She backed up until she came in contact with the tapestry-hung wall behind her. And then therewas nowhere else to go.
"Now," Delos said and closed the distance between them with the grace of a tiger.
He was right in front of her. Maggie couldn't helplooking up at him, looking directly into that alienand beautiful face. She could smell a scent like autumn leaves and fresh snow, but she could feel theheat from his body.
He's nothing dead or undead, some very distantpart of her mind thought. He's ruthless, he's beenraised to be a weapon, but he's definitely alivemaybe the most alive thing I've ever seen.
When he moved, there was nowhere she couldgo to avoid him. His hands closed on her shoulderslike implacable bands of steel. And then he waspulling her forward, not roughly but not gently either, pulling her until her body rested lightlyagainst his. And he was looking down at her withgolden eyes that burned like twin flames.
Looking at my throat, Maggie thought. She couldfeel the pulse beating there, and with her chin tiltedup to look at him and her upper body arched away from him, she knew he could see it. His eyes werefixed on it with a different kind of hunger than shehad ever seen in a human face.
For just one instant the panic overwhelmed her,flooding up blackly to engulf everything else. Shecouldn't think; she was nothing but a terrified massof instinct, and all she wanted to do was to run,toget away.
Then, slowly at first, the panic receded. It simplypoured off her, draining away. She feltasif she were rising from deep water into air clear ascrystal.
She looked straight into the golden eyes aboveher and said, "Go ahead."
She had the pleasure of seeing the golden eyeslook startled. "What?"
"Go ahead," Maggie said distinctly. "It doesn'tmatter. You're stronger than me; we both knowthat. But whatever you do, you can't make me yourprey. You don't have that power. You can't control me."
Delos hissed in fury, a reptilian sound. "You are ".
so
"You wanted me scared; I'm scared. But, then, Iwas scared before. And it doesn't matter. There's something more important than me at stake here.Prove whatever you've got to prove and then I'll tell you about it.
"So completely stupid," Delos raged. But Maggiehad the odd feeling that his anger was more against himself than her. "You don't think I'll hurt you,"he said.
"You're wrong there."
"I willhurt you. I'll show you-"
"You can kill me," Maggie said clearly. "But that'sall you can do. I told you, you can't control me. And you cant change what's between us."
He was very, very angry now. The fathomless pupils of his eyes were like black holes, and Maggie suddenly remembered that he wasn't just a vampire, or just a weapon, but some doomsday creature with powers meant for the end of the world.He hovered over her with his fangs showing.
"I willhurt you," he said. "Watch me hurt you."He bent to her angrily, and she could see his intent in his eyes. He meant to frighten and disillusion ...
... and he kissed her mouth like raindrops falling on cool water.
Maggie clung to him desperately and kissed back.
Where they touched they dissolved into each other.Then she felt him tremble in her arms and they were both lost.
It was like the first time when their minds had joined. Maggie felt a pulsing thrill that enveloped her entire body. She could feel the pure line ofcommunication open between them, she could feelherself lifted into that wonderful still place whereonly the two of them existed and nothing else mattered.
Dimly, she knew that her physical self was fallingforward, that they were both falling, still clasped in each other's arms. But in the hushed place of crystalline beauty where she really was, they werefacing each other in a white light.
It was like being inside his mind again, but thistime he was there opposite her, gazing at her directly. He didn't look like a doomsday weapon anymore, or even like a vampire. His black-lashedgolden eyes were large, like a solemn child's. Therewas a terrible wistfulness in his face.
He swallowed, and then she heard his mentalvoice. It was just the barest breath of sound. Idon'twant this Yes, you do, she interrupted, indignant. The normal barriers that existed between two people had melted; she knew what he was feeling, and shedidn't like being lied to.
-to end,he finished.
Oh.
Maggie's eyes filled with sudden hot tears.
She did what was instinctive to her. She reachedout to him. And then they were embracing in their minds, justastheir physical bodies embraced, andthere was that feeling of invisible wings allaround them.
Maggie could catch fragments of his thoughts,not just the surface ones, but things so deep shewasn't sure he even knew he was thinking them. So lonely ... always been lonely. Meant to be that way. Always alone ...
No, you're not,she told him, trying to communicate it to the deepest part of him. Iwon't let you be alone. And wewere meant to be like this; can't you feel it?
What she could feel was his powerful longing.But he couldn't be convinced all at once.
She heard something like Destiny ... And shesaw images of his past. His father. His teachers.The nobles. Even the slaves who had heard theprophecies. They all believed he had only one purpose, and it had to do with the end of the world.
You canchange your destiny, she said. Youdon't have to go along with it. I don't know what's going to happen with the world, but you don't have to be what they say. You have the power to fight them!
For one heartbeat the image of his father seemed to loom closer, tall and terrible, a father seen through the eyes of childhood. Then the featuresblurred, changing just enough to become HunterRedfern with the same cruel and accusing light in his yellow eyes.