“No one else would help him?”
Julian shook his head. “No one else could help him. Gabriel was a legend himself. An angel of death. No one approached him or dared try to ease his task. He pursued Lucian, often found him, but because they were equals, the battles were long and ferocious but never decisive, with both striking terrible blows, only to break apart and attempt to heal themselves for the next battle. It went on for years until, one day, they both simply seemed to vanish off the face of the earth.”
Desari’s long lashes fluttered for a moment. “That is it? The entire story? They just disappeared?”
“There are many stories our people believe. One is that Gabriel ended Lucian’s life and then chose to greet the sun. I believe that is what happened. Ancient as he was, he would have been so close to the darkness himself, and without a lifemate or even his brother to hold him, long dead, I believe Gabriel simply laid it down. He had lived long and alone; he deserved release into the afterlife.”
Desari shook her head. “I cannot believe that after holding out for so long, fighting so many battles, Lucian would choose darkness and Gabriel would be forced to hunt his own brother, his twin. It is so terrible.”
“It is a chance all hunters take. The kill triggers a sensation of power in us. For one who has no emotions, no other feelings, it can be tempting, addicting. There is also the problem of when to stop. If Lucian hung on to fight vampires as long as he was able, he might have been too late to make a rational choice. Some say Gabriel turned also, and when the two vampires fought for supremacy, both were killed. I do not think that is so, because there would have remained some evidence of the battle. Gabriel respected Lucian; he would have chosen to destroy all evidence of their battle and Lucian’s defeat before he walked into the sun.”
“You cannot hunt like these men any longer, Julian,” Desari said, biting at her lower lip. “I cannot bear this to happen to you. It is a horrible story. Two men who gave their lives for their people, and no one cared for them, no one appreciated them.”
His smile was tender. “
Piccola,
there is no need to fear. I cannot turn now. You are my light, the goodness to my darkness, the air I breathe and my reason for existing. The twins did not find their lifemates, but do not think they were unappreciated by our race. Though they were feared, they are also much revered, and many stories and songs have been written in their honor.”
“A bit late for them,” she sniffed indignantly. “It is hardly a happy story, and I do not like the ending. I do not wish this for my brother. We must find for him whatever he needs to survive.”
“He needs to find his other half,
cara,
and there is no telling when or if that will happen.”
“Maybe I will see what I can do. My voice is powerful; my words can weave enchantments. I have brought couples back to love and laughter, healed grief-stricken parents. I will try to draw to us the one my brother needs.”
“If she comes to your concert, believe me, Desari, there will be no need of enchantments. Darius will recognize her instantly. He will not allow her to leave.”
“He does not have this knowledge. Maybe I should tell him.”
Julian shook his head. “No, it is better to allow nature to take its course in these things. If one is close to turning, one might try to force what is not there. If it happens for him, he will know what to do. Every male is born with the ritual words, with the instincts to bind his woman to him. It will be there for him when he needs it.”
“What if she does not want him?” Desari asked. “We have seen that ourselves,” he teased.
Her hand cupped his face, her thumb lovingly tracing the hard line of his jaw. “I wanted you from the first moment I saw you.” Desari shook her head. “No wonder the males of our species become so arrogant. They are able to tie a woman to them without her consent or even her knowledge. That must make them feel very superior.” Her tone conveyed her annoyance.
“I think they are more inclined to feel humble,” he answered sincerely. “When a male has survived so many centuries with no color or emotion, and he finds the one who brings him light and compassion, music and joy, he can do no other than revere her.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “They still should not have the right to tie a woman without her consent. What is wrong with courting her? It might help to calm her fears and make her feel she is special to him.”
“How could a woman feel anything but special when a man needs and wants her so much? A woman has only to touch her lifemate’s mind to know what is in his heart. She knows who he is, his good traits and his failings.”
“Even if she is a fledgling? Any ancient could hide whatever he wanted from one so young. I cannot imagine the fear a woman would feel tied without her consent to such a powerful being. She would not have a sense of her own worth, who she was or even what special gifts or talents she had.”
Julian captured her hand, placed a kiss in the center of her palm, feeling her distress for the women unknown to her robbed of their childhood. It had been difficult enough for Desari, as strong a woman as she was, to accept that Julian had some kind of dominion over her. Even knowing she had the same dominion over him, it was still frightening to her. It was an admission of need. A need to be close to him always.
Julian’s hand framed her face. “Never fear the need between us. Whatever you are feeling,
cara, I
feel twice as much. I was without color or song or emotion for far too long. I have had many bleak centuries to help me learn appreciation for my lifemate. You did not need my existence in the same way that I needed yours—even to continue my life, to save my soul. Had we never met, you would have lived far longer before the emptiness of your existence became too much to bear.”
Desari lay her head on his shoulder, wanting to hold him close. “I think our need for one another is mutual, Julian.”
Desari. The night is winging across the sky, and you two are still gazing into one another’s eyes. This concert is yours. We have not yet rehearsed, and there is no way to plan without your presence. I will not repeat myself in this matter.
Darius’s black velvet voice was soft with menace. He demanded her presence, and she must comply.
Desari sighed. “We must go before it is too late to cross the distance this night. The others wait for us.”
Julian’s hand cupped the nape of her neck so that he could hold her still while he bent his head to find her mouth with his. She could sense his amusement at the order for their return to the family fold and her obvious need to comply with it.
“We must, Julian,” she whispered, afraid he might attempt to defy Darius.
He smirked at her, his white teeth flashing. “Come along, little chick, we must obey the big bad wolf or something terrible might happen.”
“You do not even know,” she answered solemnly. His laughter was his only answer.
Chapter Thirteen
The crowd was enormous. Julian inhaled deeply, allowing the air to tell him every story. The smell of excitement, of sweat, of rising tempers, and lust. It was all in the breath he drew into his lungs. He was looking out for danger to his lifemate. His amber eyes inspected the huge throng pushing to get into the building. He found himself tense, his every inclination to keep Desari far from these humans. He could hear myriad conversations even as he was scanning innumerable minds. Human security guards were using metal detectors on the people entering, but still he was uneasy.
Julian caught sight of Darius. He was an imposing figure, moving silently and swiftly through the crowd, his black eyes icy, piercing the crush of humans restlessly, in unceasing motion. He was every bit as alert as Julian, determined to protect his sister at all costs. Dayan, although he played in the band, was at a side entrance, as on guard as the others. Barack roamed inside the building, mingling with the crowd to add further insurance to Desari’s safety. Both musicians were projecting images unrecognizable to the public.