Silken Rapture (Princes of the Underground 2)

They had discovered that what had occurred in the crystal room when Blaise had vanquished both Morshiel and Aubrey was not a singular event. The two of them together—joined—amplified the power of the crystal. When they both touched the crystal, they could absorb a vast amount of energy. Their abilities for telepathy, telekinesis and mind control were enhanced in both of them. Blaise might no longer be immortal, but he was still very powerful. Every day, it seemed, he discovered some new ability, or new strength.

Other things had changed since that night in the crystal room. Blaise had acquired the ability to sustain himself on food. He no longer needed to drink her blood or utilize the crystal to survive. He no longer could transform into a wolf, but some of his animal nature remained. His fighting skills, acute instincts and sharpened senses were intact.

Her body still thrilled to his touch and the sensation of his teeth on her skin. Thankfully, those unique abilities lingered.

But so did the pain from the wound on his chest. He no longer possessed the superhuman ability to heal. Isabel knew that the twinges of pain he still felt were constant reminders of Aubrey’s betrayal. He did not speak of Aubrey often, but every once in a while, she would see the sadness in his eyes, the anger, the bewilderment. The fact that Aubrey’s body inexplicably disappeared from the crystal room on that night only seemed to add to his unrest. Isabel suspected it made it even more difficult for him to come to terms with Aubrey’s betrayal.

She placed her palm gently over the scar on his chest now, offering him silent comfort.

“You must understand,” he continued after a moment. “The other princes are like brothers to me. I want to strategize with them, share my knowledge—yes—and I’m frustrated that I can’t, but it’s more than that. I want to be able to tell them that I’m happy…that it’s possible for creatures such as us to find joy. We had all been so…dead.”

Tears burned in her eyes as she looked up at him. She smiled. “Are you sure you don’t regret giving up your immortality? Even a little?”

“Regret loving you? Regret the miracle of what has happened between us?” he murmured, turning her in his arms until his groin rested against her belly. “There’s isn’t even a tiny shred of regret. I’m only thankful.”

“You deserve to be happy,” she whispered. She sensed something in him, though, even if it wasn’t regret. “What is it, Blaise? Why are you uneasy? Are you thinking of Aubrey?”

He shrugged and leaned down to kiss her on the mouth. “No, it’s not that. It’s just…do you ever wonder? What the Magian plan to do with us when all their experimenting is done?”

A chill went through her. She shivered and Blaise rubbed her back, sharing his heat with her.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned it,” he said gruffly, landing a kiss on her temple. “Besides, I am aging like any human now. You and I will be old and gray by the time some of my brothers find their soul.”

“Neither Saint nor you believe that. Both of you think a chain of events has started that can’t be stopped. Your brothers may undergo their transformation very soon. Besides, I have told you what knowledge I’ve gained in touching the crystal during these past months. That crystal, and its sudden appearance, were both orchestrated by the Magian. Christina has told us that she feels the same is true of the crystal chamber they found in underground Chicago. The Magian Council is planning events behind the curtains of the stage of our lives, Blaise. It’s best we face that.”

She could tell by his expression he read her greatest worry at that moment. “It would take a greater force of nature than even Usan and the Magian Council to ever take me away from you and our child, Isabel. Not even the Empress herself could succeed in separating us.”

“I dare her to try it,” Isabel shot back.

His dark brows arched in amusement. She ran her fingers over his lips. Every time she saw it in these past months, Blaise’s smile was a fresh miracle to her. Sunlight filtered through the cherry blossoms and danced on his gleaming black hair and face.

“What?” he asked, his grin widening.

“When I first saw you, on the stairs in Sanctuary,” she murmured, realizing she’d been staring at him fixedly, “I remember thinking that it would be miraculous to see what sunlight did to your soul. It is a miracle. A more amazing one than I ever imagined.”

His expression sobered. She went up on her toes to meet his kiss.

The future would come, and they would face it. They would fight for their new, cherished life together. All they could do was live day by day, moment by moment, grateful for each other, and thankful for their soul-filled existence.

About the Author

Beth Kery loves romance, and the more emotionally laden and sexy the romance the better. She is a national bestselling author of over thirty books and short stories. She also writes under the pen name Bethany Kane. Find out more about Beth and her books at www.bethkery.com, or follow her on Twitter, www.twitter.com/bethkery or Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1015304659. She loves to hear from readers at [email protected]

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Princes of the Underground

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Silken Rapture