by Lyons, Rene
“Try me.”
Anne stepped back with a look of concern puckering her already wrinkled brow. “A rash? What kind of rash?”
“I’d like to explain it once, if you don’t mind. So I’ll just wait to tell everyone all at once.”
“I do mind.”
“Please, Constantine, cut me some slack, will you? I feel horrible.”
As if on cue, Lex’s stomach rolled and a wave of nausea hit her. She squeezed her eyes shut and fought the need to claw at the itch. She needed the medicine before she did even more damage to her stomach.
“I’ll be right back.” To Constantine, “Come near me with a hammer and nails and I’ll throw a cross at you.”
When she stood, the torn skin pulled and she flinched. Anne, with her hawk eyes, didn’t miss it, no matter how subtle it was.
“Do you want me to get it for you?”
Lex shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’ll get it.”
What she failed to add was, she needed to feel the sun on her once more before it set. The compulsion to take in as much of the light as possible rode her constantly. It woke her early in the morning even after nights when she’d taken to her bed at dawn. The lack of sleep never bothered her as much as missing the sun did.
When she left the kitchen and walked back into the hall, her pace quickened. The fire in the hearth broke the dark and sent long shadows dancing across the walls as the flames flickered and hissed. The dim light seemed to heighten Lex’s agitation and made the itch worse. Glancing at the heavy black drapes covering the leaded-glass windows, she wanted to rip them down and have the sunlight brighten the hall. She wanted the sun to chase away the shadows and bring life to this place that knew only darkness and death.
Given the lack of sunlight, Lex wondered why Constantine wasn’t already in her face.
“Conserving energy.”
“Leave me alone,” Lex retorted as she left the hall and went back out into the cool, late afternoon air.
The sun bathed her in its fading light and offered her a bit of comfort. Lex’s breath caught when her entire being infused with energy.
She shook off the sensation as she hurried to her car. Ointment in hand, she returned to the keep. She glanced around the hall, at how dark and still the cavernous area was. She still found it odd that an identical fortress stood in Northern England. That Seacrest was the real deal. It had witnessed the passing of a thousand years. The thought served to remind her that the Templars had existed nearly as long.
And they’d go on long after she was dust. Allie too, now that she was a vampire as well.
Anne came into the hall but Lex ignored her. She took the stairs two at a time, the effort making her feel even sicker than she had before. Once shut away in her bedroom, she pulled off her shirt and padded over to the long oval standup mirror set in a corner of the room. Her jaw dropped when she got a good look at the mark. Much to her horror, the S had already grown darker.
“This is so not good.”
Lex poked at it. She expected it to feel different, yet despite the rawness, it was as much a part of her flesh as an old tattoo. Tentatively, she trailed her fingers over it. The salt of her fingers burned the cuts made by her constant scratching.
Her hand fell away as a tear slipped from her eye. Lex wiped it away with the thought that from this moment on her life was going to change drastically. Again. This time she wasn’t going to be a bystander as the paranormal happened around her. She was now more than just an outsider peering into the world she’d always found fascinating. Instead, she was wrapped up in it and it scared the hell out of her.
As if on cue, the voices began to whisper to her. The jumble of women’s voices echoed in her head. As always, Lex couldn’t discern one from the other as they blended together in one loud din.
Flattening her palm over her stomach, Lex doubled over as a wave of nausea hit her. She slammed her eyes closed and screamed in her head for the voices to leave her alone. Blessedly, this time they did. She sank to her knees and wept with relief even though she knew they’d be back.
Chapter Eight
Three doors down, a furious Constantine paced in his chamber. He wanted to kill her. Well, mayhap not kill her—but at the very least, he wanted to give Lex a good shake.
The shaking would serve twofold. One, he wanted to put sense into her head after her stunt this afternoon. It would also soothe his temper to shake her until her damn teeth rattled. How could she have been so bloody reckless? Didn’t the fool woman know what would have happened had a renegade’s human henchman gotten to her? Allie—aye, Allie, Constantine told himself—would have been devastated.
As far as he was concerned, Lex couldn’t come up with a good enough excuse to explain why she’d taken such a risk. She knew damn well the ramifications if renegades had managed to get hold of her. They would show her no mercy in their use of her to get to the Templars. And once she’d exhausted her use to them, they’d drain her dry. Such a happening had haunted Constantine from the moment he’d woken to the realization Lex wasn’t at Seacrest until the minute the gate closed once she’d returned
For scaring him the way she had, Constantine was going to show her why he’d earned the name Dragon.
Of the two sisters, Lex was supposed to be the rational one. Her actions today proved Lex could be just as impetuous as her sister. This, Constantine would not tolerate. He was not going to watch the life drain out of another Parker woman. He’d been there, done that and he’d make damn sure Lex didn’t suffer the same fate. He hadn’t wanted to turn Allie, yet he’d been faced with no other choice. It was either turn her or watch her bleed out from the gash across her neck. He found it ironic that he’d saved her life by killing her.
Even now, Constantine still tasted Allie’s blood on his tongue. Her memories haunted him. They invaded his mind, mixing with his own now that they shared a blood-bond. They had both lived shitty lives, and now, both sets of memories rarely gave him a moment’s peace.
At the sudden barrage of emotions slamming into him, Constantine sucked in an empty breath. It took him a moment to discern they were coming from Lex. So strong was the impact of her fear, he had to grab hold of the mantle to steady himself.
Now what in the hell would cause Lex to feel such terror? He tried to get inside of her mind but, as always, it was closed to him. He realized the terror was coming to him on its own accord.
“Lex.”
She didn’t answer. He wasn’t going to wait and repeat the effort to reach her mentally. Constantine sensed something was going on in her head that she couldn’t control and he couldn’t penetrate.
His anger pushed aside by concern, Constantine strode from his room with confidence that he wouldn’t fry. Tristan kept the castle as devoid of sunlight as was possible without sealing off the windows. He’d have gone that far but feared drawing even more unneeded attention to himself and Seacrest.
When Constantine reached Lex’s room he barged in without a thought to any danger that might lie on the other side of the door. He caught a glimpse of Lex in her bra before the fading rays of sunlight hit him.
Constantine roared and threw his arms over his head. He stumbled back as pain exploded in his body, which instantly began to burn. He slammed his eyes closed and staggered out of the room. In his haste he stumbled and fell into the corridor. His head cracked into the wall, the pain wasn’t half as bad as the sunlight scorching him.
Gasping in horror, Lex pressed herself against the door and slammed it shut. She raced to the windows and yanked the curtains closed. Though they didn’t completely shut out the sun, at least they afforded some protection from the deadly rays. Scared at what condition she’d find Constantine in, Lex licked her lips and took a deep, fortifying breath before inching open the door. Daring to open it far enough to squeeze herself out, she nearly wept with relief to find him intact.
Constantine was lying on the floor. She noticed the blood on the wall around his head. Since he wore onl
y his usual black baggy pants and boots, she gaped at the smoke rising from his tattooed chest.
Lex knelt beside to him, afraid to touch him. Though she couldn’t see any damage, that didn’t mean there wasn’t any. He was smoking for God’s sake.
Instead, Lex smoothed a hand over his hair, brushing the messy mass away from his face. He hissed out a ragged breath. She snatched her hand away. He grabbed her wrist and forced her hand to the cool, hard expanse of his chest. His muscles tightened under her palm as her energy flowed into him.
“What in the world were you thinking?” How she managed those words past the lump in her throat, Lex didn’t know.
Following his gaze, Lex peered down at herself and wanted to die of embarrassment. Of course, of all the times Constantine would come storming into her room, it would have to be right when she was getting undressed. Wearing nothing but jeans and a white, lacy Fredrick’s of Hollywood bra, Lex tried to hold on to her dignity.
“I need you to touch me.” Constantine’s voice was hoarse when he made that command.
Lex remembered he’d needed the same thing of her when Allie’s mind had connected with his after the renegade, Daniel, had taken her sister. Her jumbled thoughts had all but torn Constantine’s mind apart. He’d needed Lex’s touch to soothe him and now he needed the same of her again.
Her hands settled on his chest, gently running them over every inch of it as she marveled at how smooth and hard his body was. Nor did she fail to notice how still he was—as still and cold as a corpse—and though Lex knew she should be repulsed by him, that wasn’t the case.
“Why did you come busting into my room like that? Didn’t you think I might have the curtains open?”
“Apparently not.”
Under her loving caress, his skin began to heat. “Couldn’t you wait a bit longer to scream at me face to face?”
He leaned up and rested his weight on his elbows. His pain reflected in the depths of his eyes. “Leave them,” he commanded when she went to take her hands from him.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
The expression on his face told her how absurd that statement was. “Think your hands can hurt me worse than the sun?”
She didn’t think anything could hurt him as severely as the sun. She didn’t think anything could hurt him at all. He just came across as being larger than life and indestructible.
“Are you going to tell me what made you barge into my room like that?”
His nostrils flared in indignation and he managed to raise his chin a notch. “I felt your fear.”
Her brows shot up in surprise. “You risked being charbroiled because you sensed I was afraid?” She shook her head in disbelief. “I’m flattered. Truly. But that was a stupid thing to do.”
His cocked brow told her she was about to get an earful. “As stupid as you leaving this goddamn castle alone?”
“That’s different. I had to leave.” His eyes narrowed on her like a predator. The pinch on her brain made her all too aware that Constantine was trying—and failing—to push into her mind. “Give it up, Constantine. You’re not getting in there tonight.”
Well fuck, her mind wasn’t the only part of her body Constantine wanted to get inside of tonight. Both were closed to him, and that just pissed him off to no end.
He sniffed at the air, his gaze raking over her bra-clad breasts. He settled his gaze on her navel. “I know it had to do with that damn mark, so don’t even think to lie to me, woman.”
She wouldn’t dare. Not with him looking like he wanted to tear her to pieces with his bare hands. “Yes it did.”
In one swift motion Constantine had them both on their feet, though the movement was a hellish experience in pain. Fuck it all, but the sun hurt. “The others will be told. Tonight.”
If Lex dared try to argue with him he was sure his anger would return. No doubt he’d give her the good shake she deserved.
“I’d already planned on it.” She gestured to her stomach, though that wasn’t where his eyes went. How could they when her breasts were hidden behind the flimsiest piece of lace he’d ever seen?
And why in the bloody hell did she have to possess such perfect breasts?
He would have continued thinking that as his eyes lingered over her body, but the foul scent of medicine suddenly replaced the sweet smell of honeysuckle. Reluctantly, Constantine moved his eyes to her stomach. He realized she’d covered the raw skin with awful smelling ointment.
“Do I even want to know why you went to a pharmacist and not a doctor?”
Not that he thought a doctor would help. Whatever the cause of the mark and the energy was, it was paranormal.
Lex shrugged with such forced indifference that Constantine nearly burst into genuine laughter for the first time in God only knew how long.
“I knew Dr. Stuart would have called Allie before I got home.” Her fingers began to dance absently over his skin. She might not realize what she was doing, but Constantine was all too aware of it. “It’s bad enough Raphael already threatened to tell Allie. The last thing I wanted was a doctor to beat me to it.”
Raphael? As in the Raphael he was going to have to beat half to death?
His eyes narrowed and his fists ached to make contact with Raphael’s pretty-boy face. “Raphael knows?”
Her hands fell away from him. The warmth was instantly gone. She chewed her bottom lip and nodded. “He found out the other night when he took me on a ghost hunt.”
The same ghost hunt Constantine had made a point to avoid going on since he was still trying to keep his distance from her—something he now realized was impossible.
His upper lip curled back in a sneer. “And the prick kept quiet about it? I’m going to make death by fire seem pleasant by the time I’m done with him.”
“I swore him to secrecy.”
Constantine couldn’t stop the sneer that twisted his lips. “What’d you promise him?”
Lex looked away guiltily. He repeated his question. She looked back at him and Constantine knew if he weren’t careful, he’d get lost in the blue of her eyes. “Buffy. The season three box set.”
“Bloody hell.”
Lex looked back at him, her eyes pleading. “Please don’t be mad at him. I swore I’d tell Allie in a few days. He gave me until the end of the week to do it or else he would.”
That didn’t placate Constantine in the least. True he was being a hypocrite, but that was neither here nor there. As far as he was concerned, what was good for him was not good for everyone. Especially where Lex was concerned. “You shouldn’t have left the castle.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. But in my defense, if you were in my skin, you would have done the same thing.”
Before he thought better of it, Constantine clamped a hand on her arm and dragged her down the hall. He ignored her startled gasp and the small protest she gave at being manhandled. The thundering of her heart filled his ears as he kicked his chamber door closed. He released her, locked the door. When he looked back at her, the impact of her emotions was driving him mad with need.
“What are you doing?” She crossed her arms over her chest to hide herself from him.
“I want a better look at that thing on your stomach.”
“You stay away from me, Constantine.” Lex put her hands up and backed away until she bumped into the bed. She glanced over her shoulder and took in his rumpled black bedding. She looked back at him, her cheeks bright red with an adorable blush. “This is too awkward. Let me go put a shirt on.”
Her donning a shirt was the last thing Constantine wanted. Not when his thoughts had been consumed with getting her out of her clothes for weeks.
He came at her purposefully, loving the way her breasts rose and fell with her frantic breathing. “I don’t think so, elf.”
When he put his hands on her shoulders and shoved her backwards, Lex went without a struggle. She fell with a gasp. This was right where Constantine wanted her since the night he first saw her.
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br /> Constantine’s hand pressed down on her stomach. “You don’t know what this is?”
She shook her head. “If I knew, do you think I would have risked leaving Seacrest to try and find out?” By his expression, it was plain Constantine did not appreciate the sarcasm in her tone. “What’s wrong with me?” She whispered.
“Not a bloody thing.” He growled. “You’re so fucking perfect.”
All the air left Lex’s lungs at the vehemence in Constantine tone. He moved back up her body and she placed her hands on the sides of his face. His scar scraped against her palm and Lex wished to God she were able to take the pain of the memory from Constantine.
“If you think I’m perfect, why do you do everything you can to avoid me?”
