they caught the light. Gold and
silver stands held lamps. Three long couches sat in a semicircle around a large hearth.
There was nothing formal about them. The fabrics were jewel-toned. One couch was a
vibrant green while the other two were a brilliant blue and a deep golden yellow. A
large hammock hung at one end of the room. She saw a door on one wall and another
almost opposite. For a few moments, she completely forgot about everything they’d
been discussing.
“Do you like it?” His voice pulled her from her study of the room.
She nodded.
She forced her mind off the room and back to their discussion. “So how do you
expect to know when you’re needed if you’re underground? You certainly won’t hear
the trouble. I doubt you’d be able to hear a herd of wild chitan stampeding over the
mountain.”
54
Chosen Destiny
“No, we wouldn’t hear the battle. Jaeson can communicate with the other vampires
psychically. So if anything happens, we’ll know in moments.” He drew her over to the
couch.
“And what if Jaeson isn’t here?” She tilted her head. The two men weren’t always
together. There could easily come a time when they were apart for days. His stance, the
easy smile shouted confidence, but she knew it was the unexpected which fouled even
the best plans.
“Look up.” He chuckled.
She looked up and saw the pale green sky through what looked like faceted crystal.
She blinked. The ceiling hadn’t been like that. She was certain of it. It had been solid
rock.
“If there’s trouble, I’ll be able to see the magical flare that will be shot into the air,”
he explained easily.
“And what if you’re asleep?” She raised a brow. That arrogant attitude would get
annoying fast. She hoped he didn’t show that side too often.
A low tone sounded, seeming to vibrate through her head and tighten her stomach.
She suddenly felt nauseous and dizzy. She put a hand to head and leaned into him. The
noise stopped abruptly.
“Do you think you could sleep through that?” He sat down on the couch and
watched her.
She stood there for a few moments waiting for the sensation to pass. She didn’t
know if she could tolerate that while she was awake. She certainly couldn’t sleep
through it. She didn’t know anyone who could do that.
“You have to be joking. That would be impossible to sleep though.” She took a deep
breath and was relieved when the worst of the sensations didn’t return. “That would
happen every time someone lobs an alarm flare into the sky or a specific person?”
“Every alarm flare. The spell is keyed to sound whenever any flare spell is used.”
He held out his hand.
She ignored the invitation and walked around a little. Samiel turned his head,
tracking her as she tried to look as if she was curious about his lair when her stomach
was churning from her nervousness. His eyes burned with intensity and he seemed
ready to bolt off that couch. Not that she intended to walk away from him tonight. She
just needed a few moments to think. Samiel wasn’t Jaeson. She knew he would take the
physical intimacy as a sign of commitment. He’d be possessive from the first touch. One
single kiss and a little touch and he would be absolutely certain she was his mate. She
knew she didn’t have a prayer of changing how he felt.
“Nervous?” His voice drew her away from her thoughts.
She looked up at him and smiled. “Maybe a little, but mostly I was just thinking.”
“They must have been heavy thoughts. Want to come over here and share them?”
He looked from her to the couch beside him.
55
Rebecca Airies
She took a deep breath, half expecting an explosion when she told him. She didn’t
want to give him false hope. Whatever he thought she’d make her own decisions. She
could have just sat down beside him and let desire take them both. It seemed too much
like lying. She took a seat near him on the couch, but kept a little distance between
them.
silver stands held lamps. Three long couches sat in a semicircle around a large hearth.
There was nothing formal about them. The fabrics were jewel-toned. One couch was a
vibrant green while the other two were a brilliant blue and a deep golden yellow. A
large hammock hung at one end of the room. She saw a door on one wall and another
almost opposite. For a few moments, she completely forgot about everything they’d
been discussing.
“Do you like it?” His voice pulled her from her study of the room.
She nodded.
She forced her mind off the room and back to their discussion. “So how do you
expect to know when you’re needed if you’re underground? You certainly won’t hear
the trouble. I doubt you’d be able to hear a herd of wild chitan stampeding over the
mountain.”
54
Chosen Destiny
“No, we wouldn’t hear the battle. Jaeson can communicate with the other vampires
psychically. So if anything happens, we’ll know in moments.” He drew her over to the
couch.
“And what if Jaeson isn’t here?” She tilted her head. The two men weren’t always
together. There could easily come a time when they were apart for days. His stance, the
easy smile shouted confidence, but she knew it was the unexpected which fouled even
the best plans.
“Look up.” He chuckled.
She looked up and saw the pale green sky through what looked like faceted crystal.
She blinked. The ceiling hadn’t been like that. She was certain of it. It had been solid
rock.
“If there’s trouble, I’ll be able to see the magical flare that will be shot into the air,”
he explained easily.
“And what if you’re asleep?” She raised a brow. That arrogant attitude would get
annoying fast. She hoped he didn’t show that side too often.
A low tone sounded, seeming to vibrate through her head and tighten her stomach.
She suddenly felt nauseous and dizzy. She put a hand to head and leaned into him. The
noise stopped abruptly.
“Do you think you could sleep through that?” He sat down on the couch and
watched her.
She stood there for a few moments waiting for the sensation to pass. She didn’t
know if she could tolerate that while she was awake. She certainly couldn’t sleep
through it. She didn’t know anyone who could do that.
“You have to be joking. That would be impossible to sleep though.” She took a deep
breath and was relieved when the worst of the sensations didn’t return. “That would
happen every time someone lobs an alarm flare into the sky or a specific person?”
“Every alarm flare. The spell is keyed to sound whenever any flare spell is used.”
He held out his hand.
She ignored the invitation and walked around a little. Samiel turned his head,
tracking her as she tried to look as if she was curious about his lair when her stomach
was churning from her nervousness. His eyes burned with intensity and he seemed
ready to bolt off that couch. Not that she intended to walk away from him tonight. She
just needed a few moments to think. Samiel wasn’t Jaeson. She knew he would take the
physical intimacy as a sign of commitment. He’d be possessive from the first touch. One
single kiss and a little touch and he would be absolutely certain she was his mate. She
knew she didn’t have a prayer of changing how he felt.
“Nervous?” His voice drew her away from her thoughts.
She looked up at him and smiled. “Maybe a little, but mostly I was just thinking.”
“They must have been heavy thoughts. Want to come over here and share them?”
He looked from her to the couch beside him.
55
Rebecca Airies
She took a deep breath, half expecting an explosion when she told him. She didn’t
want to give him false hope. Whatever he thought she’d make her own decisions. She
could have just sat down beside him and let desire take them both. It seemed too much
like lying. She took a seat near him on the couch, but kept a little distance between
them.
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