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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.