Cirilai because the ring will protect you as well. And because I sensed in you the same power that is invested in the ring. The two of you belong together—with me."
At the risk of sounding like a two-year-old, I repeated myself. "But, why?"
Thank goodness that, unlike mine, Vayl's patience isn't tied to a lit fuse. His hands tightened on mine. "You and Cirilai remind me that, while I am no longer human, I am also no better than human."
"Is that all? We keep you humble?"
"Think of what happens to people who possess such powers as mine when they decide their ideas, agendas, race is superior to all others."
"Napoleon," I whispered. "Hitler. Hussein."
Vayl nodded solemnly. "In guarding my soul, you protect the world. And that is why I need you as my partner. My avhar."
Grateful to be sitting now that my knees felt like wet spaghetti, I looked down at our clasped hands until I could speak without sounding like a reality-show confessor.
Jerry, I swore never to love again until I met someone who could earn every ounce of respect and affection in my body with a single gesture
. Ick. It would never work anyway. Reasons? God, I could make a ceiling-to-floor list. But mainly, because I didn't want it to. Did I?
No. No. No. No. No
. So. Back to the task at hand: making sure my vamp, er, boss didn't run off for some high-risk blood-letting with his willing donor. I took a deep breath. Made myself focus. "Are you telling me this now because I need to know, or because you're putting off the inevitable?"
"Maybe both," he said, shaking his head. "You, me, the ring—we each possess a power that is potent all on its own. Combining the three, well, if the bomb squad knew what we were planning they would probably stick us in a lead-lined bunker."
"Vayl, you're not talking me out of this. It's the right move. So quit lecturing and get to it."
Vayl hesitated one more minute, then he drew me into his arms. "I will not take much," he assured me, "only what I need and no more."
No more, no more, no more.
His fingers grazed my neck as he swept my hair aside. His lips brushed my earlobe, moved down to my throat. One arm pulled me closer as the other hand tipped my head sideways. I sighed as I felt his power settle over me, warm and comforting as an old quilt. He kept nuzzling me with his lips, caressing me with the tips of his fangs until something new rose between us, a force that sizzled and snapped, making the very air churn. I could hear my breath coming in gasps.
"Vayl… please."
"Yes," he said, his voice hoarse with desire. For me? For my blood? I wasn't sure there was any difference just then. I wanted to share this new insight with him, but my frontal lobe chose that moment to completely shut down. Even the pain of his teeth penetrating my skin didn't wake it up.
Vayl's arms tightened around me. I reached down, digging my fingernails into his thighs as he drank me in. The air shimmered with power. With magic. My head buzzed with it. Through half-closed lids I watched colored bubbles of light dance across the walls. The darkness came so quickly after that, I never even knew it had taken me until I returned to myself and realized I was lying on the couch with one leg flung over its arm. Vayl sat on the other couch, staring at me like I'd grown an extra head as I struggled to sit up. A tightness on my neck caused me to reach up, but when my fingertips encountered a gauze pad I dropped my hand back into my lap.
"What?" I asked, trying hard not to cry. I don't know if I was more distressed that I'd blacked out or that I'd missed most of an experience that had promised to be unforgettable. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked. "Did I
say
something out of line?"
What the hell just happened?
Vayl shook his head. "You were perfect. Better than the best. I have never… it has never been like that for me before."
"For me either." We smiled at each other. The hard knot of fear that twisted my heart with every new blackout relaxed. Vayl
At the risk of sounding like a two-year-old, I repeated myself. "But, why?"
Thank goodness that, unlike mine, Vayl's patience isn't tied to a lit fuse. His hands tightened on mine. "You and Cirilai remind me that, while I am no longer human, I am also no better than human."
"Is that all? We keep you humble?"
"Think of what happens to people who possess such powers as mine when they decide their ideas, agendas, race is superior to all others."
"Napoleon," I whispered. "Hitler. Hussein."
Vayl nodded solemnly. "In guarding my soul, you protect the world. And that is why I need you as my partner. My avhar."
Grateful to be sitting now that my knees felt like wet spaghetti, I looked down at our clasped hands until I could speak without sounding like a reality-show confessor.
Jerry, I swore never to love again until I met someone who could earn every ounce of respect and affection in my body with a single gesture
. Ick. It would never work anyway. Reasons? God, I could make a ceiling-to-floor list. But mainly, because I didn't want it to. Did I?
No. No. No. No. No
. So. Back to the task at hand: making sure my vamp, er, boss didn't run off for some high-risk blood-letting with his willing donor. I took a deep breath. Made myself focus. "Are you telling me this now because I need to know, or because you're putting off the inevitable?"
"Maybe both," he said, shaking his head. "You, me, the ring—we each possess a power that is potent all on its own. Combining the three, well, if the bomb squad knew what we were planning they would probably stick us in a lead-lined bunker."
"Vayl, you're not talking me out of this. It's the right move. So quit lecturing and get to it."
Vayl hesitated one more minute, then he drew me into his arms. "I will not take much," he assured me, "only what I need and no more."
No more, no more, no more.
His fingers grazed my neck as he swept my hair aside. His lips brushed my earlobe, moved down to my throat. One arm pulled me closer as the other hand tipped my head sideways. I sighed as I felt his power settle over me, warm and comforting as an old quilt. He kept nuzzling me with his lips, caressing me with the tips of his fangs until something new rose between us, a force that sizzled and snapped, making the very air churn. I could hear my breath coming in gasps.
"Vayl… please."
"Yes," he said, his voice hoarse with desire. For me? For my blood? I wasn't sure there was any difference just then. I wanted to share this new insight with him, but my frontal lobe chose that moment to completely shut down. Even the pain of his teeth penetrating my skin didn't wake it up.
Vayl's arms tightened around me. I reached down, digging my fingernails into his thighs as he drank me in. The air shimmered with power. With magic. My head buzzed with it. Through half-closed lids I watched colored bubbles of light dance across the walls. The darkness came so quickly after that, I never even knew it had taken me until I returned to myself and realized I was lying on the couch with one leg flung over its arm. Vayl sat on the other couch, staring at me like I'd grown an extra head as I struggled to sit up. A tightness on my neck caused me to reach up, but when my fingertips encountered a gauze pad I dropped my hand back into my lap.
"What?" I asked, trying hard not to cry. I don't know if I was more distressed that I'd blacked out or that I'd missed most of an experience that had promised to be unforgettable. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked. "Did I
say
something out of line?"
What the hell just happened?
Vayl shook his head. "You were perfect. Better than the best. I have never… it has never been like that for me before."
"For me either." We smiled at each other. The hard knot of fear that twisted my heart with every new blackout relaxed. Vayl
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