Page 79 of Ancient Magic

“Your life would have been a lot more peaceful if you’d stayed home,” she murmured.

“Or I would have perished when the world was consumed with fire,” he reminded her.

“There’s that.”

Before she could dwell on the dark visions plaguing her, Micha leaned down to kiss her with a fierce urgency.

“And I refuse to believe that destiny wouldn’t have found a way for our paths to cross,” he said against her lips. “Not when you were meant to be a part of my future.”

She trembled, arching against him as if the thought of a life without him was terrifying. Or at least, that’s what Micha told himself. He wanted to believe she couldn’t bear the thought of not having him around.

“How can you be so sure?”

He scraped the tip of his fang over her lower lip. “Perhaps I’m an oracle.”

Her eyes darkened in anticipation. “You see the future?”

“I feel it.” Grasping her hand, he pressed it against his chest. It didn’t matter if his heart was beating or not. It was where his complex, and yet startlingly simple, emotions for this woman were hoarded. “Here.”

Her breath faltered, as if her lungs were suddenly too tight. Then she made a visible attempt to dampen the desire smoldering between them.

“Shouldn’t we be concentrating on finding Lynx?”

Probably, he silently conceded. They still didn’t know the meaning of Skye’s vision, and if it was connected solely to him or if it had something to do with Lynx and his mysterious search for the Tempest. Hell, they didn’t even know if the Tempest existed.

Just as importantly, they didn’t know who had betrayed Valen to help the fairies kidnap Micha or if they were a danger to other members of the Cabal.

All of them were potential disasters waiting to explode, but in this moment, Micha couldn’t force himself to concentrate on anything but the woman standing close enough to wrap him in her scented warmth.

“My servants will continue to search for Lynx and I’ll have my plane prepared to take us to Panama, but there’s no way to reach the caves before sunrise. I’m trapped in this lair until then.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, and a groan wrenched from his lips as she pressed against his thickening erection. “Although, it doesn’t feel like I’m trapped.”

She trembled. “What does it feel like?”

“Paradise.”

The air tingled with enchantment. Not just the primitive pulse of the Gyre but a light, exquisitely delicate tingle of magic escaping from his beautiful seer. It swirled through Micha with an addictive promise of bliss.

As if overwhelmed by the ruthless tide of need, Skye gently pressed her hand against his chest and stepped out of his arms. Then, turning away, she wandered toward the center of the stone floor.

“I can understand why you are happy to spend your nights lost in these caverns,” she murmured, clearly determined to lighten the atmosphere.

Micha didn’t bother to try to smother his desire. He was beginning to realize it was a perpetual state of being when he was with Skye, but his passion was only a part of why he enjoyed being in her company. Simply listening to her voice brought him indescribable pleasure.

“They certainly provided me with a legitimate excuse to ignore the world,” he confessed, moving to stand beside her as she studied his towering bookshelves.

She sent him a confused glance. “Why would you need an excuse?”

“It took me longer than most vampires to come into my powers,” he said, careful not to reveal the hidden sanctuaries that were used to protect newly resurrected vampires. The heavily protected locations were known only to vampires. Just as mages hoarded their own secrets. “For most of my brothers, that was the worst fate imaginable. They craved the power struggles and political backstabbing in their battles to become members of the Cabal.” He shrugged. “It didn’t trouble me at all. I preferred to spend my time traveling the world and gathering knowledge rather than negotiating and battling my way up the vampire hierarchy.” He swept his hand toward the collections that lined the edges of the cavern. “It was a habit I kept even after I was granted this Gyre.”

Something flared in her dark eyes. An ancient wound that hadn’t fully healed. “It’s hard to overcome your past.”

He studied her fragile profile, a stab of anger slicing through him at the thought that she’d been hurt and betrayed by the people who were supposed to protect her.

“My past was nothing more than avoiding the petty arguments between my brothers,” he conceded. “Not like yours. You were forced into slavery and yet you refused to be broken.”

She looked surprised at his fierce words. “Because of Maya and Peri. If I hadn’t found them—”

“You would have found another home and created a wonderful life,” he interrupted, his brows drawing together. He was accustomed to dealing with vampires and demons who were eager to boast of their accomplishments. Usually exaggerating them beyond recognition. It was aggravating that this woman who had overcome ruthless odds couldn’t appreciate her amazing gifts. “You’re a survivor.”

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