And I Shall Burn
A/N: I hope everyone liked the last chapter. It was a calm one I think, not much happened. :) But hopefully this one quenches your thirst for action.
Chapter 7
"I feel that we are more connected than we ever imagined…I believe you are stuck with me my lady…"Charles teased affectionately. Lacey giggled and leaned in to give him a hug. "Shall I take you to your bedroom?
"Actually…Can I…stay here tonight? Nobody will know…except maybe Will…but he would not tell…" She smiled hopefully at Charles. He nodded and motioned towards the screen in his room.
"Make yourself comfortable…as will I… and then I will hold you while you slumber…"whispered Charles, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead.
The evening with Charles had been relaxing for Lacey and by morning she felt much better about her situation. Her body changing and her developing powers didn't frighten her nearly as much with the knowledge that Charles would always be right there with her. He would help her when she needed the aid. One thing seemed to irk her the entire evening though. Charles looked haunted at times, like there was something he knew that he didn't want to tell her. She asked him numerous times if he was alright, but never once did he tell her a thing. He merely said that he was tired, and eventually she lulled him into sleep with the caressing of her fingertips against his head.
Charles escorted her back to her room to get dressed for the morning before he departed to get ready himself. Once she was alone in her room she looked at herself in the mirror, the markings on her body were startling like they always were. She knew Charles accepted them because he had his own markings, but she still wished she could see herself without them. That was one of the big differences between her dream and her real world. In the dream she gained the markings with her power, but in the real world she had always had the marks. Lacey sighed and turned away from the mirror, moving towards her closet to pick out a dress. Charles promised her a trip to the park and she wanted to look beautiful for him. It took her awhile to find something to wear but she ended up settling for a dark blue dress with white trim and a white collar. It would be warm and she knew the London air was crisp outside. The winter was quickly approaching and the last thing she wanted to do was get ill before the holidays.
A knock sounded at her door just as she was finishing dressing. "Yes?" she called softly. Charles popped his head in the room with a dashing smile and held out a hand for her to take. "Are they making breakfast this morning?" asked Lacey politely. Charles shook his head and continued to smile.
"Not this morning…I will be taking you out for breakfast…I was thinking some scones and tea in a local tea room?" he suggested warmly. Lacey nodded in delight. It would be like a real courting for them. She knew they were going to be together forever because of their bond, but now they could truly act like it was their own decision to be together, not fate. "Let us go…" he pulled her gently out of her room, closing the door on his way out, and then out of the Institute.
The London streets were alive with people as they stepped out of the Institute's carriage. It would pick them up later at a given spot near the park. For now they were on their own with walking. Which was perfectly fine with Lacey, she loved to walk around London in the morning. "How about this one?" Charles suggested as they passed another tea house. She shook her head and continued walking. "Are you hungry?"
"Not really…I am enjoying our walk…" Lacey said softly. She looked towards Charles and took his hand gently in her own. "Are you…? Hungry I mean…?" she asked him to which he replied with an excited nod. She laughed and leaned closer to him.
"Lacey…are we..courting?" he asked nervously. Lacey stopped walking and smiled at him. She shrugged her shoulders and laughed.
"You tell me, Charles…" Lacey challenged playfully. He chuckled and pressed the back of her hand to his cheek.
"We are courting, my lady…and I am taking you to breakfast…" he grinned as he tugged her into the tea house they passed. "You will thoroughly enjoy it I assure you…" he promised.
The establishment was beautiful once you were through the door and Lacey was smiling as they sat her down at a small table in the corner. The tea room they were in was backed up to a large green garden. Normally flowers would be blooming in the garden but it was too cold for flowers to bloom. It was beautiful nonetheless. They started off with a cup of tea each and a raspberry scone. "This tea is wonderful…though I do love the tea that Sophie brews for me every morning…" Lacey said with a smile. Charles laughed and nodded as he set his tea cup down.
"Lacey…there is a winter ball that the Institute holds every year for all the Shadow hunters…I would love it if you would allow me to escort you there.." Charles asked as he reached across the table to take Lacey's hand. Lacey looked instantly delighted to hear news of a ball, but she grinned and shook her head.
"You know- I was hoping Will would go with me…" Charles' face fell and his brows knit together causing Lacey to laugh, "Oh I am joking with you, Charles. Of course. I would not accept anyone else…" She shook her head and gave his hand a light squeeze.
As their breakfast continued she frowned, her chest burning lightly. Charles noticed immediately and looked up from his scone to watch her. "Lace…" She held up a hand to silence him as she finished her scone and tea.
"Charles…I need to go outside…Can you finish up…?" She asked as she slowly stood from the table. He nodded and motioned for one of the ladies to come over and let him pay his bill. Lacey fled the room and went outside. The cold air hit her and she took a deep breath and exhaled. "What is this?" she mumbled as the burning continued. The burning consumed her chest and stretched out into her legs and fingers. It had to be a part of the change that the Angel's had spoken of. Nothing to be worried about. She leaned quietly against the building while she waited for Charles until something in the distance caught her eye. They were only a short distance away from the park and she saw something, no- someone staring at her from the park edge.
Her feet moved on their own accord and she found herself walking swiftly through the crowd toward the being. Absently she heard Charles call for her but she ignored him. Her body needed to get to the park and it needed to be their quickly. It took her only minutes but Charles was right on the back of her heels and as she stopped to scan the park he grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to look at him. As he looked at her he saw a wicked flame burning in her eyes and he could feel the warmth burning beneath the sleeves of her dress. It was another part of her change, and he knew he couldn't interfere. What if she hurt someone? Charles was torn as to what to do but then he saw what caused her actions. Mikal.
He stood in the center of the park with a taunting smile on his lips. "Mikal…" came the growled whisper from Lacey's lips. She turned from Charles and moved towards him quickly. The man didn't bother to run away or even appear frightened. "How dare you show your face in the public eye…" Lacey snapped as she stopped feet in front of him.
"Oh but how else would I get to talk to you…? I cannot step foot on the Institute's grounds and I knew you would ignore any such letter from me…" He laughed and shrugged his shoulders. His grin was wicked and Lacey itched to wipe it from his face. "Have you experienced the burning pain of your anger yet?" he asked softly. "I told you it would happen…"
"I did and I did not need you to help me…Which means you are useless…" Lacey snapped. He seemed surprised by this but then he looked at Charles and realization hit.
"So you have found your bonded hunter?" He questioned with a sigh. "I was hoping we could avoid that…" he shook his head as if he were sad and suddenly they were surrounded. The vampiric warlock summoned dozens of beings around them, all appearing to be corpses.
"Lacey!" Charles called out as suddenly as he looked around to see any humans in fear. They all appeared to be going about their usual business with no idea of what was happening. That much was good. Several of the corpses lunged for Charles and he was quickly overcome by their weight and number. Lacey turned to see him in trouble and the burning in her chest worsened until she cried out in pain.
The markings that covered her body were burning as well and as she pulled her sleeve up she saw that they were glowing a gold hue against her skin. "I will kill you…" Lacey announced to Mikal, who stood smiling in front of her. "Even if you did manage to get me to the Goblin Lord…I would never work for him…" she said simply. "I am not easily controlled, Mikal…" She clenched her fists beside her and cried out a name she'd never heard before but she knew inside it was the name of an Angel. A spear appeared in her hand and she pointed it at Mikal. "Ready?" she asked politely. Charles seemed to find his own strength behind him, his bond mark with her glowing gold as well. He had his sword in hand as he sliced through the summoned monsters.
Mikal laughed and pulled out his own weapon of choice which happened to be a whip. He snapped it near her face and Lacey lurched forward, slicing through the air with her spear. He dodged each attack and snapped the whip towards her, catching it on her spear and yanking hard. She didn't release the weapon but she did let herself be pulled closer to Mikal. He was but a breath away as he whispered, "I will kill your dear Charles, and rip the skin from his body while he screams your name to the heavens…"
Lacey screamed in anger and she yanked her weapon back, stealing his whip along with it. The weapon fell from his hands and she reached up to unwrap it from her spear. "You will do no such thing you monster…" Lacey replied. He was still grinning as she attacked again, this time not moving as she sliced a large gash up his chest. She was surprised he didn't move, so much so that she stopped feet in front of him to look at him oddly. "Why do you not move?" she questioned. He grinned and pressed fingers into the bloody wound on his chest.
"Because I will die for the cause…" he said in a crazed voice. "I will die so that he can take you…"
Lacey was confused as Mikal jumped forward and speared himself on her weapon. She cried out as she felt the spear slide right through his body, blood seeping out over his clothes and running down his body, pooling on the park's lush grass. Lacey dropped the weapon and stepped back quickly as he fell to his knees laughing like a lunatic. The monsters he summoned fell to the ground and turned to ash and Charles ran to Lacey's side. "What happened?" he questioned.
"He killed himself….I injured him and then he speared himself…." She shivered and reached for Charles' hand. "I wanted him to die…but I did not expect this.." She whispered. Lacey reached forward and grabbed the spear, yanking it from Mikal's body before he could fall forward into his resting position. She let the spear disappear from her hand as they watched Mikal bleed out on the ground.
The Institute was eerily quiet as everyone sat around the dining room table. They had been alerted of the events that happened in the park, but nobody could really believe Mikal killed himself. George said nothing, merely sat at the table with his arms crossed grumpily across his chest. Lacey couldn't help but look at him throughout the meal, but he only caught her eye once or twice. When he did shivers erupted down her spine, something that Charles felt and looked up at, causing George to look away.
Lacey was escorted back to her room at the end of the evening and Charles told her to lock her door after he left. He didn't want George to get any ideas about sneaking in after hours to have any private talks with Lacey. She nodded sleepily and gave Charles a light peck on the lips before closing the door and getting ready for bed. She had so much to get used to.
