Carpathian 04 - Dark Magic

out?"
    Savannah nodded solemnly. "It says right on the brochure, no drunks. That has to mean they know what they're doing, don't you think?"
    "What else does it say?" Gary asked, curious.
    Savannah grinned at him mischievously. "Actually, it says it's pure fun. You walk around, and they tell you stories. History mixed with myths and legends." We might actually learn something, Gregori. You never know . There was a faintly hopeful note in her voice she tried desperately to keep from him.
    Gregori instantly crossed the distance between them and cupped the side of her face with his palm, his thumb sliding in a little caress along her jaw. Why would you ever be insecure, Savannah? I can feel it in you, that you imagine I will consider you silly for wanting to do these tourist things .
    Savannah's laughter-was soft and somehow sexy. She put her hand over Gregori's. "I am in you, lifemate," she said gently. "I read you as easily as you read me. You think ninety percent of the things I want to do are silly."
    "I think my allowing you to do all these things is silly."
    She winced visibly. "We need less of this allow stuff. Besides, you owe me a night out without any trouble."
    "You had trouble tonight?" Gary asked.
    "There was no trouble." Gregori was clearly puzzled.
    "You're always getting in fights. Everywhere we go, you just can't help yourself," Savannah accused indignantly. "You picked the one tonight."
    "You picked a fight?" Gary was astounded.
    "I did not pick a fight," Gregori denied. "A few men were determined to mug us, so I provided them with an interesting experience. There was no fight. Had I actually struck them physical blows, they would be in the hospital." His white teeth gleamed, the silver eyes glittering with more than danger, with a hint of amusement. "As it is, they just think they should be hospitalized. There is nothing wrong with any of them.
    I was quite gentle for Savannah's sake. Which, I see, she does not appreciate."
    "I would appreciate going out and behaving normally."
    "I was behaving in my normal fashion, chérie ," he reminded her gently.
    "I take it we're going on a vampire hunt tomorrow night," Gary said, laughter in his voice.
    Gregori took the list of names from Gary and glanced at it, committing the contents to memory before handing it back. For a moment his silver gaze rested on Gary's face, a cold, bleak reflection of emptiness.
    When Gary shivered, Gregori blinked, and the illusion was gone. Gary wondered just which was the Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    illusion—the warmth Gregori showed on occasion, or the harsh, soulless void in his eyes.
    Savannah flounced off the bed, sent Gary a flash of deep blue eyes, then tucked her hand into the crook of Gregori's arm. "We'll meet you at the blacksmith shop—well, bar, tomorrow at eight."
    "I've got to get back to work," Gary objected. "I'll lose my job."
    "You can't go back," Gregori said softly. "The minute you told Morrison you were going to call the police, the minute you objected to his changing your formula, you sealed your own fate. He will send his people after you, and all of them will be controlled with a compulsion to kill. Morrison is the master vampire—we know that now—and you have crossed him."
    "I'm not worth his attention."
    "Power is everything to the vampire," Savannah said softly. "He'll come after you with everything he has.
    It will fester, drive him crazy that you got away. And he knows I was with you in the swamp. By now he knows Gregori was there also. He can't touch us, but he will feel that if he gets to you, he has somehow bested Gregori."
    Gregori nodded, astonished that she was so adept at reading the situation. Gary was in far more danger than he could ever conceive. "Have you made any calls from this room? Given your address to anyone, even within your family?"
    Gary shook his head. "No, I was going to call the airlines and see if I could use the same ticket on a later flight. And I'll have to call my boss tomorrow. I'll be fired, Gregori, and I don't want that to happen. Even if I
    did end up working for you, I do have a reputation to look after." The toe of his shoe scuffed at a worn spot in the carpet. "I like research. I don't want to get stuck in a job I hate because of all of this."
    Gregori took the laptop from Gary and brought up the word processor with skill. Savannah watched in astonishment as his fingers flew over the keyboard. He typed out a