l sec-onds, she continued staring at the part of the hall

certain i

plet

something else, then changed her mind, gave a brief nod, and walked

did I realize how much t

t I had somehow wan-dered into another world and overheard a conversation never meant for me. Now that explanation

ually sense

you s

utline, but you're much closer now than you were bef

spread across the floor-everything had depth and weight and a life of its own. Even the air felt r

hall, the woman who just left.

cts us is getting stronger. I don't know why it's

did not contain another

s we can finally introduce ourselves properly. You k

ile touched

mia

easily, as though it had al-ready been

t once. I touched it instinc-tively t

re you

ing I'm prepar

he refusal wi

rig

me, no indulgent as you wishconcealing every intention of returning to the subject f

Which leaves the more im-portant questi

. Your body may be asleep in

iciously. "And wher

nced aroun

wo

rds any theatrical significance. Perhaps that was why they sou

ding in your world at the same time. An

ply try not to confus

aped me. "U

siona

nough to change his face-and with i

an answered them, and as long as we maintained that order I could concentrate on

e fell

ed the lake fa

beside me, the closeness I had been able to dismiss as part

considerably l

tarted t

, and I could see every step he took. I could have moved away a

d where

e I could

I did no

t appeared almost black in shadow and unexpectedly lighter beneath the moon. Heat seemed to radiate from him despite t

and immediatel

cl

ure remained, but there was something beneath it now-a restrained, unmistakably mal

ected me far more

I realized how long h

derstand how much

ve to be more specifi

lingered

de of a closed door. I knew you were there. Sometimes I could see you or hea

ened before I

Damian's gaze dr

was e

your warmth,

ent

aw. Until then, it had been easier to believe that t

tly, it

sed one ha

d every

ck, turned away, stoppe

e of thos

my cheek and stopped

be-lieve in them. Heat flared where the touch should have been

not tou

in burned as

of him, every other sensation sharpened. I could hear his breathing, feel his

ain, the composure in Da

e said quietly. "Can

d irritation, answered his question with one of

I did no

es

nother few seconds be

d with it, leaving behind a completel

t even to

, I wante

was

e hoping I have an explanation, I'

g he doesn't know something without collapsing under the

flickered

favor,

e. I haven't

interfere with

ade me

that he had not once used it to pressure me. Even now, when the attraction

ss was how badly I wanted to

thout those l

emember that I had n

ng, at least. What do yo

e left h

d feel you long befor

immediately ce

w l

answer, but neve

burned aga

floor shifted beneath me; the stone walls trembled and lost their

li

, real alarm enter

ed tow

for him was sensible. In a world suddenly coming apart

ache

did t

ween us, erasing his face, the hall, the moon beyond the win-dows. The last

th a shar

iliar shapes around me, the faint city noise beyond the window, the ordinary world settling back into p

hed my

actly where Damian's

eck. The warmth remained there

ty of his gaze, his raised hand, the silver light breaking between us. I could call it

anations changed the o

, Damian had not reached for me fi

eached