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.Can’t I just be a man who knows a bit more than the average human?”“There’s nothing average about you, Luc.” She stared at him over the rim of her wineglass while she drained the contents.“How did you spot the vampires so quickly at the train station?”What would be a believable lie? Although he hadn’t seen his reflection in over 600 years, he could still feel the two tiny mounds of scar tissue on his neck.He rubbed them with his finger.She gasped.“You were bitten?” He nodded, and pity darkened her green eyes.“No wonder you hate them.How did you survive?”He almost growled I didn’t, but something held him back.Had his centuries of restraint altered him enough to make him appear almost human to one of the Foundation’s members? Was this how Morwen fooled them all? “Can we change the subject? I don’t want anyone to overhear this conversation and think you’re insane.”“Of course.” She cleared her throat.“Sophia mentioned you’re in the habit of rescuing lost souls.”He chuckled.“Jealous already?”“More like curious.” Daniela tucked her hair behind her ear and jutted her bottom lip out into a pout.“Is this how you rescue all of them?”He laughed harder now.The little coquette was trying to lay a claim on him.If she was smart, she’d stay far away.“These lost souls she mentioned are people I happen to find wandering the streets after being a vampire’s snack.”“They don’t kill them?”“Not all of them kill.Some are quite content to use them for a quick meal.Others are interrupted in the middle of their feed.And some of the victims are so deeply enthralled, they willingly offer themselves.I’m surprised you don’t know this.”Her eyes widened.“But that’s not what’s taught in the Academy.All vampires are bloodthirsty fiends and their bites are excruciatingly painful.”More like having hundreds of nails hammered into your body while your soul is forcibly ripped from it.At least, that was his experience, but he wasn’t going to share that tidbit.“Most are that way, and they leave a trail of bodies behind that quickly catch the attention of the Foundation’s hunters.But the ones that can master the technique of enthralling their victims and controlling their thirst tend to live the longest among mortals without being detected.”“How do you know so much about this? Were you enthralled by a pretty little vamp into becoming her snack?”“No.”Daniela jumped in her seat at the tone of his voice.He crossed his arms and held her gaze, unwilling to apologize for snapping at her.She had pushed too far, and he needed to let her know before she delved into the dark recesses of his past.“How do you know these things if you aren’t a member of the Foundation?”“Years of experience.Most of the victims I find are young girls.All they can remember is having a drink with a stranger and waking up disoriented in the middle of the street with two fresh puncture marks on their necks.They carry no painful memories of the incident.Instead, they believe they were drugged or drank too much.”“All of them?”He took a deep breath.“No.Only the lucky ones.”“Is that why you return to Rome, even though you live in Paris?”“Partially.” How could he explain the constant pull Rome had on him? The dreams that haunted his subconscious? The eerie feeling of déjà vu when he explored the ancient heart of the city? To admit that might give evidence to Morwen’s crazy belief in reincarnation.Instead, he chose to attribute it to the memories of his maker that had slammed into his mind when he was turned.“I know I have a purpose there.”She nodded.“It is good of you to take them to a place where they can recover.”“Don’t try to make me into a saint, Daniela.”“I already know you’re not.” She bit her lip and ran her hand up his thigh under the table.“You can be quite wicked when you want.”He stopped her before she reached the aching ridge of his erection.“Hasn’t anyone ever warned you not to play with fire?”“Lucky for me, it’s my strongest element.” She slipped her hand free and stood next to him.“Perhaps you’d like to play with me,” she whispered in his ear.The warmth of her skin called to him like a siren’s song.He needed to resist it or he’d drown in a sea of blood.Why was God testing him like this? Even after he’d accepted his damnation, he’d still tried to remain good.He’d never taken a human life, never forced himself on an unwilling victim.But from the moment he saw Daniela, his thoughts raced down a sinful path of lust and gluttony he needed to resist.“I’ll be waiting for you.”Luc forced himself not to watch her as she left the dining car, but in his mind, he still saw the sway of her hips, still remembered her tight wetness as he plunged into her.His hands shook as he finished the last of his wine.Common sense told him he should remain in the dining car all night instead of returning to the berth, but he also knew he needed to watch over her and protect her from any vampire that might have snuck on board.If any of them hurt her…He bolted up from his chair and ran down the corridor [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]