Eternal Kiss of Darkness

He watched her, his face wearing its usual hooded expression, but slivers of troubled yearning ghosted across her subconscious. Not her emotions. His.

Did Mencheres believe his jaw-dropping display would scare her away? On an abilities level, they were grossly disproportionate. He was easily a thousand years older than her, too, which was hard to even contemplate. Plus, he had that unfortunate tendency to do other people's thinking for them, as he'd admitted before and proved again when he wouldn't let her turn herself in to the Enforcers.

Yet for all of his staggering power, Mencheres still had a strong conscience. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, he'd quipped to her once, yet he'd repeatedly proven otherwise with his actions. For all of their power inequality, Mencheres kept himself on equal emotional ground with her, always giving her the freedom to accept him or reject him.

Her practicality warned her that their differences were vast enough to shatter them, even if they weren't in serious danger from Radje, the Enforcers, and the other Law Guardians. Yet her instinct said Mencheres was meant to be hers.

Kira found herself smiling at the thought. Mencheres, hers. She reached through the water separating them, stroking his face, feeling the spark of his power against her skin.

Mine. It felt right. It felt more right than anything had before it, in fact.

He pulled her into his arms, emotions too strong for her to name brushing against her subconscious. Suddenly, the thought of two hours in the ocean like this wasn't unpleasant. Not if she could hold him and feel everything he hadn't allowed himself to tell her yet.

Chapter 24

Mencheres scanned the rows of houses in the vall ey below them. A slight breeze ruffled his hair as he narrowed his focus on each residence, seeking one that didn't contain a beating heart. Beside him, Kira was silent, but a slight shiver went through her. They were both still wet, and it was cooler here, much farther up the California coast than where they'd first entered the ocean hours before.

"There," he said, standing.

Kira rose, letting out a noise of relief. "I know it's wrong to enter someone's home while they're gone, but I can't wait to get all this dried salt off me. It itches." He gave her an amused look as they started toward the empty residence. "The home has a FOR SALE sign on it. I doubt anyone occupies it. Would it ease your conscience if I later arranged to have funds sent to the homeowners to cover our brief stay?"

"It would, actually," she replied. "It still doesn't make breaking and entering okay, but then I wouldn't feel quite as much like a burglar."

"Consider it done." It was a small enough gesture to appease her sensibilities, even though he didn't intend for the residents or the Realtors to be aware that anyone had been in the home. Still, they had four hours before he was to meet his ally, and he didn't intend to spend that time with Kira wet, cold, and miserable.

They came upon the lawn of the house five minutes later. Mencheres burned out the motion-sensor lights with a flick of his mind once they neared the premises, then he disabled the lines to the alarm before unlocking a side door. He could have picked a more modest neighborhood to seek out empty homes in. Ones that might not have security systems, but this was closer to his meeting point. And Kira deserved a little more luxurious surroundings to make up for the squalid equipment room she'd woken up in yesterday.

The empty quietness of the home beckoned invitingly. Kira wasn't the only one who looked forward to resting for a few hours. He'd depleted a great deal of his energy between the Enforcers, the heights he'd flown to, navigating them through the ocean, then flying them here. He needed to feed as well, but that could wait until later, when they were safely with his ally.

"You could be the world's best bank robber if you wanted to," Kira remarked as she went inside the door he opened. No alarm sounded. Good. Some systems were more sophisticated than others. The home was furnished as well, but it had an empty feeling that spoke of weeks since it had been occupied.

"It gives me no pleasure to steal," he replied with a shrug. "Sometimes it is necessary, as with waiting here, or when I drink from humans who do not knowingly offer me their veins. Or when I compelled those drivers to bear us to our destination. But to take when the same thing can be purchased or freely given . . . no, that is not my way." Kira gave him a long look before turning away. "I'm going to find a shower and hope the water's on so I can get this salt off me."

So saying, she climbed the shiny marble staircase and disappeared onto the second floor. Mencheres stared after her, measuring if there was additional meaning behind her words.

Much might have changed between them after the Enforcers charged the park. She'd obviously been shocked at the things he'd done, but then she'd held him in the dark depths of the ocean with tenderness while they waited to make sure no Enforcers would find them. Kira's voice also deepened ever so slightly when she said she was seeking a shower. He couldn't tell if her scent changed as well; she still smelled too strongly of the ocean for him to catch any faint nuances of desire. But her eyes might have glinted with emerald just a bit before she turned away.

He intended to discover if he was right.

Water turned on when Mencheres took the first step up the stairs. He climbed them slowly, listening to the rustle of wet clothing being removed, then the soft sound of enjoyment Kira made when she stood under the spray. He followed those sounds as he continued onto the second floor, stepping in the same damp footprints she'd made on the marble, drawn toward the bathroom where she was.

The bathroom with the open door.

Mencheres pulled off his wet shirt, leaving it on the floor. His shoes and sodden pants followed suit, the useless cell phone inside them making a soft thud as it hit the marble.

Then he walked naked into the bathroom.

Steam enveloped him when he stepped into the enclosed shower. Kira stood under the spray, her back to him, her body softly glistening. The weight of the water turned her hair a darker shade of topaz as it dragged it down to coat her shoulders.

She leaned back into his embrace without hesitation, unleashing a feeling of profound relief in him. Not until that very moment did he realize how much a rebuff from her would raze him. His hands almost trembled as he slid them down the sleek, supple planes of her body. My Kira. My strong, beautiful dark lady.

He kissed the back of her neck, the water running over his face from the spray. A soft moan came from her. She attempted to turn around, but he held her where she was. In his impatience before, he'd neglected to explore her the way he'd wanted to. Slowly.