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He hated the sensation

He hated it evenover his helpless body

With a threatening growl, he forced open his heavy lids, relieved to discover he’d taken the precaution of spending the day on a narrow cot in the cellar The house ht be sun-proof, but an eneh his shutters and expose him to the deadly rays

Especially when he was so deeply asleep he couldn’t detect an approaching trespasser

Surging upward, he discovered Dara standing near the narrow door that was the only entrance to the cellar She slance over his rumpled hair and naked body

"Habibi, are you rested?" she asked in her soft voice

He scrubbed a hand over his face, sensing that night had fallen while he’d been unconscious "How long have I been asleep?"

"Since you returned last eve" Her sed"

He grie He’d ed in a bloodlust that had been shocking even by his standards And still he’d reer that refused to be appeased

It was only the threat of dawn that had forced hi mortals and return to his te ed "They’re safely locked in the attic"

"Then what’s troubling you?"

Her beautiful eyes shi lit fro that should have relow froht

He took an unconscious step backward "That doesn’t make any sense"

"It has to be one of the witches" Her brows pulled together, her tone absent

"I thought we killed the last of them"

She pretended she didn’t hear hi Gaius sed his presence hen she needed soave a slow nod "Yes, that is possible"

Gaius went rigid, an icy ball of dread for in the pit of his sto for me" Dara’s eyes returned to liquid pools of darkness "They know I’ for you?"

"I’ve told you" She regarded hiht to his heart "They don’t like varave They will seek to banish me from this world"

With a reluctance that shahtly brush a hand over her cheek As always he was struck by the unpleasant sensation that his hand was passing through air

"No I won’t let that happen," he swore "Not again"

Shehis hand, but her sotten sun "I knew I could depend on you, habibi"

Yes He pressed a hand to his te from his mind His mate depended on him It was his duty to do whatever was necessary to protect her

"We h the various possibilities They had to lay low until the Commission lost interest "We can return to our lair in Italy"

"Yes, eventually," she agreed "But not yet"

Gaius frowned "Dara, I don’t have the strength to fight the Coht the entire Commission," she assured hi how she could feel the approach of the Oracles, or how she seemed to mysteriously know that they’d sent two emissaries

He wasn’t sure he wanted the answers

"Who did they send?" he instead demanded

"The female clan chief"

Gaius hissed There was more than one female clan chief, of course But, there was only one whom the Oracles would send to try and capture hi the raw stab of guilt was anger He wasn’t going to adenerous trust What choice did he have? The Dark Lord had lured him with promises of Dara Any vampire would betray their people for their beloved mate "Damn her How can she know I survived?"

"The Oracles, no doubt" Dara’s features twisted with a bitter fury before her eyes grew distant, as if she were looking at so"

"What is?"