Carpathian 09 - Dark Guardian

not always a virtue, Jaxon." He tried to sound stern, but he admired the way she was able to figure things out for herself.

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    She grinned up at him teasingly. "Of course it is. It's the only way to find out things you'd rather I didn't.
    So they threatened me. How in the world were you able to turn them into such sweet men with only money instead of mayhem on their minds?"
    "I took their blood."
    She blinked several times in amazement. "But I didn't hear anything. And I was right behind you. How could you accomplish so much so quickly? They were all in different rooms. You can't possibly be that fast, can you?"
    "Yes, I can, if I sacrifice elegance for speed. I am an ancient, honey. It is easy enough to do such things.
    By the time you came up the stairs, I was already in control of them. It was easy enough to plant the story in Barton's mind and instruct the other two to believe and remain silent."
    "Why? Do you know why they want me dead?" She was gathering up the few treasures she had. Photos of her mother and brother. Little Mattie's favorite blanket. Her fingers automatically rubbed at the thin material lovingly. It was obvious to Lucian she did it often.
    He swept a hand through her hair. "After his death, it was one of the few things that gave you momentary comfort."
    She brought the blanket to her face and inhaled deeply. She could still catch Mathew's scent after all these years. "He was so little, so funny. His eyes would dance with such mischief when he was trying to be a joker. He was so cute, Lucian. Sometimes I can hardly bear to think of him. It still hurts as much as if it just happened. Everyone said time would ease the pain, but when I think about it, it's still sharp and ugly and so terrible I can't breathe."
    He pulled her into his arms, removing the blanket as he did so. At the same time he took the distressing memory from her and replaced it with her determination to find out who their guests had been and what he had done to handle the situation. Very quickly Lucian folded the blanket, knowing the association with pain touching the material carried. The woven strands held the boy's cries, and Jaxon, as sensitive as she was, could not help but feel them. He could not stand the agony entrenched so deeply in her heart.
    Lucian saw no need for her to suffer continually when he could so easily stop it.
    Jaxon blinked and put a hand to her throat. What had she been thinking about? Something had distracted her when she was so determined to find out what was going on in their home. Lucian must have seriously wanted to keep the truth from her. She reached for her jewelry box. "Why did those men want to kill me, Lucian? And this time give me a straight answer."
    "I did not ask them straight out." He took the jewelry box out of her hands. It contained her mother's jewels, beautiful gems. He had seen them. Rebecca Montgomery had come from money. She had diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and star sapphires set in necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. Jaxon never wore them, only looked at them.
    "You didn't need to ask them straight out," Jaxon observed. "All you had to do was look into their minds." Her dark brown eyes were challenging him.
    Lucian shook his head. "In all the centuries of my existence, I have never had anyone question me as you do. When I determine something needs to be done, I simply do it. No one questions me."
    "You are not God. You can't always be right." Her eyes flashed at him with a warning hint of her temper.

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    "I would not presume to be God, but I am fully aware of the tremendous responsibilities I have been given and the gifts bestowed upon me in order to accomplish the tasks set to me. I am able to weigh problems without personal anger or any other emotion clouding my judgment."
    "That is setting yourself up as judge, jury, and executioner, Lucian. No one has such a right."
    "You are mistaken, angel. Throughout history many of my kind have needed to be just such a being. It is not easy, and the toll on our souls is tremendous, but we have accepted the responsibility in order to protect both our people and humankind. I am what I am, and I cannot change what went before or what is now. When anyone threatens our way of existence, we do our best to remove their memories without violence, but should the need arise, we have no choice but