House of Heirs by S. E. Gutierrez (color ebook reader txt) 📕

or rather, Annie went to find horses. Not long after leaving Graham's rooms, Cera was gasping, her side feeling as though it were on fire. Grumbling to herself, Cera stumbled back to the physicians door. Knocking on it, Cera entered without waiting for a response. She caught Sam just as he was pulling his pants back on.

"Where's Annie?" he asked, his face red.

Cera shrugged. Hobbling over to the bed, Cera collapsed onto the pillows.

Sam sat next to her. "You sent her out there alone?" he barked.

"Sam," Cera started, still short on breathe. "I can barely walk. You can barely walk. We still need to bury Graham. Annie is going to have to do some things on her own. Lianna is long gone. She wouldn't stick around. My guess is she's holing up somewhere trying to devise a new plan of action. We'll be safe-ish for a few days." 

Sam grumbled but understood her logic. "Well, I suppose you're right."

"I am." Cera said smugly. "I'm always right."

Sam mumbled something about women and motioned Cera to scoot over. "Move," he grumbled. "I need a nap."

"Ooh," Cera giggled, sliding closer to the wall. "The great Captain of the Guard Elite needs a nap?"

Sam huffed, collapsing face first onto the bed. "Yes," he muttered. "The Captain needs a nap."

Cera laughed, squished between the wall and the Captain's well muscled from. "Just try not to smother me."

Sam grunted, already half asleep. Cera rolled onto her side to give Sam a few more inches of room. She smiled as she watched him sleep; face relaxed, breathing even. Without thinking, she brushed the hair out of his face and draped an arm across his back. He sighed in his sleep and grabbed Cera's other hand. Stared at his face, then leaned forward and brushed her lips across his cheek. She knew instantly that she was never going to be able to hurt him again. She'd let herself become too close to a man sworn to protect the family she wanted to kill. She cursed herself as she kissed his forehead.

The pair didn't wake up until girlish gigling floated through out the room. Sam and Cera locked eyes. "Annie." They said in unison.

"Looks like you two were comfortable." Annei giggled, winking.

Sam blushed and shot out of bed. "We were just taking a rest, Annie!"

Cera laughed. "Captain here needed a nap."

Sam turned to glare at her. "Have you found any horses, Annie?"

Annie giggled once again. "I found two. I walked them to the closest door and tied them to a tree."

Cera smiled at the girl. "Good job. Once we bury Graham, we'll head out."

Sam nodded his agreement, and hefted Graham's body over his shoulder, trying not to think about how his friend had died. Cera leaned heavily on Annie, and the trio left the empty castle, making their way out to the frozen garden. Once they found a beautiful spot, Sam laid Graham on the frozen ground, and rummaged through a nearby shed for a shovel. Once he located one, he began digging, his face dark and somber. Hours later, when the sun was only a few hours from setting, he poured the last shovelful over Graham's grave. He used the shovel as a marker, and said a silent prayer, wishing Graham happiness in the afterlife. He jumped when Cera rested an arm around his waist, trying to comfort him. A moment later, he turned and wrapped her in his arms, crying into her shoulder. She held him, stroking his hair, and murmuring in his ear. She had experience with death. She knew what it was like and knew that Sam would need someone. She decided she would be the person he could cry to, the person he could hold at night when guilt gripped his heart and mind. She decided she was going to let herself love him. A few minutes later, Annie left to grap the horses, leaving Sam and Cera still in their embrace. 

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair. "I mean it."

"She smiled. "I'm here, Sam. Day or night, I'm here."

Sam sighed and released her just as Annie returned. "Can I ride with Cera?" she asked, chipper even though she'd seen so much carnage. 

Cera laughed. "Of course sweetie!"

Sam smiled and helped Cera onto the gray dappled mare. She supressed a cry when his hand touched her very painful side. He apologized profusely when he realized he'd hurt her. She, of course, waved him off, and leaned down to pull Annie up. Sam used his good leg to step into the stirrup and swing himself onto his chestnut mare. The group rode around to the other side of the castle and raided the kitchen for supplies before they headed out.

"Where exactly are we headed?" she asked Sam.

"Cadwell Mountain." he responded, pointint to a not too distant mountain to the south."

Cera groaned. "There's no way we'll get there in the hour or so we have before sundown."

"No," Sam shook his head. "We'll have to camp for the night. Let's see how far we can get though."

Two hours later, Sam, Cera, and Annie were only marginally closer to their destination. Cera grumbled about sleeping on the ground, but nearly kissed Sam when he gathered moss and other year-round plants to form makeshift beds for the three of them. Sam sent Annie to gather whatever dry wood she could find withing eyesight, and Cera changed her bandages. Once Sam settled down, she demanded that he let her change his bandages as well. 

"Definitely not!" he said with finality.

A mishevious grin wound its way accross Cera's face. She launched herself at Sam and ripped of his three layers of clothing all at once. She started poking at his shoulder, making Sam swat her hand away and wince.

"Sorry," she said "I just want to see how quickly it's healing. Promise I won't poke your thigh."

"Who said you were going anywhere near my thigh?" Sam asked, exhasperated.

"I did." Cera purred, and tugged at his pants.

Sam clambored away from her, and backed into a tree. Cera let out a jovial laugh and tossed Sam his shirt, coat, and cloak. He snatched them out of the air, pulling them back on. Relaxing on her vegetation bed, Cera thought about what she was going to do after she killed Lianna. Would she continue on with Sam and find the Cadwells, or would she hunt them on her own? Would she kill them, or let them live? What about Fantimore? Would she return. Cera had never been so unsure of herself. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize Annie had returned and fallen asleep until she felt the warmth of a fire and looked down and found a curly blonde head resting in her lap. Cera smiled to herself, and stroked the girl's hair.

"She looks up to you." Sam said, getting up to throw a few more sticks on the fire.

"Does she?" Cera asked. "Why?"

Sam plopped down next to her, leaning back on his hands. "Because she can see how strong, and smart, and beutiful you are."

Cera turned to look at Sam, his face scarlet to the tips of his ears. "I am none of those things." she whispered. "I pretend to be, but I am not."

Sam shook his head. "You're all of those things, though you refuse to admit it. That's what I liked about you." he paused. "What I do like about you." his voice was barely above a whisper. 

Cera looked away, not wanting to meet his eye. "I'm bitter," she whispered back. "Bitter, and mean, and tired. I might have a pretty face, but being pretty is not being beautiful. Having a brain is not being smart. Surviving is not being strong. I'm superficial. I never let anyone in. I keep everyone away." she paused. "At least, everyone except for you and Annie."

Cera closed her eyes, refusing to meet Sam's gaze. "Cera," he whispered, his voice pleading. "Look at me."

Cera shook her head.

Sam touched her chin, gently guiding it until she was facing him. "Open your eyes."

She shook her head again.

"Cera," he begged. "Open your eyes."

This time she did, meeting his intense hazel gaze. Slowly, he tugged her chin closer and closer until their faces were mere centimeters apart.

"Sam," Cera breathed. "I'm an assassin."

"I know." Sam whispered before he closed his eyes and kissed her. 

She melted. All of her defenses came crashing down. She was no longer Ceralynn the Assassin Princess, she  was Cera, whose heart belonged to Sam. She kissed him back with an intensity she didn't know she had. Sam's hands tangled in her hair as Cera carefully slid Annie out of her lap. Sam broke off the kiss, panting, his eyes searching hers. She wraped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. A small fire settled in Cera's stomach as she nestled herself in Sam's arms, pressing her lips to his once again.

"Cera," he whispered, his voice husky. "We really should get to sleep."

"Oh, if you insist." Cera teased, about to get up and go to her own pile of moss.

"Oh no you don't" Sam wrapped an arms around Cera's waist and pulled her down next to him. "I'm not letting you go."

Cera giggled, and burried her face in his chest. The three of them slept soundly, huddled together on the same bed of vegetation. Cera's last thought before losing herself to sleep was about how she felt like thier little gang was a family. She the mother, Sam the father, and Annie, their adorable little girl.

The next morning, Annie teased Cera and Sam relentlessly as they travelled to Cadwell mountain. "I can hear wedding bells!" she sang.

"I believe I'm tempted to push this feind off of this very horse." Cera threatened.

Sam couldn't help but laugh. The teasing went on for hours, and neither Cera nor Sam was bothered by it. It wasn't until dusk that the trio arrived at the base of Cadwell Mountian. Cera didn't know what she'd been expecting. A scarred, burly man waiting to help them fight the Cold Assassin, perhaps? She was disappointed to see nothing but a sharp incline and frozen gray rocks.

"Are we expected to climb that monstrosity?" Cera grumbled.

Sam shook his head. "No, Syd probably heard us a ways back. She'll be here when she deems us worth her time."

"Well," Cera said haughtily. "She'd better hurry."

Sam was about to laugh when a figure appeared before them. We've found her, he thought.

 

 

Twelve

 

She was tiny. For someone with the title of Slayer, she was incredibly petite. Still, power emanated from her. She didn't just walk, she strutted. She didnt smile, she smirked. She was something exotic. All five feet of her. Cera knew immediately that they were going to be friends. A glance over at Sam's bright red face verified that.

Sam walked up to her, his eyes lowered as if he were approaching a dangerous creature. "Syd," he said nervously. "It's always a pleasure."

Syd cackled. "It's Syd the Slayer, love. Or the Superior." She paused to smirk at Sam. "Whichever you prefer." she purred.

His face grew even more read as he bowed at the waist. Cera struggled to contain her laughter. It seemed someone else took joy in teasing the dear Captain. Oh yes, Cera thought, We're going to be great friends indeed. 

Syd turned her bright eyes to Cera. "And who might you be, darling?"

Cera gave her a burning