but the others were too busy eating and drinking to notice us. We slipped away to Kian’s bedroom, a room I recognized from my previous visit. The sheets were silver and blue; the walls were lined with exquisite silver carvings, the floor with marble.
“Shall I light a fire to warm you?” He had only to say the word, and then the fireplace blazed with hot, sultry light. “We don’t have to touch if it hurts you, Breena. We can just sit together, in front of the fire.”
“No suffering can be as great as not touching you, Kian,” I explained. “Logan may be able to warm my body – but he doesn’t have my heart. You do, Kian. You know that.”
Kian smiled sadly. “I believe you,” he said. “But sometimes I wonder…”
“Are you still jealous? Because of what happened at the mountain?”
Kian sighed. “Not jealous,” he said at last. “Only…”
“Only what?”
“I don’t ever want you to feel that you have to be with me. If I don’t make you happy…”
“Believe me,” I said, “if I feel that I have to be with you, it’s only because my body and soul alike are telling me that I’d die without you. I want to be with you. I care for Logan as a friend – but you…”
Kian nodded.
I leaned in and kissed him, bracing myself for the impact. It was slow and sweet – hesitant at first – but the fire of my passion seemed to drown out the chills. I pulled him towards me, kissing him more roughly, giving into my desire. I could withstand the pain – better the pain than another moment staring into his steel-blue eyes, unable to press my mouth against his…
“Are you sure?” Kian looked surprised.
“I’m sure!”
“ It’s been too far long!” Kian’s telepathic voice echoed into my head, along with his physical voice. It was an intense sensation.
In an instant we were on the bed, tangling our limbs in the silken fabric. His mouth on mine, was the sweetest touch, and then it became hungrier and more passionate. Even with the pain of the cold, I felt more alive, more joyous, than I had since the stabbing. Every fiber of my being ached for Kian and I to become one. If I was going to die, then I had to make the most of the little time I had left. And I wanted to spend that time with him. With the man I loved.
We were interrupted by a frantic knocking on the door.
“Breena, Breena! Kian! Hurry!” Rodney and Shasta’s voice distracted us from our passion. Kian leaped to his feet, placing a fur dressing gown around his shoulders.
“What’s going on?”
“Hurry!” Shasta cried. “Before he kills him!”
“Kills who? What are you talking about?”
“Alistair! He’s got Logan – and he’s going to kill him!”
Chapter 10
K ian and I followed Shasta and Rodney, our hearts pounding. Was this the moment we’d been waiting for – the moment during which the madness that had been seeping into Alistair’s brain at last overpowered him? I shuddered at the thought. Surely there had to be some hope, something we could do, some power…
But Clariss’ words echoed in my brain, haunting me in their cruelty. One of you will have to slay him . I thought of Rose – her pale face and her flushed cheeks – would she have to watch as I killed the man she loved? But if there wasn’t any cure, I knew, then we had no choice: Alistair would have to die, or else we would all die with him.
Shasta led us back into the dining hall. A throng of people made
“Shall I light a fire to warm you?” He had only to say the word, and then the fireplace blazed with hot, sultry light. “We don’t have to touch if it hurts you, Breena. We can just sit together, in front of the fire.”
“No suffering can be as great as not touching you, Kian,” I explained. “Logan may be able to warm my body – but he doesn’t have my heart. You do, Kian. You know that.”
Kian smiled sadly. “I believe you,” he said. “But sometimes I wonder…”
“Are you still jealous? Because of what happened at the mountain?”
Kian sighed. “Not jealous,” he said at last. “Only…”
“Only what?”
“I don’t ever want you to feel that you have to be with me. If I don’t make you happy…”
“Believe me,” I said, “if I feel that I have to be with you, it’s only because my body and soul alike are telling me that I’d die without you. I want to be with you. I care for Logan as a friend – but you…”
Kian nodded.
I leaned in and kissed him, bracing myself for the impact. It was slow and sweet – hesitant at first – but the fire of my passion seemed to drown out the chills. I pulled him towards me, kissing him more roughly, giving into my desire. I could withstand the pain – better the pain than another moment staring into his steel-blue eyes, unable to press my mouth against his…
“Are you sure?” Kian looked surprised.
“I’m sure!”
“ It’s been too far long!” Kian’s telepathic voice echoed into my head, along with his physical voice. It was an intense sensation.
In an instant we were on the bed, tangling our limbs in the silken fabric. His mouth on mine, was the sweetest touch, and then it became hungrier and more passionate. Even with the pain of the cold, I felt more alive, more joyous, than I had since the stabbing. Every fiber of my being ached for Kian and I to become one. If I was going to die, then I had to make the most of the little time I had left. And I wanted to spend that time with him. With the man I loved.
We were interrupted by a frantic knocking on the door.
“Breena, Breena! Kian! Hurry!” Rodney and Shasta’s voice distracted us from our passion. Kian leaped to his feet, placing a fur dressing gown around his shoulders.
“What’s going on?”
“Hurry!” Shasta cried. “Before he kills him!”
“Kills who? What are you talking about?”
“Alistair! He’s got Logan – and he’s going to kill him!”
Chapter 10
K ian and I followed Shasta and Rodney, our hearts pounding. Was this the moment we’d been waiting for – the moment during which the madness that had been seeping into Alistair’s brain at last overpowered him? I shuddered at the thought. Surely there had to be some hope, something we could do, some power…
But Clariss’ words echoed in my brain, haunting me in their cruelty. One of you will have to slay him . I thought of Rose – her pale face and her flushed cheeks – would she have to watch as I killed the man she loved? But if there wasn’t any cure, I knew, then we had no choice: Alistair would have to die, or else we would all die with him.
Shasta led us back into the dining hall. A throng of people made
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