‘I do not know why you would think my mind would not go with me and stay with you at the same time.' His voice brushed at the walls of her mind like the flutter of butterfly wings, sending waves of warmth coursing through her.
For the first time in a long while, Corinne found she was truly happy. Standing in the bathroom, leaning against the sink, making an attempt to do something with her wild mass of hair, she was perfectly happy. Once she had pulled her hair free from the thick braid, it was too heavy to manage. She found she was too tired to lift her arms to tidy it. She sighed very softly.
'What is wrong?' There was anxiety in his voice.
Corinne didn't actually reply, she knew she didn't, she just sighed again, but it was enough to bring him rushing in, scooping her up as if she were precious porcelain. Her hair tumbled in all directions, fanning out over his shoulder and across the dark shadow on his jaw. "Just can't stay away, can you?" she asked, secretly grateful he had raced in to rescue her.
"I knew you needed rescuing," he said with great male satisfaction.
"Was I thinking rescue? That was the actual word in my mind?" She shook her head as she settled onto the bed. "I don't think rescue was the precise word. I can't imagine using a word like that."
"Oh, it was rescue all right." He wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily, not when her green eyes were sparkling with laughter and her intriguing dimple was very much in evidence. He especially loved that dimple. He knew he could spend hours looking at that dimple and never get tired of it.
He took the brush out of her hand. "It is amazing what the males of my race are called upon to do."
Corinne waved her hand toward the center of the room. "Go over there and do something." When he sat there, she pushed him, "Go on, do something."
"Something?" he echoed as he moved obediently into the middle of the bedroom. "What kind of something?" He sounded wary.
"I don't know exactly. Something cool. What do you like to do?" She was looking at him from under her fringe of long lashes.
Dayan suddenly grinned like a mischievous boy. "Anything at all?"
"Sure. Something really big."
His black eyebrows shot up. "If I show you, are you going to show me?"
"Sounds like a dare to me," Corinne said. "I can't resist a dare."
"Then you go first." He folded his arms across his chest, regarding her with his black gaze. "If I go first, you are quite likely to faint from shock."
"Faint! I am not the fainting type. Nothing you do could scare me that much now that I know you can do it," she replied haughtily.
'You do not altogether believe I can do it.' His voice whispered in her mind, sinfully intimate. It was temptation, it turned her body to molten liquid.
Corinne found herself staring at him, almost mesmerized by his black-magic spell. He had woven his dark melody so completely, so perfectly, she hadn't realized she was immersed in his music, in his soul. To cover up her reaction to the sheer intimacy of a mind merge, Corinne forced her wayward thoughts under control and concentrated. At once the brush in his hand jumped free and moved through the air to resume the task of taming her flyaway hair. With intense concentration she divided the mass into three sections, using the power of her mind alone, and wove the long hair into a thick braid. A scrunchie came dancing out of the bathroom at her call and fastened itself to the end of her hair to complete the job.
Corinne looked up at him then, a trace of apprehension marring the perfection of her joy. "Well?" She looked like a little girl, unsure whether to feel pride or fear.
Deliberately he grinned at her, a taunting male grin of sheer competition. "Watch this." He held out his arm, his eyes fixed intently on her face, his mind wholly merged with hers in case she was frightened by the change as it came over him. Fur rippled along his arm, muscles contorted and popped.
Corinne watched in wonderment as the man slowly shape-shifted until a large male leopard was standing in the center of the room staring at her with that same unblinking stare. For a moment she stared, almost frozen in place, but then the cat moved, its powerful muscles rippling as it glided silently toward her. She recognized him! She knew it was Dayan. There was the same fluid grace and power, the same hungry eyes devouring her. Her heart rate accelerated, but it wasn't out of fear. Amazement. Fascination. Never fear. Not when it was Dayan.
The leopard nuzzled her so that she buried her hand in the glossy fur, astonished at the texture, at the joy of being so close to something belonging in the wild. She laughed aloud as she caressed the animal's head with her fingertips. For a moment she rubbed her face along the thick neck of the leopard, loving the feel of the fur against her skin. It was exotic, a rare privilege to be so close to a wild animal. The leopard nuzzled her back, its eyes staring at her, mesmerizing, trapping her in the untamed depths. Dayan. Her Dayan. She would know him anywhere, in any shape.
Without warning, a dark shadow seemed to creep slowly into the room, invading the air like a thick foul oil. Corinne froze in place, her entire body going perfectly still. She felt Dayan's reassuring presence in her mind. She watched in horror as the shadow seemed to take shape on the far wall, a grotesque bent figure, a skeleton stick figure with long, bony fingers that seemed to be tipped with daggerlike talons. Her heart thudded in alarm, and instantly Dayan's body was solidly in front of her. She felt the others joining with her too, merging minds – Desari a soothing, calming influence, and Gregori and Darius powerful and, she sensed, deadly.
All of them protected her, shielded her from the creeping shadow. It was wholly evil, a thick oily presence probing, seeking, hunting something. Corinne felt certain the evil thing was hunting her. She sat very still, kept her mind firmly anchored in the sanity and calm of the others. Shockingly, her heart remained steady, beating in the same rhythm as Dayan's while her lungs breathed along with his.
It was Dayan that surprised her the most. Her poet, so kind and gentle, so giving and loving, was suddenly something altogether different. She felt the contrast in his mind first. She was so attuned to him she recognized the change immediately. It came swiftly, naturally, and she realized these qualities were as much a part of him as his music and his beautiful words. He was dark, dangerous, a silent, deadly predator, a killing machine. Merciless. Without remorse. Ruthless. The total opposite of her poet. The cunning, relentless beast he had named himself. He would be unswerving on the hunt.
And he would never stop until he had destroyed his prey.
Corinne felt Desari stronger than ever, tranquil, soothing, comforting, whispering softly in her mind, the words almost indistinguishable, yet Corinne knew she was aiding her to understand what manner of creature Dayan really was. She felt the momentary surge as the intruder reached for her in an attempt to draw her out. She was safe and protected within the walls of the cocoon the others had wrapped her in. There was no chance of the dark horror finding her, yet it touched the three male Carpathians.
She felt that. Felt the shock, the recoil. The thing shrieked, a hideous sound that was in her head, heard through the listening Carpathians, a high-pitched sound of anger and hatred and fear. It took Corinne a few heartbeats to realize the creature could detect only the males. The women were merged so deeply with the men that the beast could detect only the powerful males. The creature instantly withdrew, retreating with furtive swiftness.
Corinne blinked up at Dayan, barely able to comprehend the transformation in him from poet to predator. His hand brushed her face, her hair, incredibly gentle, seemed to linger for a moment, yet his body was shimmering, almost transparent. She watched, her heart in her throat, as he dissolved right before her eyes. In his place were droplets of mist. The mist streamed through the room and right out the door.
Just like that, Dayan was gone. From the room, from her mind. Gregori and Darius had also disappeared from the mind merge, leaving only Desari, who pushed open the door to the room and glided to her side with an encouraging smile. "You are not afraid, are you?" Her vo
ice was rich with beauty.
* * *
Chapter 14
"It all happened too fast to really understand what is going on," Corinne answered honestly, not certain how to feel. She looked past Desari to the two other women behind her. They were smiling in reassurance but hesitated in the doorway, so Corinne waved to encourage their entry.
"I believe we are under siege." Desari took Corinne's hand to comfort her and at the same time to check her pulse. "There is no need to be afraid. My brother Darius and Gregori are two of the most accomplished hunters we have. They are seeking the evil one, along with Dayan, to destroy that which is a threat to humans and immortals alike." She spoke calmly, as if chasing evil monsters were an everyday occurrence. "Naturally, they will see to it that Dayan does not come to any harm. After all, we are fighting to save you and the child. We will not lose Dayan to an evil one."
Corinne studied the other woman's face carefully. She could see only goodness, compassion, a light shining outward from deep within Desari's soul. She appeared tranquil even in the face of such an evil being. "It felt horrible," Corinne admitted in a low voice, "and I could tell that Dayan was shielding me somehow from the experience."
"It was a vampire," the shorter, ravenhaired woman answered calmly, reaching for a glass of clear water. "Here, drink this. I'm Savannah, Gregori's lifemate, by the way. I know it sounds absurd and something that cannot be real, but I assure you, vampires exist and they actively seek women who have psychic ability. Especially a woman unclaimed."
"You're Savannah Dubrinsky, the magician. I saw your performance in Seattle a few months ago. You were wonderful." Corinne sipped at the water to give her mind time to comprehend the situation. "That thing was looking for me, wasn't it?"
Desari shrugged casually. "In a way. You drew it here, although it does not know who you are. When it probed, it found only the male hunters. It will not be a problem, because they will destroy it."
"If this is all true," Corinne demanded, "why hasn't one ever tried to find me before?" As much as it seemed impossible for Desari to lie, Corinne didn't want her explanation to be true. Maybe it would have been better to live without knowing any of it.
The redhead smiled at her. "I'm Tempest, and believe me, Corinne, I know how confused you must be by all this. I was in your shoes only a few weeks ago. Just remember this," she continued, revealing that she could read Corinne's thoughts; "you would be missing a great adventure, which life is, and you would miss knowing Dayan. Most importantly, eventually you would have chosen to use your gift, and the surge of power would have revealed your presence to the undead. They would have found you."
"I have used my talent before," Corinne asserted.
"Perhaps, but in small things – little surges of power that would not call to the undead unless you were already in close proximity to them. More and more you are becoming at ease with your talents. Any surge of power leaves traces. We can find one another through those surges, and so can the undead." Desari spoke matter-of-factly, calmly, as if she were speaking of the weather.
"On the other hand, this all might be some weird nightmare I haven't managed to extract myself from," Corinne suggested with a slight smile. "Dayan is worth it, though. I love to listen to him. He says the most beautiful things to me. He has such a beautiful voice, and a beautiful soul. He always makes me feel as if I'm the only woman in his world."
"To him you are the only woman," Desari said. "And truly, Corinne, how could he not fall in love with you? Look at you – the way you've accepted your physical problems and still held your family together, the way you've accepted the information that Dayan has given you. It cannot be easy for you, but you work at listening and believing and comprehending what he tells you. Who else would give him that kind of acceptance? After centuries of being alone, without an other half, he finally has a home, and he appreciates it. You are his home. No other. You."
"I don't think he has accepted my physical problems," Corinne said, embarrassed by the woman's words.
"Because he fights for you?" Tempest laughed softly. "You'll find that that is one thing the males of this species are exceptionally good at."
Savannah nodded. "Dayan is fighting for your life and the life of your child. In truth he fights for his life also. Without you he has nothing. Dayan has existed in a bleak, barren world – he will not choose to continue without you. Should you travel to the next world, he will accompany you, as is his right as a Carpathian male."
"I'm very tired," Corinne confessed, her hand going protectively over her gently rolling baby. "I try to hide it from him, but he always seems to know."
Desari smoothed back Corinne's hair with gentle fingers. "He is your lifemate. Of course he knows. I have known Dayan my entire life. I am so happy he has found you. He tells us you are C. J. Wentworth, the songwriter. I am so pleased to welcome you into our family."
Corinne sank back among the pillows. "I'm glad he has you all." She wanted Dayan. Wanted to spend every moment she had left with him. She could feel her strength ebbing away, slowly but surely. "What about my baby?" She looked at Savannah and then Tempest. "I know they must have told you the truth."
It was Savannah who answered. "Your heart will not hold up forever. In one more rising we will conduct another healing ritual. Our goal now is to give your daughter a few more hours, or days, whatever time we can. Gregori says her will is strong, and that is half the battle. She is like you, a true psychic, and therefore very important to our race."
"You use the term rising because it is night, not morning, when you wake," Corinne guessed. "Do they think they can save her?"
"We are waiting for Shea to arrive. Jacques, her life-mate, insisted they rest before completing the journey. Shea is with child, and he is protective of her," Savannah reported. "My mother sent word ahead. Shea has done much research into the problems of keeping our infants alive. She is a tremendous resource to us all."
"I cannot believe she traveled all this way when she is with child," Desari said, slightly shocked. "Corinne, we have trouble bearing children; our race is bordering on extinction. Julian is hoping we can provide a child for our people soon."
"The interesting thing is," Savannah said, "Gary Jansen, a human friend of ours, a researcher, has been tracing the lineages of families in which children are born closer than fifty to one hundred years apart. There are only a couple of them. Sarantha, Mikhail's mother, comes from such a line, as does Gregori. Gary and Shea think the infrequency of conception is a form of natural birth control. Desari, you are a descendant of one of the lines. As far as we know, I'm the only other."
Tempest exchanged a long look with Desari. "Have you tried to get pregnant?" Tempest asked. "Darius and I only just found each other. I haven't thought of children yet."
Savannah laughed. "In truth, Gregori and I have only been together a few weeks. I would love to give him twins. Total trouble for him to frantically chase around and guard instead of me. As soon as we are finished here, we intend to return to the Carpathian Mountains, where we will make our home. Once settled, I'm certain we'll try to have a child. Jacques and Shea will travel home with us. All of us intend to fly to Paris first to visit with Gregori's older brothers, Gabriel and Lucian. Lucian was just married, but unfortunately, Gregori and I missed the wedding due to unforeseen circumstances."
"Is it dangerous for Shea to travel?" Corinne didn't want to think another woman had put her child in jeopardy for her sake.
"Jacques would never allow Shea to do anything dangerous," Savannah pointed out. "He's Mister Protective where she's concerned."
Tempest and Desari burst out laughing. "And Gregori isn't with you?"
Corinne frowned. "Where are Lisa and Cullen? Are they okay? Lisa must be so frightened."
The smile faded from Desari's face. She was silent for a moment before answering, obviously conferring with someone else. "Lisa and Cullen are relatively safe where they are. Barack and Syndil are with them. Julian, my lifemate, has gone to th
eir aid and has removed all immediate threats to them. They are under his protection. He has something of a reputation in matters of security." Desari phrased it as delicately as possible so as not to disturb Corinne's careful balance.
Corinne paled even more. "I thought those people were trying to kill me. Is Lisa still in danger?"
"The society targets anyone with paranormal abilities, but its members do not seem to be able to distinguish those traits very well. Because Lisa is a member of your family, she was also put on their list. Cullen was already on it and had been for some time. After Dayan brought you here, another attempt was made on Cullen's life at the hospital. Of course, Barack and Syndil were there, so Lisa and Cullen were unharmed. We removed them to a more easily guarded place."
"Why didn't you bring them here? Lisa is easily frightened. This must be terrible for her. I need to go to her," Corinne said immediately, catching hold of the quilt as if to throw it off.
Desari laid a gentle hand over Corinne's. "You're not thinking clearly. Your first duty is to your daughter and your own health. You may be feeling better, but the improvement is definitely temporary. You cannot be moving around and making your heart work any harder than necessary. It would not do Lisa, Cullen or anyone else any good if you were to die." She leaned close so that her dark eyes could look directly into Corinne's. "You do know that, don't you, Corinne?"
Corinne blinked away the illusion that she was freefalling into space. "I know I love Lisa and she must be very frightened. Is Cullen going to live?"
Desari nodded. Corinne had extremely strong mind protection for a human. Dayan had told them it took more than usual strength to shield her mind or to persuade her. Desari didn't want to put any pressure on her that might alarm her. "Cullen sustained tremendous injuries, and the truth is, Barack donated blood to him, which is something we do not do lightly. Cullen cannot be fully brought over. He and Barack will be connected to one another for the rest of Cullen's lifetime. We have great affection for Cullen, and Darius would not allow him to die when it was in our power to save him. Lisa is with him and is helping to care for him. I believe it will be good for her to take responsibility for Cullen's health."
Dark 12 - DARK MELODY Page 25