Dayan slung his arm around Corinne and pulled her close to him. Now that her heart was
beating just fine, his was accelerating overtime. «I'm thinking, just for a while, I might wrap the two of you up in that bubble wrap and keep you safe on a shelf. Thank you, Gregori. I'm sorry to have interrupted your evening.»
«It was an interesting puzzle,» Gregori said. «I want to get together later with you, Natalya, so we can begin working together to keep such things from happening.»
Natalya nodded. «Of course. Right now I'm heading over to the inn to see if I can help Lucian spot any likely candidates. Skyler was very certain he had come from there. We want to make certain that this party will be safe for all the children.»
«I think I'll go back to the house and hide under the covers,» MaryAnn declared. «All this excitement is just a little too much for me.»
«You never think of yourself as brave, MaryAnn,» Gregori admonished. «But you always manage to find the courage to go to a fellow woman in need, no matter what the cost to you.»
She gave him a small smile. «Anything for my sisters.»
Gregori suddenly swung his head around, looking toward the trees, his silver eyes narrowed as he carefully examined the area around them. MaryAnn shivered and pressed her hand over the small spot right above her breast that seemed to be aching from the cold.
«Are you all right?» Destiny asked.
«Just a little tired,» MaryAnn confided. «Your late night hours are a little hard on the human here.»
Chapter 17
Manolito De La Cruz filtered through the trees in a slow, steady stream, careful not to disturb the air around him. There was something exhilarating about being so close to so many hunters, his prey in the middle of their tight circle, and none of them even saw him. He couldn't leave her until he was certain she was safe. He wanted her out of the woods and back in the shelter of Nicolae's house until the party. The ancients were suspicious, doubling back several times trying to figure out where he was-who he was.
Euphoria could be as dangerous as feeling nothing at all. He felt alive, giddy with it, staring in awe at the colors, absorbing emotion that seemed to bombard his entire system. He had waited in vain for so long, living only with his memories, only with honor, and now this woman had given him life. They would not keep her from him, no matter the cost. He had lived centuries risking his life-his very soul-asking nothing in return. Until now. MaryAnn was his, and he would not give her up.
Manolito? Have you a need of me?
His brother's voice stilled the wild chaos in his mind. He needed to be cold and deliberate, planning out his campaign each step of the way. Even as Rafael reached out to him, he felt Nicolae probing, thrusting hard in an effort to catch the unwary's mind open for invasion. It had been centuries since he was able to enjoy himself, to actually feel anything, and playing hide-and-seek, as dangerous as it was, was giving him a rush of adrenaline, a powerful high. He used his hunting skills, playing cat and mouse with them all, not leaving so much as a scent or a hair to tip them off. As a Carpathian male without a lifemate, he would naturally fall under suspicion, but there were several gathering with the couples to attend the celebration. He had to appear indifferent, not so much as brush up against her, not even noticing that she was near.
Manolito. Where are you? Have you need of me? Rafael called out to him again, this time much more insistent, alarm in his voice. His brothers knew how close he was, how the beast crouched and roared and the darkness spread covering his soul.
I checked the inn for our enemies and have scanned the forests. I will be returning as soon as I ensure Juliette and Riordan are safe. I want to double their safeguards. Manolito made certain he sounded matter-of-fact, expressionless, simply a man going about his duty. His brothers, Rafael and Riordan, would definitely help him carry out his plan, but enlisting them would put them in a terrible position with their lifemates-and he didn't altogether trust the women to stay silent. None of them seemed to understand it was a saving of the soul-far more important than a life.
Rafael heaved a small sigh. That is a good idea. Juliette was so upset over her sister and cousin refusing to join us for this holiday. They never come to any of the family functions. Colby says Juliette is so unhappy, Riordan is considering leaving the ranch and going into the jungle where Jasmine and Solange live so she can be closer to them.
Manolito was silent for a moment, weighing whether or not to use this opportunity to plant a seed. He took it. It is too bad we do not have a counselor such as this woman visiting with Nicolae and Destiny. Nicolae mentioned she had helped both Destiny and the young teenager, Skyler. Perhaps Riordan should try to find someone similar near the ranch. He kept his voice as always, flat and uncaring, merely a suggestion to solve a problem. He didn't betray that his heart was accelerating or his eyes nearly blinded by the vivid brightness of the world around him.
There was another small silence. That is a good idea. I hadn't thought of that. I heard Destiny was nearly lost and this woman brought her back. Perhaps Juliette's sister would benefit from counseling as well. See to Riordan and if possible, come back before the party. I do not know if you were paying attention, but the word went out that there is a mage at work.
I have heard. He had seen Natalya do battle, and he'd stayed close to watch over MaryAnn. Now she was finally safe, back in Nicolae's house, and he could relax his vigil somewhat. Twice he had glimpsed the black wolf he knew to be Dimitri watching over young Skyler, and he felt sympathy for the man. Dimitri didn't have the choice to snatch a
child from the safety of her parents. Even Manolito would draw the line there.
He made his way back toward the inn, trying to get a feel for the mage who had attacked earlier. A mage spell such as the one that had been used wouldn't work on a hunter without a lifemate. They had no emotions to play on. This was directed at the women. And that meant all the women were in great danger. Urgency gripped him. He wanted to simply kidnap MaryAnn and rush her back to his ranch in South America. With his four brothers and their ranch hands available to help see to her safety, there would be no chance of anything-or anyone-harming her.
Away from Nicolae's house-and temptation-Manolito shifted into mist and streamed through the forest toward the cave of healing. He knew the safeguards had been woven, but with enemies so close, he wanted to take extra precautions. Maybe he was simply uneasy with so many other Carpathians around. The De La Cruz family was used to relying on one another, and he wasn't taking chances with his youngest brother's life. He had a nagging feeling that just wouldn't go away, and he never ignored those feelings.
He streamed into the cave through one of the narrow chimneys and dropped down to the main floor. There was a network of chambers and pools and instead of going directly to the chamber where Riordan and Juliette rested, he moved slowly through the others, trying to feel with every sense, wanting to rid himself of the plaguing feeling that something wasn't quite right. The mage knew Juilette was injured. He had set her up for the vampire to make the kill. He would know her lifemate would rest with her in the healing soil, and if he knew where the caverns were that were routinely used, wouldn't it be the perfect place to strike? That's what Manolito would have done.
He took his time, hiding his presence as he examined each chamber. He was adept at concealing himself, and he assumed his enemies would be as well. He looked for a small anomaly, a rift in the natural harmony, one small sign of malignancy. To his shock, as he entered the chamber where his brother lay, Mikhail Dubrinsky stood examining the walls and floor of the cavern, a small frown on his face. He turned his head at Manolito's approach, moving into a better defensible position.
Manolito took his human form, striding across the cavern floor, automatically checking on his brother as he did so. Riordan appeared to be resting peacefully beneath the ground with Juliette. «You should not be out here alone,» Manolito said. Already he was moving to protect the prince, reaching to Rafael, concerned tha
t their prince was so exposed. «Where is your second?»
Mikhail gave him a faint smile. «I do not need a bodyguard to travel in my home territory, Manolito.»
«I disagree and cannot imagine that Gregori would want you traveling alone. What are you doing here anyway?»
«I began to worry that Riordan and Juliette might be attacked as they lay in their resting
place.» Mikhail raked a hand through his dark hair. «I suppose I second-guess our enemy far too much.»
«I had the same thought. I did not like that the dark mage has sent an emissary or come himself. He uses things we do not have adequate safeguards against.» Manolito studied the prince's face. He looked older than Manolito remembered him even the week before. There was sorrow in his eyes, and a trick of the light made him look as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.
«We have certainly learned we have to protect below ground as well as above. Our resting places are no longer the safe havens we thought them,» Mikhail agreed. «How are you feeling? I know your wounds were quite serious. Has Gregori examined you to ensure that you are completely healed?»
«I'm fine. I have been wounded many times and will be again.» Manolito examined the walls of the cavern. «Do you believe Xavier has been able to unite the vampires against us?»
«Whoever has united our enemies, whether it be the Malinov brothers or Xavier and Razvan, doesn't really matter. They have come together and we have no choice but to deal with them.» Mikhail added a complicated weave to the safeguard already surrounding the couple in the earth. «I can find no evidence in here, or throughout the network of caves, that our enemy is lying in wait. Have you?»
«No.» Manolito admitted with some reluctance as he added his own strands of safeguard, peculiar only to his family, one that would be difficult-and slow-to unravel, with serious consequences if it were done improperly. Riordan would recognize his handiwork immediately. He had found no evidence, but he still wasn't convinced his youngest brother was entirely safe-and that didn't sit well with him.
The two walked together out of the chamber and started down the narrow passageway leading back up toward the surface. Manolito tried to move just ahead of the prince, still uneasy, still feeling edgy, in spite of his examination of the entire cavern.
«I have to see Falcon and Sara, and then head over to touch base with Gregori and my daughter,» Mikhail said. «I will be glad when this night is over. Did you check the inn? Skyler has indicated several times that she thinks the surge of power is coming from that direction.»
«Yes, but I will go back again. Falcon told me he was bringing the children there in about an hour. I want to make one more sweep before all the women and children arrive,» Manolito replied. «Just to be sure they are safe.»
His restless gaze moved over the ground, the walls, the roof of the cavern as they walked quickly through the passage. The sound of the water dripping was relentless. It seemed overly loud in the chambers, the endless rhythm blocking out any whisper of sound that
might alert him to danger. He tried to tone down the volume, but the sound only seemed louder, almost booming through the caves.
Manolito halted, placing his body between Mikhail's and the cavern. «I don't like this.»
«I haven't liked any of this for a long time,» Mikhail answered.
They both studied the passageway. They were only a few feet from the entrance. Light from snow and ice spilled along the opening for several feet as if in invitation. Small formations of ice had formed on the ceiling of the passageway, long, narrow spears of various colors.
Manolito shook his head, holding up his hand. «Let me go first. Just wait here and see if I trigger a trap, or perhaps we can move through as vapor and see what happens.»
«If they're here, we want to know it. Your brother lies asleep with his lifemate. One of our women is about to give birth. We have to know if our enemies have invaded our chambers as well.»
Manolito nodded and took several cautious steps, keeping an eye on the ice spears overhead. With each step he took, the ice rippled as if a vibration had gone through it.
«Go to mist,» Manolito instructed the prince, concern shadowing his mind.
Dirt and ice spewed into the air right at the prince's feet, a geyser of soil spraying high between the hunter and Mikhail, opening the earth where Mikhail would have stepped.
«Go! Get out of here,» Manolito ordered, swinging back.
The hole widened and deepened with blurring speed, a yawning crevice cracking beneath the prince even as he began to dissolve into vapor. A clawed hand reached from the dark hole and wrapped around Mikhail's ankle, talons biting deep into flesh. The hold prevented the change and the creature jerked hard, determined to drag the prince beneath the ground.
A collective gasp went up from the Carpathian people. It was Mikhail who connected them together. Mikhail who provided the common path of communication, and it was Mikhail who held the past and future together with the present for the Carpathian people. They all knew the moment he was in trouble-under attack.
Raven's soft cry of distress only added to the alarm and shock.
Manolito ignored it all, dissolved into vapor, sliding through the geyser of soil to the other side. Mikhail struggled to stay out of the gaping hole ripped in the floor of the passageway. The talons had torn two holes in his ankles. Mikhail could feel the razor tips of the vampire's claws meeting in his very flesh. The creature gulped his blood, teeth trying to tear at his flesh for more, all the while making hideous noises, as he wrenched at Mikhail's leg in an effort to drag him below to his lair.
Vampire, yet not. Mikhail sent to Manolito.
Manolito dove straight into the ground, aiming for the creature's upturned face. At the last instant before contact, he shifted form into that of a harpy eagle, the great curved beak, razor-sharp talons curved and wicked. He went straight for the eyes. As he entered the killing grounds of the unknown creature-a mixture of vampire and something hideously evil, he thought of MaryAnn. I am sorry.
For one brief moment he felt her awareness, bewildered and frightened. He touched her mind, one brief caress, and he let her go. Better not to have found her than to take her with him to the grave. And entering the burrow of an unknown enemy was tantamount to suicide. The prince had to be protected and there was no hesitation on his part. If his life was forfeit, his people would still go on.
The eagle ripped at the vampire's red-rimmed eyes, shredding skin over the throat and chest, digging deep and fast in an effort to force the creature to give up its prey. It had no choice, not if it wanted to survive. The abomination wrenched its claws from Mikhail's ankle and stabbed viciously at the eagle.
Go! Go! Get out of here! Manolito shouted at Mikhail as the dirt and rocks began pouring in over his head. One rock hit the eagle hard, knocking it sideways so one great wing crumpled. Manolito switched forms, trying to get a purchase in the soft dirt to get out before the rapidly filling dirt could close over his head. He used his hands to catch at roots to hold himself up as he kicked at the clawing creature with his foot. The dirt and debris rained on his head, filled his mouth so that he spat and closed his eyes, once more shifting to stay alive beneath the dirt.
Mikhail swore as the hole closed, trapping the hunter beneath the ground. He shifted to the body of a badger, plowing his way through the layers of soil, reaching for Manolito, all the while sending waves of tremors through the earth, hoping to disorient the monster.
Both hunter and hunted were blind now, the eagle having done its work. Manolito tried to utilize the senses of the giant mole he had become in order to find his way to the top. He heard the prince digging, felt the earth shake and knew Mikhail hadn't left him. He began frantically tunneling up toward the prince.
It was the mole that sensed the creature coming up behind it, but Manolito went silent, shrinking the mole to normal size, waiting until he felt the hot breath on the mole's face before he struck hard, leaping forward, ripping with his own
claws, a savage attack that scored. He couldn't see it, but he could feel the blood burning through his body, heard the horrible howl of pain, and suddenly it was gone, dropping through the soil where Manolito had no hope of following it.
The dirt above him was nearly gone, thanks to Mikhail's efforts. He made short work of it and as he broke through the surface, he shifted once more, throwing himself across the top of the ground, breathing in fresh air.
«Your blood or his,» Mikhail demanded.
«Mostly his,» Manolito answered, desperately trying to regain his control. He couldn't afford for the prince to realize he'd regained emotion and for the first time in his life, he had experienced claustrophobia. «It feels like vampire blood, it burns like acid, yet he did not act as any vampire I have ever encountered. He didn't seem experienced in an actual fight.» Manolito sat up slowly, buying a little more time. «He laid a great trap, but he cannot really fight. He was relying on poison to stop us. It's in his claws.»
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