Dark Melody

Chapter 11

Corinne heard the music first. Soft. Sweet. Perfect. It was so wonderful, it brought tears to her eyes. The voice singing the lyrics conveyed a husky blend of male sensuality and outpouring love. She knew who it was and found herself smiling. “Dayan.” She whispered his name softly.

The music continued, but she felt the slight shifting of the bed where she was lying. “Corinne. I thought you might sleep forever. I want you to know you took several hundred years off my life. I cannot afford another scare like that. The next time I send you to sleep, I expect to find you where I left you.”

Her soft mouth curved into a smile, but she didn’t open her eyes. “Listen to you. You sound almost as if you’re

attempting

to order me around.” She sounded amused, drowsy, incredibly sexy.

Instantly his blood turned to molten lava, a slow burn that consumed his body and wrapped his heart in flames. She was so beautiful to him, lying quietly beneath the blankets, her hair spread out around her face, a dark silky mass he couldn’t stop himself from touching. Dayan placed his guitar carefully beside the bed and leaned over to kiss her irresistibly lush mouth. “I command and you obey. That is the way it is supposed to be.” His voice was a tool of seduction.

“Really?” Her smile widened to reveal her intriguing dimple. “I hadn’t heard that. I’ve always thought it was the other way around.”

“You have been talking to the wrong people.”

Corinne’s long lashes fluttered, and with a small effort she managed to open them. She lifted her hand to his mouth and touched the lines of strain with a gentle fingertip. “You really were afraid for me. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

His hand captured hers and he brought it to his mouth, kissing the center of her palm before he placed it over his heart. “You did more than worry me, honey. Do you remember what happened?”

“It’s vague, like a dream. I’m not certain what I remember, what you told me, or what I dreamed. Are Lisa and Cullen all right?”

“I believe they’re safe.” He hoped it was true. Syndil and Barack had not touched his mind with news, good or bad.

She stared into his eyes, trying to read his thoughts. “I need to know Lisa is alive and well and that Cullen wasn’t hurt too badly.”

“As soon as I know the details of his condition, I will pass the report on to you. Lisa is being guarded, and nothing will happen to her. I can promise you that.”

Corinne nodded her acceptance of his word. “My baby’s alive.” She said it softly, lovingly, her tone turning his heart over. “I can feel her moving.”

Dayan smiled at her, but the expression in his eyes was grave. “She is going to stay right where she belongs until she is strong enough to survive on her own.”

“Has anyone ever told you how good-looking you are?” she asked. “Because you are, you know. Incredibly good-looking. But more than that, you’re very sweet.”

Dayan groaned loudly. “Do not say that, Corinne. That is the worst thing you can say to a man. Sexy. Masculine. Brooding. Manly. I can think of a million adjectives I would like, but ‘sweet’ is not one of them.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being sweet, Dayan,” Corinne told him. Her voice sounded far away to her, yet other sounds seemed too loud. Crickets. Night insects. The wind outside rattling the tree branches. “Tell me what happened.”

“You deliberately ignored my order to sleep and went with my idiot friend Cullen to find Lisa.” He bit out each word between his white teeth, reminding her of a wolf.

“You don’t mean to call Cullen an idiot,” she chastised gently, not in the least intimidated by his ferocious expression.

“Cullen knew he was at the top of the society’s hit list and he went out unprotected, and took you with him. I do not consider that good judgment on his part. Hence the term ‘idiot’ might apply.” His tone was severe.

Corinne went back to rubbing the lines of strain on his handsome face. “Of course it was good judgment. What else could he do? Lisa had taken off, and if he hadn’t followed her, they would have killed her,” she pointed out reasonably.

“He took you with him.” It was a mistake that Dayan considered unforgivable. Under the circumstances, Dayan thought he was being extraordinarily understanding about it.

She opened her mouth to reply, but there was a nameless expression in his eyes, something wild and untamed, something primitive. “I’ll bet someone has told you that you’re very intimidating,” she teased him, trying to ease the tension. “Not that I’m intimidated by you, but I can see how other people might be.”

“It would be best for you if you found me intimidating.” He could not be severe with her no matter how hard he tried. She looked up at him, small and fragile, so incredibly beautiful, her sweet, compassionate nature shining out of her eyes, and he was instantly lost. It was enough to drive him to the edge of madness.

“Do you think?” She didn’t look intimidated, she looked amused. There were dark circles under her eyes and bruises on her forehead, yet her eyes were dancing with laughter. “I’m not at all sure that would be good for you. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the undue adulation all those fans give you.”

One black eyebrow shot up.

“Undue

adulation? I totally deserved adulation. Get used to it, woman. Night after night while I am up on the stage playing, you will have to sit there sharing me with my fans. There is no need to be jealous, Corinne. I will see only you while I am performing.”

“Such a comedian.” Corinne gave a passing thought to sitting up and dismissed the idea as too difficult. “I have no intention of sitting through your performances. Private ones will be enough for me. And I don’t have a jealous bone in my body. We don’t have to worry about childish things like that.”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Childish? That is a strong term. Harsh. Very harsh.” She was smiling again, that smile that could light up the world. Dayan had no choice but to fasten his mouth to hers.

The earth moved and time stopped and he couldn’t find the discipline to make it a gentle, tender moment. She had scared him, stopped his heart, and he needed her. Needed to feed on her mouth, drown in her sweetness for just a few moments. Dayan forced his body under rigid control and slowly, reluctantly lifted his head. “Please do not ever do that to me again.” His voice was a velvet weapon, and he used it shamelessly. Briefly he rested his forehead against hers. “I found you. In the darkness, where there was no hope for me, where I struggled and battled the monster every second of every night, you came to me. You saved me, Corinne. You cannot abandon me now. I cannot go back to a life alone. No one can ask that of me, not even you. How can I make you understand? I cannot go back. You must make up your mind to live, if not for yourself and the baby, for me. Love me that much. Do it for me.”

At once tears swam in her large green eyes. “Dayan.” She whispered his name softly, hopelessly, lovingly. “Don’t you think I would promise you if I could? I want that more than anything — I do, but I’m only human, I can’t do the impossible.” Her fingers tangled in his thick, dark hair. “I had a strange dream that your healers came to me and tried to help me. I know the doctors said I was dying — I heard them talking to Lisa. I heard her crying. Yet I’m still alive, and so is my daughter. Tell me.”

“Gregori did his best to repair your heart, Corinne, but the improvement is temporary, to give the baby a chance to grow. Darius said the child is strong and wants to live. We have that in our favor. It is a delicate balance, waiting until she is big enough to survive without you. Gregori wants a few more weeks for her. He is working with your heart to give us that time.”

“Then it wasn’t all a dream.” Corinne caught his head and lifted it so that he was forced to look at her. “What are you, Dayan? Was part of it a dream, or were you there too, helping them in some way?”

For the first time ever, his black gaze slid away from hers. He sat up straight, fussing with her covers. “I love you, Corinne,” he said softly. “I love you more than anything or anyone on this earth. You need to know that.”

“Look at me.” Corinne took his hand and brought it to her mouth, her breath warm against his skin. “Dayan, look at me, please.”

He sighed, and she could hear his heart pounding strongly. His reaction was unusual, and she knew it was significant in some way. “What is it that you think I can’t love in you? Because that’s what I feel. You’re giving me a part of you, but you don’t want me to know all of you. I feel connected to you. Strongly connected. We’re two halves of the same whole. I’ve been married, Dayan. I knew what I was supposed to feel. I loved John, but not in the same way. With you I feel everything and more. I could listen to you talk forever. Or simply sit beside you quietly without words. It would be enough for me. I want to be with you, but I don’t know who you are. You say you can love me because you know me through my mind. I don’t have that advantage. In order for me to know you, really know you, you have to talk to me. There’s a part of you closed off to me. Don’t you trust me to care for you no matter what it is?”

“You do not trust yourself. I can see into your mind, Corinne. I see you wrestling with doubts. You think it all happened too fast. That it is simply chemistry. Purely sexual. Or that it is just because you are pregnant and you need someone. You give yourself many reasons, many excuses for your feelings toward me. You do not say to yourself that you love me.”

Her eyes searched his black gaze. There was pain there, in the dark depths. He was hurt, and it upset her. “Dayan, you have probably always had the ability to read minds, so it is second nature to you, but to someone who isn’t telepathic it is uncomfortable. I am used to censoring my thoughts, choosing how I want to present myself to the world. You can see into my mind, but for some strange reason, it doesn’t bother me. If it were anyone else, including John or Lisa, I would be horrified that someone could read my thoughts. That should tell you something right there.”

“You think it tells

you

something, Corinne. I already know why you feel that way. You are my lifemate, the one who holds the light and compassion, guards these treasures for me. You are my anchor in a world of darkness and violence, of bleak emptiness. You are the other half of my soul. The best half. I know I need you far more than you will ever need me. I know these things. You have not come to terms with what you feel because you do not trust it. You do not entirely trust me.”

“How can you say that, Dayan? I’m here with you instead of in a hospital. I just met you, and some fairly bizarre things have happened, but I’m still with you.”

He laughed softly. “As I recall, you had no real choice in the matter. I picked you up and carried you out of the hospital. You were not in any condition to argue with me.”

“That’s not the point.” She was trying hard to find the energy to sit up. “I’m not the type of person to just go off with someone — that’s the point. Obviously, I feel

strongly

for you.” She plucked at the quilt with idle fingers. “The healer believes my heart will give out eventually, doesn’t he?”

“You knew it would. I have looked closely at your memories. You have been to many doctors. There is little hope,” he answered cautiously.

“Then you know I cannot possibly survive, Dayan,” she said quietly. “I don’t want you to think I’m

choosing

to leave you. I don’t have a choice.”

“You have a choice,” he replied softly. But he knew he wasn’t telling her the truth and he looked away from her, unable to tell the lie and look into her eyes. She didn’t have a choice because he wouldn’t allow her to die.

“You aren’t looking at me, Dayan,” she said softly. “You can’t have it both ways. If you’re not going to tell me the truth, don’t expect me to trust you implicitly. You don’t have to hide anything from me. If the healers told you my heart was failing, that isn’t exactly news to me.”

Dayan touched her mind with warmth and reassurance. “Your heart is failing. But I intend for you to live at any cost.” He said it starkly, without embellishment.

Her palm framed his face, studying his expression carefully. “I see what’s in your mind. I don’t know how, but I can read your thought right now. You think that somehow, miraculously, you’ll save me, even if the baby isn’t ready to be born when my heart fails. I don’t know how you think you can perform such a miracle, but, Dayan, if there is a chance for the baby, that’s what I have to concentrate on. She has to be saved.”

“The healer is doing his best for her, Corinne, but do not ask me to choose the child’s life over yours, because I will not.” This time he did look her directly in the eye, wanting her to know he was serious.

“Dayan,” she reprimanded softly, “the baby comes first. If there is a choice to be made between my daughter’s life or mine, you will instruct the healers to save her. If you can’t make that promise to me then you’ll have to take me back to the hospital and Lisa, where they’ll follow my instructions.”

Dayan shook his head. “They cannot do anything for you at the hospital. Gregori believes there is a good chance to save both of you. We are awaiting Shea, as she is our expert with infants. I will not take you back to the hospital. It would be a death sentence.”

“Then you will promise to put the baby’s life before mine.” She spoke sternly, her eyes wide and steady on his.

His fingers tightened around hers.

“You

are my life, Corinne, my world. I intend for both of you to live. You and the baby.”

“So tell me what the healers did.” She was struggling slightly, having every intention of sitting up.

“What are you doing?” Dayan touched her mind gently, learning that she wanted to see if she could sit up on her own before attempting to walk to the bathroom.

“I’m sitting up,” she said, trying to sound casual when she was really breaking out in a sweat with the effort and feeling shaky with fear for the baby. “Don’t change the subject. What did the healers do? It’s important to me, Dayan, for a lot of reasons. I have to feel in control. I want to know what’s happening in my life so I can plan things out. I’m a planner. Very organized.”

His eyebrow shot up. “A planner? Organized? I did not realize that about you. That changes everything, of course.” He reached out and casually lifted her into a sitting position, holding her close to him while she clung to his broad shoulders. He grinned down at her, his wild scent enveloping her. “I take your breath away, admit it.”

Corinne tried to calm her beating heart. Strangely, when she consciously thought about it, it seemed as if her heart actually followed her directions. She became aware of everything then, the sound of their combined heartbeats, the ebb and flow of their blood in their bodies. The baby’s heartbeat.

She was hearing the baby’s heartbeat!

Wide-eyed, she stared up at him, accusation in her gaze. “You can’t count this time as legitimate breath robbing. Something strange is going on. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you?”

Dayan looked completely innocent. He bent his head to brush a kiss on the top of her silky head because he couldn’t resist. “What are you accusing me of now, honey?”

She gave him her haughtiest expression. “I’m getting up.” She made it an announcement.

He stared down at her, observing rather pointedly that she was securely trapped in his enormously strong arms.

Enormously strong. Enormously. Are you getting that?

Corinne burst out laughing. “Of course I’m getting that. Lucky for you I don’t perceive it as a threat. Enormously strong. You sound like a teenage boy.” She tried to ignore the way he could turn her heart over with one melting look from his black eyes. “And why am I wanting to speak back to you in my mind? Am I becoming telepathic? Has that ability mysteriously rubbed off on me?”

“Everything about me is rubbing off on you. You are crazy about me.”

“You’re attempting to brainwash me,” she accused, trying not to laugh. He got away with far too much because she found him far too attractive. “I really am getting up, Dayan. You have to let go of me.”

“You do not have the strength to walk to the bathroom.” Dayan could read the determination in her mind. He rose with a fluid motion, taking her with him, and crossed the room to the bathroom.

Corinne wrapped her arm around his neck. “Where exactly am I?” She was looking around herself carefully. It was no cave. The bedroom was very spacious with high ceilings and beautiful walls. The furniture was expensive and ornate. She stared at the room in awe. “Where am I, Dayan?” she asked again.

“In my lair. I am a big bad wolf and I have captured you.” Very gently he set her feet on the tiles of the bathroom floor, his arms around her, holding her carefully. “You are shaking, honey. Is it because I am all male and you cannot help yourself, or because you are too weak to stand?”

“Good exit line,” she observed. She pointed to the door. “Out!”

Dayan hesitated. He had been teasing her, but he knew her body was weak. “You had better call me

immediately

if you need help. You do not have to call aloud to me — thinking is enough.”

“Get out!” Corinne said emphatically. “And stay out of my mind. I want

privacy,

Dayan. It’s humiliating enough having to be carried to the bathroom like a baby. I’m an independent woman, totally self-reliant at all times.”

Grumbling, Dayan gave in to her demands, leaving her alone in the room and going so far as to close the door behind him. Outside he began pacing back and forth with restless energy.

The healer said you needed complete bed rest. Dayan!

She half wailed his name, half laughed.

You’re not getting it.’ ‘I am keeping vigil. Standing guard.

Corinne refused to laugh and she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of replying. She stared at her pale face in the mirror, mildly shocked by her reflection. She looked different. She felt different.

Doing my duty. Watching out for my lifemate.

Dayan managed to sound put upon and abused.

Corinne shook her head, laughter bubbling up despite her resolve to ignore him. There was every amenity in the immaculate bathroom, and she took full advantage. She took her time brushing her teeth, mainly because it was difficult to stand and she needed to lean against the sink. She was surprised at how weak she was. Her legs felt rubbery, but her breathing was much easier.

Okay, Corinne, that is as patient as I can be under the circumstances. I feel your weakness, and you are still being stubborn. I am coming in. I want to brush my hair.

As soon as Corinne sent the message back to him, she realized she had communicated with him telepathically. Easily. Naturally.

Dayan shoved open the door and picked her up, his black eyes moving over her anxiously as he inspected her. “Do not panic simply because you have done something totally natural. I am your lifemate — of course you can talk to me. It is not the first time.”

Corinne was grateful for his hard strength, resting her head on his shoulder. “There was a difference, Dayan. You read my thoughts. I directed them to you in answer maybe, but you were reading what was in my mind. This time I

sent

you my thoughts, my words. That’s a very big difference.”

“Why should that alarm you?” he asked curiously, placing her carefully back in the bed. His hand rested on her small stomach as the baby moved inside her. He smiled. “See? She is happy and healthy. And she recognizes my voice now. She likes to hear me sing to her.” His impossibly long lashes came down to conceal his expression. “I wrote a lullaby for her.”

His words were a hesitant offering of love, rendering a seemingly invincible man vulnerable, and her heart melted again. She stretched both arms up to capture him, to bring his head down to hers so she could find his sculpted mouth with hers. Corinne couldn’t help herself, she just relaxed and allowed the world with all its troubles to whirl away from her until there was only Dayan. Dayan with his broad shoulders and strong arms and perfect mouth. There was no thinking when Dayan kissed her, only feeling. Pure feeling. He swept her into another world where there were no limits, where time and space meant nothing at all.

Her body flared to life, melting and shaping itself perfectly into his. She paid no attention to her crazy heart, the way it raced just because he was close to her. Nothing frightened her when he was kissing her. She felt strong, his other half. She felt as if she belonged. Corinne never wanted to stop. It was the baby, kicking strongly, thumping Dayan right through Corinne’s skin, that had them breaking apart, laughing softly in wonder.

“She is strong, isn’t she?” Corinne said softly, not hiding the expression in her eyes from him. She was tired of attempting to be practical. Dayan was the most wonderful man she’d ever met, and she wanted to be with him. Now more than ever. He made her feel beautiful even in the middle of her pregnancy. He made her feel as if she were the only woman in the world when her hair was tumbling out of control and she was wearing a man’s shirt to bed.

“You know how beautiful you are, Corinne,” he said, bringing her hand to his mouth. “You can touch my mind; you see what I feel for you.”

She tilted her head to look at him. “I know I can, but I’m not certain I want to actually do it. What am I going to find in there?”

His black eyes shimmered with hunger. Blatant. Stark. Raw. A terrible need. Corinne blushed and shook her head. “When I woke up, you weren’t singing the baby a lullaby. You wrote a song for me too, didn’t you?”

“Every song I write is for you.” He leaned close to her. “I must call Gregori and Darius to us. They wanted to know the minute you opened your eyes.” His grin was unrepentant. “We do not have to tell them everything.”

“What time is it?” Corinne was looking around the beautiful room. “And where am I? I should at least know that in case someone asks.”

He was a shadow in her mind, and he burst out laughing at her outrageous thoughts. “Of course you are still on planet Earth. I am not an alien.”

She shrugged. “Just checking — you never know these days. And you are a bit bizarre. Is your entire band here?” She tried to sound casual.

He tucked her hair behind her ear. She sounded apprehensive. “You are a bit of a chicken, Corinne. I did not realize that.”

“I am not,” she denied indignantly and then glared at him. “You’re doing it again. Every time I ask you a question, you deflect.”

His eyebrow shot up. “Deflect? I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Dayan” — her fingers tightened around his — “where am I?”

“This home belongs to Gregori and Savannah. They do not reside here year-round; in fact, it is vacant most of the time. They have offered it generously for your recovery.” He looked around the room. “I am on the road most of the time traveling. It is a unique experience for me to stay in a place like this.”

“Do you mean a home?”

He shook his head, watching her carefully. “Home is wherever you and I are. On the road, traveling, as long as you and I and the baby are together, it will be home.”

“So you have it all planned out.”

Dayan nodded, still watching closely for her reaction, monitoring her thoughts. “You will come to love the others and the life we have. It is a good life, and we see many interesting places.” It occurred to him he would see each place differently now. There would be color and laughter and beauty.

He

was different now. He would see the beauty as he traveled through each city, each country. She had given him that priceless gift. Never again would his world be one of shadows and darkness.

“It’s nice that you have such optimism, Dayan,” she replied cautiously. There was no point in arguing with him when he was so set on believing she could survive the birth of the baby. The last thing she wanted was to bring up the fact that she had no future. She wanted Dayan to promise her that his healers would save the baby if there was a choice to be made.

Dayan shook his head as he read her thoughts. She would live. He would move heaven and earth if he had to, but she would live. “I have summoned Darius and Gregori.” He wanted to prepare her for visitors, knowing she found it difficult to be with strangers. Corinne had led a solitary life in the midst of people. She was very private and reserved with those outside her family. “Darius is my family, Corinne — a man I know and would give my life for. I trust him and his judgment.”

Her small teeth bit down nervously at her lip. “I feel better than I have for some time, Dayan. I don’t think it’s really necessary to see them now, do you?”

“You know it is. They must monitor the baby and your heart carefully.”

“What did they do different from what a doctor would do?”

Desari came through the door first. She was a tall, beautiful woman radiating light and comfort. She had a soothing, tranquil demeanor and seemed to flow rather than walk. Corinne recognized her at once from her bizarre dream. “Do you remember anything at all?” Desari asked gently in answer to her question. Her voice was soft, warm honey, compelling like Dayan’s. There were no sharp edges to Desari; she was peace itself.

“I’m not certain what was real and what I dreamed,” Corinne found herself answering honestly. “I don’t understand why I feel so much better, when the doctors said I was dying and nothing could save me.”

“There are those among our people born with the ability to separate themselves from the physical body and use pure energy to find the problems inside the body of a sick or wounded person. We heal from the inside out. There are no cuts made on the outer body, no sutures. The healing is done with light and energy,” Desari answered matter-of-factly. “Darius has this gift, as does Gregori. We all do to a small extent, but they are very powerful.”

Corinne turned the information over and over in her mind. It sounded insane, something from a science fiction story, but the fact remained that the doctors had given up on her and she was supposed to be dead. Her fingers remained tangled with Dayan’s for support. “I feel much better.”

Desari’s smile was beautiful. Her raven-colored hair was in a thick braid hanging to her waist. She tossed it carelessly over her shoulder. She looked so poised, so beautiful and healthy, so alive that Corinne found herself close to tears. She herself would never look that good, not in a million years, and beside her was Dayan, the perfect male specimen.

There can be no other for me, honey.

His voice whispered intimately in her mind, a soft reprimand. He flooded her with his feelings, everything at once. She sensed aching love, so strong that nothing could ever come between them, not even death. Physical desire, a raging fire in his blood, a hunger and need to unite them for eternity.

You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I do not see another.

There was something wildly erotic about talking to Dayan in her mind. It was so private and sinfully intimate. Corinne blushed for no reason at all. She was so pleased with his response to her thoughts, she barely noticed the two men who had entered the room.

Gregori cleared his throat politely, inclining his head toward her. “I hope you are feeling better, Corinne.”

Her fingers tightened around Dayan’s. “I am, thank you very much.” She blushed, realizing she sounded like a child thanking an adult.

“What we did is temporary, Corinne.” The healer’s silver eyes glittered at her. “I do you the courtesy of telling the truth. The disease has progressed beyond our abilities to cure it. I will treat you as often as necessary to ensure that your daughter has time to grow strong. She needs a few more weeks. Every day, every hour counts for her. You must stay on bed rest and not tax your heart. Do not fear the birth; we have no intention of allowing you to slip away from us.” Gregori smiled his encouragement. “Darius is with me, and I know he can appear quite intimidating. I do not want his manner to frighten you. He is my younger brother, and if he snarls at you, I will take him to task as befitting a younger sibling.”

Corinne blinked. It took a heartbeat or two to realize the predatory man with the slashing eyes was teasing her. Teasing his brother. She glanced at Darius. Her mouth twitched, but she managed not to smile. “I’m certain you heard that, Darius. I’ll take full advantage if you get all snarly on me.”

For all her teasing manner, Corinne still gripped Dayan’s hand hard when Darius loomed over her. Like his older brother Gregori, Darius wielded a power that seemed to fill the entire room. Dayan’s enormous power was strong but subtle. Gregori and Darius were altogether different. A bit shorter than Dayan, they carried most of their weight in their wide shoulders and muscular arms. Each had pulled his long black hair back with a leather thong at the nape of his neck. While Gregori had peculiar silver eyes, Darius’s eyes were as black as coal. Both looked very dangerous. Corinne couldn’t believe she had dared to tease them.

“Good evening, little sister,” Darius said courteously. “I am glad to see you have awakened. I was beginning to worry, something I prefer not to do. You will do well to remember that.” He leaned close to her ear, speaking in a fake whisper. “Just so you know, Gregori does not travel with the band.”

Corinne found herself smiling. “Thanks for cluing me in. I guess I won’t be ratting you out after all. He probably just wanted an excuse to pound on you.”

“Most likely. He has a certain reputation — a myth, you know — but he likes people to believe he is the bogeyman. Do not let his severe frown get to you. How is your daughter behaving?”

Corinne smiled at him. “She seems very strong, kicking quite a bit.”

“That is the answer I wanted. You gave your lifemate quite a scare. Do not do that again.” He made it a decree, as if everybody obeyed him. She suspected everyone probably did.

“Is your breathing any easier this evening?” Gregori asked.

Corinne studied Gregori’s handsome face. There was a definite resemblance between Desari, Gregori and Darius.

Gregori is the lifemate of Savannah Dubrinsky. Do you recognize the name?

Dayan wanted to remind her that Gregori was taken. He owed the healer much, but he couldn’t shake the notion she might find him attractive.

Of course I do. Savannah Dubrinsky is a famous magician. In any case, you are the only man I find remotely attractive,

Corinne assured him, secretly amused. She thought he was the handsomest, the most charming and romantic man in the world. How could he possibly be concerned she might look at anyone else?

You’re very silly.

It didn’t occur to her in that moment that she was easily reading his anxiety.

“I am going to check the baby,” Gregori said, deliberately bringing her attention back to him. “She is strong and she wants to live. She has rare talents, much like you have. She is very precious to our people.”

“You have to save her, no matter the cost.” Corinne didn’t look at Dayan. She sensed the strength of will in the healer, his complete determination to save her daughter.

Gregori’s silver eyes shimmered for a moment like molten mercury, and then he shook his head. “There will be no trading of life, Corinne. You have a lifemate. We will not lose either of you. Each couple is needed. Both you and your baby will be saved. Dayan will not allow otherwise. You must believe that completely. Your daughter is very aware of you and already is bonded. She will not want to trade her life for yours. And we cannot lose her either. There will be no trade.”

Corinne watched him closely. He was breathing deeply, regularly, then seemed to go into a self-induced trance. The same trance she had observed in her bizarre dream. She glanced up at Dayan.

I was really in that cave, wasn’t I?

He sighed audibly.

Do you really want the answer, honey?

“Corinne,” Darius said very calmly, “your heart is beginning to accelerate rapidly. Breathe and keep it under control. You must be aware of your heart rate, and when it begins to quicken, you need to relax and focus to bring the rhythm back to normal. You are capable of doing so. You must start believing.”

Corinne immediately obeyed, suspecting there was a hidden compulsion in the softly spoken order.

Don’t put me off this time, Dayan. I was in that cave.’

She kept her eyes steadily on Dayan’s.

His black eyes became aggressive, trapping her stare in their dark mystery so that she couldn’t have

looked away from him even if she’d wanted

too.

I do not wish to alarm you, honey, and each time we speak about what I am or what is happening, your heart gets jumpy. If you are certain you want the truth and are ready to accept it, then I will give it to you gladly.

She tilted her chin determinedly.

I always want the truth from you, Dayan. Without that between us, we have nothing at all. I agree with you.

He took a breath, counted to ten and let it out slowly. He was careful to be a shadow in her mind, ready to erase any revelation that might be too difficult for her to accept.

The cave you were in is deep below the surface of the earth, below the mountain formed of fire and ice. It is a place of power, and we needed such a place to perform the healing ritual. The candles were made of herbs and compounds known to promote healing through aroma. The healing ritual was conducted by the two healers, theirlifemates and my family. It was a large gathering. While we were attending to you, two other members of my family, Syndil and Barack, were rushing to aid Cullen.