Dianne Duvall: Darkness Rises

“Étienne, you have been courting me.”

“No, I haven’t. All we’ve done since we met is train and fight vampires and mercenaries.”

“Sweetie, I’m not a flowers and chocolates kind of gal,” she said, leaning into him. “Well, maybe the chocolate.”

“I was going to say.”

She laughed. He had seen her put away a lot of chocolate. “I don’t need flowers. I don’t need jewelry. I don’t need . . . whatever other frilly things men give the women they’re dating.” She hadn’t dated anyone long-term since Michael and couldn’t remember what men usually brought their girlfriends. “I need weapons. And you have given me some beautiful weapons.”

She no longer carried Lisette’s weapons. Étienne had, over the weeks, gifted her with her own personal arsenal. Shoto swords. Katanas. Daggers. Throwing stars. Glock 18s. Sigs. Her very own uncomfortable rubbery suit to wear if she had to venture into daylight.

“We’ve talked for hours,” she said. “We’ve laughed and flirted and teased.” She nipped his chin. “Seduced.”

“You’re very good at that,” he said, voice deepening.

“Which one?”

He began to move from side to side, the two of them swaying to slow, nonexistent music. “All of them.”

She smiled. “You see? We’re even dancing.”

“Is that what this is? I was just enjoying the feel of you against me.”

She shrugged. “That’s what we called it at my high school prom.” And she was loving the feel of his hard body pressed to hers.

“Dancing was very different in my day.”

“Would you teach me?”

“I would love to.”

A throat cleared.

Cam and Sean stood in the doorway.

Cam raised his eyebrows. “Should I call and tell them you’ll be late for the meeting?”

Smiling, Étienne shook his head. “No. And you were wrong. It wasn’t a catastrophe.”

Krysta grinned. “We’re engaged.”

Sean’s face brightened. Striding forward, he hugged her and shook Étienne’s hand. “Congratulations.”

Cam did the opposite, hugging Étienne and shaking Krysta’s hand.

“Listen,” Sean said, “while we’re talking about the future . . .”

“I hope you’ll stay with us,” Étienne said, then looked to Krysta.

She nodded. “Absolutely.” Unlike many siblings she knew, they rarely fought. And, since Cam already lived with them, it wasn’t as if Sean would be intruding upon their privacy or anything.

Sean tucked his hands in his pockets, a nervous gesture she hadn’t seen him make in a long time. “Actually, I’ve come to a decision.”

She didn’t like the sound of that, nor the somber look on his face. Had he changed his mind about working for the network? He had seemed very happy working with Dr. Lipton these last few weeks.

“Étienne,” Sean said, “I would like you to transform me.”

Krysta’s jaw hit the floor. “What?”

Sean held up his hands. “Now, hear me out—”

“That would be awesome!” she practically shouted.

Sean blinked. “What?”

Jumping up and down, she tugged on Étienne’s arm. “You have to do it! That would be so cool! You have to do it! You have to do it!”

Étienne hesitated. He didn’t want to disappoint Krysta or squash her excitement, especially after she had just made his existence by agreeing to be his wife, but . . . “Are you sure?” he asked Sean.

“I’m sure. If you doubt me, read my mind.”

Étienne did and found, to his relief, absolute certainty.

“I’m as proficient with weapons as Krysta is,” Sean said, “so I wouldn’t require a lot of training.”

Krysta nodded. “He’s good. He really is.”

Étienne smiled. She was like a child trying to convince a parent to buy her that one special toy she wanted for Christmas. “What about medical school?”

Krysta sobered. “Oh. Crap. I forgot about that.”

“I didn’t,” Sean said. “Since I’ll be able to do everything faster, including read, I can finish my studies in record time under Dr. Lipton’s instruction. She has already agreed to oversee my education and I can serve my residency at network headquarters.”

Étienne was impressed. “Sounds like you’ve considered everything.”

“I have. When I’m not studying, I’ll be able to hunt instead of having to sit on the sidelines as I have for the last six years.” His thoughts revealed just how much that had bothered him. “I’ll be able to heal—Krysta or anyone else who needs it—without risking my life. And I could potentially live forever.”

With everything that had been happening in recent years, the enemies who had risen up against them, the Immortal Guardians could use another healer in the area. “As long as Seth grants his approval, I’ll do it.”

Squealing, Krysta threw her arms around Étienne and hugged him tight, then hugged her brother.

Cam clapped Sean on the back. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

“So . . . you’re okay with what will happen when Étienne bites you?”

Sean nodded. “Dr. Lipton told me what to expect and I saw what Krysta went through with the illness, so yeah.”

Face solemn, Cam shook his head. “I wasn’t talking about the illness. I was talking about the other thing.”

What other thing? Étienne asked him silently. What are you doing?

Just having a little fun with him. Play along.

“What other thing?” Sean asked, smile fading.

Cam lowered his voice conspiratorially. “You know. The intense sexual bond it will forge between you two.”

Étienne was looking at Krysta when Cam made the absurd claim and nearly burst into laughter. Lightning fast, her eyes widened, she flashed all of her teeth in a grin, then sobered just as Sean turned a stricken gaze upon her.

She nodded solemnly. “It’s true.”

You are so bad , he told her.

Don’t make me laugh! This is hilarious! Look at his face!

“Dr. Lipton didn’t say anything about a sexual bond,” Sean said, the picture of unease.

Krysta shrugged. “She was probably too embarrassed. You’re about to become her student. I doubt she wanted you to know she was overcome with lust for Roland and tore his clothes off when he bit her. Especially since she and Bastien were already a couple then,” she lied with silent glee.

Cam nodded. “You’ve seen the movies. Being bitten is always . . . incredibly erotic.”

Krysta nodded. “Orgasmic.”

Sean swallowed. “Umm . . . Okay. Wait.” He actually began to sweat.

Krysta burst out laughing.

Unable to keep a straight face any longer, Étienne did, too. Then Cam.

Realizing he’d been punked, Sean swore and gave Cam a hard shove. “You asshole!”

Cam staggered. “You should have seen your face!”

“Uncool, man.” He turned to Krysta. “And you!” Locking an arm around her neck, he drew her down and ruffled the hell out of her hair.

She laughed all the while, letting him do it even though she was strong enough to toss Sean through the roof if she wanted to.

When he released her, Sean smiled wryly up at Étienne. “So you’ll transform me?”

“With Seth’s permission, yes.”

“And there won’t be anything sexual?”

“No.”

Krysta shook her head, still smiling. “The bite actually hurts like hell. You won’t be having any warm and fuzzy feelings for him. Trust me.”

“Good.” He narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “You guys are so wrong.”

“I wanna be a cowboy,” a man began to sing to an eighties beat. “And you can be my cowgirl.”

Scowling, Étienne glanced around, then realized it was his cell phone. Damn it. He really needed to figure out who kept changing his . . . ringtone. He looked at Cam, whose mirth was unmistakable. “You?” he demanded incredulously. Cam was as staid and stolid as they came.