stroked her hair back, ensuring himself that she really was there and that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. "It was a dream. . ." he whispered hoarsely. "A very real and frightening dream. . ."
Rei didn't know what to make of his statement. She didn't want to approach the subject if he was so upset about it.
He pulled away before her thoughts could take her any where else. "We must start," he said quickly.
She watched him run a hand over his chest and grasp hold of his white shirt. Before she could even blink, he was dressed in dark blue breeches and a white lawn shirt. There were a pair of black knee high boots adorning his feet and a thin blue cloak hug loose on his shoulders. "It is best that we start early. . ." he said over his shoulder.
Rei quickly jumped out of bed after him and waved her own hand over her body. She hadn't been allowed to use her powers without restriction in so long that she was skeptical as to if they would work properly. There was no way for her to tell if they had gotten weaker due to their lack of use. With a shake of her head, she gracefully wove her hand in front of her and smoothed it over her chemise. Instantly and with enough light to blind any soul watching, her white chemise turned into a soft, simple white muslin garment with red stitching on the hem; it created a small, beautiful phoenix with a tail that wrapped around the bottom of her dress. A blood red silk ribbon snaked into two braids in her hair that traveled down the length.
Jadeite turned in time to see her brush off an imaginary piece of lint and his voice caught in the back of his throat. Despite the fact that this dress was made of a simple muslin, she looked like the princess she had been all along. The graceful and lithe image of a young beauty stood before him with shining violet eyes and a body that reminded him that he still hadn't preformed his husbandly rights.
"Where will we go first?" she asked him quietly.
He had to shake his head in order for the thoughts to come to him. "First we go find Rodney and see what he knows and how it is he got here so quickly. He arrived only a day after us. . .it should have been later. . .I don't understand."
Rei didn't speak as he led the way to the door. She didn't want to upset him further by speaking about the children that had disappeared. She didn't know them, had never met them before in her life, and yet she felt connected to them in some way. They were such an important aspect in Jadeite's life and the more time she spent with Jadeite, the closer she felt to him and his family. "Perhaps he wasn't as far as you suspected?" she asked softly.
He turned around quickly and looked hard at her. She genuinely cared. He heaved a heavy sigh and the sound broke Rei's heart. "I do not know what to think any more. . ."
Rei nodded and stepped beside him. With a small nod and glance toward the sky, she turned to face him and gave him a brilliant smile. "You will find them, Jadeite."
"How do you know?" he asked her and in those words he had poured so much suffering and so much heart that Rei could not respond, but she forced the words out of her mouth all the same. This man needed hope right now.
"I can feel it, Jed. Just as you can feel the call of Avalon creatures in your veins, I can feel the laughter of your children wash over me and through me. I can sense their tears and I can feel their hearts pounding."
"How?" he asked again.
Rei took her gaze away from him and concentrated on the laces at his neck. She closed her eyes and placed a hand on his heart as her mind wandered back and forth across the dry, hot soil of Spain's earth. She stretched her senses and clawed at the small clues being sent to her, yet could not grasp onto the ones she so desperately wanted to find.
Jadeite watched her closed eyes intently. He knew about the psychic abilities of the Martian people and yet, he had never witnessed a true psychic in her element. He watched her as closely as he could and was surprised to feel her hand on his chest, grasping the material over his heart. Her eyes moved beneath her lids, as if she were looking for something frantically, but could not find it. Her brow was furrowed and her lips were parted. He felt the tension in her hand and through her arm. He wanted to help her, wanted to stand beside her whenever she was faced with troubles such as these.
Slowly he rose his hand until it grasped hers, then he used her other palm to cup her cheek.
In an instant Rei felt a tidal wave of emotion engulf her. She was tossed in and out of feelings like a young bird being tossed from the nest by his mother. She saw anger and rage and hurt all clashing together and melding into one strong and raw emotion. She felt the fear and vulnerability and the absolute uncertainty that enveloped those other emotions. And yet, through all the suffering and the pain, she saw a glimmer of hope nestled safely in the corner of his heart, guarded by a ripple of red fire. "Jed. . ." she whispered softly.
"I'm here, Rei. . ." he whispered back.
She steered away from that corner and dove deeper and deeper until she saw the bubble of happiness that his children's lives existed in. She felt the warmth of them flow over her, felt the joy and the laughter seep into her body. "They are alive. . ." she said softly.
Jadeite bent down slightly so that his ear was a breath away from her mouth for she spoke so softly he was afraid it was the wind telling him his children were alive. "They live. . ." he repeated.
A shiver passed through her that Jadeite could not ignore. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.
Rei pulled away from him and opened her eyes abruptly. Jadeite's hands fell from her and his eyes darkened with worry. "They are crying. . ." she said.
Jadeite didn't even blink, in a second he had grabbed her wrist and was dragging her through a blue mist until they were in the throne room of Nephrite's palace. He didn't even bother explaining to Rei that he was in such a panic that he had conjured up the blue mist that teleported them to their destination. "We must ride," he said as soon as the blue mist had drifted off of their bodies. "There is no time to waste. We must ride. . .now!"
Endymion and Nephrite exchanged a glance before they strode purposefully toward Jadeite. "We have been prodding Rodney for answers," Nephrite said matter-of-factly.
Jed nodded. Rei had no choice but to stand beside him as Nephrite and Endymion gave their account for Jadeite's grip on her wrist was still as tight as ever. "Who exactly is this Rodney fellow?" Rei asked.
Endymion gave Rei a smile and looked back toward Jadeite. Jadeite had a hint of a grin etched on his hard face. It was just like the princess to bring light onto a dark situation. "Rodney is an old friend of Jadeite's," Endymion said.
Rei cocked her head to the side and looked up at the blonde general. "Where is he?" she asked softly.
Jadeite shook his head and gave her hand a little squeeze. "We will not bring Rodney out for you to see, Rei.he is not in any condition to speak with you."
"I would like to see him."
"No."
"Endy, I'd like to see Rodney," she said gently, never taking her gaze away from Jadeite.
Endymion hid a smile and nodded toward Nephrite.
Nephrite waved a hand toward the guard and then turned back to the princess. "The guard will bring him in shortly. In the mean time, won't you sit, princess?" he asked pointing to a lovely, high-backed chair.
She waved away the idea and continued to stand beside Jadeite. He needed someone to hold him during this time. "I would prefer to stand," she said gently.
"As you wish, princess," Nephrite replied.
Rei turned to look at Jadeite as Nephrite and Endymion tried to tell their version of what happened while speaking with Rodney. She noticed the slight tick in his cheek and the strength of his grip on her wrist.
"And he told us that he didn't know where the children where when he was struck on the head," Endymion said.
Rei noticed that Jadeite didn't bother to acknowledge the man. He was being extremely calm and Rei knew that if he didn't find a release soon, he would be raging.
Just as she was thinking of ways to try and direct Endymion and Nephrite's attention to something else, the guard came in supporting a red-haired man with bandages covering half of his body. Rei didn't allow the shock to show on her face, for then she knew that the men would refuse to let her talk to him. She needed to help Jadeite right now and she didn't want to give up on that task.
When the guard had gotten the man into the throne room and set him in a chair, he immediately turned to walk away and Rodney's head lifted up to meet the gaze of the group. "Princess Rei!" he cried loudly, then tried to stand.
"Please, do not try and get up, sir," Rei said smoothly. She gently disengaged herself from Jadeite and slowly made her way to the injured man. "I am happy to see that you are not harmed more than you are," she whispered to him.
Rodney looked up at the other men who didn't move then back up at the lovely princess who was bending over him. "I am honored to be able to gaze upon you," he said.
She scoffed with laughter before bending down to stare at him. "I need your help," she said.
"If a humble and lowly man, like myself, can help you, I will try and do anything you wish," he replied.
Rei nodded and placed her hand on his own bandaged one. "What do you remember about the kidnapping?" she asked bluntly.
Rodney shook his head and looked back at the men. "I don't remember anything other than what I told Prince Endymion and Prince Nephrite."
"I know you remember more," she stated.
"But I don't, princess."
"You will remember," she said.
Rodney frowned slightly and looked down at her delicate hand on his own. "I certainly wish I could help you, princess, but I do not believe I can."
Rei smiled and brushed the hair back from Rodney's forehead. She gently traced a small scratch above his right eye and then drew a line down his bruised cheek. Her eyelids dropped and her breathing deepened. She was drawing away from everyone and everything and drawing herself into and through Rodney's mind. Her hand was resting gently on his hand and her other was pressed against the pulse in his neck. "You have a very active mind," she said softly.
Rodney did not hear her nor did Endymion or Nephrite. But Jadeite heard her loud and clear; almost as if he were in her mind with her. It was the oddest sensation. "Rei. . ." he breathed.
Endymion and Nephrite turned to look at Jadeite and both frowned. "What's wrong? Your color has drained," Nephrite said.
Jadeite shook his head and then looked back at the scene before him.
"Yes. . .I can see it. . ." Rei whispered.
Jadeite closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could hear her speaking, could feel the chill that slipped through her body as she stood in that forest looking over the fighting that ensued. "I don't want you in there. . ." he said to her.
"Don't want who where?" Endymion prodded.
Jadeite ignored them as best he could and stared directly at Rei. "I want you back here, Rei. . .not in that mess."
"There are many people, Jed, many people. They are fighting, every last one of them are fighting."
He gave up. "Do you see them?" he asked.
If one were to stand in front of the princess at that moment, they would see the frown that etched her brow and they would see the shiver that raced through her body. "I see them. . .they are being taken away by a cloaked figure. And he has power, for even in this dream world I cannot make him turn around to look at me." With a mental sigh, she pulled away from Rodney and stood up gracefully. "I'm sorry, Jadeite. . ." she whispered.
Jadeite shook his head and turned to look out one of the great windows. There was a time when he would have loved to stand in front of those windows and paint pictures in his head until he had time to run back to his room and put them all on canvas. He wished desperately that he could be taken to those times again. "We will ride out and scour the county until my children are found."
"I'll get the horses ready," Nephrite announced.
"And a mare for the princess," Jadeite said, not bothering to turn around when he said it.
Nephrite simply glanced over at the princess's smiling face and then made his way out to the stables.
"We will find them, Jadeite," Endymion said softly.
Jadeite nodded then turned to look at Rei. "I know we'll find them. . .I just don't know what else we'll find. . ."
* * *
She could feel his eyes on her as she stood by the pool of water. She felt his presence the entire three days they had been on horseback searching the country for any signs of his children. She had stood beside him when they passed the battlefield where Rodney had almost lost his life and where two innocent young lives were captured. She felt the cold air spin around him when he saw the blue sash that should have been around a little boy's waist, lying forgotten in the dirt beside a fallen horse. She saw his eyes darken and felt his hand reach for hers. She had never been surrounded by so much sorrow and death before. She had fought great battles with the other senshi, had defeated great evils, but never had she seen the work of humans and their greed. It felt odd to be engulfed in all the heartache and wretchedness, but she did not want to leave Jadeite's side, not after all that he had been through.
After they had made their stop at the land of littered dead, as Nephrite preferred to call it, they traveled over and around the forests of Spain. They dipped into caves that were only big enough to hold a rabbit or two and they rounded the same area five times. No signs of a camp were seen. No horse prints were detected in the sandy soil. There was nothing to base any guesses on. Rei felt Jadeite's hope lessen and lessen as the three days passed by in a mindless whirl. She couldn't let him lose hope. She knew his children were alive. For how much longer, she dared not seek out.
And now, as she stood beside the pool of water, a white rose clutched tightly in her hand, she felt his hot eyes on her. Eyes that would devour her if given the chance. She did not want to be consumed by those eyes, she would have rather consumed him with her own. "I know. . ." she said softly. She wasn't aware the words even slipped out until she heard them bounce off the water's surface and back to her own ears. Why had she said those words? They held no meaning to her.
"What is it you know?" Jadeite asked, stepping out of the trees and coming to stand beside her.
"I know what you're thinking. . ." she said.
"Do you?"
"Yes.and I don't think it's the appropriate place for it. . ."
Jadeite smiled softly at her reflection in the water before shrugging. "I was thinking of taking a bath in this nice cool pool, but if you think it would be inappropriate for me to cleanse myself, then I will continue to sweat in these forests until my stench has made you reconsider your thoughts."
Rei frowned down at his reflection and tossed the rose into the pool. "I was mistaken."
"Oh, so the princess has more flaws."
"We are all flawed," she shot back.
"Yes, aren't we? You betray me and-"
The sound of her slap reverberated off the trees and rang in his ears. "I told you I had no choice. Why don't you let it alone?"
Jadeite heaved a sigh and turned to look back at that water. "I am sorry, Rei. . .I don't seem to be quite myself. . ."
Her temper cooled when the words fell from his mouth. She was being short with him. Wasn't she out here trying to help him find his children? She shouldn't be slapping him and issuing insults at him when all he was doing was trying to relieve the stress that weighed him down. "I'm sorry, Jadeite. I didn't mean to get so harsh with you. . .I suppose I'm just worried about your children as well."
Jadeite turned to look at her as he rubbed his reddening cheek and gave her a smile that melted her heart. "Thank you," he said softly.
Rei smiled at him then turned away quickly to look back down into the water. "I suppose I should let you bathe in privacy," she said with a slight blush staining her cheeks. When he didn't immediately give her a response, she turned to find him disrobing beside her. His gaze never left her own while he pulled his lawn shirt over his head. "What are you doing?" she cried turning away abruptly.
With a sigh, Jadeite stripped out of his breeches and dove into the water. He was going to try and make love to his precious firebird tonight and she would not deny him. He had been thinking about this all day while they rode endlessly through the hot forests of Spain. He was usually so consumed with worry and uncertainty while he searched for his children, but today he felt urgency in him that he could not deny. He wanted to find his children, certainly he did, any father would worry endlessly about his children and seek to find them, but for some reason, a strange fire had been building inside him today. Every time he set his gaze on the lovely Rei, he felt his heart race and his palms itch. He wanted her with a force he could not contain. Even as he thought about her, standing as stiff as a statue at the edge of the pool, he felt the presence of his children flit in his mind. He knew they were safe, at least he knew that no harm would come to them this night. He needed a distraction, needed to lose himself so he could focus better. As it was, he could think of very little than pleasuring his princess. "Rei. . .you may turn around now," he called out to her.
Rei put on a glare that would have felled any normal human then turned around to find Jadeite waist deep in the clear waters of the pool. "What are you doing, sire? This is highly uncalled for! Just think of the others who are not far from here! What will they do when they see you swimming in this water. . .naked no less!" she cried.
Jadeite smiled devilishly at her and without issuing a warning, he dove at her ankles and pulled her into the chilly waters. He heard her gasp, felt her hands claw his back in an attempt to regain her balance then felt the smooth softness of her gown wrap around his legs. He let go of her ankles as soon as she fell into the water then grasped her slim waist between his hands. "No one will know I'm here. . .so long as you do not go and tell them," he said softly.
Rei rose a hand and shoved the hair from her face as gracelessly as possible. "That was terrible of you," she said.
Jadeite merely smiled and pulled her closer to him. "I know. . ."
Rei pushed at his shoulders in an effort to be let go, but Jadeite only made his grip firmer. "You are not going to let me go, are you?" she asked with a glare.
Jed squeezed her in response. "It was very easy to get you in here, I will not let you out with the same," he said playfully.
Rei looked around her at the silent trees, the waterfall that splashed into the pool of water, the piles of rock that had positioned themselves near the fall and around the pool. This was a very secluded place and she knew that if she tried to cry out for help, no one would come to them. Endymion and Nephrite were probably in on Jadeite's little tick and would not send any men to come and see where the missing prince and princess had gone. "What will you do with me now that you have me?" she asked with a sigh.
He smiled gently at her and began to stroke her back in lazy circles. He could feel her relaxing against him and reveled in that. "I was thinking of taking that gown off of you and teaching you how to swim," he said to her.
She scoffed at that idea. "I am sorry to inform you, sir, that I already learned how to swim. And I'm probably a much better swimmer than you," she boasted.
"Oh really?"
"Yes, without a doubt in my mind."
"Where, pray tell, did you learn to swim?"
"On the moon, of course. With the princess Ami watching over us."
"Us?"
She rolled her eyes toward the darkening sky and loosened her grip on his shoulders. "Do you know nothing of the sailor senshi?" she asked incredulously.
"Enlighten me."
"The princesses of the inner planets! Are you so daft that you do not even know that?" she asked.
Jadeite let his hands trail below her waist and onto her belly before he continued. She was staring at him as if he had lost his brain somewhere in all the heat-and he knew he probably had. He let his thumbs stroke small circles on her hip bones and then slowly brought his body closer to hers, ensuring that the very tips of her breasts beneath the wet silk made contact with his chest. "I have heard of them," he said finally.
Rei had stopped thinking about the other senshi the moment his chest touched her own. She felt those sensations begin to flood her. The same ones that turned her into nothing but liquid fire if they were allowed to get out of control, and she knew Jadeite would try and make her melt inside if she didn't get away. She tried to pull herself away from him when he pressed harder against her, but her efforts were futile. She wasn't strong enough to escape his gentle hold.nor did she want to. "I do not think we should be doing this," she said softly.
Jadeite leaned forward and nuzzled her neck. "What should we not do?" he asked gently.
She bit her lip and cocked her head to the side to give him easier access then gave a little sigh. "This is not the place," she said.
"I think this is perfect," Jadeite said simply. "The stars are beginning to twinkle in the sky. The moon is as bright as the sun and the crickets are singing to you. The owl is hooting a lovely harmony and.if you listen closely, you can hear the sound of two lovers in a pool of water," he whispered the last part hotly into her ear.
Rei stretched her toes slightly and only then realized that she was not on the bottom of the pool, but that she was being supported by nothing but the water itself. Either it was the water or it was Jadeite and he had somehow twisted a spell around her head without her realizing it and she was now floating in a warm circle of desire. The thoughts left her mind when she felt Jadeite begin to raise the gown higher up on her leg.
He gently slipped a hand beneath the white silk and into the white chemise and began to rake the inside her thigh with feather light caresses. He then lowered his head and raised his other hand so that he could pull down the fabric of her gown and chemise and kiss the mounds of her breasts. She was soft and sweet and he found himself losing control quickly. How did she do this to him? He could feel the urgency in his chest, felt it pressing against him until he could contain it no longer. With a growl, he pulled his mouth away from her tantalizing breasts and wove a hand in a circle above their heads. Within the blink of an eye they were lying on a bed of soft, moist green moss that lay ensconced behind the waterfall that Rei had been gazing thoughtfully at only moments before.
Rei had barely felt a twinge of magic reach her when he had transported them from one place to the next. She didn't want to think about it. Only knew that when she opened her eyes she and Jadeite were naked and lying on a bed of the softest moss she had ever had the pleasure to lie on before. He was leaning over her with hot eyes and an equally hot thigh pressed between her own. She felt the fire building in her and she could control it no longer. It was so much stronger than anything she had ever felt before. With a small groan, she raised a hand and threaded it through the hair at his nape, then pulled him down to her so she could feast on his mouth. The mouth that taught her all she knew and the mouth she gloried in. She kissed him with all the passion she felt and tried to pull him closer to her. She could feel the strength in his limbs, the power that was being held back by pure will and she wanted desperately for him to lose all of it. "Come to me," she whispered into his mouth.
He shivered at her words, his body tensing even more than it had only moments before when she pulled him to her. "I can't. . ." he said before he plunged his tongue into her hot and wet mouth. He kissed her deeply, slanting his head one way and then the other until he was satisfied by her gentle moans and sighs of pleasure. He felt her legs rise and spread for him and he found himself settled between them before he knew what was happening. He felt her moist heat before he thought of touching her and immediately pulled back. He wanted this to be perfect for her, wanted her to feel exactly what he was feeling and wanted her to yell for him so loud that the rocks shook.
Slowly, he drew his hand down to her belly and teased her into a response. She bucked up against him and arched her back so that her breasts rubbed against his chest. "Yes, Rei," he sighed as he dipped his hand lower. His finger entered her with a swiftness she was not ready for and he gloried in the quick, indrawn breath that escaped her lips. He bent his head down and drew one of her taut nipples into his mouth and sucked so tenderly that she clawed his back in an effort to get him to give her what she truly wanted. He smiled over that reaction and raked her other nipple with his tongue until he had heard her heart pounding heavily against her chest. He could feel the tensing in her legs, could feel the waves begin their decent on her, but refused to let her come fully to pleasure until he was with her, until he was one with her.
She tired quickly of his game and shifted slightly so that she could run her hand down and around his chest. She loved the sound he made when she accidentally grazed his hardness. She drew small circles around his nipples, painted an arch over his chest and finally massaged and smoothed her hands over his hard belly. She could feel the heat from him and knew he wanted her to touch him, but she reconsidered and glanced up briefly to see how he was handling her innocent caresses. "Can I. . ."
"Can you. . .?" he asked pressing his forehead to hers.
"May I. . ."
"May you. . .?" he teased. He wanted her to say it.
"Will you allow me to touch you?" she finally said. She felt the heat flood her cheeks immediately, but Jadeite wouldn't allow it to go further. He reached down and grasped her hand in his own then-staring deeply into her eyes all the while-wrapped her fingers around his heat. He felt her breath come out in a quickly when he let go of her hand and left her to pleasure him on her own. He gritted his teeth and pressed his face into the crook of her neck. The feelings were incredible.
"Rei. . ."
"Yes, Jadeite?" she said softly.
He didn't give her time to respond. He immediately removed her hand and grasped her hips. He lifted them slightly and forced her to look at him before he slowly inched his way into her opening. "Listen to me, Rei," he said before he fully came into her.
With eyes glazed with passion, she looked into his hot, blue eyes and reached a hand up to smooth it over his cheek. "You are mine," he whispered harshly to her.
"I know. . ." she said.
"You know what?"
"I'm yours," she repeated for him
With a groan of pleasure, he plunged himself into her and moved his mouth onto hers and took her cry of pain into his own body. "Hush, sweetheart," he said as he gently stroked the hair at her temple. "I know it hurts, firebird, but in a moment it will feel as beautiful as you look and your heart will soar and your will feel nothing but pleasure smooth over your skin."
She heaved a sigh and wrapped her arms around his back. "Jed. . ."
He raised his head slightly and looked at her as he stroked her cheek. "Yes, Rei?" he asked.
She moved slightly and was surprised to feel a wave of pleasure wash over her. The pain had been so intense and so hard that she had cried out, but he had caught her cry and took it into himself. She could still feel the small pulses, but they gave her a completely different feeling other than the pain she had felt before. She could feel him filling her, could feel him stretching her and could feel the heat of him spread through her. It was not something she thought she would enjoy, but she found that she wanted more of this new sensation. She moved again and let out a gasp of surprise at the intense pleasure that shot through her. "Jed. . ." she breathed.
He growled deep in his throat and pulled out slightly, only to thrust into her with more force. It felt so wonderful! He could feel her tightening about him, could feel her thighs grip his hips as he moved in and out of her. He leaned down to kiss her deeply and then was surprised when he felt her legs wrap around his waist. "Yes. . ." he breathed into her mouth.
She couldn't stand the pleasure much longer. It was building to a fury she didn't know she could build to. Her entire body tingled with sensation and her mind was beginning to go blank. She wanted desperately to reach the fulfillment he had taught her about before and just as she wrapped her legs about his back and pressed and arched herself into his thrusts, she felt the pleasure rush over her like a magic pool engulfing her. She almost forgot to breathe as her climax seized her. It was more intense than anything she had felt and as she felt the bursting inside her, she cried out his name and pulled him down to her so she could share her pleasure with him.
He couldn't help but follow her into oblivion when she cried out her passion. She was so incredibly responsive it scared him and yet the release that swarmed and pulled at him was beyond anything he had felt before. He thrust faster into her and kissed her as hard as she demanded only to find himself moaning and sighing her name as his own climax came billowing over him like the gray rain clouds that billowed over his home. He plunged into her one last time before he spilled himself and finally collapsed atop her.
It was another few moments before he could speak and when he did he couldn't think of a thing to say. When he could find some words that could flow forth from his mouth, he heard the dreaded call of his name from the other side of the fall. "Damnation," he muttered quietly.
Very slowly, he slipped himself out of his wife and groaned at the renewed pleasure. Rei opened her eyes from her dazed position and raised her hands up to him. He couldn't ignore her request and with a smile, he came back over her and kissed her beautiful mouth one last time before he sat back on his haunches and pulled her up to kneel in front of him. "We are being called," he said gently.
Rei cocked her head to the side and reached out a hand to touch his smooth chest. She couldn't stop touching him. What they had just done was the most wonderful and utterly beautiful thing she had ever experienced. "Who is calling?" she asked slowly.
Jadeite, with an arrogant smile adorning his lips, leaned forward and kissed her forehead before answering her. "The two princes with the worst timing ever," he said.
Rei looked toward the waterfall that ran heavily in front of the cave they knelt in and gave her own smile. "If they arrived five minutes earlier, their timing would be very bad, I should think," she said softly.
Jadeite gave a small chuckle at her wit and helped her to stand. It was while they were standing and she was leaning heavily against him that he realized he had left his clothing by the edge of the pool and her own clothing had materialized into nothing. With a sigh, he waved a hand over the lovely body of his princess and gowned her in a lovely pale violet silk gown and matching slippers. There was a fine line of embroidery on the square neckline that depicted a chain of white roses on a dark green vine. He smiled over his creation and placed a chaste kiss on her nose before he waved a hand over his own nude body, but before the clothing could flow over him, Rei paused his hand in midair and gave him a little grin. "What do you?" he asked playfully.
"You dressed me," she said softly.
"Yes, I did," he replied with a smile
"I'd like to do the same for you," she said matching his smile.
Jadeite raised an eyebrow and then took a step back from her. "Do what you will," he said with arms akimbo.
Rei pursed her lips in thought and then tapped a slender finger to her chin. With a small giggle she stepped toward him and put a finger on the center of his chest then blinked until a small tendril of red fire escaped. Before Jadeite could utter a word, he was dressed in black breeches and a blue lawn shirt with a tiny white embroidered rose on the collar. He wore black knee high boots and a dark blue sash around his waist, but, when Jadeite looked down at the sash encircling his lean waist, he noticed that it was not new. It was the sash he had tied around his son's small waist and the sash that he had picked up from the road when they reached the battle scene. He felt the pain reenter his heart, but refused to be led by it. He looked up at Rei and gave her a smile that made her cheeks flare with color. "Excellent choice," he said.
Rei smiled and turned to walk out of the cave, but paused when she saw the bed of moss that they had lain on. A small gasp escaped her and Jadeite was quickly by her side. "What's wrong?" he asked.
She pointed to the small droplets of blood on the moss and then turned worried eyes up to him. "Was that me?" she asked
He turned away from her for a second and then turned back to her with a smile. "It's all right, firebird. That blood means nothing other than that you are mine," he said.
Rei blinked several times before she allowed what he said to sink into her. She had completely forgotten the promise he made to her during their love making. But how could she trust that? He was a prince who had been married and who had two children. He would never take her for his. In that moment she realized the mistake she had made. No one would want her now. She had given herself freely to a prince who would not have her, thought he said he would.
With a small nod, she turned away from him and gently touched the waterfall until a clear path was made from there to the shore they had met on. "Come," she said softly.
Jadeite followed her to the opening and grasped her arm until she looked at him. "Did you not hear me or do you not believe me?" he asked. When he received no response, he gave her the one he had ready. "You are mine, I did not lie about that."
"You do not mean that," she said with a bite.
Jadeite pulled her closer to him and took a deep breath. "You are mine. . .you are my. . .wife," he said.
Rei's mouth fell open and her eyes grew dark. "What?" she breathed.
"I'm sorry, Rei, I couldn't tell you not when-"
"Jadeite!"
Jed turned to look out at the pool where his discarded clothing lay and saw Endymion and Nephrite running toward them hurriedly. He looked down at the shocked princess and stroked a hand over her cheek, but she pulled away quickly before his hand made contact with her flesh. "Rei. . ."
"Jadeite! Quickly, man! Get down here!"
Jadeite had no choice but to obey his prince. He grasped Rei around the waist before she could protest and then closed his eyes. Within seconds they were standing before Endymion. Rei pulled away from Jadeite and stood beside Endymion and Jed felt something in him hit hard against his chest.
Endymion didn't comment on Rei's behavior and instead pointed toward their camp. "That woman is here!"
"What woman?"
"That blonde bitch with the hot eyes," Endymion said with a fury that Jadeite had not seen before.
"Lily?" Jadeite questioned.
"Unfortunately, yes," Nephrite said from behind.
Jadeite frowned slightly and traveled back to the camp with the others with nothing in his mind but Rei's reaction to his confession of their marriage. He wondered what was running through her head at this moment.
"Oh Jadeite!" he heard someone call to him when he had set food into the camp. Before he knew it, Lily was flying at him with her arms stretched outward. He could feel his firebird's eyes grow hot on his back behind him and he stepped slightly back so that her arms landed in his hands. "Lily? What do you here?" he asked with a frown.
"It's so horrible!" she cried, trying to put her arms around his neck.
He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Rei walk slowly toward the tent that Endymion had ordered put up for her. It was between his own and Jadeite's. Jadeite could see Endymion and Nephrite glaring at the woman who was trying to win Jadeite's favor and he felt his own anger rise. Why was all of this happening to him? "What is it, Lily?" he asked menacingly.
Lily finally took the hint that he did not want her fawning over him and took a step back. "When you left, I was attacked in a courtyard by a serving boy with a knife," she said with tears in her eyes.
"Get on with it," Nephrite growled.
She glared hotly at him before turning her attention to Jadeite. "He gave me a missive and told me to give it to you as soon as possible. I hired a man to track you and here I am."
"Give him the missive," Endymion said.
Lily rose her chin up a little higher and reached into the bodice of her gown to extract a small piece of parchment with a simple wax seal. Jadeite tore it open and read the neat script that was written in black soot. He had to read it again in order to completely understand and believe what it read.
"What does it say, Jadeite," Endymion asked.
"I have your children. . ." Jadeite read, ". . .I want the princess of Mars or your children will be killed."
All were silent, even the raven-haired princess who had stepped out of her tent to watch the scene. She saw Jadeite's eyes turn ice blue and saw his fist clench around the parchment. She felt her own heart stop and her palms grow cold. Who was this evil creature?
* * *
The paintbrush danced over the canvas, smoothing over angles and dipping into corners. The green paint was lush and bold and formed the most beautiful foliage. He dipped the brush into the cup of water that had been gathered from the stream and then rolled it in the sky blue that he had mixed earlier. He stroked the brush over the top of the canvas, dragged it across and around the green. His hand moved with a mind of its own. It jumped over colors, sprayed shades and cast shadows. His blue eyes absorbed the blue of the canvas, his breathing quickened. It was going to be a masterpiece. His arm moved again and before he could even blink, the image came blazing to life.
It was his home. The home that he had painted for Belle that night he sent them away with Rodney.
He was standing in the field of tall grasses, staring directly at the ivy covered brick house. The gravel drive was paved perfectly; the trees tall and strong beside the house. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scents. Clean air, fresh blooming flowers and crystal clear water filled his senses. He was overwhelmed by the beauty of the place; it was even more amazing than his painting.
A tinkling sound filled his ears as he stood there taking in the smells, feeling the wind whirl around his body and lift his hair off his forehead. It was the delicate sound of laughter that made his heart lift and made his face break out into a genuine smile of happiness. This was his home. This was where he wanted to be.
He opened his eyes and looked about the scene. As he stared at the front of the house, a lithe figure slipped from behind the door. She was dressed in a white concoction of silk hemmed with a line of dark, blood red. She was the most exquisite creature he had ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on. She was smiling brightly, a crown of white daisies and roses fell delicately over her head. Her raven hair fell soft and gently against her back, strands fell over her shoulder and brushed against those silk clad breasts. Her eyes were bright with violet fire and they sparkled with light. The silk dress flew about in layers around her slender legs as she gracefully made her way down the front steps of the grand home and ran into the meadow.
Behind her two small figures leaped and screamed and laughed and sang. Jadeite felt his chest swell just looking at them.
His children.
Tiny Belle was skipping quickly behind her brother, her blonde curls flapping up and down on her back, small daisies clinging to those curls like little jewels. She wore a white satin dress trimmed with a very girlish lace. Hawk ran in front of her, a pair of blue breeches covering his young legs and a white linen shirt flowing about him in the wind. They were both chasing his lovely raven-haired goddess. They were smiling and shouting her name. "Mama!" he heard Belle shout and Jadeite felt a tightening in his chest so deep that he wanted to wrap in and around himself and just cling to that one word for all eternity.
Without a thought, he ran toward Rei and grabbed her hand. "Goddess," he whispered.
"Jed. . ." she said with a smile. "We must not let the children catch us," she said happily. She let go of his hand and ran ahead, the children close at her heals. "Quickly, here they come!" she called out as the two laughing angels slipped easily past him.
Jadeite let out a shout of laughter and started chasing the group. But as he ran, he got further and further. They ran faster and faster until all he saw were three specks of white in the distance. "Rei!" he called out to no avail. "Hawk! Belle!" But no one heard him. He heard laughter as he ran uselessly.
Then all was silent.
"Rei! Hawk, Bell!" he shouted. The wind began to pick up. The sky darkened over a sun that protested. He felt a chill run up his back and back down again. His heart stopped beating and his mouth went dry. What was going on here?
"Jadeite. . ."
He spun around on his heal so quickly that the wind protested and danced around him. "Who's there?" he shouted.
"Jadeite. . ."
"Who the hell are you?"
"You mustn't give up. . ."
Jadeite felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His voice was harsh when he spoke and he almost regretted it until he happened to look through the swaying trees and into the red eyes of his moon maiden. "You. . ." he gasped softly. He didn't understand what was happening. His moon maiden never approached him when he was on earth. He had always gone to her on the moon to seek release from his trying days. "What do you here?" he asked.
He could barely see her. She was standing behind those trees, only her white gown visible. And those eyes. . .those eyes that haunted him when he was awake, yet strangely, as he looked at them he could not see eyes of pure ruby red, but eyes of soft, warm violet, smiling up at him with such trust, he felt his heart expand to fill his entire chest. "I don't understand," he said shaking the image away.
"You mustn't give up."
"Why are you saying that?" he asked with a frown. "Do you know where Rei is?"
The maiden cocked her head to the side and blinked those eyes at him. "She is beside you," she said gently.
Jadeite shook his head and pointed in the direction that Rei and his children had run off to. "She is gone. I saw her run away from me. . .where is she?"
The maiden was silent.
"Tell me where she is!" he shouted. He could feel the fear engulfing him. He didn't like feeling this helpless and scared, it dulled his senses. "Please. . .tell me," he finally pleaded.
"I cannot help you. . ." she whispered. A light began filtering through the trees and enclosed her in its brightness.
"No. . .where are you going? Stop!" he cried as her body took on that of the light and she turned into nothing but a floating memory. Jadeite fell to his knees when the light faded; the wind swirled past him and sent twigs and leaves crashing into his chest. Why was everyone leaving? "Rei. . ." he breathed. "Rei. . ."
"Jed?"
He turned his head in all directions trying to find where her voice came from. "Rei?"
"Jed. . .open your eyes. . ."
He didn't want to, knew that if he did, all he would see was a dark forest with wind and cold racing each other to beat down on him. "I can't. . ." he sighed.
"Please, Jed. . ."
He felt a kiss on his forehead and one on his nose. His goddess was kissing him awake. How could he ignore that? With a grimace, he opened his eyes, expecting to see the forest from his memory, but what he saw made his heart speed up and his mind race. "Rei!" he cried, bolting up in bed and pulling her to him.
She clutched him to her as hard as he held her and pressed her ear to his chest. His heart was beating quickly. "You called my name while you slept. . ." she said softly.
He stroked her hair back, ensuring himself that she really was there and that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. "It was a dream. . ." he whispered hoarsely. "A very real and frightening dream. . ."
Rei didn't know what to make of his statement. She didn't want to approach the subject if he was so upset about it.
He pulled away before her thoughts could take her any where else. "We must start," he said quickly.
She watched him run a hand over his chest and grasp hold of his white shirt. Before she could even blink, he was dressed in dark blue breeches and a white lawn shirt. There were a pair of black knee high boots adorning his feet and a thin blue cloak hug loose on his shoulders. "It is best that we start early. . ." he said over his shoulder.
Rei quickly jumped out of bed after him and waved her own hand over her body. She hadn't been allowed to use her powers without restriction in so long that she was skeptical as to if they would work properly. There was no way for her to tell if they had gotten weaker due to their lack of use. With a shake of her head, she gracefully wove her hand in front of her and smoothed it over her chemise. Instantly and with enough light to blind any soul watching, her white chemise turned into a soft, simple white muslin garment with red stitching on the hem; it created a small, beautiful phoenix with a tail that wrapped around the bottom of her dress. A blood red silk ribbon snaked into two braids in her hair that traveled down the length.
Jadeite turned in time to see her brush off an imaginary piece of lint and his voice caught in the back of his throat. Despite the fact that this dress was made of a simple muslin, she looked like the princess she had been all along. The graceful and lithe image of a young beauty stood before him with shining violet eyes and a body that reminded him that he still hadn't preformed his husbandly rights.
"Where will we go first?" she asked him quietly.
He had to shake his head in order for the thoughts to come to him. "First we go find Rodney and see what he knows and how it is he got here so quickly. He arrived only a day after us. . .it should have been later. . .I don't understand."
Rei didn't speak as he led the way to the door. She didn't want to upset him further by speaking about the children that had disappeared. She didn't know them, had never met them before in her life, and yet she felt connected to them in some way. They were such an important aspect in Jadeite's life and the more time she spent with Jadeite, the closer she felt to him and his family. "Perhaps he wasn't as far as you suspected?" she asked softly.
He turned around quickly and looked hard at her. She genuinely cared. He heaved a heavy sigh and the sound broke Rei's heart. "I do not know what to think any more. . ."
Rei nodded and stepped beside him. With a small nod and glance toward the sky, she turned to face him and gave him a brilliant smile. "You will find them, Jadeite."
"How do you know?" he asked her and in those words he had poured so much suffering and so much heart that Rei could not respond, but she forced the words out of her mouth all the same. This man needed hope right now.
"I can feel it, Jed. Just as you can feel the call of Avalon creatures in your veins, I can feel the laughter of your children wash over me and through me. I can sense their tears and I can feel their hearts pounding."
"How?" he asked again.
Rei took her gaze away from him and concentrated on the laces at his neck. She closed her eyes and placed a hand on his heart as her mind wandered back and forth across the dry, hot soil of Spain's earth. She stretched her senses and clawed at the small clues being sent to her, yet could not grasp onto the ones she so desperately wanted to find.
Jadeite watched her closed eyes intently. He knew about the psychic abilities of the Martian people and yet, he had never witnessed a true psychic in her element. He watched her as closely as he could and was surprised to feel her hand on his chest, grasping the material over his heart. Her eyes moved beneath her lids, as if she were looking for something frantically, but could not find it. Her brow was furrowed and her lips were parted. He felt the tension in her hand and through her arm. He wanted to help her, wanted to stand beside her whenever she was faced with troubles such as these.
Slowly he rose his hand until it grasped hers, then he used her other palm to cup her cheek.
In an instant Rei felt a tidal wave of emotion engulf her. She was tossed in and out of feelings like a young bird being tossed from the nest by his mother. She saw anger and rage and hurt all clashing together and melding into one strong and raw emotion. She felt the fear and vulnerability and the absolute uncertainty that enveloped those other emotions. And yet, through all the suffering and the pain, she saw a glimmer of hope nestled safely in the corner of his heart, guarded by a ripple of red fire. "Jed. . ." she whispered softly.
"I'm here, Rei. . ." he whispered back.
She steered away from that corner and dove deeper and deeper until she saw the bubble of happiness that his children's lives existed in. She felt the warmth of them flow over her, felt the joy and the laughter seep into her body. "They are alive. . ." she said softly.
Jadeite bent down slightly so that his ear was a breath away from her mouth for she spoke so softly he was afraid it was the wind telling him his children were alive. "They live. . ." he repeated.
A shiver passed through her that Jadeite could not ignore. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.
Rei pulled away from him and opened her eyes abruptly. Jadeite's hands fell from her and his eyes darkened with worry. "They are crying. . ." she said.
Jadeite didn't even blink, in a second he had grabbed her wrist and was dragging her through a blue mist until they were in the throne room of Nephrite's palace. He didn't even bother explaining to Rei that he was in such a panic that he had conjured up the blue mist that teleported them to their destination. "We must ride," he said as soon as the blue mist had drifted off of their bodies. "There is no time to waste. We must ride. . .now!"
Endymion and Nephrite exchanged a glance before they strode purposefully toward Jadeite. "We have been prodding Rodney for answers," Nephrite said matter-of-factly.
Jed nodded. Rei had no choice but to stand beside him as Nephrite and Endymion gave their account for Jadeite's grip on her wrist was still as tight as ever. "Who exactly is this Rodney fellow?" Rei asked.
Endymion gave Rei a smile and looked back toward Jadeite. Jadeite had a hint of a grin etched on his hard face. It was just like the princess to bring light onto a dark situation. "Rodney is an old friend of Jadeite's," Endymion said.
Rei cocked her head to the side and looked up at the blonde general. "Where is he?" she asked softly.
Jadeite shook his head and gave her hand a little squeeze. "We will not bring Rodney out for you to see, Rei.he is not in any condition to speak with you."
"I would like to see him."
"No."
"Endy, I'd like to see Rodney," she said gently, never taking her gaze away from Jadeite.
Endymion hid a smile and nodded toward Nephrite.
Nephrite waved a hand toward the guard and then turned back to the princess. "The guard will bring him in shortly. In the mean time, won't you sit, princess?" he asked pointing to a lovely, high-backed chair.
She waved away the idea and continued to stand beside Jadeite. He needed someone to hold him during this time. "I would prefer to stand," she said gently.
"As you wish, princess," Nephrite replied.
Rei turned to look at Jadeite as Nephrite and Endymion tried to tell their version of what happened while speaking with Rodney. She noticed the slight tick in his cheek and the strength of his grip on her wrist.
"And he told us that he didn't know where the children where when he was struck on the head," Endymion said.
Rei noticed that Jadeite didn't bother to acknowledge the man. He was being extremely calm and Rei knew that if he didn't find a release soon, he would be raging.
Just as she was thinking of ways to try and direct Endymion and Nephrite's attention to something else, the guard came in supporting a red-haired man with bandages covering half of his body. Rei didn't allow the shock to show on her face, for then she knew that the men would refuse to let her talk to him. She needed to help Jadeite right now and she didn't want to give up on that task.
When the guard had gotten the man into the throne room and set him in a chair, he immediately turned to walk away and Rodney's head lifted up to meet the gaze of the group. "Princess Rei!" he cried loudly, then tried to stand.
"Please, do not try and get up, sir," Rei said smoothly. She gently disengaged herself from Jadeite and slowly made her way to the injured man. "I am happy to see that you are not harmed more than you are," she whispered to him.
Rodney looked up at the other men who didn't move then back up at the lovely princess who was bending over him. "I am honored to be able to gaze upon you," he said.
She scoffed with laughter before bending down to stare at him. "I need your help," she said.
"If a humble and lowly man, like myself, can help you, I will try and do anything you wish," he replied.
Rei nodded and placed her hand on his own bandaged one. "What do you remember about the kidnapping?" she asked bluntly.
Rodney shook his head and looked back at the men. "I don't remember anything other than what I told Prince Endymion and Prince Nephrite."
"I know you remember more," she stated.
"But I don't, princess."
"You will remember," she said.
Rodney frowned slightly and looked down at her delicate hand on his own. "I certainly wish I could help you, princess, but I do not believe I can."
Rei smiled and brushed the hair back from Rodney's forehead. She gently traced a small scratch above his right eye and then drew a line down his bruised cheek. Her eyelids dropped and her breathing deepened. She was drawing away from everyone and everything and drawing herself into and through Rodney's mind. Her hand was resting gently on his hand and her other was pressed against the pulse in his neck. "You have a very active mind," she said softly.
Rodney did not hear her nor did Endymion or Nephrite. But Jadeite heard her loud and clear; almost as if he were in her mind with her. It was the oddest sensation. "Rei. . ." he breathed.
Endymion and Nephrite turned to look at Jadeite and both frowned. "What's wrong? Your color has drained," Nephrite said.
Jadeite shook his head and then looked back at the scene before him.
"Yes. . .I can see it. . ." Rei whispered.
Jadeite closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could hear her speaking, could feel the chill that slipped through her body as she stood in that forest looking over the fighting that ensued. "I don't want you in there. . ." he said to her.
"Don't want who where?" Endymion prodded.
Jadeite ignored them as best he could and stared directly at Rei. "I want you back here, Rei. . .not in that mess."
"There are many people, Jed, many people. They are fighting, every last one of them are fighting."
He gave up. "Do you see them?" he asked.
If one were to stand in front of the princess at that moment, they would see the frown that etched her brow and they would see the shiver that raced through her body. "I see them. . .they are being taken away by a cloaked figure. And he has power, for even in this dream world I cannot make him turn around to look at me." With a mental sigh, she pulled away from Rodney and stood up gracefully. "I'm sorry, Jadeite. . ." she whispered.
Jadeite shook his head and turned to look out one of the great windows. There was a time when he would have loved to stand in front of those windows and paint pictures in his head until he had time to run back to his room and put them all on canvas. He wished desperately that he could be taken to those times again. "We will ride out and scour the county until my children are found."
"I'll get the horses ready," Nephrite announced.
"And a mare for the princess," Jadeite said, not bothering to turn around when he said it.
Nephrite simply glanced over at the princess's smiling face and then made his way out to the stables.
"We will find them, Jadeite," Endymion said softly.
Jadeite nodded then turned to look at Rei. "I know we'll find them. . .I just don't know what else we'll find. . ."
* * *
She could feel his eyes on her as she stood by the pool of water. She felt his presence the entire three days they had been on horseback searching the country for any signs of his children. She had stood beside him when they passed the battlefield where Rodney had almost lost his life and where two innocent young lives were captured. She felt the cold air spin around him when he saw the blue sash that should have been around a little boy's waist, lying forgotten in the dirt beside a fallen horse. She saw his eyes darken and felt his hand reach for hers. She had never been surrounded by so much sorrow and death before. She had fought great battles with the other senshi, had defeated great evils, but never had she seen the work of humans and their greed. It felt odd to be engulfed in all the heartache and wretchedness, but she did not want to leave Jadeite's side, not after all that he had been through.
After they had made their stop at the land of littered dead, as Nephrite preferred to call it, they traveled over and around the forests of Spain. They dipped into caves that were only big enough to hold a rabbit or two and they rounded the same area five times. No signs of a camp were seen. No horse prints were detected in the sandy soil. There was nothing to base any guesses on. Rei felt Jadeite's hope lessen and lessen as the three days passed by in a mindless whirl. She couldn't let him lose hope. She knew his children were alive. For how much longer, she dared not seek out.
And now, as she stood beside the pool of water, a white rose clutched tightly in her hand, she felt his hot eyes on her. Eyes that would devour her if given the chance. She did not want to be consumed by those eyes, she would have rather consumed him with her own. "I know. . ." she said softly. She wasn't aware the words even slipped out until she heard them bounce off the water's surface and back to her own ears. Why had she said those words? They held no meaning to her.
"What is it you know?" Jadeite asked, stepping out of the trees and coming to stand beside her.
"I know what you're thinking. . ." she said.
"Do you?"
"Yes.and I don't think it's the appropriate place for it. . ."
Jadeite smiled softly at her reflection in the water before shrugging. "I was thinking of taking a bath in this nice cool pool, but if you think it would be inappropriate for me to cleanse myself, then I will continue to sweat in these forests until my stench has made you reconsider your thoughts."
Rei frowned down at his reflection and tossed the rose into the pool. "I was mistaken."
"Oh, so the princess has more flaws."
"We are all flawed," she shot back.
"Yes, aren't we? You betray me and-"
The sound of her slap reverberated off the trees and rang in his ears. "I told you I had no choice. Why don't you let it alone?"
Jadeite heaved a sigh and turned to look back at that water. "I am sorry, Rei. . .I don't seem to be quite myself. . ."
Her temper cooled when the words fell from his mouth. She was being short with him. Wasn't she out here trying to help him find his children? She shouldn't be slapping him and issuing insults at him when all he was doing was trying to relieve the stress that weighed him down. "I'm sorry, Jadeite. I didn't mean to get so harsh with you. . .I suppose I'm just worried about your children as well."
Jadeite turned to look at her as he rubbed his reddening cheek and gave her a smile that melted her heart. "Thank you," he said softly.
Rei smiled at him then turned away quickly to look back down into the water. "I suppose I should let you bathe in privacy," she said with a slight blush staining her cheeks. When he didn't immediately give her a response, she turned to find him disrobing beside her. His gaze never left her own while he pulled his lawn shirt over his head. "What are you doing?" she cried turning away abruptly.
With a sigh, Jadeite stripped out of his breeches and dove into the water. He was going to try and make love to his precious firebird tonight and she would not deny him. He had been thinking about this all day while they rode endlessly through the hot forests of Spain. He was usually so consumed with worry and uncertainty while he searched for his children, but today he felt urgency in him that he could not deny. He wanted to find his children, certainly he did, any father would worry endlessly about his children and seek to find them, but for some reason, a strange fire had been building inside him today. Every time he set his gaze on the lovely Rei, he felt his heart race and his palms itch. He wanted her with a force he could not contain. Even as he thought about her, standing as stiff as a statue at the edge of the pool, he felt the presence of his children flit in his mind. He knew they were safe, at least he knew that no harm would come to them this night. He needed a distraction, needed to lose himself so he could focus better. As it was, he could think of very little than pleasuring his princess. "Rei. . .you may turn around now," he called out to her.
Rei put on a glare that would have felled any normal human then turned around to find Jadeite waist deep in the clear waters of the pool. "What are you doing, sire? This is highly uncalled for! Just think of the others who are not far from here! What will they do when they see you swimming in this water. . .naked no less!" she cried.
Jadeite smiled devilishly at her and without issuing a warning, he dove at her ankles and pulled her into the chilly waters. He heard her gasp, felt her hands claw his back in an attempt to regain her balance then felt the smooth softness of her gown wrap around his legs. He let go of her ankles as soon as she fell into the water then grasped her slim waist between his hands. "No one will know I'm here. . .so long as you do not go and tell them," he said softly.
Rei rose a hand and shoved the hair from her face as gracelessly as possible. "That was terrible of you," she said.
Jadeite merely smiled and pulled her closer to him. "I know. . ."
Rei pushed at his shoulders in an effort to be let go, but Jadeite only made his grip firmer. "You are not going to let me go, are you?" she asked with a glare.
Jed squeezed her in response. "It was very easy to get you in here, I will not let you out with the same," he said playfully.
Rei looked around her at the silent trees, the waterfall that splashed into the pool of water, the piles of rock that had positioned themselves near the fall and around the pool. This was a very secluded place and she knew that if she tried to cry out for help, no one would come to them. Endymion and Nephrite were probably in on Jadeite's little tick and would not send any men to come and see where the missing prince and princess had gone. "What will you do with me now that you have me?" she asked with a sigh.
He smiled gently at her and began to stroke her back in lazy circles. He could feel her relaxing against him and reveled in that. "I was thinking of taking that gown off of you and teaching you how to swim," he said to her.
She scoffed at that idea. "I am sorry to inform you, sir, that I already learned how to swim. And I'm probably a much better swimmer than you," she boasted.
"Oh really?"
"Yes, without a doubt in my mind."
"Where, pray tell, did you learn to swim?"
"On the moon, of course. With the princess Ami watching over us."
"Us?"
She rolled her eyes toward the darkening sky and loosened her grip on his shoulders. "Do you know nothing of the sailor senshi?" she asked incredulously.
"Enlighten me."
"The princesses of the inner planets! Are you so daft that you do not even know that?" she asked.
Jadeite let his hands trail below her waist and onto her belly before he continued. She was staring at him as if he had lost his brain somewhere in all the heat-and he knew he probably had. He let his thumbs stroke small circles on her hip bones and then slowly brought his body closer to hers, ensuring that the very tips of her breasts beneath the wet silk made contact with his chest. "I have heard of them," he said finally.
Rei had stopped thinking about the other senshi the moment his chest touched her own. She felt those sensations begin to flood her. The same ones that turned her into nothing but liquid fire if they were allowed to get out of control, and she knew Jadeite would try and make her melt inside if she didn't get away. She tried to pull herself away from him when he pressed harder against her, but her efforts were futile. She wasn't strong enough to escape his gentle hold.nor did she want to. "I do not think we should be doing this," she said softly.
Jadeite leaned forward and nuzzled her neck. "What should we not do?" he asked gently.
She bit her lip and cocked her head to the side to give him easier access then gave a little sigh. "This is not the place," she said.
"I think this is perfect," Jadeite said simply. "The stars are beginning to twinkle in the sky. The moon is as bright as the sun and the crickets are singing to you. The owl is hooting a lovely harmony and.if you listen closely, you can hear the sound of two lovers in a pool of water," he whispered the last part hotly into her ear.
Rei stretched her toes slightly and only then realized that she was not on the bottom of the pool, but that she was being supported by nothing but the water itself. Either it was the water or it was Jadeite and he had somehow twisted a spell around her head without her realizing it and she was now floating in a warm circle of desire. The thoughts left her mind when she felt Jadeite begin to raise the gown higher up on her leg.
He gently slipped a hand beneath the white silk and into the white chemise and began to rake the inside her thigh with feather light caresses. He then lowered his head and raised his other hand so that he could pull down the fabric of her gown and chemise and kiss the mounds of her breasts. She was soft and sweet and he found himself losing control quickly. How did she do this to him? He could feel the urgency in his chest, felt it pressing against him until he could contain it no longer. With a growl, he pulled his mouth away from her tantalizing breasts and wove a hand in a circle above their heads. Within the blink of an eye they were lying on a bed of soft, moist green moss that lay ensconced behind the waterfall that Rei had been gazing thoughtfully at only moments before.
Rei had barely felt a twinge of magic reach her when he had transported them from one place to the next. She didn't want to think about it. Only knew that when she opened her eyes she and Jadeite were naked and lying on a bed of the softest moss she had ever had the pleasure to lie on before. He was leaning over her with hot eyes and an equally hot thigh pressed between her own. She felt the fire building in her and she could control it no longer. It was so much stronger than anything she had ever felt before. With a small groan, she raised a hand and threaded it through the hair at his nape, then pulled him down to her so she could feast on his mouth. The mouth that taught her all she knew and the mouth she gloried in. She kissed him with all the passion she felt and tried to pull him closer to her. She could feel the strength in his limbs, the power that was being held back by pure will and she wanted desperately for him to lose all of it. "Come to me," she whispered into his mouth.
He shivered at her words, his body tensing even more than it had only moments before when she pulled him to her. "I can't. . ." he said before he plunged his tongue into her hot and wet mouth. He kissed her deeply, slanting his head one way and then the other until he was satisfied by her gentle moans and sighs of pleasure. He felt her legs rise and spread for him and he found himself settled between them before he knew what was happening. He felt her moist heat before he thought of touching her and immediately pulled back. He wanted this to be perfect for her, wanted her to feel exactly what he was feeling and wanted her to yell for him so loud that the rocks shook.
Slowly, he drew his hand down to her belly and teased her into a response. She bucked up against him and arched her back so that her breasts rubbed against his chest. "Yes, Rei," he sighed as he dipped his hand lower. His finger entered her with a swiftness she was not ready for and he gloried in the quick, indrawn breath that escaped her lips. He bent his head down and drew one of her taut nipples into his mouth and sucked so tenderly that she clawed his back in an effort to get him to give her what she truly wanted. He smiled over that reaction and raked her other nipple with his tongue until he had heard her heart pounding heavily against her chest. He could feel the tensing in her legs, could feel the waves begin their decent on her, but refused to let her come fully to pleasure until he was with her, until he was one with her.
She tired quickly of his game and shifted slightly so that she could run her hand down and around his chest. She loved the sound he made when she accidentally grazed his hardness. She drew small circles around his nipples, painted an arch over his chest and finally massaged and smoothed her hands over his hard belly. She could feel the heat from him and knew he wanted her to touch him, but she reconsidered and glanced up briefly to see how he was handling her innocent caresses. "Can I. . ."
"Can you. . .?" he asked pressing his forehead to hers.
"May I. . ."
"May you. . .?" he teased. He wanted her to say it.
"Will you allow me to touch you?" she finally said. She felt the heat flood her cheeks immediately, but Jadeite wouldn't allow it to go further. He reached down and grasped her hand in his own then-staring deeply into her eyes all the while-wrapped her fingers around his heat. He felt her breath come out in a quickly when he let go of her hand and left her to pleasure him on her own. He gritted his teeth and pressed his face into the crook of her neck. The feelings were incredible.
"Rei. . ."
"Yes, Jadeite?" she said softly.
He didn't give her time to respond. He immediately removed her hand and grasped her hips. He lifted them slightly and forced her to look at him before he slowly inched his way into her opening. "Listen to me, Rei," he said before he fully came into her.
With eyes glazed with passion, she looked into his hot, blue eyes and reached a hand up to smooth it over his cheek. "You are mine," he whispered harshly to her.
"I know. . ." she said.
"You know what?"
"I'm yours," she repeated for him
With a groan of pleasure, he plunged himself into her and moved his mouth onto hers and took her cry of pain into his own body. "Hush, sweetheart," he said as he gently stroked the hair at her temple. "I know it hurts, firebird, but in a moment it will feel as beautiful as you look and your heart will soar and your will feel nothing but pleasure smooth over your skin."
She heaved a sigh and wrapped her arms around his back. "Jed. . ."
He raised his head slightly and looked at her as he stroked her cheek. "Yes, Rei?" he asked.
She moved slightly and was surprised to feel a wave of pleasure wash over her. The pain had been so intense and so hard that she had cried out, but he had caught her cry and took it into himself. She could still feel the small pulses, but they gave her a completely different feeling other than the pain she had felt before. She could feel him filling her, could feel him stretching her and could feel the heat of him spread through her. It was not something she thought she would enjoy, but she found that she wanted more of this new sensation. She moved again and let out a gasp of surprise at the intense pleasure that shot through her. "Jed. . ." she breathed.
He growled deep in his throat and pulled out slightly, only to thrust into her with more force. It felt so wonderful! He could feel her tightening about him, could feel her thighs grip his hips as he moved in and out of her. He leaned down to kiss her deeply and then was surprised when he felt her legs wrap around his waist. "Yes. . ." he breathed into her mouth.
She couldn't stand the pleasure much longer. It was building to a fury she didn't know she could build to. Her entire body tingled with sensation and her mind was beginning to go blank. She wanted desperately to reach the fulfillment he had taught her about before and just as she wrapped her legs about his back and pressed and arched herself into his thrusts, she felt the pleasure rush over her like a magic pool engulfing her. She almost forgot to breathe as her climax seized her. It was more intense than anything she had felt and as she felt the bursting inside her, she cried out his name and pulled him down to her so she could share her pleasure with him.
He couldn't help but follow her into oblivion when she cried out her passion. She was so incredibly responsive it scared him and yet the release that swarmed and pulled at him was beyond anything he had felt before. He thrust faster into her and kissed her as hard as she demanded only to find himself moaning and sighing her name as his own climax came billowing over him like the gray rain clouds that billowed over his home. He plunged into her one last time before he spilled himself and finally collapsed atop her.
It was another few moments before he could speak and when he did he couldn't think of a thing to say. When he could find some words that could flow forth from his mouth, he heard the dreaded call of his name from the other side of the fall. "Damnation," he muttered quietly.
Very slowly, he slipped himself out of his wife and groaned at the renewed pleasure. Rei opened her eyes from her dazed position and raised her hands up to him. He couldn't ignore her request and with a smile, he came back over her and kissed her beautiful mouth one last time before he sat back on his haunches and pulled her up to kneel in front of him. "We are being called," he said gently.
Rei cocked her head to the side and reached out a hand to touch his smooth chest. She couldn't stop touching him. What they had just done was the most wonderful and utterly beautiful thing she had ever experienced. "Who is calling?" she asked slowly.
Jadeite, with an arrogant smile adorning his lips, leaned forward and kissed her forehead before answering her. "The two princes with the worst timing ever," he said.
Rei looked toward the waterfall that ran heavily in front of the cave they knelt in and gave her own smile. "If they arrived five minutes earlier, their timing would be very bad, I should think," she said softly.
Jadeite gave a small chuckle at her wit and helped her to stand. It was while they were standing and she was leaning heavily against him that he realized he had left his clothing by the edge of the pool and her own clothing had materialized into nothing. With a sigh, he waved a hand over the lovely body of his princess and gowned her in a lovely pale violet silk gown and matching slippers. There was a fine line of embroidery on the square neckline that depicted a chain of white roses on a dark green vine. He smiled over his creation and placed a chaste kiss on her nose before he waved a hand over his own nude body, but before the clothing could flow over him, Rei paused his hand in midair and gave him a little grin. "What do you?" he asked playfully.
"You dressed me," she said softly.
"Yes, I did," he replied with a smile
"I'd like to do the same for you," she said matching his smile.
Jadeite raised an eyebrow and then took a step back from her. "Do what you will," he said with arms akimbo.
Rei pursed her lips in thought and then tapped a slender finger to her chin. With a small giggle she stepped toward him and put a finger on the center of his chest then blinked until a small tendril of red fire escaped. Before Jadeite could utter a word, he was dressed in black breeches and a blue lawn shirt with a tiny white embroidered rose on the collar. He wore black knee high boots and a dark blue sash around his waist, but, when Jadeite looked down at the sash encircling his lean waist, he noticed that it was not new. It was the sash he had tied around his son's small waist and the sash that he had picked up from the road when they reached the battle scene. He felt the pain reenter his heart, but refused to be led by it. He looked up at Rei and gave her a smile that made her cheeks flare with color. "Excellent choice," he said.
Rei smiled and turned to walk out of the cave, but paused when she saw the bed of moss that they had lain on. A small gasp escaped her and Jadeite was quickly by her side. "What's wrong?" he asked.
She pointed to the small droplets of blood on the moss and then turned worried eyes up to him. "Was that me?" she asked
He turned away from her for a second and then turned back to her with a smile. "It's all right, firebird. That blood means nothing other than that you are mine," he said.
Rei blinked several times before she allowed what he said to sink into her. She had completely forgotten the promise he made to her during their love making. But how could she trust that? He was a prince who had been married and who had two children. He would never take her for his. In that moment she realized the mistake she had made. No one would want her now. She had given herself freely to a prince who would not have her, thought he said he would.
With a small nod, she turned away from him and gently touched the waterfall until a clear path was made from there to the shore they had met on. "Come," she said softly.
Jadeite followed her to the opening and grasped her arm until she looked at him. "Did you not hear me or do you not believe me?" he asked. When he received no response, he gave her the one he had ready. "You are mine, I did not lie about that."
"You do not mean that," she said with a bite.
Jadeite pulled her closer to him and took a deep breath. "You are mine. . .you are my. . .wife," he said.
Rei's mouth fell open and her eyes grew dark. "What?" she breathed.
"I'm sorry, Rei, I couldn't tell you not when-"
"Jadeite!"
Jed turned to look out at the pool where his discarded clothing lay and saw Endymion and Nephrite running toward them hurriedly. He looked down at the shocked princess and stroked a hand over her cheek, but she pulled away quickly before his hand made contact with her flesh. "Rei. . ."
"Jadeite! Quickly, man! Get down here!"
Jadeite had no choice but to obey his prince. He grasped Rei around the waist before she could protest and then closed his eyes. Within seconds they were standing before Endymion. Rei pulled away from Jadeite and stood beside Endymion and Jed felt something in him hit hard against his chest.
Endymion didn't comment on Rei's behavior and instead pointed toward their camp. "That woman is here!"
"What woman?"
"That blonde bitch with the hot eyes," Endymion said with a fury that Jadeite had not seen before.
"Lily?" Jadeite questioned.
"Unfortunately, yes," Nephrite said from behind.
Jadeite frowned slightly and traveled back to the camp with the others with nothing in his mind but Rei's reaction to his confession of their marriage. He wondered what was running through her head at this moment.
"Oh Jadeite!" he heard someone call to him when he had set food into the camp. Before he knew it, Lily was flying at him with her arms stretched outward. He could feel his firebird's eyes grow hot on his back behind him and he stepped slightly back so that her arms landed in his hands. "Lily? What do you here?" he asked with a frown.
"It's so horrible!" she cried, trying to put her arms around his neck.
He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Rei walk slowly toward the tent that Endymion had ordered put up for her. It was between his own and Jadeite's. Jadeite could see Endymion and Nephrite glaring at the woman who was trying to win Jadeite's favor and he felt his own anger rise. Why was all of this happening to him? "What is it, Lily?" he asked menacingly.
Lily finally took the hint that he did not want her fawning over him and took a step back. "When you left, I was attacked in a courtyard by a serving boy with a knife," she said with tears in her eyes.
"Get on with it," Nephrite growled.
She glared hotly at him before turning her attention to Jadeite. "He gave me a missive and told me to give it to you as soon as possible. I hired a man to track you and here I am."
"Give him the missive," Endymion said.
Lily rose her chin up a little higher and reached into the bodice of her gown to extract a small piece of parchment with a simple wax seal. Jadeite tore it open and read the neat script that was written in black soot. He had to read it again in order to completely understand and believe what it read.
"What does it say, Jadeite," Endymion asked.
"I have your children. . ." Jadeite read, ". . .I want the princess of Mars or your children will be killed."
All were silent, even the raven-haired princess who had stepped out of her tent to watch the scene. She saw Jadeite's eyes turn ice blue and saw his fist clench around the parchment. She felt her own heart stop and her palms grow cold. Who was this evil creature?