"It is not conceit when it's the truth." But he removed his hand and took a drink of wine. His gaze, I noted, went to Lauren, almost as if he were daring her to react.
She didn't.
"However," he said, after a moment, "we are not here to discuss my bedroom skills, but rather the ward. And I reiterate, it cannot harm you to simply look at it."
That statement should not be taken at face value when dealing with someone involved in the dark arts, Azriel commented.
I know that, Azriel. I'm not a total ignoramus about magic, so please don't treat me as such.
I merely comment. It was not a rebuke.
Well, it sure as hell had felt like one. I drank some Coke, then met Lauren's gaze and said, "I thought you said it had to be fine-tuned?"
"It does. To work fully it has to be tuned to your energy."
Energy, or aura? I very much suspected the latter, and that had my doubts rising even higher. "Where is it?"
"In my purse. Lucian?"
He rose and walked over to the bench. I put my Coke down and followed. I wanted some distance between me and Lauren when I studied her creation.
Her purse was black leather, and was about as far from feminine as you could get. In fact, it looked more like an over-the-shoulder briefcase than an actual handbag. Lucian gamely delved into it, and his hand came out holding what looked like an oversized die. Only there were no dots on its black surface, which held an odd sort of oiliness that gleamed in the sharp overhead lighting. He set it down on the counter in front of me.
I leaned closer, but didn't immediately try to touch it. Despite the oddness of the surface, there was no sense of energy radiating off the black stone. It really could have been nothing more than a numberless die.
"It won't bite," Lauren said, amusement clear in her voice. She hadn't moved, but I had an odd sense that she missed nothing, despite the fact that I had my back to her.
"Forgive me for not taking you at your word." I shifted around to study the other side of the die. It didn't look any different, and I wasn't entirely sure why I'd bothered moving.