them.
He left the room and went back to her family room, trying to think, to form an idea of what he should do. This woman—his lifemate—was patiently assembling the tools to defeat the world’s greatest enemy. His memories of her rescuing him were very hazy, but he remembered her eyes, and the feel of her hands, the silk of her hair, the softness of her skin. Most of all he remembered her kindness.
He wanted more than anything to stay to help her achieve her goal, but he knew he was more dangerous to her than any other being on the face of the earth. Through him, Xavier could find and destroy her. Death was far from the worst that the high mage could do to a person; Razvan had learned that through bitter experience. He had been helpless to protect his sister and daughter—even his aunts—but he could protect his lifemate by staying away from her.
He looked around the comfortable lair—a masterpiece of beauty and courage, grateful that, before his death, he’d had a chance to meet her, to see what true light in one’s soul was. He’d known only darkness and cruelty, but here he was surrounded by something altogether different—the complete opposite—and he wanted to just stay and bathe in her soul for as long as he dared before he had to leave.
He had never understood what being a lifemate truly was. Two halves of the same soul uniting. Light to darkness—darkness to light. They each needed the other. Just standing in her living quarters with the memory walls rising above him, he felt comfort and warmth, not of the body—he had that now; for the first time in centuries he wasn’t shivering—but he felt warmth inside, deep where it counted. She’d given him something he hadn’t known and he hadn’t yet claimed her, hadn’t actually bound their souls together. How much more powerful would these feelings be then?
The temptation shook him and he quickly pushed it away. He’d had no control of his life for centuries. This one moment, when he had choices, he would make the one necessary to protect this woman. Xavier would never get to her through him. She complicated things though. His first thought had been to try to kill Xavier, but he dared not risk falling into the mage’s hands again, not when he would know the location of Ivory’s lair.
Something stirred in him. A questing. A seeking. Something alien brushing at his mind with sharp talons, scraping at the walls. He stiffened and, without thinking, slammed a barrier so hard, so fast, it shocked him. He hadn’t realized he could do such a thing. He recognized that perverted, vile touch. Xavier. The high mage was seeking him, reaching out to find him and possess him.
His heart beat so hard in his chest he thought it might explode. Fear for his lifemate lived and breathed in him, strengthening his resolve to fight Xavier’s possession. He raced through the rooms, looking for a way out, fearing that Xavier might be able to see through his eyes. He kept his mind as blank as possible, knowing the mage, when merged, could read his thoughts. He couldn’t remember how she’d gotten in. Everything about the journey was so hazy.
He couldn’t get through miles of rock, not without knowing where he could safely emerge. He felt trapped and panicked, cursing his fate, that he would once again be the downfall of someone who needed and deserved his protection.
Finding himself in the bedchamber, he rested his hand on the wall, head down, eyes closed, trying to orient himself. To have another possess his body was a wrenching, sickening experience; the details of Xavier and his vile greed and extreme depravity were uppermost in his mind. He would keep him out.
Without warning, pain hit him—excruciating pain. Razvan’s eyes snapped open and he looked around, trying to determine what was happening to him. The soil was there, in the deep depression, a rich, beckoning treasure he couldn’t resist. He went to his knees in it, but the pain didn’t subside.
His
He left the room and went back to her family room, trying to think, to form an idea of what he should do. This woman—his lifemate—was patiently assembling the tools to defeat the world’s greatest enemy. His memories of her rescuing him were very hazy, but he remembered her eyes, and the feel of her hands, the silk of her hair, the softness of her skin. Most of all he remembered her kindness.
He wanted more than anything to stay to help her achieve her goal, but he knew he was more dangerous to her than any other being on the face of the earth. Through him, Xavier could find and destroy her. Death was far from the worst that the high mage could do to a person; Razvan had learned that through bitter experience. He had been helpless to protect his sister and daughter—even his aunts—but he could protect his lifemate by staying away from her.
He looked around the comfortable lair—a masterpiece of beauty and courage, grateful that, before his death, he’d had a chance to meet her, to see what true light in one’s soul was. He’d known only darkness and cruelty, but here he was surrounded by something altogether different—the complete opposite—and he wanted to just stay and bathe in her soul for as long as he dared before he had to leave.
He had never understood what being a lifemate truly was. Two halves of the same soul uniting. Light to darkness—darkness to light. They each needed the other. Just standing in her living quarters with the memory walls rising above him, he felt comfort and warmth, not of the body—he had that now; for the first time in centuries he wasn’t shivering—but he felt warmth inside, deep where it counted. She’d given him something he hadn’t known and he hadn’t yet claimed her, hadn’t actually bound their souls together. How much more powerful would these feelings be then?
The temptation shook him and he quickly pushed it away. He’d had no control of his life for centuries. This one moment, when he had choices, he would make the one necessary to protect this woman. Xavier would never get to her through him. She complicated things though. His first thought had been to try to kill Xavier, but he dared not risk falling into the mage’s hands again, not when he would know the location of Ivory’s lair.
Something stirred in him. A questing. A seeking. Something alien brushing at his mind with sharp talons, scraping at the walls. He stiffened and, without thinking, slammed a barrier so hard, so fast, it shocked him. He hadn’t realized he could do such a thing. He recognized that perverted, vile touch. Xavier. The high mage was seeking him, reaching out to find him and possess him.
His heart beat so hard in his chest he thought it might explode. Fear for his lifemate lived and breathed in him, strengthening his resolve to fight Xavier’s possession. He raced through the rooms, looking for a way out, fearing that Xavier might be able to see through his eyes. He kept his mind as blank as possible, knowing the mage, when merged, could read his thoughts. He couldn’t remember how she’d gotten in. Everything about the journey was so hazy.
He couldn’t get through miles of rock, not without knowing where he could safely emerge. He felt trapped and panicked, cursing his fate, that he would once again be the downfall of someone who needed and deserved his protection.
Finding himself in the bedchamber, he rested his hand on the wall, head down, eyes closed, trying to orient himself. To have another possess his body was a wrenching, sickening experience; the details of Xavier and his vile greed and extreme depravity were uppermost in his mind. He would keep him out.
Without warning, pain hit him—excruciating pain. Razvan’s eyes snapped open and he looked around, trying to determine what was happening to him. The soil was there, in the deep depression, a rich, beckoning treasure he couldn’t resist. He went to his knees in it, but the pain didn’t subside.
His
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