“My conversational skills.”
Meg burst out laughing, and it took a moment for Amaia to realize why. When she did, she couldn’t control the laughter that bubbled out of her. Her laughter made Meg laugh harder. The more she heard Meg laugh, the more she had to laugh, until she was forced to stop running to try to take control of the spasms racking her body. The two of them were rolling on the ground in hysterics when Lawrence and Liam reached them.
“What’s going on?” Lawrence’s voice held a confused curiosity. Liam quirked an eyebrow, as if this wasn’t entirely unexpected but just out of place enough to warrant attention.
“I have excellent conversational skills. Don’t I, Meg?” Amaia gasped. Her ribs squeezed her abdomen, and her facial muscles began to stiffen.
“Yes.” Meg choked on the word as both girls were thrown into another fit of giggles.
“I don’t understand.” Lawrence sounded less than amused.
“I wouldn’t try to if I were you.” Liam slapped the other man on the shoulder, and they walked away.
***
“When did you and Liam become mates?” The rocking of the carriage as they journeyed caused the light spilling through the windows to dance. Amaia and Meg traveled inside while Liam and Lawrence rode on horseback. Running would be easier, but it looked better if they didn’t appear from nowhere in a new community.
“We’ve been together for seventy-six years.” Meg’s voice changed when she spoke of him, as did her energy. It acquired a certain softness.
“How does that work?” The whole process fascinated Amaia. Mainly, she wanted to know how it was similar to or different from how humans fell in love.
“What do you mean? Given your line of work, I’d think you’d know all there is to know.”
“Hardly. I can’t understand committing myself to one person, making myself vulnerable like that. It doesn’t make any sense.” Amaia fingered her ring. At one time, it had made sense. Then again, her fierce independence had been the source of the only arguments she and Michael ever had. In the end, independence won.
“It does when you meet the right person. You’ll know when it happens. It’s instinctual. When I first met Liam, I knew I wouldn’t go anywhere without him ever again. He makes me stronger.”
It seemed Amaia and Meg had different definitions of strength. “But if he dies, you’ll die too. Isn’t that how it works?”
“More or less. If one of us dies, the other one will likely follow. Just thinking about spending an eternity without him is enough to drive me mad.” Meg was silent for a moment, and Amaia felt her melancholy. “No. If he dies, I will seek death as well. I won’t live like that.”
“So you’ll kill yourself? How is that even possible?”
“Staking, fire, they’re both means of death that can be self-inflicted. I’ve seen vampires who simply give in to the madness, forcing another vampire to kill them.”
“I guess I just don’t understand what’s so great about it. If love was so wonderful, I suspect Lawrence would have mated.”
“It is odd that he hasn’t.” Meg let her curiosity show on her face.
“Zenas doesn’t allow any of his children to mate with vampires he hasn’t created.”
“It must be strange belonging to such a large clan. I didn’t think Zenas allowed vampires he didn’t create to join. I was a little surprised when I first heard you belonged with him.”
“Normally, he doesn’t. I think Lawrence is one of his favorites, though. It was quite a big to-do when he created me.”
“I can’t imagine being told I could or could not mate with someone.”
“And I can’t imagine life without the clan constantly over my shoulder. You didn’t answer my question. What’s so great about mating?”
“Besides the obvious?”
“Obvious?” Amaia didn’t know what she was talking about.
“The sex. It’s incredible with Liam. Far better than it was as a human.”
“I have plenty of sex, thank you.”
“Not like this you don’t. Mated sex is different. Swapping venom-blood is an incredibly intimate, intense feeling. It’s like getting drunk on the person you love. Just wait. You’ll see.”
“No, I won’t. I don’t plan on ever mating.”
Meg gave her a knowing look. “We’ll see.”
“Well, I think risking your life for a good lay is stupid.” Amaia was surprised at the venom in her words, but Meg didn’t seem to mind.
“It’s more than that. The companionship, knowing there’s someone out there who understands you. That level of devotion and loyalty. Knowing that wherever I go, I’m never alone.”