Carpathian 10 - Dark Symphony

through him, at least awareness of what's happening around me. You shouldn't be out this late. I don't know if Byron warned you, but there's a jaguar out killing people. I'm serious. I don't think your mother would want to lose you."
    "I can take care of myself," Josef assured. "Do you shape-shift yet?"
    "I can't shape-shift, but it sounds fun."
    "It's hard to do on your own. I practice a lot, but I still get it wrong sometimes. Why haven't you tried it yet?"
    "I'm not like you."
    "Yes, you are. You're Byron's life mate. You're—"
    "Josef." There was a distinct warning in Byron's voice. "Enough. You get back to the villa. Antonietta is right; it is not safe out here for you." Although I think it is more likely he would come to harm through me rather than another source.
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    Dark Symphony
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    He is just a boy.
    So Eleanor keeps reminding me.
    "Can't I go with you, Uncle Byron? Mom won't let me do anything. I was scaling the wall of the villa, and she just about screamed the house down. I can get a running start and leap pretty high, but then I can't quite get the hang of going up a vertical wall. I have to use toe-and fingerholds."
    Byron sighed. "You are trying to use your body. Use your mind. You are too aware of your physical body."
    Antonietta shivered. The wind could be biting cold. Byron immediately removed his suit jacket and wrapped her in it. She was surprised it was so warm.
    "Go on back to the villa, Josef. I will work with you tomorrow on some of these things, although you have to remember you are not supposed to use these gifts or discuss them outside of our people. The idea is to blend in." Byron did his best not to sound as long-suffering as he felt.
    "No one else is around. You were so busy kissing Anton- ietta I thought I could sneak up here and play a joke."
    "You are very lucky I did not zap you with a lightning bolt. Go home. I want to be alone with my life mate."
    Josef sighed heavily. "I never have any fun. I don't think it's fair the way I'm always told I have to wait to learn anything."
    Enough! Byron bit the silent command out between bared teeth. Do as I say.
    Josef stood up, looking extremely petulant. He shimmered several times but nothing happened. Byron closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer for patience. "Josef, you hold the image in your mind."
    "Dad always does it for me."
    "Then how did you manage to get up there in the first place? If I do it for you, you will never learn."
    Antonietta leaned into Byron. "If you're going to take me flying, we could escort him home, couldn't we?"
    Byron kissed her temple. "You are a very understanding woman."
    "Grazie for noticing." Antonietta waved in the direction she knew Josef to be. "Come with us. Byron's going to take me flying. I've never been before."
    "I will take the shape of a dragon with wings. That way I can hold you close to me. If you become alarmed, I will know, and we will go back to earth immediately."
    "Will you have scales?"
    "Yes, I can do scales."
    "Can I have any color?"
    Byron laughed. "What color do you want?"
    "When I was a little girl, my mother always read me a book where the dragon had beautiful iridescent blue scales. I loved the sound of that. I still picture the dragon shimmering with watercolor blues, just like in that book. It's a very vivid memory."
    "Then your dragon will be iridescent watercolor blue." He held her close to him, nuzzled her neck.
    "Why can't I ride on the dragon's back? In all the books, a rider was on the dragon's back.
    Only the idiot who was going to be eaten was clutched in the dragon's claws." Antonietta could feel his teeth scraping back and forth across the pulse beating strongly in her neck. Her entire body tight- ened in response. There was something mesmerizing and erotic about the
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    motion. His teeth nipped, sending darts of fire racing through her bloodstream. His tongue swirled over the ache.
    "I do not want to take a chance that you could fall." The words were whispered against her neck, his breath warm on her cold skin. His teeth closed