Lightning Game (GhostWalkers #17) -Christine Feehan Page 0,34

you.”

Diego nodded. “That sounds good. I’m beat, I’m not going to lie about it. I think I’m getting old. We covered a lot of ground today to make it to the cabin before dusk.”

“That was a priority?” Jonquille asked.

“It’s my favorite time of day,” Rubin admitted. “The fireflies come out.”

Her face lit up. “I love that so much. I sit outside and watch them every evening. I know it sounds silly, but it feels like they bring the setting of the sun. I feel a kinship with them. You call them fireflies. I think of them as lightning bugs. They appear and dance along the edges of the grass in this beautiful, musical display. I tell myself it’s just for me. Some nights it makes me cry watching, it is that beautiful.”

Rubin studied her face as she lifted her hand self-consciously to her hair, shoving back the wayward strands. Her eyes had settled back to the deeper blue, but he could still see the rings of silver circling the darker color. She handed the bowl of unfinished cobbler to Diego and drew up her knees, as if she’d given too much of herself away and felt too vulnerable.

“When I was a kid, I would sit outside and tell my sisters stories about the lightning bugs. I’d tell them they were fairies and were magic. I don’t know how I made up such crazy tales for them, but they used to beg me for new ones all the time. I got the idea from hearing a traveling salesman telling stories. That started my imagination going. The girls would come outside with me and I’d want to transport them somewhere magical for just a little while.”

“He did a great job too,” Diego said. “I’d sit and listen. I’d pretend I wasn’t, because I was a boy and boys weren’t supposed to listen to stories about fairies and magic, but they were so fascinating. Mama had to have heard them, but she never said he had to stop. Magic would have been considered sinful and of the devil. He would have gotten a beating with a belt or worse if Daddy was alive, telling stories like that, but Mama never stopped him. She just pretended she didn’t hear.”

Rubin nodded. “She knew all of us needed something good, something bright. It was the only thing I could think of to give the girls. They were older for the most part, but they needed something to hang on to. We had some pretty rough times back then.”

Jonquille rubbed her chin on the top of her knees. “I wonder how many people those little lightning bugs have helped when they come out and dance like that, bringing in the evening. There’s a kind of peace that settles on the land itself and that helps settle into the people, or at least it does into me when I watch them.”

Rubin smiled at her. “We are a good match, Jonquille. I feel exactly the same way.”

Her gaze jumped to his face, her eyes enormous. “You have to stop thinking we’re a match.” In the dark room, her eyes seemed to glow.

“I feel compelled to point out,” Diego interjected, “you didn’t even char him. He didn’t spontaneously combust. He didn’t burst into flames, which was a bit of a disappointment. There was some electrical charge, which was cool, and the cabin did light up, but no shocking results as you’d hoped.”

Jonquille nearly fell out of the rocking chair, she turned on Diego so fast. “Hoped? You thought I hoped I’d fry him?”

“At the very least. All in the name of science, of course.”

She burst out laughing. “You’re outrageous. I think I really should try kissing you, all in the name of science. Rubin does have some electrical energy that seems to react with mine, but I don’t think you do. It might be much more interesting to see what would happen …”

“What would happen would be the wrath of hell coming down on you,” Rubin said. “You might not want to admit we’re a match, but you know we are. I’m not the kind of man to have my woman running around with other men. I don’t share well with others.”

Jonquille regarded him for a long time with her large blue eyes. She gave a little shake of her head. “I don’t suppose I would like it very much if you were kissing a bunch of other women. Whitney might actually know what he’s doing. Do you think he