«Who is it?» She stood to the right of the door, gun in hand, finger on the trigger, safety off. The safeguards should hold, but she believed in being prepared. The tigress rose close to the surface, allowing her to utilize the incredible gift of scent. A man and woman, no sweat to indicate fear or danger, but she didn't let down her guard.
«Jubal and Gabrielle Sanders, ma'am. Your lifemate sent us to watch over you.»
Natalya let her breath out in a long, slow hiss of annoyance as she sagged against the wall. You're an idiot, Vik, sending them here. You know damn well I'll be trying to take care of them instead of the other way around. He couldn't hear her, but it gave her satisfaction to
say it. «I told him I didn't need a baby-sitter, thank you very much. He's flattering himself to think I might miss him.»
«Ma'am. We can't very well stand out here in the hall talking through the door.» There was a small silence. «Well, okay, we could, but we're going to attract a bit of attention eventually.»
«You could just go away,» Natalya said hopefully.
«We have orders from the prince, ma'am. We can't leave.»
«If you call me ma'am one more time, I may just shoot you right through the door,» Natalya said. She sighed. «Just a minute.» It took several minutes to remove the safeguards from the door. Staying to the side, gun rocksteady she took careful aim at the entrance. «Come on in.»
The man entered first. He was tall and stocky with wide shoulders and dark wavy hair. He grinned at her and raised his hands into the air, stepping aside for the woman to enter. Natalya noted he stepped to place his body between the gun and his sister. «This is my sister, Gabrielle. I'm Jubal Sanders. Basically, we're human in-laws to Traian.»
Gabrielle closed the door and slid the bolt into place. «Slavica, the innkeeper and her husband can vouch for us. Slavica and her daughter sometime help us watch Falcon and Sara's children. The children are human and can't go to ground so they need caretakers during the daylight hours.»
«I don't need Slavica to vouch for you, I can read your mind.» It was a lie. The brother and sister had very strong barriers, shields Natalya was certain the prince or Falcon had helped to construct.
Jubal's smile widened at her as if he knew she was lying. «Are you going to shoot us, because I'm beginning to feel like I'm in one of those gangster movies?»
«I'm still deciding,» Natalya said. «I haven't killed anyone today and I don't want to make that a habit. I have to stay in practice.»
«Well at least introduce yourself before you shoot me,» Jubal said, looking around the room, his eyebrow arching upward.
Natalya followed his gaze to all the scorch marks and blackened pieces of cardboard. «Natalya Shonski.» She slid the safety into place on the gun and waved them to chairs. «Thanks for coming, but I'm fine. I don't fall apart all that easy.» She was turning into a first-class liar. Her insides were raw with grief and there was hole burning its way through her throat. She managed a smile. «Vik tends to worry over the silliest things.»
Gabrielle looked around the room, trying to ignore the burn marks everywhere and focus on the brightly colored tapestries. «When we first came here, we stayed at this inn. Our
room had beautiful woven rugs, all in earth tones. This is very red.»
«Isn't it though? I wanted the television and the bathroom so I went with bright,» Natalya explained. «I really feel uncomfortable with putting the two of you out by making you stay with me.»
Jubal shrugged. «You're much easier than the kids. Sara has a million of them. They run me ragged. Okay, the question has to be asked. I'm sorry if this isn't considered polite, but what have you been doing in here?»
She tried to look innocent. «I have no idea what you're talking about.»
«It looks like you're the world's worst smoker, leaving old stogies burning while you fall asleep. Or, you're a closet pyromaniac and we'll have to be shot after all for discovering your secret. What gives?»
Natalya made a face. «I was working on a project, not smoking.» She shrugged when he kept looking at her. «I was experimenting. I don't have a flamethrower so I was making one. I needed to see how close I'd have to be to use it effectively.»
Jubal and Gabrielle exchanged a long stare. Gabrielle cleared her throat. «You were practicing in this room with a flamethrower?»
Natalya looked at all the blackened marks. «Well, yes. I was careful. I burned paper and old clothes and things. I kept water handy so if the fires were bigger than I expected, I could put them out immediately.»
«You were burning objects here in the room?» Jubal repeated.
Natalya scowled at him. «Don't be such a prig. I was experimenting. It's not like I was trying to set the building on fire. Do you think I can just go out and buy a flamethrower? They aren't that easy to come by.»
Jubal cleared his throat. «Why the obsession with a flamethrower?»
«Vik informed me I have to incinerate the heart of the vampire to kill it. I killed Freddie the vamp like twenty times, but he wouldn't die. He just kept getting back up again and again. It was downright annoying and a spooky and when I complained, Vik said I needed a flamethrower. Well…» She hedged. «He said I had to incinerate the heart and I can't just call down lightning or throw fireballs, so there you go.»
Jubal swept a hand through his hair, clearly agitated. «Let me get this straight. You've been inventing your own version of a flamethrower?»
«What the heck did you expect me to do? It isn't like I can go down to the local market and pick one up cheap. A can of hairspray and a lighter works, although I have to be way closer than I'd like. The good news is, it's easy to carry.»
«Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?» Jubal demanded.
«It was actually fun.»
Gabrielle burst out laughing at the expression on her brother's face. «Go, Natalya. You and my sister Joie will get along just fine.»
«Don't encourage her, Gabrielle,» Jubal chastised. «What does… er… Vik have to say about all this?»
Natalya's eyebrow shot up. «Vik doesn't say anything because it isn't his business how I choose to kill vamps.» She shrugged carelessly. «Whatever works. He has his methods of dealing with the undead and I have mine.»
«You don't think it's just a little bit weird that you're in your hotel room burning things up?» Jubal asked.
«The burning things up is a by-product of testing. I was testing out distances. And, by the way, you can't hold down the trigger because the flame comes back to the can and the can will blow up.»
«I'm surprised you didn't blow out a window.»
Natalya gave him a cool look. «I'm very good at what I do. I only blow up things I want to blow up.» She was becoming distracted again, unable to focus on the conversation. She turned away from her visitors, wanting to pull on her hair. Claws were dangerously close and she flexed her fingers several times to ease the aching.
The need to reach out and touch Vikirnoff's mind shook her with intensity. She could feel her heart pounding and sweat broke out on her body. He wasn't dead. He was asleep. Just asleep. And when he woke up she was going to make him dead. She wanted to strangle him slowly for putting her through hell.
«Do you blow things up often?»
«Jubal!» Gabrielle objected.
«I'm just curious. She's just like Joie. I swear, I'm always surrounded by females who think they can take on King Kong.»
A reluctant smile found it's way to Natalya's face. «I love that movie.»
«What were you watching?» He indicated the television set.
«I don't remember.» And she didn't. She loved the wonderful old television shows and B movies with their old-time special effects. It didn't matter what language they were in, they always provided entertainment, but now she couldn't remember a single thing she'd watched
all day. «But it wasn't King Kong.»
She couldn't make small talk with perfect strangers. She had learned how to appear friendly and never give anything of herself away, but somehow her life had changed. In any case, when she was so distraught, which was never, before Vikirnoff, the tigress roared for supremacy to protect her and that meant Jubal and Gabrielle Sanders might not be entirely safe.
Natalya felt empty without Vikirnoff. She twisted her fingers together and slid back down the wall to sit on the floor in the midst of her weapons. She wasn't afraid of the brother and sister; in such close quarters the tigress would make short work of them if the weapons proved useless, but she felt vulnerable. She'd never been so vulnerable and raw and exposed. Damn Vikirnoff and all Carpathian men!
«Natalya.» There was compassion in Gabrielle's gray eyes. «Raven Dubrinsky told me that one time years ago, Mikhail had to go to ground without her. He was wounded and she had not yet been converted. She said it was one of the most difficult periods of her life and she wanted me to tell you that if she could be with you right now, she would have come.»
«How bad are the prince's injuries?» Natalya asked, desperate to latch onto something that would keep her need of Vikirnoff at bay. If needing a man was a byproduct of being a lifemate to a Carpathian, she was more determined than ever to find a way to break the binding ritual. Not only did it suck, but it was humiliating to think she couldn't be without Vikirnoff for a couple of days. She'd been around the world several times by herself. Most of her life had been solitary. She did not need a man.
«His injuries were pretty bad. I didn't see him, but Raven was very upset. He was led into a trap,» Jubal said. «Both he and Falcon were attacked by several vampires in two separate instances. I think the vampires are trying to wear them down, to keep them injured and weaken them from blood loss rather than go in for the kill.»
«Vikirnoff thinks the vampires are gathering to kill the prince. Maxim, that's the master vampire, told Vik they would kill Mikhail and the entire race would be doomed.» Natalya drummed her fingers on the floor. «Is that true?»
«I haven't been here that long,» Gabrielle answered, «but Gary told me the prince is a major link between all Carpathians.»
«Gary?» Natalya prompted.
«Gary Jansen is one of those geeky guys who can do anything, know everything and talk so you can't understand him,» Jubal said, grinning at his sister.
«He is not.» Gabrielle flicked a chewing gum wrapper at her brother. «He's the kindest, most wonderful man around. And even Shea thinks Gary has the best chance for figuring out why the Carpathian women miscarry so often.» She smiled at Natalya. «He's brilliant.»
«A brilliant geek,» Jubal pointed out.
Gabrielle wrinkled her nose at her brother.
At once Natalya felt alone. She used to joke and tease with Razvan. The closeness between the Sander siblings reminded her of how much she'd lost. «I had a brother once.» She leaned her head back against the wall. «We were twins. He was handsome, Gabrielle, much like your brother. And a terrible flirt. Women chased after him all the time-and he liked it.»
«Jubal likes women, just not his sisters,» Gabrielle said.
«I like my sisters, especially when they don't talk. And you have to admit, they both are crazy.» Jubal grinned at her. «Like you. Did you make your brother crazy all the time?»
Natalya thought it over. «Probably. Yes. I only remember bits and pieces of my childhood with him, and we had to separate when we were older. After that, we met at night, in dreams, and exchanged information.»
Gabrielle frowned. «Why would you have to separate? We all live different lives but we see each other all the time.»
Natalya fought for the memories. More and more she was having flashbacks and piecing together bits of information. «It wasn't safe. We went opposite ways. He didn't know we could communicate in dreams.»
«Your brother? I'm confused,» Jubal said.
Natalya shook her head, frowning. «Not my brother. A man. I think he may have been my grandfather. In any case, Razvan and I were apart out of necessity. He was different toward the end. He wanted children. It was a big deal to him, more than having a wife. He was with a woman in California and later I found out there was a child; of course she's grown now. He also had a woman in Texas and one in France.» Before either of them could comment, she looked up. «Not at the same time, he was a wanderer and he never could stay in one place with one person. I have no idea if he had any more children. He never told me, but he wanted a child so much, it wouldn't surprise me. He was killed before he ever saw his child in California. She didn't even know who he was.»
«I'm sorry, Natalya, that must have been terrible for you to lose him. I wonder why he wanted children if he couldn't stay in one place. That would have been hard on children to have their father leave them all the time,» Gabrielle said.
«Are your parents still alive?» Natalya asked.
«Oh, yeah,» Jubal said with a grin. «Very much alive and I imagine they are grilling Joie and Traian about why they didn't wait to be married with the parents in attendance. Mom will be really upset, won't she, Gabrielle?»
«That's a nice way of putting it. Traian's in for a little surprise. I wish I was home this time, just to be a fly on the wall.»
Natalya liked the way they teased one another. It was obvious they were very close and it made her long for a family again. Even though she felt close to Razvan, she had been unable to spend time with him. Their hugs were in their dreams, rather than in flesh and blood real time. They had spent their very long lives in fear of the dark shadow stalking them. Razvan had deliberately taken the brunt of it in order to free Natalya, but she had been alone.
«You look so sad,» Gabrielle said.
«I miss my brother.» Natalya rubbed her chin on her knees. «And that lunkhead Vik.» She was used to being without Razvan, but Vikirnoff had wound his way into her heart and she seemed stuck with him.
Gabrielle exchanged another amused look with her brother. They had spent time with the Carpathian males and the idea of one being labeled a lunkhead or even using a nickname such as «Vik» was humorous to them. «You're really angry with him, aren't you?» Gabrielle asked. «Joie talks like that when she wants to throttle Traian.»
«If he's anything like Vikirnoff, he probably deserves throttling. And Vik's so serious all the time. And all about the orders. He can't just say something in a pleasant voice, he has to give me the big order. He's really a throwback to the dark ages. You know what I'm talking about, the big caveman pounding his chest.»
«He didn't like you fighting vampires, did he?» Jubal guessed.
Natalya rolled her eyes. «That's putting it mildly, but at least I know when to run and fight another day. He just wants to take on the world.»
A slow grin spread over Jubal's face. «This is good. Too bad Gary isn't here to witness this one. He loves watching the interplay between the Carpathian male and their women.»
«Where is he?» Natalya asked. She wanted to weep. To claw at the walls and floor. She was not going to fall apart in front of strangers.
«Gary's in the States at the moment, but he's returning soon,» Gabrielle said.
Natalya was beginning to feel desperate. She had to work at staying focused on the conversation. «Does he fight vampires, too?»
«In his way, but not physically,» Jubal said. «The society»-he frowned-«you have heard of them, haven't you? Humans dedicated to destroying all vampires, but they don't seem to be able to discern the difference between a vampire and a Carpathian. Anyway, the society hates Gary. He's on their hit list.»
«Do you fight vampires?» Natalya asked curiously.
Jubal spread his hands out in front of him. «I'm not the best at fighting vampires, but I'm learning. I didn't know they existed until a short time ago.»
«Do you use a flame thrower?» Natalya asked. «Do you have one? If I could get my hands on carburetor cleaner, I bet that would work better than hairspray.»
«You're obsessed with flamethrowers.»
«Do you have to kill a vamp a hundred times before he stays dead?» She flexed her aching fingers again. Her muscles were beginning to contract painfully.
Jubal noticed Natalya's eyes changing color, going from a beautiful sea-green to a strange cloudy opaque. Her tawny hair darkened to a deep black with strange bands beginning to appear through it. He nudged Gabrielle with his foot. She nodded. She'd already seen the signs of agitation and felt the growing danger in the room.
«Since most of the locals use horse carts I think the chances of you finding a good supply of carburetor cleaner is practically nil,» Jubal said.
«That's such a bummer,» Natalya said with a small sigh. «But I did call Slavica earlier and asked her if she'd find me several cans of aerosol hairspray, so I should have a good supply.»
«Has Vikirnoff seen your invention?» Jubal asked.
Natalya sent him a look promising retribution. «Make fun all you want, but if you're in a battle with the undead and they get up thirty-seven times after you've put them down, a can of hairspray and a lighter are going to be looking really good to you.»
He groaned. «Unfortunately, that might be true. I don't want to have anything to do with those creatures. In fact, I don't even want to know about them.»
Natalya smiled wearily. «Neither do I.»
«Natalya,» Gabrielle said. «You keep rubbing your ankle. Are you hurt? I could take a look at it for you. I've actually gone through med school so I might be able to help if you're injured.»
Natalya glanced down at her ankle. She hadn't even realized she was rubbing it. She pulled her leg closer to her. «Unfortunately we couldn't heal it all the way. I don't know how dangerous it would be for you to touch it.»
«I've dealt with hot viruses, Natalya,» Gabrielle assured. «Why are you worried about it being dangerous to me?» She sank down onto the floor beside Natalya, gingerly pushing aside a gun and a very sharp knife. «Let me see.»
«This is really an entry wound. I was punctured first, all the way to the bone, and then this happened. Vikirnoff said parasites were able to enter my system through this.» Natalya pulled up the cotton pants and showed Gabrielle and Jubal what was left of the handprint branding her leg. «He went in and removed what he could. He said there were microorganisms and he thought he was able to get rid of them, but he couldn't remove this. It aches.»
Gabrielle studied the handprint carefully. «It looks like…»
«Skin,» Natalya said. «Cloned skin. It appears to be about approximately one one-hundredth of an inch thick and it has attached itself to the host skin, in this case, my ankle and calf, in the manner of a skin graft.»
«It normally takes five days for grafting to complete,» Gabrielle pointed out.
«That's what is so extraordinary. My blood vessels grew very fast from the underlying host skin tissue to the handprint, bonding the two layers together.» She looked at Gabrielle. «That's why Vikirnoff couldn't remove it, because it has become my skin, breathing, perspiring, performing all the functions of skin; it's part of me.»
«Why wouldn't your body reject it?» Gabrielle was moving closer, bending her head to examine the area.
«You already suspect.»
«Your bone marrow was taken when your ankle was punctured. Your own stem cells were used; that's how it was done, wasn't it?» Gabrielle asked. «All potential immune system rejection is eliminated because any material cloned from the host will be host's exact genetic match.»
Jubal held up his hand. «Wait a minute. What are you saying? Someone attacked her and scooped up her stem cells to clone her skin? I thought you could only use embryonic stem cells for that kind of thing.»
«No.» Gabrielle shook her head, but she was watching Natalya closely. «The latest research tells us adult stem cells work just as well and, of course, one of the most successful sources of stem cells is bone marrow.»
«This is just bizarre. Why would anyone want to do that to you? Just to mark you? I can't buy that when the technology has to be very sophisticated,» Jubal argued.
«It's my technology.» Natalya's voice was very low.
«What?» Jubal demanded.
«It was my idea, my experiment. I was given challenges all the time, things to accomplish through a blend of science and other skills I have. I had to find a way to inject
microorganisms into a host without detection of the parasites and without rejection at the site.» She stared down at her hands. «I did this. The vampires can mark people, track them through the parasites.»
«How are the microorganisms injected into the body?» Jubal asked.
«Through the hand, although I didn't do anything so dramatic as branding a hand onto anything. It works on the same principle as a mosquito bite.» Natalya rested her head against the wall and wiped at the small beads of sweat dotting her forehead. She had known the moment Vikirnoff explained to her what was going on in her leg. Her own research had been used against her. «The parasites are injected into the host. The thing is this. I wasn't simply experimenting with putting parasites undetected into a body, I was using those parasites as weapons. I was able to bind highly dangerous chemicals to the parasite. I was able to bind several different things to the parasite and get it into a host undetected.»
Jubal looked at Gabrielle. «Is this possible?»
Gabrielle nodded. «Yes, of course it is. The research into stem cell and grafting and even binding chemicals onto microorganisms is very advanced. Yes, it can be done.»
«How would the vampires get ahold of my research?» Natalya asked the question out loud. She had no idea why she hadn't confessed to Vikirnoff when she told two perfect strangers, but somehow it had been much easier.
There was a small silence. Gabrielle sighed softly. «Where did you do your research, Natalya, and why haven't I heard of you? This is a field I'm very interested in and I keep up with all the latest.»
Natalya hesitated. Her body was rocking back and forth without her knowledge again and when she became aware of it she wrapped her arms around her knees tightly in an effort to regain control.
«I don't remember a lot of things about my past. There are gaps, but I love knowledge and when told to do challenges, I couldn't resist.» Especially if it meant Razvan wouldn't be harmed. How could she explain her life?
It didn't make sense to her, and with the gaps in her memory she couldn't figure it all out.
«Who knew about your research?»
«I don't know.»
There was another silence. Natalya read the suspicion in their eyes and couldn't blame them. «Obviously someone who betrayed me to the vampires. Which means someone I know is in league with them.» Her grandfather. It had to be Xavier. She couldn't remember him ordering the experiments, but from her dreams she knew Razvan protected her and she tried to protect him. Even after accessing the crystal globe, she couldn't remember what
Xavier looked like. And that was truly frightening.
She rubbed her hands up and down her arms in an effort to warm up. «Are you cold? Is it cold in here?» She was shaking she was so cold. The tiger was rising in an effort to protect her, to keep her from being so agitated, and it was looking for a target.
Natalya dug her fingers into the floor of the bedroom, nails gouging the wood before she could stop herself. She wanted to weep again, to claw at something until the wild grief in her was gone forever. It was sharp and terrible and took over when she least expected it. Even the tigress was weeping, deep inside, a stark loneliness that seemed to eat her from the inside out. The wood came off the floor in long narrow strips. She looked down at the slender splinters with horror.
«Maybe you should go. I'm not certain it's safe anymore. I seem to be having a very difficult time.» She swallowed the lump in her throat that was threatening to choke her. «This lifemate business is very uncomfortable.»
Jubal nodded. «So I've heard. He's really asleep, healing in the ground. He isn't dead, you know.»
«Intellectually I know he's not dead. And right now, I don't even like him all that much, but my mind needs to touch his for reassurance. He said some words, like a binding spell and I could feel the difference immediately. Even if you don't believe in that sort of thing, which I do, the binding works. I'm working on a way to reverse it.»
Gabrielle's eyebrow shot up. «You think there's a way to reverse it? I thought lifemates wanted to be together. You don't want to be with Vikirnoff?»
Natalya opened her mouth to emphatically deny it. Of course she didn't want to be with him and he certainly didn't want to be with her. It was a chemistry thing. Lust maybe. She loved kissing him. But to spend her life with him? For eternity? Did she want that? With a man who wanted June Cleaver?
She was so distracted by her fears for Vikirnoff, she nearly missed the footsteps stopping outside her door. Natalya held up her hand for silence and inched her gun closer to her. Jubal took the knife.
The knock on the door was tentative. «Natalya. It's Slavica with your nightly chocolate.»
Not cans of hairspray. Chocolate. Natalya didn't order chocolate on a nightly basis. She signaled Gabrielle to go into the bathroom and Jubal to stand to the left of the door. She took the right, gun rock-steady and every trace of agitation gone.
Chapter 12
«Please come in, Slavica,» Natalya called out. «Can you get the door?»
«Yes, I have my key.» Which was unusual. Slavica would never enter a guest's room uninvited. She would knock and expect the guest to open the door.
Natalya inhaled. Brent Barstow. She'd known all along he was something other than a guest. He was too observant and he'd visited her room once, which meant he was either a very creepy pervert, or he was up to no good.
The key turned in the lock and Slavica pushed the door open. Heavy drapes covered the windows and doors, and night was falling. Natalya knew it would take a moment or two for eyes to adjust from the brightly lit hall to the dark of her room. Slavica stepped into the room carrying a tray with a steaming mug on it. Her eyes were red-rimmed and there was a faint bruise on her cheek. Anger flashed through Natalya and she pushed down the tigress before it could rise and wreak vengeance.
Directly behind Slavica, Brent Barstow followed her, matching pace for pace, the muzzle of his gun pressed tightly against her neck. Natalya swung the door closed and pressed the muzzle of her gun against his neck. «Here's the thing, my man, I've had a really bad day. You don't even want to know about my day. And I think I'm PMSing on top of everything else. That's just wrong, you know? I'm betting that you care more about your own life than I do about a total stranger's life. What do you think?»
«You're not going to pull that trigger,» Brent said.
«Actually, I want to pull the trigger. You threatened the innkeeper; it's not like I'm going to get in a lot of trouble. Take a look around my room, darlin'. Do I look like a sane chick to you?» She jammed the muzzle harder into his neck. «Cuz, I'm not. Quite sane that is. I like blowing things up.»
«I've got her family downstairs and if anything happens to me, they're all dead.»
«All the more reason to cap your ass and go take care of the problem downstairs.»
Brent lowered his gun and Jubal pulled Slavica to safety behind him.
«They hit Mirko several times in the head. They wouldn't let me take care of him. And they have Angelina.» Slavica set the tray down and pressed trembling fingers against her mouth. «There are three of them downstairs.»
Natalya slammed the barrel of her gun against the back of Brent's head, staggering him. «That's for being such a jackass. You kidnapped a little girl? I swear if there are any stray vamps hanging around, I'm going to offer them you for dinner.»
«Don't kill him, Natalya,» Jubal said. «We need to know what he's doing here.»
Gabrielle poked her head out of the bathroom. «I remember him from when we stayed here before, Jubal. He was hanging around in the bar. He had a peculiar look on his face when he saw us come in and I noticed him because of it.»
«So you are in league with vampires,» Brent said, his features twisted with fanatical hatred.
«Sorry pal, you got that wrong. I kill vamps, I don't run with them. They're freaky little devils and damned hard to kill. You have to have the right technique…»
«Don't start on the flamethrowers, Natalya,» Jubal warned. «You're obsessed with the subject.»
«That's impossible, we've had you pegged as a vampire for a long while now.»
«What a shocker. You can't even get your information straight. You're not very bright, are you?» Natalya asked.
«Back off, Natalya,» Jubal warned. She was shaking again and he noticed her fingers curling into the shape of claws. «Go breathe for a while. I can't let you shoot him until we get more information from him.» He winked at her as he caught Brent by the collar and shoved him into a chair. «You picked the wrong room. She's got a damned arsenal in here and she knows how to use it. Why did you target Slavica's family?»
Natalya listened to Jubal question the man with only a small part of her attention. She concentrated on touching Brent Barstow's mind, feeling him in the way of the tigress. He stank of fanaticism. Vikirnoff. Wake up! She used every ounce of telepathy she possessed to reach him. Can this situation get any freakin' worse? I've got vampires and Troll Kings and now some nutcase kidnapping little girls and threatening innkeepers. I'd let you stay in your comfy little bed to get your beauty sleep but you sent these people to babysit me and now they're all in danger. Get your butt up and come help me sort this out.
She held her breath waiting for anything from him to indicate he was alive and well. She needed his response, even if he just yawned and went back to sleep.
Natalya felt him first. He said nothing, but his awareness was in her mind. And then his warmth began to spread through her cold body. She felt him accessing her memories and thoughts so that he knew everything that had happened. He stretched, a great predator unsheathing his claws and flexing his muscles. The impression was strong in her mind. Relief swept through her. Not just relief. Tremendous relief and on the heels of that, anger.
While she'd been suffering, he'd been snoring away without a single thought for her.
I appreciate the loving greeting, ainaak enyem, and it is good to know you have not found a way to separate us. What have you been doing?
Saving the world while you're sleeping, what do you think?
I am getting the distinct impression of fire. Over and over. Clothes burning, your room filled with smoke so that you had to open the windows and balcony door for a short while. There was a definite reprimand in his voice and the sensation of exposed fangs.
Try to focus on what's important here. This idiot thinks I'm a vampire and he and the three stooges have kidnapped Slavica's family.
Half the time you talk in riddles. I will be there shortly. Do not burn down the inn while you are waiting for me.
Who said anything about waiting? I'm not leaving that child down there unprotected. As it is Slavica is beside herself and I feel somewhat responsible. And you should, too. If I hadn't been so distraught I would have heard the whisper of conspiracy and I could have prevented it.
Ah. There was a moment of silence. I see now.
You see what? She was suspicious of his gentle tone.
Xena, warrior woman. You are Xena warrior woman. She must be in the movies and you were identifying with her.
Shut up. Sheesh. I so do not want to get into the Xena discussion with you right now. I'm still very much aware you want Susie Homemaker for your lifemate. And believe me, Vik, you're not worth the suffering. Susie is more than welcome to you.
He was rising. She felt him burst through the earth into the sky. The power surged through him to her as if there was so much strength in him he couldn't contain it. She didn't see how he could possibly be healed already and at full strength, yet the energy sizzled in the air like an electrical charge. In spite of herself, joy rose up in her right along with her sheer physical awareness of him.
You feel a little pale, like maybe you're not quite up to par. I'll hold the fort while you go feed. She couldn't let him think she was ecstatic that he was coming to her.
Where do you get these sayings ? And I thought I would feed on you. She received the immediate impression of strong white teeth snapping together, and a flood of very erotic images.
Pervert. She was not going to admit to the excitement racing through her or the heat in her bloodstream.
She turned her attention back to Brent Barstow. The man reeked of fear and violence, a very dangerous combination. He kept shaking his head and insisting that Slavica and her family consorted with vampires, enabling them to acquire victims to fill their ranks.
Sickened by his unnatural hatred and his closed mind, she leaned down, her face inches from his, allowing the tigress to rise, so he could see the urge to kill in her eyes. «You count on people being civilized when you're not, but this time, buddy, you made a bad mistake. When my friends are threatened, I don't do civilized.»
«Natalya,» Jubal warned. «He's a fanatical imbecile. Let's turn him over to the authorities.»
«If you kill vampires as you claim,» Barstow said, «then we're on the same side. There's no need for this.»
Natalya's eyebrow shot up. «No need? When you have Slavica's husband and daughter, a young innocent girl who couldn't possibly have anything to do with vampires, tied up in their own home? I'm not on your side and I never will be.»
«In any war there are sacrifices. And we are at war,» Barstow declared.
Slavica had been silent, but a single sound escaped and it went straight to Natalya's heart. She wanted to rip the man to shreds. She could feel her hands curling into claws and a wildness rose up in her.
Gabrielle slipped between them and put a gentle, restraining hand on Natalya's arm. «This man isn't the problem right now. His friends are. The most important thing to do is to figure out how to get Slavica's family back safely.»
«They are in league with the vampires,» Barstow reiterated, glaring at Slavica. «Her entire family hangs out with vampires.»
«Hangs out? You just said hangs out,» Natalya repeated. «Do you have any idea how utterly stupid you sound? Vampires do not hang out. They tear your throat out and drain every drop of blood from your body. They do not hang out. Where do people like you come from?» She turned away from him unable to stomach looking at him.
She could feel Vikirnoff. He was close, feeding, his manner respectful, even gentle as he ensured he didn't take enough blood to make the farmer dizzy. She liked that trait in him, that old-world courtesy and the care he seemed to take with others. With her. She ached to see him. She told herself it was only because he could read minds and extract information as well as becoming invisible.
«He's got a knife!» Jubal yelled.
Slavica screamed. Gabrielle gasped. It was that sound, so telltale in Natalya's world, that small breathless gasp of utter shock, that had her whirling around. Gabrielle stared at her, eyes wide, the blood draining from her face. She reached out to Natalya, her hand trembling. Natalya caught her, felt her collapsing and tried to ease her to the floor.
Vikirnoff! She screamed for him. This couldn't be happening. Gabrielle with her bright
smile and intelligence blazing in her eyes. She had even stepped protectively in front of Barstow to keep the tigress from a kill. It made no sense. None. She wept inside even as rage grew into a monster roaring for release.
Jubal was already on the floor, fighting for the knife. He took a slash across his chest before pinning Brent's wrist and slamming his hand repeatedly against the floor, forcing him to drop the knife.
Slavica leapt into action, helping Natalya lower Gabrielle to the floor, turning her to see the extent of the injury. «He stabbed her several times.» There was a catch in her voice. «Look at the blade. It's notched all the way down.»
Natalya looked into her eyes. There was sorrow. Resignation. Three times in the kidney and, as Gabrielle turned, he stabbed her repeatedly in the chest.
Vikirnoff! I need you now!
«I am here.» He came striding through the door, tall and powerful, wearing that mantle of authority and complete confidence that usually set her teeth on edge, but now sent relief flooding through her.
She sat on the floor, holding Gabrielle in her arms as both Slavica and she tried to stem the flow of blood.
Vikirnoff reached down and wrenched Barstow's head. The crack was sickening, but he finally lay still.
Jubal crawled off the man. «Save her. I know you can save her. She's psychic. You can make her like you if you have to.» Tears poured down his face. «Why didn't I tie him up? I didn't even search him once I took the gun.»
Can you save her? Please, please, Vikirnoff, say you can save her. I was careless. This is my fault. She is so sweet and innocent. She doesn't deserve this. Please save her. Natalya couldn't look at him, couldn't look at the others. Gabrielle lay on the floor with blood running in streams from her body because Natalya had been too confident.
Another voice broke into their minds. You must save her if possible.
Vikirnoff recognized the voice of the prince. I will do what I can.
He bent over Gabrielle and looked into her eyes. Her spirit was fading away. There was no way, even with their healing skills they could save her as a human. «Hear me, kin to one of my kind. If you wish me to attempt a conversion I will do so. It is your decision. Can you live as one of us?»
«Gabby, please.» Jubal's voice broke.
Gabrielle nodded and closed her eyes, the breath leaving her body in a long, rattling sigh. Blood bubbled around her lips.
Natalya heard Vikirnoff swear softly to himself. She touched his arm. Please do this. I know it seems impossible, but she is special.
I will be tied to this woman for all time, Natalya.
She met his gaze. Knew he was asking permission. Was warning her of things she couldn't know. She didn't fully comprehend what he was trying to say, nor could she grasp the explanation from his mind, but it didn't matter. It couldn't matter. Please do this.
For you, although not because you are responsible, you are not, but because you asked me. Others come. Keep them off of us. He had to surround her spirit-her soul and leash it to his to keep her from sliding away from them. Vikirnoff took a deep cleansing breath and sent himself seeking outside his body to enter Gabrielle's, leaving himself vulnerable to attack. There would be no healing Gabrielle fast and easy.
Natalya swallowed fear and guilt and shoved her guns into her holsters, added knives to the loops on her belt and extra clips. She stepped over Brent's body. «Slavica, take care of Jubal's chest wounds, while I cover us.» She had no idea why, but Vikirnoff's absolute faith in her ability to guard his back left her glowing inside.
Jubal held out his hand. «Give me a gun. I can shoot.»
«I think Mikhail is on his way, Slavica,» Natalya reassured her as she handed her spare gun to Jubal. «Once he gets ahold of these idiots, you'll have your husband and daughter back.» She glanced at Vikirnoff. He was attempting to repair the wounds enough to give him time for the first blood exchange. She knew it would be important to get his ancient blood into Gabrielle's body to speed healing.
It took a moment to sink in that ever since Vikirnoff had risen, she had been touching his mind, living in it as a light shadow, afraid to let go of him. Now she could feel his sense of urgency, his concern that he could not do what was asked of him when the time was so short, the task so large. She could hear the soft whispers of other Carpathians, a woman's voice, Joie: Please. Please. A man's voice, Traian: I offer freely whatever you need, whenever you need, keep her alive for us.
There was so much pressure. Why didn't they leave him alone? She wanted to put her arms around him and keep him safe from the demands of so many others, but she had been the one to put him in the position. She had been the one to ask him. She swept her hand down the back of his head, a light brush, before taking aim at the door.
Vikirnoff sealed off the wounds in an effort to stem the flow of blood. The heart was in bad shape. Blood was pumping through several deep tears in the left ventricle. The artery leading to the chamber was severed and blood filled the chest and lungs. The kidney and
heart were nearly destroyed by the twisting motion her attacker had used and the jagged notched edges on the blade of the knife. To try to work fast and efficiently in so many areas was nearly impossible. He couldn't allow doubt to enter his mind, but the problem was so vast, so complex, he was finding it difficult to know which direction to turn first.
Mikhail Dubrinsky, prince of the Carpathian people strode into the room. Immediately, a second white light of energy entered Gabrielle's body. Vikirnoff recognized the immense power instantly. I have the heart, you take the lungs. Vikirnoff directed, grateful for the other's swift presence.
Falcon is here. He will join us when he has helped your lifemate dispose of the enemy. Raven and Sara are on their way.
Tell them to hurry. We need someone working on her kidney.
Vikirnoff reached out immediately to include Natalya in the circle of information. He didn't need her trying to cut off Falcon's head with her sword. He will come up behind them and they will not see him. Neither will you, but he will be there to assist you.
If I can't see him, it isn't likely I'm going to chop off his head. Don't worry about me, I know what I'm doing. Take care of Gabrielle.
Vikirnoff worked meticulously to repair the damage done to the heart. This was a human woman, not a Carpathian. He didn't see how her body could go through the rigorous process of conversion when her heart was so badly damaged. She was barely alive. Mikhail was breathing for her as he drove the blood from her lungs. Vikirnoff contained her fading spirit, speaking softly, soothingly, whispering for her to stay with them. From afar a woman's voice joined with his, begging her sister to stay with them. It was heartbreaking. He had felt nothing for so long that now, when he needed to be strong, emotions choked him. This could have been Natalya.
Be careful Natalya.
Natalya allowed her gaze to rest briefly on Vikirnoff. There were lines of strain etched on his face. Whatever was taking place in the fight for Gabrielle's life was difficult and Vikirnoff was identifying, worried something might happen to her. Deliberately she brushed her mind against his in reassurance, and then turned her attention back to protecting him.
The door handle twisted with infinite slowness. Natalya resisted the urge to fire through the door, fearing the intruders might have a hostage as a shield. She inhaled, in an effort to catch the scents of anyone out in the hall. With the blood and so much fear and adrenaline, it was more difficult to distinguish individual scents, but far from impossible. There were four men and one woman. One very scared man and woman. It had to be the three accomplices and Slavica's husband and daughter.
Signaling Jubal to stand to the left of the door, she took the right side and waved Slavica into the relative safety of the bathroom. The idiots were coming in and they had to suspect that she had either taken Brent prisoner or killed him.
They are coming. She sent the warning to Vikirnoff. He didn't even flinch or turn around, certain she would hold them off.
The door burst open. Shots exploded into the room, reverberating loudly, the sound deafening in the small space. The only people exposed to danger were Mikhail and Vikirnoff, but at her warning, Vikirnoff had obviously thrown a barrier around them to protect the prince and Gabrielle.
The attackers remained in the hall, shielded by the hostages. Mirko held his daughter's hand as they stood side by side, forced to obstruct the doorway and ensure the safety of their captors.
Natalya didn't want to risk hitting them and signaled to Jubal. He reacted instantly, throwing Slavica's daughter, Angelina, to the floor as Natalya yanked Mirko down. Even as she dragged him down, she embraced the change, clothes ripping into tatters and falling away from the fur-covered body. The tigress rose, roaring with rage, exploding from a crouch to full attack leaping over the top of the innkeeper's husband and knocking the three gunmen backward. Teeth buried deep into one throat while claws raked and tore at the other two bodies. The tigress ripped and mauled with relentless fury until there was no sound but the satisfactory death rattle in throats.
Natalya gave one last swipe of her paw to the man closest to her, the one who had held Angelina, and she turned and went back into the room, ignoring the way Jubal raised his eyebrow and the Ostojic family cringed a little as she padded back to the bathroom. Neither Mikhail nor Vikirnoff looked up from their work as she brushed past them.
Natalya dressed hurriedly. She had to get back out in the hall and clean up the mess before the inn emptied of the guests. They had to have heard gunfire, screams and the roar of a wild, enraged animal. It only took a moment to collect her weapons from the middle of her shredded clothes before she stepped out of the room into the hall.
A tall man with a wealth of black hair stood in the hall surveying the damage. «There was very little for me to do,» Falcon said. «You seemed to have everything under control so I just directed the guests elsewhere and held down the volume.»
Natalya gave him a small shrug. «I was really pissed at them. I'm Natalya.»
«Falcon. I understand you are of the Dragonseeker line. You have Rhiannon's eyes. She was well-respected and much loved. It is an honor to meet you.»
Two women materialized just to the left of Falcon. One had dark hair and incredibly blue eyes. She smiled at Natalya. «Thank you for your help. I'm Raven Dubrinsky.» She
indicated the other woman who had a wealth of thick chestnut hair and enormous violet-blue eyes. «This is Sara, Falcon's lifemate. I wish we could have met under better circumstances. Gabrielle is dear to us and we don't want to lose her.»
«Vikirnoff isn't about to let her die.» Because she'd asked him not to.
«It takes three blood exchanges to convert her,» Raven said. «I am very afraid we'll have to space out the exchanges to give her the strength needed for the conversion and I'm not certain we have that kind of time. This is very risky.»
«They have need of you inside. Raven,» Falcon said. «Gabrielle is bad. Vikirnoff is holding onto her by a thread. You will have to see what you can do to help. Sara, they want you to work on the damage done to her kidney.»
«What about the mess?» Sara looked around the blood-spattered hall. «We can't just leave it. Mirko and Slavica will lose all of their business.»
«I will take care of this,» Falcon assured her. «Perhaps, Natalya, you and Jubal would be willing to escort the Ostojic family to their residence and make certain they are safe. I will remove the memory from the daughter and distance the trauma of it for Mirko and Slavica. Mikhail will want to speak with them after he has finished with his task.»
«Sure, no problem,» Natalya said. She waved the Ostojic family past the carnage on the floor. Jubal led the way down the stairs while she guarded them from the rear. «Is everyone all right?» she asked.
Angelina bit back a sob and nodded, her eyes enormous. «I'm just scared. They didn't hurt me.»
Slavica kept her arm firmly wrapped around her only child. «They beat Mirko, but he told them nothing.» Anger crept into her voice. «They put a gun to our Angelina's head.»
«Falcon will make certain she doesn't experience any permanent trauma,» Jubal said. «You know they can do that. I'm so sorry this happened, Slavica.»
«It is not the fault of our friends, or you. These people are madmen and they came to our inn to spy.»
Natalya reached out to rub Angelina's arm, distressed by her quiet weeping. She hesitated, patted the girl and dropped her hand abruptly. «You were very brave. We have to walk downstairs and go through the big hall to get to your residence. Can you act like nothing is wrong? I'm sorry, I don't have the ability to make people look the other way.»
Angelina nodded her head. «I can do it.»
Jubal glanced over his shoulder at the girl's silent father. «Mirko, are you all right?»
«I am very angry.»
«I'm angry, too,» Jubal agreed.
«I'm sorry about Gabrielle. I hope they can save her life.»
«I'm sorry about what they did to Angelina,» Jubal replied. «I hate that we all have to worry every minute of every day that some psycho is going to try to kill us because Mikhail and Raven are our friends and Joie and Traian are family.»
«We accepted the risk when Mikhail gave us a choice to know him for what he is,» Mirko said. «I still cannot believe they threatened my daughter.» His fingers curled tightly into fists. «They threatened my family.»
«Well, they're dead now,» Natalya said cheerfully. She gestured toward the few people wandering through the downstairs room and lowered her voice, keeping a smile firmly in place. «Slavica, thanks for the warning earlier. If you hadn't mentioned nightly chocolate, I might have opened the door without being prepared.»
«I was about to take the hairspray to your room and just as I opened the door to go into the hall, they shoved me back inside. Fortunately they didn't realize the package was for you and I could tell them I was about to go to the kitchen for your chocolate.»
«You got my hairspray for me? Thank you! I hope you got as many cans as you could find.»
«I bought out the store, just as you instructed.»
«You can't wait to play with that stuff, can you?» Jubal laughed.
She grinned at him. «Well, okay, maybe that's true. I want to see if it really works. It isn't like I'm going to go looking for trouble.»
«That's exactly what you're going to do,» Jubal objected.
«What are you planning to use the hairspray for, Natalya?» Mirko asked.
«She's developing flamethrowers to use on vampires,» Jubal said. «Can you believe that?»
Natalya abruptly moved passed Slavica and Angelina to touch Jubal's arm, the smile fading from her face. «I need to make certain there aren't any nasty surprises waiting for us. Why don't you take them to the kitchen and let Slavica tend to Mirko's face?»
«I don't want you to go into their quarters alone. Vikirnoff will kill me. Literally.»
She snorted. «He won't do any such thing, Jubal. Take them to the kitchen now.»
Jubal's brows rose in sudden comprehension. «Because you think someone's in there.»
«Slavica, take Angelina to the kitchen,» Mirko ordered, his voice hard. «We are going with Natalya.»
Natalya snapped her teeth together, irritated at the men's manly egos. She couldn't very well tell them they were going to be in the way. She preferred to fight by herself. Besides, something was in that residence, not some-one. The birthmark of the dragon burned hot on her body and she knew nosferatu waited inside.
«Please explain to me what you think is in my home,» Mirko said.
Natalya exchanged a glance with Jubal and shrugged. «I believe the undead, the vampire is waiting inside for you and your family to return.»
He stared at her face for a long moment. «And you were planning to go in alone, unaided to fight this thing?»
«I've fought them before.» She patted her weapons and the single can of hairspray she had left in her bag. «I'm prepared.»
«And this is what you use the flamethrower for? To kill the vampire?»
Jubal groaned and shook his head. «Do you have any idea how crazy this sounds? Have you seen a vampire? You're not going to kill one with a can of hairspray.»
«I plan on bringing them down and then incinerating their hearts with the can of hairspray,» she explained.
Jubal shook his head. «No vampire would dare come to the inn with so many hunters here. That's crazy.»
Natalya shrugged. She was not about to argue when she was totally sure of herself. Something was in that residence. And she was beginning to think vampire weren't only in the Ostojic home, but perhaps in other parts of the inn as well.
She touched Vikirnoff's mind. The battle for Gabrielle's life raged on, but it wasn't going well. Vikirnoff was literally forcing her heart to beat while Mikhail breathed for her. She could hear the ancient healing chant, the voices swelling as Carpathians joined from a distance. She could hear a woman, most likely Joie, Gabrielle's sister, weeping as she tried to join the others in the chant.
For a moment Natalya was there with Vikirnoff, seeing the overwhelming task, the terrible damage done to Gabrielle, her body torn and drained of blood. Vikirnoff never faltered, never gave up. She could feel his determination, the endless strength and power he poured into Gabrielle's failing body.
Vikirnoff was a man of steel and compassion. There was something in him that drew her in spite of her every determination to hold him at bay, to be angry with him for binding them together, for making her so aware of him as a man and herself as a woman.
The task she'd asked of him was enormous and required every ounce of his will to keep Gabrielle alive, but he was doing it for her. And she was going into that room filled with vampires for him. She didn't exactly believe in putting herself in danger unless it was for a great cause. Keeping vampires off of Vikirnoff was an excellent cause. She blew a kiss toward the stairs.
«Natalya!» Jubal demanded. «Let's get this over with. I'm getting nervous thinking about going in there. Let's just do it.»
«That's a vampire in there, Jubal,» Natalya said. «You'd better be very sure you want to do this.»
«I said I was going in.»
«I just said, be sure.» She didn't wait for his comment, but pushed open the door with caution. The lights were out. A lamp was overturned and lay on the floor, the bulb broken. Cans of hairspray were strewn across the floor and over by the window, a vase with wildflowers lay on its side, water forming a small puddle. Natalya drew her sword and stepped into the room, gliding in silence, her senses flaring out to «feel» the room. She signaled the two humans to stay back as she went farther into the residence.
She knew something was there. She couldn't find the telltale «blank» spots that might indicate the presence of the vampire, but she knew it was there.
Vikirnoff. It was a terrible thing to disturb him when he was working so hard to save a life, but she was beginning to feel a trap had been sprung. Real fear was intruding. Why had Brent Barstow attacked Gabrielle? It made no sense. Not even a fanatic would think she was in any way a threat to him. There was only one reason. Barstow had to be under compulsion. There are vampires here and they must be after the prince.
She felt the jolt of awareness that sent him back into his own body. Natalya, get out of there. He didn't question her judgment, although he scanned the building and surrounding areas and found nothing to indicate the presence of the undead. They could be after you.
It is the prince. They drew him to the inn and with all of the hunters are wounded, I'm betting they think this is the perfect time to strike. Get the prince out of there.
He will not go.
Natalya kept to the edges of the room, moving in a circle, calling the tigress to the surface enough to use its superior senses of sight and smell. The room appeared to be empty, but the tigress went on alert, stilling inside of Natalya. Her muscles locked into freeze-frame stalk. They are here, Vikirnoff.
I am coming to you.
No! You would never forgive yourself or me if something happened to Mikhail and you have not prevented Gabrielle's death. I can do this. Trust me as I'll be trusting you to keep everyone there alive.
Vikirnoff swore in three languages. She could feel his frantic need to get to her, to see to her protection. In truth, she was frightened. The adrenaline was already pumping through her body with her heightened alertness, but she could deal with fear.
Vikirnoff, I know what I am asking of you.
Do you? He bit the words out. If anything should happen to you… One scratch, Natalya, I will be most angry with you. You do not want to see me angry.
She snorted for his benefit, but somewhere deep inside, someplace she kept secret, she was pleased. He made her feel like she counted. His concern was for her, not the prince and not Gabrielle, yet he trusted her enough to stay and do what needed to be done. And that respect and trust meant everything to her.
I will be with you at all times.
She recognized he didn't want her thinking he wasn't safeguarding her. I know. You like to make things difficult. Do your thing, Vik, and I'll do mine.
Teasing him helped ease the fear. She stilled near a long, low-slung couch, listening. Waiting for information she knew was there. And then she heard it. Air moving in and out of lungs. Not one set, but several. She looked around her and saw multiple pairs of eyes staring back. They had ringed her as best they could with her staying against the wall. The eyes glowed red in the dark. It took a moment to make them out, the long, muscular bodies and powerful jaws of the wolves. This time the vampires were using the animal form rather than using the animals. She faced a pack of the undead.
Chapter 13
«We are in trouble. Natalya is certain vampires are inside the building. She believes they are coming to kill the prince and she does not make mistakes.» Vikirnoff didn't look at Mikhail, but at Falcon. It was their duty to see to Mikhail's protection and whether he wanted protection or not, the prince was going to get it. Without waiting for a reply, Vikirnoff bent his head to Gabrielle's throat. «I am sorry, sister kin, but I do not have the luxury of waiting to see if we can accomplish this task without conversion.» He murmured the apology and sank his teeth into her throat, taking only enough blood for an exchange. She needed volumes and his ancient blood would speed the healing process.
They had only minutes before they would have to move both Mikhail and Gabrielle to a safer place. She would not survive without his blood. He was uncertain whether she could possibly survive the trip even with the infusion of ancient blood. They dared not stay and jeopardize the lives of the humans staying at the inn and that was the one powerful argument they could use if Mikhail insisted on fighting the undead.
Vikirnoff exchanged a long, knowing look with Falcon as he forced Gabrielle to consume his blood.
I do not detect the vampire near us.
Vikirnoff could see Falcon was worried, his gaze moving restlessly to the balcony and the hall. They are here.
Mikhail took a cautious look around. «That is enough blood for a first exchange. We must do this slowly. If you are certain there are vampires here, we have no choice but to move her. We can't risk the innocent people here at the inn.» A flicker of a smile appeared briefly at the looks on their faces. «I am the prince, not a child. I do not put others in danger in order to feed my ego. We must transport Gabrielle now. We can take her to my home where we can better protect her.»
«She isn't strong enough,» Raven objected. «We can't keep her alive. All of you are already overseeing the functions of her body. How can you possibly do that while we transport her and fend off vampires at the same time?» She stroked back Gabrielle's hair, tears in her eyes. «This will kill Gary. And Jubal and Joie.»
My love. Mikhail reached out to his lifemate to comfort her.
«Sara, I need you to take over Gabrielle's heart. Natalya is downstairs alone and I feel the danger to her. I must go to her at once.» Vikirnoff indicated his spot. «If we can give the vampires the illusion that Mikhail is downstairs, we can buy more time for all of you to make an escape. I will take Mikhail's form and he can take mine.»
Mikhail looked up sharply. «I do not allow others to place themselves in danger for me. I know what you think to do and I say no.»
«You do not have the luxury of saying no to me,» Vikirnoff replied. «Our people cannot afford to lose you. I cannot provide proper protection. Vampires surround us. We are trying to save this woman's life and keep the humans in this inn safe. It makes sense to exchange forms and you know it. There is nothing more to discuss.»
Mikhail's eyes flashed with anger, but Raven put a restraining hand on his arm. «He is right, my love. We have no time to argue. Go Vikirnoff. Sara and I will keep Gabrielle alive while you hunt.»
«You will need blood,» Falcon said, tearing at his wrist with his teeth. «Take mine, I offer freely.»
Vikirnoff took the rich ancient blood without protest, his gaze meeting that of the hunter. Falcon knew what he planned, because the hunter would have done the same thing. He closed the wound respectfully and stood up, shifting shape as he did so, assuming the form of their prince. He strode out into the hall, rather than shifting to vapor, wanting all eyes to see him as Mikhail. I am coming to you, Natalya. I will look like the prince, so do not stick a sword through my heart.
Why does everyone think I'm going to kill them? Sheesh!
Vikirnoff could hear the determined lightness masking her growing concern and fear. Pride swept over him. Respect. She had such an indomitable spirit and he couldn't help but admire her. Perhaps because you take after Xena, warrior woman.
Don't bring that up. And stay there. I've got this under control. Natalya fought down the sudden surge of fear. If the vampires thought Mikhail was in their grasp, they would go into a fighting frenzy, doing anything and everything they could to kill him. Vikirnoff never seemed to think of himself in battle. She touched his mind and found concern uppermost for her. For the prince. For Gabrielle. Raven and Sara. The humans and finally the other hunters, but most of all for her. She could not find concern for his own well-being. She had no intentions of sacrificing him, even if he did. Someone had to watch out for him.
Natalya was certain only one or two of the vampires masquerading as wolves were real, the others had to be clones. She couldn't tell the difference, but the tigress could. She leapt into their midst, shifting as she did so, the predatory cat instinctively going for the nearest vampire hiding deep in the wolf's body. The flexible, much heavier muscles of the cat allowed her to use her weight to knock the wolf off its feet and the tigress went for the exposed throat. She sank her teeth deep, damped down and held on, shaking with tremendous force, claws ripping at the other wolves as they leapt on her.
The tigress refused to let go, would not be dragged down. Natalya was determined that at least this one vampire would not rise to fight Vikirnoff if she could help it. She ignored the wolves tearing at her and went for the chest, exposing the heart.
«Step back, Natalya,» Mirko's voice came out of nowhere. «I've got that one now.»
She turned her head and saw the innkeeper had crept up behind the wolves and held a can of hairspray and a lighter in his hand. Jubal was shoulder to shoulder with him. She instantly scented a second vampire and, shaking off the wolves, leapt at the undead, slamming the tigress's shoulder hard into the wolf's body to drive it to the floor. At once she went for the kill, teeth clamping onto the throat.
Twin columns of fire sent the wolves scattering in all directions, fur smoldering and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. As the tigress clamped down hard on the vampire's throat, Natalya spotted a third vampire shifting, leaving the wolf's body to leap at the humans. Horrified, she roared a warning, praying she was understood.
«Catch, bat breath!» Jubal calmly tossed a can of hair-spray at him so that the undead automatically caught it.
Mirko sent a column of concentrated flames straight at the can and Jubal added a second intense streak as well. As the vampire rushed them, the can exploded like a small bomb.
A wolf leapt on Natalya's back, powerful jaws clamping on the nape of the tigress's neck and ripping. The tigress whirled around, the flexible muscles and spine allowing her to reach back and rip at the attacker.
«The heart, Mirko!» Jubal shouted, pointed to the exposed heart of the vampire as it tried to burrow deeper into the safety of the burned chest. «We didn't destroy the heart.»
Mirko caught up another can of hairspray and directed the flames at the heart. Immediately several of the wolves rushed him. He stood his ground holding the incinerating flame steady until the heart turned to ashes. One wolf drove into his chest, back feet tearing at his ' skin, jaws open and teeth boring straight for his throat just as the can of hairspray ran out. Mirko dropped the useless can and caught the wolf with his two hands, holding him off as they toppled to the floor.
Jubal threw his empty can and lunged for another one, kicking one of the wolves as he did so. «Natalya!»
She rose up with three wolves biting at her sides and back. She shook them off and rushed the wolf attacking Mirko. It was far worse than she'd first thought. She had been unable to detect all of the hiding vampires even through the tigress. They had come in full force, determined to kill the prince.
The door to the residence slammed open and a tall, wide-shouldered man filled the doorway. Everyone froze. Natalya could hear the pounding hearts, the rushing of blood through veins. She growled in annoyance as two more vampires shifted into their natural forms. The remaining wolves lifted their heads and howled, breaking the sudden silence.
«Mikhail Dubrinsky. Welcome.» One of the vampires inclined his head. «Maxim will be so pleased that we have accomplished our task.»
Natalya, bleeding from half a dozen wounds, turned her head, her opaque eyes glittering as she met Mikhail's gaze.
«Behind you!» Jubal warned.
The beat of wings, the thunder of feet, the brush of paws sounded overly loud on the wooden floor as the vampires and their clones attacked. Mikhail dissolved into vapor and streamed over the heads of the creatures. He slipped through the main entryway door, beneath the crack and streamed out into the night toward the forest with bats, birds and wolves rushing after him.
Natalya turned on the nearest wolf, her mind racing. She would have recognized Vikirnoff in any form. The clone wolves still remained behind and she «felt» the presence of evil in the inn, probably stalking those upstairs, but the vampires had charged after Vikirnoff and she was certain there would be more of them. Snarling, she whirled to face the wolves, wanting to dispose of them quickly so she could follow Vikirnoff.
«Cover Natalya, Mirko! I'm going to protect my sister.» Jubal picked up two more cans of hairspray and raced out the door.
The few people crowding close to see what was happening, ran when Jubal burst out of the same room where several hideous creatures had just emerged from. No one was in the hall, but the walls seemed to expand and contract as if the building itself was breathing heavily. The door to Natalya's room was ajar and Jubal skidded to a halt wanting the lighter out in case he needed it to defend himself or Gabrielle.
«I'm coming in,» he warned just before peeking his head around the door.
His heart stuttered when he looked at his sister. She was white, almost gray, the lite gone from her face, and both Raven and Sara looked pale, their expressions focused as they concentrated on keeping Gabrielle alive. Mikhail, in his Vikirnoff disguise, and Falcon moved carefully around the room, examining the walls and floor.
«We are taking Gabrielle out of here, Jubal,» Falcon explained, his voice calm. «Mikhail is leading them away to give us time to get Gabrielle to safety.» In the very likely event vampires were near, Falcon wanted to preserve the masquerade as long as possible that Mikhail had left the inn.
«Is she dead?»
«I will not lie to you. We are keeping her alive, but we do not know if what we are doing will work. She is mortally wounded. Vikirnoff holds her spirit to prevent her from passing now. We can keep her body functioning, but we cannot contain her essence. He was the first person here and her spirit is sealed to his until she dies-or completes the conversion.»
«We must go now.» Mikhail mimicked Vikirnoff's voice perfectly. There was urgency in his tone. «I feel the presence of the vampire, but cannot locate his exact position.»
The tigress pushed its way into the room, ignoring the others as she caught up her pack in her teeth and went into the bathroom. Natalya emerged a couple of minutes later, still shoving weapons into the loops on her pants.
«Sorry it took so long, but there were a few of them. You have to go now.» Her birthmark was burning painfully. «Another vampire is close.»
«Jubal, bring the car around,» Vikirnoff/Mikhail instructed as he lifted Gabrielle into his arms. «Hurry, we do not have much time.»
Raven and Sara crowded close to him, protective of the woman as the prince started for the balcony.
Without warning, pieces of the ceiling rained down in sharp spears. Raven threw her hands into the air, creating a shield as they raced for the balcony. Jubal tossed the can of hairspray to Natalya and ran out of the room and down the stairs, using the front entrance to get to the car.
Natalya and Falcon separated, each moving to an opposite corner of the room. Natalya lifted her sword in preparation. The ceiling gaped open, and something dark and shadowy dropped into the room. She recognized the vampire immediately. Knowing Falcon had the better chance of killing him quickly, she stepped out of the corner to draw his attention.
«You're too late, Arturo,» she greeted. «And you look a little worse for wear. Did you and your master have a bit of trouble with the shadow warriors, because, honestly, you look like you've been sliced and diced.»
He snarled, flexing his hands into claws. «You. The hunters deserted and left you to your fate.»
«The hunters didn't think you were worth their time. I told them I could handle you no problem. I've already killed you, sheesh, let me think»-she tilted her head to study his face, lined now with hideous scars-«at least four times, maybe more. The battles with you seem to blur together.»
Falcon glided in silence to stand directly behind the vampire.
«I'm really going to miss you, Arturo, but all good things must come to an end,» Natalya said and took a step toward him, sword at the ready.
Falcon struck from behind, driving his fist through skin and sinew and bone, grasping the heart and wrenching it from Arturo's body. Lightning forked across the sky and slammed through the hole in the roof hitting the heart as Falcon dropped it, incinerating it immediately.
«Nice work,» Natalya said. «You don't fool around. I hope you can repair the place for Slavica and Mirko,» she added. «I'm going after Vikirnoff.»
«He is an experienced hunter. He will not want his lifemate to place herself in jeopardy.» Falcon directed the lightning to the body. «He expects me to guard the prince.» It was the only apology he could give her.
«I am well aware of what he expects.» Natalya raced for the bathroom again. She'd changed her clothes so many times in one day she was beginning to get annoyed with the whole thing. «Go. You do what you have to do and I'll do what I have to do.»
«Good hunting.»
«Same to you.» Vikirnoff had drawn off a pack of vampires and he might lead them in circles just to buy the prince and Gabrielle time, but eventually he would have to fight them. She was damned if he was going to do it alone.
Natalya undressed once again. It took seconds to shove weapons, ammunition and clothes in her pack before slinging it around her neck and shifting back to her animal form. She could always put out the rumor of an escaped circus animal or let the Carpathians worry about a cover story. The roof was repaired and Falcon already gone when she reentered the bedroom. There was no body and no singe marks on the floor, not even from her practicing with the hairspray cans.
The tigress leapt from the balcony to the wraparound deck and then to the ground. She sprinted through the town, keeping to the shadows as best she could, avoiding humans whenever possible. She heard a few murmurs as people caught glimpses of the tigress moving fast through the bushes and trees. With all the events at the inn, there would soon be many frightening tales that would grow with each telling into large legends and her tigress would become a part of that.
She stayed connected to Vikirnoff, reaching past his persona of the prince. He was thinking thoughts the vampires might pick up, thoughts of his people and how it was so important to stay alive to protect them. She considered Vikirnoff's impressions of what Mikhail might be thinking idiotic…
Idiotic? These are princely thoughts. What do you think you are doing?
Following you. Watching your back. You're leading them deeper into the forest, aren't you? Where he would have to deal with them alone. Natalya wasn't about to let that happen, whether he wanted help or not.
Yes. I want them away from the inn, but in a place of my choosing to fight. Far away from where his lifemate would be in danger.
Arturo is dead. Falcon killed him and he's guarding the prince. He said it's what you'd expect of him.
Of course.
Natalya sighed at the perfect calm in his voice. He had gone into his battle mode and put aside his feelings, relying on centuries-old warrior instincts. They said only you could keep Gabrielle alive. What did they mean?
I am the keeper of her spirit. They will continue to try to heal her body and Falcon will give her blood next. They will try to heal her again and Mikhail will give her blood. She will go through the conversion at that time. If she is strong enough, if my will and her will are strong enough, we will see that she lives.
Natalya increased her speed, cutting through a meadow and bounding over a hill. She
took even' short cut she could find as she raced to find his chosen battleground. Can you do that and fight, too?
Of course.
Of course. She repeated it sarcastically. Why did I bother to ask? You're invincible. How many do we face?
We?
Yes, we. And don't argue with me. You're already in enough trouble with me.
She received the brief impression of his teeth snapping together. Five. But not Maxim.
At the name, Natalya's heart gave a jump of fear. That's a relief, but I'd like to know why. If he went to the trouble of springing a trap, why isn't he here with his little minions? You might be heading into an ambush.
Feel to the north. There is a battle taking place. The night sky is alive with lightning and the earth is groaning. I believe Maxim was on his way and ran into a hunter of great skill. Look to the sky.
There was something in his voice. Expectation. Caution. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she paused as she loped up the hill and looked toward the north. In the distance, lighting forked across the sky, not in long jagged whips, but in the shape of a glowing dragon breathing fire. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt the birthmark throb on her body, even beneath the thick pelt of the tigress.
That is the mark of the Dragonseeker. No other Carpathian uses that image in battle. To my knowledge, only you and Dominic remain. Of course the world is a big place and maybe more still live.
In spite of herself, in spite of the situation, racing across the hills to guard Vikirnoff's back, Natalya couldn't help the thrill rushing through her at the sight of the dragon in the air. It took her a moment to realize Vikirnoff's voice was coming from a much greater distance than she had first realized. He was diverting her with the truth, with something he knew would throw her off his trail, if even for a few minutes so he had a better chance of leading the vampires away from her.
The tigress took off at a ground-eating lope, going for higher ground and the safety of the trees. Why are they called Dragonseekers? She was not going to give away the fact that she was on to his little plan. He was leading the vampires to a specific location. She had a vague idea of where it was from reading his mind, but he was doing his best to shadow his thoughts. She increased her speed, moving as quickly as possible without draining her strength.
Dragons represented celestial and terrestrial power, wisdom and strength to the
Dragonseekers and they sought the power and wisdom of the dragons. It was not so much the elusive creature they sought, but the code, what the dragon represented. We believe in ancient times, a dragon bestowed gifts to the first Dragonseeker, or perhaps, there is dragon in the bloodline. Who knows which is truth?
The ground shook beneath the tiger's paws and she snarled, gripping the earth with claws as she looked warily around. Overhead the sky darkened, clouds blotting out the stars one by one, spreading across the moon in a reddish-brown stain. The wind began to pick up around her, small at first, blowing through the trees so that the leaves rippled with strange life. She crouched lower and moved with more caution, weaving through the dense brush and timber.
She sniffed the air and sent the senses of the tigress along with her own out into the night, seeking information. A few miles ahead, another battle had begun. Vikirnoff had made his stand and, just as she feared, he refused to show the vampires he had tricked them, continuing the illusion of being the prince and making no further attempt to outrun them.
You're an idiot. She murmured it more to herself than to him, but damn him all the same. He just didn't have good sense when it came to fighting. She believed in the old adage «Run away to fight another day.» She covered the last couple of miles with relative ease and under concealment of thick brush shifted back to her natural form. She dressed hastily and readied her weapons before sitting a moment to recover her strength and breath.
Lightning flashed continually and there was a noxious odor that indicated Vikirnoff had scored against at least one vampire. Natalya crept stealthily through the thick foliage to get a better view of what was happening. She pushed aside leaves and her breath caught in her throat.
Vikirnoff glided with grace and power, his body as graceful as any dancer's, his features hard-edged and free of all emotion, sculpted in masculine lines and set with intense concentration. She could see him clearly beneath the illusion, his determination, his focus. He moved with blurring speed in the circle of vampires, striking fast at one, retreating before they could touch him, only to strike at another.
Natalya stared at him, utterly mesmerized by him, by his masculine beauty as he fought a battle against so many. She had never seen such a demonstration of power or skill. He flowed like water around them, always moving in a circular pattern, his feet barely skimming the ground. Admiration and respect welled up and spread through her.
Natalya crouched there, unable to take her eyes off of him, fascinated by him, proud of him. Muscles rippled beneath his shirt and he looked both elegant and a warrior. His long hair swung with each motion, looking like fluid silk. She could barely see Mikhail superimposed over Vikirnoff, he was that strong to her. The tigress moved inside of her, recognizing its mate. The dragon, her birthmark burned from the close proximity to the vampires, but it throbbed with a different kind of heat as she watched him fight.
She would never forget that moment, that sight of him blazing with power and energy, moving with fluid grace and absolute merciless resolve. «You are my lifemate.» She whispered it aloud, awed by the fact that her body knew him long before her mind made the acknowledgement.
She watched in amazement as he literally ripped the heart from a chest, while two vampires collided in the air where he had been a split second earlier. She felt she was watching a choreographed battle, every move prearranged and rehearsed.
Vikirnoff kept the vampires off center using his blurring speed, not wanting them to realize he was not the prince. These were fledgling vampires, pawns Maxim used as fodder to inflict as much damage as possible to weaken the lines of defense. Vikirnoff was certain Maxim had sent the fledglings to the inn to fight and hopefully wound the hunters guarding Mikhail. Maxim would have planned to be right behind them for the kill, but he had not calculated or considered that chance would bring another experienced hunter into the fray.
As Vikirnoff dissolved into vapor to keep from being split in two by the most experienced of the undead, he glanced toward the north. By the look of the sky in that direction the Dragonseeker had Maxim on the run. The master vampire would never be foolish enough to fight such an experienced hunter without a clear advantage. At least the trap had been broken up before there were too many losses.
In the form of vapor Vikirnoff streamed behind a dark-haired vampire and reached out, shifting back into his form at the last second, catching the head between his hands and wrenching hard to break the neck. It wasn't a killing blow, but each wound served to weaken the enemy. He immediately was on the move again, running up the side of a tree to back flip over the top of the same vampire, kicking him as he did so to knock him to the ground. He had successfully destroyed two of the five vampires and so far had only minor scratches to show for it.
The vampires pulled back, dragging their injured comrade with them. As Vikirnoff approached them, they threw up a barrier between them. Vikirnoff settled to earth and studied their faces.
«I do not recognize any of you. How is that?»
«You do not recognize a childhood friend, Mikhail?» The one with the broken neck snarled. Spittle ran down his face and he wrenched at his neck, settling his head more carefully on his shoulders. «I am Borak, and you must remember Valentine and Gene. We ran with you in these very forests, yet you cannot even remember who we are.»
Vikirnoff bowed, a simple courtly gesture from the waist. «Forgive me, Borak, it must have been that the years have changed you. I remember your youth and unmarked face, not the vision of evil you have chosen to become.» He held up his hands and for a moment, crystal clear water swirled in his palms, reflecting back the faces of the three vampires.
They shrieked and hissed as they swirled long capes over their faces to hide from their repulsive images.
Vikirnoff dropped his hands to his sides. «You see why I do not remember old childhood friends.»
«You have no friends,» Valentine snapped. «Even Gregori has deserted you. All of them. They deliberately left you alone, knowing there would be an attack. Your own people have decided your fate. They want you dead.»
The flutter of wings filled the air. The sky darkened overhead as a migration of large vampire bats flooded the area. They began to settle in the trees, ringing the battleground, hundreds of them, more even, folding wings and gripping with tiny claws. There were so many on some of the branches that the limbs drooped with the weight.
«Come and kill me, Valentine. I await your pleasure.»
Valentine snarled, exposing his jagged teeth. He glared at Mikhail. «You mock me, but it matters little when I know you have no way out.»
Vikirnoff spread his arms. «You are welcome to try, Valentine. You are stalling in the hopes that your master will tell you what to do.»
Natalya could see a difference growing in the vampires. Where before they had been cowering behind the shield they had erected, now they were standing taller, eyes beginning to glow, taking on more strength of purpose. She was certain their master had begun to pour power into them as well as a battle strategy. She looked toward the north. The lightning dragon was gone and once more the skies in that direction were calm.
Over her own head, dark clouds spun and twisted, and a light rain had begun to fall. She couldn't tell if it was natural or not, or who might be controlling the weather. The vampires spread out, their bodies glowing with a ghostly light. Borak looked grotesque with his head skewed to one side. His head flopped continually and he muttered threats and spit curses as he readjusted it on his shoulders.
The bats fluttered and began to spread their wings. Some took to the air while others dropped to the ground. The way the creatures stalked Vikirnoff across the ground, using their wings in a stilted, crablike walk was so creepy Natalya shivered, goose bumps rising on her arms and legs. The bats formed two circles around Vikirnoff and the vampires, the inner circle moving clockwise, the outer circle moving counter-clockwise. Her heart began to beat faster and she took several deep breaths to slow it, not wanting to give her presence away. She had to trust him. She did trust him, yet it took tremendous self-control to keep from shouting out a warning. Natalya shoved her hand into her mouth and bit down hard.
Borak shimmered, was nearly transparent. The other two vampires followed his example. The forms shortened, contorted, took on the shape of a woman. A smaller woman with long
dark hair. Vikirnoff found himself facing three Ravens. He knew it was to throw Mikhail off, that they counted on him hesitating before striking at her. Already the vampires were rapidly cloning their forms, so that a hundred Ravens stood across from him looking vulnerable and innocent.
It wasn't difficult to distinguish which of the shapes were Borak as his head didn't stay in place, but the others were perfect replicas of Raven. Some were weeping. Others pleading. All of them held out their arms to him as they began to walk toward him. Vikirnoff's own form shimmered, dissolved, streaked into the army of Ravens and contorted into the same image so that it was impossible to tell who was vampire, who was clone and who was the hunter.
Vikirnoff moved with the other clones, working his way slowly toward Borak. He was positive he had located the vampire in the midst of so many. The clone heads were slightly tilted, but one kept flopping to one side or the other as the vampire focused on the hunt and not on his image.
Vikirnoff moved within striking distance and at once the bats in the air began to dart at him and those on the ground made small noises. The rain increased and the wind picked up, blowing through the leaves on the trees so that they once again shuddered and twisted, dancing madly overhead.
Vikirnoff whirled gracefully among the clones, reaching for Borak as he shifted into the form of the prince, slamming his fist deep. Raven's face contorted into a malicious mask, the mouth yawning wide, teeth gaping. Borak shifted instantly, trying to dissolve around the burrowing fingers that drove through his body with the speed and intensity of a thrown spear. Vikirnoff yanked the heart free, still gliding in his flowing circle, taking the withered, blackened organ with him as he mowed down several clones.
Natalya couldn't take her eyes off of him. She wanted to move, wanted to at least get rid of the bats moving so dangerously close to him, closing their circles down to make the battlefield smaller, but she felt in a trance, unable even to blink or take her eyes off of Vikirnoff. She saw him so clearly beneath the image of the prince, moving in his warrior's dance, his hands strong, his face etched in lines of determination, of resolve. Her heart quickened to match his beat; her feet felt the same graceful rhythm.
Borak shrieked, his voice hideous as he raced after Vikirnoff, his clones of Raven's image falling to earth and disintegrating as if they'd never been. Dark acid blood withered the vegetation as Borak toppled to the ground. Lightning forked in the sky, lighting the gruesome scene before the bolt incinerated the heart the hunter flung to the ground. The jagged whip leapt to the body, burning it to a fine ash before flames engulfed the blood on the ground and the nearest circle of bats.
The second circle of bats took to the air to escape the intense heat. Natalya blinked rapidly as she watched the battle unfolding, feeling as if she were climbing out of a strange trance. Her mind refused to comprehend what happened at first, but then she was back to
herself and she realized Vikirnoff's movements were hypnotic. He was able to enthrall his enemy with his flowing movements and dull the mind of his opponent enough to slow them down.
Valentine and Gene shifted shape a second time, working in unison, flying at Vikirnoff, directing the bats to attack him as well. Vikirnoff threw off the illusion of the prince and met them in the air, a force of power and skill unlike anything the two had ever encountered before. He burst through the flapping wings of the bats, knocking several out of the sky in his pursuit of the two vampires.
Gene broke off and turned tail, streaking through the trees in a run for his life. Valentine chose to stand and fight, dropping back to the ground and facing the hunter. Natalya tried to keep Gene in sight, not trusting that he would leave when they had so clearly been following the instructions of another, most likely Maxim. Gene had been swallowed up by the thick grove of trees, but Natalya drew her sword anyway, holding it at the ready should the vampire be attempting to ambush Vikirnoff.
«You are not the prince,» Valentine snarled. He repeated it, shouting. «He is not the prince!»
If he was asking for permission to get away, it was far too late. Vikirnoff whirled around, catching the vampire by the nape of the neck and hurtling him to the ground. He was on him immediately, driving his fist into the chest to extract the heart.
Natalya felt the burn of the dragon and looked frantically around, scanning the trees, the bushes, everything near Vikirnoff. A small rock rolled just inches from his leg and her breath caught in her throat. She burst out of concealment as Gene rose up behind Vikirnoff, triumph on his face as he lifted the knife in his hand.
Natalya somersaulted across the distance, wielding her sword as she flew past, slicing through the vampire's legs as she did so. He screamed horribly, over and over as he fell backward. Vikirnoff was already turning, striking as he did so, his speed so fast, he had the heart before Gene hit the ground. Lightning flashed and flames raced from the blackened hearts to the two bodies. Vikirnoff lifted his head and looked at her.
Chapter 14
«What the hell were you thinking, following me like that, Natalya? You could have been killed.» He knew the moment he uttered the words, how ridiculous he sounded. Natalya might easily have taken care of the vampires and that just upset him more. He wasn't even certain why he was so distressed. Maybe it was the smear of blood along her shoulder and the bruise on her face from the earlier battles. He swore under his breath and rubbed a hand
over his face.
Natalya smirked at him. «Just say thank you and we'll call it good.»
He looked at his hands, held them up for her to see. «Look at this. I itch, actually itch to shake some sense into you.» His palm slid over the top of her head, down her hair to the nape of her neck. He pulled her closer, bent his head and kissed her. It was brief, electric and not at all satisfying to either of them. «You terrify me. You make me feel things I do not want to feel. You are so courageous you terrify me.» He took her mouth again. Hard. Possessive. A little brutal.
She tasted his terror. She tasted his need. There was so much hunger. So much resolve. Vikirnoff could be gentle, but he wasn't feeling gentle. She had scared him and that wasn't a good thing. «Let's get out of here, Vikirnoff. This place gives me the creeps. Can't we go somewhere and talk?»
«I do not feel much like talking.»
She took a deep breath, let it out slowly and looked him directly in the eye. «Neither do I.»
His body tightened at her words, but more than that, his heart turned over. He reached for her without preamble, gathered her close and took to the air. Deliberately, Natalya wound one leg around his thigh, allowing the damp heat of her body to tease him as he took them across the night sky.
«Are you afraid?»
«No.» She tugged at his earlobe with her teeth. «Yes. I don't know. Maybe a little.»
«You know what you are doing?» His hand was low on her spine, fingers spread wide, palm burning her right through her clothing. His voice was harsh with hunger. So much hunger. Her womb clenched and her nipples hardened into tight peaks.
«You're asking me if I'm committing to you.» Her body ached. Felt empty. She turned up her face to his, her arm circling his neck and kissed him, tongue licking his lips, her hand sliding down his chest to brush the thick bulge pressed so tightly against her.
«Be very certain. Because once you do, I will not let you go, Natalya. Even if you somehow managed to undo an ancient binding ritual as old as time itself, I will not let you go once you are mine.» His beast was roaring for his lifemate. Save me. Choose me. Be forever to my heart connected. She was his. His.
She liked that he didn't close his mind to her. She wanted to feel the possessiveness of his thoughts. She wanted to be swept away so the small scared part of her wouldn't be able to think too much and she could just take what she wanted. Do what she wanted. Have someone for herself. Someone to talk with, share laughter, be angry, be frightened for. She
wanted it all. Vikirnoff was offering all of those things.
«I am not an easy man to be with-«
She kissed him again, stopping him in midsentence. He tasted hot. Carnal. He tasted sweet and close to love. «I'm not an easy woman to be with either-« She broke off to kiss him a third time, her fingers sliding beneath his shirt to feel his chest. She was careful to avoid his still tender wounds, not quite healed from his earlier battles. «I think I'm going to be addicted to kissing you.»
She circled his neck with her arms as he made the descent with dizzying speed into a small chimney in the mountain, closing her eyes and hiding her face against his shoulder. The entrance was narrow and long. They plummeted straight down into a wide chamber with cathedral-like ceilings. He set her on her feet, holding her steady until he was certain she wouldn't fall after their flight.
Natalya tossed her pack into a corner and surveyed the large chamber as Vikirnoff waved his hands to light the candles. Instantly the air was filled with the scent of soothing lavender. «Wow. This is wonderful. Our own hot tub.» She pointed toward the natural pool surrounded by flat rocks.
«I used to come here when I was a fledgling. I spent a lot of time here studying. I covered the entrance before I left, but never expected it to still be intact.»
She nudged him with her shoulder. «So you said, you have to see to my happiness. Didn't I hear that when you so rudely married us without my consent?»
He groaned softly. «I can see this is going to be one of those difficult days.»
She tossed her head so that her tawny hair fell around her face in waves doing things to his heart he didn't want to examine too closely. Even her rude noises were becoming endearing and that was just plain frightening.
«I think you're going to have a lot of those.»
«Difficult days? I think you are right.»
«So answer the question. You have to make me happy, right?»
«I can do no other,» he agreed.
A slow, wicked grin curved her mouth and set her eyes sparkling. «I need lots of things to make me happy. And keep me happy. I'm that kind of girl.»
«What kind of girl?» Suspicion crept into his voice.
«Needy. High-maintenance.»
«I do not doubt that for a minute.» His gaze drifted over her face and something in him shifted. Stilled. «Come here.»
Natalya backed up. She meant to hold her ground, but his eyes had gone to a smoky gray and darkened with intense heat. With desire. A shiver of excitement went down her spine. She licked her lips and wasn't certain whether it was necessary or deliberately provocative.
«You heard me, Natalya.» His voice was low. Utterly soft. A whisper of velvet stroking her body, stroking nerve endings. «Come here to me.»
Excitement surged through her. He looked grim and forbidding, his face etched with lines from the battle, his hair flowing like silk and his body so hard with his need of her. But it was his eyes, the deep hunger, the way he looked as if he were starving for her body that set her pulse pounding. The way he looked as if nothing could or would stop his possession of her.
She needed that look. She craved a man who wanted her so much nothing could stand in his way. She didn't care if that made her strange, it was who she was, who the tigress was. She wanted that implacable resolve. She wanted that possessive mouth commanding hers, his hands rough and his body hard and painfully full.
She stepped closer. Just out of reach. Tantalizingly out of reach. She wanted to prolong the moment. Heighten his desire. She wanted to see his eyes glaze with the same brutal hunger clawing at her.
Vikirnoff felt lust rising sharply, mingling with something far more potent. He caught her arm, pulled her the scant feet separating them so that her body fell against his. Her heat nearly melted him. Her skin was satin soft. Her breasts pushed into his chest so that he felt her hard nipples rise and fall against him with each breath she took. His fingers fisted in her hair, pulling her head back so his mouth fused with hers.
Natalya was certain electricity crackled in the air around them. Liquid heat poured through her body, through veins and muscle, nearly catching her on fire. She felt the harsh tug on her hair, his mouth crushing hers, eating at hers with a wild abandon and she needed more. Demanded more. She caught at his shirt, tore at it, desperate to get at his skin. All the while she devoured his mouth, kiss for kiss, exploring with teeth and tongue, making her own demands, deliberately pushing his need higher.
He brushed aside his clothing in the way of his people, with barely a thought other than he wished them gone. Catching the front of her camisole, he stripped it away, baring her breasts to his hungry gaze, the primitiveness of the action heightening his pleasure. She was beautiful, spilling out of the material, round and firm and good enough to eat. He bent his head and took her nipple into his mouth.
Her hips bucked hard against him, her belly contracted and a hot moan escaped. He held her there, suckling at her breast, her body on fire and her needs swamping him. With each
swipe of his tongue and tug of his teeth, he felt her body rock, her muscles contract; he knew her body was wet and slick and welcoming. Her mind was wide open to his deliberately. She shared her desire, fed his needs with her own open abandon. Whatever he wanted, she was there to fulfill for him and she expected the same.
His hand slid down her belly to the little ring that had intrigued him so much. He touched it, slid lower to find her pants.
«Take them off of me,» she ordered, bending forward to lick at his nipples. «Hurry, Vikirnoff. Get my clothes. They hurt my skin.»
He stripped her, deliberately rough, arousing her further as he walked her backward until she was against the cavern wall, took possession of her mouth again as he pulled her naked body tightly against his.
She cried out, unable to stop the small sound, uncaring that he knew she wanted to sob with so much pleasure running through her body. She ground her hips against him, wanting more, seeking more. His hand cupped her breast in reward, thumb teasing her nipple, stroking and caressing so that waves rippled through her body and tightened her womb. «More,» she whispered, greedy for it all, every experience.
His teeth nibbled at her chin, teased her throat and nipped the swell of her breast. He lifted her easily, his strength enormous, holding her pinned against the wall while he laved her belly button and pressed little kisses on her stomach.
Her breath came in gasps. She tried to wrap her legs around him, so hot and wet she needed relief, but he lifted her to a ledge, so that her bottom sank into a groove there. His hands were hard on her knees jerking her thighs apart. The cool air hit her hot core, but nothing could cool her, nothing could make the ache stop.
She heard her own heart beat. She heard the sound of her ragged breathing. Then his breath was on her. His peculiar brand. A claiming that would never go away. She felt it deep inside and her entire body tightened to the point of pain. She was nearly sobbing for him. His hand cupped her mound, pressed into her heat. She jerked, twisting with hunger. Her pulse pounded in her ears, throbbed in her womb. His finger slid through her heat, pressed deeper into her.
That easy she came, shattering into fragments, her body so responsive she couldn't hide her reaction if she wanted to. Her eyes met his. She loved his face, the masculine lines etched so deep there, a warrior's face. A lover's face. She brushed her fingertips over the lines, traced his lips, all the while staring into his eyes, reveling in the sheer intensity of his desire for her, the feel in his mind that he was on the razor thin edge of his control.
«I want you, Natalya.» His voice was husky. His fingers pushed deep so that she couldn't stop the way her hips rode him, every muscle contracting with heart-stopping pleasure.
«I know you do, Vikirnoff. I want you, too.» She could barely manage to get the words out, gasping as his fingers retreated and plunged deep again.
He shook his head. «I mean you. I want you to understand I do not want any other woman. Only you.»
She cried out as his fingers withdrew. He caught her hips in his hands, his thighs wedging between hers. «Look at me, ainaak sivamet jutta, I want you to know who you are with.»
She met his gaze steadily. «I know exactly who I'm with.»
His erection was painfully hard, almost an agony he could no longer bear. He needed to be deep inside of her where he belonged. Where they would be connected for all time. He pressed against her feminine channel, so wet and slick and hot with hunger for him.
Natalya moaned and the sound was almost too much for him, vibrating through his body until it felt like fingers on his too-tight skin stroked and caressed up and down the length of his erection. He kept her gaze captive as he pressed into her, a slow, long stroke that pushed through her feminine folds so that she gripped him like a tight fist. His breath escaped in a long rush of air as he waited for her body to accept him, waited to push a little deeper. Again. And then again. He wanted to be so deep she would never get him out.
She shuddered with pleasure. His fingers dug deep into her hips, holding her into the seat in the ledge. He began to move, withdrawing, a long excruciatingly slow movement that robbed her of her ability to think. She could only feel, could only dig her nails deep into his arm and hang on as he plunged into her, thrusting hard and deep, driving through her velvet folds while she screamed his name. He didn't stop, but kept surging powerfully into her, thick and hard, pushing through her tight folds, tilting her to get a better angle, holding her on the edge of release until she sobbed for relief. The loss of control shattered her when she'd always had so much control. It was frightening to need so much, to feel helpless under the pounding beat of sexual hunger.
«Vikirnoff.» Just that. His name. His name. The breathless plea sent him careening out of all control. Every muscle in his body tightened to the point of pain. Every nerve ending in his body was alive and shrieking for release. The sensation built like a volcano, a strong powerful rush that shook him. He had never felt such intensity, such a feeling of need and hunger and possession as he did at that moment. Lust and love seemed intertwined, inseparable. His fingers dug into her skin and fangs exploded in his mouth. He fought back the urge to take her blood as he neared the edge of his control.
Natalya's soft breathless gasps and moans drove him over the edge. Her body was like hot silk, her feminine channel as tight as a fist, squeezing and gripping until the friction and heat burst through him like molten gold.
His release was shattering and took her with him, so that her muscles convulsed around
him, over and over, powerful contractions that kept them both gasping for breath, lungs burning and bodies on fire while the world around them fragmented. Even his powerful legs turned to mush so that he leaned over her, gripping her thighs for support.
She looked an offering, lying back so that her breasts thrust upwards invitingly, her legs sprawled open to allow him to stand between her thighs. Her hair was in wild disarray and her eyes were half closed, long lashes fanning against her cheeks. «I can't move.»
«Neither can I.» In truth he didn't want to move. He wanted to stay buried in her for all time. She was a haven, a secret refuge that offered glimpses of paradise. He stroked her thighs with the pads of his fingers, needing to touch her, needing the intimacy of being able to touch her so freely.
«You didn't take my blood.» She didn't know if she was disappointed or relieved. In all honesty, the craving was in her veins, in her mind, so strong she felt the lengthening of her incisors and the taste of him in her mouth.
His gaze jumped to hers. Hot. Hungry. The intensity stealing her breath.
«I have not discussed such a thing with you, Natalya.» His accent was much thicker than usual and set her heart pounding.
«Why?»
«I will not take that decision from you.» He had made up his mind to honor her wishes. He wanted her acceptance of him as much as she wanted it of him.
She was all too aware of his body locked so deeply inside of her. Of his hands stroking her thighs, moving up her belly to brush her breasts. She should have felt vulnerable splayed out as she was, but she felt utterly sexy. Wanted. Needed even. It was in the heat of his gaze and the stroke of his fingers. In the way his body stayed hard and thick and throbbing with fire even through the catastrophic explosion between them.
Natalya reached up to run her fingers through the silk of his hair. «I have to find the book. If I were to make a blood exchange with you, would it affect the way I am able call upon the elements? My magick is a part of me, like breathing. If magick was lost to me, I wouldn't know who I was anymore.»
He closed his eyes. He was wholly Carpathian, born a hunter, a shape-shifter, able to command the things of nature. He didn't have to give up his world or who or what he was. Would she still have all her abilities? He couldn't give her an answer. Vikirnoff groaned and bent toward her.
Natalya responded eagerly, fusing her mouth with his, delighted that the action drove him deeper into her and set aftershocks rippling through her body with enough force to start new ones. When he lifted his head, she kept her hands on his shoulders forcing him to look into her eyes. His hips moved in a gentle, almost lazy rhythm, sending spasms of pleasure
through her body. She wanted to be a part of him. Of his life. But she wanted him to want her for herself. For who she was, not because some ancient words had bound them together, or because the universe had decreed they belonged.
«You look sad, ainaak sivamet jutta, what are you thinking?»
«Aren't you sharing my mind?»
«Not at this precise moment. I enjoy watching the expressions on your face. Right now, while we are connected and sharing the joy in our bodies, you are looking sad. I must endeavor to find better ways to please you.»
A faint smile curved her mouth. «I think you're well aware that you please me. Stop fishing for compliments.»
He moved to adjust his angle just slightly as he pushed deep with a hard stroke, heightening her pleasure even more so that a small gasp escaped and the sadness disappeared from her eyes to be replaced with something altogether different.
«Vikirnoff, what is ainaak sivamet jutta?» Another moan escaped as he plunged deeper again. «The exact translation.»
«It means 'forever to my heart connected.'» He shrugged, a slight movement of his wide shoulders. «Or fixed. Forever to my heart fixed. The words are interchangeable.»
Her gaze drifted over his face. «Am I? Am I connected to your heart?»
«How could you think otherwise?»
Natalya didn't have an answer for that. She had confidence in her intelligence, her courage and her abilities in most areas, but not that of a woman. Of a partner. She had never thought in those terms and the ideas in his mind of what a lifemate should be were very far from what she was-or could ever be. She wanted to be his ainaak sivamet jutta, but she had doubts he was seeing her realistically. She closed her eyes and gave herself up to the ecstasy of his lovemaking, unwilling to think too much about the future.
She lost herself in his body, in the absolute magic they created together. She craved the feel of his hands on her body, the feel of his skin and muscles, the power of him as he took her. There was an edge to him, as if he could be ruthless in his lovemaking, pushing her beyond any limit she had ever thought she had, all the while heightening her pleasure, keeping her wanting more. Always more.
Time slipped away from her. There was only Vikirnoff and his hands and mouth and body. Each time she thought it was over and they would rest, he was there again, demanding again, wanting her. Hungry for her. She felt the scrape of his teeth and swirl of his tongue. There wasn't an inch of her that didn't go untouched, untasted, unused, but all the while he was wringing gasps of pleasure, moans and pleas for more.
He carried her to the hot springs and settled her on his lap where he could bathe her. Limp with fatigue, deliciously sore, she buried her face in his neck. «Thank you for not taking my blood. I feel the need in you, but you were so careful.» His pulse pounded beneath her lips, the strong ebb and flow of life that beckoned and called and tempted.
«I told you I would not.»
«Still, I would have let you,» she confessed. «I wasn't thinking straight.»
«I told you I would not,» he reiterated. «If it is important to you, I will always remember, even when I am not thinking clearly either.»
She turned her head to lie against his shoulder so she could look up at his face. There was male beauty in the lines etched there as well as other traits she was becoming familiar with. Vikirnoff wore power and dominance as easily as other men wore clothes, yet it was so natural to him, so intrinsic to his personality, she had accepted it in him without much thought, because he tempered those things with integrity and fairness.
«I'm beginning to like you.»
His smile was brief, but it flared in his eyes and her heart, as tired as she was, responded with a quick beat. She smoothed her fingertip across his lips.
«That is a start.» He tugged on her wet hair. «You could be hard on a man's ego if he allowed it.»
She laughed. She couldn't help it. She wanted to spend all night making love every way they could and feasting on each other's body. «I doubt anything could dent your ego, Vikirnoff. The water feels so good.»
«I do not want you to be sore. I intend to make certain you are properly healed before you go to sleep.»
There was a note in his voice, husky, sexy, a promise of something sinfully wonderful that sent heat spreading through her veins. «I'm all for that. Are we going to stay here?» She didn't want to be separated from him. She couldn't go through another day without him.
«I think it is best. The vampire cannot send human enemies against you and I can better protect us here.»
«How is Gabrielle doing? Is she still alive?»
«Yes. I hold her spirit with mine. They have sent her to sleep. Falcon will give her blood on rising. If her body can wait, Mikhail will do the third exchange on the following rising. The wait will give her plenty of time for several healing sessions with the others and a chance for her body to adjust to the ancient blood.»
«How will she be connected to you, Vikirnoff?» She stifled the small pang of jealousy she was ashamed of feeling. She hadn't had anyone for herself in so long and she wanted to be his only.
His teeth nibbled at her shoulder. «Not in a sexual way, or in the way of a lifemate, Natalya. She will have a private path to my thoughts, as I will to hers. Our spirits will maintain a connection, as she will have been in my keeping for over twenty-four hours. Gabrielle will awaken as one of us. She will not have a lifemate to turn to for support in her new world. Her sister and brother-kin are returning as quickly as possible to aid her, but she is half in love with Gary, a human. The males will not want her to continue a relationship with him as there are so few Carpathian women and they will hope she can be a lifemate to one of them. She will awaken to many problems and will need aid.»
«And you have to be there for her.»
«You wished me to save her life,» he reminded gently, even as his teeth bit down over the pulse beating so frantically in her throat. «I could devour you, Natalya, and never get enough.»
She laughed again because she could hear the truth in his voice and felt the stirring of his body against her. It reassured her when she felt so vulnerable. «I believe you. I'm exhausted. We can't possibly, not again. I need to sleep for a week or two. And so do you.»
Vikirnoff lifted her with casual ease and carried her to the far side of the cavern where he had prepared a large bed on the ground. Candles were everywhere, the flames flickering and dancing, throwing shadows on the walls to illuminate crystals and give color to the walls. The spread appeared to be a midnight blue, velvet soft with a host of cushions. He laid her facedown in the middle of them, his hands gentle on her body, positioning her head on a soft pillow and bringing her arms out.
«We're wet.»
«We're not.» And they weren't.
Natalya allowed her lashes to drift down as his hands began a massage at the nape of her neck. He murmured to her in his own language, urging her to sleep while he attended to her sore body. He kneaded the muscles in her neck and shoulders, her arms and back, lower still to her buttocks and thighs and calves before turning her over to attend the front of her.
Natalya drifted in a haze of mind-numbing pleasure. She felt his tongue swirling over her pulse. Teasing the valley between her breasts. Her nipples ached from the sweet torment he had inflicted for hours, but this time it was as soothing as it was stimulating as his tongue flicked and laved and lingered. He suckled gently, before attending the undersides of her breasts and spending a great deal of time tugging on the small golden hoop in her belly.
«You like that, don't you?» She didn't open her eyes. She liked the feel of drifting while
he explored her in such a slow, languid fashion. There was something to be said for the slow sensual buildup as opposed to the violence of their earlier hunger.
«Very much.» He nuzzled the ring and kissed his way down to the tawny triangle. «I love your body, Natalya, all soft and firm and curved so beautifully.» Deliberately he pressed a finger into her wet heat. «Mostly I love how you respond for me. I have had many years to imagine what it would be like. I've studied how to please a woman to be prepared. I wanted to know every way I could bring her pleasure and how she could do the same for me. But the imagination, when one has no feeling, cannot prepare for this.»
Natalya lifted her lashes just enough to watch as he dipped his head between her thighs. She had felt every emotion, yet she was unprepared as his tongue stroked and caressed, finding every sore spot and healing her. She was unprepared for the fire racing through her, and the edgy need that spread and built until she was gripping the blanket beneath her and lifting her hips to meet his marauding mouth.
«I thought you were getting me to sleep.» She reached for his hair, anything to stay anchored when her body was so ready to fly away with her.
«I changed my mind. Do not move, Natalya. Just lie there and do not move.»
«It's impossible.»
Immediately her arms were anchored above her head. She couldn't see how he did it, but she lay stretched out on the blanket. He lifted her hips and placed pillows beneath her to make her more comfortable before returning to his ravishment. His mouth and teeth and tongue were everywhere, his hands possessive, demanding as they moved over her until she was sobbing for release. He took her to the edge over and over, but never quite tipped her over.
Natalya could feel the heat of his erection nearly burning against her thigh. He thought he had her helpless, tormenting her to the brink of insanity, but she had other ideas. Deliberately she merged her mind with his, sharing the terrible craving for him, the dark edgy need for relief. She built a picture in her mind of him kneeling above her, her mouth engulfing him, suckling and stroking and driving him to the same fever pitch. All the while she moved her thigh subtly, like a great cat, rubbing back and forth to create a friction against his most sensitive skin.
She heard his soft groan, felt the response as he grew harder and thicker and jumped in anticipation and need. He might think he could dominate and she would be submissive, but she was as fierce and as passionate as any tigress and she was every bit as capable of driving him out of his mind with pleasure as he was doing to her.
Vikirnoff kissed his way back up her body, rubbing his face against her soft skin, unable to get enough of her. He loved the feel of her, satin and silk, fire and flame. The candlelight played lovingly over her body, a temptation in itself. He followed the erotic picture in her
mind, rising above her, knee on either side of her breasts, tight, so he could feel her against him.
Natalya teased him, blowing a breath over him, flicking her tongue, swiping with small curling licks as if he were an ice cream cone. Flames engulfed him, took him to a new hunger. She looked helpless, lying stretched out on the blanket beneath him, her arms still above her head, her eyes like jewels, but there was nothing helpless about Natalya.
Vikirnoff reached down to cradle her head in his palms, holding her to him. Her lips slid over him, the moist heat of her mouth taking his breath, setting his heart pounding hard. Her mouth was a miracle, tight and slick and so hot it seemed an inferno. He lost himself in the mixture of rising lust and power and sheer carnal desire. He knew she was feeding the intensity, deliberately stealing the control. He watched the way he slid in and out of her mouth, the taunting laughter in her eyes, felt the way she wanted him to feel the same pleasure he had given her.
Destiny had tied them together, but she was so much more than that. This woman, impossible to tame, had wrapped herself around his heart. He could not imagine any other suiting him, making him laugh, making him crazy with desire, just as he was right at that moment. Groaning, he pulled away from her, to blanket her, waiting a heartbeat as he pushed slowly against her entrance. He felt the initial resistance of her body, as if she might not open for him, and then he was inside of her, surrounded by her, buried deep the way he hungered.
He whispered to her in his language, unable to find another way to express the deep connection and commitment to her. He made love to her, slow at first, watching the way her pleasure built, feeling her body tighten around him until he could only thrust harder and deeper, surging forward to keep that connection forever. She had tears in her eyes when the powerful quakes rocked through their bodies and left them gasping for air, struggling to slow their hearts; they were limp with exhaustion.
Vikirnoff rolled his weight off of her, kissing her neck as he drew her against him. «It is nearly dawn. We must sleep.»
Natalya struggled to find a way to talk without proper air. Her lungs were burning and her body still rippled with pleasure. «Aren't you going to sleep underground? Shouldn't you? I'll sleep right here, over the top of you and protect you from all the gremlins,» she insisted. «The only thing you have to worry about is the Troll King.»
«I have provided intricate safeguards. Even your infamous Troll King would have to pause to unravel them and I would awaken. We will be safe here.»
Natalya pillowed her head on his shoulder. «I really don't mind if you need to go to ground, Vikirnoff. I can handle it.»
Vikirnoff wrapped his arms around her. «I prefer to sleep right here beside you,» he said.
«I like holding you. If you should wake and I appear dead…»
«I know, I know,» she interrupted. «You're really asleep. Stop flattering yourself, I'm perfectly fine without you.»
«You get into trouble without me.»
«Every morning, when I finally am tired enough to go to bed after watching television all night alone, I call up a dream of my childhood with my brother, Razvan. I've been doing it for years. It was the only way I could feel like I wasn't so alone, as if I still belonged and had family. This is the first time in many years I will not feel as if I have to call him to me.»
«You do belong,» he said. He pressed kisses against the nape of her neck. «You belong with me, thanks to those binding words you disliked so much.»
She frowned, snuggling closer. «Don't think I'm giving up on undoing the spell. I'm tenacious.»
«It is not exactly a spell.» His eyes were heavy and his arms were taking on the leaden feeling of his kind. «But did you figure out the first two lines?»
«Of course.» She felt smug; she couldn't help it. She had always had a gift for. languages and she had the advantage of speaking earlier languages before they had evolved into the twentieth century patterns. She was familiar with the way many words were considered unnecessary in the earlier languages. «The first two sentences translate more exactly to something like this: 'you wedded wife-my'. There is no specific word for the word 'are'. The second line comes out something close to: 'to me you belong, wedded wife-my.' I'm not certain of the exact phrasing, but it is far closer than the more modern form.»
A slow smile lit his eyes. «Really?» He arched his brows at her.
«Yes, really,» she said, undeterred. «I know you think it's funny, but I refuse to be trapped into something whether I want it or not. It's not good for you to think you've got me tied to you. I'm not a passive person and I wouldn't want you to think I am.»
His laughter was soft, his breath warm against the nape of her neck. «Passive? You? I cannot imagine anyone, least of all me, making that mistake.»
She grinned, closing her eyes. «Razvan said I needed to curb my tongue and that if Shakespeare had met me, Kate wouldn't be the famous shrew, Natalya would.»
«He said that, did he?» Vikirnoff was wise enough not to agree aloud. Not when her body nestled so comfortably next to his. «What else did Razvan have to say?»
«He said I needed to learn how to sew, to be more restful and soothing and to censor most of what I say.» There was laughter and affection in her voice.
«I cannot imagine.»
«I told him I did censor most of what I say. If he could read my mind…» Her voice trailed off, her lashes lifting so she could meet the amusement in his gaze. «Lucky you. You get to know the real me with no censorship.»
«Good night, Natalya.» He kissed her again and succumbed to the sleep of his kind, feeling very lucky to know the real woman.
Chapter 15
«Razvan! Where are you? I'm so happy. Come to me tonight. Where are you? Why won't you answer me?» Natalya hurried down the cobblestone steps leading to the great garden. They always met in the garden if they'd been separated for the day, but she couldn't find her brother anywhere.
«Why are you so happy?» The voice came from a distance and Natalya spotted her twin seated on the slabs of slate overlooking the fountain. He looked glum, his legs drawn up, his elbows on his knees, chin propped in hand. «Where have you been, Natalya? Do you even realize you deserted me? I didn't know the safeguards and I had to see grandfather.»
That brought her up short. They never referred to him as grandfather. Xavier was supposed to be dead. If they talked about him he would punish them, and his punishments were terrible. Xavier. Their Grandfather. They were forced to live with him after their father had disappeared. Natalya frowned. Why couldn't she remember Xavier when she was awake? She knew exactly what he looked like when she conjured up her dreams of her childhood, but not when she was in present time awake. How did that happen? «Don't call him that. We are to call him Uncle. He might hear you.»
«Why didn't you give me the safeguards, Natalya? How could you leave me wide open like that?» Razvan stood up slowly, turning as he did so, lifting his shirt. «Look what he did to me.»
Natalya halted instantly. «Oh, no! Razvan, why does he take it out on you when I make a mistake? I hate that. I hate that we're so afraid to be together we have to meet like this. Did he take your blood?»
«He always takes my blood. If not mine, then he would take yours. You know that. I don't care if he punishes me; he isn't going to get your blood.»
«Why do we stay? Why are we allowing him to dictate to us and keep us small children? I have power. He can't control me. He wants me to believe he can, but he can't. You have the same power in you, Razvan. You've resisted him for years. Together we can break free
of him.»
«We have different strengths, Natalya. You're good at commanding the elements. You have a quick mind and can figure things out.»
«You come up with the ideas in the first place, Razvan. Without you, we would have been dead a long time ago.» The words caught at Natalya. She looked down at her hands. They weren't the hands of a child, but those of a grown woman.
Shock spread through her. She looked up at Razvan. «What happened to us?»
The form of the teenage boy shimmered, became translucent and a man's image superimposed itself over the child. «You betrayed me. You chose the hunter, my enemy.»
Natalya shook her head, reaching out toward her brother. «I chose happiness, Razvan. That was something our grandfather didn't understand, could never understand. What was the point of longevity? I've watched people die over and over, but they led happy lives while I just lived on and on alone with no one to share anything with. Neither sorrow nor joy.» Her arms dropped back to her side, empty.
«We have power beyond imagination.»
«No, we don't. I've seen power beyond imagination, but it doesn't matter to me. Those people who are born, live their lives together as a family and die surrounded by family; they know how to live. What do we do? What does he do? He hides from the world with his malevolent schemes, drinking blood to stay alive-for what? Why live so long without happiness? I choose to be happy, to share my life. I will not apologize or feel guilty for that.»
«Look at us, Natalya. You took our world and changed it. I'm no longer a boy and I'm fading. Would you really choose him over your brother? Your twin?»
«I will not leave him. Why would you think I'm trading one for the other? You're in my dreams, Razvan. I will never forget you, never.» Her heart pounding, she studied the fading image of her twin, the harshness in the face of the man.
«You don't need me. You have him.»
Natalya refused to sound as if she were pleading. Or asking permission. «He is alive and I am alive. I cannot sustain my life on dreams of a brother long gone from me. My love for him is different.»
Razvan's face twisted with anger. «I forbid this! He is a hunter, hated by our family. Choose another.»
«This is a dream, only a silly dream. I choose Vikirnoff. I choose happiness,» Natalya said, determined to wake up. She would not allow her dreams to take on the twisted
nightmares that sometimes invaded them. Razvan would want her happy. He wouldn't be so angry with her over choosing to be involved in a relationship with someone who made her happy. Whatever occasionally crept into her dreams and corrupted them, she wasn't going to put up with it anymore.
«Wait!» Razvan called frantically. «The safeguards. You didn't give me the safeguards. I can't weave them myself.»
Natalya turned back to him, frowning as she murmured the spell to him.
He smiled at her, beloved Razvan, already repeating the words to ensure he didn't forget them. Pain flashed unexpectedly through her head, a terrible pressure that increased without mercy, and then, just as abruptly disappeared, leaving her shaken.
He shook his head. «It isn't right. That's not right. You aren't telling me the truth.»
Natalya stared at her brother in sudden shock and dawning horror. «My god, Razvan, it's you. It's been you all along.»
She gave a low, tormented cry. Her heartfelt as if he had literally torn it from her chest.
She jolted into full consciousness with the sound of her cry still echoing in her ears. Tears spilled from her eyes and her breath came in great anguished sobs. «This can't be happening. This can't be happening.» She pressed the back of her hand against her trembling mouth. Her stomach lurched and she crawled away from Vikirnoff on her hands and knees and was sick in the corner of the cave.
He woke instantly, moving with his preternatural speed, kneeling beside her, hand on her back, his body pressed against hers. «What is it? Tell me what has caused this distress.» Only an hour or so had passed, and the lethargy did not have him in its grip.
«A dream.» She sank into him, shivering with cold, wanting his arms around her. «Only it wasn't my dream. It hasn't been my dream for a long time only I didn't know. I didn't understand.»
Vikirnoff wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her into the shelter of his body. He rocked her gently, feeling her pain, a terrible hurt that couldn't be comforted. «Tell me, ainaak enyem.» His voice was infinitely gentle.
Natalya was grateful he didn't probe into her mind. She felt raw. Betrayed. Ashamed. Was it the legacy of her mage blood? Was it possible her whole family was so tainted? A small sob escaped before she could choke it back. She huddled closer to Vikirnoff while he rocked her, stroking her hair and holding her close to him.
«He's alive.»
«Xavier? We knew that.»
She shook her head, tightened her fingers around his wrist, needing to hold onto his solid strength while her world shattered around her. «Not Xavier. Razvan. He's alive. He's the Troll King.» Her hand crept down to rub her ankle. «And that means he's in league with Xavier and Maxim. He's in league with vampires.»
Vikirnoff brushed the top of her hair with a kiss and rubbed his cheek against the back of her head in an effort to soothe her. «How do you know this?»
«Remember when we were in the cave and Maxim attacked me, was able to get into my head so easily? My safeguards were gone. You replaced them, not me. You wove a different thread through my mind, not one I've ever used.»
«How does that make him alive?» Pain radiated off of her in waves but all Vikirnoff could do was hold her, feeling utterly helpless in the face of her anguish. All of his centuries of education, all of his vast power could not prepare him for this moment when she needed him the most. He could only hold her to him and feel her terrible grief.
«My dreams have always been of my childhood with him. It was the only time we were together. We separated to be safe from Xavier, but we'd meet in our dreams and share information. We did that for years. After he died, I summoned the dreams and they would repeat and it would comfort me. But somewhere along the line the dreams started changing. I don't even remember when. We would talk about things pertinent now, in this time. I just assumed it was because I was lonely and I wanted to share my thoughts about things so the dreams changed to suit me.»
«That's logical, Natalya. Things occurring during the day that prey on our minds often will creep into dreams. At least that's what I've read.»
She shook her head, her eyes dark with pain. «It wasn't like that. He would ask me questions about experiments just like in the old days, but these were new ones.»
«The challenges. You said you were challenged to make things work. I thought Xavier challenged you.»
«It was Razvan. Razvan has been using me, for I don't know how long. It's why I can't remember things. Not Xavier. He didn't have my blood.» A sob escaped, torn from her throat, the sound piercing Vikirnoff like a knife. «When I was a child, Razvan protected me from Xavier. He took the punishments and he went to the laboratories. He came up with ideas, but I figured out how to do them and gave Razvan the information. It was how we prevented him from receiving Xavier's punishments. Xavier thought Razvan was the one who had the natural abilities. We tricked him for years into thinking that.» She wiped at the tears running down her face; the pain was so deep she felt as if her brother had torn out her heart. She pressed her hand there, trying to still the agony.
«And you believe somewhere over the last few years, Xavier managed to recruit Razvan to his side?» Vikirnoff kept his voice strictly neutral. Natalya was so devastated and he was helpless in the face of her suffering. He snapped his teeth together hard, rage building in spite of his effort to be calm. His arms tightened. He wanted to take away all of her pain, protect her from any further hurt, but Natalya was not a woman to wrap in cotton. She would face this in her way. On her own terms.
«He had to have. I don't know how. I don't even know why. Living a long time without happiness sucks. Why would either of them want that?»
His arms tightened, sheltering her even closer to him. «I have no idea. But are you certain, Natalya? Is it possible you really were discussing your everyday thoughts in your dreams?»
«You provided the safeguards and he couldn't reach me. He couldn't track me. That's why the Troll King didn't show up when you were fighting the vampires. It was so strange that he wasn't there.» She raked her fingers through her hair in sheer agitation. «That bugged me. He'd been there every other time. He didn't have the advantage of being able to read my mind. He couldn't find me.»
«Because I used a completely different safeguard, one unfamiliar to him.»
«That first morning, after the Troll King marked me and I brought you to my room, he knew. You were already able to get past all my shields, which by the way, are incredibly strong, but Razvan had removed them. That's how the shadow warrior was able to get in. I set the safeguards in the room, not you. And that's why I didn't sense him in the ground, even when he was attacking me in the cave.» Again she rubbed her ankle. «I was only aware of the actual attack after the poison was already on my leg.»
«And when we were running down the stairs in the cave, I sensed him running parallel to us, but he confused you, making you believe he was under us.»
Natalya nodded her head, trying not to shake with the sudden cold settling into the very bones of her body. «He's alive, Vikirnoff. And he's orchestrating something very bad here.»
«And he and the vampires want the book your father stole. Xavier and Razvan need the book to complete their plans.»
«But my father hid it from them. And Razvan knows I can touch objects and see things so they've been waiting until the right moment to acquire the book in order to proceed.» She pressed her fingertips into her aching temples. «I provided them with the way to do this.» She tapped her ankle. «Razvan challenged me and I made it happen. He used my own work against me. How ironic is that?»
«I am sorry, ainaak enyem, I know how much you love him.» He held her tightly, breathing for her, feeling the pain knifing through her heart and praying he wouldn't have to
be the one to kill her brother.
«I know I'm right, Vikirnoff. He'll come after us with everything he has now. He knows that I know. I didn't mean to give myself away, I was just so shocked.» She spread her hands out in front of her. «I'm so sorry. If only I'd thought to play along with him. I could have gotten us information.»
Vikirnoff took her hand, pressed a kiss into her palm, her knuckles, the tips of her fingers. «Do not apologize. Not now, not ever. Your reaction is entirely justified.»
«But he'll try to kill you.»
«He has been trying to kill me.» He smiled against the nape of her neck. «You thought about killing me. I seem to bring that out in people.»
She tried to smile, appreciating that he would make such an effort with her, but she couldn't get past how obtuse she'd been. «I should have handled it better.»
«Betrayal is never easy to handle and there is no right way to accept it. It doesn't matter now. We are going to be okay.»
Natalya was silent for a long time. He could hear the beat of her heart begin to accelerate. She turned her face up to his, one hand reaching back to catch him around the neck as she looked into his eyes. «Exchange blood with me.»
His own heart began to pound wildly, matching the rhythm of hers. «I thought we were not going to take any chances that you can't access the memories of the knife.»
«If I won't be able to find the book, neither will they. Neither side will have it and that's probably a good thing. Anything Xavier made and sealed with the blood of three magical species is no doubt powerful, deadly and too dangerous for anyone to try to wield.»
Vikirnoff took a deep breath and let it out. There it was. Total commitment. There would be no going back once she converted. She was tied to him now, but that last step, that important difference would seal her to him and his kind for all time. He wanted her to choose that path for herself. Not to escape from who she was.
«Natalya…» What could he say? He could deny her nothing, especially now when pain was her world and she was so shattered. «If we do not know where the book is, how can it be protected? What if they find a psychic woman with your talent to help them find the book? We need to destroy it.»
«How can we destroy the book? If it could have been destroyed so easily, then my father would have done so.»
«You have a good point. I do not know the answer to that, Natalya, but I think all Carpathians would sleep better knowing our prince had the care of the book rather than
knowing it was floating around somewhere the vampires could find it.»
«What if the book corrupts those who touch it? Power corrupts.»
«That is something we do not have to think about yet, Natalya. The truth is, you want to exchange blood with me not because you are committed to me, to our relationship, but because you believe something is wrong with you.»
The gentleness in his voice made her want to weep and she turned her face away from his so he wouldn't see tears glittering in her eyes. «It isn't what you think.»
«It is, ainaak enyem, you think your blood is tainted and you wish to escape from it. Not all of the mages were evil. Most were kind and intelligent and so generous. Our people were friends. Even Xavier, at one time, was well respected and a tremendous help to all who sought his advice. You said yourself power can corrupt. I do not know how it happened, but it was not the blood running through his veins.»
She pulled out of his arms and made her way to the small waterfall, catching the water in her hand to rinse her mouth. She was still so cold. She couldn't seem to find warmth in spite of the natural heat in the cave.
Vikirnoff could feel her anguish and cursed his own inadequacy at taking her pain from her. There was no way to ease betrayal, no way to kiss and make her better. His throat was raw with the need to help her, but he couldn't undo this terrible tragedy.
«Maybe it wasn't his blood, Vikirnoff, but I'm tied to them. They invaded my mind. My mind. They removed memories and planted stories. They traded on my love for my brother and corrupted my good memories of him.» She ran her hand over her ankle again. «And they put parasites in my body. I don't want them to know me. I don't want them to ever crawl inside my mind again.»
He stood up and followed her across the chamber. «The conversion will change your entire life.»
She stepped into the heat of the pool. The water felt hot on her icy skin. Even her insides felt ice cold. She hoped the heat of the springs would stop her shivering. «My entire life has already changed.» She held out her hand to him. «For the better.» A faint smile rose up unexpectedly. «I've decided you're trainable.»
His eyebrow shot up as he stepped into the pool beside her. «Trainable?»
She nodded. «You can't possibly think you're going to get away with bossing me, right? So once you're past the fact that I'm always right, we'll get along just fine.»
He shook his head. «You are impossibly optimistic for your chances.» He pulled her down into the water with him so that she was tucked in close beneath his shoulder.
«Chances of what?» Her head felt too heavy and she leaned it against his chest.
«Of being right. I am one of those obnoxious people who know everything. You think I am bossy, but in fact, I am merely directing you when you start to go off track.»
«And you expect me to thank you, I suppose, for your brilliant direction.»
«I have many ways in mind for you to show your appreciation.»
«I'll just bet you do.» She rubbed her ankle beneath the water. «This is never going to come off, is it? It's part of my skin now.»
«I do not know. I am not really a healer, although I can perform basic healing skills. When Gregori returns we can have him take a look at it. If he cannot remove the mark, we can seek out Francesca. She is in Paris and is said to be amazing.»
«Is it possible the conversion would remove it?»
His hand slipped beneath the water to circle her ankle. «I wish I knew. I doubt it, Natalya. You are very different from any other I have known. I do not know what the conversion would do to you. I do not believe it will take away your skills as a mage. Rhiannon possessed more talent than most wizards. You must have received that from her as well as from the mage blood to make you so powerful. It is no wonder Xavier wanted your blood.»
Natalya's eyes met his. «Razvan wouldn't allow it.»
Vikirnoff's strong fingers moved over her ankle in a soothing massage.
Natalya began to relax again, the hard knot in her stomach easing. When had Vikirnoff become someone she could feel peace with? She slid her hand over his belly, without sexual intent, but needing to feel his body beneath her fingertips. «Do you think I could have held out against Xavier? If I had been the one to visit him instead of Razvan? If Xavier took my blood?» She would not call him grandfather. «Do you think Razvan could have been saved?»
«There is no way of knowing.»
She looked so distraught, so different from her confident, sassy self that his heart shifted with pain. Vikirnoff touched her mind to read her, needing to know how to help her. Natalya possessed a will of iron. Her brother was her twin. They thought alike. They protected one another. They had lived through harrowing times even as young teens and found a way to survive without adult guidance.
Vikirnoff looked into her heart and found her shaken all the way to her soul.
Razvan had honorably chosen to give his blood to Xavier, He had successfully deceived
his grandfather into believing he was the one with the superior skills in magick, when it was really Natalya. They had carried out an elaborate deception and Razvan was often punished when Natalya couldn't complete experiments and pass the information on fast enough to her brother. She had hidden in safety while her brother had taken all the risks and now, after all of his sacrifices, she couldn't bear to think she hadn't been there to save him as he had saved her. She hadn't been there for him and he'd turned to evil. Her guilt was soul-consuming, a terrible burden he felt penetrating his own soul.
She looked up, her gaze locking with his. «Is there a way to get him back? Can we undo the damage done to him?»
«Natalya…» There was a warning note in his voice. «He has Carpathian blood running in his veins. There is every possibility that he is now part vampire. I never thought vampires would ever join forces, but they have. And your brother is in league with them. Maxim and his brothers are arrogant and believe they should be ruling the world. I think that both Xavier and Razvan feel they should be the rulers and they have united with the vampires in the hopes of gaining control of everything. The vampires are using your experiment to recognize one another, those participating in this conspiracy. I found the parasites first in my brother's lifemate's blood. She had been taken as a child and converted by a vampire. She was able to defeat him, but her blood called to the others. That's how they identify the members of the conspiracy, those with the parasites in their blood. It has to be that.» He gentled his tone. «You know Razvan is lost to you.»
«How do I know? The healers do incredible things. Maybe he could be saved. He isn't wholly Carpathian. So if he did turn, he isn't wholly vampire.» She wiped her hand over her face as if that could erase the knowledge of the extent of her twin's betrayal. «He was a good man. For centuries, he was honorable and he suffered so much.»
Vikirnoff sighed with regret. «You wanted to know why he wanted children. I have seen that question in your mind many times.»
She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and refused to meet his gaze, shaking her head slightly.
«He is looking for blood just as Xavier wanted the blood of his children to sustain his life. That is how he remained alive all these years. Not all children will carry what he needs, so he wanted several from different mothers.» And Razvan now wanted Natalya's blood just as Xavier sought it all those years ago. Razvan would not take her from Vikirnoff. He could not be allowed to destroy the fragile threads that bound their hearts even as their souls were welded so tightly together.
«You don't know that.» But it made sense. It was exactly what Xavier had done. She had witnessed it when she'd grasped the handle of the ceremonial knife.
«No, I do not. And I do not know if there is any hope for him. What I do know is there are vampires conspiring to kill the prince and kidnap you. They are hunting for a book your
father gave his life to protect. He was so desperate to protect that book he put a compulsion on you to find it should someone start nosing around the cave.»
«Someone went into the ice cave before us and that triggered the compulsion.» She'd already figured that out for herself.
«If your father was willing to give his life to keep that book from Xavier, I am willing to bet we do not want it in his hands.»
«I still think there's a chance.»
«Natalya, I cannot tell you how many friends-even family I have had to hunt and kill. When we face a loved one who has become a vampire, even hunters hesitate. And when facing a hunter as skilled as your brother, hesitation is a death sentence. You cannot afford pity. You cannot afford to think he can be saved. He cannot.»
«How do you know, though? Have any of you ever tried to heal a vampire? Has it ever once been tried?» She knew it was desperation, but she couldn't help pushing it. There had to be a way to save her brother. If his sacrifice for her had led to his downfall then she bore the responsibility. He had been there for her when she needed him so desperately; she had to find a way to be there for him.
Vampires were completely evil. She had seen their depravity, their joy in the killing of others. She couldn't bear that Razvan had chosen such a thing. That he had deliberately embraced everything they had fought against all of their lives. Vikirnoff could see her struggle to fight off the weight of guilt and fear and even repugnance. She didn't want to fear her brother. She didn't want to loathe and despise him. She didn't want to feel revulsion for what he had become.
Reluctantly, Virkirnoff released Natalya when she pushed away from him. His heart ached as he watched her swim restlessly back and forth across the small pool. He couldn't lie or soften the truth. He respected her too much for that. When they hunted for the book, they would be pursued. And they had to hunt for the book. He knew it, and somewhere, deep inside, so did Natalya. The book would surface sooner or later, maybe even in another century when memories had dulled. It was far too dangerous to leave to chance.
Vikirnoff rubbed his hand over his face, his stomach lurching at the idea of what was to come. Natalya was an exceptional woman, but one he had never expected, one he'd thought he would never want. Yet why had he envisioned a docile, amenable woman as his lifemate? Natalya was a woman to walk beside him. He could not imagine his life without the sharp edge of her tongue, or her peculiar sense of humor.
His brows drew together as he watched her swim back and forth. The beads of moisture on her face were not from the spring water and that was painful. Does that television set in your room at the inn actually work? He used their more intimate path of communication deliberately, wanting her to feel him inside of her.
She halted abruptly, throwing back her hair so that water went in every direction. Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, she nodded. «Why?»
«Half of what you say makes no sense to me. If we are to communicate adequately, I have to watch your late night movies.»
She sent up a spout of water straight at his face. «Don't sound like you're going to a funeral. Late night movies are fun. Fun. Do you even understand the concept of having fun?»
There it was again. That heartbreaking note of desperation, of strain, in her voice. She was gamely smiling at him, but her eyes were dark with sorrow. Vikirnoff waded over to her, his gaze locked with hers. All the teasing in the world wouldn't fix it. All the love in the world wouldn't take it away. All he could do was pull her into the shelter of his body, as close to his heart as possible. And tell her the real truth. She would see him for what he was. It was a risk he hesitated to take. Their relationship was so very fragile and he always seemed to make the wrong decision.
He was aware of his blood moving through his body, carrying his shame. «I do not know that Razvan willingly chose to embrace evil, Natalya.»
«I don't understand what you mean. He has to be vampire. Or at least in league with the vampires. How could that not be choosing to embrace evil?»
He heard his heart thundering in his ears, trying to drown out the sound of his voice confessing. Voicing aloud what he didn't want known. What he didn't admit to himself. He rubbed his face against hers, his fingers tangling in her wet hair.
Natalya held her breath, sensing how vulnerable Vikirnoff was at that moment, sensing the cost to his pride. «Tell me.»
«Before I met you. Long before I met you, I hunted the vampire everywhere I went. I was good at it, Natalya, because life no longer mattered to me. Not my life and not that of any other. I realized I was becoming the very thing I hunted so I sought my brother, hoping his close proximity would alleviate the growing darkness.»
Natalya pressed closer, circling his neck with her arms, wanting to give him strength as he'd done for her. «Go on, Vikirnoff.» She felt his reluctance and knew he was giving her something of himself, something that cost him dearly.
Vikirnoff drew in a tortured breath. «It helped for a few years and then the emptiness was a weight pressing heavier than ever. I backed off making the kills, allowing Nicolae to destroy the vampires after we found them. I even spent most of my time in another form.»
«All good things to keep yourself going.» She caught glimpses of a stark, bleak existence in his mind, but it was nearly impossible to understand without merging with him and he was holding himself away from her.
Vikirnoff closed his eyes. «You are not understanding what I am saying to you, Natalya. I am an ancient Carpathian. I am well-schooled in what happens to our males should they continue to live and hunt and destroy. There is a point of no return. A place in one's mind where a choice must be made.»
Natalya frowned and pulled back to look at the lines etched into his face. «What choice?»
«Every moment of our existence, we are acutely aware of the gathering darkness. We know if we do not find our lifemate there is a time we must make a decision to protect our people and the populations of the world. Once that time is upon us, we cannot allow it to pass us by. If we do not choose to meet the dawn with honor, then we endanger our souls by becoming vampire.»
Natalya reached up to frame his face. «But who can ever make such a choice?»
«It is our legacy, Natalya. We are given the ritual binding words to preserve our species, our lives. It is our only true safeguard. Without the light to our darkness we succumb inevitably to evil if we do not seek the dawn.» His gaze shifted from her face, jumped back to meet her green eyes. «I was far, far past the point of no return. I knew the exact day of my choosing. I remember it vividly, but I did not do what was necessary to ensure the survival of the rest of my race. I chose life. I clung to life when I should have chosen the dawn.»
She shook her head, her fingers stroking the strong bones of his face. «That's not true. You said we are lifemates. Doesn't that mean you were meant to survive?»
He shook his head. «I was too close. You sensed it in the forest long before you ever saw me. You could not tell if I was hunter or vampire. I could not tell either.» He refused to flinch away from the raw truth. «I do not know if a second moment of choice ever comes after that first. I cannot tell you if Razvan even knew there was a time of choice. It had been so long since I had actually experienced emotions, experienced anything, my mind began to wander into places I know it should not have gone, but I was unable to stop it.»
Natalya took a deep breath, her fingers tangling in his hair. There were so many emotions in him, running deep, carving out deep wounds of humiliation. It cost him his pride as a Carpathian hunter, as a male of his species to tell her his darkest secret, to admit the shame of his choice knowing what would inevitably happen, and the worse shame of not being able to stop himself moving inexorably toward ultimate evil.
«Razvan did not have my training. He did not have the knowledge of what could happen drilled into him for centuries. Does this make him weak? Is it a betrayal of all we love, or is the choice taken from us, lost in the haze created in our minds when everything runs together and there are no longer clear lines of definition, just awful, meaningless existence?»
She felt dazed, humbled even, looking into his dark eyes. There was pain there, the pain
of centuries of emptiness. There was fear that she would reject him.
«How could you think that I could reject you? Why would I? Not for baring your soul and confessing to me because you wanted me to know Razvan didn't deliberately betray me.» She pressed kisses along his jaw, trailed several to the corner of his mouth. Her tongue flicked enticingly along the seam of his lips.
«Razvan might not have meant to betray you, it may have just happened. But, Natalya, mine was a true betrayal. As your lifemate, I should have put your protection above all else and I should have chosen the dawn when that moment came to make my choice.»
She kissed his mouth, soft pressing kisses over and over until he opened his mouth to her. She drowned in his taste. In his stark honesty. In the sacrifice of his pride for her. She wanted to cry for both of them. «There was no betrayal, Vikirnoff,» she said softly, «only life. Just life. And it can be hard and cruel and terrifying. But it can also be exhilarating and beautiful and filled with passion for all things if you want it. We want it. Both of us. We are not willing to let it pass by. I would have clung to life as you did. As Razvan did. I don't know if he can be saved or not, but at least I feel as if he didn't choose to betray me. Thank you for that.»
Vikirnoff crushed her to him, his breath exploding out of his lungs in relief. He pushed the tawny hair from her eyes, framed her face so he could drink her in, devour her. Heady relief mixed with sharp joy. Natalya's beauty ran far more than skin deep. He kissed her, a slow sizzling kiss of happiness that her heart was so open to him.
She melted into him, one leg sliding around his thigh so she pressed closer, rubbing her wet, slick body against his in invitation.
Vikirnoff lifted her easily, urging her to wrap both legs around his waist, leaving her open to him, allowing him to position her over the head of his erection. The welcoming folds of her channel were hot velvet and exquisitely tight, holding him like a fist as he buried his body deep into hers. It was a miracle to him, the way her body accepted his, stroked and gripped and milked his. Her skin was hot and soft and rubbed against his with every movement.
Her face was beautiful in the shadows from the flickering candlelight, which played over her soft curves. She leaned back, her hands clasped around his neck and began a long, slow ride of ecstasy, the pleasure on her face heightening her beauty. He let her take the lead, bringing him to the point of climax several times only to stop and tease his pulse with her tongue and teeth. Waiting. Building. He felt the powerful orgasm gathering and gathering, a force that finally took control from both of them. It rushed over him, over her, taking them with it as it thundered through their bodies and souls.
He heard his own hoarse shout, her soft cry, felt the convulsion of her strong muscles surrounding him and the blood-red tears on his face.
Chapter 16
Natalya sank back onto her heels as she knelt staring at the jewel-embedded ceremonial knife. It lay on a small piece of cloth between them. The blade was slightly curved and the handle ornate. Instead of looking deadly, the knife seemed an object of priceless art.
«The knife looks so harmless, doesn't it?» Natalya asked. «And yet looks can be deceptive. It's been used countless times to murder.» Her hand hovered over the blade and trembled. Natalya pulled back.
The sun had set and both she and Vikirnoff had bathed in the hot spring water after making love. It had been difficult for her to avoid taking his blood. She craved it more than ever, as if he were a drug she was addicted to and now, with the knowledge that Razvan was still alive, the idea of becoming a Carpathian held both comfort and promise. They were both dressed in the clothes Vikirnoff had fashioned for them. Now, there was only one last task that stood in her way; touching this knife, accessing the violent memories that clung to the ceremonial weapon.
«I have fed and I am here as your anchor to hold you to this world and this time.» He stroked a long caress over her hair. «The safeguards are in place and my duty to Gabrielle has been done. Falcon has given her the second blood exchange and we have all answered the call to heal her. This is our time, Natalya. Find out what memories the knife holds and hopefully we will have a clue to where the book is hidden. Once we retrieve it we can take the book to a safe place where it can be destroyed or guarded adequately.»
Natalya took a deep breath and let it out. «Reading the knife will not be easy, Vikirnoff. We will live the memories of those that died on its blade.»
His hand slid up her arm to her shoulder, fingers massaging gently. «I know this is difficult for you. If I could, I would do it for you.»
She sat there with the candles flickering all around her and the knife in front of her. The sound of the water lapping at the edges of the pool soothed her and Vikirnoff's presence made her feel protected. She had «read» objects hundreds of times, yet she was reluctant to relive the death of her grandmother and worse, the murder of her father, even with Vikirnoff there to aid her. «You believe I can do this.»
«I know that you can.»
«Before I do, I want you to know I'm not mad at you anymore.»
His eyebrow shot up. «Were you angry with me?»
She scowled at him. «Yes, I was angry with you. Sheesh! You didn't even notice?»
«We made love a dozen times, more even. You bit me a few times and there are scratches on my back, but I enjoyed you putting the marks there.»
«That's because you're a pervert. And I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about your ridiculous and totally arbitrary decision to bind us together.»
«Natalya?»
«What?»
«You sound angry.»
«Well, of course I'm angry. You didn't even notice that I was angry in the first place. Do you realize how upsetting that is? All this time I thought you were suffering because I was mad at you, but you didn't even notice.»
«I am sorry. I should have been more observant.»
«You don't sound sorry.» She ran her fingertips around the knife and held her palm above the blade testing the strength of the vibrations of violence. «In all honesty, Vikirnoff, I really don't want to do this.»
«I know. And I understand. No one wants to relive the torture and murder of their parents or grandmother.»
Vikirnoff knelt behind her, knowing she was working up her courage, chattering to cover her hesitation. «I will take the journey with you. When memories become too much to bear, I will do what I can to lessen the pain.»
«What if you're trapped there with me and we can't pull out until every kill has been reenacted? It was your strength that allowed me to get away from the past.»
His arms enfolded her, his hands sliding down her arms to envelop her hands in his. «You feel the violence of the knife's past without touching.»
Natalya leaned against his chest, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. «Yes, but I'm not reading the memories.»
«I want to hold the knife in my hand with your hands around mine, so that your fingers brush the knife, but limiting your physical contact with it. Perhaps that will minimize the risk to you.»
Natalya took a breath and let it out, trying to still her chaotic mind. She'd rather battle ten vampires than read what the knife offered, but all the wishing in the world wasn't going to change what had to be done. «Let's try it, then, Vikirnoff, but if you feel that you can't get
us out, drop the knife.»
«I will.»
His breath was warm and comforting on the back of her head as she bent forward again, allowing her to feel his presence without distracting her. She laid her hand over his and nodded to let him know she was ready.
Vikirnoff reached for the knife. She felt her own heart beating, strong and steady, beginning to accelerate. Her muscles began to knot painfully.
I am with you.
She felt him, strong and solid behind her, his arms around her, there for her. With her– and that meant everything. She drew courage from his presence and her fingers brushed the handle of the knife. Instantly she felt the curving of time, the wrenching pull that dragged her into the past and deeper into the violent memories the knife contained.
The concentrated fear of so many victims rushed toward her, surrounded her and invaded her mind and soul. Immediately she focused on the feel of Vikirnoff's hand, the shape and size of it, the warmth of his skin. The mounting terror lessened enough for her to slide past, reaching for the reenactment she needed. There seemed to be so many souls wailing with grief and crying for justice. She knew whatever the knife needed to show her had to have occurred farther in the past before her father's death. He had to have hidden the book and spilled blood on the knife.
My father wouldn't have sacrificed someone to leave behind the information. The reenactment would be much fainter than the ones with more violence. That would explain how I missed it the first time.
Slow down. You are moving so fast I cannot catch even glimpses of what has occurred.
I feel the level of violence and know it is not what I want and I don't want to know what else Xavier has done or whom he killed… Her voice trailed off and she halted abruptly to find herself in the crystal cave. She looked around her carefully.
What is it?
Razvan. I feel him. His presence is strong in this time period.
Vikirnoff inhaled sharply, wanting to tighten his arms protectively around Natalya and order her out of there. How long ago was this?
I can't tell. Recently, I think. I haven't felt the presence of my father yet.
Vikirnoff's instincts shrieked at him. This is unnecessary. You do not need to witness any violence Razvan commits. Keep moving, Natalya.
She wanted to see her brother. She wanted to witness with her own eyes his betrayal. It seemed the only way to make herself believe that he had gone over to the side of the vampires, to Xavier, was to see the extent of his betrayal. Stubbornly she watched as her brother sauntered into the ice chamber. He carried the ceremonial knife in his hand and his eyes were glittering with some fierce emotion.
You cannot. Vikirnoff inserted a mild push into his voice, not wanting to take command of her, but the taste in his mouth was bitter with warning. Razvan looked far too much like Xavier in his youth; a madman bent on accumulating power over others. Xavier had grown in power and stature very quickly with his natural talent and he became convinced that he was destined to rule the world. The corruption of a once-great sorcerer was complete when he discovered the rush of power the taking of life gave him. Furious that the Carpathian race seemed to be immortal, something he was not, he grew to despise them with a fanatical hatred that fed his own ego and determination to stamp them out once he had gained the secrets of their blood. Razvan wore that same, smug, contempt-filled expression.
The ice chamber was the same, yet not the same. Fewer orbs lit the cavern and the ice formations were less abundant. On the far wall, the dragons were frozen in time, encased behind layers of ice.
They weren't there before. Natalya read his mind. They are now in the hall leading to the main chamber, remember? Something terrible will happen here.
Vikirnoff felt Natalya's heart pounding through her body, in her veins, threatening to burst, as Razvan turned and beckoned someone toward him. A young girl emerged from the shadows, a child really, forced forward by compulsion. The girl had bright green eyes and a wealth of copper curls. She shook her head as Razvan caught her arm, jerking her closer to him.
Don't! Natalya tried to pry her fingers from the knife, but something much stronger than her will held her there, mesmerized. He wants her blood. He's taking her blood. She winced as the ceremonial knife slashed across the little wrist and Razvan pressed the open vein to his mouth. He's seeking immortality just the way Xavier did. That poor child.
Vikirnoff felt sick, wanting to close his eyes against the abomination that Razvan had become. The child looked very much like Natalya must have looked as a child, yet Razvan had no feeling for her. Her use to him was that of a blood bank. He wanted to stay young. He had children for the sole purpose of finding the ones with the necessary gene to carry the bloodline he needed.
How old would she be now if she had managed to stay alive? Natalya whispered it in her mind, desperately needing the connection with Vikirnoff.
This time period cannot be long ago. Maybe fifteen years, twenty at the most. She cannot be more than twenty-five or thirty now.
He has a daughter named Colby. I met her a couple of months ago. She didn't have any memories like this. Natalya drew in a shuddering breath. She must not have had the right blood for him to want to use her this way.
I met her, too. She was very lucky, Vikirnoff said.
But don't you see? He is still impregnating women. If he has turned into a vampire, how could he do that? Colby was younger than this child would be now. How can this be? Have you ever heard of a vampire having a child? Yet look at her. Her eyes have changed color, her hair as well; she is of our family blood.
I have never heard of a vampire who did not kill his victims, women or children. I certainly have never heard of any capable of having a child. And what of the blood? Razvan's blood cannot be infected with the microorganisms or his children would be infected. Did Colby have parasites in her blood?
Colby had no such parasites in her blood. Vikirnoff frowned as he watched Razvan's careless disregard for the child. He didn't seem to be aware of her as a human being, a person in her own right. He didn't take her blood with care or respect, but treated her as human cattle. It sickened Vikirnoff to watch the child struggle to get free. There was determination on her face. She reminded him of Natalya, that same fierce iron will. I am willing to bet she is still alive. Even at her age, she is thinking of how to escape. See how she grows quiet, her gaze moving through the room? I believe she has your natural talent with spells.
Natalya stiffened. That is Xavier. She whispered the revelation telepathically, even though she was in his mind and no one could hear.
An older man came out of a chamber, his robes rustling as he moved. His features were indistinct, blurring as he shuffled across the ice floor, but Vikirnoff had the impression of great age and snow-white hair and beard. A wrinkled hand stretched toward the child. She shrank away from the older man and Razvan jerked her out of the dark mage's reach.
«You will not touch her.» Razvan snarled. «You have your own supply.»
«I can no longer use them as you well know. They have become far too powerful to control. I need the book. We must find the book.» Xavier stumbled closer to the child, his clawlike fingers extended toward her. «Once I have the book, they will not be able to defy me.»
Razvan held the girl just out of reach, an evil smile on his face. «This one is mine and you will not touch her.»
«Do not presume to give me orders. I grow old, but I still have my abilities and you do not.» Xavier drew himself up to his full height, and immediately Razvan seemed to shrink before him, but he still kept the child shielded behind him.
Look at her, what she is doing. Vikirnoff nudged Natalya with his chin.
Natalya tore her horrified gaze from her brother to glance at the young girl. She bent her head and licked at the wound on her wrist. Immediately the drops of blood ceased. She has a healing agent in her saliva. She carries a strong Carpathian gene.
That is why they both want her blood. They are using her to keep them young. Razvan does not want to share her.
Memories rushed over Natalya. Razvan rocking back and forth, struggling to hold back tears, his wrist raggedly torn. How had she forgotten? She had been the one to heal the wound, using her own saliva. It had taken Xavier a long time before he realized Razvan's blood did him no good other than to feed. The dark mage had begun to age and that had sent him into wild rages.
She felt tears on her face and for an instant was aware of her own body, far from the time where her spirit watched unclean events unfolding. Razvan knew what it was like to be subjected to such a horrific life, yet he held the young girl prisoner to feed off of her.
Revolted, Natalya turned her attention back to the child. Razvan and Xavier began arguing. Razvan no longer paid attention, releasing his hold on the girl when she ceased struggling. She inched closer to the wall where the dragons were encased in ice. Vikirnoff? Are they alive? Are the dragons talking to her? Can you tell?
The child's head was tilted toward the dragons as if listening. Vikirnoff found he was holding his breath. The wall around the dragons began to bulge, the ice fragmenting in great chunks.
«Stop them!» Xavier leapt back away from the splintering ice as he yelled the warning.
A bright red dragon burst through the ice, great claws stretched toward Razvan as a second blue-colored dragon bent its wing to the young girl. The child didn't hesitate, but jumped agilely onto the wing and climbed to its back as the dragon took to the air, rising sharply toward the surface while the first dragon held Xavier and Razvan at bay. It was easy to see both dragons were weak and pale, very sick; their movements, after the initial attack, lacked power.
Razvan lifted the knife and sliding quickly between the claws, plunged the blade deep into the chest of the red dragon. It screamed in pain, as did the one carrying the child. Valiantly, the flying blue dragon deposited the little girl far above the chamber where she had a chance to escape, before turning back to join her wounded comrade.
Xavier stepped forward and held up one hand, his voice commanding. The red dragon ceased thrashing to lie still, panting loudly, precious blood draining onto the ice. The blue dragon settled beside it, nuzzling the injured dragon with its long neck and tongue in an effort to save it.
We must go. There was urgency in Vikirnoff's voice. We have little time. Part of him was still scanning in real time, and he felt the tear in the night sky even from deep within the cave as evil passed directly over their shelter.
The events unfolding before Natalya had happened years ago. The bodies of the dragons were now encased in the great hall behind several feet of thick ice. Natalya already knew the price they paid for saving the little girl. As for the child, she could only hope the girl had successfully made her escape and was hidden somewhere in the world, safe from Razvan and Xavier. Unfortunately, there was no way to change history. She could only watch it unfolding before her and hope the dragons had bought the child enough time to escape. Natalya had no choice but to move backward to find the time when her father had hidden the book.
She allowed the vision to end and actively began to search for a sign of her father. There was so much blood, so many deaths she began to feel nauseated.
The small vignette Vikirnoff had witnessed between Razvan and Xavier led him to believe that the two men, although in league with one another, were in a power struggle. Razvan couldn't hope to defeat Xavier with mage skills-unless he had Natalya. It was suddenly very clear to Vikirnoff. Natalya had the natural talent and she was highly intelligent. Instead of developing his own talents, Razvan had relied on Natalya throughout their childhood and early adulthood. Xavier had bought into the deception, thinking he had the twin with the natural skills.
Where does Razvan's skill lie? Natalya's twin may have been lazy in some regard, but he had to possess the same keen intelligence as his sister.
There was a small silence. Vikirnoff felt her hesitation. In the planning of battles.
Something inside Vikirnoff shifted. Of course it had to be Razvan. Xavier and his grandson had joined forces with the vampires, had actually managed to unite an apparently large group of them in spite of their perpetual self-interest. The Malinov brothers were a huge boon to them. The brothers had already conspired to destroy the prince and finding Xavier with his talents and hatred of the Carpathians to match their own, must have seemed providence to them. Xavier would have kept Razvan around only if he was useful. And he had to be extremely useful.
If Razvan held talents as a planner of battles, as extraordinary as his twin was in other areas, then the Carpathian people could very well be in trouble. The vampires had been harassing the prince and his hunters, continually weakening them with small battles, while sacrificing only pawns.
I feel the pull of my father. There is much more violence associated with this than I expected.
Vikirnoff heard the wariness in her voice and his heart went out to her. I am with you,
Natalya. You are no longer alone. What was done happened years ago and there is no changing the past. Try to view whatever happens from a distance if at all possible. How could she view the torture and murder of her parents from a distance? He desperately wanted to spare her what was to come and he felt helpless to prevent her pain.
Natalya allowed his nearness to help comfort her as she reached for the events of the past. Her father came into view, striding through carnivorous plants, shrubs and trees while the ground trembled beneath his feet. The surrounding water, the color of dried blood, marked the area as a bog. She frowned, trying to recognize landmarks. He carried a package wrapped in oilskins and was obviously wary, continuously looking over his shoulder and scanning the area around him.
He isn't carrying the ceremonial knife. For some reason that alarmed her more than the darkened skies and flicker of lightning at the edges of the overhead clouds. She found herself straining to see through the foliage around her father. It was so dark, the heavy clouds blocked any moonlight.
Yes, he has it in his belt, Natalya. He also carried a small bag that looked as if some live creature wiggled inside of it. Distaste was strong in Vikirnoff's mouth.
Natalya let her breath out slowly. Her father moved with such confidence she almost missed the fact that there was a pattern to his steps. The bogs held sink holes, the surface treacherous to those who didn't know their way through.
I have to start again.
Vikirnoff remained silent, as careful as Natalya to mark the way through the bog. If they were to recover the book, they would need to know their way through the spongelike marsh. His own heart tried to regulate the pounding of his lifemate's. Together they etched out the pattern of steps used to gain the middle of the most wild and overgrown part of the bog. Her father knelt carefully and pushed the book deep into the stained waters, watching it sink slowly beneath the surface. All the while his lips moved as he murmured something softly and his hands wove a graceful pattern in the air.
Could you see his safeguards, Natalya? Vikirnoff had caught some of the spell, but it was unfamiliar to him.
Yes. The weave is complicated, but given time, I can unravel the spell. His unspoken safeguard adds to the strength and complexity. I should be able to reverse the pattern and bring the book to the surface. I just don't know if anyone wants such a heavy responsibility. I doubt the book can be destroyed easily.
If you found it, others will be able to find it as well.
We can destroy the knife. Natalya watched as her father got to his feet and began the arduous journey through the large peat bog back to solid ground. He walked as if a great
weight had been lifted from his shoulders. As he neared the very edges where the sphagnum moss grew the thickest, she saw movement in the surrounding bushes. The leaves swayed and dark shadows glided from one shrub to another. Her father continued his journey, moving into the meadows, turning toward the nearest village.
He came to a halt and pulled a squirming rabbit from the bag. She knew he had brought the animal as a sacrifice and she couldn't look at Vikirnoff. She felt his disgust. She could see the dark shapes in the bushes directly behind her father. The urge to call out, to warn him was overwhelming.
The dark shape leapt on him, wrestling the ceremonial knife from his hand and slashing it across her father's calves. It wasn't Xavier, but several of his minions, sent to bring her father back to the ice caves. He went down hard, the tendons cut so it was impossible to walk. Without preamble, the largest one lifted him and, ignoring his cries of pain, began to carry him back toward the mountain.
Drop it now. Vikirnoff ordered, giving a hard «push» as he did so. His hands were already loosening around the handle. She did not need to see what her father had been subjected to as Xavier tried to get the whereabouts of the book from him. It was only good fortune that the dark mage's henchmen had not seen Natalya's father coming from the bog itself, but rather circling the outskirts of it.
Natalya found her fingers obeying even when her mind tried to cling to the sight of her father. The knife slipped from her hand and Vikirnoff allowed the weapon to drop to the floor. «Destroy it,» she said. «I don't care how you do it, just please get rid of it.»
He wrapped her up in his arms, rocking her gently back and forth. «I will be happy to rid the world of it, Natalya, but we cannot take chances with the book. Xavier must have questioned his servants closely and he knows the area where they found your father. He must suspect the book is hidden somewhere in that region.»
«Not necessarily. He may not know when my father actually hid the book. It may have been weeks earlier. He may have thought my father gave the book to your prince.» She laid her head back against his shoulder, grateful for the solid feel of him. Vikirnoff had somehow gone from enemy to her solid foundation. It had happened without her even being aware of it. Was it the binding words she railed so hard against? Or was it always sharing his mind and knowing his thoughts so intimately? Her hand slipped into his. «Without you, I would feel so alone.»
His heart gave that funny little lurch that bothered him so much. Natalya was a fighter, a woman of tremendous courage and Razvan's betrayal was breaking not only her heart, but her spirit. Vikirnoff found it was the last thing he wanted. He had grown fond of his tigress and her astonishing smart mouth. He didn't want her broken and bruised or so vulnerable even when she was turning to him for comfort.
He caught her chin and drew her head around so he could find her mouth with his,
kissing her long and making a thorough job of it. When her eyes had gone opaque with desire and she was matching his hunger, he pulled away abruptly. «I'm so pleased you finally see that I was right all along.»
She blinked, drawing a little away from him, wariness creeping into her expression. «Right? About what?»
«The ritual binding words of course. It was a good thing I said them and tied us together. With your stubbornness we probably would still be dancing around one another.»
«My stubbornness?» Her green eyes glittered at him. «I think you invented the word.» She pushed a hand through her tawny hair, sweeping it off her face to glare at him. «In fact, if you look up the word 'stubborn' in the dictionary, your picture is right there as the definition.»
Vikirnoff thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He wrapped the ceremonial knife in a white cloth and tucked it inside his shirt, out of her sight. «You still have not wanted to admit it was the best thing I could have done for both of us.»
She scrambled to her feet, sliding weapons into the loops on her pants. «And it will be a cold day in hell before I ever do. I don't think bringing that up is in your best interest, but thank you for trying to distract me.» She blew him a kiss. «I don't really rise that easily to bait.»
«Sure you do. You cheated. You were lurking in my mind.»
«I wanted to see what you really thought about just leaving the book where it is. I have reservations about turning it over to your prince.» She thrust the pair of Amis sticks into the loops on her belt. «I'm not certain it would be entirely safe with him.»
«Because Razvan is plotting to kill him.»
She winced but nodded as she strapped on her twin holsters. «Razvan's very good at what he does, and quite frankly, with the vampires, Xavier and Razvan against him, I don't think your prince is up to it.»
Vikirnoff watched as she slid extra clips into several compartments of her pants. He was very aware she was pleased with his creation, nearly matching her original design, but improving slightly so she could move easier and reach whatever she needed quickly. «Mikhail will not be defeated by any of them.»
«How do you know that? You don't even know him. I searched your mind for memories of him, but he was not fully grown when you left these lands. How do you know his strength? Why do you even trust him? That book is more dangerous than you can know and no Carpathian prince will easily destroy it, nor can he hope to wield its power. Once the book is in his hands, they will send everything and everyone they have after him. You'll be condemning him to death.»
«Mikhail Dubrinsky will not be defeated by those who seek his death. He is extremely powerful, Natalya. It is in his blood, bred into his very genes, his bone and spirit and veins. He can be wounded, yes, but when push comes to shove, he can unleash a power greater than Xavier imagines. Mikhail will find a way to destroy the book and in the meantime, he will protect it.»
She turned to face him, staying partly in the shadows to hide her expression. «What if I don't want to turn the book over to him, Vikirnoff? You never asked me how I felt about it. You assumed I'd be willing, but I am not someone to follow so easily.»
Vikirnoff studied every nuance of her tone, for the first time uncertain if she was challenging him to make a point, or if she really meant it. Her mind was closed to him, and, although he could breach the barrier she had erected, it seemed an insult when she dearly wanted her privacy.
Of course they had to turn the book over to the prince. What else would they do with it? He paced away from her, knowing she would read his agitation, but he didn't care. «What would you want to do with the book?» He made every effort to keep his tone flat, without any inflection whatsoever.
Natalya shrugged. «I haven't decided yet, but I'm not about to be railroaded into something I'm not certain is the right thing to do. The book is enormously powerful. It contains thousands of spells, magick so complicated and so dangerous that I don't think any but a mage should ever possess it.»
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