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But there was something so perfect about being wrapped up in his arms that she forgot the hour and her desperation. She sank into the thrill of his mouth, his lips, his powerful arms that flexed and released against her.
She shuddered. His scent, now surrounding her thickly, made mush of her thoughts. He could take her if he wanted to. She had no will but his right now.
Despite the intensity of the moment, he began to pull back, easing up on his embrace, kissing her with only his lips, then withdrawing that sweet pressure to lean his forehead against hers. “I wish to hell we had more time because I’m feeling urgent all over again.”
“Me, too, and very forgetful when you touch me.” She drew back and met his gaze, struck again by how beautiful his flecked teal eyes were, the shimmering depths that weren’t quite human, but more, much more.
Vampire.
She looked away. She needed to remember what he was, that she wasn’t like him, that once she had Josh back again, she’d be rebuilding a life with her son, a life that couldn’t include Adrien.
Releasing him, she ripped the list from the notepad and slid it into the pocket of her jeans where her fingertips touched her iPhone. “If you’re ready, let’s go.”
He nodded. He ran a hand down each side of his battle leathers, checking his weapons again, no doubt, as well as his phone.
He slid one arm around her waist, holding her against him. “I’m sorry that this process hurts.”
“It doesn’t matter, Adrien.” She took a deep breath. With any luck they’d find the information they needed at The Erotic Passage and she’d be one step closer to Josh. “I’m ready.”
The flight began and as before a sudden nausea took her over, but she fought it back. And as before, her head began to pound, but because he kept the speed slow, she could manage the pain.
Soon he’d flown them away from the city lights of Paris until the blackness of the countryside below took over, with only the occasional village lights. She closed her eyes and leaned against Adrien’s chest as he took them south toward Italy.
As they went farther the clouds began to thin so that when she checked her surroundings once more, she could see stars. She smiled. Yep, much better to take it slow.
We’ll be moving through the Alps soon, he said from his mind to hers. Just wanted you to be prepared.
How clear the words sounded in her head. Thanks for the warning, she returned.
When blackness engulfed her she knew she was passing through rock—that and the strange clinging sensation of solid matter.
The flight went over Italy now and the same occasional lights of villages or towns.
Another two minutes passed and his mind once more sounded within hers. Almost there. We’re over the lake now. The club is on the eastern shore.
She looked down; sure enough, she saw a black expanse of water. He descended toward the lake, traveling in a southeasterly direction.
In this position, his head cleared hers easily. But movement drew her attention and she shifted slightly to gain a better view. She saw that several distant figures, all robed with hoods, approached out of the northwest, something Adrien wouldn’t be able to see. Fanatics.
Adrien, there are four men coming in from the northwest, wearing robes and hoods.
Shit. I have to speed up.
Do it.
She shifted to look away from the intruders so that she could see the light from the club. But the vibration grew until instinctively she looked up.
Another attacker sped toward them from above and before she had time to warn Adrien, the fifth vampire slammed into Adrien’s shoulder, knocking her out of his arms. The next thing she knew she was falling toward the blackness below.
She had enough sense to take a deep breath just before she plunged into the cold lake. Down she went, her body instantly shocked and numb from the frigid water.
Her first instinct was to pull for the surface, but the chain vibrated in a way she’d never felt before, a powerful warning.
She felt the connection to Adrien, and chose to rely on his battle instincts, on all that she was in this new world. Though anxious to reach the surface, she forced her body to remain hidden below.
She adjusted her vision, siphoning the familiar power from Adrien. She could see as though a soft light cleared a path through the water and the night.
While Adrien battled four of the vampires, the fifth zigzagged over the waters hunting for her, probably waiting for her to surface. She had always had trouble floating and right now was grateful for it.
That her pursuer couldn’t see her reminded her that she could siphon Adrien’s power. Here was one of the differences then—that she could remain hidden while a real vampire couldn’t see her through the water.
Slowly she released the air now trapped in her lungs.
As Adrien battled, first one then a second vampire fell into the lake. She could make out Adrien’s quick movements as he blended his flight skills with his battling ability. Like before, he split into two parts, almost directly above her because of their perpetual proximity issue.
But her lungs had begun to hurt and the vampire hunting her was getting closer. Maybe she’d released too many air bubbles at once.
Her vision grew gray at the edges. The vampire hovered nearby now. If she surfaced she was dead. But she was running out of air.
Adrien, her mind cried. Hurry.
Slowly, blackness engulfed her.
CHAPTER 9
Adrien heard her last desperate telepathic cry. He had one more in the air and he saw the fifth vampire dive suddenly into the water.
The vampire he battled had lost his religious garb and now fought him with dagger and chain, battling as fiercely as he and his brothers battled. Adrien had a few cuts, nothing too serious. But he had to get to Lily. If she died, they both would because of the chains.
He allowed his second self to appear weaker, listing toward the water.
The vampire took the bait and followed. With his first self, Adrien caught him from behind in the kidneys with his dagger. The man screamed and plunged into the water.
“Lily!” he shouted.
The vampire who’d dived earlier now surfaced, jeering. “She’s dead.” He lifted Lily’s pale hand and shook it.
Adrien could sense that she was close to death, but not yet gone. The sudden rage he felt was so raw that before he understood what he was doing, both parts of him moved at light-speed toward the vampire who now opened his eyes wide. He tried to dip below the surface, as though that would do any good.
His rage had opened his vision. He could see Lily floating now as well as the panicked, thrashing movements of the gloating vampire as he tried to escape. Adrien pierced the water, dove straight for the bastard, caught him with one self while his split-self cut his throat.
