Darkness Revealed (Guardians of Eternity #4)(63)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

Her heart gave a pleasant flop. Did all vampires know just what to say to make a woman all warm and tingly?

“What were you doing before you came to London?” she demanded, knowing her deep curiosity would take years, or perhaps centuries, to be satisfied.

She felt him shrug. “I was a part of the Spanish court. Every so often I enjoy dabbling in politics and royal intrigues.”

His tone was casual, but Anna gave a sudden blink. Damn, she’d never thought about how easy it would be for vampires to alter the course of the human world.

How many times had they…

No, she didn’t want to think about it. Not now.

“So you truly are a Conde?” she asked instead.

“I was given the title some centuries ago for a small service to the king.”

She wrinkled her nose. She suspected that small service was another thing she didn’t want to dwell on.

“Wasn’t it a little awkward when you didn’t age over the years?”

“I rarely remained more than a few years, and when I would return it was easy to convince others that I was a son of the previous Conde.”

It sounded way too easy and she tilted back her head to meet the dark gaze.

“You used mind tricks on them, didn’t you?”

“When necessary.”

Had she been just another human, she might have been offended by the ease with which he used his powers to manipulate them. After all, it wasn’t precisely nice. But her own years of being forced to hide and lie to protect herself had given her an appreciation of how difficult it was for an immortal to live in a world dominated by mortals.

“What did you do when you weren’t at court?”

“I spent time with various vampires and on occasion I was called to war between clans, but usually I retreated to my lair in the Alps to enjoy the books and works of art I had collected over the years.”

That sounded…perfect.

An isolated lair, a huge library, beautiful artwork, and Cezar all to herself.

“You liked being alone?” she demanded.

“At times, but I always knew that something was missing.” His fingers brushed her cheek. “A part of myself.”

A blush touched her cheeks as she studied the bronzed, elegant features. “Did you ever take women to your lair?”

He seemed startled by her question. “A vampire never shares his most private lair with another. Not until he mates.” His roaming fingers outlined her lips. “Someday I hope to take you there.”

Anna pulled away, regarding him with a sudden flare of hope. “Why can’t we go now? Maybe if we hide there long enough Morgana will forget about what that stupid seer predicted. I mean, prophecies are never accurate. Not unless you count a bunch of mumbo-jumbo that is so vague it could mean anything.”

His dark eyes narrowed. “How do you know of the prophecy?”

She did her own bit of eye-narrowing. “How do you know?” she charged back.

“It was written in one of Jagr’s books.”

“Oh.”

He grasped her chin. “Anna?”

“Clara the Fairy spilled the beans.”

“What did she say?” he demanded. “Tell me exactly.”

Anna heaved a rough sigh. The sooner she could put Clara and her horrid death from her mind the better.

“She said that some seer had claimed that an heir of Arthur would climb or appear or something from the darkness and condemn Morgana to hell.”

Cezar gave a slow nod. “And she believes you’re the heir?”

Anna made a rude noise. “It doesn’t matter to her if I am or not, she’s made it a mission to kill all of Arthur’s heirs just to be on the safe side.”

A lethal fury flashed through his eyes before he made an effort to smother his instinctive reaction. Anna didn’t doubt her mate would rip the limbs right off the Queen of Fairies if he could get his hands on her.

Not the most pleasant image.

“Anna, she will not stop this madness until we have managed to defeat her,” he rasped.

She heaved a rueful sigh as the dream of disappearing into Cezar’s remote lair was shattered. He was right, of course. If she’d learned nothing else over the past few days, it was that her lunatic aunt was nothing if not freaking persistent.

“Did you happen to pick up a clue in Jagr’s books as to how we’re supposed to do that? Some secret Kryptonite that will steal her powers or turn her into a frog?”

His expression remained somber. “No, but you did.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It’s you, Anna,” he said, his tone flat. But Anna could easily feel the frustration smoldering deep inside him. He wanted to keep her safely tucked away while he battled her dragon (or rather her psychotic aunt), and the knowledge that he didn’t possess the ability was like a raw wound. “You’re the only one who can kill her.”

She smiled wryly. “A family thing, huh?”

Pained regret twisted his features. “I’m sorry, querida, if I could do this task for you…”

She once again silenced him with a finger to his lips. There was no way in hell she was going to cower behind anyone, not even Cezar. And she certainly wasn’t going to allow him to carry around a load of unnecessary guilt.

“No, this is my battle and I should fight it,” she said firmly. “Actually, I need to fight it.”

He frowned. “Why?”

“If you were being hunted by a crazed member of your clan would you hide away while I went to slay them?”

His frown deepened. “Of course not.”

“Then why should I feel any differently?”

His lips thinned. “You haven’t trained for battle, Anna, I have.”

“I’ve trained for the courtroom, which I can personally assure you, is as nasty and treacherous as any battlefield.”

The vampire wasn’t amused. “The judge doesn’t demand that you use your powers to kill anyone.”

Anna couldn’t hide her flinch. Dammit. This was the downside to having someone capable of reading her like an open book.

“If you want me to admit that I don’t relish the thought of killing anyone, including my evil Aunt Morgana, then fine, I admit it. But I’ve already proven that I’m willing to kill if necessary.”

“Not without cost,” he said harshly.

Her brows drew together. “It should never be without cost. To take another’s life…even someone horrible…it should demand regret and even pain.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t believe in revenge, Cezar, but I do believe in justice. My aunt has slaughtered my entire family, and who knows who else, and if I’m the one who must hold her accountable, then that’s what I’ll do.”