Carpathian 06 - Dark Fire

complete entity.
    She clung to him, the only safe anchor in a wild storm of magic. Darius lifted his head so that his mouth hovered inches from hers. They stared at one another, drowning in each other's eyes, awed that they could produce such a conflagration with only a kiss.
    Tempest retreated, a subtle feminine withdrawal from him, trying to find herself and cool the terrible heat searing her body. She touched her mouth with her fingertips, unable to believe that she had helped to generate such flames.
    "Do not say it, honey. I know exactly what you are going to say." That infuriating male amusement tinged his husky voice.
    Tempest shook her head. "I don't think I can talk. Honestly, Darius, you're lethal. We just can't do this.
    It's too dangerous. I expected lightning to start arcing between us."
    He shoved a hand through his dark mane of hair. "I swear I was hit by a bolt. White-hot and jagged, tore right through me."
    Her smile was tentative but there all the same. "So we agree. No more of that."
    Darius wrapped an arm around her body and found she was trembling. "I think plenty of that is the answer, Tempest. We have to learn to control it. The more practice we have, the better we will be."
    "Better?" Tempest pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes enormous. "We don't dare get any better at it, Darius, or we could set the world on fire. I don't know about you, but I don't feel so great right now."
    Her body was heavy and aching for relief, sensitive to the slightest touch. Each time Darius brushed against her, darts of fire raced through her. She needed him, needed his body. "If we had any sense, we'd put half the world between us."
    Darius brought her knuckles to the warmth of his mouth and was intrigued by two small scars on them.
    His tongue examined the faded white marks, a slow, velvet rasp of heat. Tempest closed her eyes against the smoldering desire in his eyes, against his blatant sensuality. This time she knew the instant conflagration wasn't caused only by her. She didn't do things like this, didn't seek instant intimacy. Ever.
    Who would have thought such a small touch, one look, could reduce her to liquid heat and an ache that would never stop again?
    "Darius, you have to stop." She was half laughing but very near tears. "I have no idea what to do. I mean, you're a vampire."
    He shook his head. "Not vampire, honey. God help us all, never that. I explained to you that the vampire has chosen eternal darkness, has chosen to lose his soul. You are my soul, my strength, the light to my dark. I am Carpathian, even though I was not raised with our people and my ways are somewhat different. I do not know the Prince of our people, the one who has undertaken to keep our species from extinction. I did not even know he existed or that my elder brother still lived until a few weeks ago."

    Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    Tempest began to laugh. "Isn't there anything normal we can converse about? Say, the weather? Unusual weather we're having." If he continued to talk to her about things her brain refused to comprehend, she was afraid she would lose her mind. Everything was happening far too fast.
    His grin was teasing. "Would you like me to create a storm? We could make love in the rain."
    "We can find the others and pretend there's safety in numbers," Tempest suggested firmly, ignoring the way her body went into meltdown at his outrageous suggestion. "I can see which of us is the practical one, and it isn't you." She tugged at his hand, leading him back toward the camp.
    He followed her for a few minutes in puzzled silence. Finally, curious, he cleared his throat. "Tempest?
    Where exactly is it that we are going? Not that I mind-I will follow wherever it is you wish us to go-but to my recollection, this trail winds around a rocky ravine. It is unsafe."
    She could feel the color rising beneath her skin and creeping up her neck. When she attempted to untangle her fingers from his, he clung to her like glue. She felt like kicking him in the shins. It was bad enough that he set her body on fire, but now she was completely flustered, while he looked the same as ever-calm, implacable, completely invincible.
    "Just where is the camp, then?" she demanded through clenched teeth.
    For a moment Darius stared at her. Then he blinked, wiping out the mocking amusement she was certain she had seen swirling in the depths of his eyes. He regarded her with a perfectly sober