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.Adelaide convulsed beneath him.“GriffiN,” she said again, breathless this time.Together they flew into the center of the raging storm.20SHE SAT UP SLOWLY AND LOOKED DOWN AT GRIFFIN.HE SPRAWLED on his stomach on the blanket, his face turned away from the fire.He was sound asleep and he was dreaming, but she did not sense any nightmare energy.Carefully she disentangled herself from his arms.Something of critical importance had occurred when she had completed the process of tuning the Burning Lamp.She had assumed that once the slight distortions in the oscillating rhythms had been corrected, Griffin’s dreamlight currents would return to whatever pattern was normal for him.But she was almost certain that that was not what had happened.The key must be properly turned in the lock.Good lord, what have I done?She rose a little unsteadily, gathered up her clothing and dressed by the light of the dying fire.When she had refastened the bodice of the gown she took a deep breath and cautiously opened her senses.Griffin’s dreamprints were everywhere in the room but it was the trail of footsteps leading from the table where the lamp sat to the blanket in front of the hearth that made her catch her breath.The luminous energy flaring in the prints was more ominous and more powerful than that which glowed in any of the other psychical tracks.She knew then that she had not saved Griffin from the fate he feared.When he awoke he would discover that he was now a full-blown Cerberus.She tried to ponder the implications but for some reason she could not concentrate.A rising tide of unease was rattling her senses.This was a fine time to get an attack of nerves, she thought.She needed to understand what had occurred when she had worked the lamp so that she could explain it to Griffin.Then again, how did one explain a situation like this? Sorry, but you are now officially a psychical monster according to Arcane’s definition.Griffin stirred on the blanket.She flinched a little, startled, and turned quickly to look at him.He folded his arms behind his head and contemplated her with the lazy satisfaction of a well-fed lion.“You are so beautiful,” he said.She flushed.She knew full well that she was no beauty, but the fact that he found her attractive was ridiculously pleasing.He made her feel beautiful just by the way he looked at her.Of course, once she explained that she had failed him, his views would no doubt undergo a sea change.She collected herself.“Griffin, there is something I must explain to you,” she said.“It is rather complicated.”He got to his feet and started to pull on his clothes.“I do not know how to thank you,” he said.“No need, really,” she said quickly.“The thing is—”She broke off because he was walking toward her, fastening his trousers.He stopped directly in front of her, cradled her chin in one hand and tipped up her face for a staggeringly possessive kiss.When it was over, she had to remind herself to breathe.“I know that what just happened between us was not the most romantic of encounters,” he said.“But I swear it will be different next time.”She swallowed hard.“Next time? Well, as to that, sir—”“Griffin.” His smile was slow and sensual.“Griffin.Perhaps we should allow for the fact that what just occurred between us may have been the result of the radiation from the lamp.It seemed to have a very arousing effect on our senses.”“Not a chance in hell of blaming it on the lamp,” he said cheerfully.“I wanted you from the first moment I saw you.By the way, speaking of that damned artifact, you never told me how it came into your possession.”She blinked, caught off stride.“I explained that I found it when I was fifteen.”“Yes, you did say that.” He used his fingers to shove his hair back off his high forehead.“But where did you find it? It doesn’t seem to be the sort of object that one stumbles over in an antiquities shop.” He paused, glancing at the lamp.“Or is it?”“Does it matter?” she asked.“I don’t know.But I would like an answer.”She drew herself up and straightened her shoulders.It had been inevitable that sooner or later he would ask.“I found it in a brothel,” she said, daring him to leap to the obvious conclusion.Startled disbelief lit his eyes.“What the devil were you doing in a whorehouse?”She raised her chin.“I believe I mentioned that my parents died when I was fifteen.I received a rather large inheritance that was managed by my father’s solicitor.He and the money both vanished within two months.”“And you wound up in a brothel?” he asked, his voice gentling.She narrowed her eyes.“I assure you, I did not apply for a position in a house of prostitution.”“I did not mean to imply that you went willingly.”“I believe that the solicitor sold me to the brothel manager.”“Son of a bitch,” Griffin said very, very softly.“I thought I was being sent to a new boarding school,” she added.Energy flashed in the atmosphere.“I’ll kill every man who ever touched you in that place,” Griffin said without inflection.Astonishment left her speechless.He meant it, she thought.She had always known that there was something very dangerous lurking beneath the surface in him, but this was the first time she had glimpsed the shark’s fin slicing through the dark waters.An unfamiliar emotion swept over her.She had been on her own for so long, taking care of herself, relying on no one.It was difficult to believe that this man was willing to murder any number of gentlemen whom he did not even know in order to avenge her.“Thank you, sir.Griffin.” She brushed the moisture from her eyes with the edge of her hand and managed a shaky smile.“That is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.Fortunately, no such violent action will be needed.I never actually went to work in the brothel, you see.”He watched her steadily.“Go on with your story.”“On the second night after my arrival I was informed that a man named Mr.Smith had purchased me for the evening.I knew that I would have only one chance to escape.I hid in the wardrobe.When Smith arrived he was carrying a satchel.I sensed the energy pouring out of the bag but I had no notion of what was inside.”“He had the lamp with him?” Griffin sounded incredulous.“Yes.”“Damn it to hell,” Griffin said softly.“That means that Smith bought you because he wanted a dreamlight reader.Somehow he knew you had the talent.He planned to work the lamp.”“Yes, I think so.But he was not absolutely certain that I could manipulate the energy of the thing.He seemed to think that he had to bed me first.Something about a test.”“Bastard.He believed that part of the legend.”She glanced at the crumpled blanket on the floor behind him and raised her brows.“There does appear to be something to the theory that a sexual bond is necessary, after all.It is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.Passion generates a vast amount of psychical energy.Perhaps it is the key.”But he was no longer listening.He clamped a hand across her mouth.“Quiet,” he whispered [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]