"Of Light" - 24+25/45

[rissy_james]

Title:  Of Light
Author:  Rissy James
Rating:  M (overall)
Pairing:  Cain/DG, eventual Jeb/Az
Summary:  The Emerald must be returned to its guardian, and DG is left behind.  When a generations-old threat resurfaces, she must gather more than her courage to save her sister, and to find Wyatt Cain.
Extras: "Of Light" trailer on youtube; Cast Pictures on Livejournal

WARNING:  Yeah... that "M" rating comes into play now.  They're alone, what d'ya expect?  ;)


Of Light

Chapter Twenty Four

Jeb Cain had to admit, despite himself, that he was impressed with Azkadellia.

The group had found the river without any problem, but did not break the cover of the forest. They stayed in the darkness of the trees, hidden in shadow. A little before midnight, the moons rose, casting the glow of their sleepy, uneven eyes. Jeb could see well enough to move unhindered, though traveling with women slowed him down.

They weren't the type of women he was used to, not like his mother, with her practical, knowing way of doing things, nor like those he'd met during his time with the Resistance, hardened and weary. But Azkadellia and The Queen were not quite like he would have expected, either. The two knew they were a burden, and they bore it with dignity. Though their corseted, tightly garbed bodies looked delicate and demure, he soon found the women far from it.

When they'd stopped at the river, Azkadellia had sought him out. “Do you have a knife?”

He'd cocked an eyebrow, but complied quickly. Jeb watched in amazement as she'd carefully worked the point of the knife through the thick, stiff fabric of her skirt near her mid-thigh, slicing downwards to the knee, then ripping the rest with her hands, clean through the hem. She did the same thing on the other side, then handed him back the knife with a pleased smile.

“Thank you,” she'd chirped. Dumbstruck, he'd nodded. “I want to be able to move easier. I'm not exactly dressed for hiking.” She had gestured down at herself.

Not knowing what to say, he'd managed a “You're doing fine, Your Highness.”

Azkadellia had then looked like she had wanted to say something, but instead only nodded, turning and walking away. She'd called out the order, most politely, that she thought they were ready to move on. She and her mother began together, as they walked now, whispering quietly.

He watched them, walking a few feet behind. There was no clear cut path, and they all wove in and out as they found trees in their way. The ground was mostly free from brush and fallen logs, and the going was relatively easy. He guessed it to be around two or three in the morning.

There had been no sound of their enemy, no sound but the rush of water and rustle of wind around them. About an hour before, he'd stopped enjoying the beauty of the night, stopped noticing the little sounds of insects or the scurry of some small creature. Now every sound he heard, his heart pounded in fear of recapture. The breeze had ceased to invigorate him, now he was just cold.

More than a few paces ahead, The Queen and Azkadellia felt the drop in temperature, as well. They walked together, leaning close as they talked, unheard by Jeb who walked behind.

“Jeb Cain told me that they planned to move your father to Central City,” The Queen whispered to her daughter. Yes, this was her dearest hope, that she could be reunited with him as soon as possible. She tried to push the thought, the distraction of him away. “If we are found by the Army of Resistance before we reach the city, it is my immediate plan to set our troops to clear out the base of outlanders.”

“If they haven't already abandoned it themselves, Mother,” Azkadellia said. “We've been walking for hours, and we've heard nothing. We might just be getting away.” She sounded thrilled.

The Queen shook her head. “No, that would present the possibility that they have followed after your sister and the captain, and that we do not want. The faster we get to Central City, the faster we can send troops to aid and fetch your sister.”

Azkadellia nodded, suddenly remembering her sister. Her sore, cramped feet, and cold skin had made her forget almost everything except for move forward. “Will we stay in Central City?”

Her mother nodded. “Its our only option. Once in the city, we'll be mired in the politics and paperwork of this entire situation. Not to mention the outcry if your father has made a public announcement.”

Azkadellia glanced quickly at her mother. “Do you think he would?”

The Queen shook her head. “I do not think so, dear. Just many parts of this plan, I made your father promise he wouldn't announce if anything should go wrong with this mission, unless he felt there was dire need for it.”

“If Father makes a public announcement, the throne will be left vulnerable,” Azkadellia said thoughtfully.

Her mother smirked, which curved her beautiful lips, made them unnaturally cynical. “Yes, the entire House of Gale is wandering through the Western Mountains. But the news from the young Mister Cain of General Andrus pulling all forces out of the city worries me more. If Longcoat insurgents discovered this piece of information, they would launch a violent campaign, and undo everything we have tried to restore.”

“I doubt Father would make a public announcement, even with an old bull like Andrus pushing him,” Az said. She moved slightly to the right to allow a tree to pass through between she and her mother, but misjudged the distance in the dark, slammed it with her shoulder. Rubbing the offended spot, she lagged behind her mother.

“No, Ahamo will not easily cooperate with the general,” The Queen said, not noticing her daughter had fallen a few paces behind. “Though I do wish to leave this dreadful journey behind, and return home to him. I do miss him so.” Her voice was so wistful, so miserable that it was hard for Az to bear.

They continued on in silence for a long while. The only sound that accompanied them was the crack and stir of the soldiers who followed behind. A cough, a clearing of a throat, every once in a while one of them would whistle a few notes of a haunting little tune. No one spoke to each other, except for the two women. No one had anything to say, all too worried about the danger and the unknown and the darkness around them.

“I've come to a decision, Azkadellia,” The Queen said in a hushed tone, quite a while later.

“Oh?” Az asked, distracted as she navigated over a fallen log without breaking her ankle.

The Queen nodded, stopping to wait for her daughter. “I do think that my time to rule has long since passed,” she said, softly. “Had... circumstances not been what they were, you would be Queen of the O.Z. right now, and I might be...”

“Elsewhere?” Azkadellia offered. Even in the darkness, her mother's smile glowed.

“The anniversary of the Eclipse, we shall hold your coronation,” The Queen said. With every word, her voice grew stronger, cementing the idea in herself. “You will ascend to a very noble line. And the people will adore you, my daughter,” she said, and hugged Az when she saw the mask of worry on her daughter's face. When she let go, she continued to walk, sweeping through the dry leaves and past the trees with grace. Az, however, stayed behind, staring at the river, and the moons glinting on its surface.

The soldiers caught up with her. Seeing the blank expression on her face, Jeb ordered the other two to follow The Queen, who still moved determinedly on. “Are you okay?” he asked after a few minutes, when it became clear that she would neither talk nor look at him. “We have to keep moving, Your Highness.”

“Why?” Az asked him sharply. “Shouldn't we be seeking out these Outlanders? Distracting them from following DG and your father?”

Jeb shook his head. “Our orders are to get you and The Queen to Central City as soon as possible, so that your mother's power can be reestablished.”

Az shook her head. “This was all for nothing.”

“No,” Jeb said, giving her arm a tug to get her moving, but she stood, planted into the ground. He sighed, frustrated. Az's strong, beautiful features were dragged down by something he couldn't identify. Not fear, or worry, or doubt, but something deeper, something that almost looked like it was consuming her. “Look,” he said, trying to catch her eyes. She cast them away repeatedly until he stopped. Again, he sighed, and at the sound of it, she looked at him; he caught her dark gaze, and she didn't look away. At least I have her attention, he thought. “Look,” he repeated. “We need to get to Central City. And to do that, you need to walk.”

Az sighed a trembling breath, one that shook with the onslaught of tears. She looked down, ashamed, and touched the sleeve of her gown to one eye, and then the other. “I'm sorry,” she said. “Its just more bad news, thats all. Nothing I can't handle. I'm sorry.”

Jeb nodded, and began to follow behind the others again, but she caught him by the arm. Curious, he turned.

“Do you trust yourself to always do the right thing, Mister Cain?” she asked him.

A strange question. He cleared his throat. “Um, first off, its Jeb. And second, I follow my gut, and whether or not thats the right thing, well... by that time I'm usually in to deep to do anything but fight, right or wrong.”

Azkadellia considered his words. “Your instinct is what caused you to follow DG?”

Jeb laughed. “Well, in all honesty, DG and I had pretty much the same idea. The general was wasting time, so she took matters into her own hands. She needed help... that sounded like the right thing to me.”

Azkadellia nodded.

“And,” Jeb said slowly, “my father might never have forgiven me if I'd let her wander off by herself.”

Az cocked her head to the side, wonderingly. “What do you mean?”

Jeb smirked. “He's got a bit of a soft-spot for DG, I think. He usually does for the things that frustrate the hell out of him. Or at least he did, when I was a kid...” The conversation trailed off there, and Az knew better than to pry, though having her suspicions confirmed about the relationship between her sister and the ex-Tin Man certainly put her mind to work.

Something caught her eye then, something that wiped DG and Wyatt Cain completely from her mind. Through the trees, a good distance away, she saw light. Not any ethereal, summoned light, no... but the light of torches, and of lanterns, so many that her eyes darted back and forth trying to count them all. Jeb had noticed them too, and with a hard yank, he grabbed her arm and pulled her along towards the others.  A shout rang out from behind them.

“There they are!”

Deep in the trees, DG walked a few paces ahead of Cain, following a trail she couldn't see.

The absurdity of the entire situation struck her as funny. She had to find it funny, after all, or she might just collapse in a heap of tears and sniffles, and that wasn't something she was willing to do on Wyatt Cain's watch. Things had changed, and they had changed drastically, in the last few days between the princess and her guardian. The waves of up and down between them now, however, had stilled, and now instead of smooth sailing, she found herself lost in a fog of her responsibility and duty versus her heart and mind.

Thank goodness she was stubborn, or one side might be winning out.

They hadn't spoken in over an hour, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd looked back at him. Only the assurance of each other's company held the words at bay, but only for so long, after all. She was curious, she was nervous, and his stolid presence, while comforting, was also intimidating.

“I can't take it anymore!” she declared.

“What, your feet?” he asked, sounding concerned.

She stopped and turned to face him. He nearly slammed right into her at her sudden cessation, and he grabbed at the trunk of a nearby tree to stop himself falling on top of her completely.

That would have broken the tension, she thought with a naughty grin, but it didn't cover her indignation. “What do you mean, my feet? I can handle sore feet, okay?”

“Well then, what can't you take anymore? And why the hell did you stop?”

“I can't take this!” she grumbled, gesturing with her hands, pointing to him and then herself, and she hoped the point of her flailing was translated in the dark. “This not talking. Its driving me crazy.”

“We're talking now,” he said slowly. She could hear him smiling, though the darkness was so thick that he could have been sticking his tongue out at her and she wouldn't have known.

“Damn you, Wyatt Cain,” she grumbled, and turned to start walking again. Almost immediately, she found herself facing a solid obstacle. A tree, the girth of the trunk so impressive that she thought her arms might not even reach halfway around if she were to try.

“DG,” came his soft, deep voice from behind her.

She sighed, and reached out to the tree, folding her arm against it to rest her forehead upon. “I need a break for a minute,” she said, suddenly embarrassed, suddenly exhausted. She kicked her shoes off without lifting herself off the rough bark. It felt good, natural, and she tried to push away thoughts of ants, and other crawly things. She was just too tired to care.

“You're pushin' yourself too hard,” he told her after a few moments of quiet. “And you're pushin' this too hard.” She blew air through her lips, a wordless exclamation of denial.

“I'll be okay. It... it will be okay,” she whispered, trying to convince herself, as well as Cain. Oh, how she wished she could see him, his face and his eyes. To know what he was thinking, if his words were just words or if he truly meant them, she had to see those cool blue eyes. He could say anything to her now, his voice always calm and steady, and she would be none the wiser to his true intent. His voice could betray him, but his eyes... his eyes would never lie to her.

“No, I mean it,” he told her. “You need to calm down or else you're not gonna be much use.”

She rolled her eyes, the gesture lost to him, but it sure as hell made her feel better. She was tired, without sleep, and growing increasingly... bitchy. “Cain, I'm fine. Trust me. You're right, though. My feet do hurt.” Still leaning against the tree, bare feet up to the ankles in ground cover, she thought that she might fall asleep there, and stay forever. Damn the Emerald, damn those that chased them... and damn Wyatt Cain.

“DG,” he said again, her name sliding off his tongue so easily, she could have found herself falling. But no, she was too mired in reality to even let the ever-sexy tone of his voice sink in. Reality dictated that she was cold, that her feet and legs ached, that her arms were scratched and probably bleeding. Reality would not let her have this moment, this time alone with him, even though she'd dreamed of it since leaving Central City over a month and a half before.

“Just... leave me alone, Cain. I said I'm fine!”

His heavy boots crackled the leaves underneath his feet as he stepped closer, until he was directly behind her. In the dark, his hands found her waist, his fingertips ghosting up her sides, then back down. A strong arm encircled her waist then, pulling her away from the tree and back to him, until she was pressed against his chest. The heat off him was too much, her stomach immediately knotting.

“Darlin',” he said, slow and purposeful, and for the life of her, she couldn't remember hearing anything so erotic as his voice in her entire life. His head was bowed, his mouth near her ear, his breath blowing softly onto her neck. God, she might die. “I won't take you here.” Her heart jumped... take her? His large, rough hand slid up her bodice, cupping her breast, covering the entirety of it with his splayed fingers. “This deserve more than a quick moment up against a tree,” he told her, hissing with his restraint.

Leaning her head back into his shoulder, she nodded. He continued, moving his hand away from her breast to rest on her stomach, holding her up against him... as if she'd ever try to get away. “DG, I've been gettin' the feeling that you're a touch angry with me.”

She sighed. She might get angry right away if he didn't stop playing these silly games with her. “I'm not angry. I just... I wish I knew what to think.”

“About what?”

She considered this for a moment. Discussing how she felt had always come easy with Cain, but now she found her words were sticking in her throat, too important to toss around lightly. Well... honesty was the best policy, wasn't it? “About whats been going on between us since we left the Tower,” she admitted to him, knowing that this was about more than just their recent naughty explorations of each other. She turned in his arms, wanting to see his face so badly, it ached. She inhaled a shaky breath, and waited for his response.

It came slowly, every word stated carefully, well thought out, weighted with the same seriousness with which he said everything else. “I've got a pretty good idea of whats been goin' on. I thought you did, too.”

She felt her mouth quirk in a disappointed smile. “I thought I did, but you're hard to read, and...” She didn't know quite how to tell him about all the doubts she had. “And then back in your... your...” she trailed off then, giving up completely on trying to tell him anything. She couldn't bring up that small, dark cell, no matter what amazing things had taken place there.

Cain sighed deeply, a growl catching in his throat. “I told you it wasn't the right time, and for now I'm gonna have to stand by that.” His words were forced, as if they were painful to say, and he wanted to make himself perfectly clear because he wasn't going to say it again. His hands on her hips gripped at her, indenting her soft flesh. Despite his words, he was pulling her closer, so that their bodies pressed together once again.

DG nodded, trying to understand, and she found his shoulder, laid her head upon it, burying her face in the rough material of his shirt. Underneath her cheek, his heart was pounding. She slid her hands up his chest to his shoulders, pulling her fingernails along, feeling the firmness of him, but he caught her hands in his. Holding her hands like a wall between them, he stopped her.

“Don't make this hard on me,” he said firmly, and she knew then whatever spell had fallen over him had come to an abrupt end. Strangely accepting of this fact (had she just gotten a glimpse of the man hiding behind the gruff, stoic exterior?), she backed away.

With her back against the tree, DG took a few deep breaths, found her shoes by feeling around with her feet, and then slipped her toes inside when she had found them. She'd taken to walking on the backs on them, bending the heels of the soft slippers down, instead of putting her entire foot in, to save herself scraping the skin off the entire back of her foot.

“We've got a while longer to travel before we can stop and get a few hours shut eye,” he told her after a few minutes of silence. Perhaps he'd had to gain his own composure, but she wasn't sure she dared let herself think she had that much of an effect on him. But maybe...

She nodded, making a little 'mmhmm' of affirmation. He'd just promised her sleep, she'd agree to almost anything. She'd even put this on hold for now... In the darkness, with just enough light from the moons to see the shadowy shapes a foot in front of her face, she had to take a moment to find her direction. She concentrated, listening for the call.

“You ready?” he asked her.

“Yeah,” she said, and with a deep sigh, she skirted the tree that had offered so much support, and together they moved on.

Chapter Twenty Five

Jeb had her by the hand and they were running, running... branches whipped against her face, her lungs burned and threatened to explode. She couldn't remember the last time she had run... perhaps before the possession, before DG had been sent over. She forced her legs to keep up as she was dragged through the trees at a pace she couldn't have possibly kept up by herself. Where he was running to, she didn't know, but he could lead her anywhere as long as he kept her safe.

Beside her, around her, the others ran. Someone helped her mother... Pvt. Burrows perhaps... the only knowledge that her mother was still there the gleam of the beads on her dress in the moonlight as they ducked between and around trees.

“Where are we going?” Azkadellia asked, trying to find her voice amid her ragged breathing.

“Away from here,” came the only response from Jeb. His grip on her hand was tight, sweaty. Their fingers were entangled, and he pulled her along, weaving around one solid tree and then another. She tried to concentrate on every step landing properly, concentrated on not falling.

Az dared a glance behind them. Through the thick growth, the lanterns and torches chased them. Men were shouting, calling out to each other far behind, and even over the pounding of her feet, the pounding of her heart, she heard them. She was terrified, each breath catching in her throat; she almost had to force each new one.

“Was this part of the plan?” she asked him, ducking down with remarkable reflex to avoid a low hanging branch.

Ahead of her, she heard him chuckle. “No, but its fun, isn't it?”

She found herself laughing too, a bit hysterically. Fun?

“To the left!” McLauren shouted. Az's head snapped sharply in the direction called out. Their pursuers were closing in on them, catching them fast, trying to trap them with their backs to the river. The river, too fast flowing to enter, too wide and deep to cross. The river, their salvation that would become their undoing.

I can't run anymore... Gods, I can't do this... her own voice was ringing in her head.

“Stop!” rang out a voice from behind them, one that caused her ears to perk curiously. She felt her legs slow on their own, until the connection of her arm and Jeb's became tight, recoiled, and broke. She stumbled, and Jeb swooped down on her immediately.

“We have to move!” he shouted at her, trying to pull her along again. But she shook her head.

“No, we don't!” she told him, hastily clambering to her feet. The shout tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop it, barely able to form her lips around the word through her labored breathing. “Ambrose? Ambrose!”

The shouting all around them stopped. Az turned her head to see her mother stop running far ahead, double back a few steps before collapsing against a tree, gripping the trunk for support. She was speaking to Pvt. Burrows, then walked unevenly towards her daughter.

Jeb was squinting through the trees as the lights came closer. “Your Majesty!” called out the same familiar voice, and Az's heart swelled with hope.

“Ambrose!” she called again, and suddenly, her legs were too rubbery to hold her up. Almost falling to the ground, she tried to catch her breath. Jeb knelt down, a hand on her shoulder, as he watched the lights come ever closer. Voices were calling out, more than she could possibly count. But three words rang through the night, so loud and clear and true that it made the entire ordeal disappear in a wisp of smoke.

“We've found them!”

A body fell down in front of her, almost as out of breath as she. Ambrose's pale face was captured in a gigantic smile, one without dignity or composure, the pure abandon of his happiness etched in every corner of his expression. Az found herself smiling too, his happiness so contagious that she laughed.

An hour later, the company of five was escorted on horseback to the AR camp. The men all bowed to their monarch and the heiress to the kingdom. Both women nodded appreciatively, both in a bit of a daze, both exhausted, drained. Near the edge of the camp, Jeb Cain alighted his mount, handed over the reins to a waiting private. Walking slowly behind his two charges, he felt a hand catch him on the arm.

“Andrus wants a word with you,” said the voice. Jeb turned to see Glitch, the advisor, watching him sympathetically. Jeb only nodded, surprised that it had taken Andrus this long to get this message to him. When the search party had found them in the forest, he'd half expected Andrus to come stalking out of the line of men to hand down retribution as swiftly as possible. Oh well, maybe he just wants to savor the moment, Jeb thought with a smirk.

Andrus' tent was larger than all the others. Jeb entered quietly, not bothering to announce his presence.

The general looked up from the small table in front of him. Scattered with maps, the mess on the table was nothing compared to the haggard appearance of the man that stood behind it. Andrus looked without rest, without sustenance, without peace. Bastard probably hasn't slept since the royals went missing Monday.

“What time is it?” Jeb asked him, trying to break the tension of who would speak first. In his head, he tried to rack up his guilty charges. Disobeying direct orders, endangering the life of a princess (though whose fault that one was, he thought was debatable), abandoning said princess (again, debatable)...

Andrus sighed. “I should have you hanged.”

Jeb chuckled. “What would be the fun in that? You like me.”

The general was shaking his head in angry disbelief. “Cain,” he said slowly. “You seem to be missing something.”

“Oh? I don't think I am. Okay, my uniform got left behind, but honestly, it was for the better. Let me tell you this, its a really good story -”

Andrus cut him off. “When you showed up at Finaqua, I put you in charge of something very important.”

Jeb's jovial mood immediately dropped with this. “Oh... right. That.”

“Where is the princess? There should be two here, and yet I see only one.” The general nodded through the open tent flap, where across the camp they could see Azkadellia talking to Ambrose. She looked like she were swaying on her feet, but that was no wonder. They were all tired, and Jeb was quite looking forward to finding a tent and a sleeping roll once he got through Andrus' sorry excuse for a debriefing.

“I don't know where DG is,” Jeb said slowly. “You'll have to talk to Her Majesty if you want the details of that plan.”

Andrus clicked his tongue impatiently. “You're going to the Tower. I want you on guard duty in the dungeons, and you'll depart at first light. You are dismissed.”

Jeb turned on his heel, biting his tongue as he left the general. Arrogant bastard, the worst kind. Yes, he, Jeb, was arrogant, but he wasn't a bastard, not like Andrus. A bit of a rascal, maybe... he smirked, thinking of all the times his mother had shouted that very word to him as he'd cut across the yard, running from her and her reprimand.

When she saw him, Azkadellia walked towards him. She stayed near the edge of the firelight, and her hands were at her sides; it took him a moment to realize she was holding the sides of her ripped dress together, modest now in the company of so many men.

“Jeb,” she said softly, smiling as he approached her. “It all worked perfectly. Hass found the camp... told them where we'd be. And we ran like fools.” She laughed then, a small quiet laugh. He was silent, not knowing quite what to say to her, surprised that she'd even walked over to see him.

Az noticed that he wasn't speaking, and decided to keep going, wishing that she'd find something he would respond to. “We're leaving for Central City, as soon as The Queen has a conference with the general. We won't stay in the camp overnight, Mother wants us to move to the city as soon as possible.” Az smiled at him again, trying to coax him. She leaned in close to whisper in his ear. “I think she misses my father.”

Jeb shook his head. “I wish you a safe journey, my Lady.”

Az's brow furrowed, confused by his distance. “Won't you accompany us to Central City?”

Again, Jeb shook his head, looking off a ways to the soldiers milling around, watching the princess out of the corners of their eyes, as they went about their tasks. Turning back to Az, he shrugged his soldiers. “Andrus has already reassigned me. I'm on prison duty at the Tower.”

Azkadellia rolled her eyes, her mouth quirking to the side in an unimpressed way. “No, you'll come with us to Central City.”

“Your Highness,” he said, catching her eyes, but she looked back at him determinedly, her mouth set in a firm line. She shook her head, and then gave him a ghost of a grin, which quickly disappeared.

“You'll come with us to Central City, and stay on as my personal guard in the palace. That way,” she said softly, touching his arm as she moved to walk past him, “you'll be able to see DG and your father the minute they are returned to the city. You don't deserve to get sent out to the Tower, not after all the help you've given us.”

Jeb nodded his head appreciatively. “Then I would be honored, Azkadellia.”

She smiled at him, noticing the way he had said her name, the kindness in his voice, something she had heard very little of underground. Walking away before she said too much, or before her face softened too much, she walked to Andrus' tent. Already the excitement of the forest was fading away, and her body was threatening to give out. Just one last thing to take care of, she thought with a small smile.

With his back up against a tree, Wyatt Cain watched his princess sleep.

DG was curled up in a tangle of roots, laying on top of his service jacket. She'd fallen asleep fast, and every now and again she mumbled something he couldn't quite make out. Why he was watching her so intently, he didn't quite know. His eyes burned with exhaustion, but sleeping, for him, wasn't an option.

How this girl had unhinged him so, he didn't quite know... the tin suit she'd found him in wasn't the only prison he'd been trapped in. Though he mourned his wife, and loved her still, something had changed in the last few days that was turning everything he'd known around on him.

Adora wouldn't like it.

Adora.

She'd want him to find happiness, of that he was certain. But hers was the voice of his conscience now, which rang clear as a bell inside his head, keeping him awake as he watched DG sleep.

She's only a child, merely a few annuals older than Jeb.

Cain closed his eyes. Barely older than his son she might be, but she was definitely not a child, something he hadn't failed to notice; soft, white skin, her plump, pouty lips, small breasts that fit perfectly into the palm of his hand... no, she was not a child.

She's a princess, how do you suppose to get around that one?

It presented a problem, one that he wasn't quite sure how to find an answer. An obstacle, though, no. He'd never been one to let silly little things stop him. Yes she was a princess... but she was a second daughter, about as headstrong and stubborn as he, himself, was. Yes, he was an ex-Tin Man, tarnished, possibly - probably - damaged beyond any hope of repair. But his heart was more than just a muscle working in his chest; it still beat, and he was still alive. And lately... lately he'd felt an ache in his chest that only seemed to surface when one certain princess was involved.

In her sleep, DG shifted, moaning in what he assumed was discomfort, but even such a simple sound slipping out of her mouth put him on edge. It wasn't right what she was able to do to him, what she could do without even trying. As a man, he prided himself on his restraint, his self-control always assured behind his eyes. Prisoners, he could interrogate without beating them, his son he'd always been able to control as a child without lifting a hand to the boy.

One impetuous little princess, and he was nearly coming undone.

The sky was lightening, but somewhere around five am, the clouds had begun to roll in. Now, the black sky was fading into soft gray. It would be overcast, and they might see some rain. There was a bite to the breeze that filtered into the little copse they'd found in which to hide. DG whimpered, her arm flying out, slamming hard into the tree under which she slept, but the impact didn't wake her. Concerned - yes, concerned - he moved over to her, ducking low to keep the low hanging branches off the top of his head.

Cain knelt down beside the sleeping princess, and touched her softly on the arm, calloused fingers sweeping over her smooth skin. “DG,” he whispered.

She stirred at the sound of his voice, inhaling deeply as her dreams slipped away. Instinctively, she jerked away when she found him so near. “Is it time to go already?” she mumbled, her words running together in a tired slur.

“Not yet, Darlin',” he told her with a soft chuckle. “You were dreamin', and it didn't look pleasant.”

With another deep sigh, DG shook her head. She covered her face with her hands, wiping the sleep and her dream from her eyes. “Is it morning?”

“Near enough,” he said. “Do you want some water?”

DG shook her head, pulling herself to sitting. “Not unless its hot and in a bathtub.” She closed her eyes, and stretched, arms reaching above her head, back arching. Her head fell back, her bare throat shining in the dim light. DG put a hand on the side of her head, rubbing the sore spot which had laid on the tree root she'd used as a pillow.

“We'll get movin' soon,” he said, still kneeling beside her, but looking around. The protective circle of trees with their low hanging branches kept them out of sight, knowing that if they met anyone out in these wilds, hostility was pretty much a guarantee.

“You don't want to get going right now?” she asked, watching him carefully.

“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “Give you a couple of minutes to wake up.”

DG nodded gratefully, offering him a small smile. She nestled back into the tangle of roots, pressing her face against his jacket and closing her eyes. A couple of minutes... it wasn't much, but hey, when you were allowed to go back to bed, you took the opportunity.

She felt his hand on her leg, warm and solid. Her eyes drifted open again, and she found herself staring deep into his eyes. The hazy light allowed her to see his features for the first time since the darkness of the night before, and she thought, a little distractedly, how handsome he was.

“Cain,” she said, but her voice faltered, any words that would come after were lost, evaporated in the heated gaze of his steely eyes. She watched as he moved his position from one knee, to two... still watching her, he stretched his long frame out beside her, laying on his side, pressing his body against hers.

“What -” she began to ask, but again her words were lost... only this time, they were lost within his mouth as he caught her, pulling her into a long, slow kiss. With one arm supporting his weight, his other hand was free to explore, sliding down her body and gripping at her hip, pulling her possessively closer. Her mind whirling at this unexpected turn, her common sense won out the battle for her tongue, and she pushed up on his chest, breaking their kiss.

“You told me not eight hours ago that it wasn't the right time,” she told him, holding her hand firmly against his chest.

He smiled that stubborn Cain smile, the know-it-all stretching of his lips. “As it turns out, I can't help myself.” The hand on her hip, slid underneath of her, lifting her towards him, the resistance of her arm pushing against his chest nothing compared to the pull of desire. He bowed his head to hers, holding his mouth, still smirking, a few inches from hers. “Is there a problem, Princess?”

Mutely, she shook her head, unable to speak, let alone think of something to say. This is new, she thought absently, as his lips found hers again, feeling a strange sensation in her stomach, like her abdominal muscles were shuddering with anticipation, with the heat of his embrace. Leaning over her, he laid her down, pressing onto her with his deliciously heavy weight. Yes, she'd been in this situation before, but never like this... embarrassed, she realized that he was going to ask, and she was going to have to tell the truth. Not very princess like behavior, now or then.

Kissing Wyatt Cain, she realized, was a euphoria beyond anything she'd ever experienced. His tongue danced along her lower lip, begging entrance, and her chin trembled as she complied. The touch of his tongue to hers was an electric shock, the taste of him sensual, rugged. She stopped trying to push him away, her hands sliding up to his shoulders, gripping both sides of his neck, pulling him towards her though it wasn't possible for him to get any closer.

He shifted, putting a knee between her legs, and his free hand slid away from her back, down past her waist, over the curve of her ass, his hand slipping under her dress to splay his fingers over her thigh; he pulled her leg upwards, hooking it over his hip. His hand drifted upwards, and he broke their kiss to hold her by the chin, his eyes searching hers as he bore down on her.

“DG, if we start this...”

She shook her head and offered him a smile. “We already did start this. Don't stop,” she whispered. Compliant, he kissed her again, catching her so quickly that he stole her breath away. His kiss was fierce, all walls and restraint gone.

DG gasped at the sudden shift, pressing her body greedily against his, moaning into his mouth. His hand returned to her thigh, his palm rough against her bare skin. The weight of his leg pushed between hers was like heat that burned. She felt him hard against her hip, as his all consuming kiss left her mouth, trailed her jaw. His teeth ghosted against her collarbone, his tongue leaving a trail cold in the crisp morning air. She had no time to feel chilly, had no time to feel anything but the heat of him, of the passion that was quickly pushing them into places she'd only dared dream about.

The bodice of her dress had a few buttons, and deftly he undid them, his hand snaking inside to find her naked breasts. His fingers danced over her nipples, teasing them erect, his mouth leaving her neck to kiss a path down her chest. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and barely able to think of what she was supposed to be doing, she gripped the material of his shirt, pulled it upwards. With a chuckle, Wyatt lifted his head away from her long enough to allow her to pull the shirt off. It fell uselessly to the side, forgotten. As he paid service to her breasts, his warm mouth exploring every inch, she let her hands slide over his broad shoulders, gripping his flesh hard with her fingernails when he pulled one nipple into his mouth with his teeth and sucked hard. He moaned, releasing her.

“Princess,” he whispered, whether pet name or title she couldn't tell, the desire in his voice as he gazed down at her body all too evident without the hardness pressing into her hip to distract her. He pushed his arm straight, holding himself high above her, his eyes dark with passion. Every second that passed, the sky grew lighter, and the more of him she could see, the more of him she wanted.

Never had she felt this kind of pull before, never had she ached so acutely between her legs. Cain lowered to himself to her, kissing her hard as he pulled the skirt of her dress to her hips, leaving her naked from the waist down and completely at his mercy.

“Wyatt,” she whispered, as his hand wound its way from her hip, down between her legs. His eyes caught hers when she said his name, searching her face for assurance that what he did was all right. His hand cupped her mound, daring not to dip in for a more intimate touch.

“Say yes,” he whispered.

She nodded her head, swallowing hard, humming an affirmation. His hand fell away from the warmth between her legs, leaving her feeling bereft. Again, he caught her by the chin, training her eyes onto him, as if she could possibly see anything, anyone else.

“Say yes,” he choked, forcing the words.

Her heart pounded harder in her chest. “Yes,” she whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from his sultry gaze. “God, yes.”

His head fell into the crook of her neck, his lips finding her skin, pressing hot kisses to her pulse point. Moments later, his hand found her again, his calloused thumb finding her center, rubbing it gently, as he pushed two fingers into her. Arching against his touch with a strangled cry, her hands flew to his shoulders, grasping at whatever she could, trying to hold herself afloat. Her breath hitched in her throat as his thumb moved in lazy circles, his fingers sliding in and out with the same passive way.

She muttered a few incoherent syllables, her body lost to his touch and her brain a thousand miles away, and yet still grounded here in this passion, her entire being so painfully aware of what he was doing to her. Higher and higher he took her until an orgasm crashed over her like a tidal wave, and despite herself, she cried out.

When she opened her eyes, he was smiling down at her, his tricky hand slowly coasting her out of her throes. When his touch left her, she whimpered, not ready to lose him, even though she knew - or at least hoped for - what came next. Reaching down, so as to leave no doubt about what she wanted - and damn, did she want him - she unbuttoned his fly, pulled down the zipper.

With a naughty grin that caused him to raise his eyebrows, she reached inside his pants, found him with her cold fingertips. A hiss escaped his lips. “Careful there,” he managed through gritted teeth. “This won't last long you keep playin' around like that.”

DG tried out her most winning, innocent smile. “Why should you be the only one that gets to play?” she asked, as she wrapped her fingers around him, stroking his length a few times - but suddenly, he grabbed her wrist, and yanked her hand away. She looked up at him, her eyebrows knitting together. “But -” she began, but he shook his head, letting go of her wrist to put his hand over her mouth. Her first thought was that she could smell herself on him, and it was incredibly erotic, but whatever her second thought was, it was cut off by the sound of footsteps outside the little thicket they hid in.

“I heard something,” said a voice. Male, harsh, human.

DG's heart pounded, her arousal dissipating fast, as if she'd been doused with icy water. She slowly pulled herself to sitting, straightening her dress, her trembling fingers fumbling on the buttons. Cain had already left her side, and was yanking his shirt over his head. She didn't dare make a sound, only eyed him fearfully as he removed his gun from its holster.

Cain took a moment to kneel beside her. Knowing he had her complete attention, he mouthed the words 'Don't move' to her, his forcefulness at this one critical point scaring her more than anything or anyone that could hurt them beyond this protective place they'd created. He sighed, searched the ground for a moment, and tenderly placed a kiss on her temple. Then, he moved away, gone from where she could see... she didn't dare look after him, instead closed her eyes, and counted.

Az, I'm scared.

A single shot rang out, shattering the silence around her. Her eyes flew open.

Don't move.

She didn't have to. They found her.

Table of Contents:

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