You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I do not see another.
There was something wildly erotic about talking to Dayan in her mind. It was so private and sinfully intimate. Corinne blushed for no reason at all. She was so pleased with his response to her thoughts, she barely noticed the two men who had entered the room.
Gregori cleared his throat politely, inclining his head toward her. “I hope you are feeling better, Corinne.”
Her fingers tightened around Dayan’s. “I am, thank you very much.” She blushed, realizing she sounded like a child thanking an adult.
“What we did is temporary, Corinne.” The healer’s silver eyes glittered at her. “I do you the courtesy of telling the truth. The disease has progressed beyond our abilities to cure it. I will treat you as often as necessary to ensure that your daughter has time to grow strong. She needs a few more weeks. Every day, every hour counts for her. You must stay on bed rest and not tax your heart. Do not fear the birth; we have no intention of allowing you to slip away from us.” Gregori smiled his encouragement. “Darius is with me, and I know he can appear quite intimidating. I do not want his manner to frighten you. He is my younger brother, and if he snarls at you, I will take him to task as befitting a younger sibling.”
Corinne blinked. It took a heartbeat or two to realize the predatory man with the slashing eyes was teasing her. Teasing his brother. She glanced at Darius. Her mouth twitched, but she managed not to smile. “I’m certain you heard that, Darius. I’ll take full advantage if you get all snarly on me.”
For all her teasing manner, Corinne still gripped Dayan’s hand hard when Darius loomed over her. Like his older brother Gregori, Darius wielded a power that seemed to fill the entire room. Dayan’s enormous power was strong but subtle. Gregori and Darius were altogether different. A bit shorter than Dayan, they carried most of their weight in their wide shoulders and muscular arms. Each had pulled his long black hair back with a leather thong at the nape of his neck. While Gregori had peculiar silver eyes, Darius’s eyes were as black as coal. Both looked very dangerous. Corinne couldn’t believe she had dared to tease them.
“Good evening, little sister,” Darius said courteously. “I am glad to see you have awakened. I was beginning to worry, something I prefer not to do. You will do well to remember that.” He leaned close to her ear, speaking in a fake whisper. “Just so you know, Gregori does not travel with the band.”
Corinne found herself smiling. “Thanks for cluing me in. I guess I won’t be ratting you out after all. He probably just wanted an excuse to pound on you.”
“Most likely. He has a certain reputation — a myth, you know — but he likes people to believe he is the bogeyman. Do not let his severe frown get to you. How is your daughter behaving?”
Corinne smiled at him. “She seems very strong, kicking quite a bit.”
“That is the answer I wanted. You gave your lifemate quite a scare. Do not do that again.” He made it a decree, as if everybody obeyed him. She suspected everyone probably did.
“Is your breathing any easier this evening?” Gregori asked.
Corinne studied Gregori’s handsome face. There was a definite resemblance between Desari, Gregori and Darius.
Gregori is the lifemate of Savannah Dubrinsky. Do you recognize the name?
Dayan wanted to remind her that Gregori was taken. He owed the healer much, but he couldn’t shake the notion she might find him attractive.
Of course I do. Savannah Dubrinsky is a famous magician. In any case, you are the only man I find remotely attractive,
Corinne assured him, secretly amused. She thought he was the handsomest, the most charming and romantic man in the world. How could he possibly be concerned she might look at anyone else?
You’re very silly.
It didn’t occur to her in that moment that she was easily reading his anxiety.
“I am going to check the baby,” Gregori said, deliberately bringing her attention back to him. “She is strong and she wants to live. She has rare talents, much like you have. She is very precious to our people.”
“You have to save her, no matter the cost.” Corinne didn’t look at Dayan. She sensed the strength of will in the healer, his complete determination to save her daughter.
Gregori’s silver eyes shimmered for a moment like molten mercury, and then he shook his head. “There will be no trading of life, Corinne. You have a lifemate. We will not lose either of you. Each couple is needed. Both you and your baby will be saved. Dayan will not allow otherwise. You must believe that completely. Your daughter is very aware of you and already is bonded. She will not want to trade her life for yours. And we cannot lose her either. There will be no trade.”
Corinne watched him closely. He was breathing deeply, regularly, then seemed to go into a self-induced trance. The same trance she had observed in her bizarre dream. She glanced up at Dayan.
I was really in that cave, wasn’t I?
He sighed audibly.
Do you really want the answer, honey?
“Corinne,” Darius said very calmly, “your heart is beginning to accelerate rapidly. Breathe and keep it under control. You must be aware of your heart rate, and when it begins to quicken, you need to relax and focus to bring the rhythm back to normal. You are capable of doing so. You must start believing.”
Corinne immediately obeyed, suspecting there was a hidden compulsion in the softly spoken order.
Don’t put me off this time, Dayan. I was in that cave.’
She kept her eyes steadily on Dayan’s.
His black eyes became aggressive, trapping her stare in their dark mystery so that she couldn’t have
looked away from him even if she’d wanted
too.
I do not wish to alarm you, honey, and each time we speak about what I am or what is happening, your heart gets jumpy. If you are certain you want the truth and are ready to accept it, then I will give it to you gladly.
She tilted her chin determinedly.
I always want the truth from you, Dayan. Without that between us, we have nothing at all. I agree with you.
He took a breath, counted to ten and let it out slowly. He was careful to be a shadow in her mind, ready to erase any revelation that might be too difficult for her to accept.
The cave you were in is deep below the surface of the earth, below the mountain formed of fire and ice. It is a place of power, and we needed such a place to perform the healing ritual. The candles were made of herbs and compounds known to promote healing through aroma. The healing ritual was conducted by the two healers, theirlifemates and my family. It was a large gathering. While we were attending to you, two other members of my family, Syndil and Barack, were rushing to aid Cullen.
Chapter 12
“Come here to me, my love,” Barack said softly, gliding to his lifemate even as he gave the command. He enfolded her in his arms. “You are drooping with weariness and you must feed.”
“Cullen needs blood fast, Barack, or he may not make it. I am not a true healer like Darius or Gregori. I have never attempted such a healing before.” Syndil rested her head on his chest, her fatigue catching up with her. “I do not know if I have done enough for him. My gift is in healing the earth, not humans or Carpathians. You must give him blood.”
“You come before Cullen, Syndil,” Barack said gently, his voice an invitation. Beneath her ear his heart was a steady beat; she could hear the beckoning of his blood, the ebb and flow of the essence of his life.