reflected within it. The fact that his sadness made her heart ache stunned her even more. She had begun to care for him. Hope rose within her. He understood her powers, and her concerns.
He shared them. The mutual concerns had bonded them.
Val turned and came toward her, his hands grabbing each side of her head. “Let us go home, v’amarita.”
Home. His home. But what about her home? Her family?
“Val, I wish to find my uncle. Now.”
He sighed. “You have been quite busy, sister.”
“I have the right to know if I have family alive, Val.” She could not believe he would dare say otherwise. Shana was as close a blood relation as she had, but knowing she had a real uncle meant everything to her.
“Yes, you do. But I refuse to let you come to harm by being careless and traipsing across this land looking for him. Do not think for a moment that finding him is more important than your safety.”
“And do not think you can tell me what to do. I was taking care of myself far earlier than any of you had to. I cannot and will not give up my independence just because it might be unsafe.”
“We will discuss this later, Gitana. This is not the place for it.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “It does not matter because my opinion won’t change.”
Prince’s Fire
79
The look he gave her made her think twice about that statement. He fully intended to change her mind. She knew it just as clearly as she knew her need for him would not go away.
“Shit, man, we have got to get the fuck out of here already,” Jax said, his gaze on the village. “There’s a shitload of people coming this way.”
“Why would we run from our own people?”
Dar stepped forward. “It will not be safe for you because there are too many people around. As we mentioned before, there is an enemy among us that let the d’kalhik in. Until we find that person, you should stay within the protection of the palace or Paradise.”
Gitana looked at the large crowd of villagers progressing toward them. She didn’t want to be the center of attention, but she knew she was about to be just that. She had lived a quiet, uneventful, and reclusive life, afraid of the very powers she was destined to lead these people with. It was time for her to take control of that destiny. “Good,” she said in an unsteady voice. “Then the enemy will know we will not cower.”
Cal laughed. “I so do not envy you, Val. But this side of her is quite arousing.”
“She’s a little warrioress not ready to do battle,” Van offered.
“Whenever you are ready, let me know.” She stepped closer to Van and stared into his eyes as she held up her hands. “I’m ready to break a few nails if I have to, and I refuse to be hidden behind your brother. You yourself said I needed to stand beside him and fight.”
A tinge of amusement crossed Van’s face briefly, but it was quickly masked. “The only good you could do right now is putting that hot mouth of yours to use on my brother.”
She slapped him. The momentary satisfaction did little to stop the boiling rage inside of her. How could Val’s twin be so hateful and crude?
Val threw up his hands. “Enough, you two. I will not have this in front of our people.
You both drive me to distraction with this constant bickering.”
80 Cara Carnes
A dull ache radiated through her bones, and she looked around at the others, seeing that they had felt it as well. The faint throbbing had begun at the base of her neck and crept its way down her spine. “What was that?”
Fiona looked at her, the concern on her face. “Someone has activated the dampening fields.”
“What are those?” Shana asked, huddling closer to Lucian as a crowd of villagers formed around them.
“They prevent us from using our teleporting powers,” Val said.
“Who would activate those?”
“For such a courageous girl, Gitana, you really are a twit sometimes.” She spun around to see Taro standing there beside her.
“I thought people
He shared them. The mutual concerns had bonded them.
Val turned and came toward her, his hands grabbing each side of her head. “Let us go home, v’amarita.”
Home. His home. But what about her home? Her family?
“Val, I wish to find my uncle. Now.”
He sighed. “You have been quite busy, sister.”
“I have the right to know if I have family alive, Val.” She could not believe he would dare say otherwise. Shana was as close a blood relation as she had, but knowing she had a real uncle meant everything to her.
“Yes, you do. But I refuse to let you come to harm by being careless and traipsing across this land looking for him. Do not think for a moment that finding him is more important than your safety.”
“And do not think you can tell me what to do. I was taking care of myself far earlier than any of you had to. I cannot and will not give up my independence just because it might be unsafe.”
“We will discuss this later, Gitana. This is not the place for it.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “It does not matter because my opinion won’t change.”
Prince’s Fire
79
The look he gave her made her think twice about that statement. He fully intended to change her mind. She knew it just as clearly as she knew her need for him would not go away.
“Shit, man, we have got to get the fuck out of here already,” Jax said, his gaze on the village. “There’s a shitload of people coming this way.”
“Why would we run from our own people?”
Dar stepped forward. “It will not be safe for you because there are too many people around. As we mentioned before, there is an enemy among us that let the d’kalhik in. Until we find that person, you should stay within the protection of the palace or Paradise.”
Gitana looked at the large crowd of villagers progressing toward them. She didn’t want to be the center of attention, but she knew she was about to be just that. She had lived a quiet, uneventful, and reclusive life, afraid of the very powers she was destined to lead these people with. It was time for her to take control of that destiny. “Good,” she said in an unsteady voice. “Then the enemy will know we will not cower.”
Cal laughed. “I so do not envy you, Val. But this side of her is quite arousing.”
“She’s a little warrioress not ready to do battle,” Van offered.
“Whenever you are ready, let me know.” She stepped closer to Van and stared into his eyes as she held up her hands. “I’m ready to break a few nails if I have to, and I refuse to be hidden behind your brother. You yourself said I needed to stand beside him and fight.”
A tinge of amusement crossed Van’s face briefly, but it was quickly masked. “The only good you could do right now is putting that hot mouth of yours to use on my brother.”
She slapped him. The momentary satisfaction did little to stop the boiling rage inside of her. How could Val’s twin be so hateful and crude?
Val threw up his hands. “Enough, you two. I will not have this in front of our people.
You both drive me to distraction with this constant bickering.”
80 Cara Carnes
A dull ache radiated through her bones, and she looked around at the others, seeing that they had felt it as well. The faint throbbing had begun at the base of her neck and crept its way down her spine. “What was that?”
Fiona looked at her, the concern on her face. “Someone has activated the dampening fields.”
“What are those?” Shana asked, huddling closer to Lucian as a crowd of villagers formed around them.
“They prevent us from using our teleporting powers,” Val said.
“Who would activate those?”
“For such a courageous girl, Gitana, you really are a twit sometimes.” She spun around to see Taro standing there beside her.
“I thought people
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