Read Online Of Blood and Passion by Pamela Palmer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Pamela Palmer
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herself and the animals, then closed her eyes, lifted her hands, and called on the magic pulsing in her blood to form a thick, dark bubble around herself—essentially another world. Slowly, she widened the bubble, expanding it to include Arturo and the horses.
The animals nickered with surprise, but a few words from Arturo and they quieted. Quinn continued, expanding her bubble to include the whole of the shed, draining off the excess power in the process.
“Your eyes have returned to normal, tesoro . The magic no longer rages.”
“I’m burning it off.” Slowly, she pulled the bubble back, contracting it, little by little, until it no longer encompassed the animals or Arturo, until she alone stood within its center. And then she contracted it more, dissolving it altogether.
She’d come far since she’d accidentally created that first bubble and nearly suffocated herself and her werewolf captor in it. No one could escape one of her creations unless she handed them out, or contracted it from around them. But she no longer lost control of the things as she had at first. She suspected that Phineas Blackstone’s ability to create worlds had sprung from a similar gift.
“Ready to go?” Arturo asked.
“Sure, though you’ll have to lead me to my horse. I’m blind as a bat in here.”
Cool fingers closed around her own. But instead of leading her away, Arturo tugged her against his long, hard body. As his arms curled around her, she stiffened for only a moment before melting into him and wrapping her arms around his lean waist. He didn’t try to kiss her, merely held her, one hand stroking her hair.
“You mean more to me than you know, tesoro mio, ” he said quietly. “So much more than you know.”
His words were a balm to the agitation that had been riding her from the moment they’d hatched this plan to steal Escalla.
“I’ve trusted you so many times, Vampire. Please don’t let me down this time.”
He stroked her hair. “I promise I will not. Never again.”
She believed him. Pulling back, she brushed his cheek with her lips, then found his mouth. The kiss was as careful and tender as any they’d shared, a promise, a gift of trust.
When they pulled apart, she felt stronger than she had before, more sure of her path.
“We need to get going, Turo. Kassius and Micah are going to wonder what happened to us.”
Arturo helped her mount in the dark, then led her horse outside, and together, they took off.
They ran across no other vampires and finally reached the stables where they were to rendezvous with Kassius and Micah. These particular stables hid the entrance to a network of tunnels that ran beneath Gonzaga Castle—tunnels created with the help of Grant Blackstone’s magic. A couple of weeks ago, Grant had helped her escape and led her to freedom through the tunnels. Up to that point, they’d been known only to the humans.
But Kassius had found out about them later when, after she’d been recaptured, Cristoff had ordered him to bite her, and through her memories, Kassius had learned the truth of her escape. That had been a weird experience for both of them because while Kassius had always been able to divine another’s truth with a bite, he’d never before had his gift hijacked in return. She’d done so unintentionally, of course, but while he’d studied her memories, she’d been privy to his.
While she’d learned he was a werevamp during that exchange, Kassius had learned of the tunnels beneath Gonzaga, but he’d kept the information from Cristoff. Now they would use the tunnels to sneak into the castle.
Arturo dismounted and she did the same. Together, they led their mounts through the stable doors.
“Any trouble?” Micah asked, his voice emerging from the dark.
“Nothing to speak of,” Arturo replied. “You may turn on your small flashlight, cara . Keep it pointed low, please.”
Without hesitation, she pulled the light out of her boot and flicked it on, glad to
The animals nickered with surprise, but a few words from Arturo and they quieted. Quinn continued, expanding her bubble to include the whole of the shed, draining off the excess power in the process.
“Your eyes have returned to normal, tesoro . The magic no longer rages.”
“I’m burning it off.” Slowly, she pulled the bubble back, contracting it, little by little, until it no longer encompassed the animals or Arturo, until she alone stood within its center. And then she contracted it more, dissolving it altogether.
She’d come far since she’d accidentally created that first bubble and nearly suffocated herself and her werewolf captor in it. No one could escape one of her creations unless she handed them out, or contracted it from around them. But she no longer lost control of the things as she had at first. She suspected that Phineas Blackstone’s ability to create worlds had sprung from a similar gift.
“Ready to go?” Arturo asked.
“Sure, though you’ll have to lead me to my horse. I’m blind as a bat in here.”
Cool fingers closed around her own. But instead of leading her away, Arturo tugged her against his long, hard body. As his arms curled around her, she stiffened for only a moment before melting into him and wrapping her arms around his lean waist. He didn’t try to kiss her, merely held her, one hand stroking her hair.
“You mean more to me than you know, tesoro mio, ” he said quietly. “So much more than you know.”
His words were a balm to the agitation that had been riding her from the moment they’d hatched this plan to steal Escalla.
“I’ve trusted you so many times, Vampire. Please don’t let me down this time.”
He stroked her hair. “I promise I will not. Never again.”
She believed him. Pulling back, she brushed his cheek with her lips, then found his mouth. The kiss was as careful and tender as any they’d shared, a promise, a gift of trust.
When they pulled apart, she felt stronger than she had before, more sure of her path.
“We need to get going, Turo. Kassius and Micah are going to wonder what happened to us.”
Arturo helped her mount in the dark, then led her horse outside, and together, they took off.
They ran across no other vampires and finally reached the stables where they were to rendezvous with Kassius and Micah. These particular stables hid the entrance to a network of tunnels that ran beneath Gonzaga Castle—tunnels created with the help of Grant Blackstone’s magic. A couple of weeks ago, Grant had helped her escape and led her to freedom through the tunnels. Up to that point, they’d been known only to the humans.
But Kassius had found out about them later when, after she’d been recaptured, Cristoff had ordered him to bite her, and through her memories, Kassius had learned the truth of her escape. That had been a weird experience for both of them because while Kassius had always been able to divine another’s truth with a bite, he’d never before had his gift hijacked in return. She’d done so unintentionally, of course, but while he’d studied her memories, she’d been privy to his.
While she’d learned he was a werevamp during that exchange, Kassius had learned of the tunnels beneath Gonzaga, but he’d kept the information from Cristoff. Now they would use the tunnels to sneak into the castle.
Arturo dismounted and she did the same. Together, they led their mounts through the stable doors.
“Any trouble?” Micah asked, his voice emerging from the dark.
“Nothing to speak of,” Arturo replied. “You may turn on your small flashlight, cara . Keep it pointed low, please.”
Without hesitation, she pulled the light out of her boot and flicked it on, glad to
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