9. Dead And Gone - Morto e Spacciato

........(.......).......“Now that you and Eric are openly pledged,” Victor said in a silky voice, “you certainly won’t want to
see Quinn, and I’ll tell him so.”
“We’rewhat ?” I glared at Eric, who was looking at me with an expression I can only describe as bland.
“The knife,” Victor said, sounding even happier. “That’s its significance. It’s a ritual knife handed down
over the centuries and used in important ceremonies and sacrifices. It’s not the only one of its kind, of
course, but it’s rare. Now it’s only used in marriage rituals. I’m not sure how Eric came to have
possession of it, but its presentation from you to Eric, and his acceptance, can only mean that you and
Eric are pledged to each other.”
“Let’s all step back and take a deep breath,” I said, though I was the only person in the room who was
breathing. I held up my hand as though they’d been advancing on me and my “halt” gesture would stop
them. “Eric?” I tried to pack everything into my voice, but one word can’t carry that much baggage.
“This is for your protection, dear heart,” he said. He was trying to be serene so that some of that serenity
would run through our bond and drown my agitation.
“This is sheer gall. How could you do this without talking to me about it? How could you think I would
let you commit me to something without talking about it first? We haven’t even seen each other in
months.”
“I’ve been a little busy here. I’d hoped your sense of self-preservation would kick in,” Eric said, which
was honest, if not tactful. “Can you doubt that I want what’s best for you?”
“I don’t doubt that you want whatyou think is best for me,” I said. “And I don’t doubt that that marches
right along with what you think is good foryou .”
Victor laughed. “She knows you well, Eric,” he said, and we both glared at him. “Ooops,” he said, and
pretended to zip his mouth shut.
“Eric, I’m going home. We’ll talk about this soon, but I don’t know when. I’m running the bar while
Sam’s gone. There’s trouble in his family.”
.....(......)......
Eric rose and vaulted over the desk in a movement that was as startling as it was impressive. Suddenly he
was right in front of me, and his arms went around me, and he held me to him. It took everything I had to
keep my back stiff, to keep from relaxing against him. It’s hard to explain how the bond made me feel.
No matter how furious I got with Eric, I was happier when I was with him. It wasn’t that I yearned for
him uncontrollably when we were separated; it was just that I was aware of him. All the time. I wondered
if it was the same for him.
“Tomorrow night?” he said, releasing me.
“If I can get away. We have a lot to talk about.” I gave Victor a stiff nod, and I left. I glanced back once
to see the knife shining against the black velvet as it lay on Eric’s desk.
....(....).....
And thanks to my own dazed affection . . . or warmth . . . or infatuation . . . for the Viking vampire, I had
done exactly what he’d asked without consulting my common sense.
I didn’t know who I was angrier with—myself, or Eric.

“ora che tu e Eric siete promessi/fidanzati/sposati-disse Victor con una voce vellutata-non vorrai di certo rivedere Quinn e glielo diro’
“Noi siamo cosa?”-mi riivolsi verso Eric che mi stava guardando con un’espresisone che potrei definire calma.
“Il pugnale”-Victor disse in tono felice-è questo il suo significato.è un pugnale che si usa durante particolari rituali da molti secoli e viene usato anche nei sacrifici.Non è il solo della sua specie ovviamente, ma è raro. Adesso lo si usa solo in riti matrimoniali.Non sono sicuro di come Eric ne sia entrato in possesso, ma la presentazione da parte tua e il suo accettarlo puo’ solo dire che tu e Eric siete promessi uno all’altro.
“facciamo un passo indietro e facciamo un bel respiro”-dissi, anche se ero l’unica nella stanza che stava respirando.Alzai la mano nel mono per fermarli mentre mi stavano per dire qualcosa- “Eric?”- cercai di dire tutto attraverso la mia voce ma una sola parola non era abbastanza per quel momento.
“Era per la tua sicurezza, tesoro-disse.Stava cercando di restare sereno cosi che la sua serenità si trasferisse anche a me per via del legame.
“Hai una bella faccia tosta!”Come hai potuto farmi questo senza chiedermelo?Come hai potuto pensare che avrei lasciato che tu mi coinvolgessi in qlcs senza chiedere?Non ci siamo visti per mesi!!”
“Sono stato molto occupato. Ho sperato che il tuo spirito di preservazione prevalesse-disse Eric con onestà ma poco tatto- Dubiti che voglia il meglio per te?.
“non dubito che tu voglia il meglio per me-dissi-e non dubito nemmeno che questo si leghi anche a quello che puo’ essere meglio per te.
Victor rise.”Ti conosce molto bene,Eric”-disse e entrambi gli lanciammo un’occhiata.”Ooops”-disse, e tacque.
“Eric, vado a casa.parleremo di questo presto, ma non so quando.Devo pensare al bar mentre Sam ha i suoi preblemi in famiglia”….
…(…)…
Eric si alzò e volteggio sopra la scrivania un un modo che è difficile non possa impressionare. Subito mi fu difronte e le sue braccia si cinsero intonro a me e mi strinse a lui. Mi ci volle molto per non cedere e rilassarmi contro di lui. E’ difficile spiegare come il nostro legame di sangue mi facesse sentire.Non importa quanto fossi furiosa con lui, ero felice quando ero con lui.Non che mi angosciassi quando eravamo separati.Ero consapevole di lui e qualche volta mi chiedevo se per lui era lo stesso.
“Domanis era?”-disse, mentre allentava la presa.
“se riesco a liberarmi.abbiamo molto di cui parlare”- feci un cenno di saluto a Victor e me ne andai. Mi voltai solo epr lanciare un’occhiataccia al pugnale che brillava contro la custodia nera sulla scrivania di Eric.
…(…)…
E grazie al mio affetto …o calore…o infatuazione per il Vichingo, avevo fatto esattamente quello che mi aveva chiesto senza nemmeno consultare il mio volere.
Non sapevo con chi essere arrabbiata-me o Eric.