Dark Challenge Page 0,27

for him. "He will kill you. Please, please go while you can."

She looked so beautiful, for a moment he couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Slowly a smile took the edge of hunger from his mouth. "Come to me, cara. I will keep you to your promise." His hand slid slowly, reluctantly from the nape of her neck, and he stepped away.

"Desari." It was Darius's soft, compelling voice. "He has safeguarded the door against us. Only you are safe from its harm. You must open the door for us. Once you touch it, you will break his spell, and we will be allowed entry. Do as I bid."

Desari watched as Julian's solid form shimmered, then dissolved into nothing. She looked around quickly. He had to be something. Somewhere. Her frantic gaze searched her dressing room. There was no mist. Nothing. She walked to the door, her hand hovering over the knob. Where could he have gone? He had not left by way of the window. It was still closed tightly, the blinds drawn.

Very slowly she opened the door. Her brother's shoulders filled the door frame. His features were dark and merciless, his black eyes icy cold. "Where is he?"

Barack and Dayan were solidly behind him, cutting off any escape route, and what was worse, the two leopards prowled behind them, back and forth, a low warning fumbling in their throats.

Desari's chin lifted. "I want him left alone. He saved my life."

"This man is more dangerous than you think," Darius informed her softly. "You do not know anything about him." He walked into her dressing room, his probing eyes searching restlessly, missing nothing. "He is here, in your room. I can feel his presence, his power." Darius abruptly caught Desari's arm and pulled her close to him, inhaling sharply. "Did he take your blood?" He gave her a little shake.

Desari shook her head as she struggled, trying to jerk away. Darius unexpectedly released her, cursed softly, and put his hand to his mouth. His palm was singed. The black eyes continued scanning the room.

Barack and Dayan crowded in, gaping at the damage done to Darius. "He is here. I feel him," Dayan echoed, a bite to his voice.

How could you do such a thing? You hurt Darius,

Desari accused Julian, near tears. She had never been so emotional in all the centuries of her existence. It was like being on a roller coaster. Disloyalty and guilt were now pushing in hard and fast.

He is already healing his palm. He should know better than to grab you like that. It is unacceptable to me.

Julian's voice was lazy and confident. He sounded complacent, as if he found it all amusing while she was afraid.

I should tell him where you are, Desari snapped, exasperated at his tone, his arrogance. Men were so irritating sometimes.

You do not know where I am. But if you wish it, by all means, tell your brother what you think. I give you my permission.

Desari's teeth clenched, but a hiss of complete annoyance escaped. It was a good thing he had dissolved; otherwise, she would be tempted to strangle him with her bare hands.

Darius flicked his cold gaze over her. "He speaks to you. What does he say?"

"Enough to make me want to slap him," Desari snapped. "Come, let us leave this place."

Barack yelped triumphantly. "He is the dust in the room. Look at the way it falls in an unnatural pattern around the floor and along the windowsill." Secretly he was proud of himself for spotting it before Darius or Dayan. "Perhaps we should do some cleaning up in here." He had his own burned palm from touching the door.

Desari paled visibly. "No. I told you, I want him left alone."

Barack deliberately stepped on a pile of dust particles and, ground them into the floor. "He cannot walk in here and think to have you. He has beguiled you in some way, Desari. It is our duty to protect you from one such as this."

Darius dropped an arm around his sister's shoulders. "Do not fear for this one, Dara. He is far too cunning to be caught in the dust on the floor. It is too obvious a ploy. He set it there to deceive us. Come, let us go. He is even smaller than what you see on the floor. Probably only tiny molecules in the air, and impossible, at this moment, to destroy." He looked around the room and up toward the ceiling. "I have used just such a method