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."Let's go,Nicolas.I'd like to meet my aunt.""Do you want to try shifting? An owl, perhaps?"Her jeweled eyes gleamed at him.He had said she was capable of shifting with his help and she wantedit to be true.She was certainly willing to try."A dragon."He nodded."Of course, what else would you choose?" He grinned at her, a teasing invitation to fun.She'd never seen him smile like that, and it made him look younger."You are already familiar with thedragon's body.The most important thing with shifting " He held out his hand to her and began to walkwith her through the cavern into the labyrinth of tunnels.Candles sprang to life on the walls ahead of them as they hurried along." is to remember to keep the image in your head at all times.It has to becomeautomatic so that you do it without really thinking about it and that takes practice.I want you to keepyour mind merged fully with mine.Once you shift, excitement and joy I cannot even begin to describethe feeling for you sets in and it is easy to lose what you are doing.So keep your mind firmly in mine soI can help you if you need it."She smiled up at him."Don't worry, I don't exactly want to fall out of the sky."He laughed softly, shocking himself.He wasn't a man who laughed often if ever.He was slowlydiscovering that with her companionship, Lara also brought a joy in the sharing of everyday things.Hetightened his fingers around hers, keeping her close to his side as they moved swiftly through the tunnel."Idid not notice that you scanned the area periodically for vampires.It is very necessary for survival tomake that a habit.""Isn't that a rather faulty system now?"His eyebrow shot up."You have been absorbing the information in my mind." He was pleased with her.With everything going on, it hadn't occurred to him that while merged with him she would be seeking asmuch information as possible to help with her own survival."Of course.You seem to have a lot of experience hunting vampires."His boyhood story intrigued her and Lara had tried to delve a little deeper, at first to see if Nicolasalways embraced the fight with the undead.Did he get a rush when he fought? When he killed? She hadfound the answer and it worried her, but it also fascinated her that he felt no fear none when hefought.She had spent her life afraid, always looking over her shoulder, terrified that others woulddiscover her differences and condemn her, terrified that Xavier would find her again.She wanted to belike Nicolas, facing the worst without fear."Not all Carpathian males were raised to be hunters.In the old days we had a community and many menwere craftsmen.They did woodworking and gem-calling.They worked with herbs and candles todevelop our healing powers.Some were sword-makers.They did incredible, beautiful work withweapons.My family was bred as warriors.Much of the skills of our ancestors are imprinted on us.So ifyou are born into a lineage of warriors, you have skills and reflexes already built in.In other words, youalready have an advantage before you even begin training.Where a gem-caller or sword-maker hasother skills imprinted, those skills are not at all useful for fighting."There was a small trail of water running across the path.Without missing a stride, Nicolas caught Laraaround the waist, lifted her over it and continued walking as though nothing had interrupted them.When the small, secret thrill at the strength in his arms subsided Lara slipped her hand back into his."And the darkness in you? How exactly does that come to be?"His fingers tightened around hers."Does it frighten you?"Her gaze flicked to his face and then sought out boulders blocking the entrance to the tunnel.Excitementwas building at the prospect of shapeshifting."A little," she admitted.He lifted an eyebrow.Lara shrugged."Well, maybe a lot.You're very sure of yourself." "I have lived a long time." He brought her fingers to his lips."But all this is new to me and I have foundthat I am learning as we go.Feel free to clue me in when I am making mistakes.""Have no worries there," Lara said.She tugged at his hand, halting him before he could avoid herquestion by bringing down the safeguards."I really want to understand you better and I can't if I'mworried all the time that you might become a vampire.""That is no longer a possibility, Lara," he assured."You are the other half of my soul, the light to mydarkness.Once found, your light guides and protects me.I have no doubt I will always be a difficult man,but I will not turn vampire." He jerked his chin toward the boulders, his eyebrow raised in challenge."Doyou think you can remove the safeguards?"A smile slowly formed."A test.You're challenging me.""I am also timing you."It was her turn to raise an eyebrow.She spun around toward the entrance and lifted her hands into theair.Every stroke of the pattern he had woven was recorded in her mind.The aunts had drilled it into herto observe even the tiniest movement, a flick of a finger, a small nuance that made the difference ofgetting it right the first time and surviving.She could feel his eyes on her and the intensity of his gaze sent a shiver of awareness tingling down herspine.She had to really concentrate to block him out, to make the long graceful movements and theshort, subtle ones accompany her soft murmured words.It was a silly chant really, one she had made upand used repeatedly as a child to help her learn how to weave and undo warding spells.Her handsmoved swiftly, gracefully, following each thread of unseen light, seeking out each knot and doublechecking the threads in the weave of the pattern.Spider, spider spin your web, absorbing now these unseen threads.Spider, spider, throw your line,remove all that would harm or bind.Spider, spider, clear the way, protecting now this entryway.The boulders rocked back and forth for a moment, shimmered and disappeared.Lara spun around,grinning at him.He was there too close right on her in fact.She hadn't heard or felt him move, but asshe turned, she turned right into his arms, her face raised toward his.Their gazes locked.A frisson ofawareness of arousal raced from breasts to thighs.His finger curled around the nape of her neck, his thumb sliding over her cheek as he bent his headtoward hers.His other hand slid down to the small of her back, urging her body close against him
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