XXI.
Night. Dark wings of sleep enfolded me in a clumsy embrace. My head on Jay's chest, he wouldn't let me sleep on the mattress, his hand somewhat tangled in my hair. He smelled of blood and suffering, with a lingering hint of release. Noticed the blood on his chemise around the wrists and hem. When he had come back earlier with some stew I tried to make him eat, but he refused more than one spoonful, preferring instead to make sure that I ate the whole bowl. I wondered what kind of penance he was planning. Watched him secretly, keeping my eyes as closed as I could. He never wavered in his wakefulness, his eyes held some inner fire that I had not been able to see before. Watched as the flames crept up and surrounded his pupils, bursting into spires of death."Jay, go to sleep." I whispered. He shook his head and sighed, fingering his mark. "I'm okay. You need to sleep." Again he shook his head, but this time there was less resistance. Reached up hesitantly and touched his cheek. His eyes finally slid closed and he exhaled softly. "Go to sleep, I'll be fine." I didn't know that for sure, but he had to sleep, I didn't want him killing himself for me. He had already murdered for me.
Fingers in my hair slid softly onto the bed and his breath evened out. I nuzzled into him and slept.
Fixed the last piece of cloth and smoothed it out. Lingered a bit, trailing my fingers on the coarse fabric. Air gently caressing my skin, my thumb neared his mouth. Tongue snuck out and licked it, then disappeared behind lips. More adventurous, ran my thumb up and over his eyebrow, enjoying the way he closed his eyes and angled his neck in pleasure. Moved my other hand to join its brother, both feeling the textures of his face, tracing down his nose and meeting at his lips. Then hands over mine, gentle grasp that pushed them back down to my side. His eyes still closed, mouth still slightly parted in anticipation of pleasure, but soon that was gone, replaced by an image of him straightening his wimple. Whimpered a bit.Air knocked out of my lungs as he pushed me to the bed, lips hovering insistently above mine, then hands on my chest. Moaned. He did nothing more than start to pull the tunic over my head and dress me. "Jay, please..." I whined. His eyes narrowed and he sat up, looking like he might leave. I tried to sit up but his glare pinned me in place. "I feel better, honest." That got a small grin and he ran his finger up close to the mark. Small spikes of pain and I bit on my lip to keep from betraying how much it still hurt.
He shook his head and turned away, but I grabbed him and pulled him down. Made my most pleading eyes at him. He was halfway there, his tongue licked his lips slowly as he stared at me. "It would make me feel better." I said. That broke his resolve and he descended, latching onto my mouth with his own, mindful to be more gentle than usual, given the huge bruise that dominated the right side of my face. Tangled his cold tongue with mine, reached around him and pulled him down. He pushed free, if only to pull up the layers of the chemise and gown so that he could meet my bare flesh with his own. I gasped as he left a moist trail from my nipples to my groin, pausing as he went for my neck. As he started nibbling at it, I realized that our marks were touching, that for some reason that made me harder. Gasped. He took it for pain and drew back.
"No Jay, it's okay." I panted, voice ragged. Encircled him with my legs and tried to pull him down again. Reached down under his skirts and found his cock and stroked it slowly, listening to his vocalizations. Somehow I wanted him to talk again, to stop these endless silences, but I knew why he couldn't. Face under the wimple sweaty and strained, I leaned up and nuzzled at his neck, darting my tongue out over his pulse, at the same time intensifying my strokes on his cock. Hazel rolled up and was replaced with white. I parted my legs and rubbed against him, trying to entice him to make this go faster. Then, one long hard thrust, and it was.
Listened to him moaning and desperately trying to restrain his voice. I was halfway to hell, entranced with the feeling of him inside me and the fact that he was making noise again. If only panting and moaning, but it was more than...oh gods, I was going to come and the fabric was spilling over me like a fountain of textiles, rubbing on my sensitive flesh and...
"Jay!" I moaned, coming hard. He bit back whatever name or word he wanted to say and came soon after. Jay panted for a moment and then pulled out, patting down the skirt and trying to clean up. I watched him, smiling. "You need to fix your wimple." I said seductively. A blank stare from him, then another, more demonic look. His wimple didn't get straightened until a few minutes later.
"Are you sure you want to leave now?" Bobby asked. Jay had helped me down the stairs and was glaring at me across the table, watching carefully to make sure every spoonful of stew made it to my mouth."It's when Arthur usually leaves. It would be suspicious if he didn't." I said. Turned to Jay, who still wasn't eating anything. Pushed the bowl towards him. "You eat it." He started to shake his head, but my glare was something to be feared as well. A reluctant spoon sank into the stew and then went up to his mouth.
Arthur nodded at the end of the table. "Claude says that they're concentrating the search more at the ports than the land exits. Then again, they think you were abducted by the devil, operating through some obscure agency." He shrugged and shook his head. "Damned if I know."
"And what of Lord Ryan?"
"Crying like a baby. They say he wasn't able to run his lands without Amir's help. Judging by how much ale they made there, I'm not surprised."
Bobby looked mournfully down at his empty bowl. "What are we going to do about Paige?" All eyes focused on me for a brief moment, then lingered on Jay.
"Well...there is a way." Arthur said slowly. Dead silence.
Claude and a few other guards met us at the gate and peered into the wagon. "Hey, Arthur, who are these pretties you've got here?" one of the guards said, laughing. "Selling more than fabric to the Scots?!"Arthur stared at him indignantly and grabbed Jay's hand. "This here happens to be my wife. I want to get started on my family early." he snapped. "Can't leave her home alone, now can I?" At that he kissed Jay, with tongue, and Jay, to his credit, pretended that he enjoyed it.
"And her?" the guard pointed at me. I shrank closer to Bobby, who put his arm around me. He pointed at my face and sneered. "Didn't listen to your man, did you?"
I blushed and looked down at the floor of the wagon. Bobby laughed and slapped me on the back. "Yeah, she had the nerve to scold me in public! What would you do?"
The guard smiled. "Well, we did have a case like that earlier this week. The husband broke her nose. Guess your wife got off easy, didn't she?" Greasy hand touched my bruise, and I hissed. Bobby smacked me on the head.
"Paige, you know how to behave in public! If you don't stop, I'll have to get out the whip."
"Bobby, please don't!" I cried, kissing his hand. "I'll be good, I promise."
Claude pulled his fellow guardsman away. Another guard spat on the ground. "It still is a little odd, most merchants don't take their pretties up to Scotland. It's still pretty dangerous up there."
"Love has made me blind." Arthur said, grinning innocently. Jay laid his head on Arthur's shoulder and made a little content noise.
"Well, since none of these people match the descriptions, I think we can let them go, can't we?" Claude asked, smiling at her cohorts. The other guards nodded and turned their attentions to another wagon who wanted to exit the city. Claude turned to us and shook his head. "They say the king has patrols about. It would be best if you kept to the side roads."
Arthur winked. "Don't I always?"
Caught a brief glance of Lord Ryan leaving through another entrance, his face bright red and his posture slumped. He never looked at us.