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“Okay, but as you told me during the photo shoot, if you could dial it down a little, it would help.”
She remembered. “I will.” She unfurled the T-shirt, then slid it over her head, not caring that the sheet dropped to her waist first and she’d therefore just flashed him. The chains at her throat vibrated once more, this time as his desire prickled her skin. But he said nothing as he continued to watch the video.
She swam in the T-shirt, but she loved it. She even thought that if she was very smart, she’d take it home with her to Santa Fe.
Glancing at the iPhone still in his hand, she dipped her chin. “What do you make of that? The pattern on the floor.”
He slid his finger over the front of the phone, backing up the video, and played the floor portion once more. “It’s a very old pattern.”
She glanced at her cup, at the four diamonds. “All except one, which has the same pattern but turned sideways so that it looks like four diamonds, like this.” She gestured to the mug on the bedside table, turning it slightly in his direction so he could see the pattern better.
He narrowed his gaze and focused on the video once more. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
“What is it?” She picked up her cup. “Did this mug come from someplace in particular?”
“A collection of four volcanic islands in the Pacific, owned by a consortium and protected by an intricate Ancestral disguise. On one of the islands is the Four Diamond Casino Resort.”
“And you think the weapon is there?”
He ran the video again. “Not at the casino, exactly. I think whoever chose to put the weapon in this location chose extremely well.” He brought the phone close. “Do you see how the diamond in the upper-right quadrant is larger?”
“Sure?”
“That’s the largest island in the northeast. It has a very active volcano as well as a cavern system that was used at one time as a penal colony for our kind, designed for torture.”
“Let me guess. Your father ran it.”
Lucian drew in a deep breath. “Worse. My grandfather.”
She sank back against the pillows. “Oh, Lucian, no. Please don’t tell me there are two of them, father and son.”
He shook his head. “No, not anymore. Grandpa suffered a terrible accident at the penal colony, going headfirst into the volcano.”
“Let me guess. Your father happened to be visiting.”
“Bingo. However, I would have to say on that particular day, my father did a service to our world.”
“That would only be true if he’d jumped in after.”
Lucian chuckled. “Way too much to have hoped for.”
She slid from bed to stand next to him. From her bare feet, he was even taller. She took the phone and looked at the picture of the diamonds again. “Okay, so when do we go?”
“You’re not going, remember?”
She put her hands on her hips. “Do you want to get this weapon, or not?”
“I don’t understand. What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that if we just figured it out, there’s a good chance Daniel will, too, if he hasn’t already, and we ought to move fast.”
His jaw tightened. “I’m going to take you home first.”
“But didn’t you just say this whole section of your world exists under a heavy disguise? Then you’ll probably need me. Whoever it was that created the layered disguises in the Siberian cavern must have done the same here, at the Four Diamonds system, right?”
Lucian ground his teeth. “Oh, shit, you’re probably right.”
“Then you’ll need me. Besides, together we have a magnified tracking ability. Even if it’s not really strong, it might be enough to get a fix on the weapon. I’m sure a facility like this would have been huge in its day.”
“It was. I was only there once, but it covered several miles of caverns underground.”
She turned into him and grabbed the front of his pajama bottoms, at the waist, and gave a tug. “Then you do need me.”
His lips parted as he stared down at her. She felt the chain at her neck vibrate again. Once more, she felt his desire for her, which sharpened her own. Between the T-shirt she wore and his really thin PJ bottoms, too little fabric separated them.
“You should get dressed.” His voice was hoarse.
She nodded then sighed. “What I’d really like is a shower, but my guess is that I don’t have anything to wear. My clothes must have been a mess.”
“They were, but I had Rumy send over your things from The Erotic Passage. I’ll get them.” She still hadn’t let go of his bottoms, and he hadn’t even blinked or moved. “Damn, Claire, I was so worried.”
She tossed the phone on the bed, and he caught her up in his arms, kissing her hard, his tongue deep in her mouth.
Lucian.
She kissed him back.
You feel so good in my arms.
Back atcha. She loved telepathy while kissing. But when his hands slid down to cup her bare ass, she drew back and huffed a breath. Maybe we’d better set this aside for now.
The left side of his mouth curved, and he looked so adorable. Imagine a monster-of-a-vampire looking adorable? She put a big smacking kiss on his lips.
“I’m getting in the shower now, and you can go find my clothes.”
He nodded and left the room.
Within twenty minutes, Claire was dressed, and though her hair was half damp she pronounced herself ready to head to the Four Diamonds.
* * *
Lucian held Claire next to him, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, but not because he needed to anymore. She shared enough power with him right now that linking pinkie fingers would have sufficed. But it felt damn good to hold her close, and the knowledge that his time with her was about up made him take the trip to Four Diamonds slower than maybe he should have.
She didn’t seem to mind. She must have been on the same page, because she nuzzled his throat and sighed heavily about half a dozen times.
Soon enough he arrived at their destination high above the four islands. The smoky disguise came into view so he slowed to a crawl to get a good look. Though he had no problem seeing the disguise, he couldn’t see through it. Claire’s comment told him all he needed to know about her powers.
The islands are beautiful, and they form what looks like a lake between them.
You can see through the disguise then.
And you can’t?
No, but then the consortium that owns the casino designed it this way, to have control over who entered and left their system, timing, everything. But they definitely had Ancestral help to set this up. Anyone arriving to enjoy the casino would have to contact their communication center. Okay, guide us in.
