Christine Feehan 5 CARPATHIAN NOVELS

by Christine Feehan

  She didn’t want to think too much about Rafael. She rubbed her eyes and could tell they were beginning to swell severely. Tears were streaming unchecked down her face now and she couldn’t stop them. “I think the fire somehow hurt my eyes,” she murmured by way of explanation. “If you go home, Rafael would go home too. I had the impression both brothers were anxious to leave here immediately.”

  Juan looked at her closely, his eyes dwelling on the strange mark on her neck. “I am afraid it is too late for that,” he said ominously. He looked very alarmed, his gaze remaining on the blemish, all at once speculative.

  Colby sighed heavily and, to keep from self-consciously covering the mark like an embarrassed teenager, added another flake of hay to the feeders. “Just say it straight out, Mr. Chevez. You can’t have it both ways, you know. One minute you can’t be implying I’m a good influence on him and the next that he might in some way be trying to harm me. If there’s some reason you think I’m in danger from Rafael De La Cruz, you may as well tell me.” Her gaze settled on his face. “I’m not afraid of him.” That was a terrible lie, but she persisted, trying to force Juan into admission. “Has he threatened me in some way? You don’t think he was responsible for what happened to the stable, do you?” She would have looked at him challengingly but her eyes were far too swollen. And she was tired. Her arms and legs felt leaden. She wanted to lie down in the hay and go to sleep.

  “Don Rafael would never do such a thing.” Juan sounded horrified at the mere suggestion. But he didn’t look horrified; he looked worried. “I think we should go back to the house; you are unwell.”

  A protest began in her mind, but she did feel terrible, the skin on her face and forearms already burning fiercely. Her eyes felt like red-hot needles were poking into them. Even within the shelter of the barn, she felt the light poised to attack. Worse, she was constantly thinking of Rafael. He was invading her mind to the point of driving out every practical thought she had. No matter how strong her will was, she couldn’t seem to stop from thinking of him, needing to see him. Colby had never considered herself a woman who would need a man so much she pined for him, yet she wanted desperately to hear his voice, to touch him, to see for herself he was alive and well.

  “Please, senhorita, the sun is burning your skin. I am most concerned, perhaps I can take you back to the house.” Juan had already made up his mind to take her back. He could see she was in trouble and he was being as polite as possible. If anything happened to her, Rafael would hold him responsible. He was very worried. Colby’s skin was blistering in the sun, and her eyes were very sensitive to the light. Very much like what happened to the De La Cruz brothers. Juan had never seen the phenomenon in a human. Now he was really alarmed and wanted to talk with Julio.

  “I should check on the kids,” Colby capitulated, “and get the vet out again to check on the horses.” She longed for the relief of the coolness of the ranch house. She wanted to gather Ginny and Paul into her arms and have everything return to normal once again. More than all of that, she needed desperately to see Rafael, to touch him. To know that he was alive. Where are you?

  Rafael lay locked deep within the earth. Around him the rejuvenating soil offered a soothing comfort to the terrible burns over his arms and face where the unrelenting sun had beaten down on him. He had not been able to leave Colby until he was certain the danger to her was past, so he had stayed far longer in the morning hours than he had ever managed before. His eyes, even lying in the earth, burned and wept from the sunlight. Even obscured by the heavy cloud cover, he had paid a high price to be with her.

  Why had the vampire’s scent been near the stable, yet the cause of the fire human? Was the vampire using a puppet—a human servant—to destroy Colby? Nicolas was right, he had no choice but to bring her fully into his world where he could protect her at all times.

  On that thought came another much more disagreeable one. It was difficult to lie helplessly in the ground while Colby was facing danger without his protection. How would she feel if she lay beside him deep within the earth and little Ginny was in danger or in need? His heart gave a strange lurch. The issue was far more complex than he had first considered. It would be much simpler if he only thought of himself, his own needs and desires. A savage fury seemed to burn through his soul. Colby would wither away beneath the earth, her gentle compassionate soul devastated at a separation between her and her younger siblings. She loved them as if they were her own children. A fierce, protective love, with every fiber of her being. The way he wanted her to love him.

  His swearing was eloquent, the words echoing harshly in his mind. He had brought her partially into his world without a thought for what it would mean to her and her life. Her dreams. For what was important to her. She was uncomfortable without him, restless, and the sun was beginning to climb high. Colby was an independent woman, she wasn’t even certain she liked him. She was confused by her inability to keep from wanting him, her need to touch his mind, to know he was safe. Rafael could only lie helpless beneath the ground knowing he had contributed to Colby’s distress. No, it was more than that; he was directly responsible for her distress.

  He had gone to ground near Colby’s ranch house, better to feel the first vibrations of danger to her. He had felt so close to her the night before, lying beside her on the bed, listening to her breathing. She was so beautiful. Not just her body, but her heart and soul. She seemed to shine from the inside out. Not one of the firefighters who knew her, not one of the ranchers, had entertained the idea that she could have set the fire for the insurance money. There was something about Colby that just drew people like a magnet. And made them believe in her.

  He lay with his body a dead weight, unable to move a muscle as he contemplated the problems he was facing. He didn’t want Colby above ground where he couldn’t protect her. He wanted to be with her. Not wanted, he needed to be with her. He would not go through another day unable to sleep the healing sleep of his people, terrified of losing her. He wouldn’t do it. He would complete the ritual and drag her kicking and screaming into his world. Consequences be damned. She belonged with him. Was made for him, his other half. He had a right to her. Once in Brazil he could make amends, win her love. She would be locked to him for all time. Eternity. She wouldn’t be able to leave him and she would have to learn to accept her fate.

  Rafael tried to force his mind away from her in an attempt to close himself off and regain his enormous strength. He could hear her heart beating. He could feel her above the earth, her heart seeking the reassurance of his. He could feel her mind tuning itself in an attempt to find his. He had succeeded in making two blood exchanges. She was already partially in his world. Alarm hit him hard. Her skin would be sensitive to the sun, her eyes would water and burn.

  Colby was used to being out in the harsh sunlight, she wouldn’t think to protect herself. He made a concentrated effort and touched her, mind to mind, partially to alleviate her distress and partially to relieve his own. At once he felt her pain, the burning of her skin and eyes. She was hungry, yet she was having trouble eating. She needed to touch him often and she was terribly confused by the unfamiliar need. A low sound escaped, a groan of despair. How could he have been so selfish? He had thought only of his needs, his desires. He hadn’t stopped to think of the consequences to her. Colby would suffer terribly this day and it was through his own selfishness. In that moment, he hated himself.

  Rafael knew he had no choice now, he had to take her back to Brazil with him where he could adequately protect her, yet she wouldn’t be happy without Ginny and Paul. He could never make her happy without her younger siblings. The thought crept unbidden into his mind and stayed there. A thorn. The truth. He heard her then, the soft cry of her heart to his. Where are you? It took tremendous strength and willpower for him to overcome the paralysis and lethargy of his kind at the hour with the sun climbing high. He reached for her with his heart and mind. Colby? The lightest of touches. An inquiry.

  Colby tr
ied to fight against the terrible pain in her eyes, plus the blinding headache that was so relentless she felt her head gripped in a vise. Her eyes were streaming and swollen and hurting so bad she kept them closed most of the time against the onslaught of the sun. Her forearms were red and small blisters were actually forming. Colby was a redhead, but her skin had long since become accustomed to the sun. She couldn’t believe she was so sensitive. She urged her mount to pick up speed and covered her eyes with one hand, nearly unable to guide the animal. Juan reached out and took the reins in silence, leading her back to the ranch house.

  She heard the sound of a voice stirring softly in her mind, a flutter of butterfly wings brushing against the walls of her mind. Rafael. His voice was unbelievably mesmerizing and her heart latched onto it immediately. Why had she been so afraid that something terrible had happened to him? It had been a stone weighing her down, crushing her until she could barely think straight.

  Rafael! She couldn’t keep the relief out of her voice or mind.

  I am resting. I will come to you this evening. Sleep and allow Juan and Julio to aid Paul with the work this day. He slipped a slight “push” into his voice, but already his strength was gone, ebbing away from him into her mind.

  Colby knew something was wrong with him, she could feel it, his need for rest, for healing. You’re hurt. I can feel pain in your mind.

  It is your pain.

  Don’t lie to me.

  Lifemates do not lie to one another. I feel your pain as my own. He gave a small sigh. The sun took its toll on me as well. I heal quickly. You must sleep, querida.

  Colby tried to probe his mind further to assess his injuries, but it was impossible. She gave up, the task too difficult in the face of her waning strength. I think we both need sleep, Rafael. She was shocked at how easy it was becoming to communicate with him. How right it felt. As if they did belong together, two halves of the same whole. You’ve brainwashed me.

  The terrible pressure in her chest weighing her down was gone and all at once she felt much happier. Her eyes were too painful to open, her skin was burning, and the stable was gone, yet she was inexplicably happy just to hear his voice. Knowing he was reading her thoughts and probably feeling smug, she directed one last message to him. How sickening of me.

  Although Colby went into the barn to get out of the sun, she found she couldn’t open her eyes even in the darkened interior. She managed to dismount, but was forced to cling blindly to her horse until Juan steadied the animal, holding the reins. “You go on in, I’ll see to the horse.”

  “Colby!” Paul raced into the barn, seeing his sister stagger as she dismounted. “What happened?” He glared at his uncle as he wrapped his arm around her smaller figure. “What did you do to her?” His voice was filled with belligerence and suspicion.

  “Paul . . .” Colby’s voice was a gentle warning. “My eyes hurt. I can’t see very well. I must have damaged them in the fire earlier. Your uncle was just trying to help me.” She leaned into him, relying on him to get her into the house. “Don’t be rude.” She buried her face into his shirt, stumbling blindly against him across the yard to the ranch house. She didn’t dare open her eyes. Now that she was home her eyes seemed to hurt even more.

  Ginny rushed to her side. “What happened? You’re sunburned, Colby, it’s really bad.” At once she soaked a towel in cold water and pressed it into her sister’s hands.

  Colby held the cool towel to her swollen eyes. She sank into a chair. “I can’t believe how much this hurts. I’ve never been so glad to be home.”

  “I can drive you into town to the doctor,” Paul offered.

  Colby took a deep breath and shook her head. “I think I just want to lie down for an hour or so.” She felt exhausted, the need to sleep so strong in her she was afraid she might succumb right there in the kitchen. She rubbed at her pounding temples. “I have so much to do.”

  “I called the vet,” Ginny volunteered; “he’s coming out again this afternoon. The chickens are fed and the garden is watered. The fire marshal has someone coming to investigate the fire. Paul made all the calls to the owners of the horses. Well, except Shorty.” Ginny hesitated a moment, glancing up at her brother. Colby was never sick. She’d been injured on many occasions but she rarely had gone to bed during the day, not even after a long difficult calving. “Oh, and I called Tanya Everett and asked if she and her mother could come over this evening instead of this afternoon.” She ducked her head, her eyes skittering away from Paul’s. “I was going to cancel altogether, but she sounded so lonely and I thought maybe I could ride with her in the corral. If you want me to put her off, I will, Colby.”

  “No, of course not, chickadee.” Colby pressed the cooling cloth closer, desperately trying to take the heat from her skin and eyes. “I’m so tired, I really need to rest for a couple of hours. Will you wake me later?”

  “Come on.” Paul helped her up and led her down the hall to her room. “Don’t worry about anything, I can take care of it.”

  Colby removed the cloth from her eyes to peer at her brother. The light shining through the window hit her with alarming radiance. Immediately she squeezed her eyes shut tight again and hid in the damp, soothing cloth. “Pull the curtain closed, Paulo.”

  He obeyed her, pulling the heavy drapes across the opening to darken the room. “Are you sure I shouldn’t take you to the doctor, Colby? Maybe your eyes were burned in the fire.” He sounded very young and scared.

  “I think they’re just sensitive, Paul, and I’m so tired.” She lay on her bed, reaching her hand blindly toward him. “I need to talk to you about Juan and Julio Chevez. They’re here to help you and I think you should be respectful as they are our father’s brothers. On the other hand, with all the strange things happening around here, I think you should keep an eye on them. I mean it, Paul. Just make sure you and Ginny are safe.” She wiggled uncomfortably until Paul reached out to unstrap her side holster.

  Colby could still smell Rafael on her sheets and pillow. She wanted to press her face into the cotton and inhale.

  “I don’t think wearing a gun to bed is in fashion this year. Where’d you leave your rifle?” Paul asked abruptly. His sister looked very fragile all of a sudden.

  “In the scabbard. I think Juan was unsaddling the horse. Get it back in the gun rack, Paul, and be sure to unload it.”

  Ginny bustled in, pushing Paul aside with her small hip. “I’ve brought some aloe vera. Just lay there and let me smear it on you.” She glanced worriedly up at Paul. “She’s so tired all the time, Paul. Do you think she’s sick? She didn’t eat all day yesterday or this morning. She didn’t even have a cup of tea.”

  A smile flirted with the corners of Colby’s mouth. “I am here, Ginny. You don’t need to talk about me in the third person.”

  “You know Colby,” Paul said decisively, not wanting Ginny to worry, “she’s been getting up a couple of hours early to go hunt for . . .” He trailed off, aware Pete Jessup was a dangerous subject. “Just keep an eye on her, Ginny, and stay in the house with her. Keep King with you, too.” He spoke gruffly, suddenly feeling the tremendous responsibility for his two sisters.

  Ginny rolled her eyes as he swaggered out, Colby’s holster in his hands. “Big mistake, Colby, giving that dork power. Next thing you know he’ll be impossible to live with.” She gathered up Colby’s hair, surprised Colby didn’t move at all. Ginny bent closer. Colby had already fallen asleep. Ginny sat on the edge of the bed staring intently at her sister, her fingers automatically plaiting the thick strands into one loose braid. There was something different about Colby. It was so subtle Ginny couldn’t figure out exactly what it was. Despite the terrible sunburn, Colby looked different, more . . . everything. Ginny felt comforted sitting beside Colby, but she wished her sister hadn’t gone to sleep so quickly. She needed to talk to her.

  Ginny leaned very close. “It’s all my fault, Colby. I wish you could hear me.” She whispered the words against her sister’s neck, agains
t the strange mark branding her skin. “I did it, Colby.”

  Colby lay perfectly still, her breathing even and regular, looking like an angel in her sleep. A tear leaked out of Ginny’s eye and trickled down her cheek until it dropped onto Colby’s neck, onto the distinctive mark. At once Colby moved, her hand reaching out until she found Ginny’s. “You could never have done such a thing.” Her voice was soft and drowsy. There was a faint smile in the tone.

  “I didn’t start it,” Ginny admitted, sniffing a little. “But I called King in. I waited until you were asleep and I called him into my room and shut the door. I hate sleeping without him. I still have nightmares about Mom and Dad dying. About you dying. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Not ever.”

  Colby made a tremendous effort to stir. She had never felt so tired, her body so leaden she felt weighted down. She managed to lace her fingers even tighter through Ginny’s fingers. “Baby, why would that make you responsible? You probably saved his life. Whoever started that fire didn’t think about the horses locked inside. They wouldn’t have hesitated at killing our dog if he had tried to alert us.” Because she was so tired, Colby wasn’t censoring her words as she ordinarily might have.

  “I shouldn’t have called him in—then Shorty’s horse wouldn’t have been killed.” Ginny buried her face deeper into Colby’s neck so that the mark throbbed like a heartbeat.

  Colby roused herself further, slipping her arm around Ginny. “Don’t be so scared, honey, we aren’t going to lose our home. No one will separate us. I love you and Paul. This was not your fault.”

  “Mom and Dad went away.” Ginny choked back a flood of tears.

  “I know, sweetheart. Dad tried to stay with us as long as he could. I know it was hard on you, but no one is going to separate us.”