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I looked at Rafe, and he looked back. I thought he was about to speak when Mircea’s hand descended on his shoulder. “No, no, Raphael. It would not be fair to give our Cassandra information for which she has not yet paid.” He smiled, and there was more calculation than affection in it. “Do we have a deal?”
I glanced at Billy, who was floating near the ceiling with an impatient look on his face. He didn’t comment, so I assumed his news didn’t have any bearing on my choice. I sent him an irritated look and he disappeared, in a snit because I hadn’t dropped everything for him. Typical. I’d have preferred to find out more before agreeing to Mircea’s terms, but I didn’t have a lot of options. It’s hard to push the price too high when you’re a sure thing and the buyer knows it. I literally had no choice but to help them, so technically Mircea was being generous by offering anything. Of course, he probably wanted me doing my best on the errand, so keeping me in a good mood was worth a concession or two. Or maybe he was fond of me. No, that kind of thinking was dangerous.
“Okay. We have a deal. Tell me.”
“In a moment, dulceata. First, I believe we need to inform the Consul. Tomas, if you would be so good? She may have final instructions.” He noticed Tomas’ mulish expression. “You have my word that we will wait the attempt on your return. You will be accompanying her, will you not?”
“Yes.” Tomas looked at me challengingly, but I didn’t object. If Rasputin did show up, it would be nice to have someone along, especially someone who had shown he could handle himself in an emergency. Even if it was only to have company when everything went to hell. Tomas started to say something else but stopped when Mircea stepped to my side and put a hand on my shoulder.
“Now, Tomas!” Louis-César looked impatient. Tomas glared at him but he left, slamming the door behind him.
“And we need the Tears, do we not, to be on the safe side?” Louis-César nodded and left right behind Tomas.
“The Tears? Do I want to know?”
“Nothing to be concerned about, I assure you.” Mircea smiled reassuringly. “The Tears of Apollo are an ancient concoction. They have been used to aid in meditative trances for centuries. They are quite safe.”
“But why do we need them? I didn’t have them before.”
“And you quickly ran out of energy before. They will help you, Cassandra. Remember, I have a vested interest in seeing that this goes well. I would not lie to you.” I believed that answer more than I would have a heartfelt declaration of concern for my welfare, and nodded. I’d use the damn Tears, whatever they were. Anything to up the odds.
Mircea glanced at Raphael. “Would you be so good as to see if clothing has been arranged for Cassie? She must be tired of wearing such a bulky robe.” He gave an odd little smile. “Take your time.”
Rafe looked uncertain—I could tell he didn’t want to leave Mircea and me alone for some reason—but he went. Mircea locked the door behind him and leaned against it, regarding me with suddenly serious eyes. “And now for the real negotiations, my Cassandra.”
Chapter 12
I looked at Mircea warily. “I’m not your Cassandra.”
He began unbuttoning the remaining toggles on his shirt. “Give me a moment, dulceata, and we will see.” He peeled off the shirt and tossed it over the end of the couch. He wore nothing underneath.
“What are you doing?” I sat up, my pulse leaping although he hadn’t done anything really alarming. But he stood between me and the door, and that enticing face was suddenly pretty intense.
Mircea began removing his highly polished shoes. “I would prefer that we had more time, dulceata. I have long anticipated renewing our acquaintance, but did not envision quite this scenario. However”—he paused to place his shoes and socks neatly by the sofa—“I am beginning to learn that, with you, it is best to assume the unexpected.”
I could have said the same about him. “Cut it out, Mircea. Just tell me what is going on.”
He watched me steadily as he slowly removed the belt from the loops of his slacks. “You do not wish to be given over to the Circle, I assume?”
“What does that have to do with you getting undressed? What is this?”
Mircea prowled across the room—there was simply no other word for the way he moved—and knelt at my feet. He looked up at me soulfully. “Think of it as a rescue, dulceata. I am your knight come to save you from all those who would do you harm.”
I choked back a laugh. “That has got to be the corniest line I ever heard.”
Mircea put on an exaggerated look of outrage that brought a reluctant smile to my face. “You wound me! I assure you, once upon a time, as they say, that is exactly what I was.”
I thought about it and, technically, he was right. Of course, real knights in shining armor hadn’t been quite the same as the legend. Most of them had spent more time harassing the peasants for taxes than rescuing ladies fair. “Okay. And what are you now?”
He didn’t answer, but I noticed that his eyes had turned a glowing cinnamon amber. The only time I’d seen that before, he had been threatening Pritkin’s life, but he didn’t seem to be angry now. He reached behind his head to slide the platinum clasp out of his long, dark hair. “The Circle demands your return, dulceata, and by our treaty with them, we have no right to refuse. If you were a normal human, a claim by any master would be enough to hold you, but not for a powerful seer. The Pythia’s court has control over all such individuals.” His hair spread over his shoulders and back like a dark cape. The contrast between his midnight hair and the pale perfection of his skin was mesmerizing.
He saw me admiring it, and his voice dropped to just above a whisper. “You liked my hair once, dulceata, don’t you remembe
r? You enjoyed braiding it as a child. I went around Antonio’s court with as many styles and ornaments as a doll.” He lifted my hands and placed them on his shoulders, under the heavy weight of that hair. It fell like a skein of silk over my hands, and I wasn’t sure which was more distracting, the feel of it or the hard muscles of his shoulders. “I did not mind you playing with me, dulceata.” He moved his head to press a kiss to the back of my hand. “I do not mind it now.”
I opened my shields slightly to see whether he was imitating Tomas and trying to influence me, but there was no sign that power was being exerted. The exhilarating rush I’d felt earlier was simply not there. But then, he didn’t really need it. He rubbed his cheek languidly against my hand and I knew he could probably hear the pounding of my heart in my wrist. I swallowed. “What’s your point, Mircea?”
His hands had moved while I was distracted, and it was a shock to feel them suddenly slide into my robe and encircle my waist. I hadn’t felt him remove the belt, but it was gone. The robe didn’t gape far, but it was enough to bare a line of flesh from my neck to my navel. I moved to close it, but Mircea lifted my hand away and pressed the palm to his lips. I felt a smooth hint of tongue as he swept it slowly over my skin, as if savoring the taste. A bolt of desire ran from his kiss down all my nerve endings, causing me to gasp.
