Dark Challenge. Christine Feehan. Dark Series – book 5

The audience rose to their feet, their applause thunderous. Julian knew the reviews would be raving. He was proud of her, but at the same time he objected to her performance. Such publicity went against his every instinct. It would only serve to draw more unwanted attention to her. He knew what reporters would write. That she was an enchantress, weaving a spell over the audience.

Desari returned for one encore, tired but exhilarated. This time it wasn’t simply because she knew she had performed well, had shared her extraordinary gift with others. It was because, somewhere in the darkness, a man waited for her. A stranger already familiar to her. It was terrifying yet exciting. She took her bows, her body humming with life. She wanted to run off the stage, to join him.

She wanted to see those eyes. Those beautiful, unusual, oh, so hungry eyes watching her. Staring at her. Those eyes that saw only her. Desari waved to the crowd and hurried off stage, moving down the hall to her dressing room. Barack and Dayan paced at her side, uneasy because of her strange behavior. Both had felt the presence of power in the dome. Who could not? But they had complete confidence in Darius. They would follow his lead, and so far, he was not hunting down the creature.

She didn’t look at either of them as she firmly closed the door to her dressing room. Sinking into a chair, she slipped off her sandals. She could feel him. Somewhere close. Desari rinsed off her stage makeup and waited, her heart beating, her lungs barely breathing. She knew he was near. Darius must know it, too.

A fine mist streamed under the door, collecting in a spiral close to her. She held her breath. Instantly the handsome, ruthless stranger shimmered into a solid mass beside her. Her heart slammed. Up close he was frightening. Enormously strong. His finely chiseled features were sensual, hard. His countless victories in battle over the centuries were in the set of his broad shoulders, in the grim composure of his face. He was strikingly handsome yet immeasurably intimidating at the same time.

Desari’s tongue touched her suddenly dry lips. “You should not be here. It is too dangerous.”

His body clenched at the sound of her voice. It was so soft, it seemed to seep through his skin to wrap around his heart. “I could do nothing other than see you tonight. I think you know that.”

“Darius would destroy you if he found you here.” She believed it, and her fear showed in her soft, charcoal eyes.

His hard mouth softened, his golden eyes warming at her needless concern. “I am not so easily destroyed. Do not worry, piccola, I have made a promise to you this night, and I fully intend to honor it.” His voice dropped another octave, his eyes consuming her as he spoke. “Come with me.”

She felt her heart jump again. Every cell in her body cried out to go. His gaze was a smoldering heat she could not resist. There was so much hunger in him, such dark intensity, burning for her. The devil tempting her. Resolutely she shook her head. “Darius would—”

Julian stopped her words by simply enveloping her smaller hand with his. His touch sent darts of fire racing up her arm and through her torso, taking the very breath from her lungs. “I grow weary of hearing of this Darius. You should be more concerned with what I will do if he attempts to stop me from taking you with me.”

Temper flared in her eyes. “No one can take me anywhere I do not wish to go. You have as much arrogance in you as my brother does. I happen to know he has earned the right to it. Have you?”

A small, satisfied smile curved his mouth. “So this Darius is your brother. I find that something of a relief. As you hold him in some esteem, I did not want to have to destroy your illusions of his greatness.”

She glared at him, furious, until she caught the glint of humor in his golden eyes. He was teasing her. Desari found herself laughing with him.