“I think I’m still afraid to look too closely. I’m still getting used to the new me,” she admitted almost shyly.
“Perhaps you would learn more of yourself if you saw yourself through my eyes instead of your own,” he suggested, his voice black-velvet persuasion.
A slow curve touched her soft mouth. “I’m beginning to believe you’re just the tiniest bit prejudiced in my favor.”
His eyebrows shot up, an elegant, Old World, lord-of-the-manor gesture she found endearing. “That could not be true. You are the most beautiful, desirable, courageous woman in the world. It is a fact.”
She nuzzled his chest, savoring his warmth and strength, the way he comforted her in a world she no longer understood. “I’d be willing to bet your brother doesn’t think that. He probably thinks Francesca is the most desirable woman in the world.”
“He has never had my superior intellect or my discernment,” he replied solemnly.
Jaxon found herself laughing. “I’ll be sure to tell him when I finally meet him.”
Lucian shrugged carelessly, a casual ripple of muscle and sinew that made her think of a great jungle cat stretching lazily. “I have told him so on many occasions, but he fools himself into thinking he knows more than I.”
At once she was laughing aloud, her young voice soft and carefree, floating in the wind. “He does that, does he? More and more I think I should meet him. The two of us might find we share the same point of view.”
His fingers ruffled her hair in a caress before tugging the silken strands gently. “I do not believe I shall ever introduce you to him.”
“I have a feeling I will meet your brother very soon. It is obvious to me you care a great deal about him. In the meantime, what do we do about our company? You can tackle the big guy—I don’t want any part of him. The lesser ones seem more up my alley.” She was looking up at him expectantly, her dark eyes clear and serious. She expected to go into battle with him, was fully prepared to do whatever he told her.
Lucian bent his head to kiss her inviting mouth. She moved him. It was that simple. The way she was so certain she would help him. She was a bright light to him, warming him where nothing else ever could. It was amazing to him that she could still be so determined to help him when she knew his power, his abilities. She didn’t want him fighting alone.
Her long lashes fluttered down to conceal the expression in her eyes. “You never should have been alone all those years.” Her chin lifted. “We’re a team now.”
Lucian found himself smiling at her. “Absolutely.” Ordinarily he would have gone after the two lesser vampires to remove that threat, but with Jaxon in jeopardy, he would never take the risk of leaving her alone while he went into battle. “It is no small thing to fight a vampire, honey. The ghouls you faced were nothing compared to a vampire. Even one who has just ‘turned’ is very formidable. Remember, they were male Carpathians at full strength for centuries. They have acquired tremendous knowledge and skills during that time. As vampires they maintain a certain tainted strength. All of them must be considered extremely dangerous.”
She nodded solemnly. “I’m not looking forward to this, if that’s what you think. I wouldn’t mind werewolves—I can do the silver-bullet-in-the-heart thing. I’m a great shot. Do silver bullets do any good on these creatures?”
“We are not going to fight them at this time. We are not ready. We want the full advantage. Let them come after us. They must seek shelter soon. I know these mountains, and they do not. We can travel longer in the early dawn than they can. We will pick our battleground and wage our war when we are completely set.”
He wanted to call the lesser vampires to him, to destroy them immediately as he knew he could, but he was well aware of the other out there, waiting, bloated with skill and the knowledge of centuries spent as a vampire. He was a foul creature, wholly evil, using mortals and immortals alike for his own dark purposes. He would be aware that Lucian was capable of calling the lesser vampires to him. He would know that Lucian would be well aware of the undead tracking them and would expect Lucian to deal with them.
“Are you saying that just to keep me from going after them with you? I learn fast, Lucian, I really do. Just tell me what to do.”
“You will learn all too soon, Jaxon. It is easy to read my mind when we are merged. The information you seek is there for you at any time. Right now, we must continue with our journey. We must have shelter before the sun rises too high.”
“Am I holding us back?” she asked anxiously.
“We have plenty of time, Jaxon. There is no hurry. We are high in the mountains. I know this area intimately. Before we go down into the cities, Carpathians always search out the high reaches. The Cascade Mountains are fire and ice—a perfect home for ones such as us.”
Her eyebrows rose. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Fire and ice? I don’t like the sound of those words.”
“You should. They describe you.”
“They do not!” She was indignant.
He laughed softly, an intimate, sexy sound that immediately sent a rush of heat spiraling through her body. “You are fire right now, my little love, and you are ice when you are under fire.”
She blushed for no reason she could think of except for his voice. It was the way he talked, his accent, the black-velvet sorcery that could make her feel as if she was the only woman in the world, the only one down through the long centuries. It was in his voice, in his eyes, the way they went from ice-cold to smoldering heat in a blink. He made her feel intensely desirable. He
had
to have her,
had
to be with her. Everything she said, everything she did, was of great importance to him.
Lucian leaned close to her, one arm slipping around her waist so he could pull her slender body into the heat of his. “I make you feel that way because it is so, not because my voice is magic.”
She touched a fingertip to his mouth. “You are magic, Lucian.”
His body tightened in urgent demand, and for the first time his heart slammed painfully in his chest. He heard something in her voice that had never been there before. She didn’t say she loved him, because deep within her mind she didn’t believe she did. Her soul bound her to him; she had no choice but to accept that. Her body cried out for his; he was well aware of their physical chemistry. But he had expected a long battle for her heart.
Yet there it was. Four little words that should have meant nothing, yet he heard it. Soft. Shy. Unaware, even.
You are magic, Lucian
. It was in those words—the surrender of her heart into his keeping. He held her to him, a tiny package of dynamite, closing his eyes to savor the moment. It would be etched in his mind for all eternity. Jaxon with her ridiculous name and small, feminine build, with all the courage of long-forgotten warriors.
“You are safe in my care,” he whispered, his mouth at her temple.
She was content to be held. Even with the sun so close to rising, with the wilderness surrounding them and enemies chasing them, she felt totally protected. He held her for a few minutes, relaxing in the cool of the mountains before the next leg of their journey.
Chapter Fourteen
The view was breathtaking. Jaxon perched on the top of a flat rock and surveyed the cascading waterfall pour down the cavern wall in a rush of white foam. Lucian had once more stopped their flight, this time deep within a cavernous mountain. She was under the earth before she had time to think about the layers of granite and dirt above her head. The cave was huge, the pools deep below the falls giving the illusion of tremendous space. Crystals hung in long spears of color sparkling like diamonds. She could see as clearly as if it were daylight. She was very tired but strangely happy.
As they had made their way across the sky, Jaxon managed to maintain the mist by herself without Lucian’s aid. He had remained fully merged with her but had allowed her to be the one to hold the image firmly in her mind. On the first leg of
their journey she had been apprehensive and very much aware of what they were doing. It seemed wholly unnatural. The second time she had accepted the method of travel as expedient and much easier to maintain than she had first thought. She had found her body relaxed and her mind calm as they streaked across the sky together. It was tiring, no doubt about it, but she realized it was like any other effort: It required only practice before she perfected it. Now she wanted to try other things. Wolves. Birds. Everything. Anything.
But it could all wait for a better time. She was too tired, and, aboveground, she was aware the sun was rising. Just before they had entered the cave, her eyes had begun to sting as if pricked by a thousand needles. And the crazy thing was, she had been only mist, with no skin, no eyes, nothing for the sun to touch. Yet she had felt it, and it had been distinctly uncomfortable.
She sat cross-legged on the huge, flat boulder overlooking the series of pools. Above and to her left the long waterfall filled the chamber with a deafening roar. Jaxon was becoming adept at turning down the volume of sounds and now did so with ease. It was good to be sitting on something solid where she felt safe and far from the rays of the sun.
Lucian was setting his safeguards to ensure they were not disturbed. She wasn’t certain exactly what he was doing, but she knew he was powerful enough to protect them from anything that might come their way. She drummed her fingers on the rock surface, wishing she had access to a telephone.
“Why?” The sound of his voice startled her.
Jaxon turned to see him gliding toward her. The way he moved took her breath away. “I thought I’d call back to the captain and make certain nothing had happened since we left.”
His hand unerringly found her hair. “You are still worried about Drake.” His voice was soft with compassion.
She nodded. “I know it’s probably best that we left, especially if we really are being trailed by... vampires.” She stumbled over the word, the idea to her still something out of a Gothic tale! “But I can’t help feeling as if I deserted everybody.”
“Drake will follow us, honey,” he said gently, his fingers tracing the delicate line of her collarbone. “I know he will. There is no reason for him to hurt anyone else.”
“I just wish I could be certain we did the right thing,” she said worriedly. “Merge with me,” he invited softly.
Jaxon hesitated for a moment only because his mind was becoming so familiar, so natural, so much a part of her. She was slipping in and out of it constantly, her mind often reaching for his even without conscious thought. It was disconcerting how much she craved being a part of him. Lucian waited patiently, never hurrying her decision, simply watching her with his dark, fathomless eyes. Jaxon allowed her mind to melt into his. At once she felt safe, sheltered, loved. She felt power and confidence. A sense of completeness.
Antonio? All is well with you?
Jaxon was startled. The mental path Lucian used to contact the man was completely different from the one he used with her. She found Lucian’s hand, weaving her fingers through his.
Yes. And you and your lady? Both of us are fine. She is worried that Drake has retaliated. All is quiet here. I am keeping a low profile, expecting him to visit your home tonight. Tell her not to worry. Thank you, Antonio, and good day to you.
Jaxon found herself smiling at how old-fashioned and courtly Lucian managed to sound even in thought transfers. “Can he contact you anytime?”
Lucian shook his head. “No, although I am certain I would feel his anxiety if he were in a situation where his life was threatened. His family has served Aidan Savage’s family for hundreds of years. They are human but well-versed in the ways of our people. To my knowledge they are among only a handful of humans trusted with the knowledge of the Carpathians’ existence. Antonio is an exceptional young man. I consider him a friend.”
“Are you sure the main vampire followed us as well?”
“Absolutely, Jaxon. He broke off from our trail earlier than did the two lesser vampires, but he has followed. No doubt he thinks we are unaware of him. He will know I am conscious of the two following, but he has a very high opinion of himself and his ability to hide from me.”
“Perhaps it’s because he deserves it,” she suggested quietly.
Lucian arched an elegant black eyebrow at her, a lofty gesture that spoke volumes silently.
Jaxon burst out laughing at his arrogance. “What?” she demanded. “Isn’t it conceivable that he has managed to stay alive for centuries because he’s really good at being a vampire? Maybe he’s more powerful than—”
“I know you are not going to say more powerful than me.” His voice dared her to challenge him. She pushed at the wall of his chest, completely unafraid. “Isn’t it possible?”
“Absolutely not.”
“You really believe that, don’t you?”
“I know it, angel. There is no vampire as powerful. I have great control, tremendous discipline, and I have learned what others have not. Only my brother Gabriel comes close to having the knowledge and abilities I possess.”
He was not bragging, he spoke matter-of-factly, unconcerned with his power. He accepted it as he had accepted everything else in the world around him. It simply was.
“What if you’re wrong? What if you underestimate him?”
Lucian shrugged with lazy casualness. “I can underestimate him easily enough without being less powerful.
Some vampires are quite cunning, all are ruthless and wholly evil. I am certain this one has lived long and acquired much knowledge. It will not do him any good. It is my duty to destroy him, and I will do so.”
“How did you hold out for so long when so many other males have turned?”
Lucian touched her face with gentle fingertips. “I would like to say that I knew you were going to be born and I held on for your sake, but the truth is, I did not believe I would be so rewarded. I met a man many centuries ago. Some say he was the Son of God. Others say he did not exist, and still others say he was merely a good man who lived an exemplary life. I know only that we walked together one night and talked. I touched his mind with mine. In all the days I have walked on this earth, I never met another such as he. He was like me yet different. He was like a human, yet different. There was only goodness in him. Only that. He knew things no one else knew. He was gentle and compassionate. I had already lost my ability to feel, yet when I was in his presence, I was comforted.” Lucian sighed softly and shook his head. “He asked me if I could have anything in the world granted to me, what would I ask for. I replied, a lifemate for Gabriel. He told me Gabriel had a lifemate and he would find her, but we would have to hold out far longer than any other of our kind. I knew he meant that, without my aid, Gabriel would not survive so long a time.”
“And you believed him?”
“You do not understand. This man could not tell an untruth. He was not capable of deceit. I made a promise to myself I would never allow my brother to go the way of the undead. Much was asked of us—the constant killing of our own kind, the isolation the hunter must endure. Gabriel was different; he felt emotions far longer than was normal for our males. I believe it was because his lifemate was alive. She is one of our people. We were moving so often, hunting and destroying and battling, Gabriel missed finding her. Eventually I pretended to become vampire when I knew my brother was close to turning. My doing so prevented him from having to make kills, which is dangerous to those close to turning. He had to hunt
me
instead. After years of battling me and chasing me across the continents, Gabriel managed to lock us both in the ground.” His slight smile was rueful. “A miscalculation on my part. Gabriel actually managed to surprise me. It was only by chance that we surfaced before his lifemate chose to meet the dawn.”
“You did all that for your brother.” Jaxon was awed by his sacrifice. He told the story casually, in a few simple words, but she was still a shadow in his mind, and she saw his painful memories clearly. The details were vivid
, the carefully constructed scenes of death and mayhem planned meticulously to convince his twin, a man who was lethal and well aware of what a vampire kill looked like, that he had turned. It had been a difficult existence, to say the least.
“Even when I could no longer
feel
such an emotion, I knew I loved my brother and that he had followed my lead. It was my decision to fight for our people and battle the Ottoman Turks and destroy the undead. Gabriel followed me and remained steady and loyal throughout his life. He deserved happiness. It was my duty to ensure it came to him.”
“Whose duty was it to ensure yours?” she asked softly.
He smiled at her instant defense of him. “I was given tremendous gifts, honey. I was strong and better able to hold out against the gathering darkness. And even more than that, I had touched the light as no one else had ever done. I could not forget that moment, touching a mind so pure and beautiful, so completely good. It was a gift I could not turn my back on. I never had a choice to lose my soul after that. I would never turn my back on something so completely of the light. I knew the truth. I knew we were here for a purpose and that our lives counted for something.”
She shook her head. “You
amaze
me, Lucian, how little you ask for yourself.”
He laughed then, a soft sound of love. “I would never give
you
up, Jaxon. You are everything to me. You are the only thing that matters now. Believe me, my love, I am no saint, no martyr. I would no longer ask for your presence in my life, I would
demand
it.”
His gaze was suddenly hot, a dark intensity centering solely on her. It made her feel hot and achy, a curling excitement blossoming deep within her.
Jaxon shoved impatiently at her hair, the action lifting her breasts beneath the thin material of her blouse. “Why have I so easily accepted our relationship when before I would never allow anyone close to me?”
Dark Guardian (Dark Series - book 9) Page 29
