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“Hmm.” He tapped his fingers against the hard ground. “Sounds to me like you’re hiding from something.”
Her jaw clenched. “I am. Infuriating creatures like you.”
Tap, tap, tap. “That’s not all.”
Sofie continued to monitor the lightning, memorizing each strike. Unfortunately, that didn’t keep the painful memories from forming in the back of her mind.
Memories that she devoted a great deal of time and energy to keeping buried.
“You know nothing about me,” she rasped.
“I can sense there’s more. Through our bond.”
Sofie jerked in shock, turning her head to glare at his searingly beautiful face.
“Impossible.”
He held up his hands, as if trying to soothe her burst of temper. “I didn’t notice it the first time you captured my mind, but now…” His brows drew together as he considered what he was experiencing. “Now, I can feel the bitterness that simmers deep inside you. It has something to do with this.”
Without warning, he leaned forward, his fingers brushing over the center of her forehead. Sofie hissed, flinching back as his touch ignited a cascade of pain that had nothing to do with the actual wound.
Her hands curled into tight fists. He was just guessing, right? He had to be.
“You don’t have to be able to read my mind to guess having a mark carved into my forehead doesn’t make me happy.”
“It’s not the mark.” His fingers brushed through the soft strands of her hair, which she kept deliberately short, before he was settling back against the wall. “You obviously wear your scar with pride. It’s the male who carved it who is responsible for your bitterness. Your sire?”
She snapped her fangs in his direction. “Stop.”
“I can’t help it,” he protested. “You created the link between us, not me.”
“I have your mind imprisoned; there is no link between us.” She stared grimly at the lightning that continued to strike. “Now let me concentrate.”
There was a blessed silence before Ryshi spoke in soft tones. “You’re standing on a mountain. There’s an icy breeze tugging at the fur cloak you have wrapped around you. You tilt back your head to view the vast sky that’s studded with stars. Ah. You smile.”
Sofie knew the exact memory he was describing. She’d been forced to travel to the nearby city to acquire the blood she needed to survive, along with a few supplies. When she’d returned to her lair, she’d climbed to the top peak and simply savored the beauty that surrounded her.
“How did…” Her words died away along with her anger as she tried to block his ability to peer into her thoughts. She couldn’t shut the connection, not without releasing him from her hold. But amazingly, she realized that she could catch glimpses into Ryshi’s mind. “Oh.”
He leaned forward. “What is it?”
“You’re right.”
“Always.”
She shook her head, unnerved by how entwined their thoughts had become. The connection was supposed to be a leash. Like a human would put on a dog. It was a means of keeping Ryshi under her control, but without any actual link that might leave her vulnerable.
“I can sense you. Why?” She spoke her thoughts out loud. “It’s never happened before.”
“Have you ever held the same mind more than once?”
Sofie considered her answer. When her powers first manifested as a young vampire, she’d been capable only of coercion. More of a suggestion than a compulsion. As she matured, she discovered she could actually trap a demon with her mind. She couldn’t force him to do anything, or distort his thoughts, but she could keep him from fleeing. It’d proved to be a handy skill and quickly made her a favorite of her sire. He enjoyed having her hold his enemies captive while he tortured them. But then her powers took another leap. One that led to her downfall. Was it possible her powers were evolving yet again? The explanation didn’t bring her any comfort.
“I’ve held the same mind several times, but usually not for this length of time,” she admitted.
“It could be that.” He flashed his sexy smile. “Or more likely, it’s the fact that I’m very, very special.”
Sofie flinched. Was it possible that Ryshi’s magic was altering her powers? Or that he was able to manipulate her through the bond? That seemed even worse than all the other options.
