Carpathian 06 - Dark Fire

chance that he might impose his will on her. Certain things she could not accept. Forced compliance was definitely one of them.
    The owl was tremendously strong. She could feel its strength beneath her legs. The flap of the wings was graceful yet powerful, the rush of wind nearly somersaulting her off backward. The ground fell away fast as the owl accelerated. Tempest gasped, her breath catching in her lungs, her heart nearly stopping. The feathers were soft, the silence complete. She was in a whole other world.
    Tempest glanced down, saw the tops of trees, and quickly squeezed her eyes shut tight as the owl climbed higher and higher. It took her a few minutes to remember she needed to breathe. Several deep breaths calmed her enough that she was able to look around. "It's really okay, Rusti," she murmured aloud to herself. "It isn't real. You know it isn't. This is some weird fantasy thing the king of the castle stuck in your head. Just go with it. No big deal. Everyone always wants to fly. Enjoy the hallucination."
    She couldn't hear her own words. The wind whipped them away so that they fell into the silence behind them. You still find it necessary to talk to yourself. I am right here. You can talk to me.
    You aren't real. I made you up.
    His mocking laughter brushed at the walls of her mind, sent heat curling like molten lava through her abdomen.
    Why do you think that? he asked.
    Because no real man would have your eyes. Or your mouth. And no one can possibly be as arrogant and confident as you.
    I have every reason to be confident, baby, he taunted, his male mockery setting her teeth on edge.

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    Have you ever been plucked? It was the best threat she could come up with on short notice. I bet it's extraordinarily painful.
    His laughter made her smile. She knew he didn't often laugh. He was the most serious man she had ever encountered, yet he seemed to be discovering a sense of fun. At least with her.
    She found, as time passed, that she was enjoying the sensation of soaring. The night enfolded her, the stars crowding the sky overhead. The moon threw the landscape below into sharp relief. The sense of freedom was incredible. She relaxed even more, finding herself becoming light, part of the owl, part of Darius.
    They covered hundreds of miles, the strength of the owl enormous. The air was cool against her skin, the night jewel-studded, a perfect foil for the ride of her life. She felt as if she had been given a great gift.
    Darius. She breathed his name into the night, took it into her heart. He was magic. For just a moment she allowed herself to want their union to be forever. The real thing. The fairy tale. He made her believe it might be possible.
    Darius never quite left her mind. It seemed so much safer that way. Tempest, out of his sight, was at her most dangerous. He knew she could talk herself out of their relationship at any moment. Inside the owl's body, he smiled, a small, secret, male smile. She had no idea of his power. That was his Tempest. She was accepting of his nature, of his special talents, but it wasn't in her to question closely things she didn't understand. That he really meant he wouldn't let her go never crossed her mind. She just couldn't conceive of him wanting her the way he said. Needing her.
    Below them, the vineyards in the Napa Valley began to take shape. Tempest could make out the mountains rising majestically above the rich green valley. A lake shimmered in the distance, reflecting the silvery sheen of the moon. The owl seemed to be making its way toward that body of water, circling lower, dropping into the shelter of a thick stand of pine trees. It seemed much darker beneath the trees, yet Tempest was able to see more clearly than she ever had at night before.
    She spotted the troupe's campsite tucked neatly into the trees. Parked there were the huge motor home, the truck, and the red sports car. Her heart took an unexpected plunge. She thought it rather silly to be dismayed when she'd just soared through the sky on the back of an owl; a few people shouldn't daunt her in the least.
    No , honey, they should not bother you. I have told you repeatedly that you are under my protection. Do you not understand that I would protect you with my life? Darius's voice was soft and soothing in her mind.
    The owl glided to the ground, wings spread wide, gave a short hop, and waited for her to slide off.
    Tempest