DARKCELEBRATION

By

ChristineFeehan

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ky lerglancedacrosstheroom andm etburningice-blueey es.Herheartflutteredinresponse.Shewantedtolookaway,butshecouldonly stand,m esm erized,feelingtheheatofhisgaze,andseeingthestarkhungerinthedepthsofhisey es.Her

breathcaughtinherthroatandherhandwenttothependantly inghiddenbeneathherblouse.Shedrewitout,fingerswrappingaroundthelittleblue-ey edwolf,holdingitinthepalm ofherhand.Atonceitgrewwarm ,andtoherastonishm ent,shefelt
lipspressintotheexactcenterofherpalm .

Shecouldn’topenherhandorlookaway.Shecouldonly starehelplessly asthem anrosegracefully from thebarstoolandm adehisway acrosstheroom toher.Hem ovedwithouthurry,m usclesrippling,fluidandgraceful,every lineofhisbody
exudingpower.Hislongblackhairwasbrushedbackfrom hisface,accentuatingthecarvedfeatures,thestrong,m asculinej aw.Hergazeflickedtohism outhandthenj um pedbacktohisglacier-coldey es.Every wherehisstrangely coloredey es
touchedher,herskingrewhot.

Dim itriheldouthishandtoher.“Onedance,littleone.Nothingm ore.Itwillhavetolastm ealongtim e.”

Shecouldseethebleaklonelinessinhisey es,buthisfacewasanexpressionlessm ask.Shehesitated,wantingtogivehim thisonegift.ItwasChristm as,afterall,andhewasn’taskingthatm uchofher.“Ihaveadifficulttim etouchingpeople,”she
adm itted.“Icanfeeltheirem otionsandknowtheirthoughts.It’suncom fortable.”

“Ihealedy ourhandsearlier,Sky ler,andy ouhadnoproblem s.Icanblocky ouwithouttoom ucheffortanditwillbewellworththetrouble.”

Hekepthishandout,palm up,sim ply waitingforher.Hiscom pellinggazeneverlefthers.Shesteppedclosertotheheatofhisbody.Allaroundthem ,peoplecrowdedclose,butshewasoblivioustoany onebuthim .Clutchingthependantasifitwasa
charm abletobreakspells—asacredtalism an—herthum bcaressedthewolf’shead,slidingovertheshaggy headtocaresstheblueey es.Thesapphireswereexquisite,flawlessandtiny,ararefindm adeby anactualgem -callercenturiesearlier,as
wasthependentitself.Shefeltitspower—itsprotection—from allbutthism an.

Herfingerstouchedhis.Warm thslidupherarm ,curledinthepitofherstom achandspreadthroughherbody untilshegrewsham efully hot.Beforeshecouldsnatchherhandback,hisfingersclosedoverhersandwithatendernessthatstoleherbreath,
hepulledheragainsthim ,socloseherbody brushedupagainsthis.Hefelthot.Hard.Safe.Dangerous.Every thingrolledintoone.

Sky lerswallowedhardandm ovedwithhim ,herheartpoundingsolouditthunderedinherears.

“Relax,”hebreathedthewordinherear,hisbreathteasinghersenses,hislipsskim m ingherearlobe.“I’m notseducingy ou,littleone,only dancingwithy ou.”

Buthecouldseduceher.Sherecognizeditthem om entshewasinhisarm s.Herbody nolongerbelongedtoher.Hisarm sfeltasaferefuge,y etherbody reactedwithurgentneed.Itwasim possibletocontrolherresponsetohim .Forallherprotests,
forallherfears,sherealizedthism anwasincontrolofm orethanj usthisownfate—hecontrolledhers.Ifhedidm orethantreathergently —ashewasdoing—shecouldbelost,swallowedby them agneticpulloflifem ates,theneedtobewithhim no
m atterwhatelseshefelt—nom atterthepersonalcost.Shedidn’tneedtolovehim ,butshehadtobewithhim .

Tearswelledup.Hisfingersslidintoherhair,pressedherheadtohim ,sothatherreactionwasshieldedby hischest,sothatthetearsfellonhisshirtratherthantricklingdownherface.

Ihavenotboundustogether.Hisvoice,velvetsoft,whisperedinherm ind.Youaresafe—evenfromme,Skyler.

Sheshookherhead.Howcouldshebesafe?Howcouldshelivewithherselfknowinghesufferedbecauseofherinadequacies?Dim itrilivedinaworldofviolenceandhewastruly adangerousm an,y etwithher,hewassogentleandkind.Butitwasn’t
real.Beneaththeveneerofcivilization,shecaughtglim psesofthatvery frighteningm an,soconfidentinaworldwheresurvivalreally wasofthefittest.Inaworldofkillorbekilledhewascom fortable—andshecouldneverbe.

Forgetthefutureandthepast.Livewithmenow—inthismoment.

Thetem ptationseepedintoherm ind—herheart.Dim itrishiftedherinhisarm s,holdingherwithgreatcare,hisbody leadingherswithgracefulrhy thm .Shetookabreathandletgo,allowedherselftosinkintohim ,intohisheatandhiscare.

ChristineFeehan

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arackstaredoutovertheblackenedruinsofthebattlefield.Thevam pireshadreducedaoncebeautifullandtosm okeandash.Thetreesweptpoisonoustearsthatdrippedandrandowntwistedtrunks.Brittlebrancheshadshearedoffleaving

j aggedstum psalongthecrackedandbleedingtrunks.Below,onthegroundstrippedofallgreen,lay brokenbrancheslikefallenwarriors.

Alonewom anwalkedbarefootinthem iddleofthem assacre,herarm swidespread,herheadthrownback,lookingupattheheavy,snowlacedclouds.Herm assoflonghairblewaroundherlikeasilkencape,caressinghershapely hipswithevery step
shetook.Sheworeasim pleskirtthatflutteredandabriefpeasanttop,y etshelookedaqueenasshem ovedthroughthebarrenland.Behindher,likeabrightcarpetofhopestandingoutstarkly againstthedevastation,ineachprintofherfoot,greengrass
andtiny sproutspushedthroughtheblackenedsoil.
Thewindcarriedthesoundofhervoice,softandm elodious,asherchantcoaxedthegroundtogiveupnewlife.Shebegantosway withtherhy thm ofhersong,herfeetfollowingacenturies-oldpatternknownonly tothewom enofherlineage.Her
handswoveanintricategracefuldesignintheairandwithevery sweepthewindrustledthroughthewiltedleavesandbreathedlifebackintothem .

BarackheldhisbreathashewatchedSy ndilperform thedanceofhealingoverthescarredland,hisheartkeepingtim etothem usic,hispulsethunderinginhisears.Shewasbeautiful.Ethereal.Shewasalegendcom etolife,m ovingwithsuchgrace
andbeauty throughtheutterdevastationofthelandthatthecontrastbroughttolightthestruggleoflifeanddeathandgoodandevil.

Sy ndilseem edoblivioustotheringofwatchers,butBarackwasacutely awareofthem ,oftheaweontheirfaces,therespectandshock.Therewassuchpowerinherfem ininem agic.Them alesofhisspecieswerewarriors,darkanddangerous,calling
downthestorm s,usingthelightning,y ettheirwom enhadsuchinfluenceinharm onizingtheuniverse.They weregatheredaswell,standingshouldertoshoulderwiththem en.Thewindruffledtheirhairand,asonethey steppedforward,liftingtheir
arm sandsway ingtoSy ndil’srhy thm .Desariliftedhervoicefirst,hersongrisingtoblendwithSy ndil’schant.Theancientwords,unlikethem oregutturalsoundsofthehealingchant,wereablendofm elodiespleasingtotheear.

Oneby onetheotherwom enj oinedin,untiltheforestrangwiththeirsong,aidingSy ndil’spower,sothatenergy crackledintheairallaroundtheblackenedfield.Newshootssprangupevenfaster,leavesontreesburstforthinvibranthuesofgreens.
TheirfeetfoundthepatternofSy ndil’sdanceandthegracefulm ovem entofherhands,andthey m ovedinacirclearoundtheareawhereshewasworking,allthewhilefeedingtheirstrengthtoher.

Them enform edatighterringofprotection,wary ey esseekingtheinterioroftheforestsurroundingthem ,takinginthetopsofthetreesandthegroundwhereSy ndilperform edwhatam ountedtoam iracle.

Barackalm ostm issedtheslightriseofthesoil,assom ethingsinisterfollowedSy ndilwithstealth,m ovingj ustbeneaththesurface,pushingthedirtupnom orethanahalfaninch.Syndil!Behindandbelowyou!Hecalledtoherontheirm ostintim ate
path,knowing,evenashetooktotheair,thatsheneverheardany oneorany thingwhenshehealedtheearth.

ChristineFeehan