Torchair Air Eideadh ~ Chapter Three ~ Torch/Andra (3/7)

[dawnofme]

Title: Torchair Air Eideadh (Undead Torch)
Author: dawnofme
Pairing:  Torch/Andra
Rating:  R

Summary:  Noble is not happy.  Torch and Andra deal with each other in a cemetery.

A/N:  Much thanks to my betas mabel_marsters and slaymesoftly. 







Torchair Air Eideadh

 Chapter Three

As he shuffled along the edge of the hall after entering the mansion, Torch was hoping to find a room to sleep in undetected.

“Torch!  Where have you been?”  Edwin stood with folded arms at the entrance to the salon.   “Noble wishes to speak with you right away.”

Taking a moment to remove the scowl from his face, Torch entered the salon.  Edwin followed and closed the double doors behind him.

“Thank you, Edwin.  You can go now,” Noble said.

“But…but-”

“Now, Edwin.” 

Noble’s cold and controlled voice frightened Torch more than if he’d been ranting and raving.   The doors clicked shut, and the young vampire grimaced as Noble directed his gaze at him.

“Where have you been, childe?”

Torch shrugged before leaning against a high table that displayed an expensive vase.  “Was just tramping around is all.  Getting a feel for what it would be like on my own.”

In a flash of fury, Noble stood up and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him closer.  
“On your own?  Who the hell do you think you are, boy?  I own you.”  Noble used his teeth to drag the glove off his hand and let it drop to the ground.  He backhanded Torch who stumbled back, knocking the vase over and raising a hand to his already swelling lip. 

“You’ll go nowhere unless I tell you to.  Is that clear?”

Torch closed his eyes for a moment, reining in his natural inclination to growl out an insult and tell him to sod off.  Such attitude would get him nothing but more beatings.  “Aye, that’s clear.”

Throwing his other glove off, Noble glared at Torch as he put both hands on the boy’s shoulders.  “Look at me when I speak to you.”  When Torch made eye contact with him, he said, “Aye is not proper.  Say yes, sire.”

“Yes, sire.”

“Much better.  Now for the rest of the week, you will stay home during the hunt and your meals will be brought to you.”

“But-”

Torch stopped when Noble shook his shoulders.  “No more!  It’s over.”  He pulled him close and kissed him.

His lips hurt, but he relaxed against Noble and sighed.  He craved Noble’s attention and could not resist the opportunity to be close with him.  It was an ache within that did not seem to lessen over time.  Torch pressed closer to him while wrapping his arms around his sire, clinging to him. 

He tilted his head, giving Noble better access to his neck as he placed soft kisses there.  “I missed you,” Noble whispered in his ear.  “Let’s move this upstairs.  We need to enjoy the bed as much as possible.  In one month’s time, we’ll be on the road and we won’t be able to have leisurely times in a nice soft bed.

Torch tensed up and pulled slightly away.  “We leave for Scotland in a month?”

“Yes and we’ll be many days on the road without a proper bed.”  He grabbed Torch’s hand and led him out of the room.  “Come on.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Through the window of his sire’s second story master suite, Torch watched them leave in the carriages.  As soon as the last of the three carriages was out of sight, he closed the curtains and got dressed.  He made his way downstairs and slipped out the back to the stables. 

He took his time saddling up a sturdy horse before he jumped on and raced off in the direction on London.  He wisely took the longer route, knowing that he’d probably get there before Noble’s caravan.  The trick would be getting back before they did.

It wasn’t a long trip by any means, but he had plenty of time to think.  Noble had not left his side until it was time to go hunting, and now Torch rode with abandon, relaxing in the saddle, reveling in the fact that he could think and feel freely.  One month was not enough time.  He didn’t have any plans yet, and while he had been preparing himself for the day when Noble would move on to someone else since Edwin had advised him to, the thought of being separated from his sire did not sit right with him.

It was too early, but there was no way they’d get him to go to Scotland.  He’d let Noble dust him first.  Just the thought of crossing over into his beloved country and bringing evil with him, made his head spin.   

He knew he should go directly to the demon section of town to sniff out a good place to stay.  That’s what he should be doing, but as he entered the heart of London, he leisurely directed his steed towards their spot by the Thames. 

The horse was still raring to go and could sense Torch’s anticipation at seeing Andra again.  He pawed at the ground and snorted.  She was not there, at least not yet.  He slowly rode around the buildings a few times but did not see her, so he went back to waiting by the river.

“You would think you would look up,” Andra said suddenly from their roof.

“So, you took my advice, eh?”

“Aye, I can see everything up here.  Where did you get the horse?”

“Do you think I took it from my latest meal?” he asked.

Andra glared at him, “Well, you are an evil blood sucking vampire and you are in the habit of taking things that you shouldn’t.”

“Really?”  Even when she was calling him names, she was cute. “What things do you know I have taken?”

“You took liberties with my person.”

He stared up at her scowling face for a few seconds, and then barked out deep laughter.  The horse shifted restlessly beneath Torch.  “Oh, lass, you don’t know how much I needed that laugh.”
 
In a fluid and graceful leap, Andra landed in front of the horse, which reared up in fright. She stood with arms crossed, stake in hand and looking unaffected by the horse as Torch struggled to get control. 

“Ach, woman!”

She giggled at his troubles and he briefly thought of letting the horse trample her, but he had to be honest with himself.  Torch didn’t want to see the light go out of those eyes.  Once he had the horse steady he held his hand out to her and said, “Come on, get up here and we’ll go for a ride.”

Taking a step back and shaking her head, she said, “Oh, no.  I’ll no’ be that close to you again.”

“When was the last time you raced through the streets on horseback?” he asked while keeping his hand outstretched to her.  “I’ll let you ride behind me.  You’ll be perfectly safe from my attentions.”

“I must be insane,” she said as she grabbed his hand and was lifted onto the horse’s back.

Torch let the horse jerk forward and smiled in triumph as she quickly wrapped her hands around his waist.  “I give you leave to take all the liberties you fancy to on my person.”

She released her hold on him and slapped the back of his head.  “Shut up and let’s get going.  I want to see how fast this horse can go.”

The horse was just as ready for a good run as they were, so it didn’t take much encouragement on his part before they were racing forward beside the Thames.  After a while, they turned onto a cobblestone street and Andra tightened her grip on him. 

Torch attempted to get her hands to go lower by the sheer force of his will but it didn’t work.  He had to be content with her body pressed against his and her hot breath at his neck. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Edwin walked slowly down the cobblestoned street, staying in the shadows and close to the buildings.   He was sure he’d heard a heart beat somewhere in this direction.  He cursed Noble again for not letting him go to the party.  He’d been Noble’s cousin in life, just a poor relation that he’d taken pity on. 

Noble was probably at the upper crust party, wearing a mask and taking part in the debauchery and fun, while he was stuck hunting down his dinner on the street.  The ground vibrated beneath Edwin as he heard hooves pounding the street. 

When the horse came into view, he couldn’t believe his eyes.  Torch flew past him, laughing.  He watched the back of the horse and was just thinking that Torch was going to be in so much trouble when Noble found out he’d left the estate, when he saw the long flowing strawberry blond hair of the rider holding on to Torch from behind. 

Only one girl in London walked around with that color hair, undone and free flowing.  The Slayer!  He’d been witness to her in action as she did away with some of Noble’s minions, and twice he’d seen her run stakes through Noble’s beloved fledges.

Forgetting his own stomach, he ran down the street to find Noble.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

When they came to a cemetery, Andra tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to stop.  Torch dismounted and held her hips as she followed him down.

“I must patrol a little or I’ll have nothing to report to Denton.”

He tried to follow her from a couple of paces away, but she turned and pointed at a tree.  “Go over there and wait.  You’re throwing off my senses and I canna have you behind me.”

“Sure,” he said dryly.  “And would you like me to hold yer cloak for you, too?”

“So kind of you to offer,” she said as she removed the cloak and tossed it to him.

Andra went slowly across the graveyard, not paying any attention to the graves she stepped on.  Her focus was on finding evil.  She made two wide sweeps where the newer graves were and then walked back to him.  Her feet kicked her mint green skirt out and he thought he got a glimpse of a bare foot. 

As she approached him he asked, “I don’t know how you can possibly fight against evil in that skirt.  I think it must slow you down.”

“Well, it does, sometimes.”  She pulled apart a section of her skirt and quickly gave him a flash of her leg.   “These special cuts help some.”

Although the peek she’d given him was lightning fast, it was as if an artist had painted that one second on a canvas.  Coherent thought was not possible for him as he relived the moment in his mind.

“Hello, Torch,” Andra said.  “You there, man?”

“Um…oh, yeah.  What I wouldn’t give to be in a fight with you and have you kick a leg at me,” he said suggestively.  “No wonder you’ve been so successful.  Blind the demons with a flash of those shapely legs and attack while their brains are mush.”

The glare was back in her stare as she advanced on him.   “You’d like to fight with me, would ye?” she yelled.  “Come on then.  Let’s see if I can blind ye with my white legs.”

She kicked him in the shin with a bare foot.  Jumping back with the pain, he hit his head on the tree trunk.  He charged at her and she kicked out again, this time landing her kick in his stomach. 

Torch grunted and flew back with the force.  He was getting angry now, as he watched her through narrowed eyes.  She stood in her spot looking as if she was doing nothing more important that waiting for a carriage to arrive. 

He was ready for her this time.  When he charged her, he grabbed the foot that came at him.  He twisted Andra’s leg and shoved her at the same time.  As she flew back, she landed in the soft grass with her skirt flying up. 

Torch came at her just as she was jumping up.  Andra kicked at him, using a sweeping motion with her leg, causing him to fall on her and pushing her back to the ground.  He used his body to subdue her.  Torch marveled at the power and strength struggling beneath him. 

He pulled back a little, resting on one elbow.  Her eyes blazed with indignation as her chest rose and fell rapidly, drawing his attention to her cleavage.  She was spitting mad, punching at his back.  Torch was never more turned on in his life. 

“Get off me,” she demanded. 

Chuckling, he ground his erection against her and was more than pleased when she stilled.  He leaned in closer to say in a deep whisper, “I could bite that pretty neck of yours right now.”

Andra resumed her struggling and managed to throw him off.  They got up at the same time, but Andra came at him with the stake raised and pushed him up against the tree with her other hand.  She placed the stake over his heart. 

“I could stake you right now.”

“And I’d die a happy vampire, I would.”  She was aroused and confused and he really did not fear for his life.  “You smell so good right now.  Grant a dying man his last wish and give me a kiss.”

Andra frowned but lowered the stake.  When she tried to back away from him, Torch stayed her by putting his hands on her hips.  He leaned forward to kiss her but she shook her head.  “No.  I…I’ve never…um.”  She continued to shake her head and refused to look him in the eye.

He caressed her hips and smiled at her.  “Never been kissed, then?”

She looked down and shook her head.

Gently, he cupped a hand on her chin, raising her head so their eyes could meet.  He saw fear mingled with aroused curiosity.  If he was a good man, he’d act like a gentleman and release her, but he wasn’t.  Torch had no doubts as to what he was.  An evil vampire.  “I’m going to kiss you, Andra the Vampire Slayer,” he told her firmly.  “And you are going to like it.”

When he released her chin, he was pleased that Andra kept her head up.  He wrapped his arms around her and gently planted his lips on her trembling ones.  He pressed closer while moving against her.  She threw her arms around his neck, pressed her body against his and kissed him back with abandon.

When they parted, they were both panting.  Torch, with his acute need to take things further.  Andra, with the need to breathe.   She wouldn’t look at him and without her eyes to mesmerize him, he found his gaze drifting towards her breast.  From this angle, looking down, he got an eyeful and felt like groaning.  He imagined ripping her top apart to get to those breasts and he had to fight the urge to vamp out. 

Something in the way he was staring must have called to her.  Andra went on her toes and kissed him again.  This time, when he kissed her back, he wasn’t gentle.  He buried his fingers in her hair at the base of her neck and used his tongue to pry her mouth open.  The little whimper that escaped from her mouth spurred him on as much as her tongue dancing with his did. 

When they pulled apart, he said, “You’re a fast learner.”

“Aye.”  She backed up and glanced around nervously.

“Come on, then.  I’ll take you home.  I have somewhere I need to be.”

Torch had almost forgotten about getting home before Noble.  He got up on the saddle and held his hand out for her.  This time Andra wrapped her arms around his waist without hesitation and sighed against him.  He smiled as he kicked the horse in to a fast gallop. 

When they came to her street, he stopped at the end of the block.  “There’s a carriage there,” he said to her.

“Sweet Jesus!  It’s him,” she said.  “I’ll walk from here.”  She slipped down from the horse and adjusted her cloak. 

“Who is it?”

“Just a friend of ours who stays with us sometimes.  I’ve got to go.  He can’t see you.”

She ran towards her house and didn’t even look back to say good-bye.  A tall, slim man in a gray suit similar to Denton’s fashion, got out of the carriage.  The man couldn’t have been more that a couple of years older than Torch.

He watched as Andra stopped just short of hugging him.  “Marcus,” she said while still trying to catch her breath. “How was the retreat?”

“Hello, Sunshine.  How I have missed you,” Marcus said in a refined accent while taking his bags from the driver.   “Do you have any idea how boring all those old men can be?”

With a hearty laugh, she slapped him on the back.  “I live with Denton, don’t I?”

Torch recognized the look of adoration on Marcus’ face.  It’s one he wore himself, most often, while in the presence of Andra.  He growled while turning the horse to race away.  He cursed the fact that he had to get back, when he really wished to be peeking in those windows right about now.

Who was Marcus and what was he to Andra?  And why should he care?  It was crazy, the way they were both flirting with danger by getting so close to each other.  The attraction was undeniable and the desire to be near each other was obviously very strong.  He did care who Andra was spending time with and it made him angry.  That man better not touch what was his, or Torch would tear into his throat and drain him dry

Next...Chapter Four