Page 27 of Haunted Hearts

“Fine,” she said, throwing her arms up in the air. “I will sneak into Blaze’s solar to find out what I can. But I’m only agreeing to this because you two are scared of something that doesn’t even exist. I’m going to prove it to you once and for all that Blaze is naught but a man. A normal man.”

“Thank you,” said Serena, giving Lillith a kiss on the cheek.

Lillith sneaked down the corridor and into Blaze’s room, managing to get in without anyone seeing her. She stopped for a moment and looked around his private quarters. It was really no different than what she remembered from when she was fifteen. She and Blaze had been starting to see each other as more than just friends, but had never done anything about it. Then, while hiding from his mother one day after they had accidentally broken one of her favorite vases, Blaze had brought Lillith here. This is where they’d shared their first kiss.

His big bed still sat on the far side of the room, and she was instantly drawn to it. The purple velvet curtains that hung from iron rings enclosing the bed were open and tied back, just the way she’d remembered. With one missing, of course. Lillith smiled, running her hand down the soft velvet, liking the way it felt. She had always loved the color purple and had been so surprised to find out that Blaze liked purple too. He actually used one of the bedcurtains to have a gown made out of it for Lillith for her birthday. She’d been wearing that gown when they’d kissed.

It was right here at the side of the bed where Blaze had wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. Then he’d gently placed his mouth on hers. Lillith hadn’t known anything about kissing, never having experienced it before. It was the moment that changed her life. It was then that their relationship moved from just friendship to something so much more. The kiss was fast and simple, but it had been so sensual, exciting, and powerful, that it had frightened Lillith a little.

Blaze had a look in his eyes that said he wanted to be intimate. Since they’d been standing at the side of his bed, Lillith’s mind went wild with thoughts of them being atop it together. She knew those thoughts were improper, and was ashamed of herself for even thinking about it. So, instead of kissing him a second time, or giving things a chance to turn to anything else, Lillith ran for home.

Sadly, that was the last she’d seen of him before the feud began between their families. Once that happened, everything changed between them, and the spark that had been ignited that day was quickly doused.

Lillith ran her fingers up and down the carved wooden spindle of the bed, wondering if that kiss had affected Blaze as much as it had her. He must have liked it. After all, he was the one who so boldly kissed her again after not seeing each other for all these years. Sadly, instead of enjoying it, Lillith had slapped him and sent him away, ending it once more. A pain shot through her heart thinking about it. It hurt her to do it, but once again, she had been afraid. All this talk about him being a warlock and cursing or killing members of her family had just been too much for her to bear.

Even if Blaze wasn’t what the rumors said he was, they still couldn’t be together. He was betrothed to her sister now and Lillith was going to marry a baron. It should make her happy she supposed, that both she and Serena would be taken care of. Instead, it made her sad. Things were all wrong, and there was nothing she could do to change it.

As Lillith stood there reminiscing about the past, she didn’t even hear the sound of the door opening behind her.

“Lillith? What are you doing?”

She jumped in surprise and spun around to see Blaze standing there with the man who worked in the stables.

“Blaze,” she said, lost for words. She giggled nervously, trying to think of something believable to say.

“Thank you, Orvyn, just put it down over there and you may go.”

“Of course, my lord.” Orvyn’s eyes fastened to Lillith as he placed a blanket and saddle down on the floor. “Are you sure you don’t want me to fix the stitching on the saddle, my lord?”

“Nay. I enjoy doing things like that myself, but thank you.”

“Aye, my lord.” Orvyn looked at Lillith once more and headed for the door.

“Orvyn?” said Blaze, stopping the man in his tracks. “I’d appreciate it if you kept quiet about what you saw here.”

“I didn’t see anything but Lady Lillith, my lord. It’s not like you’ve done anything wrong. I mean, other than she’s the sister of the girl you’re marrying, yet she is the one awaiting you in your sleeping quarters.”

“For your trouble,” said Blaze, handing the man a coin.

“Why, thank you, my lord,” said Orvyn, eagerly taking the coin and bowing. Then he quickly left the room.

Blaze closed the door and turned back to Lillith.

When he did, he noticed Lillith becoming very fidgety all of a sudden.

“What are you doing in my solar?” he asked, slowly strolling across the floor toward her.

“I – I was looking for you, Blaze.” Her eyes darted in one direction and then the other, and he saw her reaching for her dagger at her side.

“Really. Whatever for?” In two more long strides, he was standing in front of her, so close that he could reach out and touch her.

“I needed to talk to you.”

“With a dagger pointed at my heart?” He grabbed her wrist and ripped the blade away from her. “What is going on with you?”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?” He slipped her dagger into the sheath at her side and then reached over her and leaned his arm on the bed spindle. This made their faces close enough to kiss. She ducked underneath his arm and scurried across the room. That told him that whatever the reason for her being here, she hadn’t come to him for intimate purposes. Not that he thought she would, since he was betrothed to her sister and she was promised to another man. Still, Blaze hadn’t lost hope that mayhap Lillith still had feelings for him.