Carpathian 03 - Dark Gold

Alexandria. You already know there are others." Aidan bent his head and brushed the top of her silky hair with his mouth, lingering for just a moment to breathe in her scent. "Do not leave the safety of this house." It was a clear order.
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    Alexandria nodded. She had no intention of going out to face another evil creature. How many of them were there? How had she gotten into this endless nightmare? How far did she trust Aidan Savage?
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    She watched him stride away from her, complete confidence in every line of his powerful body.
    He never turned his head, never once looked back at her. He moved with the silent precision of a predator, already stalking his prey. Fear for his safety curled in her stomach. She should be rejoicing. She was free of him for the moment. She could take Joshua and run away, far from this place, far from this city, where none of his kind could ever follow them. Yet the thought of never seeing Aidan again was suddenly as terrifying as being in his possession.
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    Alexandria followed Aidan to the door. As he went out, she was left staring at the heavy oak door he closed behind him. It was quite beautiful, with intricate stained-glass panels unlike any she had ever seen before. But her mind could not focus on anything. Not the artistry of the glass, not even Joshua. It registered only the bleakness of her existence without Aidan.
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    She stood there, alone and frightened, trembling with fear for him. She could feel the heavy shadow moving away and knew that Aidan was drawing the danger away from the house, away from Joshua, away from Marie and Stefan—and away from her.
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    She closed her eyes and concentrated, seeking him, seeking the truth of Aidan's words. She found him in fierce battle, his mind a red haze of joy in the hunt. She felt his pain as claws raked his chest. She clutched her own chest, her heart pounding.
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    Aidan was so powerful, she had never really expected him to be injured. She tried to study her sensations, to look for the danger to Aidan. Whatever, whoever, was out there was creating illusions, multiplying, using his ability to confound Aidan and keep him off balance. The attacks were swift and brutal, then gone so quickly, Aidan couldn't retaliate. She could sense his Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    confusion and growing consternation.
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    Alexandria probed farther into the darkness. Something was very wrong. Aidan, assaulted from all sides, could not discern the nature of his attacker the way she could from the sanctuary of the house. The illusion the creature out there was fabricating was too thick, too evil. Then she knew what to do. "Aidan." She whispered his name aloud, everything in her going completely still. She could not allow him to die. She didn't know why she felt that way, but she knew it in her deepest soul.
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    She reached again for his mind, waited until she could penetrate the red haze, until she could gather her strength and focus. As she did so, Aidan struck hard and fast at his opponent, and she got an impression of a stream of bright red blood and a howl of haunting fear.
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    Behind you, Aidan. The danger is behind you. There is another. Get out of there ! She screamed the warning to him in her mind but was sure it was too late. She felt the impact as he was struck, the blow meant to kill, raking his throat, his stomach, his thigh. But Aidan had turned at her frantic call, so that the second attacker could not deliver the mortal blow he expected.
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    Alexandria could feel the pain slicing through Aidan, but he remained calm and cool under the onslaught. His own speed was incredible, and he used it almost blindly, slashing at his assailant as he turned to face him. His blow was delivered with deadly precision. Even as the vampire fell away from him, flopping to the ground screaming, the first attacker took to the air, clutching his own wounds as he retreated.
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    "Stefan!" Alexandria called out with surprising authority. "Get the car—now! Bring it around to the front. I can find him."
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    "Aidan does not want you leaving the house," Stefan said as he approached her, but his hand was already going to the keys in his pocket.
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    "Well, that's just too bad. His majesty is hurt and unable to make his way home. He can yell at both of us later, but we can't leave him out there to bleed to death. Which, by the way, is what he's doing." Alexandria gave Aidan's man her coolest stare.