His body tightened all over again. Natalya’s warrior woman brought out the dominating male in him. He couldn’t help it or the intense desire sweeping through him. “You need me.”
Her eyes glowed with heat. “Back off, Vik, before you get into trouble. I feel her so close to you.”
He reached out and caught her to him, standing up so the water pooled around his hips. “There is no other woman and there will never be another woman.” The words hissed between clenched teeth.
“I feel her.” Tears shimmered in her eyes and she tried to push him away with the flat of her hands.
He caught her wrists, seeing her very real distress. “This makes no sense. . . .” His voice trailed off. “Gabrielle.” He whispered the name. “You feel Gabrielle, ainaak sívamet jutta. You feel Gabrielle calling to me.” His thumb slid over her bare arm in a caress. “You cannot hold Gabrielle against me when you asked me to save her. You knew what it entailed.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t. I asked before I thought. I didn’t know how it would make me feel to know she is there with you.”
“Her spirit is light. She is uncertain whether she wishes to remain when her life will be changed for all time. I am the holder of her spirit and I can give her freedom. Release her into the other realm. Is that what you wish?”
The tigress fought for supremacy, struggled to rule when jealousy ate at her.
“You are my heart and my soul. You are my woman. It is your body I wish to possess. Your body I fantasize about and your blood I wish to taste. I do not want you to feel afraid that I will betray you, especially after all you have given for me.”
Natalya covered her face with her hands. “Stop! Don’t tempt me. What a horrible person I am to even consider such a thing. Don’t you dare allow her to slip away. I have every confidence in myself as a woman.” That might be more bravado than she wanted to admit. Vikirnoff’s appetites had not only surprised, but slightly shocked her. He had a way of making her so out of control, so filled with desire she would do anything for him and that not only was terrifying, but fascinating to her. “If you did betray me with another woman, I doubt I could hold the tigress in check.”
“Lifemates cannot lie to one another. We are too often in each other’s mind for a deception to be effective. I neither want nor need another woman.” He drew her closer, pressing his body against hers. “They call us to the healing cave. Mikhail will convert Gabrielle and bring her into our world. Once it is safe, she will be put into the ground for several days to give the soil a chance to heal her. Joie and Traian, Gabrielle’s kin, will have a chance to complete their journey to be here when she rises. I will no longer be needed.” His arms went around her and he rested his cheek on the top of her head.
“I’ll need you.” She rubbed her hands down his back. “I’m sorry I’m not those perfect women.”
“Perfect women?” He lifted his head to look down at her, confused as usual. He could never follow her train of thought and he even had the advantage of getting into her head. “I have no idea who you are talking about.”
“June Cleaver and Donna Reed. Your pinup fantasy women.” There was a bite in her voice, even when she tried to tease.
He groaned. “Are you ever going to let me off the hook? I do not want those women. Or any woman like them. I want you.” His teeth bit into her shoulder in a small reprimand. “Only you.”
“I can hear the Carpathians calling us now. How many of them will be there?”
Vikirnoff heard the apprehension in her voice. Fighting vampires, coming into his world, being his woman, even making love to him for hours on end was undaunting to her, but meeting other Carpathians was frightening. She tried to hide it, but her body was pressed tightly against his and he could feel her trembling.
He carried her out of the water. They dried their bodies and dressed in the clothes Vikirnoff wove for them. He provided her with her battle outfit, the one she was most comfortable wearing. She loaded up with weapons in silence and accepted the backpack from him, slipping it onto her shoulders before sliding her Arnis sticks into the loops of the pack.
“Mikhail and his lifemate, Raven, will need to be present. I am certain Falcon and Sara will be there as well.” He sent a question winging to the prince, waited for the answer and relayed it. “Mikhail said that Jubal is with Slavica watching over the seven children Falcon and Sara care for.”
Natalya slipped her arm around his neck, as he shifted shape. “Not too many people. I can handle it.” As they took to the night sky, with her clinging to his giant bird back, she hoped it was true. Colors dazzled her eyes. Everything, including her emotions seemed so much more acute. She was far more aware than she’d ever been, to the point where she actually had to experiment with turning down the volume in her ears to avoid hearing snippets of conversations as they flew over the village.
The healing cave was beautiful, made of crystals and flowing water. Heat and humidity blended together so at first Natalya found it heard to breathe. Ice-cold water flowed from one wall, dropping several feet into a hot mineral spring so that the steam was thick and white, floating above the shimmering water like clouds.
Gabrielle lay in the center, the earth already open to welcome her, the soil nearly black with richness. She looked pale, so still and white, Natalya’s heart went out to her and she was ashamed of her earlier jealousy. She touched the other woman gently, determined to help Vikirnoff do whatever it took to save her.
Sara and Raven greeted Natalya with a hug and very welcoming smiles. The men greeted Vikirnoff by gripping his forearms in the way of the ancient warriors. Both Mikhail and Falcon bowed from the waist at Natalya with old-world courtesy. A third man stepped from the shadows, startling her so that she drew her sword before she realized he, too, was Carpathian.
“I did not mean to frighten you.” If there was amusement on his face, it didn’t show. The centuries spent in Brazil had given him a slightly different look. Aloof, aristocratic. Very handsome like his kin, but dressed in a completely different style, looking more like a wealthy rancher. “I am Manolito De La Cruz, at your service.”
Natalya lifted her chin. “You didn’t frighten me.” She met the black eyes without flinching.
Mikhail turned away with a faint smile. “Manolito brought us news of a small group of Jaguar men committing atrocities against their women. His family believes they may be in league with the vampires. He also carried back the news of another Morrison laboratory and a very lethal poison they’ve developed to use against us.”
Natalya turned to Vikirnoff, her eyes wide with apprehension. He moved closer to her, but didn’t touch her, recognizing her need to feel strong. “Did you bring back a sample of the poison?”
Manolito shook his head. “I have the images sent from my brother. I have given them to the prince. Riordan broke down the compound and sent it to me to deliver to the Mikhail.”
Mikhail knelt beside Gabrielle’s still body and gestured for everyone else to take their places in a loose circle. “We must complete this before we lose her. Vikirnoff has guarded her spirit carefully for days, but he tells me she fades more with each rising.”
Vikirnoff positioned himself at Gabrielle’s head, his hands resting on either side of her. Natalya knelt beside him and merged her mind firmly with his. At once she touched Gabrielle’s spirit. It was light and fragile, staying only because Vikirnoff kept her with them, refusing to allow her passing. He murmured to her softly, encouraging her as the others began the ancient healing chant and Mikhail bent to take her blood for the third exchange.
Merged so deep, Natalya felt Gabrielle wincing away, trying to be brave, but doubts and fears rose up in spite of Vikirnoff’s comforting voice. Tears welled up in Natalya’s eyes as she realized Vikirnoff had been soothing and comforting Gabrielle each time she was awake. I should have been helping you. I should have been there for you.
She was his partner and this keeping of Gabrielle’s spirit hadn’t been easy for him.
He didn’t have the connection to Gabrielle the others had, yet he had guarded her soul and refused to let her die. Natalya was determined to rectify her mistakes. She bent close to Gabrielle, brushing her own spirit against the other woman’s.
You must cling to life. Natalya told Gabrielle. There are so many who fight for you. So many who love you. Do you have any idea how very precious that is? These people give of themselves freely to you. They offer life with them. Do you want to leave only out of fear? Fear can be overcome.
The answer was a small fluttering in Natalya’s mind. In her heart and soul. Gary. A single name. A single cry of anguish.
He would want you to choose life. With life there is always a way. Take my hand. Take the blood your prince offers you and choose life.
I have heard the conversion is painful and I cannot bear more pain. It seems to have become my life. I don’t have Gary or my sister here with me. I’m so afraid.
I will be with you. Vikirnoff will be with you, Natalya said.
As will I, Raven murmured it softly, connecting through the prince.
I am here, Sara added, connecting through Falcon.
We have all suffered the conversion and come through to the other side. We will be with you every moment.
Gabrielle opened her mouth and accepted the life-giving offering of the prince.
19
The Dubrinsky home was beautiful, with high ceilings, a stone fireplace and wood floors. Most of the rooms had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Natalya was surprised the house had a huge, well-stocked kitchen.
Raven grinned at her. “We always maintain the illusion of being human.”
Vikirnoff was close, so close Natalya could feel his breath on the nape of her neck. They had fed together, finding a farmer and his grown son before joining the others at the Dubrinsky home. Vikirnoff had snarled over her luring the son to her and ever since he’d been hovering. Natalya threw a quick, repressing glance over her shoulder at him, but he didn’t seem to notice the hint.
Raven laughed. “They’re all like that. I think it comes of being ancient. They were born so long ago they can’t quite make it out of the caves.”
“What do you know of this poison Manolito has told us about,” Mikhail asked Natalya. “Have you seen it before?”
There was instant silence. The men had been talking together in the corner, but suddenly they were all focused on her. She stood her ground, her fingers running back and forth over the hilt of her knife.
Mikhail wrapped his arm around Raven and pulled her back into the shelter of his body, nuzzling her hair as he did so. It was a brief, affectionate gesture, one Natalya found somewhat endearing. A man couldn’t be all bad if he loved his lifemate. She glanced at Vikirnoff. He trusted the prince far more than she did. “I would need to see the compound.”
Mikhail easily put the images and information into Natalya’s mind. He did it fast, with no preliminaries, no gentle asking. He obviously had a path to her mind despite the barriers and that made her feel very vulnerable and extremely uneasy.
He is able to do so through me. Vikirnoff reassured her.
Natalya took her time examining the structure of the poison, ignoring the conversations flowing around her.
Ordinarily, Natalya wasn’t nervous in social situations. She never had anything to lose, but she knew how tied to these people Vikirnoff really was. He hadn’t spent time with them in centuries, but he thought of them, fought for them, identified with them whether he realized it or not. She didn’t want to embarrass him by saying or doing the wrong thing. She knew she had a smart mouth and curbing it in the face of so much testosterone was going to be difficult.
At once Vikirnoff flooded her mind with warmth and silent laughter. I will enjoy watching the show.
Ha. Ha. Ha. I’m so glad you like fireworks. She flashed a small grin at him.
I’m extremely fond of fireworks.
“I recognize parts of this poison, but it isn’t all mine. They’ve mixed some of my earlier experiments.”
Mikhail nodded. “Gary Jansen developed a poison against us some time ago and parts of his poison are mixed with the newer chemicals.”
“The vampires are definitely in league against us,” Falcon said. “They have been planning for some time.”
“Xavier is involved,” Vikirnoff announced, reaching for Natalya’s hand. “He is alive and conspiring with the Malinov brothers.”
As Vikirnoff was speaking, another man entered the house. He was tall with broad shoulders, thick black hair and startling green eyes. “That Xavier lives, does not surprise me in the least.” His gaze swept past Vikirnoff and found Natalya. He went utterly still. For a moment it seemed as if he had ceased to breathe. “You are the exact image of Rhiannon.”
His penetrating gaze seemed to see straight through her to every dark deed she’d ever committed. “Rhiannon was my grandmother,” Natalya said.
“Was?”
Ordinarily the demand in his voice would have irritated her, and Vikirnoff was already moving to put himself between her and the stranger, though for her protection or the stranger’s she wasn’t certain. Something in the man’s face saddened her. The man, whoever he was, bore an uncanny resemblance to her father. “Xavier killed Rhiannon long ago,” she explained.
“She is dead?” Though no expression crossed the man’s face, she was certain the news struck him hard. “You are certain?”
“I’m capable of accessing the memories in objects, particularly if violence is associated with the object. Xavier used his favorite ceremonial knife to kill her. I saw it happen through the knife and Vikirnoff witnessed it as well.” The man closed his eyes as if in pain. “I’m sorry,” she added. “Did you know her?”
“Forgive me, little sister. I should have introduced myself. I am Rhiannon’s brother, Dominic. I have long sought my beloved sister in the hopes of finding her alive. It is good she lives through you.” Dominic clasped Vikirnoff’s arms. “Ekä, kont. I had hoped one day to see you again.”
“You are wounded.”
Dominic shrugged. “I had a run-in with Maxim Malinov and we had ourselves quite a little battle.”
He was the dragon in the sky the other day, wasn’t he? Natalya asked Vikirnoff, excited. What did he call you?
Yes. He has always been a superb warrior. He called me brother and warrior. Coming from Dominic, it is a great honor.
“It is why I was late this rising. I meant to attend the healing, but fear my wounds needed a few extra hours in the soil to ensure I was fit to aid our people should the need arise.” All the while he spoke, his gaze continued to flicker over Natalya. “I would see the memories of the murder of my sister with my own eyes, Vikirnoff.”
Vikirnoff readily complied and Natalya looked away, out the window, refusing to brush their minds while they exchanged information. She could not bear to relive the past again.
“I have long used the disappearance of my sister as my reason for remaining on this earth. I thought once I knew what happened to her I would seek the dawn, but I must know about her children.”
“My father is dead,” Natalya spoke up. “Xavier murdered him. I don’t know what happened to my aunts. They were triplets, two girls and a boy. My father thought his sisters had to be dead. He rarely spoke of them.” Natalya pressed a hand over the suddenly burning birthmark and looked anxiously at her lifemate. “Vikirnoff? They are coming.”
“Who is coming?” Falcon asked, rising from where he’d been sitting with Sara.
“Vampires,” Dominic answered, his palm covering his side over the same birthmark. “The dragon is burning. They are already here.”
Mikhail thrust Raven behind him, looking out his window. “I do not feel their presence.”
“Nor do I,” Falcon agreed. He was at the opposite window.
“I feel them only through Natalya,” Vikirnoff said. “This is what has been happening everywhere and must have something to do with whatever they are putting in their blood.”
The first explosion rocked the house, sending a shower of wood and debris down on them. An orange-red ball drove through the roof, the top story, past them and down to the basement below, spreading flames everywhere it touched. Instantly several more fireballs hit the house from every direction. Explosion after explosion shook not only the house, but the ground. Flames shot up the walls and danced across the ceiling. Faces appeared in the rolling waves of fire, laughing and taunting. The ceiling collapsed in large, burning chunks.
Vikirnoff drove Natalya to the floor, covering her body with his own as he threw up a hasty shield, trapping oxygen inside. Mikhail and Raven and Falcon and Sara huddled together, while Manolito and Dominic raised similar barriers. The breath slammed out of Natalya’s lungs, leaving her gasping and fighting the weight of Vikirnoff’s larger frame. She pushed at him, trying desperately to get at her weapons.
“Mikhail is creating a vacuum, sucking all the air from around us to put out the fire. Be still.” Vikirnoff gripped her shoulders, holding her down with the casual strength of his species.
“Freakin’ idiot, next time warn me. I might have slit your throat thinking you were the enemy,” Natalya snapped. Her heart was pounding. The world was in flames around her. The fire roared so loud it hurt her ears and the faces writhing in the conflagration stretched their lips wide with wild shrieks of laughter. The tigress didn’t want to be held down. Every survival instinct was roused, desperate to fight for freedom; Natalya focused on lying still beneath Vikirnoff to keep from running.
There was a whooshing sound that rocked the house as Mikhail removed the oxygen and immediately the flames vanished, leaving a blackened shell with most of the roof gone. The eerie silence clawed at Natalya’s nerves. Before they could move, the orange-red fireballs began pounding what was left of the structure again and the flames leapt to life. Several bombs rained down on them from directly overhead, tearing gaps in the floor, exposing the chambers beneath in the basement.
Christine Feehan 5 CARPATHIAN NOVELS Page 112