Diana’s path. Sweat chilled my forehead and my mouth went dry. Like Skylur, Diana was faster and stronger than me. Not by a matter of degree, but overwhelmingly. She could paralyze me with a look. There was no way I could stop her from doing whatever she wanted, but my instincts drove me. I needed to protect David and Pia.
“He’s mine ,” I said, my voice strained and my heart in my mouth.
Diana looked as if I’d slapped her across the face. She came up on the balls of her feet. I sensed Pia leap to my side and Bian flowed off the wall like a dark wraith, the katana suddenly singing in the soft light.
Oh shit, this is it.
“Stop,” Skylur said, his voice sharp. We froze.
“Bian,” Diana said. The katana slid quietly back into its sheath. Bian resumed her nonchalant position against the wall as if nothing had happened. But she was frowning in concern. Pia stepped back. I took a shaky breath.
Diana half-turned to Skylur, a ghost of a smile crossing her face. “What was it you said to me about her needing training in the duties of a House?”
She rested her hand on my shoulder. “Amber, David needs me to help him now.” She looked intently at me and her voice became harder. “If he’s too far gone, then indeed, he is yours.”
I nodded, my stomach sinking. She meant it would be my responsibility if he needed to be put down like a rabid animal.
She sat by David on the sofa, holding hands like a mismatched pair of first dates. David’s trembling eased a little, his eyes half-focusing on her. Her gaze held him and then her hands glided up his arms, past his neck until they held his head. Moving sinuously, she came up on one knee, rising above him and pressing his head back. Pia jerked forward, but Bian was suddenly beside her, one hand holding her. Pia looked to me and I made myself stand still. I had to trust Diana. Pia looked to argue, but she stood back, angry and worried.
Diana dipped her head over David as if she were going to kiss him, but floated down alongside his neck. She sighed, loud in the silence, and her lips touched his neck. Immediately, David’s rigid body began to collapse back on the sofa and she followed him down smoothly, fastened to his neck.
“Just pacifics,” Bian said, so close to my ear that I jumped. “Agents that will relax him. It’s all right.”
It wasn’t all right yet. David’s eyes stared and he moaned and shifted, but Diana’s fangs were buried in his throat and her mouth fastened on his neck. Her eyes closed, as if she were concentrating on sifting the flavors of a complex taste. Every twitch resonated through me. Had she started in time or would I have to kill David?
Then Diana raised her head from his neck and a little tremor passed through her. David remained slumped, his eyes closed now, blood oozing from the marks on his throat. She turned to look back at me, her movements slow and sensual, her eyes hooded.
“He will be all right,” she said.
Relief coursed through me.
“Bian, he’s flooded with envirics and Amber’s Blood. Take over, while Amber and Pia explain to us just how this all happened.”
Bian took Diana’s place. With a practiced ease, she put the katana to one side and straddled David. She bent her face to his neck and he moaned as she bit. I blushed. I found it was intimate and arousing. Something I felt I had the potential to do, might want to do. Dammit, something as House Farrell I was supposed to be doing, instead of making everything worse at every step.
“Well?” Diana said as she and Skylur returned to their chairs. Skylur remained quiet, frowning in thought.
With the sofa occupied, I sat on a stool. Pia stood next to me, her face a mask of conflict. I could imagine some of the things going through her mind. No doubt she’d been content in the comfort of Altau, a powerful House, with the most powerful of Masters, feeling secure. Then somehow— how?— she’d become part of a House under an Athanate who didn’t even
“He’s mine ,” I said, my voice strained and my heart in my mouth.
Diana looked as if I’d slapped her across the face. She came up on the balls of her feet. I sensed Pia leap to my side and Bian flowed off the wall like a dark wraith, the katana suddenly singing in the soft light.
Oh shit, this is it.
“Stop,” Skylur said, his voice sharp. We froze.
“Bian,” Diana said. The katana slid quietly back into its sheath. Bian resumed her nonchalant position against the wall as if nothing had happened. But she was frowning in concern. Pia stepped back. I took a shaky breath.
Diana half-turned to Skylur, a ghost of a smile crossing her face. “What was it you said to me about her needing training in the duties of a House?”
She rested her hand on my shoulder. “Amber, David needs me to help him now.” She looked intently at me and her voice became harder. “If he’s too far gone, then indeed, he is yours.”
I nodded, my stomach sinking. She meant it would be my responsibility if he needed to be put down like a rabid animal.
She sat by David on the sofa, holding hands like a mismatched pair of first dates. David’s trembling eased a little, his eyes half-focusing on her. Her gaze held him and then her hands glided up his arms, past his neck until they held his head. Moving sinuously, she came up on one knee, rising above him and pressing his head back. Pia jerked forward, but Bian was suddenly beside her, one hand holding her. Pia looked to me and I made myself stand still. I had to trust Diana. Pia looked to argue, but she stood back, angry and worried.
Diana dipped her head over David as if she were going to kiss him, but floated down alongside his neck. She sighed, loud in the silence, and her lips touched his neck. Immediately, David’s rigid body began to collapse back on the sofa and she followed him down smoothly, fastened to his neck.
“Just pacifics,” Bian said, so close to my ear that I jumped. “Agents that will relax him. It’s all right.”
It wasn’t all right yet. David’s eyes stared and he moaned and shifted, but Diana’s fangs were buried in his throat and her mouth fastened on his neck. Her eyes closed, as if she were concentrating on sifting the flavors of a complex taste. Every twitch resonated through me. Had she started in time or would I have to kill David?
Then Diana raised her head from his neck and a little tremor passed through her. David remained slumped, his eyes closed now, blood oozing from the marks on his throat. She turned to look back at me, her movements slow and sensual, her eyes hooded.
“He will be all right,” she said.
Relief coursed through me.
“Bian, he’s flooded with envirics and Amber’s Blood. Take over, while Amber and Pia explain to us just how this all happened.”
Bian took Diana’s place. With a practiced ease, she put the katana to one side and straddled David. She bent her face to his neck and he moaned as she bit. I blushed. I found it was intimate and arousing. Something I felt I had the potential to do, might want to do. Dammit, something as House Farrell I was supposed to be doing, instead of making everything worse at every step.
“Well?” Diana said as she and Skylur returned to their chairs. Skylur remained quiet, frowning in thought.
With the sofa occupied, I sat on a stool. Pia stood next to me, her face a mask of conflict. I could imagine some of the things going through her mind. No doubt she’d been content in the comfort of Altau, a powerful House, with the most powerful of Masters, feeling secure. Then somehow— how?— she’d become part of a House under an Athanate who didn’t even
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