Part 10 (1/2)

Liza laughed. ”Yeah. She and I are like oil and water.”

Hours later Liza was walking into the open ballroom on the arm of Lucian. When the King was announced everyone turned looking at them. They descended the stairs coming to a halt in the middle of the dance floor. Lucian pulled her into his arms as the strains of a waltz began. They were whirling around the ballroom. Liza was stiff in his arms still on edge. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Morvan was here she could feel his evil permeating the room. She could not make a move until he did though. If he didn't threaten Lucian she would have to make the first move. A crowded ballroom was not the place for that she knew. Morgana was walking around the outskirts of the room her eyes scanning the room, looking for the Jinn. She shook her head slightly when their eyes met. She had not found the a.s.sa.s.sin yet.

”You are tense. Calm down, I am fine.” Lucian whispered against her ear.

”I do not like waiting for someone to attack you Lucian.”

”I know, but we must allow them to tip their hand.” Lucian kissed her ear and she s.h.i.+vered. Need filled her making her steps faultier slightly.

Liza was not happy when the dance was over. She was swept away by Marcus. Lucian was approached by another woman. She did not like him taking her into his arms and whirling her around the floor. She almost growled.

”My dear that is a very unbecoming glow in your eyes.” Marcus warned. Liza tried to control her rage. There was something off about the woman with Lucian she just didn't know what it was.

”Tell Dominick that he needs to get her away from Lucian. Tell him Marcus.” She demanded.

The man chuckled. ”Dear, you cannot prevent every woman from touching him. He is their king.”

”Marcus, you need to get that woman away from him now.” Her voice was a growl, and she knew that her eyes were glowing.

”Fine, but you are overreacting.”

Only at that moment Lucian was leaning towards the woman, his eyes glazed. She opened the bond.

Lucian do not touch that woman.

Li-Liza...

Came his confused reply as he turned towards her looking slightly dazed. He stumbled back from the woman, and Dominick appeared beside him. Liza saw it then the slight dark trail that had been on the woman's skin. Dominick grabbed the woman jerking her away from Lucian. Liza moved to his side. Reaching out she grabbed him as he swayed, his eyes glazed.

He had been spelled. ”Lucian, look at me.” His eyes turned to her and she could see that he was still caught in the spell. She leaned towards him.

”Liza...” He whispered. His eyes still glazed. Dominick held the woman, who she now saw was a friend of Tara's, by the arm. The woman began screaming like Tara had. Her eyes were glazed and Liza realized that she was spelled too. s.h.i.+t, maybe the way Tara had acted the other day was not normal. She tried to remember if the woman's eyes had been glazed. She couldn't.

”You need to kiss me now Liza.” Lucian said his hand on her arm. She looked up at him seeing the need that was present in his eyes.

Liza kissed Lucian, his hand coming to rest against her waist, his tongue taking hers in a claiming kiss. Then suddenly the woman began shrieking. Liza pulled back from Lucian, shocked by the woman's screeching. She looked at Lucian seeing that the haze had begun to clear from his eyes, she turned to the shrieking woman. She was fighting Dominick as hard as she was able then three guards were grabbing her to drag her away. She was distracted by the commotion and did not notice the a.s.sa.s.sin whose dart landed squarely in Lucian's chest. She did however feel his body begin to fall behind her and turned letting out a shriek of her own.

Lucian had been dancing with Lauren a woman he did not care for, but she was the daughter of one of the council members and he did not want to be rude by refusing to dance with her. He was shocked to feel a haze coming over him a few moments into the dance. He watched the woman, who he had never realized was so beautiful. She was glowing like an angel.

He wanted to be closer and leaned towards the woman, his lips hovering over hers. She was not his Liza, why was he feeling the need to kiss her. He did not understand. His mate was the only woman he wanted, yet he could not seem to pull away from her. She was such a beauty, he thought, even as he fought to pull away in horror. Then Liza's pure voice burst into his mind, sounding panicked.

Lucian do not touch that woman.

Li-Liza... He tried to move further away from the woman. Dominick was suddenly at his side pulling the woman away from him. He turned seeking Liza he found his mate glowing golden in the crowd. Her sapphire and diamond dress a vision of silvery beauty. Then she was next to him and he felt her near and he swayed.

”Lucian, look at me.” His eyes turned to her. He did not know what was wrong with him only that she was leaning towards him.

”Liza...” He whispered. His eyes still glazed. He suddenly need to kiss her, it was the only thought in his head. So he demanded. ”You need to kiss me now Liza.”

As their lips met he felt the haze that had been falling over him for the last few minutes lifting. As his tongue claimed hers he knew that he had been spelled, and that Liza had saved him from it. The woman began shrieking and she fought the guards as they began to drag her away. Liza turned watching the commotion. He then felt the sting of a dart that imbedded in his chest, then he felt the weakness of the mercury it was coated with. As he fell he heard Liza screaming.

Chapter 20.

Liza caught Lucian as he fell falling to her knees. Morgana moved after the Jinn a.s.sa.s.sin. That was when Morvan made his move. He drew a sword and his men spread out. Dominick rushed at him meeting him in the middle of the ballroom with his sword drawn. Liza removed the dart, her eyes wet with tears she watched Dominick fight Morvan not wanting to leave Lucian. He was weak, but he would survive. Only as she watched the fight she realized that Dominick would not win. He was fighting Morvan and his two lieutenants. Only they were all connected and he didn't realize.

He was focusing his strikes on Morvan, and he needed to take out the lieutenants first, or he would never die. She leaned down, touching her lips to Lucian's. His responded sluggishly.

”Forgive me.” She whispered. Then she rose her gown swirling around her she drew two swords from thin air, using one to cut her long gown into a short skirt, she moved towards Dominick.

”No, Liza.” He weakly roared after her.

He watched in horror as she grabbed Dominick who was about to get his arm sliced off and jerked him out of the way. Then she caught the sword coming at her in an impressive display of swordsmans.h.i.+p. Whirling, she began to fight the three men. Dominick took position at her back, protecting her from attack from behind. Lucian lay on the floor panting, wanting to rise and help his queen. Only due to the poison that was still in his system was he not already up and helping her.

Liza suddenly roared, ”NOW!” and little popping sounds as well as shrieks and yells were heard as people popped into the room. A woman with red hair and green eyes appeared next to him. She leaned down checking his pulse. He would have jerked away if he was not so weak. Then she shocked him even more when she offered her wrist.

”Drink, it will help.” Mina held her arm out to Liza's king.

”No, I cannot.” Lucian told her, watching her lips tighten.

”Drink, I am hers. It is safe for you to drink.” Mina nodded to the whirling silver and blue woman, who was barely more than a streak of colors as she fought the demons.

”I cannot. Only my queen's blood can nourish me now that we are bonded. You are hers?” He asked. His eyes moving to the battle. He roared out.

”Protect your queen!” To his men.

Liza was beautiful as she whirled slicing the head from one of Morvan's lieutenant's. He watched smiling grimly. His queen was a deadly force he realized, his heart swelling with pride. She would never be a weakness as the council had tried for two days to convince him. His men were fighting the slayers that surrounded them.

”Stop fighting the slayers! Protect your queen!” Lucian ignored the gasps of surprise from the vampires around them. What did surprise him as he watched was the sheer number of slayers who moved towards her when he had cried protect your queen. That was when it dawned on him who his Liza was. He grinned even as he whispered, ”Aurora.” The vampire boogieman was his new queen. He wanted to laugh.

Pieces of her nature that had never made sense fell into place. He had trouble making the two meet inside his head. His sweet, soft mate and the warrior who fought without hesitation.

”Yes, she is our queen.” Mina told him, hoping he would not break Liza's heart by rejecting her again.

”No, she is my queen.” He said firmly. ”And I am her king.”

Smiling, Mina nodded. Understanding that he was claiming Liza as his. He stumbled to his feet. Managing to stand. He had almost worked the poison from his system and as soon as he had he would go and help his queen.

”No, you will distract her. You need to allow her to fight this one. He has killed three of our people. She needs this fight, Lucian.” Mina told him desperately trying to get him to not rush into the fight.

He looked for a long moment at the woman standing beside him before he nodded. He did not like it, but he understood her need to take Morvan down. Knowing there was another way to help her he sent power streaming through the narrow mate-bond.