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Darius gazed at the sights around hi toward the skyline-a skyline that ide and open, cloudy, not filled with crystal and water Colors, so ether as htly of yellow, orange and gold What struck him most of all, however, was the led and cloyed the air

The overload to his senses was strangely welcoe of his hoht A place that called out to the beast within him-just as Grace did

When this was over, he would-No, he could not think that way He could not allow himself to envision Grace in his future HeJavar&039;s palace, preventing the hu their violence further Still his fists clenched The fact that they lived offended him

And he did not like to be offended

Beside hi with photos "We&039;ll be there soon," she said, glancing up at hied into new clothing after her bath She looked edible Pale blue pants clung to her legs and a sea-green shirt molded itself to her breasts She was like an ocean wave, utterly captivating He could have drowned in her and died happy "Do not concern yourself with me"

"You could whisk us to Argonauts and save us the walk," she said "I&039;ain"

Darius, too, was anxious to question them, but he couldn&039;t whisk about in this city To do so, he had to visualize his target He knew nothing of this area, he thought, letting his gaze scan A trickle of sweat dripped into his eyes, and he wiped it away

The sun continued to beat down upon hi hotter with every step he took Usually his body e lassitude He stuht on a rock One corner of his lips lifted in a scowl as he steadied himself He despised frailty of any kind, especially his own

"You&039;re not okay," Grace said, her concern more concentrated She clasped his arm and tried to pull hi in the direction she&039;d given hi he kne to deal with This wo he couldn&039;t deal with

I&039; to bed and kill you before I leave , he almost shouted Don&039;t waste what&039;s left of your life caring for , he stepped out onto the street He wanted his peaceful, emotionless existence back No more of this I-want-her I-can&039;t-hurt-her nonsense

No h his head A painhe&039;d ever experienced He doubled over with it, cursing the gods all the while

"Darius!" Grace shouted, grabbing hi him toward her "Look out"

A honk sounded A whiz Cars swerved out of the way

Fear halted Grace&039;s heartbeat as a taxi nearly clipped Darius&039;s side The organ kicked back into gear only when she had ushered hi the way, she accidentally bu woman headed in the opposite direction "I&039; out of the way to avoid the coffee spilling fro," the girl fu

"Darius, talk to " Too afraid to release hi fro out," he said

She studied hiht, and the fine lines around his eyes strained "You&039;ve said that before What happens if you stay too long?"

He shrugged One minute ticked into another, but he didn&039;t ain in any other way He simply watched as men, wo and laughing Soainst him She didn&039;t know, but was determined to help hiaze descended gradually, falling frons, and finally to her When their gazes connected, her jaw dropped slightly As she looked at his She saw pain in his eyes, as well as traces of guilt and sadness And, beneath it all, was the slightest glimmer of hopelessness?

"When we returned from the cave," she said, "you eak and pale, but after you drank the lemonade you felt better If you&039;ll wait here, I&039;ll buy you souilt in his eyes increased, and she wondered at its origin But he nodded slowly, and her concern for hi else "I ait," he said

She raced inside the bakery Fresh ground coffee beans, with a hint of vanilla, and a ranced the air She claimed a place in line When her turn arrived, she ordered a bottled water and raisin granola bar for herself For Darius, she ordered a sinfully rich chocolate ¨¦clair and espresso

With sack and beverages in hand, she rejoined Darius He hadn&039;t moved from the spot where she&039;d left hi hily on the chocolate How long since she&039;d had such a treat? Too long She and Alex used to spend their allowance on box after box of ¨¦clairs They&039;d eat as many as their stomachs could hold, and sometimes more

She blinked away the

"Come on," she said to Darius "We&039;ll walk and eat at the saed into motion, Darius sipped at his drink Some of his color returned, and his steps becaave thelance Grace knew those wo down the street, how savage would he be ht black pants, the man reeked of sexual pleasure

Darius pinched the ¨¦clair between his fingers, studying the sule She watched hiranola bar "Just eat it," she said

"It looks like creamy ranola" Mouth watering, she slapped the bar in his hand and confiscated the ¨¦clair

"Give that back," he said

"Over ry"

"Well, so am I"

She was just about to place the chocolate reverently on her tongue, was just about to let the Bavarian creaht into her mouth, when Darius ripped the dessert from her hands