His wings fluttered and his body shifted a little more as his gaze worked over the small knots of onlookers all across the landing until he found her.
He met her gaze and smiled. His shoulders relaxed.
Alison, he said, his lips unmoving. So, my sister was right and you are here after all.
Telepathy. He was able to communicate with her telepathically.
A pair of fangs—fangs—descended, thick white incisors against perfect lips. Red tinted the grooves between his teeth.
Fangs?
Wings?
Blood?
Her mind shifted around and around. The word vampire once more tumbled through her brain, end-over-end-over-end, leaving her dizzy.
A slow, perfectly executed downward sweep of the creature’s glossy black wings sent him floating upward. He rose toward her and once more conversed with her telepathically, his dark gaze fixed to hers. I am here to take your powers so that I can destroy what is evil in our world. Your blood belongs to me now.
As his words reverberated through her head, her ankles filled slowly with cement. She tried to move but couldn’t. He wanted to take her blood?
Nausea rippled through her stomach, as though her body knew things her mind couldn’t yet comprehend.
Who are you? she sent. The movement of his wings caused the leaves of the surrounding ficus trees to flutter as if a breeze filled the outdoor courtyard. Why can I see you when no one else can?
He ignored her questions and aloud said, “I must have your blood.”
She shook her head. Her chest grew tight. How was it possible after all this time, after all these years of hopelessness, after three decades of living trapped with powers that made no sense in the normal human realm, she would have to meet a terrible winged being, maybe even a vampire, who might actually share her abilities, but who had only killing on his mind? Why couldn’t she have met a good guy?
When he reached the catwalk, however, her nerves settled down. He was incredibly beautiful, so pleasing to the eye. Did she really need to be frightened of such a creature?
He settled his hands on the railing and smiled, a lovely smile. He drew his wings back and flipped his legs over the side. He landed easily and bore down on her, a wall of thick exquisitely shaped muscles, a fluttering of glossy feathers, a show of fangs. As the blood on his chest came into view, however, her mind sharpened and her instincts fired up.
Yes. She should be frightened.
For the entire duration of her adult life, Alison had never, never engaged in a dematerialization in plain view of other people. It was one of her rules, an important rule, one that had for years helped her to feel like she had a place in the world, that all her exceptional and useless gifts could exist side by side with normal.
But this monster had already made his intention clear, and right now this rule would have to go. Hallucination or not, and though she felt completely freaked out at vanishing in front of God and everyone, she pictured the courtyard below and moved herself there with a thought followed by a brief vibration of blood and bone.
* * *
Kerrick’s head swam as he watched the mortal female fold from the catwalk to a position not three yards away, her back to him as she gazed up at the now stunned death vamp. Kerrick had been ready to intervene, his wings thrumming, when the pretty-boy explained his mission. His words alone, his professed purpose, had forced Kerrick to pause—a death vamp ready to destroy that which was evil? Did he actually mean the Commander?
But then the woman folded. He knew it was possible because he’d read her powers. However, since he still couldn’t fold, he was mesmerized, and not a hair of her tight blond twist out of place.
He looked her up and down from behind.
She wore black pants, short-heeled shoes, and a light green silk top fitted to her body. She looked elegant and controlled, like she kept herself wound up into a comfortable knot, just like her hair. He so got that. She had probably spent most of her life holding back, trying not to freak everybody else out because of who she was. Yeah, he really got that.
His nostrils flared and a sudden scent of lavender hijacked his brain. Damn he was dizzy! He rubbed the center of his chest over his heart. The scent gave him a rush, the way he sometimes felt after throwing back half a dozen shots of Maker’s in quick succession. Yeah, like that. Damn. The surface of his skin felt hot and he craved. This was what he needed, what had been calling to him since he’d awakened with that weird hum in his chest. He took a step forward and sucked in more of the lavender scent. Holy shit, the scent was her. Addiction swept through his body, sudden, hard, complete.
He wanted the lavender on his lips and down his throat. He wanted her body beneath his. He wanted her back arching, her hips meeting his. He wanted to be inside her mind. Damn … he wanted her blood.
Holy hell. He backed up and shook his head. He ordered his mind … his body … again. He forced himself to think rational thoughts, like he had a job to do and this was a mere mortal and he had sworn off getting involved with a woman so long as he remained a Warrior of the Blood.
Movement on the catwalk brought his gaze slashing back to the business at hand. The head case now stood on top of the railing, black wings flapping slowly. He sustained his balance with the practice of centuries.
Time to get this over with. He released the densest part of his mist in order to reveal himself to the woman.
He closed the distance then clapped his hands on her arms. “Don’t move,” he commanded.
Her head snapped in his direction as he spun her toward him. He repositioned his hands so that she faced him now, but he still had hold of her.
Goddammit, time thickened once more. He had never seen eyes like hers, light blue, rimmed in gold, exquisite. His body lit up again, a torch whipped by the wind, flames shooting everywhere. He probably should let go of her arms, but he sure as hell didn’t want to.
His gaze fell to parted lips and a possessive split-resonant growl formed in his throat.
“Who are you?” she asked, her voice a hoarse whisper. “Are you going to kill me?”
He shook his head. “I’m here to protect you.” Other thoughts scrambled his head. I will always protect you. I was born to protect you. I will serve as your guardian, now and forever.
Breh-hedden shot through his head once more.
Hell, no. Not gonna happen. Fucking … hell … no.
“You were born to protect me?” she asked, her eyes wide, her brow crinkled. “What are you? And what do you mean by guardian and that ‘bray’ something?”
“You just read my thoughts even though my shields are in place?” Holy shit! The woman could get into his head, engage his mind, read his mind, an ability that went way beyond telepathy. He knew of only one woman on Second Earth capable of doing that … Endelle. Jesus. The woman before him had so much f**king power.