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."You're so close to dying,but you don't seem to care.Are you too stupid to grasp it, or do you justhave a death wish?"The thumping in Maggie's chest now was definitely fear."I do understand," she began slowly, when she could get her voice to work."No, you don't, " he said.`But I'll make you."All at once his eyes were blazing.Not just their normal brilliant yellow, buta dazzling and unnatural gold that seemed to hold its own light.Even though Maggie had seen it before, it was still a shock to watch hisfeatures change.His face going paler, even more beautiful and clearlydefined, chiseled in ice.His pupils widening like a predator's, holding adarkness that a human could drown in.And that proud and willful mouthtwisting in anger.It all happened in a second or so.And then he was advancing on her, with darkfire in his eyes, and his lips pulling back from his teeth.Maggie stared at the fangs, helplessly horrified all over again.They wereeven sharper than she remembered them looking.They indented his lower lip oneither side, even with his mouth partly.open.And, yes, they were definitelyscary."This is what I am," Delos said, speaking easily around the fangs."A huntinganimal.Part of a world of darkness that you couldn't survive for a minute in.I've told you over and over to stay away from it, but you won't listen.Youturn up in my own castle, and you just won't believe your danger.So now I'mgoing to show you."Maggie took a step backward.She wasn't in a good position; the wall wasbehind her and the huge bed was on her left.Delos was between her and thedoor.And she had already seen how fast his reflexes were.Her legs felt unsteady; her pulse was beating erratically.Her breath wascoming fast.He doesn't really mean it he won't really do it.He isn't serious.But for all her mind's desperate chanting, panic was beginning to riot insideher.The instincts of forgotten ancestors, long buried, were surfacing.Someancient part of her remembered being chased by hunting animals, being prey.She backed up until she came in contact with the tapestry-hung wall behindher.And then there was nowhere else to go."Now," Delos said and closed the distance between them with the grace of atiger.Page 90ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlHe was right in front of her.Maggie couldn't help looking up at him, lookingdirectly into that alien and beautiful face.She could smell a scent likeautumn leaves and fresh snow, but she could feel the heat from his body.He's nothing dead or undead, some very distant part of her mind thought.He'sruthless, he's been raised to be a weapon, but he's definitely alive maybe themost alive thing I've ever seen.When he moved, there was nowhere she could go to avoid him.His hands closedon her shoulders like implacable bands of steel.And then he was pulling herforward, not roughly but not gently either, pulling her until her body restedlightly against his.And he was looking down at her with golden eyes thatburned like twin flames.Looking at my throat, Maggie thought.She could feel the pulse beating there,and with her chin tilted up to look at him and her upper body arched away fromhim, she knew he could see it.His eyes were fixed on it with a different kindof hunger than she had ever seen in a human face.For just one instant the panic overwhelmed her, flooding up blackly to engulfeverything else.She couldn't think; she was nothing but a terrified mass ofinstinct, and all she wanted to do was to run, to get away.Then, slowly at first, the panic receded.It simply poured off her, drainingaway.She felt as if she were rising from deep water into air clear ascrystal.She looked straight into the golden eyes above her and said, "Go ahead."She had the pleasure of seeing the golden eyes look startled."What?""Go ahead," Maggie said distinctly."It doesn't matter.You're stronger thanme; we both know that.But whatever you do, you can't make me your prey.Youdon't have that power.You can't control me."Delos hissed in fury, a reptilian sound."You are ".so"You wanted me scared; I'm scared.But, then, I was scared before.And itdoesn't matter.There's something more important than me at stake here.Provewhatever you've got to prove and then I'll tell you about it."So completely stupid," Delos raged.But Maggie had the odd feeling that hisanger was more against himself than her."You don't think I'll hurt you," hesaid."You're wrong there.""I will hurt you.I'll show you-""You can kill me," Maggie said clearly."But that's all you can do.I toldPage 91ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlyou, you can't control me.And you cant change what's between us."He was very, very angry now.The fathomless pupils of his eyes were like blackholes, and Maggie suddenly remembered that he wasn't just a vampire, or just aweapon, but some doomsday creature with powers meant for the end of the world.He hovered over her with his fangs showing."I will hurt you," he said."Watch me hurt you." He bent to her angrily, andshe could see his intent in his eyes.He meant to frighten and disillusion.and he kissed her mouth like raindrops falling on cool water.Maggie clung to him desperately and kissed back.Where they touched they dissolved into each other.Then she felt him tremblein her arms and theywere both lost.It was like the first time when their minds had joined.Maggie felt a pulsingthrill that enveloped her entire body.She could feel the pure line ofcommunication open between them, she could feel herself lifted into thatwonderful still place where only the two of them existed and nothing elsemattered.Dimly, she knew that her physical self was falling forward, that they wereboth falling, still clasped in each other's arms.But in the hushed place ofcrystalline beauty where she really was, they were facing each other in awhite light [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]