Christine Feehan 5 CARPATHIAN NOVELS

by Christine Feehan

  Maxim’s expression hardened. “You were there when my brother was murdered?”

  “I do not recall a murder, Maxim. I believe Kirja was attempting to kill a hunter and his lifemate.” Find the way out, Natalya.

  Natalya jerked her mesmerized gaze from the vampire and began to work on the pattern she knew had to be in the stones on the floor. The dark mage would have had an escape route known only to him, one easily accessible. He couldn’t fly the way the Carpathians could, so he would have had a way to flee from the cavern.

  “Have you seen your precious prince?”

  Vikirnoff forced himself not to react when his gut rolled in protest and his heart wanted to accelerate. “I have not had the honor as of yet.”

  “I fear he has been gravely injured, as was Falcon, the hunter guarding him. So sad, but Mikhail’s death will benefit so many.”

  Vikirnoff’s heart sank but his expression remained the same. An injury to the prince was the only reasonable explanation for the lack of aid to either of the battles. Still, Vikirnoff had held out hope only to have it dashed. “He will not die, Maxim. His people will not allow his death.”

  “Oh, I say he will, Vikirnoff. He is surrounded, under siege, wounded and without protection. We outnumber him and he cannot escape us. When he falls, so will his line fall and the people will scatter and we will pick them off one by one.” Maxim tapped his long fingernails against his arm. The rhythm matched the water dripping steadily into the ever-widening puddle.

  Vikirnoff risked a glance at the bubbling water. It had grown and was beginning to overflow onto the floor, the brownish liquid spreading like fingers out over the ice, running along unseen grooves, following several paths all leading toward Natalya. Vikirnoff’s heart jumped when he realized it was within striking distance of her. He couldn’t afford to wait much longer. Natalya had to find them a way out of the cave. If he took her and tried to escape using the route they’d entered, the vampires would kill them before they ever gained the entrance of the cave. He had been in desperate situations over the centuries, but never quite like this—and never with a lifemate to protect.

  I think I can open the escape route, Vikirnoff. Say the word and I’ll give it a try.

  There was little point in stalling. Malinov intended to kill him and Vikirnoff didn’t want to wait until the three vampires were in position to do so. Arturo was already inching his way closer. The two clones and Cezar growled and showed teeth. Malinov simply smiled, his eyes cold and alert.

  Vikirnoff whirled into motion. Now, Natalya, open it and be ready. You cannot allow them to see what you do. He snapped the fire whip across the backs of the three creatures snarling at him. One howled and he lashed it mercilessly, driving it back, sending flames dancing over the dark fur. Cezar immediately shifted shape, dissolving into a greenish vapor and streaking toward the small alcove where the cache of weapons beckoned enticingly.

  “No!” Natalya called out the warning, Vikirnoff’s voice echoing her.

  It was too late. Cezar caught up a heavy sword and turned to face Vikirnoff. Wind rushed through the chamber, rising to a howl of fury. The tall columns of ice trembled and within the spheres, clouds and mist swirled angrily. Something moved in the corner.

  The floor cracked, a long jagged streak, several inches deep running the length of the room. Ice crackled overhead and along the walls surrounding them, shifting with creaks and groans so that cracks appeared overhead. Black and gray smoke poured from the cracks in the ice. Above their heads, a gray smoke swirled in the wind. More gathered near the columns until the chamber was filled. The smoke separated into individual pillars, continually moving, red fiery eyes glittering dangerously. They caught glimpses of suits of armor and large menacing swords.

  “What have you done?” Maxim Malinov demanded of Cezar, staring around the huge chamber at the tall, daunting looking figures taking shape around the chamber.

  “He touched what did not belong to him,” Vikirnoff said.

  “You fool,” Maxim snarled. “You have summoned the shadow warriors.”

  “She touched things.” Cezar defended himself. “She has something in her pack right now. I didn’t bring them to us.”

  I have the blood of the dark mage running in my veins. I can touch objects others cannot.

  And you can command them, Vikirnoff pointed out.

  Maybe.

  Maxim gestured toward Natalya. “Kill the hunter and take the woman prisoner now before it is too late. And bring to me what she has in her pack.”

  Cezar raced at Vikirnoff, sword raised for the kill. Arturo remained frozen in place. At once the shadow warriors went on the alert, glowing eyes trained on Cezar, converging on him from all directions to surround him.

  Movement attracts their attention. Do not move if you can help it, Natalya. Can you send the warriors back to their resting places as you did the one at the inn?

  I honestly don’t know. There are so many of them. Hopefully he used the same spells to draw and bind them.

  What else can go wrong? Vikirnoff remained locked in place, calculating the distance to Natalya and whether he dared chance taking the form of mist to reach her.

  Hold on. The male voice came out of nowhere, shockingly on the common mental path used by most Carpathians. I am coming to your aid.

  Mikhail Dubrinsky. Prince of the Carpathian people. Vikirnoff’s heart jumped into his throat. Even injured, the prince had come for them. He knew Maxim had caught the message. The vampires, in spite of the shadow warriors, were excited.

  “He comes! Kill him. Call the others. He is alone, without aid. Surround him and kill him,” Maxim demanded.

  It is a trap, Mikhail. Get out. I have no need of you. Go now.

  I will not leave a wounded hunter trapped. There was iron in the voice. Steel. Implacable resolve.

  “Of course not,” Maxim sneered gleefully. “He is invincible.”

  9

  As they had never exchanged blood, Vikirnoff had no way to get a private message to the prince. When he spoke telepathically he had to use the common path even the vampires could hear. It mattered little. He wanted help. He needed help. But . . . You cannot endanger your life, Mikhail. You are too important to our people and I cannot adequately protect you. It means much that you would come to our aid, but you cannot. He glanced at Natalya and there was sorrow in his eyes. He switched to their private, more intimate path so only she could hear. I must close the only other way in.

  Do it. She injected complete confidence into her voice when she didn’t feel it. She was still touching Vikirnoff’s mind and she could feel how torn he was, between his need to protect his prince and the need to keep her safe. We don’t need another burden down here. We can do this together.

  He sent her warmth, an incredible flooding of every sense, as if he were touching her intimately. Maxim Manilov is the master vampire. As he spoke to Mikhail Vikirnoff inched his way in freeze-frame motion toward Natalya and the dark mage’s secret escape route. He is part of a greater conspiracy. He has called other vampires to hunt you. Do not enter this place.

  The nearest shadow warrior reached within striking distance of Cezar, swinging his sword in a classic attack. Cezar’s sword parried the blow, sparks showering down across the ice floor as the blades met. He sliced at the warrior, but the shadow was already gone, stepping to the side to deliver a second blow meant to kill.

  Several shadow warriors surrounded the vampire, swords at the ready. Cezar shrieked to Arturo for aid. Natalya waited for her moment to seize control of the warriors. It was a risky plan. There were several of them and it was possible the dark mage had used more than one binding spell. Often, if the caster made a mistake, especially in dealing with dead spirits, the repercussions were deadly.

  You are injured. I will aid you. The prince spoke with grim finality.

  Vikirnoff sensed Mikhail inside the cave, moving toward the great abyss in preparation for the descent to the lower chambers. If he sensed the presenc
e of the prince, so did Maxim. He glanced at the master vampire, certain he was up to something.

  Maxim remained still, watching dispassionately as Cezar fought for his life. A small smile hovered on his thin lips. It was that small smile that made up Vikirnoff’s mind for him. Maxim cared little whether Cezar lived or died, but he would give anything to see Mikhail Dubrinsky dead. Vikirnoff was not willing to risk whatever plot was going through the mind of the undead.

  Forgive me, Natalya. Vikirnoff spoke Natalya’s name in a soft whisper in his mind and heart. He was risking her life as well as his own. Vikirnoff could feel the prince’s wounds, every bit as raw and painful as his own. Mikhail Dubrinsky was far too important to his people to allow the risk. My prince, I cannot allow you to sacrifice yourself. Your duty is to all of your people, not to a single pair. With every bit of power Vikirnoff possessed, with all of his ancient knowledge and strength, he slammed his command to earth, building a tower of ice that rose like a mountain, thick and impenetrable, wedging solidly in the sinkhole and blocking all ability to descend into the main chamber from the surface.

  A warrior’s luck to you and your lifemate. The prince murmured softly.

  The cavern shook with the force of Vikirnoff’s power. All around them ice cracked and groaned. More stalactites fell to the floor and shattered. There was a small silence. Even the shadow warriors ceased movement.

  Maxim hissed his anger, his teeth snapping together, lips drawn back in a snarl. “That was foolish. You have succeeded in trapping us all in this place. And for what, Vikirnoff? The prince is already dead. He just does not know it yet. We have made certain of that. You cannot stop what is happening here. It was begun long ago and will come to pass whether you interfere or not.” His cold, dead gaze fell on Natalya. “He has traded you for his prince, my dear. You made a poor bargain when you chose this one.”

  Vikirnoff winced. Natalya hadn’t chosen him. He had forced the bonding.

  Soft laughter brushed against his mind. If I have the choice between that cold-blooded reptile of a vampire and you, trust me, babe, you win hands-down.

  That is no compliment.

  I know. From her precarious position on the blocks of ice, Natalya blew him a kiss. In spite of himself, his heart grew warmer. Natalya’s small gesture sent the shadow warriors into another frenzy of sword display. With each frantic movement of Cezar, the warriors grew in form and stature. They pressed the lesser vampire hard, slicing deep cuts into his skin as he tried to fight his way to Maxim.

  If I can command the warriors to go after Mr. Reptilian big shot there, we’ll have a chance to escape through the hidden passage.

  Vikirnoff eyed the dark stains that had spread across the floor of the ice cave. The thick rusty colored liquid had taken on the appearance of a bony hand with long heavily knuckled fingers stretching out toward Natalya. At the end of each finger appeared to be a sharp talon and as the liquid spread, the talon seemed to grow longer. How are your ankles feeling?

  Natalya looked startled. How did you know? They burn and they feel weak, like I might not be able to trust them to hold me up.

  Look at the floor.

  Natalya glanced down. Her hand went to her throat. The Troll King has found me again. Great. Just great.

  Arturo and Maxim, like Vikirnoff and Natalya, remained utterly still to keep the shadow warriors from turning on them. Natalya felt it was a standoff of sorts, all of them watching Cezar being hacked to pieces. It was a terrifying scene, the vampire desperate and the shadow warriors relentless.

  Get us out of here, Natalya, before your Troll King reaches you. Vikirnoff was more worried about that hand inching across the ice floor than even Maxim. And Maxim hadn’t yet begun to show his power.

  Natalya waited until Cezar had ceased all movement and it was no longer possible to tell what the warriors were slicing with their great swords. She looked away from the mess and inched her arms into the air, careful to keep her movements slow and measured so that she wouldn’t draw down the shadow warrior’s attention.

  “Hear me now, dark ones, great warriors torn from your resting places, I call on earth, wind, fire, water and spirit.” Natalya heard, or maybe just felt the master vampire’s shock. She sketched him a small salute before continuing. “I call each to me and bind them to me and with each I invoke the right of the shadow law. The dark mage’s blood runs deep in my own and I command thee.”

  Wind swept through the ice chamber, clarifying each individual warrior. They straightened slowly, one by one, and turned to her, swords raised toward the ceiling, once again motionless awaiting her orders.

  You did it.

  If only it was that easy. Natalya racked her brain for the proper wording to countermand their long-buried commands, for a way to set them against the vampires when the undead knew not to move and draw the shadow warrior’s attention.

  On the floor of the cave, Cezar’s mangled body began to wiggle. The head jerked, then rolled. Natalya’s stomach lurched and she couldn’t pull her horrified gaze from the sight.

  Concentrate.

  You concentrate. That is just gross.

  Vikirnoff’s fire whip snapped out again and again, reaching parts of the lesser vampire, raining fire, incinerating everything it touched. He searched out the heart with the flames, wanting to at least ensure Cezar could not rise against them again.

  Natalya took a deep breath and let it out. She had the attention of not only the shadow warriors, but also the master vampire. She had to bind the warriors to her fast. “Hear me warriors of the ancient past, warriors of the ancient law. Whose blood was shed, who died with honor.” As she chanted, she studied the squares with symbols embedded in the ice on the floor, grateful it was hidden from the others. If she could figure out the pattern, she was certain she could unlock the hidden door.

  They are paying attention. Keep going!

  Her gaze shifted to Vikirnoff. This isn’t exactly easy! She had to go through thousands of spells she had learned to pull out the right words, all the while trying to figure out how to escape. “Hear me warriors of old, whose souls are lost, this night I call you, this night I summon you to my aid. Hear me, warriors, a new cause has arisen, your body gone, now spirit be . . .”

  Maxim struck without warning, thrusting his mind and will hard against Natalya’s mind, pushing to break through any shields. She felt the thrust of his mind, ugly, oily, a filthy abomination touching her, oozing inside and spreading quickly like a cancer. Every evil thought and deed, the countless murders, the depravities, everything Maxim had been and was, poured into her mind.

  Vikirnoff. She screamed his name in desperation. The sickness flooding her mind drove her to her knees. She gagged, clutched her heaving, protesting stomach. She was unclean. She would always be unclean. Nothing would take away the dark poisoned stain of evil.

  I am here.

  Vikirnoff was. Calm. Surrounding her with warmth when she was so utterly cold. Filling her mind with a radiant light, the sun bursting through her mind. How had she ever thought there was darkness in him? She saw darkness, evil of the worst kind and it was nothing like Vikirnoff. He entered her mind with confidence, his every thought, past and present, open to her. As he moved with purpose, he built a reflective light, a mirror turned onto the vampire, forcing him to see what he was. The dark shadows retreated before him, so that Maxim had no choice but to reluctantly flee. Inch by slow inch, Vikirnoff drove the master vampire from her mind. Behind him, Vikirnoff built high, thick shields, weaving them from the strongest safeguards he’d learned over the centuries.

  Natalya didn’t leave it at that. She wouldn’t. She could protect herself. She knew things others didn’t know and nobody was going to walk in her mind. “Shield of smoke, earth and fire, come to me, hear my desire. Mold to form, both front and back, protecting me from attack.” She had no idea why her shields weren’t holding, but she wasn’t going to let her guard down again around the vampire.

  Maxim hissed his displeasure, t
he sound loud in the hush of the ice chamber. Throwing out both hands, he slammed his palms forward, toward Natalya. The chamber shook with the force of his blow, driving the bitter cold air straight at her, a fist to her solar plexus. The air left her lungs in a rush, doubling her over so that stars danced in front of her eyes, but he could not penetrate her mind.

  Heat seeped through the terrible cold, warming her. A soft wind fluttered over her face, pushed into her lungs. Vikirnoff breathed for her. In and out. She felt him surrounding her, holding her up and it gave her the strength to straighten her body and face Maxim, her gaze cool and hard.

  “By your spirit I summon you. Each of you I enlist. I call you, warriors lost, come to my aid.”

  Maxim’s face twisted with fury. He blasted Natalya a second time, raining sharpened stalactites down on her head. Vikirnoff answered with an umbrella of ice.

  He does not want you dead. He is stalling. Anxiously he studied the hand stretching to the ice wall where Natalya stood. The rust colored fingers were already creeping up the side of the wall, reaching for her. He is waiting for whatever the puddle hides to reach you. I am coming over to you.

  Wait! Don’t move until I order the warriors. They will attack you. Natalya couldn’t quite catch her breath, even with Vikirnoff’s steady breathing, her lungs burned and felt squeezed of all air. She had to figure out the pattern. “Hear me, fight at my side. Protect me from harm. Come to my side, protect me from harm.”

  The shadow warriors moved, tall and ethereal, cloaked in clouds of whirling gray smoke, ghosts really, insubstantial one moment and dressed in armor the next. They formed a lose circle around Natalya giving her a reprieve from Maxim’s smoldering hatred. She kept her eyes on the patterns. I’ve got it, Vikirnoff. I can open the floor.

  “Hold this circle, give no ground, battle that which is still, but cannot be bound.” Natalya couldn’t help the triumphant smirk she flung at the master vampire. “Be it vapor or foggy mist, hold it fast though it turns and twists.”

  Maxim roared with rage and raised his hands toward Natalya. The low ice wall Natalya stood on obeyed his shouted commands, shifting, sweeping through the circle of shadow warriors, brushing them aside as though they were feathers in the wind. Icicles spears hurtled toward Vikirnoff, the sharp ends spinning with flames straight toward his heart. Maxim leapt at Natalya so fast he was no more than a blur.