A/N: Hello all, I am super excited for you to read this week's instalment. I know a lot of you have been waiting patiently for this so here in the depths of summer I give you a little Christmas/Imbaelk present to you. ;) Can't wait to hear your thoughts so read, review and enjoy! :)

Chapter 23

'You look stunning dear.' Yennefer assured her for what felt like the thousandth time.

'Not sure I needed to change to be honest. I was fine wearing what I had.' The sorceress slapped her hand away which was attempting to pull up the hemline of the dress she and Triss had given to her.

'Nonsense. This the first celebration Kaer Morhen has seen for likely hundreds of years, and we will make it a great one.'

'Don't see why that includes me looking like an idiot.' Ellie muttered under her breath as the elegant woman swept away from her. Triss chuckled next to her.

'Don't worry. You're not the first less than enthusiastic victim Yennefer's claimed. I lost count the amount of times she forced poor Ciri into something more…feminine.' Ellie looked down at herself, her cheeks heating slightly at the revealing dress. It was the best of a bad bunch, the only one she had conceded to wearing after Yen had shown her a multitude of extravagant, floor length gowns that were made for someone with far more class than her. In the end they had delved into the wardrobe of the mysterious Ciri again, and Ellie had reluctantly chosen a simple A-line dress in a soft egg-shell blue colour. It was off the shoulder and a little too short at the bottom and low at the top for her liking but it was better than the rest. She had to admit to feeling a swell of sympathy towards Triss for having to compete with this whirling dervish of a woman for Geralt's affections. Then again, she also felt sorry for Geralt.

'Come on, come on. The boys are waiting ladies.' Yen shot back at them both and Ellie let out a laboured sigh.

'It's not like they're going to make an effort.' She grumbled to the red head. Triss smiled.

'Oh, you never know. Dandelion might have bullied them into it.' Ellie snorted. The bard had only been in the keep for a little over six hours but he had certainly made an impact. The moment the flamboyant, spritely man had bounced his way into the main hall Ellie had felt her spirits lift. True, his presence meant that they might soon be facing an unknown enemy, but his carefree attitude was a welcome change from the witchers' usually serious tone.

He had made a great show of sweeping off his impressively feathered hat and bowing to the group moving furniture in preparation for the Imbaelk feast around the hall. 'Greetings my witcher friends. Long have I waited to see the legendary Kaer Morhen and now I find it lit up like a fairy tail castle, with its own band of knights gallantly preparing for a soiree.'

'Shut up Dandelion and help me move this.' Geralt barked over at him. The bard flushed pink, but jogged obediently over to his friend to help, however much he could with his twig thin arms, in moving a large trestle table across the hall. Ellie had watched the odd pair fascinated. Eskel passing by with a barrel of ale under one arm, grinned down at her.

'Don't ask me to explain their relationship, cos I don't think even they know.' She had to admit, Dandelion was defiantly a charmer. She wasn't sure she had ever had anyone kiss her hand by way of introduction, and the troubadour dressed in purple silks had barely blinked when Geralt had confided that she was, in fact, a demon.

'Interesting company begets superior art in my opinion.' He had stated, winking at her cheekily. Yes, she could see how he might succeed in strong arming the witchers into smarter garments.

'I feel like you're missing something.' Triss said, snapping her out of her reverie.

'Is this not enough?' Ellie replied tartly, gesturing at the dress and partially tamed hair. She had drawn the line at Yen putting anything on her face.

'Nearly, but not quite.' Triss said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. 'We need something to grab his eye.'

Ellie narrowed her eyes. 'Who's eye?'

Triss smiled enigmatically. 'No one's. I mis-spoke.'

'Hmm.' Ellie said, giving her best Geralt impression. Triss burst out laughing, her beauty suddenly dazzling.

'Have you got any jewellery? Something that sparkles.' Ellie was about to open her mouth to say, of course she didn't have jewellery. She fought demons, it wasn't exactly something that called for a nice earing set. Then she shut her mouth again as she remembered the thing nestled in amongst her old clothes.

'I might have something. You go on. I'll be down in a sec.' Triss nodded sagely at her before following on behind Yen, out of her room and down the stairs to the main hall. Retrieving Lambert's necklace, Ellie deliberated for a moment. Would he be upset if she wore it? He had given it to her for the tree after all, not to display around her neck.

It matches your eyes. His soft, husky voice rang in her ears and she felt a shiver run over her. He had given it to her, hadn't he? So, what if she decided to wear it. She was already made up like a bloody pageant doll, might as well complete the look. Deftly she slipped it around her neck and fixed it in place. The penny sized sapphire hung on her chest, sparkling prettily. Ellie was abruptly very shy. She tugged self-consciously at the top of the dress, trying to keep the ugly star shaped scar above her heart hidden. Nothing could be done about the one on her face, but then again, she wasn't the only one with unsightly scars on show. No, she was just the only one wearing a dress.

Sighing heavily, she decided she had waited long enough. If she dithered anymore Yennefer would be back in here and dragging her out by her hair. Steadying her nerves as best she could Ellie made her way down to the main hall where she could already hear the sound of laughter and music drifting up to her. A broad smile stretched across her face of its own accord. Whatever happened next, at least she would have this night of celebration with her new friends to remember. The people who had helped a strange demon girl from another world with no incentive to do so.

The sound of revelry grew as she descended the stairs, and her nose was hit with a cacophony of scents. Cooked meat, cakes, fruit. The strong smell of pine from her Christmas tree and the wood smoke from the large fire; but mixed in with all these were the scents that had become so familiar to her. The cedar tang of Vesemir, the berry and floral aroma of Yen. Triss' homely lavender smell, and Geralt's woody thyme. Eskel she could pick out a little clearer, having spent more time with him. The comforting and fragrant scent of rosemary stood out like a punctuation mark amongst the jumble of odours. Then soaring above them all, almost overwhelming in its strength, was the fiery, boarding on painful sear of cinnamon.

Ellie felt her palms grow slick from perspiration as she followed the smells into the bright hall. The room was a glow with candle light. Her tree a beacon of haphazard beauty in one corner. She squinted, the sights, smells and sounds suddenly too much to take in, and then she felt everyone's eyes on her. Letting her sight adjust she saw Triss and Yen first, stood by a table groaning with ale. Eskel hadn't been kidding when he had said about getting drunk. They both smiled at her warmly, Yen lifting a glass filled with something burgundy in salute. To one side of them was Dandelion. Perched nonchalantly on another table, his legs crossed, his lute resting across them with his fingers frozen as if mid strum. He gave her another cheeky wink as her eyes swivelled to the largest group in the hall.

The witchers were gathered around the food, which had been laid out on the biggest table in the keep near the middle of the room. Eskel was closest to her, his scarred face split into its usual grin. He was holding a large leg of some kind of bird and much like Dandelion appeared to have frozen mid bite. Vesemir and Geralt were stood on the opposite side of the table, their bodies angled as though they had been deep in conversation before the interruption. It was only then that Ellie realised that Triss had been right. The witchers were no longer in their traditional leather armour, but dressed in a far more casual manner. Thankfully, none of them had gone the way of Dandelion's elaborate purple silks and feathered hat, but they still looked shockingly different. Eskel was in a deep burgundy shirt, a black velvet waistcoat left open on top. Geralt was wearing a white shirt, slightly open at the collar, his hair tied back in a neat ponytail. It looked like it had been brushed and Ellie wondered if Yennefer had been the culprit. Vesemir was the smartest of the three, a doublet of black and silver making him look like a dignified lord rather than a battle hardened witcher. His moustache and hair looked similarly well-kept for a change, and he gave her a friendly smile only adding to his handsomeness.

Finally, Ellie focused on the last member of their party, and her first friend. Lambert was stood furthest away. Leaning carelessly against the table, his arms folded. She felt her palms grow cold, and her stomach clench at the sight of him. He was probably the least smartly dressed of the group. Only wearing a loose black shirt and his signature leather trousers. Nevertheless, Ellie felt herself grow warm as her eyes drifted to the hint of chest hair his informal clothes revealed, and the exposed muscles of his forearms crossed across his broad chest.

Likewise, his own flaming amber eyes slid down her figure, and on reflex she gripped the top of her dress and yanked it higher earning her a slow smirk from the witcher. Yen was next to her instantly, smacking at her hand.

'Stop that. You look glorious.' She appraised the sapphire now hanging from her neck, approval in her eyes. 'Enough gawking. Dandelion where is this new song you keep bragging about?'

'Of course. Wait till you hear this one, it's a doozy.' And with that, the party resumed. She would give him this, for all his bravado and garishness, Dandelion could certainly play. Ellie drifted around the hall, taking in all their hard work. The tree was a focal point, but there were also festoons of ivy and holly wrapped around beams and along the walls. The large fire was crackling merrily, and there must have been close to a thousand candles lighting the place. Despite it not being the right time for Imbaelk, it still being winter, there were snowdrops gathered in various glass jars scattered around the tables. Ellie suspected some magic had been involved to grow them.

It made her light with happiness to see the residents of Kaer Morhen laughing and joking. The hall alive with music and merriment. She wondered if it was anything like the old times, when this place had been full of witchers. Vesemir certainly looked the youngest she had ever seen him, as he slapped Geralt's back over something particularly funny.

Ellie found herself stopping by the honey cakes that she had made. They looked and smelt delicious. Carefully she picked one up and savoured the sweet aroma before biting into it. Her eyes closed at the taste of honey in her mouth, the sensation of eating an indulgence she rarely partook in, but this was a celebration.

'Thought you didn't eat?' Lambert's voice came from someone close to her ear. Snapping her eyes open, she held the cake away from her guiltily.

'I don't need to. Doesn't mean I can't eat at all.' She felt herself getting defensive under his impassive look. His cinnamon scent was even stronger with only a shirt separating them.

'I offered you food on the journey, kinda' rude not to accept it if you could, don't you think?' He was teasing her. She could feel it. That dangerous, gunpowder tension already building between the two of them.

'If I don't have to eat why would I choose to eat something gross?' Lambert smirked. 'You're such a pervert. You know what I mean.'

'Hmm, I'm not sure that I do Blue eyes.' He turned to lean against the table again, his bare forearm brushing against her exposed shoulder. 'I was taught it's polite to accept someone's hospitality no matter how…gross it is.' She tried not to get distracted by the skin to skin contact they had just shared and focus on the argument they were currently having. She could see Eskel moving up the table towards them in her peripheral vision.

'Did you like anything you ate on the Path?' Lambert pretended to think about it, rubbing a hand over his beard.

'Not exactly.' Her lips pressed together as her irritation spiked at his indifferent tone.

'Then why the fuck would I?' Eskel's booming laugh cut through the tension. It was like being slapped in the face by a blast of air, as Ellie felt her senses return to her. The searing, private bubble she and Lambert reserved for each other bursting.

'She's got a point brother.'

'As usual, no one asked you. Haven't you got your body weight in ale to drink brother?' Eskel smirked as he took a deliberate swig of the tankard he was holding, then placed it down forcefully on the table with a loud bang. 'Actually, I was thinking about asking this one to dance. That is…if you haven't already asked her?'

Lambert's lip curled as he regarded his brother. Eskel simply smiled back, holding a hand out to her as he kept his eyes locked on the younger witcher. Ellie felt her skin flush, and a mixture of mortification and annoyance at being placed in the middle of this territorial display. 'I don't really know how to dance to this kind-'.

'It's okay. I'll show you.' Eskel interjected, wiggling his eyebrows in mock suggestion. Finding herself with limited options; to accept and humiliate herself in front of the others with Eskel, or refuse and continue this awkward conversation with Lambert, she let out her third sigh of the evening and placed her hand in Eskel's.

'Fine. But if I step on your toes you only have yourself to blame.' His hand closed firmly around hers and he led her around the table and into the clear space beside it. Dandelion was playing a jig of some kind and Ellie instantly regretted her decision as Eskel took her other hand in his and began to lead her into a dance. She wasn't a clumsy person by any means; quick on her feet and extremely athletic. However, she was unfamiliar with the dances of this world and had the attention of the entire room on her, including a very obvious burning gaze from somewhere behind her.

'Follow my lead.' Eskel murmured as he spun them round, briefly letting go of her to do a series of claps. She copied him as best she could, and felt her cheeks burning brightly as Vesemir's gruff bark of laughter came from one side.

'You could've at least let one of us show the poor girl how to dance first Eskel. You move like a lame mule.' Eskel grinned, not taking his eyes of her as he grabbed her around the waist and twirled her.

'A lame mule who's dancing with the prettiest girl in the room, might I add.' At this he winked, and Ellie was sure she matched his shirt with how hot her face had become. He had one hand around her waist, the other was gripping hers tightly as he moved them around the floor. She couldn't agree with Vesemir, Eskel danced with the same grace and agility as he fought. She found herself getting swept along with the music and his energetic jigging, until she was following him step for step.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw another elegant pair dancing alongside them. Glancing past Eskel's shoulder she saw Geralt and Yennefer spin past. The sorceress looking like a Queen in her black velvet gown, with ivory detail. Their eyes met and she gave Ellie a coy smile before they disappeared in whirl of movement as Eskel lifted her high into the air by her waist. She let out a loud squeal, before bursting into a fit of giggles as he set her back down.

'Eyes on me miss.' He scolded. Dandelion finished the jig with a flourish but went straight into the next song without pause. This time it was a flowing, melancholy tune, speaking of longing and heartache. Eskel wrapped an arm around her waist and they began a slower dance. Flowing around each other like water. Now she was moving at a more sedate speed Ellie could see Vesemir and Triss had also joined them. Triss was smiling warmly up at the old witcher and there was a familiar tenderness there that reminded her of a father and daughter.

'Are you happy?' Eskel's sudden question made her start. Her eyes snapping back to her partner. She tried to process his question but her mind kept coming back blank as to what the right words should be. His grin faltered as he watched her deliberate. 'This is something else El. It's the happiest I've seen everyone in years, and you did this. Seems a shame for you to not feel some of that happiness too.'

They circled each other, her palm pressed against his own as she looked up into his marred face. 'I'm fine.' She said. His brow lowered at her non-committal response.

'You don't look it. I mean…you look…stunning Ellie. But you don't look happy. Not really.' They reversed their direction, opposite palms to opposite palms.

'I don't belong here. I bring chaos and danger wherever I go, and I'll have to leave soon, with whatever destruction I've brought here in my wake.' His arm returned to her waist and they weaved between the other dancing couples.

'Then stay. We can face whatever's after you. You can make a home here.' There was something in the tone of his voice that made her suddenly very scared. She shook her head, trying to put a bit of distance between them but his grip was like iron. What was with these witchers and awkward situations?

'I can't. I have to go back.'

'Says who? We'll keep you safe, not that you need that. Everyone here loves you…I love-'

She felt like she was about to be sick. She could feel the air begin to crackle around her, and her eyes clamped shut as if shutting it out would somehow stop it. It happened in the blink of an eye. One second, she felt her muscles tensing against the witcher, a desperate plea of 'Eskel' escaping her lips, then the weight of his arm around her lifted and she was spinning in space into the arms of another.

'I'll take it from here brother.' A familiar drawl said near her ear. Warm hands curled around her, and a solid wall of muscle pressed against her. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked up into Lambert's sombre face. 'You okay there, Blue eyes?'

His voice was low and husky as he manoeuvred them across the floor. She saw a flash of Eskel, stood alone watching them move away, a sad smile on his face. There she went again, hurting someone else close to her. 'Not really.' She admitted, ducking her head so her forehead brushed against his collar bone.

'He means well, but he has no tact when it comes to the ladies.' She could hear rather than see the smile in his voice. Ellie let out a very un-ladylike snort into his shirt.

'And you do?' His chest vibrated as a low chuckle rumbled through it.

'Touché.'

She watched as their feet moved haltingly round each other. They were barely dancing anymore, the shock of Eskel's almost confession and Lambert's quick interjection ruining her party mood.

'I can't lead you if you're looking down at the floor the entire time.' Ellie swallowed. Unwilling to lift her head and face whatever disaster was about to occur, but she wasn't left any room for argument as a firm finger inserted itself below her chin and gently raised it so she was looking into the eyes of her new partner. 'There. That's much better.' He murmured. His eyes flashed down to the sapphire resting against her chest. He lowered his finger and ran it long the thin chain, settling it against her skin where the jewel shone.

'This looks good on you.' He said huskily.

It became very hard for her to breathe. The atmosphere becoming charged in an instant. The rest of the room faded away until it was just them, dancing alone. Suddenly words felt pointless, and neither of them spoke. They flowed around each other, hands pressed against hands, bodies just touching. Enough to feel the heat from each other, but not enough to burn. Lambert's expression was a blank mask, but his eyes…his eyes said everything. In that moment it didn't matter who she was, or even who he was. All that existed was them and the dance.

He was a very different dancer to Eskel; less graceful but certainly no less skilled. There was a control to his movements which belayed the barely contained emotion beneath. She found herself matching him seamlessly, her feet moving automatically, her body bending and flowing with only the slightest direction from him. Ellie could feel her reasoning begin to slip. Inch by inch she moved closer to him, until her arms were wrapped around his neck, and his were firmly locked around her waist.

At one point he lifted her high in the air, like Eskel had, and she felt gravity shift as his hands dug into the flesh of her waist. Her own supporting herself on his shoulders, their eyes locked onto each other. Slowly, achingly slowly he lowered her down. Their noses touching as he brought her level to his face. She hovered there for a moment, his breath hot against her mouth, his hands holding her suspended in the air.

On the edges of their bubble she could make out the others; Geralt and Yen frozen and watching them, Triss now dancing with Eskel, their eyes not on each other but them. The hall abruptly felt very small and claustrophobic. Ellie could hear her blood pounding through her veins as Lambert's touch began to burn into her.

'I need…I need some air. Please.' She stammered. Lambert gently placed her back on her feet and let her go without argument. She gave him an apologetic look before ducking her head and quickly darting out the main hall into the courtyard outside. The night air was frigid and she became acutely aware she was wearing nothing but this ridiculously small dress. Not wanting to go back in, she broke into a brisk jog and headed for the stairs leading up to the parapet on the walls. All she had wanted was one night of peace, why did her stupid heart have to keep getting in the way?

Lambert made sure he waited a respectful amount of time before following her. The others had continued with the revelry after she had left, but he had retreated to a far corner to collect his senses. He wasn't mad at her this time. He had heard what she had said to Eskel, and he would deal with his brother in due course for his little outburst, but it had made a lot of things clear to him. Not least her motivations for playing with his emotions over the last few months. So, he sat and waited, watching the others laugh and drink and dance. Waiting until he knew they wouldn't notice him leaving through the same doors she had. If it was fear that was keeping them apart, he'd make her see sense.

It wasn't hard to pick up her scent outside, so familiar had it become. He traced it to the stairs leading up to the battlements. As he craned his neck to look, he saw her outline silhouetted against the night sky. The inky blackness broken up by thousands of pinprick stars haloing her lonely shadow. He took the stairs quietly, not wanting to disturb her too soon. Reaching the top, he paused, watching her silently for a moment. Her profile silver in the moonlight. A few wisps of her forest brown hair were caught in the breeze up here, and they danced around her head.

He nearly turned around and headed back down to the hall, even though he knew she had already sensed his presence. Something about the way she stared off over the battlements of Kaer Morhen made him uneasy to disturb her. As if his obnoxious personality would be unwanted even now.

'Stop lurking in the shadows.' Her voice was quiet but carried clear as a bell to him. He had become so accustomed to it now he was certain he's be able to hear it across the busy market square in Novigrad if needed. Having been found out he made his way over to her. Coming to stop by her side and turning to look out at the same view. The forests and mountains surrounding the Witcher school were bathed in the same silvery light as she was, but they certainly didn't have the same effect on him that she did in the moonlight.

'What you doing up here?' He asked, keeping his gaze fixed on the still waters of the nearby lake, the light bouncing off it making it look like a new penny. He felt her sigh, her arm brushing against his as her shoulders rose and fell. It was moronic how much his body reacted to the brief contact. His pulse instantly jumping into a sprint, the now familiar heat pooling in his gut. He liked to think if she had a pulse it would also be racing right now. The thought brought a tinge of sadness to the otherwise peaceful moment.

'I needed to get away. It was all getting a bit…intense again.'

'Running doesn't seem to be working though.' He kept his eyes straight ahead, but he felt hers shift to him finally.

'Only because you keep coming after me.' He looked down at her then.

'So tell me to stop.' He saw the internal battle in her eyes, even in this light they were a deep, soulful blue. The exact shade of the pendant he had given her. He turned so he was facing her completely. 'Tell me you don't want me, that you don't feel this…shit between us and I'll leave you alone.'

She bit her lip. 'I can't.'

He nodded, a triumphant look on his face. 'You can't because you love me…right?'

Her mouth opened in shock. 'Lambert, you have to understand. I'm cursed, you'll only end up dead if I admit-'

'I don't give a fuck about your stupid curse.' He hissed, taking a step towards her forcing her to retreat a pace herself. 'From my experience most curses are self-imposed. Made up bullshit that people tell themselves to excuse their shitty luck. And even if you are cursed, don't I get a say in this? I'm a big boy, I can look after myself, but what I can't do is go another fucking second without you. It's driving me mad.'

The hollow sounding wind pressed in on them as the silence grew. His last word drifting away from them on the breeze. She looked up at him, her eyes round as saucers, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

'I've already watched someone I love die because of me. Because of what I am. I promised myself I'd never feel that again.'

'Looks like you broke your promise.' He said tersely.

Her lips thinned into a tight line, a determined look entering her eyes. 'Not yet. We don't have to do this, I can make-'

'No!' His shout made her jump back another step, but he was past being nice about this. If she was going to continue to punch him repeatedly in the heart he'd make her understand how much it fucking hurt. 'Stop this Ellie!'

The cool air began to heat around them. A crackling, metallic taste tickling his tongue and skin. He had felt it before on the boat and moments earlier in the hall when Eskel had been pushing himself on her, but this time he was already two steps ahead of her. His hand snapped out and latched onto her wrist, holding her as tight as he could without hurting her.

'Stop running.' He said, his voice a low threat. The energy she had summoned bit and stung at his hand, numbing his fingers, making it hard to hold on. 'Don't take away my choice. Don't you do that to me.'

He could feel his anger building up inside, that familiar rage that had pushed so many people away. She had looked equally angry when he had grabbed her wrist, but now the outrage disappeared. Melting away to leave only desperate longing behind.

'Crazy fucking demon.' He growled, pulling her towards him so she slammed into his chest with a huff. His mouth was on hers before she could argue back, his hand still locked around her wrist in a vice grip. The other sliding around her neck to trap her to him properly. Unlike their first kiss, this one was frantic, almost desperate in its quality. He didn't know if she'd try and run from him still, so was eager to convey all of his feelings into this one condensed moment. Her breath was hot in his mouth, the taste of her better than any wine in Toussaint. His memory of it didn't do it justice, and he found the more he devoured the more he wanted. Her body bowed against him, at first stiff and unyielding but as he slid his tongue into her mouth she melted into him, surrendering to his will.

Their embrace was not hesitant or romantic like the bards always sang about. It was wild and aggressive, consuming them like a fire, and Lambert knew he needed to get them out of the open and somewhere more private.

'Come with me.' He said huskily against her lips. 'Now.' He added for good message. Keeping a firm hold on her wrist he turned and began to stride towards the stairs. Much to his elation she followed obediently behind. All trace of the ominous crackling in the air gone. This time she was choosing to stay.

Lambert's pace quickened along with his heart rate as he led her back into the keep, avoiding the main hall and ascending to the dorms. He knew where her room was. If he hadn't passed it numerous times since she'd been moved there, then her scent alone would have been enough to guide him. She didn't make any comment about where they were going, the sound of her rapid footsteps behind him the only noise she made. He could hear his pulse galloping in his ears as he reached her door, ushering them both in and shutting it quietly behind them.

Slowly, he turned to face her. Releasing his hold on her wrist. They stood in the dark room looking at each other. Both of them breathing heavily, both afraid to move in case the moment was lost. After what felt like an age Lambert walked over to the bed and lit a small candle that was half burnt out on the table next to it. There was a spark of magic as he used Igni and the room was bathed in a dim orange glow. Ellie stood where he had left her, her hands clasped awkwardly in front of her. The candlelight gave her skin a luminescent glow, the sapphire around her neck drawing his eye, the flickering light dancing in its depths.

Lambert could feel the heat from their kiss on the battlements pooling low in his stomach. He took steady, deliberate steps towards her as if she were a wild animal he was trying not to startle. He watched her throat move as she swallowed, her blue eyes wide and unsure. 'I want you Ellie.' He said, his voice barely more than a whisper. He saw her shiver slightly. He stopped right in front of her, so she had to crane her head back to look up at him. He ran a hand up her bare arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake.

'Is that okay?' He asked. The liquid heat that had settled in his gut intensified as she stared up at him, her skin flushed and pretty, her mouth slightly open. All he saw was the girl he had inexplicably fallen in love, the demonic part of her a distance concern. Her head bobbed infinitesimally as she nodded her assent. He felt his mouth quirk up into a triumphant smile as he slowly lowered his face to hers, savouring in the suspense this time.

As their lips touched he relished in the feel of her soft mouth, her breathy sigh as she opened up for him. This time she appeared more hesitant and he could sense the nervousness in her touch as she shakily ran her hands up his chest. Lambert easily took the lead, guiding her fingers to the cord near his throat so she could loosen his shirt. He pressed his hand over hers as she ran her fingertips through his chest hair. A delicious shiver travelling up his spine. Feeling his control beginning to slip he let her hands travel down to the hem and tugged on it encouragingly until she began to lift it up, exposing his torso.

All the while he kissed her mouth, her jaw, her nose, her eyelids, her cheeks. Her hands were hot against the skin of his chest, burning trails of fire as she traced his scars with delicate touches. He found the ties at the back of her dress and began to unlace them. She shuddered when he exposed her back and ran his thumb languidly up her spine.

In amongst the fevered kisses and hungry touches they managed to undress each other. Lambert could barely breathe at the sight of her naked in front of him, save the sapphire he had given her. He drank her in, memorising every curve and freckle. His eyes settled on a star shaped scar right over her heart, and without thinking his hand reached out to touch it gently. It was the only mark on her, besides the brand on her wrist and scar over one eye. The skin was slightly raised and puckered, and it was cold to the touch. A fissure of anger cracked the lust filled haze of his thoughts. Memories of a jagged tree branch piercing the flesh, the screams of a child echoing in a dark wood.

He started as her hand came to rest over his, pressing his palm over the scar so he could truly feel the contrast of ice and fire. 'It's okay.' She said softly. Her mouth quivering in a nervous smile. 'It doesn't hurt now.'

His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at her. Then she closed the distance and pressed her naked body against his. With no clothes between them, their fire raged brightly. Everywhere their skin touched an inferno sprang, engulfing them as they devoured each other. Lambert ran his hands down, over her ass and cupping the back of her thighs lifted her easily into the air. Instinctually, she wrapped her legs around his waist and let him carry her to the bed.

In his long, and unhappy life Lambert had bedded a lot of people. It was a release for him; a way to gain some kind of control and escapism in his unfortunate existence. With Ellie it was different. He felt his world shrink down to that one room, until it was only them, lost in each other. Escaping was the last thing on his mind now. He sensed her inexperience, and took the lead once more. Guiding her legs, her arms, gently positioning them both so he could look into those endless blue eyes. He made love to her slowly, watching her as she came undone beneath him. A peace came over him; a sense of belonging he had wanted since he was young, and when she finally gave into him, his name on her lips was the sweetest sound he had ever heard.