Dark Illusion (33 page)

Of course she knew that Xavier had two brothers. She thought them long dead. The rumor had been that Xavier had murdered them, until Xaviero had surfaced and made his try to start that war. Anatolie was furious when it hadn’t succeeded. No one had mentioned that either brother had children, but it made sense. For a long time, she had considered that she had been a child of one of the brothers and that was why Anatolie hated her so much. It would make sense that the brothers would want to do what Xavier had done.

She shook her head and looked up at him. He always appeared so confident. So completely at ease with himself and his environment. It didn’t matter that they were discussing a very powerful mage who very well could annihilate them and Isai’s entire species of people. Isai just looked as if he could take all that on his shoulders. She wasn’t like that. The thought of facing Barnabas made her want to curl up in a little hole and cover it so no one would find her.

“I’m not brave like you are, Isai.” He might as well know.

He burst out laughing. “I know no one braver. I do not want you to try to take on Barnabas. We just have to find the book. I think we can do that. You know Iulian better than I do, although my blood will call to his. Once you figure out exactly what he did, we can raise that book. Before we do, we just need to figure out how to destroy it.” He framed her face with both hands. “Give me your ideas. The first thing that comes into your head.”

She forced air into her lungs while she looked into his eyes. Those amazing sapphire eyes. Who had eyes that blue? She turned in his arms and leaned her back against him while she studied the lake. In the night, with the brilliant moon shining down each time the clouds moved, she caught glimpses of that same blue. Deep. A color almost never seen. She was seeing it through Carpathian eyes, giving it the colors she believed it was.

“If you are right about me, and I’m not saying you are, but if so, I think I can’t do it by myself. I’m strong, Isai, I know that I am. I’ve always been aware that I had untapped power in me; no matter how much my family put me down, they couldn’t take that away. I even became aware
that Crina was afraid of me. That Vasile and Avram became afraid of me over time. The more they feared me, the meaner they got. The more they were ugly to me, the harder I practiced.”

“Julija, if you know they feared you, how is it you do not believe in yourself?”

There might have been a gentle reprimand in his voice. How could she explain the wearing down of all self-confidence in spite of trying to understand why they would be afraid if they truly believed she was nothing. Over time, over years, their evaluations had taken their toll and there was no way to explain that to him.

“I will admit that not once did I believe in myself, but I found a strength I didn’t know I had, living the way I believed was right in spite of my family tearing me down. I am not, however, good enough to take on Barnabas, especially if he is a high mage’s son.”

“Again, you will not have to. We just have to concentrate on destroying the book. But, Julija, know this, he may be Xaviero’s son and a high mage, but you also carry that mark. It is your birthright. You do not consider yourself a high mage, because your family has made it very clear to you that you are nothing. There are many high mages throughout history that were good, decent people. They tried to use their gifts to better the world, not tear others down. They didn’t look at other species with contempt or envy. You fit into that category.”

She shook her head, rejecting what he was telling her. She didn’t want the title of high mage in spite of carrying the birthmark. She had studied for years, and she was adept, but . . .

“Think about it,
sívamet
. You stole Vasile’s magic right out from under his nose. Who else could have done such a thing? Could Avram?”

She remained silent. She doubted if Avram could have done it. Maybe Anatolie, although he had a heavy hand. He wouldn’t have worked at removing the layers of magic her brother had so carefully constructed.

“If, and I still am not convinced I am the person you think I am, but if I were capable of destroying the book, I believe we would have to do it together. Your brother used his blood for a good purpose. He sacrificed his life to hide the book. I will know if his intentions were pure when I
find the exact location where he took his life, but if that was so, then it is your blood as well as mine that is needed to overcome the dark spells, as well as your brother’s. We have to do both.”

“I am not willing for you to sacrifice your life,” he warned.

“Killing a living, breathing soul would invoke dark magic, Isai, and that is not what we want to do. If we wanted to open the book, we would need a blood sacrifice of each species, but we want to destroy it. I think together we have to give our blood to the book. I honestly don’t know how much, but I am going to give this a lot of thought and work out how it can be done. If you’re correct and I have purity of soul, and your blood is the same as that of Iulian, who gave the ultimate sacrifice to seal the book in the ground, our combined blood should burn the book. If not, I am out of ideas.”

Julija continued to look out over the beautiful scenery, wishing she was walking with him around that lake. She had learned—somewhat—to control her body temperature. It wouldn’t matter that it was cold, only that they were together and doing something other than fighting the mages. She just wanted things to be normal. Even if it was only for a few minutes. She didn’t want to think about dark spells and evil books and monsters. She just wanted normal, so she could breathe.

“I often think of Elisabeta and wonder how she managed to live all those years without going insane. She has to be so strong.”

Isai turned her back into his arms, holding her close to his body. His chin rubbed along the top of her head, so that her hair was caught in the bristles along his jaw, weaving them together. “You are just as strong, Julija. Never think that you’re not. You have endured the murderous relatives you have and yet you have come to me pure of heart and soul. That, in itself, is a miracle.”

She wasn’t going to argue with him. She knew how close she’d been on more than one occasion, wanting to end what appeared to be a hopeless situation. More than once, she’d left and always, Anatolie had found her and brought her back.

She frowned, pushing against his chest with both palms to create space so she could look up at him. “The times I left home to get away from
them all, no matter where I went, Anatolie could find me. Blood calls to blood. He knows where I am. He’s waiting for me to find the book.”

“Julija.” His voice was calm. Steady. As soft as velvet stroking over her skin. Her senses. Soothing her. “We knew he was following you. Your brothers made their move too fast. They conspired to get the book for themselves and wanted control of you. Crina made her move, most likely because Barnabas threw her out. She was nothing to him and she had to have known that. Anatolie is wiser. He believes you can find the book. Once you do, he intends to take it from you.”

There was no change of expression on his face. Nothing to indicate that he was worried about the outcome of doing battle with her father. He was a strong, ancient warrior and he’d seen countless battles against any number of foes. This, to him, was just one more.

“I’m glad I have you with me,” she whispered, and went up on her toes to kiss him.

Isai had time to find the perfect place to go to ground. It was beautiful beyond comprehension, a lost world. When the earth had exploded, and lava had run in rivers and then earthquakes had followed, the phenomenon had created a deep crater inside one of the tallest mountains. The hole that allowed one to peek into the world was very small, one that could easily be overlooked and so far, no climbers or hikers had discovered the eye that would have shown them the entire little ecosystem existing in that rocky bluff.

The rock itself was quite thick, covered with larger boulders and strange jagged-shaped protrusions, as if the rock were rising toward the skies with fingers. If one looked closely, the outcropping looked like a giant hand. Most tourists took pictures of that and ignored the ground that was under their feet. That ground was riddled with a dozen holes, tiny pinpoints that allowed light to shine into the empty space below.

Over time dirt and seed had fallen into the cavern below. Water trickled in from the southern wall. There was no crack to give the cavern away. Isai wouldn’t have found it if not for Blue and his avid curiosity. The cat kept pawing at the dirt and uncovered one of the larger peepholes. The
crack was there, running on top of the rock, rather than on the side. That was unusual. Isai had instantly investigated and discovered the small little paradise beneath.

It wasn’t unusual to find trees and brush in some of the larger caverns, especially the ones with plenty of water and a way to get sun. This was very small on the scale of the ones he’d seen in his lifetime, but he’d take it. Julija needed to feel safe. For just a few hours she needed to have a place to sleep and relax. He wanted time with the cats, so all of them could build a stronger bond. It was also necessary for the cats to practice adhering to skin without tearing them up. He didn’t want a single scratch on Julija, but if she had the cats on her the way Ivory Malinov and her lifemate, Razvan, wore their wolves, they would watch her back and be an asset in any situation.

Carpathians shared information. Ivory and Razvan were notoriously private, but most Carpathians were aware they had a wolf pack that rode on them as tattoos or a fur coat. He doubted if he would do the same—make a coat of panther fur—but the tattoos would be an advantage.

The cavern opened up to three rooms, each going deeper into the mountain. A small stream ran from where the water poured down the wall to the first basin and then over the sides of the rock into the brook. Rocks lined the sides and bottom, so the water tumbled over them, smoothing and rounding them into shiny pebbles.

“This is really pretty, Isai.”

He watched her as she made a little circuit of the sanctuary he’d found for them. There was a note of happiness in her voice. He liked that. He even needed it. She’d been broadcasting fear ever since they’d talked about Barnabas and the possibility that he might be Xaviero’s son. No, she’d been fearful every time the man’s name was mentioned. More fearful even than when talking about Anatolie. She seemed to take Anatolie’s cruelty in stride, which gave him pause. If she was that afraid of Barnabas, he had to be a force to be reckoned with.

“It is, isn’t it? Blue scratched at the dirt and uncovered a small hole. Above us, the rock has formed a very thick roof. The holes are tiny. I doubt anyone would have realized they go all the way through the rock. The crack was faint, but it was there.”

She touched a very green and healthy bush, rubbing the leaves between her finger and thumb in a kind of fascination. The foliage was lush, very dense, and all kinds of wildflowers grew along the slopes. Vines wound their way up the tree trunks. There were nettles with delicate pink and blue flowers.

Isai watched his woman through half-closed eyes, absorbing her. Feeling her. She was beautiful to him. Every movement. He noticed what she touched, the way she smiled down at the two females pacing along beside her. Phaedra and Belle moved with her every step. She could have found them annoying. They were big cats, and they kept getting in her way, but rather than pushing at them or snapping, she laughed softly and ruffled their ears.

“What do you think, girls? Did the boys do us proud?” She swung around to look at him and then flung her arms wide to encompass their little paradise. “I love this, Isai. We could live here.”

He found himself smiling just because there was joy on her face. She was living in the moment, something she had probably learned to do for survival. “Yes, we could.”

“No neighbors. No family to bug us,” she went on. “When we decide to come up for air, we have a beautiful backyard. The Sierras are amazing. So much to explore.” She looked around the cave. “I could do a lot with this. Make it a home.”

He folded his arms across his chest. She was already turning away again, following the stream into the next chamber.

“
Isai.
Have you seen this? The soil is so rich with minerals. It’s a gold mine for Carpathians.” She flung herself down into the soft earth, uncaring that she was wearing clothes and getting them dirty. Stretching out her arms and legs, she made an earth angel, instead of a snow angel. He thought it was very appropriate.

“What are you doing?” Amusement crept into his voice.

He leaned one hip against the curving rock wall and watched her. Belle rolled around beside her like a kitten. Phaedra took a few minutes to join her and then, at last, Sable made her way stealthily to them. She stood on the edge of the expanse of soil that was centuries old and had
never been touched. The nutrients were still intact, as powerful and potent as possible.

“Don’t be such a stodgy old man. I know you’re like a million years or something and think you have to be dignified, but no one can see you but me. This is the greatest feeling. Even the cats know.” Her eyes were on the cathedral-like ceiling.

On the walls were narrow ledges running around the room like stepping-stones—or bookcases—from the floor to that massive ceiling. Already, Blue had found his way to the top where he could oversee the space and still peer into the first chamber through the open archway.

Isai took a few minutes to pull the designs from Julija’s head he’d noticed when he was merged with her. Each time he put a bed or a chair in a room for her, there would be the briefest flash of a memory. That memory seemed to soothe her and yet she never brought it up. He copied the chairs and rug, placing the furniture exactly as he noticed in her memories. The room always appeared to be a sitting room, one that she thought of often.

“You do know you are supposed to have your clothes off. The earth heals and rejuvenates you through your skin.” He positioned a third chair, so he could watch her antics with the cats. He sprawled out, legs in front of him, ankles crossed, his arms folded as he watched his woman making her ridiculous shapes in the soil. She made him want to smile every time he looked at her.

“Seriously, Isai? Are you just a little crazy right now? If I was completely naked, I would get dirt in places ladies prefer not to have dirt.”

Her snippy tone sent fingers of desire dancing up his thighs. She had lifted her head just inches, her dark eyes meeting his. There was laughter in her dark chocolate gaze—an invitation for him to join in her silly fun. He would have, but just watching her gave him a feeling he’d never had. It was sharp and terrible and wonderful all at the same time. The intensity of his joy—and he identified the emotion as that, even though he’d never known it—was nearly overwhelming. He could sit there forever and just watch her play.

“If you were naked, as you should be, the soil would take away your exhaustion.”

“You just want me naked rolling around in the dirt. You’re probably one of those weird men who would enjoy mud wrestling.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Mud wrestling?”

He couldn’t help joining in the fun his own way. He lifted one finger and gently directed air toward her. Just the lightest of touches, unfelt by her. She had exchanged tees for a pale mint green blouse with tiny pearl buttons. It was impractical for where they were, but he hadn’t said a word to her because she looked beautiful in it, and she could control the temperature of her body.

She raised up on her elbows. The action emphasized her breasts beneath the mint green fabric. “You don’t know what mud wrestling is?” She gave a little pretend shudder. “It is something I would never do.”

“And yet you make snow angels in the soil.”

The little puffs of wind had done their job. Her blouse slid open, exposing soft skin. She wore a lacy green bra, a little darker than the mint. His body stirred.

“It’s
way
different.”

There was that snippy tone that kept those fingers dancing over his body, stroking his cock and making him think all kinds of impure thoughts that had nothing whatsoever to do with mud wrestling.

He lifted another finger as Phaedra distracted her, rolling close and pawing at her hair. Julija laughed and rubbed her belly. Her jeans slid open. Julija caught the band with one hand. “What are you doing?” Suspicion edged her voice.

“I am merely watching my woman lose her mind a little bit.” He sounded as innocent as possible.

As she sat up, her blouse slid off her shoulders. When she let go of her jeans to catch at the two sides of her blouse, the denim began to slip off her hips. Even the soil beneath her cooperated with him, scooping out just enough room so the material could slide out from under her bottom. Her eyes widened, and she made a desperate grab for her jeans, trying not to laugh as her blouse once more began to slide from her body.

“You can’t get the blouse off my arms, silly. Stop being such a guy.”

Isai didn’t respond. He simply flicked his finger at the blouse as she
tried to lift herself to pull the jeans back over her bottom. She paused, noticing his finger flicks, trying to determine what he was doing. Her blouse fell apart at each seam, the separate pieces of material floating off her, dancing to an unfelt breeze. Once off her completely, the blouse mended itself, the pieces going back together, but then the entire thing floated into the other chamber. She watched it go.

“You are totally crazy,” she accused.

She lay on the ground, two huge panthers stretched out beside her, in her dark green bra with her jeans halfway to her knees. She looked a completely sensual creature. His entire focus was on her, noting everything about her. The least little detail. The way she continually shoved at her hair told him she was a little nervous. She wasn’t afraid of him. He knew his little mage wasn’t afraid too much, but it was enough that her emotional reaction to sexual play would heighten her pleasure in the end.

Her laughter was musical. He could only look at her as she threw herself backward in the rich soil, shaking her head and clutching her stomach as if just laughing that much could hurt. His cock hardened more, a savage, relentless ache demanding relief. He was going to have his woman do something about that very soon, but playing was what she needed. Not to think. Not to worry. Just this, a place where she was safe and she could just be her.

Deliberately, to draw her attention, he lifted his hand slightly, just enough so she would see he was still in command and up to something. He flicked at the hooks on her bra; one at a time they opened for him.

She gasped and caught the material, holding it over her breasts, trying to glare accusingly. “What are you doing? You’d better stop, Isai. I’m warning you.”

It was going to take some doing to remove her jeans. She had a death grip on the waist band, although they were off her hips now and had settled around her thighs. She kept trying to tug them up with one hand while she held the bra to her with the other.

He flicked wind at her and one side of the bra lifted so that her breast peeked out at him. Full. Round. Her nipple erect and pink. The sight took
his breath. He hadn’t expected to react to the sight of her body, all that bare skin. His. He loved that she was his.

“Isai!” she wailed, somewhere between laughter and feigned anger. “You’d better stop.”

The moment she tried to stop the bra from lifting up, he tugged the jeans down below her knees. For one second, she threw her arms into the air in exasperation. Instantly, the bra floated away, following the blouse into the first chamber. The jeans slipped down to her ankles, one leg sliding off completely.

“Oh no you don’t.” She sat up again, catching the jeans in a death grip. She tried to pull them back up, but the material wouldn’t budge. She looked up until her eyes met his. “What have you done?”

Deliberately, he smirked at her, her breasts drawing his attention as they bounced a little, two perfect spheres that made him all the hungrier for her. His cock screamed for attention, throbbing painfully.

She wore only a pair of lacy dark-green panties. Abandoning the jeans, she put both hands over the underwear, silently daring him to try to take them from her. He first took the jeans, sending the denim into the other chamber, leaving her beautiful legs bare. He loved looking at her and he loved that she liked to play.

Julija shrugged, holding her panties tight. “Fine, you’ve got the others, but there is no way you’ll manage to get these from me.”

The way she positioned her arms, pushed her breasts together, it looked almost as though she was offering herself to him. He dropped both hands to his lap and she followed that downward motion suspiciously with her gaze.

He heard the swift intake of her breath and that made him want to smile, but he didn’t. Very slowly he unbuttoned the jeans, each movement measured and precise. She didn’t take her eyes off him and very slowly she loosened her hold on her underwear. He slipped them down her body and had them to her ankles before she stopped staring at his hands and realized she was going to be entirely naked.

She started laughing again. This time the sound was low and sultry. Sexy. “You can have them.”

“Do you surrender to me?”

She regarded him suspiciously, reaching down to try to get the panties off her calves. “I don’t know, what does that entail?”

Her panties stayed right where they were. She let go of them and turned her complete attention back to him.