She drew in a soft breath as sage surrounded her, pelted her, touched her in deep private places.
“I’d like to be there again.” He moved closer, less than an inch away.
She shivered and felt her body respond to this very sensual invitation, but she had other concerns on her mind. “Hold that thought, Warrior.”
“Right, right.”
She understood. He couldn’t exactly control all that was happening to him because of the breh-hedden.
She took a small step back and met his gaze. She even put her hand on his chest as though holding him back.
“Are you all right?” he asked. Just like that the sage receded.
“I’m not sure. It was amazing. I experienced what you felt while battling, and I’m not even upset about what I saw.”
“But you’re distressed. I can feel it.”
She blinked a few times. How could she tell him that what bothered her had to do not with the battle images but with how close he was standing to her, that he had already expressed how much he’d like to be inside her head again.
It occurred to her in a swift flash that her life had never been about again, but more like never-again. For whatever reason, a collage of her own memories shot in front of her eyes, of being a child and later a teenager, the number of times she’d been taken out of school, right in the middle of class, and moved across country. In her entire life, she’d never been in a situation where she could develop long-term friendships, except at work. Even then she kept her personal life separate.
Later, when she’d fallen in love, she was convinced her college sweetheart, Jason, was the one; whatever her life had been before, love had found her and she would build a new life with him. Then he’d walked out that last night. He’d called her inaccessible, which had made no sense to her. She had opened her heart to him and he’d left. So, yeah, never again.
But why was she thinking of this now?
“Parisa, what is it?” He frowned now, heavily.
She shook her head. She didn’t know what to say to him. “I’m not sure.”
“Did I hurt you?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I … it’s just it was such a strange experience.” She couldn’t tell him the truth: that sharing his memory like that had left her frightened of something she couldn’t explain. She just didn’t want to be that close … to anyone.
So she ordered her mind and walked away from him, swinging her arms about and focusing on the feel of the memory. In other words, she changed the subject. “Even when I walk, I’m feeling your muscles in my arms and legs. It’s extraordinary, Antony. Do you think I could try wielding a sword now? And I’d like to practice throwing a dagger as well.”
***
Medichi stared at Parisa, at his woman. He had never felt as far from her as he did now. For him the sharing of his battle memories had been sexy as hell, and he wanted more. In fact he wanted it so much he could taste it, but was it him or just the horrible demand of the breh-hedden?
It hardly mattered. Parisa had shut him down. She’d closed up her mind and shut him down.
On the other hand, maybe it was for the best. What was he to her, anyway, but her Guardian of Ascension, the warrior assigned to keep her safe? Yes, he was her breh, just as she was his. But wasn’t that all just destiny bullshit?
Parisa would be wise to keep her distance, shore up her defenses, turn him down. This was war. One long horrible war.
Fine. Then he’d teach her to make war.
He had several swords in his weapons locker. Only one was identified, which meant the rest would be perfectly safe for Parisa to handle. Identified swords were deadly weapons designed specifically for battling death vampires. If anyone but the swords owner touched the hilt or cross-guard, it would result in death.
The only exception was Alison, who had endured a one-on-one battle with Warrior Leto, a former Warrior of the Blood. Alison had brought his sword into her hand and somehow, through power he had never seen before on Second Earth, recalibrated the identification before the grip touched her palm.
He wasn’t taking the chance that Parisa had that power. She was clearly a preternaturally exceptional ascender, but yeah, he wasn’t taking chances.
For practice, therefore, he brought two unidentified swords and a dagger into his hands.
The swords were warrior-big and because Parisa had much smaller hands than even most Militia Warriors, the sword seemed disproportionate.
But the moment he gave it to her, she fell easily into the rhythm of his battle moves. She stepped away from him and went through a series of thrusts and blocks. He shook his head and smiled. Sometimes the vampire abilities astonished him, even after living on Second Earth for over thirteen hundred years. To receive his memories as she had and make use of them like this was simply amazing.
***
Jean-Pierre stood on the lawn beside Havily, but at a discreet distance from Medichi and Parisa. The newly created ascender was determined to become a warrior as quickly as possible. She had asked her Guardian of Ascension therefore to give her some of his memories, mind-to-mind, and by the way Parisa now swung her sword in large perfect arcs, the experiment was quite successful.
Havily ground her teeth. “Do you see how simple this could be?” She held the practice sword in her right hand, the tip aimed at the dirt.
He turned to her and smiled. “I take it Marcus does not know you are here?”
She snorted. “He would skin me alive.”
“So, you did not tell him. Instead, you asked me to accompany you, but your breh does not know?”
She had the good grace to blush.
He continued, “Soeurette, your man will not wish me to show you how to throw the dagger or hold a sword. He does not approve.”
She sighed. “I don’t care anymore, Jean-Pierre. I must learn how to fight. He can’t be with me every minute of the day, and we’re at war.”
“Yes, but—” He looked at her. Insight pierced his skull. “Cherie, non, non, non! Tell me you do not expect me to share memories with you? If I entered your mind, a most intimate act, then oui, he would kill me, a blade straight through my heart. I would not like that.”
The lovely redhead lifted her chin, fire rolling from her eyes. “I must learn to defend myself. You saw what happened to Parisa. Rith found a way to trick her to folding out of the palace. Out of the palace.”
“But I am not the one you need to convince.”
“He will not listen to reason and I’m desperate.”