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terrible weariness."
Tempest managed a wan smile. "Don't tell me Darius was broadcasting a blow-by-blow report while it
was all happening."
"Of course. We needed to know in case something went wrong and we had to return to give aid,"
Desari explained. 'To help with the illusion, we created in the minds of those who saw us traveling on the
highway the memory of the trailer traveling with us. If the authorities question anyone, they will state that
all vehicles were traveling together last night, long before the horrible battle where we had camped."
"A regular sports commentator, aren't you, Darius?" Tempest asked, annoyed that he had expended
even more energy than she had first thought. No wonder he was looking gray and gaunt. "Take him
wherever he's supposed to go and put him to sleep and leave me to rest."
Darius's hand tightened around the nape of her neck. "We will not be separated. You must eat
something before you sleep, Tempest. You have not taken any sustenance for twenty-four hours."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh, I get it. You don't have to take proper care of yourself, but I do. It isn't
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going to happen that way, Darius. You can growl at me all you want, but if you're insisting on forcing this
relationship on me, you can darn well see to it that you take care of yourself so there's no possibility of
your leaving me alone."
Darius felt the curious melting in the region of his heart that she always caused. Tempest was trying hard
to lecture him, to be tough, but her voice wavered, her fear for his well-being clearly evident to him. He
leaned over to brush a soft kiss across her mouth. "You will do as I say, honey, as you are meant to do."
Tempest's eyes flashed fire. "That's it. One of you go get me a club. A big one. He clearly needs to be
hit over the head to bring him back to his senses. He must have lost them somewhere in the forest. You
idiot, I'm not your child to be dictated to. I'm a grown woman perfectly capable of making my own
decisions. Now just this one time in your life, do what you're supposed to do and go to ground or
whatever you call it."
Julian made the mistake of allowing a laugh to escape, then hastily tried to cover it with a cough. Darius
glared up at him, noticed the others grinning openly at him. "I am certain you all have things to do," he
instructed pointedly.
"Not really," Barack answered.
Dayan shook his head. "Much more entertaining here, Darius. You know, I'm still trying to get this
relationship thing down, so is necessary to observe one up close."
Syndil took the more innocent approach. "Naturally our concern is for you and Rusti, Darius. Nothing is
more important than aiding you."
Julian smirked at him. "This is enlightening. I am new to your particular ways, Darius, and do not mind
learning how to handle the women properly when they refuse to be obedient."
Desari's eyebrows rose. "I'll show you obedient," she threatened.
Darius groaned. "All of you, go away."
"You go away, too," Tempest directed, fitting her body more closely into the pillows. "I need to sleep."
He could hear the utter weariness in her voice. "It is unsafe, baby.We cannot stay here. We are hunted,
and none of us can remain above ground in our weakest hours. There are caves close by. You will be
comfortable there, I promise."
Her lashes fluttered for a moment, her heartbeat audible to them all. "It's the bat thing again, isn't it?" She
forced humor into her voice. "I think I'm going to have to go into therapy if we keep doing the bat thing.
Closed-in places don't agree with me."
"I will make you sleep," Darius said gently.
"Let's do it then." She lifted her lashes long enough to catch Desari's worried expression. When she
glanced at the others, she could read the concern on their faces. "What is it? What's wrong?"
Darius's black eyes suddenly came alive, burning with a kind of fierce protectiveness. His gaze swept
over his family.
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Tempest sighed heavily and sat up, pushing at her wild mass of hair, which was tumbling everywhere.
"Darius, I'm too tired to figure this out. What is it everyone is worried about? It's unfair to keep me in the
dark just because I'm unfamiliar with your needs."
"He must sleep our sleep in the ground," Syndil blurted out, not daring to look at Darius.
"Isn't that what we're doing? I'm going to the blasted cave. I'll sleep while he's in the ground," Tempest
said. "That's the plan."
Syndil shook her head, ignoring Darius's warning growl.
Tempest clamped her hand over Darius's mouth to shut him up. "Tell me."
"He will not go to ground. He will sleep as a mortal with you above earth because he fears to leave you
vulnerable to attack."
There was a silence while Tempest digested the information. It was clear to Tempest that Darius was
displeased with Syndil for interfering. Very gently Tempest stroked his neck with loving fingers, soothing
him while she thought it all out. Eventually she shrugged. "So put me to sleep, and then both of us can be
in the ground." The idea of it turned her stomach; it sounded like a burial. But if she was completely
unaware, it was a small thing to attempt if it helped Darius.
Her calm statement brought a collective gasp of admiration. "You would be willing to do such a thing for
Darius?" Desari asked, gripping Tempest's wrists. "You suffer greatly from confined spaces. Darius has
told us this."
Tempest shrugged. "I wouldn't suffer if I was asleep," she pointed out. "Let's get to it, Darius. I'm tired."
And she was. Her body felt heavy and cumbersome. She didn't look at him, not wanting him to see the
revulsion and horror at the idea of being buried alive reflected in her eyes.
Darius's arm swept around her and brought her small body into the shelter of his, his heart swelling with
pride in her. He didn't need to see her expression to read her true thoughts. A part of him was dwelling in
her mind like a shadow. The terror burial and caves held for her was clear to him, yet she was willing to
make the sacrifice if it meant his health. "This is a great gift you offer me, Tempest, but it is impossible.
My body is made to shut down my heart and lungs. Your body is not. You would suffocate in the
ground. It may take a little longer, but my body will eventually heal," he assured her.
Over her head, Darius's black eyes blazed at his family. No one dared defy that look, except Julian, who
grinned at him. Desari kept a death grip on Julian's hand to deter her lifemate from riling her brother
further.
"Please fix Tempest a vegetable broth," Darius instructed his sister.
Tempest shook her head decisively. "I really couldn't eat a thing, Desari, but thank you. I just want to go
sleep for a week or so."
Darius glanced at his sister, a quick, steady look she could read all too easily.
She nodded almost imperceptibly. "Come on, we must allow them to clean up a bit."
Barack growled low in his throat. "Syndil, Sasha has need of our healing powers. I will carry her, and
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you bring the herbs."
Syndil's eyebrows shot up. "Have you forgotten we are entertaining a guest? I was going to fix him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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