They were bonded, and she was glad.
As her spasms faded, she collapsed on top of him, a single thought registering in her mind: his skin was no longer black and blue, but tan and healthy.
She was grinning as she fell asleep.
LUCIEN DOZED ON AND OFF for several hours, a sleeping, sated Anya never far from his side, even when Death called him into the spirit realm. Lucien took Anya with him, cuddled in his arms. She hadn't awakened, though she'd managed to remain on her feet with him as her anchor. He thought perhaps she was truly relaxed for the first time in thousands of years, no longer worried about being attacked, captured or raped, and was finally catching up on her sleep.
Right now they were back in bed and one of his hands cupped her breast, the other draped over her stomach. For the first time in his life, he was utterly content, at peace. He wanted to stay here forever. Hold her forever. To protect her, however, he could do neither.
He planned to contact the other warriors, tell them about Anya and instruct them to care for her if he failed to find the Cage of Compulsion in time. How he hated the word. Failed. It meant Cronus still had power over him. Meant he would die. Something he was prepared and willing to do, though he did not want Anya grieving eternally for him.
"We have to go back to the mountain," he said, the words echoing through the room.
Lucien's chest constricted as Anya moaned and her eyelids slowly opened. "Not yet," she grumbled, her voice sleep-rich and sexy.
"We must. No telling what William is doing up there. You have his book. He might be looking for a way to hurt you."
Rumpled and groggy, she inched up, silky hair tumbling down her bare shoulders. Gods, he loved her. For her sake, he should have pushed her away. He should not have penetrated that tight, hot sheath. But he could not make himself regret it. She'd given herself to him freely, completely.
"You're right, no telling what he's doing." Anya stretched like a contented cat. Buried under the thick covers as they were, their skin was slicked with sweat and she slid against him. "How do you feel?" she asked huskily.
"Better. The bullet popped out and the hole closed." He caressed her cheek. "Thank you for the gifts of your love and your body."
"Oh, anytime."
"Are you sorry?" What if she had bound herself to his demon, as well? Gods. The thought horrified him.
"Hell, no!" She rolled onto her stomach, folded her arms and rested her cheek on her wrist. She peered over at him, more love than he'd ever seen in the blue depths of her eyes. "I'm, like, crazy-happy. That was absolutely, utterly, unbelievably, I'm-king-of-the-world amazing. But I know what you're thinking, and you can stop. Your demon can't get enough of me, and I have a thing for bad boys. Sure we don't have time for one more round? We could have a three-way. You, me and the demon."
What had he ever done to deserve her? "I am sure."
Pouting, she lumbered out of bed to dress. "Well, for future reference we need to get it on at least twice a day."
"No. That, I will not agree to. We must get it on four times a day."
That earned a soft chuckle from her.
Enchanted, he sat up. "Have you ever seen the Cage of Compulsion?"
As she tugged on her pants—surely it was a crime to cover such beautiful legs—she said, "No, but if I'm remembering my history lessons correctly, Cronus had Hephaistos the blacksmith make it for him because he had heard rumors of a coming insurrection and hoped to force battle plans and truths out of the beings he placed inside."
Lucien frowned as he considered her words. "Such an item hardly seems likely to aid a search for Pandora's box."
"Well, whoever is locked inside it is compelled to obey the command of its owner. I can only assume we're supposed to trap someone inside it and command them to tell us something. Maybe Hydra herself."
He pondered that for a moment, his frown deepening. "If you were locked inside and the owner commanded you to kill yourself…"
"First of all, no one can lock me inside of anything because of my…" She paled, guilt filling her eyes.
He didn't want her feeling guilty about keeping the key. "Anya."
"Yes," she added with much less enthusiasm. "Without the key, yes, I would be forced to kill myself, unable to stop the action."
His hands fisted on the covers. He didn't like the sound of this cage. He liked the idea of Cronus regaining possession of it even less. What else could he use to bargain for Anya's life, though?
Anya smiled at him, a little sad, as if she sensed his turmoil. Yes, she could, he realized a moment later, because he could suddenly feel her inner fear that he was not as healthy-looking as he'd appeared last night.
The bonding must allow them to sense each other's emotions. He even thought, if he tried, he would be able to read her mind.
"Up and at 'em, sexy," she said with false cheer, just before flashing away.
He tensed. "Anya?" Where had she gone? And why had she gone? "Anya!"
Just as he was gearing up to track her down, she reappeared. She was holding a bundle of clothing, which she threw at him. "I know where William keeps his weapons. Want a few?"
Lucien relaxed and nodded.
She blinked at him in surprise. "Really? We'll be stealing."
The corners of his mouth edged into a smile. "I have found that I do not mind that so much."
"Right on, Flowers!" She gave him another grin, all hint of sadness gone, and he once more felt as though he'd conquered the world. "I must say, your miseducation is coming along nicely."
"That's because my tutor is a strong and courageous woman and I will do anything to please her." He quickly dressed and stood next to her, hating even the smallest distance. "She is everything to me, and her happiness is my happiness."
Expression suddenly serious, Anya rose on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Don't worry, lover. Everything really will be okay."
Such assurance frightened him, because he knew it meant she was planning something. Something guaranteed to save him. Something foolish and reckless, like giving up the All-Key. She would weaken, like him. She would lose her powers, becoming vulnerable, trapped. He almost allowed himself to try to sweep into her mind, divine her thoughts, but stopped. She had willingly bound herself to him, and he would not betray her for it. Would not try to control her as the curse had intended.
"Anya," he said, grabbing hold of her shoulders and shaking. "You promised me you would never—"
"Let's go get those weapons," she interjected with another of those too-bright smiles. She disappeared a moment later, leaving him with nothing but air.
CHAPTER TWENTY
ANYA SHOWED LUCIEN WHERE William kept his weapons and together they liberated a machete, a hatchet and several bejeweled daggers. All while she kept up a steady chatter so that he wasn't given a chance to mention the All-Key again. When they finished, she materialized in the very cave she'd left the warrior in, Lucien hot on her heels.
Though she was dressed in her thermals and her coat, ice-cold air instantly assaulted her. Damn, she'd acclimated to the warmth; her body was no longer prepared for the chill. She shivered, her gaze locking on Lucien. His color was better, and he could stand without toppling over now, but there were shadows under his eyes and stress lines around his mouth.
He still wasn't operating at full strength, and that worried her. What's more, he thought he was going to die. Earlier, she'd heard the thought echo in his mind. She'd nearly burst into tears like a pitiful human.
"The cave is empty," Lucien said, his shock clear.