Dark Curse

By

Christine Feehan

For my sister Anita Toste, who shares my love of strange thing,

will stay up with me until all hours of the night writing spells and making me laugh at childhood memories, and who I have always loved and counted on my entire life: This one is for you.

For My Readers

Be sure to go tohttp://www.christinefeehan.com/members/ to sign up for my PRIVATE book announcement list and download the FREE ebook ofDark Desserts . Please feel free to email me at Christine@christinefeehan.com I would love to hear from you.

Acknowledgments

In a book as complicated asDark Curse , there are so many people to thank.

First and foremost, special thanks to Dr. Christopher Tong, an incredible friend, who is a continual source of information. It was his brainchild to use the Carpathian language as the proto-language of the Hungarian and Finnish languages. Dr. Chris Tong (www.christong.com) is fluent in several languages, did undergraduate studies in linguistics at Columbia University and graduate studies in computational linguistics at Standford University. He is currently writing a new book,Beyond Everything , and developing the World Meeting Place, a Web 3.0 (AI-based) site aimed at enabling the world's people to collaborate on solving the world's problems.

Brian Feehan, who drops everything and brainstorms with me at the drop of a hat. You make my fantasy and action scenes come alive for me when I discuss them with you.

I have to thank Rachel Powell for introducing me to a wonderful woman, Diana SkyEyes, who was generous enough to share her knowledge with me at short notice and put me on the right path to aid my Carpathian women. Diana SkyEyes is an earth priestess with twenty years of practicing Moon Lodge and Wiccan traditions of alternative healing. She is a certified herbalist, musician and writer of healing songs. Any mistakes are my own as well as fictitious license used to enhance my storyline. Thank you, Diana, for all your time and energy.

My sister Ruth Powell, who has always stood for children, who is the only one I know that could create an ancient lullaby and make the words universal.

My sister Jeanette and Slavcia, who were willing to discuss birth problems and how best to solve them using alternative medicines.

And, of course, Anita, who made all the work fun and reminded me of our early carefree days of laughter while we worked our own magic! Your talent for so many things always stuns and amazes me.

Prologue

The cold should have made her shiver, but it was fear, terrible bone-chilling fear that seized Lara, causing such tremors they were impossible to control. She huddled on the floor of the ice cave, studying the walls of her prison. The ice was beautiful, walls thick and blue with amazing formations hanging from the ceiling and rising from the floor like a forest of multicolored crystal. She hunched down, watching the lights flicker across the ice-creating glittering, dazzling displays on the walls. All the while, her heart beat too fast and she choked on rising terror.

A soft whisper in her mind helped to steady her, to keep her centered and calm when she wanted to curl

up in a ball and cry. She was eight years old now-today. She looked down at her arms and wrists, covered in bite marks, scars from teeth gnawing through her skin to get at her veins. Her stomach lurched. Today was the last day anyone would tear at her flesh and drink her blood. Today she would escape.

I am so scared. Even in her mind, using telepathic communication, her voice trembled.

At once she felt warmth in her mind. The sensation spread through her body, driving away the chill and giving her courage.You will not be alone. We will aid you to escape. You must be brave, little one .

Will you come with me, Aunt Bronnie? Will you both come? She knew she sounded plaintive and afraid, but she couldn't help it. She'd never been above ground. The idea of going alone into an unfamiliar world was paralyzing. Without her aunts, she would have no way of protecting herself. They both had taught her, thrusting as many skills and spells into her brain and memories as possible, but she was still a child in a child's body. Thin. Weak. Pale. A mop of copper-colored hair she could never control and little else.

That may not be possible, Lara, and if we cannot, you must go by yourself. You must get far away from this place and hide your talents and abilities so no one will ever imprison you again. Do you understand? You cannot in any way appear different in the outside world.

They had told her of the world. Long, lonely nights they had whispered to her of places above ground, of the sun and sea, of forests of trees, of living animals and birds that flew free. They had filled her mind-and her heart-with images so beautiful they had stolen her breath.

Why must I hide my gifts in the world outside? Lara shivered again, running her hands up and down her body in an effort to warm herself. It wasn't the temperature of the ice cave-she could control her body temperature when she remembered to think about it-but the idea of leaving was nearly as terrifying as the idea of staying. Here she at least had the aunts. Outside-she didn't even know what to expect.

It is always better to blend in, Lara. Xavier is a cruel man-there are others like him. You have great power within you and others will want it. Learn in secret and only use it when you must and for good or to save your life. You cannot let others know.

Come with me.

If we can, but no matter what, you must leave this place. You see what they do to us-what they will do to you. Your power will call to them and they will take everything from you.

Lara closed her eyes, the trembling turning into almost violent shuddering. Oh yes, she had seen. Torture. Horrible torture. Horrible black spells drawing forth demons with red glowing eyes and the sickening stench of evil clinging to them. She would hear screams until the day she died, the screams of others begging for mercy, begging to be killed.

She couldn't let her father or great-grandfather know of the power growing within her. She could never let on that the aunts spoke to her and taught her, filling her mind with everything they knew so that as the power in her grew, she would have the knowledge to accompany it. The two men would try to wrest everything she was from her, control her if they couldn't and in the end, she would be like the others, torn apart while they still lived, experimented on, eaten alive piece by piece until madness and pain was all that was left.

Today was her birthday and she had to escape. She had to leave the only home she'd ever known and go out into a world she knew only through the memories of her two aunts, who had been imprisoned for so many years they had long ago lost count. Before that could happen, she would be forced to endure her father and great-grandfather's sharp, wicked teeth one more time.

She covered her eyes and bit back a sob.

Lara. You are Dragonseeker. You can do this. We are strong. We endure. We do not ever succumb to evil. Do you understand? You must escape.

Auntie Bronnie always lectured her, but there was love in her voice. Worry. Determination. Auntie Tatijana sounded sad and weak, but the love was there as well, although these days, she rarely wasted energy on talking. Lara knew something was wrong, terribly wrong and she was frightened of losing the two of them.

«I don't want to be alone,» she whispered aloud into the freezing cold of the bluish chamber. She didn't say it in her mind to her aunts, because she didn't want them to know she was nearly paralyzed with fear of leaving. This terrible place of pain and death and cold was her home and here at least she had the aunts, and she knew what to expect. Outside-outside she would be alone in a foreign world.

Lara's body suddenly jerked upright. At the same time she felt the invader spreading through her brain like sludge. A cry escaped. Her instinct was to struggle against the command, but she forced her will to lie quiet, to pretend to be subdued. It was difficult when everything in her shuddered and withdrew from that spreading stain.

Do not fight. Do not fight, Aunt Bron's voice whispered.Save your strength. Let him think he has control. We will all strike at the same moment. This will be the last time, child. The last time …

Lara choked on the sob welling up. To have someone else inside of her, to feel evil invading her body, pushing at her mind and forcing his will on her caused bile to rise, flooding her throat and mouth with burning acid. She took a step. Another. Like a puppet controlled by strings. She couldn't prevent her instincts to fight. She resisted the invasive presence, trying to throw him out of her mind, a small rebellion that earned immediate retaliation.

Her body jerked again and pain pierced her skull, like ice picks drilling holes through skin and bone. The sensation of spiders crawling on her skin, hundreds of them, swarming, engulfing her, nesting in her hair, biting at her scalp, had her frantically slapping at her body. She opened her mouth wide to scream, but nothing came out. She knew Razvan-her father-had no patience with tears or pleading. It infuriated him to listen to screaming, or to a childish voice. Her earliest memory was of him shaking her, snarling like one of the captured wolves he occasionally brought into his lair to torment.

Whatever her memories, this was her way of life. The aunts had told her a child should be loved and treasured, never used for food, but it was only the memories they shared of their mother's childhood that all of them could really depend on. Not even the aunts had really experienced much more than what Lara's life was like. And memories-especially ancient ones-could be faulty.

He is forcing me into the chamber. She tried to force down the rising panic, to keep herself from fighting, from exposing her abilities, but her sense of self-preservation was strong.

You are coming to us, her aunt reminded her.Think only of that. You are leaving this terrible place

to go to a new life where they cannot touch you ever again .

Lara nodded and lessened her fight response. She couldn't lose it altogether or Razvan might suspect something was up. She was smart enough to know he sought to control her through fear. If she wasn't afraid enough, he would find a way to incite her terror so he could keep her under his thumb and biddable.

She counted each step. She already knew the exact number-she had made this journey many, many times before. Thirty-seven steps through the corridor and then her body would jerk to the right, and go through the entrance into the large chamber where Razvan and Xavier always held their ritual ceremonies. The long hall was really a tunnel with a bluish ceiling and thick ice walls. Under her feet the ice was slick and solid, almost crystal-clear, always gleaming brightly from the orbs of light in the sconces. The light flickered along the walls, revealing the rainbow of colors, gleaming like jewels embedded in the frozen world.

She loved the beauty, sculptures of orange-red and purplish-blue rising sharply from the floor, bursting into sparkling fountains frozen in place waiting for the light to hit them to come alive. She moved around the familiar shapes using short jerky steps until she was in the middle of the huge chamber. Huge columns rose to the cathedral ceilings, marking every few feet. Ancient weapons lined one wall and straight ahead, encased in ice were two perfect dragons, one red and one blue.

Lara glanced up, her breath catching in her throat as it always did at the sight of her aunts, imprisoned not only by the ice, but caught in a powerful shape that was not their true form. She couldn't shift yet, but she felt she was getting close. The aunts had embedded the knowledge deep in her mind so that she wouldn't ever forget the process, but she hadn't worked up the courage to actually shift. And the aunts had forbidden her to try where Razvan or Xavier would feel the surge of power.

The red dragon had her great eye pressed against the ice. As Lara watched, the lid slowly closed and then opened again over the round orb. The small acknowledgment gave her the strength to look directly at the man who stood in the center of the room, a frown on his face. Razvan-her father-glared at her, beckoning with a long finger.

The lines in his face had deepened since the last time she'd seen him and that had only been a couple of days earlier. His hair had darkened from the coppery red to deeper brown, now streaked with gray. His eyes were sunken and beneath them were darker circles. The moment his gaze fell on her, he began to breathe harder, the air coming out in great puffs of excitement. In one hand he held a ritual ceremony knife and Lara's heart began to pound.

He has the knife.

Teeth tearing at her flesh was bad enough, but the sharp blade slicing, metal against skin and tissue, invading her body and bringing with it the screams of past victims, screams she couldn't drown out for weeks afterward. The pleas for mercy haunted her dreams and clung like ice to her veins so that she felt she was going insane until time finally melted them away.

Lara couldn't help that spurt of adrenaline and the surge of power that came with it, the instinctive retreat, breaking out of the stumbling steps to withdraw. Razvan snarled, his lips drawing back to reveal his stained teeth.

«Get over here!» His face was a mask of hatred. «You are nothing, cheap fodder to feed the genius of my existence. Nothing! A worm crawling on the ground to service greatness.»

He pointed to the ice and for a moment she thought to fight his power.

No! You must do as he says. He cannot know the power within you. He will imprison you as Xavier has done to us. This is your chance, Lara.

Aunt Bronnie's voice whispered, cajoled, pleaded and even ordered. All of that would never have been enough to overcome Lara's instincts for survival and her revulsion of the knife and Razvan, but there was stark fear underlying each word her aunt spoke to her. Lara allowed her body to bend, to go to all fours, to crawl across the ice floor, the cold piercing her knees. She allowed the sensation, not regulating her body temperature so the distraction of the cold helped to calm her.

Razvan stood for a moment, hunched over, whispering to himself, his eyes going from blue to green. Lara winced. Her eyes often changed color depending upon her mood, and it was the one thing that tied her to Razvan, the one trait she had to acknowledge they shared-and that meant the blood of a monster ran in her veins.

He stooped, a strange expression on his face as he glanced around the chamber. One hand dropped to the top of her head, his palm stroking what could have been a caress over her coppery curls. He spoke in a whisper, his voice rusty and hoarse. «Get out. Get out before you are consumed.»

Lara blinked up at him, puzzled by the strange ritual he always invoked before he caught her by her thin shoulders and yanked her to her feet. His eyes glowed a ruby red, shining with madness as he turned her wrist up and slashed the blade across it.

She cried out, tried to suppress the shock of panic and pain as the knife cut through flesh to bone, freeing the screams of multiple victims, the shadows of life still clinging to the weapon that had tortured and killed them. Razvan pressed her wrist to his mouth and began to suck greedily, his teeth biting and scraping as if at a bone. He made hideous slurping noises, the sound mingling with the cries of the dead.

Tears burned behind her lids, blurred her vision and choked in her throat. The aunts were right, she had to escape. It mattered little what was waiting in the outside world, she couldn't survive this torment day after day.

Stay strong. He is nearly sated.

She clung to that, knowing that the aunts always were aware when Razvan was about to stop feeding. She felt weak and dizzy, her knees sagging. And then everything in her went still. The hair on the back of her neck rose. Goose bumps rose on her arms and a shiver of apprehension slid down her spine.He was coming. If Razvan was a monster, her greatgrandfather was the living epitome of evil. She could feel his presence long before he ever entered the chamber.

Razvan shuddered visibly as he lifted his head and shoved Lara behind him. Lara swept her tongue across the wound, the healing agents in her saliva sealing her skin.

The scent of decayed flesh heralded Xavier's arrival. He entered, his emaciated body bent over, one hand wrapped around a walking stick as he shuffled into the chamber. The walking stick was a weapon of amazing power and could be-and often was-wielded to administer pain. The long robes covering the thin body rustled with every step, swishing across the ice floor, picking up crystals so that the hem collected shards and splinters of glistening white. The long white beard was nearly to the old man's waist. His image was blurry as he moved, but if she looked hard enough she could see the rotting flesh beneath

the glamour.

Lara felt the surge of power and knew it emanated from the walking stick rather than from her great-grandfather. Razvan cowered from the old man as he approached. She knew Xavier was the oldest mage, the master of both white and black magic. His teachings had been the foundation of not only the race of mages, but of the Carpathian people as well. Her aunts had educated her in the terrible family history of kidnap, rape, murder and war. All because of this one man and his search for immortality.

Xavier stretched a thin arm toward her, his fingers like bones, the nails long and curled. He beckoned.

Razvan shoved Lara away. «You will not touch her. You have your own supply.»

Come close, Lara, now, while they bicker over you. Come close to the wall and aid us in breaking free.

«I can no longer use them as you well know. They have become far too powerful to control. I need the book. We must find the book.» Xavier stumbled closer to Lara, his clawlike fingers reaching for her. «Once I have the book, they will not be able to defy me.»

Razvan swept Lara farther behind him. «This one is mine and you will not touch her.»

«Do not presume to give me orders.» The voice bellowed in the vast chambers. Xavier stood to his full height, Razvan shrinking before him. «I grow old, but I still have my abilities and you do not.»

Lara inched closer to the wall, all the while gathering the energy in the room.

«You cannot even control your own children. As sick as they are they still defy you! You forced me to bring you my own offspring, but you cannot have this one. You kill them with your greed.»

«You will give her to me.» Xavier swung his stick up, the tip pointing at his grandson.

Lara seized the moment, pulling every scrap of energy from the stick she could and directing it toward the ice wall. At the same time, the aunts connected their power with hers. The massive wall bubbled outward toward the chamber. Great shards fell off as the ice spiderwebbed, and then fragmented.

«Stop them!» Xavier leapt away from the splintering ice as he yelled the warning.

A bright red dragon burst through the ice, claws stretched toward Razvan as the blue dragon bent its wing to Lara.

Nova! Now! Climb on fast. Aunt Tatijana called to her.

Lara didn't hesitate. She jumped agilely onto the wing, scrambled up the sloping membrane and swung her leg over the dragons back. Immediately the dragon reared back on its leg, great wings flapping violently, creating a windstorm, blowing both men backward. Xavier lost his grip on the walking stick. Lara concentrated on it, funneling the wind straight at the thick wooden staff. It rolled to the far side of the ice chamber. The blue dragon took to the air.

There is not much time. Go, Tatijana, flee while you can, Bronnie pleaded with her sister while she flung her body between Razvan, Xavier and Lara.

Lara could see both dragons were weak. Already their skin color was fading. The effort to keep the two mages at bay was already taking its toll on them. Sitting on Tatijana she realized they were starved, had been starved for years. Xavier only allowed them the barest sustenance in order to keep them from being able to utilize their power. Of the two, Tatijana was the weakest. Bronnie tried to give her sister time to reach the surface and escape.

Lara looked down to see Razvan creeping toward the red dragon.

Bronnie flapped her wings to keep Xavier on the floor and away from the all-powerful staff.

Look out. Lara tried to warn her aunt, but the warning was a heartbeat too late.

Razvan plunged the ceremonial knife into the chest of the red dragon. Tatijana screamed. The red dragon sank to the floor.

Get off. Run. I will hold them as long as I can. Tatijana extended her wing to allow Lara to crawl off onto a ledge far above the chamber.

Go with her Tatijana, Bronnie entreated.

Come with me, Lara begged.

Tatijana shook her head. I will not leave my sister. Go, little one. Run and forget this place. Do not look back. Be free and find happiness .

Lara clutched the ice wall. She still had to find her way out of the maze of tunnels to the surface. She looked below one last time at the only home she'd ever known. Xavier regained his feet and held up his hand. The staff hesitated and then flew across the room to him.

«Be still or you will die,» he commanded. «You fool,» he hissed at Razvan.

The red dragon continued to fight, spilling blood across the ice floor in bright red streaks.

Xavier pointed the staff at the blue dragon. «Be still or I will kill your sister.»

Bronnie ceased all movement and lay panting on the ice. The blue dragon settled next to her sister, nuzzling her with her long neck and tongue in an effort to save her.

Lara held back a sob by pressing her hand tightly against her mouth.

Go before her sacrifice is in vain, Tatijana ordered.

Lara ran.

Chapter 1

«Lara, let's get out of here,» Terry Vale said. «It's getting dark and there's nothing here.» He shouldered

his caving equipment, not surprised that they hadn't found an entrance to an ice cave. If no one had discovered the cave by this time in the Carpathian Mountains, he doubted if the place existed.

Lara Calladine ignored him, continuing to scan the mountainside for the smallest crack, that might signal the presence of a cave. She wasn't wrong-not this time. Power had surged and crackled the moment she set foot on the upper slopes of the mountain. She took a deep breath and pressed a hand over her pounding heart. This wasit . This was the place she had spent her life searching for. She would recognize that flow of energy anywhere. She knew every weave, every spell, her body absorbing the gathering power so that veins sizzled and nerve endings burned with the electrical current building inside of her.

«I've got to go with Terry on this,» Gerald French agreed, backing up the other member of their research caving team. «This place gives me the creeps. We've been on a lot of mountains, but this one doesn't like us.» He gave a nervous laugh. «It's getting dicey up here.»

«No one says 'dicey,'» Lara murmured, running her hand along the face of the rock about an inch from it, looking for threads of power. The two men were not only her climbing partners, but her closest friends. At that moment she wished she'd left them behind, because she knew she was right. The cave was here, she just had to find the entrance.

«Whatever,» Gerald snapped. «It's getting dark and there's nothing here but mist. The fog is creepy, Lara. We've got to get out of here.»

Lara spared the two men an impatient glance and then surveyed the countryside around them. Ice and snow glittered, coating the surrounding mountains with what appeared to be sparkling gems. Far below, despite the gathering dusk, she could see castles, farms, and churches in the valley. Sheep dotted the meadows and in the distance she could see the river running, filled to capacity. Overhead birds cried, filling the sky and dive-bombing toward her only to break off abruptly and circle again. The wind shifted continuously, biting at her face and every bit of exposed skin, tugging at her long, thick braid all the while moaning and wailing. Occasionally, a rock fell down the slope and bounced off the ledge to the hillside below. A trickle of snow and dirt slid near her feet.

Her gaze swept the wild countryside below. Gorges and ravines cut through the snow-capped mountains, plants clung to the sides of the rocks and shivered naked along the plateaus. She could see the entrances to several caves and felt the strong pull toward them as if they were tempting her to leave her current position. Water filled the deeper depressions below, forming a dark peat bog and beds of moss were a vivid green in stark contrast to the browns surrounding them. But she needed to be here-in this spot-this place. She had studied the geography carefully and knew, deep within the earth, a massive series of ice caves had formed.

The higher she climbed, the smaller everything below her looked and the thicker the white mist surrounding her became. With each step, the ground shifted subtly and the birds overhead shrieked a little louder. Ordinary things, yes, but the subtle sense of uneasiness, the continual voice whispering to leave before it was too late told her this was a place of power protecting itself. Although the wind continued to wail and blow, the mist remained a thick veil shrouding the upper slope.

«Come on, Lara,» Terry tried again. «It took us forever to get the permits, we can't waste time on the wrong area. You can see nothing's here.»

It had taken considerable effort this time, to get the permits for her study, but she had managed the usual way-using her gifts to persuade those who disagreed with her that due to global warming concerns, the ice caves needed immediate study. Unique microorganisms called extremophiles thrived in the harsh

environment of the caves, far away from sunlight or traditional nutrients. Scientists hoped those microbes could aid in the fight against cancer or even produce an antibiotic capable of wiping out the newest emerging superbugs.

Her research project was fully funded and, although she was considered young at the age of twenty-seven, she was acknowledged as the leading expert in the field of ice-cave study and preservation. She'd logged more hours exploring, mapping and studying the ice caves around the world than most other researchers twice her age. She'd also discovered more superbugs than any other caver.

«Didn't it strike you as odd that no one wanted us in this particular region? They were fine giving us permits to look virtually anywhere else,» she pointed out. Part of the reason she'd persisted when no caves had been mapped in the area was because the department head had been so strange-strange and rather vague when they went over the map. The natural geographical deduction after studying the area was that a vast network of ice caves lay beneath the mountain, yet the entire region seemed to have been overlooked.

Terry and Gerald had exhibited exactly the same behavior, as if they didn't notice the structure of the mountain, but both men were superb at finding ice caves from the geographical surface. Persuasion had been difficult, but all of that work was for this moment-this cave-this find.

«It's here,» she said with absolute confidence.

Her heart continued to pound-not at the excitement of the find-but because walking had become such a chore, her body not wanting to continue forward. She breathed away the compulsion to leave and pressed through the safeguards, following the trail of power, judging how close she was to the entrance by how strong her need to run away was.

Voices rose in the wind, swirled in the mists, telling her to go back, to leave while she could. Strangely, she heard the voices in several languages, the warning much stronger and more insistent as she made her way along the slope searching for anything at all that might signal an entrance to the caves she knew were there. All the while she kept all senses alert to the possibility that monsters might lurk beneath the earth, but she had to enter-to find the place of her nightmares, the place of her childhood. She had to find the two dragons she dreamed of nightly.

«Lara!» This time, Terry's voice was sharp with protest. «We have to get out of here.»

Barely sparing him a second glance, Lara stood for a long moment studying the outcropping that jutted out from smoother rock. Thick snow covered most of it, but there was an oddity about the formation that kept drawing her gaze back to the rock. She approached cautiously. Several small rocks lay at the foot of the larger boulders, and strangely, not a single snowflake stuck to them. She didn't touch them, but studied them from every angle, observing carefully the way they were arranged in a pattern at the foot of the outcropping.

«Something out of place,» she murmured aloud.

Instantly the wind wailed, the sound rising to a shriek as it rushed toward her, blowing debris into the air so that it shot at her like small missiles.

«It's the rocks. See, they should be arranged differently.» Lara leaned down and pushed the small pile of rocks into a different pattern.

At once the ground shifted beneath them. The mountain creaked in protest. Bats took to the air, pouring out of some unseen hole a short distance from them, filling the sky until it was nearly black. The dark crack along the outcropping split wider. The mountain shuddered and shook and groaned as if alive, as if it was coming awake.

«We shouldn't be here,» Terry nearly sobbed.

Lara took a deep breath and held her palm toward the narrow slit in the mountainside, the only entrance to this particular cave. Power blasted out at her, and all around she could feel the safeguards, thick and ominous, protecting the entrance.

«You're right, Terry,» she agreed. «We shouldn't.» She backed away from the outcropping and gestured toward the trail. «Let's go. And hurry.» For the first time she was really aware of the time, the way the gathering darkness spread like a stain across the sky.

She would be coming back early morning-without her two companions. She had no idea what was left in the elaborate ice caverns below, but she wasn't about to expose two of her closest friends to danger. The safeguards in place would confuse them, so they wouldn't remember the location of the cave, but she knew each weave, each spell, and how to reverse it so that the guards wouldn't affect her.

Ice caves as a whole were dangerous at all times. The continual pressure from overlying ice caps often sent great frozen chunks of ice blasting out of the walls, fired like rockets, capable of killing anything they struck. But this particular cave harbored dangers far outweighing natural ones and she didn't want her companions anywhere near it.

The ground shifted again, throwing all of them off balance. Gerald grabbed her to keep her from falling and Terry caught at the outcropping, fingers digging into the widening crack. Beneath their feet, something under the ground moved, raising the surface several inches as the creature raced toward the base of the rocks Lara had realigned.

«What is that?» Gerald shouted, backpedaling. He thrust Lara behind him in an effort to protect her as the dirt and snow spouted into a geyser almost at his feet.

Terry screamed, his voice high-pitched and frightened as he tipped over backward and the unseen creature raced toward him beneath the earth.

«Get up! Move!» Lara called, trying to get around Gerald's sold bulk, to throw a holding spell. As he swung around, Gerald's backpack knocked her off her feet and sent her rolling down the steeper slope. Her birthmark, the strangely shaped dragon positioned just over her left ovary suddenly flared into life, burning through her skin and glowing red-hot.

Two dark green tentacles burst from the snow-covered ground, slick with blood, the color so dark it nearly was black, emerging on either side of Terry's left ankle. The sound of bubbling mud rose along with a noxious, putrid stink of rotten eggs and sulfur, so overpowering the three of them gagged. The bulbous tops of the tentacles reared back, revealing coiling snake heads that struck with brutal speed. Two curved, venomous fangs clamped from either side through Terry's skin nearly to the bone. Terry screamed and flailed in terror as his blood dripped into the pristine snow. The small gap in the ground began to widen into a larger hole a few feet from Terry. At once, the tentacles retreated toward the hole, slithering across the surface, dragging Terry by his ankle. His screams of fear and pain grew louder, shrill and panicked.

Gerald flung himself forward, gripping Terry under his arms and throwing his weight in the opposite direction. «Hurry, Lara!»

Lara scrambled to the top of the slope. The mist whirled and thickened around her, making it difficult to see. She spread her arms as she ran, gathering energy from the darkening sky, uncaring that her companions might see, knowing she was Terry's only chance for survival. Never once since leaving the ice caves had she used the knowledge inside of her, the wealth of information her aunts had shared with her, embedding memory after memory in her mind-indeed, she hadn't been certain it was real. Until that moment. Power flooded her. Her mind opened. Expanded. Reached into the well of knowledge and found the exact words she needed.

«It's too strong.» Gerald dug his heels into the earth and held on to Terry with every ounce of strength he possessed. «Stop wasting your energy and help me, damn it. Come on, Terry, fight.»

Terry ceased screaming abruptly and began to fight in earnest, kicking with his free leg in an attempt to dislodge the two snake heads.

The vine threw more tentacles out, the greenish-black stems writhing hideously, looking for a target. The teeth sank deeper into Terry's ankle, sawing at flesh and bone in an effort to keep their prey.

Lara flung herself forward, lifting her face to the sky as she muttered the words she found in her mind.

I call forth the power of the sky. Bring down lightning to my mind's eye. Shaping, shifting, bend to my will. Forging a scythe to sharpened steel. Hot and bright the fire be, guide my hand with accuracy.

Lightning zigzagged across the sky, lighting the edges of the clouds. The air around them charged so that the hair on their bodies and heads stood out. Lara felt electricity snapping and sizzling in her fingertips and focused on the thinner space between the long, thick bodies and the bulbous heads of the snake vines.

White light streaked across the short distance and pierced the necks of the creatures. The smell of rotting flesh burst from the vine. Both severed tentacles dropped limply to the ground leaving the teeth, with the heads attached, still sunk deep into Terry's ankle. The rest of the tentacles reared back in shock and then burrowed beneath the dirt and snow.

Terry grasped one of the heads to pull it out.

«No!» Lara protested. «Leave it. We have to get out of here right now.»

«It burns like acid,» Terry complained. His face was pale, nearly as white as the covering of snow, but beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

Lara shook her head. «We have to get off this mountain now. And you can't take chances until I can look at it.»

She took his arm and signaled to Gerald to grab his other one. They steadied Terry between them and began to hurry from the slope to the well-traveled path off to their right.

«What was that?» Gerald hissed, his eyes meeting hers over Terry's head. «Have you ever seen a snake like that before?»

«Was it two-headed?» Terry asked. Anxiety made him hyperventilate. «I didn't get all that good a look at it before it struck. Do you think it's poisonous?»

«It isn't attacking your central nervous system, Terry,» Lara said, «at least not yet. We'll get you back down to the village and find a doctor. I know a few things about medicine. I can treat you when we get to the car.»

The mountain rumbled ominously, shivering beneath their feet. Lara glanced up at the swirling white mists. Above them, spiderweb cracks appeared in the snow and began to widen.

Gerald swore, renewed his grip on Terry and started sprinting along the thin, winding trail. «It's going to come down.»

Terry gritted his teeth against the pain radiating up from his ankle. «I can't believe this is happening. I feel sick.»

Lara kept her eyes on the mountain behind them as they raced, dragging Terry every step of the way. «Faster. Keep moving.»

The ground shifted and rolled and small fans of snow slid in artful patterns toward the slope below them. The sight was dazzling, hypnotic even. Gerald shook his head several times and looked at Lara puzzled, slowing down to look around at the undulating snow. «Lara? I can't remember what happened. Where are we?»

«We're about to be creamed by an avalanche, Gerald,» Lara warned. «Terry's hurt and we've got to run like hell. Now move it!»

She put every ounce of compulsion and command into her voice that she could muster on the run. Fortunately both men obeyed, concentrating on getting down the steep slope as quickly as they could and asking no more questions. The safeguards protecting the cave were not only lethal, but they confused and disoriented any traveler stumbling across them. The warning system usually was enough to make people so uneasy they left the area, but once triggered, the safeguards fought to erase memories or even kill to protect the entrance to the cave.

It was definitely the place she had been looking for. Now she had to survive in order to come back and discover the long buried secrets of her past. Gerald stumbled, and Terry screamed as the snake head slammed against a particularly dense pile of snow and ice, shoving the teeth farther into his flesh.

Lara felt the mountain tremble. At first there was silence and then a distant rumbling. The sound increased in strength and volume until it became a roar. The snow slid, slowly at first, but picked up speed, churning and roiling, rushing toward them. Lara forced down panic and reached into the well of knowledge she knew was deep inside of her. Her aunts had never appeared human to her, but their voices had been, and the immense wealth of information they had collected over centuries had been stored in Lara's memories.

She was Dragonseeker, a great Carpathian heritage. She was human, with courage and strength of the ages. She was mage, able to gather energy and use it for good. All of her ancestors were powerful beings. The blood of three species mingled in her veins, yet she belonged in none of those worlds and walked her chosen path-alone, but always guided by the wisdom of the aunts.

She felt strength pour into her, felt the crackle of electricity as the sky lit up with lightning. Once more

looking over her shoulder, she sent a command to the wilds of nature to counteract the protective guard the dark mage had used on the mountain.

I summon thee water ice, fit to my hand, provide me with shelter as I command.

Snow stopped movement abruptly, spray in air, frozen in place, curled over their heads like a giant wave motionless in midair.

«Run!» Lara shouted. «Go, Gerald. We've got to get off the mountain.»

Night was falling and the avalanche was not the worst they might face. The wind had stilled, but the voices remained, shrieking warnings she dared not ignore. They gripped Terry and half ran, half slid down the steep slope. Above their heads, the heavy mantle of snow had formed a wave, cresting over them, motionless like an ominous statue.

Terry left behind streaks of blood as they skidded over the icy surface. They were sweating profusely by the time they made it to the bottom. Locating their car was an easy task. In this particular area of Romania, most of the locals used carts with tires pulled by horses. Cars weren't a common sight at all and theirs, as small as it was, looked far too modern in a place centuries old.

Gerald dragged Terry through the meadow to where the car was parked beneath some naked branches. Lara turned back toward the mountain, let out her breath and clapped her hands together three times.

There was an odd, expectant pause. The wave rolled, snow dropped. The mountain slid, raising a cloud of white spray into the air.

«Lara,» Terry gasped. «You have to get these teeth out of my ankle. My leg burns like hell and I swear, something's crawling inside of me-inside my leg.»

He sprawled on the small backseat, his skin nearly gray. Sweat soaked his clothes and his breathing came in ragged gasps.

Lara knelt in the dirt and examined the hideous heads. She knew what they were-hybrids of the dark mage, bred to do his bidding. She'd seen the beginnings of them in her nightmares. The snakes injected a poisonous brew, including tiny microscopic parasites, into their victim's body. The organisms would eventually take over his body and then his brain, until he was a mere puppet to be used by the dark mage.

«I'm sorry, Terry,» she said softly. «The teeth are barbed and have to be removed carefully.»

«Then you've seen this before?» Terry gripped her wrist and held her close to him as she crouched beside the open door of the car. He was sprawled across the backseat, rocking in pain. «I don't know why, but the fact that you know what they are makes me feel better.»

It didn't make her feel any better. She'd been a child, dragged into a laboratory. The sights and smells had been so hideous she'd tried to forget them. The stench of blood. The screams. The grotesque tiny worms in a putrid ball, wiggling in a feeding frenzy, consuming blood and human flesh.

Lara took a deep breath and let it out. They didn't have much time. She needed to get Terry to a master healer who could handle such things, but she could slow the deterioration down.

Gerald looked around him, then back up at the mountain, now quiet and still. White mists swirled, but the voices were gone. Overhead the clouds grew heavier and darker, but the mountain looked pristine-untouched-certainly not as if anyone had climbed it and been attacked.

«Lara?» He sounded as puzzled as he looked. «I can't remember where we were. I can't remember how these snakes attacked Terry. Don't snakes need warm weather? What's wrong with me?»

«It doesn't matter right now. What matters is getting these teeth out of Terry's leg and getting him to the inn where someone who knows what they're doing can help him.» Someone with natural healing skills, more than doctor's skills. If they were in the vicinity where she had been held as a child, then it stood to reason someone would know how to treat a mage wound.

She closed her eyes to block out the sight of Terry's gray face and Gerald's anxious one. Deep inside, where that wealth of knowledge lay, she found her calm center. She could almost hear the whisper of her aunts' voices, directing her as the information flooded her mind. The curved fangs had a barb at the tip.

Severed head that now does bite, fangs be removed with heat and light. Draw the poison that would remain, holding the harm, stop the pain.

«There might be someone much better at taking these out,» Lara said. «We can get you to the inn fast and the couple who own it might be able to find someone for us who has dealt with this before.»

Terry shook his head. «I can't stand it, Lara. If you don't take them out now, I'm going to rip them out. I really can't stand it.»

She nodded her understanding and reached beneath her jacket for the knife on her toolbelt. «Let's get it done then. Gerald, get in the backseat on the other side and hold Terry's shoulders.» More than anything, she didn't want Gerald where some of the tainted blood might spatter onto him. The tiny microorganisms were dangerous to everyone.

Gerald obeyed her without question and Lara studied the first snake head. The hybrid was part plant, part living animal and all frightening. It was meant to take over a person, no matter what the species, and bring them under the dark mage's control. It hadn't been just Carpathians and humans he had tortured, but his own people as well. No one, not even his own family, was safe, as Lara could attest to.

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, slamming the door on memories that were too painful, too frightening to remember when she had such a complex task before her. She had rarely used her healing abilities on anyone else in the last few years. In her childhood, she'd made the mistake several times, traveling with gypsies. She'd knit broken bones. Healed a wound from a blade that would have killed a man. Removed harmful bacteria from children's lungs. At first people would be grateful, but inevitably they would come to fear her.

Never show that you are different. You must blend in wherever you are. Learn the language and the customs. Dress the way they dress. Speak as they speak. Cloak who and what you are and never trust anyone.

She liked Gerald and Terry-very much. They'd worked together for several years, but she'd been very careful never to intrude on either of them, or to show them that she was different in any way.

«Lara.»

Terry's pleading voice forced her thoughts to the task on hand. She steadied herself and gave him a reassuring nod. They were used to following her lead and it was natural to look to her now. She took another breath and let it out, pushing down the revulsion welling up.

The words to the healing chant rose out of that same bank of knowledge and she repeated them under her breath as she slid the razor-sharp knife beneath Terry's skin and found the barb.

Kunasz, nelkul sivdobbanas, nelkul fesztelen loyly. Ot elidamet andam szabadon elidadert. O jela sielam jorem ot ainamet es so?e ot elidadet. O jela sielam pukta kinn minden szelemeket belso. Pajnak o susu hanyet es o nyelv nyalamet sivadaba. Vii, o verim so?e o verid andam.

The ancient Carpathian language she'd learned as a child came easily. She might be rusty, having never used it other that to murmur it to herself before she fell asleep, but the words, spoken in a chant, were always soothing to her.

As she whispered the healing words, she blocked Terry's pain. The fang was wicked-and nasty. It curved into the skin growing wider, digging deep, and at the end, near the point, was a small barb, curving in the opposite direction. She had to slit the skin carefully to allow the points on either side to become loose enough to slide out without further damaging Terry's leg.

At first she used her human sight, blocking all other ability to see until she had the barb out. Only then did she allow herself to look with the eyes of a mage. Tiny white worms writhed and burrowed, swarming to the cells to reproduce as quickly as possible. Her stomach lurched. It took tremendous effort to shed her awareness of her own thoughts and physical self and become a blaze of healing white light pouring into Terry's wound to burn the organisms as quickly as she found them.

The wormlike creatures tried to hide from the light, and they reproduced quickly. She tried to be thorough, but Terry squirmed and moaned, distracting her, all at once reaching down to his other ankle, trying to yank the snake head free.

She found herself abruptly back in her own body, for a moment disoriented and panic-stricken. «Terry! Leave it. I'll take it out.»

She was too late. He screamed as he yanked at the foul snake's head, tearing it loose from his ankle. The barb ripped through his skin and muscle. Blood sprayed the backseat of the car and shot across the seat, splattering Gerald's chest.

«Don't touch the blood with your hands!» Lara yelled. «Use a cloth. Get your jacket off, Gerald.»

She clamped both of her hands over the wound, pressing hard, ignoring the burning pain as the blood coated her skin, burning to the bone. She fought past her own fear and panic to reach for the cool, centered place inside of her, calling healing light, burning white-hot and pure to counteract the acid of the snake blood. The way her birthmark was burning there had to be vampire blood mixed in the foul brew.

Gerald ripped his jacket open and threw it away as the material smoldered with a grayish smoke.

Terry grew quiet as Lara sent healing light streaking through his body to the gaping wound in his leg. Bleeding slowed to a trickle and the tiny wormlike creatures retreated from the spreading heat Lara generated. She cauterized the wound, destroying as many of the parasites as she could before bathing her hands and arms in the same hot energy.

«Did you get any blood on you, Gerald?»

He shook his head. «I don't think so, Lara. It felt like it, but I wiped my hands and face and there aren't any smears.»

«Once we get Terry to a healer, take a shower as soon as you can. And burn your clothes. Don't just wash them, burn them. Everything.»

She backed out of the seat, helping Terry to swing his legs out of the way of the door so she could close it and rush around to the driver's side. Terry's coloring was terrible, but more important, she didn't like the way he was breathing. Part of his distress could be shock, the shallow, too fast breathing of panic, but she feared she hadn't stopped the parasites from assaulting his body. He needed a master healer immediately.

She drove as fast as she could over the narrow, pitted mountain road, sliding through some of the sharper turns and bumping over the muddy holes. Dirty water sprayed into the air as the car fishtailed through mud and snow. All around them, the peaceful countryside seemed a sharp contrast to their terror and desperation.

Haystacks and cows surrounded them. Small thatched houses and horse-drawn carts with huge tires gave the impression of stepping back in time to a much slower paced and happier era. The castles and abundance of churches lent the area a medieval look, as if knights on horses might come charging over the hills at any moment.

Lara had traveled all over the world searching for her past. She remembered little of her journey from the ice cave and once the gypsies had found her, she'd traveled all over Europe. Passed from family to family, she'd never been told where they'd found her. Coming to the Carpathian Mountains had been like coming home. And when she had entered Romania, shefelt at home. This place was still wild, the forests untamed and the land alive beneath her feet.

The car slid around another corner and they were out of the heavier forest and into the peat bogs. The trail narrowed even more, winding on solid ground while the smell of the bog permeated the air around them. Trees swayed and drooped under the heavy weight of snow. Lights in the distance heralded farms and for a moment she thought to stop at one of the nearest ones for aid, but Terry had been bitten by a mage-bred snake carrying vampire blood. Healing a mage wound was difficult enough, but a hybrid with vampire blood-that required skills far beyond her knowledge or that of a human doctor.

Their one hope lay with the innkeepers. The couple had been born and raised in the area and had lived their entire lives there. Lara couldn't imagine that they wouldn't have some knowledge of the danger lying beneath the mountain. Over time, it became difficult to tamper with the same memories. And there had been something about the inn-something that had drawn Lara to it. A suggestion of power, as if perhaps there was subtle influence at work, encouraging tourists and visitors to stay at the homey, friendly inn.

Lara had allowed herself to be susceptible to the flow of power because it was the first time since the dragon had shoved her onto the upper cavern ledge that she had encountered the light, delicate touch of flowing energy. She had forgotten what it was like to bathe herself in the crackle of electric power, to feel it surrounding her, flowing through every cell until her body hummed with it. The inn and entire village gave off the amazing feeling, although it was so subtle she had nearly missed it.

«Lara,» Gerald called from the backseat. «My skin is starting to burn.»

«We're almost there. Go in and take a shower first thing.» She didn't want to think what Terry was suffering. He was very quiet, other than making a soft moaning sound. «Gerald, when we get to the inn, we'll need to talk to the owners and ask who the village healer is.»

«The owner's name was Slavica and she seemed very nice.»

«Hopefully she's very discreet as well. She certainly seems to know everyone.»

«Wouldn't it be better to ask for the nearest doctor?» Gerald asked.

Lara tried to sound casual. «Sometimes the local healers know so much more about plants and animals in the area. Although we've never encountered this particular species before, it's a good bet the villagers have and the local healer probably knows exactly what to do to extract the poi-« She broke off and hastily changed her description. «Venom.»

Lara pulled the car up the twisting road to the inn on the edge of town. The large, two-story inn faced the forest with its long porch and inviting balconies. She parked as close to the stairs as she could get and raced around to help Gerald get Terry out.

Shadows lengthened and grew as the clouds overhead thickened with the threat of snow. The wind howled and the trees swayed and rustled in protest. Lara glanced around her with sharp, wary eyes as she opened the door to the backseat and reached inside for Terry.

«I'll come back for the snake heads to show the innkeeper. Don't touch them,» she cautioned.

Terry was nearly deadweight as he hung between them. Gerald had to practically carry him as they stumbled through the snow. The walkway was clear, but they took a shortcut, tramping across the front slope to get to the porch faster.

A tall, dark-haired man opened the door for them and reached to help. Even under the dire circumstances, Lara found him handsome, compelling even.

«Don't get the blood on you,» she warned. «It's highly venomous.»

The dark-haired man's gaze swept up to her face and froze, locking on to her. For one moment there was shocked recognition in his eyes and then it was gone as he got his shoulder under Terry to relieve her of the weight.

Lara whirled around, back toward the car. «Get him inside and ask the innkeeper to find a healer. I'll get the snake heads.»

She rushed back down the steps, crossing the distance to the car in a run. As she yanked open the door, her birthmark, the one shaped like a dragon, began to burn hot against her skin. There was only one thing that brought forth the dragon's warning: Vampire. And he had to be close. She hastily donned her wraparound skirt and a cloak to cover her weapons. She closed the door and looked carefully around her, one hand sliding beneath her thick red cloak to find the knife on her belt.

Chapter 2

The night was bitter cold. He shouldn't be feeling it-Carpathians could easily regulate body temperature, but he wanted to be cold. It was a feeling. Not emotion-butsomething . Cold was like bitterness maybe, and bitterness was an emotion. Maybe that was the closest thing to a feeling he would have before his death.

Nicolas De La Cruz walked the length of the village with long, slow strides, his face turned from the people who shared the walkways with him to prevent them from seeing his eyes. He knew the normally dark, midnight-black color glowed a deep ruby red. Icy cold swirled in the pit of his gut, and deep inside, where his soul should have been there was only a small black piece left-and that, too, was filled with holes. The centuries of hunting and killing the vampire had long since taken their toll.

He lifted his face to the swirling clouds laced and heavy with snow. This was his last night. He was done with his fight. He had served his people and his family with honor, held fast through the centuries and hunted more of his fallen comrades than most. Tomorrow he would walk into the sun and end his long, barren existence.

He was far from his home and his brothers. His oldest brother, Zacarias, would be unable to stop him from such a distance, in fact, wouldn't sense his end until it was far too late to stop him. He wondered how long it would take for the sun to burn him clean. A long time with the stains on his soul, but still, his brothers wouldn't have to share the intensity of the suffering of his last few minutes of life.

He shivered, grateful for the cold on his face and skin, grateful he could feel physical sensations. Emotions-he had lost those so long ago they were a distant memory, or maybe not really his memory at all. Three of his brothers had found lifemates and shared their newfound emotions with him. In some ways their happiness made it so much harder to bear being so alone.

He had come for one last walk through the village before meeting with Mikhail Dubrinsky-prince of the Carpathian people. He'd traveled far to deliver a warning, yet now, he wasn't certain it was safe for a face-to-face meeting-especially in the close confines of the local inn. Already heartbeats were loud, bombarding him with the need for rich, hot blood. Sharp teeth pushed against the inside of his mouth and saliva gathered in anticipation of the feast.

It wouldn't take much to let himself taste-just for a moment, one time-the hot rush of adrenaline-laced blood that would give him a glimpse of lost emotion. And a woman… He would love to feel a woman's soft skin, inhale her scent, pretend for just a moment he had someone who belonged to him, would look at him with love-genuine love-not that greedy heat that came the moment a woman knew his material wealth.

If he could feel regret, it would be not for the countless times he had to destroy an old friend, not for the many souls he'd freed and laid to rest, but that he'd never felt the true need for a woman. He'd never held a woman he loved in his arms and worshipped her with his body.

The whispers in his mind grew stronger, tempting him with the things he had never known in his long life.

Women had been attracted to his looks, his power and his money. He had used them for sustenance, but he'd never been able to know what it was like to feel the pleasures a woman could bring his body, the peace she could bring to his mind. One taste. Just one. He could sink his teeth into soft skin and feel the flow of life, hear the quickening rhythm of her heart beating in tune with his. She would fear him, his domination, his complete supremacy over her. Life or death. He had that power.

His heart slammed hard in his chest. His body stirred to life. He scented prey. A fragrance beckoning to him. Calling out from the beauty of the night. He had only to take that one last taste and he could experience everything before the sun rose and burned him clean. He turned his head and saw her standing in the shadows. The breath left his body in a rush.

Her skin was pale and flawless. Her hair was pulled back in a long, thick braid. Her eyes were wide, large and sparkling, glowing slightly. She seemed to be waiting for someone. A man? A low growl rumbled in his chest and he felt his body react to the thought. Detached as he was from his actions, he found it all interesting. He had never felt threatened by man or beast or monster, yet looking at this young woman, he knew he would fight to the death for a chance to taste her blood, to feel the softness of her skin, to hear her heart match the rhythm of his.

For the first time in his long life, he actually had erotic images of his own, not drawn from someone else's mind. They rose up to taunt him. This woman writhing and moaning, pleading with him to give her everything. He wouldn't feel a thing when he took her offering, but maybe, if he took her life at the same time, he would have that one moment…

Her head snapped around and her gaze locked on him. There wasn't the instant look in her eyes he had come to expect-woman spotting attractive male. She looked like a predator, gaze burning, mouth firm. Her body was all woman, dressed in layers of clothing, a high-necked dark sweater with long sleeves that covered her wrists. A pair of dark leggings that ran into serviceable boots covered shapely legs. A wraparound skirt was cinched at her small waist with a wide leather belt and hugged the fitted leggings but gave her ease of movement and a long, warm cloak hung from her shoulders to her knees.

There was something familiar about her, as if they may have met before. Try as he might, he could not look away from her. Always with women he had the upper hand, drawing them to him with his looks and dangerous air, yet he had the feeling this woman wasn't at all consumed with desire for him.

Again he had a visceral reaction deep in his gut. A need for her to want him.Come to me now. Offer yourself to me . There was shame in using the gift of his voice to entrap and enthrall her, it would have made the fantasy better to have her come to him of her own accord. Afterward he might even be able to convince himself she wanted him, but not like this, with compulsion.

Her body jerked. Her chin went up and the bright eyes smoldered.As if she knew . She began to walk toward him. He moved into deeper shadows, his heart pounding. He could already taste her in his mouth, feel her soft skin sliding against his. His blood surged hotly.

She was of average height and his size dwarfed hers, but she had womanly curves and looked strong. She moved with fluid grace, not at all stumbling and halting as if fighting a compulsion. For a moment the clouds parted and light spilled across her face. His gut knotted.

Stop! Go back. Get inside. He had to save her. His hands shook-actually shook-and damn him forever to hell, his body stirred, hot and hard and aching for her, when in all his years he had never had such a response. Her life-her very soul as well as his-was in danger. Even as he warned her, he took a step toward her. Wanting her. Needing her. If he touched her, if he got too close, they would both be lost.

A frown flitted across her face. She pressed her palm to her body, down low and halted, looking confused.

Lara stared hard at the tall, wide-shouldered man coming toward her. He was the most classically beautiful man she'd ever seen in her life. His face was raw masculine beauty, his eyes so dark they were nearly black, yet when he turned a certain way, they glowed like rubies, causing a chill to race down her spine. He moved with unbelievable grace, his body flowing, ropes of muscles rippling subtly like a giant jungle cat on the prowl.

She didn't have reactions to men, no matter how hot they were. Her body remained as cold and as frigid as the ice chambers she'd spent the first few years of her life in, yet looking at this man, everything changed. Her breath quickened. Her pulse raced. Her stomach somersaulted and even her womb reacted, clenching hotly. But so did her birthmark. And her birthmark heralded the arrival of one thing-vampire.

The problem was, the mark seemed to have a short in it. One moment it burned with scorching heat and the next it went cool and lifeless. She had the blade of her knife up against her wrist, concealed by her long sleeve, the handle securely in her fist. She wasn't taking any chances, no matter how hot he was.

And then there was his voice. Velvet soft. Pure seduction. A night melody of dark promises, one moment beckoning, the next rejecting. The first time he spoke his command she had been certain he was a vampire drawing her to him to allow him to feed on her. The next moment he seemed to be trying to warn her off, yet he continued forward, his black eyes drifting over her face as if he owned her.

Nicolas couldn't stop walking toward her-as if he, not she, was the one under compulsion. He was going to have to call to Mikhail for help to save her. But he was so far gone, it was possible he would engage in a battle with the prince over her. And Mikhail couldn't be risked, not if their species was to survive.

Go! He warned her again, his voice low and firm, but he failed to bury a compulsion in his tone. As much as a part of him wanted to save her, the other part, standing off detached and greedy for one moment of true life, offeeling before he ended his existence, couldn't quite be noble enough to help her escape.

She turned her head, her gaze searching the shadows and rooftops for danger. He was almost on her when she turned back to him. Up close she was so beautiful. Breathtaking really. Her skin looked exquisite. Her scent was faint and alluring, drawing him. He felt almost in a trance, if that were possible for one such as him.

His fingers circled her wrist like a bracelet, light, yet made of steel.

She moved then, whirling around, into him, her elbow connecting with his sternum. Nicolas barely felt the blow that would have rocked a human. Suddenly his arms were locked around her and his face was buried in the thick mass of her hair. It was soft. Heaven.

The blood in her veins ebbed and flowed like the tide, pounding through her, making him know he and she-were alive. Not existing, but living. Standing there in the beauty of the night with the scent of the forest surrounding him as he took his last feast.

The whispers in his head turned to a possessive roar. This one was his alone. He didn't hesitate, he lowered his face to her shoulder, nuzzling the sweater aside to expose the bare flesh of her neck and the pounding pulse there. He made no effort to calm her, or put her under a compulsion. The adrenaline in her blood would heighten the experience, give him a rush of feeling so that he would always retain this moment. He sank his teeth deep and took the essence of her being deep inside him.

«Let go of me, you bastard,» Lara snapped, shocked at the sudden pain, shocked that after all those years of swearing to herself no one would ever-ever-take her blood by force, she was locked in the arms of a vampire.

As a child, she had been used solely for food. Her father and great-grandfather had ripped into her veins and taken from her as if she were nothing, not human, not Carpathian and certainly not mage. She had been a food source and nothing more.

Rage swept through her. Shook her. Took her by surprise. She had never been so angry in her life. And yet, after the initial bite, the dark, erotic seduction made some part of her want to be a part of him, made her want to succumb to the fire and heat-to give her life for his.

Clenching her teeth, she fought the sensation of need and desire pulsing through her body. She wouldn't go that easily, or give in. She had no idea a vampire could be so cunning. One minute triggering an alarm, the next warning her off and then the bite. The absolute seduction of that bite.

She gripped the knife in her fist and tried to get a little room in order to move her hand toward his ribs, but she was facing away from him and it was difficult to feel where he was when lightning sizzled and crackled in her veins, robbing her of her ability to think.

Nicolas was so far gone in the ecstasy of her taste and shape and feel that it took a moment to register that she had spoken.Let go of me, you bastard . The words echoed in his mind, burst through his subconscious and took a hold of his heart.

Emotion flooded in with dizzying speed. Fast and sharp and jumbled so that it was impossible to sort anything out. The love he felt for his brothers came tumbling into his heart and mind. Anger. Rage that he had been following an honorable path yet had been so close to turning. Shame. For the near brush with the monster he had been hunting for centuries. More shame for the sins he had yet to confess to the prince-sins committed against the leader of their people. Not in action, but in their hearts and minds of Nicolas and his brother. Joy for the woman in his arms who would save him from a fate that would have dishonored not only him, but his family as well.

So much to try to sort out all at once. And all while his body was hard and hurting, his groin so full and thick the material of his clothes caused physical pain. He wanted her. Needed her. Had to have her. The taste of her was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. This woman. His lifemate. The woman he had searched for across several continents, the woman he had spent centuries looking for. The only woman who could restore his emotions.

He opened his eyes and her hair dazzled him. There in the darkness it burned bright red, but as he watched, his eyes played tricks on him, so that waves of colors glowed metallic and coppery. He couldn't find the strength of will to pull away from her, to stop the sweet fire sliding down his throat, tying them together in the way of his people. Somewhere, far off, he could hear his own mind screaming at him that he was losing his mind, that he had found her too late and that he was killing her, but he couldn't stop.

Pain ripped through his left side, startling him out of his trancelike state. He jerked his head up without swiping his tongue across the twin pinpricks at her pulse to close the wound. Blood trickled down her neck into the earthy tones of her sweater. He could see the garment, a dazzling color, hues of browns and gold, with red drops scattering and pooling in the yarn.

Color, after centuries of shades of gray. Beautiful, amazing color. He looked down at his side from where the pain emanated. The handle of a knife stuck out of his ribs. She stepped back away from him and spun to face him. Her eyes were twin jewels, burning bright, a deep emerald, not just green, but actually emerald. Even as he watched, the color swirled and changed, going from deep green to arctic blue. The blue was the color of the ice glaciers, clean and pure and ice-cold, but burning with intensity and fire.

He smiled at her. «Te avio palafertiilam. Entolam kuulua, avio palafertiilam.»

His voice was low, a dark seduction that slid over her senses, like velvet playing over her skin, arousing her. Lara had heard those words before, long ago when the aunts sang her to sleep. They sang of a great love story. A man-as dark as sin. A woman-bright as light. Only that woman could save him from the worst suffering of honorable death, or the worst fate of becoming the vampire. She had the power to restore his lost emotions, to restore bright, beautiful colors to the world. The love story had been the one beautiful thing in her life as a child and she had clung to it, needing something to hang on to.

Te avio palafertiilam. Entolam kuulua, avio palafertiilam. You are my lifemate. I claim you as my lifemate. The words were so beautiful, so connecting, she could feel them echo in her heart and mind. They had been the words in her story and she dreamt of them, thought them romantic. But the man hadn't been so seductively beautiful and so utterly dangerous. And he certainly hadn't taken his lady's blood without permission. It was wrong. A violation she wouldnot permit.

Ted kuuluak, kacad, kojed. I belong to you.E lidamet andam . I offer my life for you. As he spoke the words in that perfectly calm, soft voice, he gripped the handle of the knife and yanked it from his body. Blood gushed down his side. He held out the weapon to her, handle first.

Lara swallowed hard, raising her gaze from the wound to his face. There was no anger. No expression at all. Just a strange serenity that shook her. She moistened her suddenly dry lips and reached out to take the knife. Her fingertips brushed his. Electricity sizzled up her arm. He merely opened his arms wide, presenting his heart as a target.

Pesamet andam. Uskolfertiilamet andam. Sivamet andam. Sielamet andam. Ainamet andam. His teeth flashed very white in the darkness. «I give you my protection. I give you my allegiance. I give you my heart. I give you my soul. I give you my body.»

She realized he wasn't talking figuratively, but literally. He was offering to stand there while she drove a knife into his heart and took his life. This was no vampire. She had no real idea of what he was, but the words he was uttering were in the Carpathian language, a language as ancient as her aunts had been. And the words were a ritual that bound two halves of the same soul together. She had never believed in that love story, not truly, even though she knew the kinds of things that could be wrought with elements and energy and magic. But as he spoke each word in that soft, seductive tone, his black eyes glittering with possession and absolute determination, she could feel the ties forging like steel between them.

«Are you crazy? You have to be out of your mind. Don't stand there like an idiot. You need to stop the bleeding.»

His eyes never left her face.Sivamet kuuluak kaik etta a ted. Ainaak olenszal sivambin . «I take into my keeping the same that is yours. Your life will be cherished by me for all my time.»

She flung her head up, her red braid whipping across her shoulder, glacier blue eyes crackling and glittering with anger. «Really? Is this what you call cherishing me?» She pressed a hand to her neck where

the thin trickle of blood continued. «Youtook from me without permission. Without asking. Without one thought for how I might feel.»

All the while she reprimanded him, her gaze kept dropping to the blood pooling at his side. He had to stop it. If he was Carpathian-and he had to be-he could close the wound on his own and keep his life's essence from flowing away.

Te elidet ainaak pide minan. «Your life will be placed above my own for all time.» His expression didn't change. He kept his arms outstretched, presenting her with a kill target. His black gaze never left her face. His expression was utter, absolute serenity, although his eyes blazed with a dark possession.

Fury shook her. «You won't have a life if you don't heal yourself.»

Te avio palafertiilam. Ainaak sivamet jutta oleny. Ainaak terad vigyazak. «You are my lifemate. You are bound to me for all eternity. You are always in my care.»

She hissed out her breath, teeth snapping together. «You don't just get to claim me and think it's all going to work out. Not when you've taken my blood without my consent.» Her heart was pounding as she watched his life ebbing away with the flow of blood. «Do something.»

«It is not my choice. Life or death is the choice of my lifemate. If you reject my claim, then you are condemning me and I willingly die by your hand.»

Her blue eyes were twin chips of burning ice. «Don't you dare blame your death on me.» But she was already springing toward him, unable to stop herself. Her throat nearly closed with fear as she clamped both hands over the wound in his side. She wanted to shake him. Literally just grab him and shake him until he saw how utterly ridiculous he was being.

So much for her romantic love story. «You might be the hottest man in the village, but your brain is about the size of a pea,» she muttered under her breath. «Close the wound. I don't have that kind of ability.»

«Then it is life you choose for me.»

His voice was enough to make a woman want to strip and jump him and the effect he had on her annoyed her more than anything else.

«You deserve to die just for being stupid,» she snapped, but she didn't let go of his side, pressing tightly, making certain to clamp down and prevent further bleeding. «Now heal yourself.»

He gave a slight, old world bow. «As you wish.»

That voice was seduction itself. Her body tingled, her breasts heavy and aching. She didn't want him touching her, or brushing her face or body with his black gaze. She could hear his heart matching the rhythm of hers. Air flowed in and out of his lungs in tune with hers, a soft sighing so that their breath mingled together. Everything feminine in her, everything she was, Carpathian, mage and human, rose up to meet the male in him.

«I wish for you to get yourself some psychological help. You can't seem to make up your mind whether you're a vampire or a hunter.» She deliberately injected scorn into her voice.

His expression didn't change. He didn't even blink, but she'd scored a hit. They were connected now, all

those unbreakable threads she felt between them allowed her to read his emotions and gave her an insight to the predator she was prodding. Her heart stuttered and her stomach did a funny little flip.

He didn't move, yet he was closer, much closer, his body pressing against the small palms of her hands where they were buried into his side. «Have no fears,palafertiil , I have made up my mind.»

She didn't like the sound of that-the soft purring in his voice that sounded more like a threat than a reassurance. She felt the heat suddenly bursting from his body, saw the flash of white light glowing around her hands. His flesh grew hot, although it didn't burn her, merely cleansed the blood from her skin. She dropped her hands abruptly and stepped away from him, looking up the long length of his body to his incredible face.

His body up close was too masculine, too strong, too everything. Wide shoulders, solid-he looked invincible-even though she'd managed to get a knife into him. She swallowed fear and took another step back.

«I have to go.»

«We go together. You cannot pretend I have not claimed you and that you did not reject my claim. You chose life for me. Our souls are one.»

Lara frowned. She had a vague idea of the ritual binding words from the story her aunts told her. The words were imprinted on the male before birth. Once uttered, they bound two souls together so one could not survive without the other once the ritual was actually complete. She didn't know what the rest of the ritual was, but if it involved sex with this man, she really wasn't up to the task.

She tilted her head and looked at him with a cool steady gaze. She didn't feel cool or steady, but she wanted him to understand her-to know that if she'd ever been serious about anything in her life, she was serious about this. «I know very little about your traditions or culture. Just stories my aunts told me when I was a child, but no matter what you've done to tie us together, know this: I don't know you. I don't love you. I don't care anything at all about you. I spent the first years of my life a prisoner and I will never– never-allow anyone to imprison me again. If you try to take anything from me by force, if you try to break my will or manipulate my mind, I will fight you with the last breath in my body. So you make up your mind-choose life or death for us.»

His eyes darkened to obsidian, glittering with a sensual lust that burned through her body. He cupped her chin with gentle fingers and bent his head slowly. Mesmerized, she couldn't pull herself away. She could see the long length of his lashes, the tiny crinkled lines around his eyes, the straight nose of the aristocrat, the mouth sinfully carnal, but stamped with the mark of a man who could be cruel.

Her breath caught as his hair brushed her face. She felt his mouth on her neck. Hot. Burning. Velvet soft. His tongue rasped over the twin pinpricks at her frantically beating pulse, stopping the tempting trickle of her blood.

I choose life for us.

The words slid into her mind like a caress. She moistened her lips as he straightened to his full height. «Fine then. We understand each other.» She turned to go back to the inn-to safety, because no matter what this man agreed to, she knew she wasn't safe with him and it wasn't entirely his fault.

Once more his fingers settled around her wrist like a bracelet. Warm.

He stroked the pads of his fingers against the bare skin of her inner wrist, halting her. «I do not think you quite understand me and I would not want you later to say you were not in possession of all the facts.»

Lara turned back reluctantly. «I'm listening.»

«You are the one woman-the only woman-mywoman. This is something I take very seriously. Your health. Your safety and your happiness. I will see to these things, but I will not share you. I will not allow others to interfere in our relationship.No other . Man or woman. If you have a problem with something, you tell me. If you are afraid of something, you tell me.»

«I don't know you. And I don't trust that easily.»

«I did not say it would be easy. I just want you to understand who I am.»

She couldn't push down the rising panic. She saw him exactly for what he was. A predator. A hunter. A man who made decisions and expected those around him to follow his lead. Already the ritual words had bound them together. She could feel the pull of him on her mind-even on her body.

Lara let her breath out slowly. «I don't share my blood.»

His lips curved into a small smile. She caught a brief glimpse of his white teeth and then that predatory smile was gone and he once again wore a face carved of stone. «I noticed.»

Color rose in her cheeks. «I have toget back inside. I have a friend who is hurt. Maybe you can help him. You obviously know healing.»

All warmth leeched from his eyes. «Your friend is male?»

She shivered, suddenly cold. «Yes. I came with two colleagues. We're doing research nearby and we're staying here.»

«What kind of research?» There was a bite to his voice, a note of suggestion.

Now her entire body was blushing. She was annoyed with herself for the fluttery nerves in the pit of her stomach. She was trying to establish herself as someone to take seriously, yet each time she looked closely as him something inside her seemed to melt.

He scared the hell out of her. She had faced monsters, yet she hadn't been as afraid as she was at this moment. This man had changed her life for all time. He stood calm and resolute, implacable even, looking at her with possession in his eyes and a mouth that was so fascinating, she could barely tear her gaze away, yet she knew he was one of the most dangerous creatures living on the earth.

«Well, it's hard to explain. Mostly we do sexual research together. You know, sex in every culture down through time.»

«Very funny.»

«You deserved it. You had that tone.»

«I had a tone?»

She swept her green gaze over him and began walking back toward the inn, very aware of him pacing beside her with the silent stride of a jungle cat. «Actually, I explore caves and I've been researching life forms in ice caves.» There was an edge of haughtiness in her voice. «So answer my question: Do you know much about healing? Or do you know someone who does? We were attacked by a hybrid-part plant, part snake-and very venomous.»

He caught her elbow and brought her to a halt. «Did it bite you?» He was already running his hands up and down her arms, tilting her head this way and that. And then she felt the thrust of his mind against hers.

It was such a shock, the sheer intimacy of his mind merging with hers. There was nothing at all soft about him. He could erupt into violence with swift efficiency. When she had thought him one of the most dangerous creatures on earth, she hadn't even come close to understanding the killing machine that he was, yet he hid nothing from her. He didn't attempt to pretend to be different than he was, and she saw that he could. He could have appeared gentle and sweet, but he gave her the respect of showing her exactly who and what she was dealing with.

Lara inhaled sharply. Her aunts had told her Carpathians were powerful. They had presented them as heroic, hunters of the vampires, protectors of human and mage alike. She was unprepared for the ruthless, merciless mind of the hunter. And he was beyond any arrogance she'd ever known.

She couldn't prevent the tremor of awareness or the little shiver of fear. The heat of his body enveloped her, warmed her, driving out the cold of the night when she had forgotten to regulate her temperature. She attempted to retreat, slamming down the barriers in her mind. She had always been powerful, but it had been years since she'd had to utilize her abilities to conceal her mind from any other and she was slow and rusty.

«There is no need to hide yourself from me,» Nicolas said. Not only was her body shivering, but so was her mind. He had triggered a well of fear, tapping into some long-ago memories of someone close to her who had misused and abused her trust. «I cannot lie to you, nor do I attempt to access what you will not give me freely. I look only for parasites and wounds. The snakes are more deadly than you can know.»

She let her breath out, somewhat relieved. He hadn't examined her memories of that lost little girl. He didn't know who she was or what she was. There was always power in knowledge and she trusted no one-least of all the man who could make her body come alive when she had been frozen for so many years. She didn't trust anything that happened so fast, or that walked in an ancient land of enormous power.

«The snakes injected venom into my friend. There were tiny parasitic organisms in the venom and the blood of the snakes burned like acid.» As she spoke, she moved away from him, a delicate feminine retreat.

Nicolas wanted to smile. He didn't smile easily. Hadn't smiled in five hundred years, but her girly reaction when she was trying to be a fierce warrior was so cute.Cute . He had never understood that word before. He'd heard it a thousand times but had no real concept of the meaning until that moment. Instincts told him she wouldn't appreciate being considered cute when she thought of herself as tough, so he kept his observation to himself.

She was shorter than most Carpathian women, barely coming up to the middle of his chest, but her body was all feminine curves. She considered herself overweight-he'd caught that small bit of information before he narrowed the flow of information to specifics. He didn't understand that either. She was

perfect, but then he would have thought her perfect no matter what she had looked like. How could he not? She had restored his life, his very soul. He could feel real love for his brothers. He could feel real honor and a sense of duty to his people. She had turned a bleak, gray world into a dazzling wonderland. She was the epitome of beauty to him with her classic bone structure and the jeweled eyes of the Dragonseeker line.

Power crackled in her. This was no shy, retiring maiden, but a warrior prepared to fight him at every turn. She didn't know he had already won the battle. She was part Carpathian and her nature would draw her to him. The pull between them would grow over time and he would make absolutely certain that he was by her side while time worked its magic on his lifemate.

«Stop staring at me like that.» She walked faster.

He kept pace easily. «I had no idea I was staring in any particular way.»

There was joy in the night as well as breathtaking beauty. He marveled that he could feel it, see it, be one with it. The heavy clouds formed whimsical shapes, drifting overhead with the helpful push of the wind. The village breathed, hearts beating, children's laughter ringing out. Why hadn't he heard those sounds before? Sounds of life and love. Fathers murmuring, mothers calling, children laughing. He had lost the magic of life over the centuries and now it was there, flooding his senses.

Her eyes flashed at him. Green again. Green was her normal color, a dazzling emerald her red hair made deeper. Glacier blue was her power color then. There was satisfaction in discovering that small fact about her. He wanted to know everything about her all at once, but he had learned long ago the lesson of patience and it had stood him in good stead for hundreds of years. Time would reveal her secrets to him and each moment spent with her-finding out the little things, the intimacies of her true self-would bring joy to him.

He even enjoyed the unrelenting ache she brought to his body. It was another sign of being alive-of living and breathing and sharing his world with her. His soul had been so dark, so damaged, he had been unable to feel emotion, keeping pain at bay and guilt and shame, but it also kept away true life.

«You are a miracle to me. Maybe that is what you are seeing in my stare. Sheer wonder.» He kept his expression calm, not allowing his joy to overwhelm her, but he did inject the dark seduction of black velvet into his voice so that it caressed her skin and slid deeper into her body, lighting little electrical sparks from breast to feminine channel.

She stopped so abruptly in the open doorway of the inn he nearly ran into her.

Chapter 3

Lara scowled at Nicolas, her green eyes suddenly suspicious. «Are you a ladies' man? All sweet talk and syrup with no substance? Because I'm telling you right now, I've had experience with that kind of man and I can see right through flattery.»

She was lying. Looking him right in the eye and lying her pretty little butt off. She had no experience with men. And she couldn't stop blushing every time she looked at him. The smile started in his mind and

spread to his lips. Genuine. Spontaneous. A miracle in itself that he could smile-that he had a reason for smiling.

Nicolas wanted to carry her off to his lair and keep her to himself for a year or two, learning every detail about her. Desire rose sharp and painful. He kept his face without expression. «I do not believe anyone has ever said I talk sweet or that I am syrup in all the years of my existence.»

She gave a little undignified snort. «Maybe not, but I'll bet they called you a lady's man.»

«I am a Carpathian hunter of great skill but I am certain I will have the necessary skills to become your mate.»

She choked and turned away from him, stomping into the inn, her shoulders stiff. Nicolas moved in behind her, very close, aware as they entered that men turned to look at her. She was striking with her skin and hair, the glow many Carpathian women had, a sort of luminous quality combined with a fluid sexy walk that drew the eye. He flashed a message, letting them know without words that she belonged to him. Black eyes carried death as he looked directly at each man to emphasize the point. They looked away from her and two actually left, telling him the vibes he was sending out were just a little too strong. He was going to have to learn to manage his newfound emotions.

Nicolas followed her up the stairs to one of the rooms, taking the stairs two at a time. She reached for the doorknob. Nicolas's hand was there before hers. He inserted his larger body smoothly between her and the room.

«I will go in first.» He had already scanned the room. Two unknown human males and Mikhail, prince of his people. Still, even with the prince, he wasn't about to take any chances on her safety. He scented vampire blood.

«It's my room,» she objected, shocked at how smoothly, how easily he had taken over.

His black eyes moved over her face. «Yes it is and you seem to have a surplus of male visitors.»

He didn't wait for an answer, but pushed open the door, ignoring her outraged little squeak. Mikhail had been fully aware of his arrival, his gaze shooting past him, but Nicolas's much larger body blocked the doorway, preventing Lara from entering. Nicolas took in the scene, the man writhing in pain on the bed. A second man holding his shoulders in hopes to calm him while the prince seemed to be attempting to heal the injuries of the male on the bed. Nicolas stepped aside to allow his lifemate entrance.

«Nicolas,» Mikhail stepped forward to clasp both his arms in the traditional greeting of respect and honor between warriors. «It is good to see you.» He didn't show the worry he had to be feeling that Nicolas De La Cruz had traveled personally from South America to bring him news. He understood that news couldn't be good or word would have been sent through the chain of Carpathians to their homeland.

«I bring greetings from Zacarias as well as my other brothers. I hope you and your woman are well.»

Mikhail nodded. «I sensed a disturbance earlier.»

Nicolas didn't change expression, nor did he look away. Of course Mikhail had sensed a disturbance. Nicolas had been close enough to turning that he had nearly taken his own lifemate's life. Fortunately, she had a knife and hadn't hesitated to use it. The blood was gone from Nicolas's shirt, but Mikhail wouldn't be easily fooled.

Nicolas turned to his lifemate. «Mikhail Dubrinsky is the prince of the Carpathian people,» Nicolas explained to her before turning back to his prince. «Mikhail, this isavio palafertiil .» He put unmistakable possession in his voice even as he rested his hand on the small of her back.

Mikhail bowed slightly from the waist. «I am pleased to meet your lifemate, Nicolas, but what is her name?»

«Her name?» For the first time Nicolas looked bewildered.

«She does have a name, doesn't she?» Mikhail asked, clearly amused.

Nicolas looked down at the bright burst of red-gold hair and those brilliant jeweled green eyes. «What is your name?»

«You tied us together and you don't even know my name,» she scoffed, trying to ignore the scent of tainted, rotted blood in the room. «You're absolutely crazy, you know that? It's Lara. Lara Calladine. And you?» Her heart was pounding too hard, knowing her life had changed forever. She couldn't think about it yet, keeping emotion light until she had time to assimilate what had happened and what she could do about it.

His slow smile nearly melted her on the spot, a distraction when the room felt «off» to her.

«Nicolas De La Cruz.»

«You're Carpathian.» She made it a statement, looking from one man to the other. «You both are.» It was difficult to be conversing when she found herself shivering with cold, a little disoriented and slightly sick.

«As are you,» Nicolas replied.

Lara shook her head. «Part, but not all.»

His eyebrow shot up. «You are of the Dragonseeker lineage. No one could ever mistake your features or your eyes for anything else.»

Her heart leapt. «Then you know my aunts? Have you news of them?»

Nicolas wanted to give her good news. The joy and hope on her face was astonishing. «I am sorry, palafertiil , I know only Dominic as full Dragonseeker. There are two females, Natalya, Vikirnoff's lifemate, as well as my brother's lifemate, Colby, who carry Dragonseeker blood. It is a great lineage and one of the most revered in our history.»

Lara looked to Mikhail. «Have you heard of my aunts?»

Mikhail shook his head. «I am sorry. I do not know which aunts you speak of. There are no full-blooded women in the Dragonseeker line. Rhiannon was the last and she is lost to us. How are you related?»

She opened her mouth and closed it abruptly. She was part mage. She knew the story of Rhiannon, the last daughter of the Dragonseeker lineage. She had been the lifemate of a great warrior who had been murdered by Xavier, the high mage. Xavier had kept Rhiannon prisoner and alive, forcing her to give birth to his children. The triplets Soren, Tatijana and Branislava were born of the unholy union. Soren had

escaped into the world and joined with a human woman. He had two children, Razvan and Natalya. Lara's father was Razvan. She was a direct descendent of the Carpathian's worst enemy, the man who had betrayed their trust and started a war that ultimately had led to the near extinction of mage and Carpathian alike. Her mother had been mage, so mage blood ran strong in her, along with the Dragonseeker blood.

Lara shifted her gaze to Terry, who lay on the bed moaning and rocking back and forth. She forced herself to look at him when she wanted to run. She had seen young mages who had been deliberately injected with the parasites rotting from the inside out. The scent of death was already oozing from his pores.

She cleared her throat. «Were you able to clear his blood of the parasites?»

Terry's body jerked and he focused on her face. «Lara. You're back. It hurts like hell. What do you mean parasites?»

«The right leg is easy enough,» Mikhail said out loud, «but the left is giving me a few problems.» He glanced toward Nicolas, using the common telepathic path used by the Carpathian people.She did not answer my question .

Lara stiffened. They were communicating on the path her aunts used with her. She had always thought that there had been a chance she made the aunts up. That the trauma of her childhood had produced a break and she had created an imaginary world for herself, but there was no way the prince and Nicolas could communicate on thatexact band.

She is not here to be interrogated. Nicolas's tone was mild, but he shifted subtly, placing his body between Lara and the prince.

A flicker of amusement showed in Mikhail's eyes and then was gone as he turned back to the writhing man on the bed.

«He pulled the snake head out before I could stop him. The snake's fangs are curved with barbs at the ends. I think the barbs carry the venom and when he ripped them loose, he allowed the poison to pour into his system.» She glanced toward Nicolas and used their private mental path.It seems a little rude to be discussing me when I'm standing right here, but thanks for sticking up for me .

Mikhail's head snapped around, his black eyes glittering. Lara drew in her breath. She hadn't spoken telepathically to anyone but the aunts in years and she'd been sloppy, allowing the channel of energy to spill over enough to warn Mikhail she was speaking with Nicolas. Annoyed with herself, she bit her lip hard, reminding herself to stay quiet and blend in. One could hide in plain sight if they were adept enough at it.

«Terry, don't worry, we'll be able to make you feel better,» Lara assured, still avoiding looking directly at him. She had to go to him at least and hold his hand. What sort of friend was she? She steeled herself, stiffening her spine.

The sight of him writhing in pain triggered memories of her childhood. Healthy, living blood smelled like life, sweet and flowing. Death brought a metallic tang. But tainted blood was rotting, putrid, the stench offensive and sickening. She couldn't get away from the smell, even with all the little tricks her aunts had taught her.

She made a move to get around Nicolas to go to the man on the bed, but Nicolas seemed to move with her, shifting almost imperceptibly. Lara didn't catch how he did it, but when she tried a second time, his solid mass continued to block her way.

«Mikhail and I will do what we can to heal your friend, but you need to stay back until we know what we are dealing with.»

Lara opened her mouth to protest, but closed it without speaking. His voice was low, so low she doubted if either Terry or Gerald caught what he said, but there was a tone there, one of complete command. He was enormously strong and she didn't know what powers he had, but she sensed danger. Now, in front of so many others, wasn't the time to test him or his resolve. It would mean pitting herself against him openly, and the aunts had drilled into her not to draw attention to herself. The few times she had done so in the past, she'd met with disastrous results. She let her breath out in a small hiss between her teeth. In the end, she might feel guilty for using the ready excuse, but the blood on the bed sickened her. She allowed Nicolas to dictate to her.

Nicolas kept his smile to himself. She thought she was hiding her displeasure, but her hair swirled with bands of color, red and blond streaks. The red came out when she was upset or angry and right now her hair was streaked with flame. The color of her eyes had gone from green to glacier blue, glittering like ice at him, but she said nothing, simply stepped back as if she was obedient and sweet.

He bent over the mutilated ankle. There was nothing sweet about his woman. She might hide her true nature from the others, but she was a little tigress with claws and fangs, ready to do battle when situations warranted. His life had gone from barren and gray to exciting in the blink of an eye. Her reaction to his high-handedness made him want to find something else to do to make her hair crackle and her eyes glow at him.

There were masses of parasites in Terry's system and Nicolas frowned as he focused on the clogged blood. He glanced at Mikhail.Have you ever seen anything like this before ?

Not to this extent. I have sent for Gregori. He is our greatest healer and is this man's only chance at survival intact.Mikhail glanced back at Lara, deliberately including her in the conversation.I am sorry. I know he is a friend of yours .

Lara's stomach knotted. She pressed a hand to it. This was her fault. She had taken Terry and Gerald with her to find the cave, because she hadn't thought it was real. She had begun to doubt herself. Somewhere deep inside, she had suspected the cave might really be there when she had first gone for a permit after studying the mountain's geology. There had been an excitement she couldn't suppress and she should have known she was on the right track. If she had believed in herself more she wouldn't have exposed her friends to such danger.Can you save him ?

It wasn't that Mikhail and Nicolas exchanged a look, both were bent over Terry's ankle, examining the wound, but she felt something pass between them. It wasn't words, not even on a private telepathic path, because Nicolas was keeping his mind open to hers.

Vapor poured through the open window, a steady stream of white mist filling the room. At once the air was electrified. Lara felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. She stepped back, away from the window toward the door. She shouldn't have worried, Nicolas was there immediately, inserting his body between her and the mist and for once, she wasn't offended. She wanted nothing to do with whatever was coming in through the open window.

Energy was something a mage learned to manipulate from birth. She had seen many young mages working on using whatever was available to them for simple or complex tasks. In the years of observing studies and experiments, she rarely had felt the amount of energy pouring into a room, and never had power been seeking another like a magnet and surrounding that one person as it was now. The vapor continued to stack into the shape of a large, transparent man, but the energy raced toward the prince, seeking him out, bathing him in large waves-giving him untold power.

Nicolas, Terry and Gerald didn't seem to notice anything at all. Maybe it was just that she'd always been sensitive to the presence of energy because, as a child, it had been her warning that she was about to be dragged from her chamber and her flesh torn, her blood consumed. She shivered, feeling queasy.

Pressing a hand to her rolling stomach, she backed away from the prince and the man shimmering with transparency. Her skin crawled. Her wrists burned. She felt the sensation of spiders crawling over her skin. Lara brushed them away, coming up against the wall. The temperature in the room dropped significantly and she couldn't stop shivering with cold.

The stranger swung around to look at her, his eyes slashing steel. «Dragonseeker,» he said aloud. «The blood runs strong in her.»

Bile rose. She choked, barely able to drag in enough air. The walls of the room undulated, curved, formed tunnels, thick and blue around her.

«Gregori, we do not have much time,» Mikhail said.

Fear became a monster, blossoming, growing, building inside her until she could barely see straight. She floor shifted under her feet. So much power. The scent of decayed blood so strong. The man on the bed was beyond screaming now, moaning continuously.

Gregori nodded, but those silver eyes continued to bore into Lara, shredding her guards, her very carefully placed shields, seeing right through her to reveal every one of her secrets.You have much power running through your veins .

Her body jerked, her mind flinching away from the invasion. Those light, piercing eyes. She had seen eyes that color on only one other person. Fear shook her. For one moment his face wavered, and she found herself staring at a different face, one all too familiar from her nightmares. Gasping, she whirled around, seeking a way out, but the cold ice walls were too thick to penetrate. She was trapped. Her wrist throbbed and burned.

Lara? What is it? Nicolas stepped toward her.

Stay out of my head! Not only did she reject the contact, she threw him out of her mind, slamming a barrier hard and fast, gathering the energy in the room around her like a protective cloak. Her hands rose, an automatic gesture of protection, weaving fast with astonishing expertise.

Wall of light. Shield of gold. Rise up now. Come forth, come hold. Protect using knowledge deep within, meant to protect and abate the sin. Let not the demons from the past, continue harvesting, let them fast.

Thunder roared, shaking the room. A solid wave of light and red-orange flames burst from the barrier of pure energy.

Look out! Nicolas called out the warning, throwing his body in front of Mikhail.

Gregori was already in motion, diving across the room to cover the prince.

Light banded and flashed in waves, bursting into bright rockets, hot flames a towering wall of red-orange, nearly blinding them. The men threw up their arms to shield their eyes. The wall of energy hit all three Carpathian males with the force of a freight train, tossing them as if they were no more than bits of flotsam on the waves of the raging sea.

Gregori and Nicolas took the brunt of the energy, both absorbing it rather than fighting, trying to shield the prince from most of the impact. Even as Nicolas was thrown backward, he was already shifting in midair, leaping to cover his lifemate should Gregori meet the attack on the prince with a death threat. He slammed into Lara hard, power clinging to him in ropes, lighting up the room as he flashed through the air. He drove her backward, taking her to the floor, his larger body blanketing hers.

She tried to roll, but he caught her wrists, preventing her from using her hands to weave spells, slamming her arms above her head and pinning her to the floor. «Lara, look at me.»

She went absolutely still beneath him, her eyes unfocused. Her body was ice cold, alarmingly so. Nicolas didn't hesitate. He thrust his mind into hers, following her along the path of her memories.

The smell of decayed blood was strong. The scent mingled with decomposition of rotting flesh. Then he heard the screams. Moans. The continual cry of someone in agony, not just physical, but tormented mental agony. Nicolas ventured down the ice-cold hallway. It opened to a large chamber. Overhead the ceiling was high and long columns reached from floor to ceiling. Splashes of red cut through blue and sprayed across the left wall where a man was chained to the floor. He was naked, convulsing, his eyes glowing with madness while tiny white parasites fed on his flesh. Nicolas recognized him as one of their bitterest enemies-Razvan, grandson of Xavier, the oldest and most powerful of all mages.

Chained beside Razvan was what was left of a woman lying motionless, her face set in rigid horror, her mouth open wide as if she'd died screaming. The parasites fed on her while Razvan desperately tried to beat them off of the body. His hands were bloody from pounding the ice. He looked up abruptly and Nicolas followed his tortured gaze to the tow-headed child with streaks of red in her hair huddled in the corner, her fist shoved in her mouth to keep from screaming. He was no judge of the ages of children, but to him the little girl appeared to be no more than three or four. The child's eyes were on the woman's face and she sobbed softly.

Momma.

Everything in Nicolas stilled. Deep down rage began and fought its way to the surface. He wanted to grab that child and rush her to safety, but all he could do was save the woman he was holding in real time. He caught Lara's face firmly in his. No child should ever have been subjected to such a thing.

«Avio siel, my soul, come back to me.» He whispered the command to her, burying a strong compulsion along with the order itself. «You are safe, Lara. I am your lifemate and I will always protect you to my last breath.»

Her cloudy, almost opaque gaze shifted to his face.

«Yes. Look at me. Focus on me. Let me lead you back.»

In the ice cave of her memories, he didn't wait for the child to respond to him. With exquisite tenderness he lifted her, covering her eyes, burying her little face against his chest, soothing her with his voice as he turned his back on that horrific scene and walked out.

Lara's long lashes fluttered. The wild, pale blue of her eyes darkened as she looked at him. She drew a breath. Nicolas eased back, pulling her into a sitting position. She looked around her, alarm creeping into her expression.

«Did I hurt anyone?» She ducked her head, refusing to meet his eyes.

«No one was hurt.» He kept his voice low and soft, reassuring even as he caught her chin with firm fingers and forced him to maintain eye contact. «No one here would ever harm you.»

Her heart beat too fast. He laid his palm over her breast, sending warmth into the glacier cold of her body and slowing her heart to match the even, steady beat of his. She struggled to draw breath into her lungs and he bent his dark head so their breath mingled until hers slowed to a more relaxed, effortless flow of air. Her gaze remained locked with his and he had the impression of tears, but none formed in her eyes.

«I will block the smell for you."Gregori, do not look directly at her, there is something about your eyes triggering a childhood memory . «You should have told me it was bothering you. As your lifemate, it is my duty to protect you from such things.»

«I'm a big girl, all grown up.»

She had felt him then, in her memories, carrying the child that was her from the ice cave. She had felt his comfort and now, even with her lower lip trembling slightly from fear, she didn't move away from his touch. He leaned forward and very gently brushed her mouth with his. He held her gaze for another long moment, his mind moving in hers, making certain the nightmare world of her childhood had receded enough to allow her some peace.

«Are you all right, Lara?» Mikhail asked.

His voice was as gentle as Nicolas's, she decided. He must think she was on the verge of a breakdown. And maybe she was. But Nicolas had blocked the smell of decayed blood and flesh, replacing it with the fresh scent of the forest. She even could feel a slight breeze on her face. Aside from total humiliation, she was fine. She steadfastly tried to avoid looking at the healer, but she knew, like the proverbial moth, she would be unable to help herself.

Lara took Nicolas's outstretched hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. «I'm fine, thank you. I hope no one was hurt.»

«If I were hurt, I'd get a new second.» Mikhail grinned at her. «Don't let him intimidate you. He practices that look every evening down by the lake.»

Before she could stop herself, her gaze traveled to Gregori. His silver eyes made her queasy, but she forced herself to look at him. «I'm not intimidated, but I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt anyone.»

«No one was hurt, little sister,» Gregori said, keeping his gaze on Terry. «If we are going to help your friend, we have to hurry.»

Lara's heart leapt. She had all but forgotten Terry and Gerald, who were witnessing her bizarre behavior as well as her abilities to use energy. She shouldn't have worried. Neither seemed to be paying attention. One of the three Carpathian males had blocked their senses and gave them false memories of what had happened.

She was very ashamed of her behavior in front of these men. She hadn't even taken care of her friends. Squaring her shoulders, she took a step toward the bed. The presence of the parasites had opened the floodgates of her childhood memories, none of which were pleasant.

«Guard the door,» Nicolas ordered, once more putting his solid mass between her and the bed. «We do not want the innkeeper or her husband to come into the room. It is too dangerous.»

She tried not to look relieved, nodding her head and stepping back to allow them room. She leaned one hip against the door and watched the healer at work. She had never witnessed a master healer performing his arts before and was fascinated by the complete concentration and efficiency he used. He shed his body without hesitation, leaving only pure healing energy in his wake.

Mikhail lit candles and the aromatic scents filled the air, aiding in the healing process. Gregori left his own body and entered Terry's, working to drive out the quickly multiplying hordes of parasites working to consume the young man's body.

It was amazing to watch the seemingly endless energy being sucked out of Gregori, draining him of all strength, even with the other two Carpathian males working with him. His face turned gray. He swayed with weariness and time passed with infinite slowness.

Outside the window, snow began to fall, first a few flakes, and then at a much steadier pace. The inn grew quiet as patrons went to bed. Gerald shifted position often, but stayed, holding Terry's shoulders and talking soothingly to him. Terry ceased moaning after an hour and by the second hour he was resting far more comfortably.

Gregori came back into his own body, staggering, sitting on the floor abruptly, pale and drawn. He shook his head.The parasites are multiplying as fast as I am destroying them. I am uncertain whether I can reduce the numbers fast enough to eventually get rid of them .

Mikhail casually tore at his wrist with his teeth and extended his arm. Lara's gaze was immediately riveted on Gregori's mouth as he placed it over the wound. Her stomach knotted. Thunder crashed in her ears.

I will work with you, Nicolas volunteered.

As will I, the prince added.

No! Both Carpathian males reacted violently.

You cannot, Mikhail, Gregori said.We cannot chance the tainted blood anywhere near you. The parasites sense your presence as it is. They swarm to whatever side is closest to you in the hopes of contaminating you .

We will need your blood to aid us, Nicolas added with a flick of his dark gaze toward Gregori.

Gregori sighed as he allowed Nicolas to pull him to his feet.He is not a baby, Nicolas. He's a grown

man who knows the Carpathian people cannot exist without him. If he is destroyed, our species will die out. As much as we want to believe someone else could take your place, Mikhail, you, as well as our enemies, know it is not true .

Not necessarily, Mikhail objected.Savannah carries my bloodline and she is carrying twins. Raven carries my son, although she is having problems again .

We cannot take chances. Lucian, Gabriel or Darius can easily take my place as your second, but there is no other male to fulfill your position. There was an edge to Gregori's voice.

It was evident to Lara that they had had this discussion many times. She found the conversation very interesting and it helped to take her mind off the ragged tear in Mikhail's wrist. He had swept his tongue across the wound, but she could still see teeth marks and faint smears of blood. Her stomach lurched and bile rose. Her body temperature dropped abruptly.

There is my brother, Jacques. Mikhail's voice had grown quiet, matching that edge to Gregori's voice.

Who still does not trust his mind without that of his lifemate. There can be no risk to you, Mikhail . Gregori flicked him a glare.Do not give me grief over this again, Pops .

Mikhail choked and took a step toward his second who just happened to be his daughters lifemate. Terry's face twisted into sudden malevolence and he flung himself at the prince, growling, spittle running down his chin. Gerald seized his shoulders in an effort to restrain him, but Terry was amazingly strong for someone so injured, fighting free and leaping with outstretched hands, already curved into claws at Mikhail's eyes.

Nicolas waved his hand at exactly the same moment Gregori did. Lara whispered a shielding spell, her hands weaving a complicated pattern. Terry slammed into an invisible barrier. Teeth rattling, eyes spinning in his head, he rammed his skull over and over into the shield protecting the prince.

Gerald staggered across the bed, trying to control him, but Terry punched at his face, still growling like a rabid animal. Gerald fell back across the bed and Terry resumed head-butting the invisible wall to get at the prince.

Lara reached for Terry's mind in an attempt to calm him. She touched his mind gently, in reassurance. At once a boiling ball of parasites reacted to her presence, twisting and thrashing in a frenzy of venomous need. One moment she was in Terry's head, the next she found herself thrown out, a hard male shove sending her careening out of Terry's brain.

She spun around to glare at Nicolas. She was beginning to recognize his touch. He didn't spare her a glance, his entire attention on controlling Terry. She glanced over at Gregori. The healer actually had Mikhail pressed against the wall, but the concentration on his face indicated he was with Nicolas, restraining Terry.

Terry lay back on the bed, eyes unfocused, but his body calm, no longer fighting. Lara let her breath out slowly. Gregori motioned to Mikhail to leave and Mikhail flicked one look at him. He wasn't going anywhere and it was evident on his face-in his eyes.

«Get to work,» Mikhail ordered.

Gregori shrugged his broad shoulders and once more, using pure healing energy, entered Terry's body.

«What's going on?» Gerald asked, scrambling off the bed and moving around the Carpathian healer toward Lara.

Nicolas glided, cutting off Gerald's route. «You have blood all over your shirt. You should go take a shower.»

«He's right, Gerald,» Lara agreed. «It isn't safe. Burn your clothes. Anything you were wearing today.»

Gerald halted, glanced at Terry, yanked the door open and hurried out to his room across the hall.

Lara leaned one hip against the wall and watched as Nicolas joined Gregori, the two of them working furiously, in tandem, to save Terry's life. And it was a struggle for his life-for his soul. The parasites were desperate to take him over, to possess his body and mind and turn him to their master's bidding.

The men worked nonstop, and time slipped away. Both grew paler until they were nearly gray in color and eventually sank onto the bed beside Terry. Mikhail once again calmly tore at his wrist and pressed his offering to Nicolas.

She tried not to look at the bright red blood. She tried not to see Nicolas holding the prince's arm, his fingers gripping as the life force flowed from Mikhail into him, yet she was mesmerized and couldn't look away.

Her wrist burned. Her lungs burned. She shivered, her body cold no matter how much she tried to restore and equalize her body's temperature. The walls around her curved and took on a bluish tinge. She sucked in her breath, trying to focus on the wall above the prince, but her gaze-and mind-were continually pulled back to the sight of the blood where it trickled down on his arm, smeared a little on Nicolas's fingers and dripped to the floor.

Her stomach lurched. Desperate, she locked on to Terry's face. That, too, was a mistake. She imagined the parasites swarming through his bloodstream to his every organ, launching a massive attack, fighting the healer and Nicolas for possession of him.

Sweat beaded on her forehead. Terry's face wavered, his boyish features changing, morphing until he was undeniably handsome, with blazing turquoise eyes and midnight black hair spilling across his forehead. The hair streaked with waves of silver. The eyes opened and locked with hers.

Her breath caught in her lungs. Agony there. Awareness. Impotent fury. Fear. So much fear the room filled with it. The walls bulged outward, unable to contain such terror.

Run. Run, Lara. Hide. She heard the sob in his voice, the overwhelming horror.

Nicolas found himself shivering with cold in an ice chamber. Chained to a wall, arms and chest burning from links coated with acidic vampire blood, Razvan fought to maintain possession of his own soul. Agony lived in his eyes and his black hair banded with platinum.

Lara. The voice whispered with love. With fear. With despair.Baby. Run. He is coming and I cannot protect you .

Nicolas felt terror rising, choking him. He swung his head to peer into the corner. The female child was older this time. Maybe four or five. She huddled against the wall, trembling, tears running down her face,

her heart beating so loudly he could hear it above his own steady rhythm.

Dragging footsteps came from behind. Nicolas turned and saw a hideous creature, part skeleton, part man coming toward them. Skin hung in places yet was drawn tight in others. All flesh was decayed and rotting. A few long strands of gray hair tufted from his bald head. A straggly beard hung to his chest, but vermin crawled in and out of the dank hair, moving continually. His nails were yellow and long, curving back on his gnarled hands. Rotted, black teeth flashed in a macabre, evil smirk. His eyes were alive in what was left of his face, a slashing light of glowing, silvery madness.

Fear escalated until Nicolas's own heartbeat began to change, hammering hard in anticipation. His lungs burned for air.

Nicolas! Mikhail's voice became a sharp command, demanding he return to the present. Peace, little sister. You are safe , the prince added, attempting to calm Lara.

Nicolas knew only one way of keeping Lara from her nightmarish memories, the flashbacks recurring with even sharper images in the confines of the room. He caught her up in strong arms, thrust his mind fully into hers, taking complete command. Dragonseeker ran strong in her veins and she certainly was capable of shifting with his help. He dissolved them both and took her out of the room, out of the inn and into the fresh clean air of the night.

Chapter 4

Lara stood in the center of a very warm chamber, deep beneath the earth. Water rushed from the walls of the cave into a deep, steaming pool. Sconces on the walls spilled light from scented, flickering candles, throwing shadows on the crystal walls. The breath left her lungs in a little rush and she spun around in a circle, fingers curling around the hilt of her knife in her belt at her side.

She moistened her lips and turned to confront Nicolas. «Exactly where am I and how did I get here?»

«Before you get all crazy on me and throw that knife you have in your hand,» Nicolas drawled, «you are not a prisoner. I left a path in your mind so you can find your way out anytime you need or want to go. This is the safest and most peaceful place I know of. Safeguards are in place for your protection. There is a bed in the next chamber where you can rest.»

She searched her memories and found the way out, carefully placed as if she'd actually entered the cave a thousand times and knew every chamber and hallway. «I have a room at the inn.» She didn't relax her grip on the knife.

«It is occupied with several men at the moment. I thought perhaps you would enjoy this retreat a little more.»

His black hair spilled across his forehead, drawing attention to his very black, eyes. The urge to sweep the silky strands aside was so strong she took a step away from him to keep from reaching out.

«That doesn't explain how I got here or why you didn't consult me.»

He shrugged powerful shoulders, causing an intriguing and very sexy rippling effect under his shirt. She tried not to stare.

«I carried you here. We shifted into mist so we could travel undetected and much faster.»

Lara nearly choked. «I don't shift.»

His eyes gleamed at her, amusement softening the edge of his mouth. «You shifted without even a hint of a problem. I thought you had been doing it every day.»

She flashed him her fiercest scowl. «Then why don't I remember?»

«Do you have memory lapses often? Is this something I should be aware of and watch out for?»

«Ha ha ha. You think you're really funny, don't you? I have never shifted in my life and certainly not into mist.» And she'd tried, a thousand times, over and over, until she finally believed she had made her childhood up.

«You know how. It is there in your mind.»

«It is?» For a moment she forgot she was annoyed with him. She didn't want to revisit memories locked away, to find out, but if she could shift, it would certainly be a useful talent. Her aunts were shifters. They had been trapped in dragon form, but that wasn't their natural form. She should have known they would have provided her with that skill as well as languages, healing and magic. «I didn't know.»

«Well, you certainly have the knowledge. You need help, of course, because you are not fully Carpathian, but that is easy enough. You have barriers in place. Protections. I found your own,» he said in a matter-of-fact way, but he was watching her closely. «But there are guards made by others. A male's touch. Two women. They did not want you to remember your childhood.»

The two women had to have been her aunts-but the man? Her father? She knew no other men. Why would her father put up a barrier to her earlier memories, but allow her to see him feeding off of her? Her stomach lurched and she turned away from Nicolas, unwilling for him to witness more weakness. She often had nightmares, but no one had ever been around to see the results. And the flashbacks-if that's what they were-she'd never seen Razvan chained and a prisoner before.

«I don't understand any of this.»

Why was she seeing Razvan as the victim instead of herself? Nothing seemed to make sense anymore, not even her own behavior. Now she couldn't explain why her aunts and someone else-someone she hadn't known had been in her head-didn't want her remembering her childhood.

«I can't imagine why they would erase my memories,» she murmured. She couldn't get the sight of the ravaged face of her father from her mind.

«Not erase, protect,» he clarified. «The memories are still there for you to discover.»

«Was it real? What we saw, was it real?»

He lifted a hand and the candles flickered. The aroma of soothing lavender, honey and lilac filled the chamber. He wanted to make her feel better, but one did not lie to a lifemate. «Your memories have been

suppressed, but not tampered with. They are very real.»

«You saw it then, the same memory I did?» Triggered by blood and parasites and those horrible silvery eyes. She ducked her head, letting her breath out in a little rush before inhaling the fragrance of the candles.

«Yes. I recognized the marks on him from the chains. My brother Riordan was captured and held by such chains. It is difficult to hold a Carpathian prisoner. I believe whoever is behind this has been perfecting his technique."And using your father to experiment on first .

Lara caught his thought before he censored it. She looked around for a place to sit. Immediately there was a low-slung chaise with soft cushions in front of her. She didn't question how it got there, but sank down onto it, fearing her legs wouldn't hold her up much longer.

«I don't understand this, Nicolas. If your brother had those same chain marks, was he Xavier's prisoner? Tell me about your brother.»

«We live in the rainforest in South America. It has been our home for many centuries now and our family is well established there. Riordan was on patrol as we seem to be getting more and more activity…»

«By activity, do you mean Xavier?»

He shook his head, noting that she kept rubbing her temples. He touched her mind to find a headache pounding there. «No, I mean vampires. The jaguar people share the Amazon with us, and the vampires have banded together to try to destroy the Carpathian people. They wanted to rid themselves of one of our allies, so they began corrupting the jaguar species. Riordan stumbled across evidence of their presence and, in tracking them, fell victim to a false call for aid.»

Nicolas moved behind her and reached out to press his fingertips against her temples. Lara stiffened and jerked her head away, eyeing him warily over her shoulder.

«Let me,» he said softly. «There is no need for you to be in pain.»

She held her breath, uncertain what to do, and that was rare for her. Nicolas kept her off balance with his close proximity. They seemed to share the same air. She felt him under her skin and every single cell in her body was acutely aware of him.

«It is a small thing, removing your headache.»

And it made her feel small and petty to deny him. She shrugged. «Tell me more about your brother.»

«He was held captive in a laboratory.»

«It is the same then. They were experimenting on him. Surely it isn't coincidence.»

«Mostly they experimented on animals, but once they had Riordan, they chained him to the wall, using chains coated in vampire blood, much as you remembered seeing Razvan chained. The blood burns like acid, burning without mercy. It is very painful. They kept Riordan drained of blood and weak with a poison injected into him.»

Lara frowned, almost grasping another memory, one of needles, but she let it slip away.

Nicolas pressed the pads of his fingers over the pulse throbbing in Lara's temples and held them there, infusing warmth and healing energy. He could feel her instant sympathetic and identifying reaction to his brothers captivity. «He is safe and very happy now,» he added. «His lifemate rescued him and brought hope to our family, a belief that if it happened to Riordan, if he could find his lifemate under the unlikeliest of circumstances, then perhaps the rest of us could as well. We managed to hold out longer than we ever thought possible.»

Because his family carried tremendous gifts, they also were burdened with a far more dangerous element. While all Carpathian males grew dark over time, especially those born warriors, the De La Cruz brothers were born with the darkness already strong in them. They had been consumed by it rapidly, glorying in the training, the battle and hunt and most of all the rush of the kill.

«How does that work?» Lara asked curiously. «The aunts said the seed of the vampire was in the Carpathian male.»

«That is one way to look at it. Certainly all Carpathian males are capable of choosing to give up their souls. We wander in barren worlds with only our memories and touching the minds of others who still feel and see the beauty of our surroundings. It is difficult to fight the need for emotion, any emotion.»

«Is my father a vampire?»

Nicolas was silent for a moment, his hands dropping to her shoulders to ease the tension from her with a massage. «We do not know what your father is. One moment we think he is dead, and then he pops back up somewhere. He has many faces and has committed numerous crimes against our people, but no one knows for certain what is happening in the enemy camp. You may be our greatest clue. You and your lost memories.»

«What do my memories mean? All this time I thought my father was a demon. He took my blood, ripped open my wrist, my neck, my veins. He treated me as if I was nothing but a meal for him. That's what I remember.»

«We do not know or understand the time line. Perhaps there was a time when both of you were prisoners together.»

«It doesn't make sense that my aunts would suppress my memories of him as a prisoner. What would be the purpose? And you said there was a male's weave in the barrier. I only know of my father and Xavier, but you would feel the taint of evil if either of them had woven a shield. What would be his purpose in leaving me only memories of him feeding on me? Why would they all want me to think my own father was the worst kind of monster?» Lara dropped her face into her hands.

Nicolas stayed behind her, as still as a cat, his hands continuing to massage the tension from her shoulders. «Perhaps the true memories are worse than believing your father was wholly a fiend.»

«You recognized him. Is he still alive?»

«We believe he is.»

«When was the last time you saw him?»

«He possessed the body of an elderly woman at the inn where you have a room. There was a

celebration of sorts and the lifemate of the prince's brother…»

Her breath hissed out in a rush between her teeth and she whirled around to face him. «Say her name. She has a name.»

He shrugged his shoulders, unperturbed by her annoyance. «Shea, Jacques Dubrinsky's lifemate, was with child. The elderly woman attacked with a poisoned, barbed needle and would have killed her had not my brother, Manolito, stepped in front of Shea to protect her. Fortunately he survived the attack.»

She made a small sound and turned away from him again, the soothing aroma of the lavender and honey unable to combat the news of her father's treachery. «Shea was pregnant and Razvan tried to murder her and her unborn child.»

«It appears so.»

She shook her head. «I'm so sorry. I didn't think beyond what he had done to me, but I should have.»

Nicolas moved, glided really, a blur she barely saw or felt until he was standing in front of her, lifting her chin with gentle fingers. «You are not responsible for anything Razvan has done. He carries his choices on his own shoulders.»

She managed a small smile. «Thank you for that. And what of my aunts? Do you know anything at all of them?»

«I am sorry, Lara, but I have heard no news of them being seen alive. If they are truly your aunts.»

«Great-aunts,» she corrected. «But I always called them my aunts.»

He smiled. «I did assume that. If they are your great-aunts, that would make them Rhiannon's daughters. We know Rhiannon had triplets with Xavier. Two girls-your aunts, and Soren, your grandfather. Soren was murdered by Xavier some years ago. No one has ever seen the girls. What do they look like?»

«I only saw them in dragon form. They were weak and sick. Xavier used them for blood, and kept them in a weakened state. He was very afraid of them. Often, if one was unfrozen, he would hold a knife to the other's throat. They saved my sanity, whispering to me when things got very bad, distracting me when I was used for feeding.»

«You are certain they were Rhiannon's children?»

«The love story they told me was of their mother, Rhiannon, and her true lifemate. Xavier murdered him and held Rhiannon prisoner, forcing her to have his children, triplets. He believed he could be immortal, living on the blood of the Carpathians. I'm certain the things they told me were true, at least they said they were.» She looked at him. «You were able to bind me with the ritual words. How would they know the Carpathian marriage ritual if they weren't Rhiannon's daughters?»

«Dominic, Rhiannon's brother, has sought news of her many years now. We were informed of her death at the hands of Xavier and he has been hoping to hear of his nieces. This news will sadden him.»

«They could still be alive,» she said. «It's possible. They helped me escape the ice cave, and maybe they managed as well. They were very powerful. Xavier kept them weak, but they were smart. They might have found a way. That's what I've come back to find out. I'm going to hunt for evidence of what

happened to them.»

Nicolas drew in his breath sharply. «The ice caves are too dangerous. The last visitors barely escaped with their lives. It is not a place you should enter.»

She kept her eyes on the water in the pool gently lapping at the ring of rocks. «Have you been down there?» She didn't much care one way or the other what he thought. She intended to go to the cave and find out for herself what had happened to her aunts.

«Not personally, but all Carpathians share knowledge. Vikirnoff and his woman fought shadow warriors, vampire and mages alike when they were there.»

She frowned and glanced up at him with a quick flick of her lashes. «His woman? Not that again. Does she have a name? Do women hold so low a place in your estimation that you can't be bothered to learn their names?»

He bent down, placing his lips against her ear. «I think you are trying to pick a fight with me because you are upset over the flashbacks you are experiencing. You have been in my mind enough to know I respect women, and would give my life to protect them.» He tugged on her long braid. «I have to see the prince and will get news of your friend. I also need to feed and you must as well. Stay here and relax. I will bring you food and something to drink and we can figure this out together.»

The feel of his warm breath against her ear, the mesmerizing brushing caress of his lips sent a shiver down her spine. Her breasts tingled, nipples tightening. She pressed her teeth together in a little snap.

«I do not want anything at all to do with blood.»

«I figured that out.» He straightened and moved away from her, gliding across the cave floor in that peculiar silence that reminded her of a stalking jungle cat. «Do you feel comfortable enough to stay here on your own, or will being underground trigger more flashbacks?»

She sent him her most fierce scowl. «I'm a caver. I explore caves all the time. I hadone small problem for just a moment seeing those disgusting little parasites. I'm fine now.Perfectly fine.» She deliberately took a slow look around. «It's quite beautiful here.»

It was, too. The walls were veined with minerals and crystals. Candles of all sizes were everywhere. The pool looked inviting. The air smelled fresh and soothing. Beyond the chamber she was in, she could see a bedroom of sorts set up quite like a room in an aboveground home. Clearly Nicolas had tried to provide a tranquil, safe place to rest.

«The safeguards are in place. They are the newest patterns to keep out enemies trained in our ways. You will be safe. If you have need of me, you have only to reach out,» Nicolas said. «I will hear you.»

«How is it possible we can communicate the way we do?» Lara asked curiously. «We aren't using the telepath common to all Carpathians. I thought that was established with a blood bond. You took my blood, but I didn't take yours.»

He was more than aware of that fact. Need roared in his ears, thundered through his heart, surged through his veins and pounded painfully in his groin in hot demand. He took a breath to keep his body relaxed, his mind calm when the primitive side of him wanted dominance. «You are my lifemate and I have bound us together. The rest will come in the right time.»

«And if it doesn't?»

He shrugged. «Then we do not survive this life and will go to the next to try again.»

She watched his large frame waver into transparency, and then fade away until he was nothing but mist streaming from the chamber. Only then did she realize she was holding her breath. She stood and stretched, trying to get her tight muscles to relax. She shouldn't be relieved to be here, she should be angry. Nicolas had taken her away from her friends without her consent, but if she was being honest, she couldn't breathe in that room. She couldn't think clearly there. She wasn't a strong enough healer to rid Terry of the parasites. Without her present, the Carpathians would call in more of their kind and Terry would have a better chance.

She sighed, knowing they would erase her friends' memories to keep them safe, but it was the only way. And maybe that was why her aunts had erased her memories, or at least sealed them up. She took off her clothes and folded them neatly, setting them on top of a flat rock before wading out into the hot mineral pool to ease the tension from her body. Water enveloped her thighs, chasing away the chill of bad memories.

Lara swam across the warm bubbling pool, aware of the instant relief of her headache and the terrible knots of tension in her neck. She sighed, lay back and closed her eyes.

* * *

Nicolas circled the forest with a lazy flap of his wings. He had shifted into the form of an owl, better to travel the distance faster. He still had much to do. It was imperative to speak with the prince and deliver the message he had traveled so far to bring. He took his time in the air. For the first time in hundreds of years, he enjoyed the incredible sensation of flying, rather than taking it for granted.

The feel of gently falling snow, the sway to the trees as the breeze whispered through them, even the scent of the crisp air, all brought joy to him as he spiraled down to the forest floor to the appointed meeting place. He had contacted the prince to insure Lara's human male friend was still alive and arranged a meeting with Mikhail while he was there. He had chosen the forest because the Carpathian Mountains had a special magic.

As he shifted, his boots sinking into the icy crystals and layers of vegetation beneath, he felt the instant connection to the earth. His species were of the earth, needing the richness of the soil for rest and rejuvenation. They felt a kinship with the plants and tall majestic trees. The animals and birds were brothers in nature and Nicolas drank his surroundings in, allowing himself to be overwhelmed emotionally by the ability to simply feel.

He waited in the comfort of the thick forest for Mikhail. He almost wished he'd had the meeting with the prince before his emotions had been restored. Overhead an owl settled onto a tree branch, wings fluttering before spreading out and swooping toward the ground. At the last moment, the owl shimmered and took the form of a man.

«You are pacing, Nicolas,» Mikhail said as he took the ground in a smooth stride. «That cannot be good.»

«I bring news, Mikhail, and no, it is not good. My brothers all send greetings and Zacarias has asked that I renew our family's pledge of loyalty and defense of you and our people.»

«That has never been questioned.»

Nicolas met the knowing black gaze of his prince straight on. «When your father ruled, and we were young and filled with arrogance and importance, we often sat around the campfires discussing options other than blindly following traditional Carpathian ways. My family and the Malinov family were close. We protected one another in battle and we shared memories as our time came and emotions faded. We spent a great deal of time together.»

Mikhail nodded, but remained silent-waiting-knowing that Nicolas rarely carried on conversations unless he had something important to say.

«The Malinov brothers had a sister, a bright, beautiful girl totally revered by all of us.»

«Ivory,» Mikhail said and instantly pulled up her image in his mind. Tall, slender, hair like black silk flowing to her waist. She had been beautiful inside and out. Wherever she went, she brought a fresh soothing breeze with her that could bring peace to the hearts of even the eldest warriors, the darkest hunters. Of course he remembered her. Poems had been sung about the legendary Ivory.

«Her parents died soon after her birth and our two families raised her together,» Nicolas continued. «Ten elder brothers, battle-hardened and stern. It must have been difficult for her, but she was always smiling and singing and making the world seem a cheerful place even as colors and emotions faded from our world. Ivory could restore a semblance of what was lost to us when we were in her company. But she wanted to study, to go to the school the mages provided. She was so bright and her mind demanded stimulation. Power hummed in her veins and she needed the knowledge to better use such a great gift.»

Mikhail knew the story, but didn't stop Nicolas, knowing instinctively he needed to retell it, to remember the small details that needed to be said, but more important, to give his news the only way he could.

«We believed Xavier was betraying the friendship of the Carpathian people. The debate raged among our people and we wanted our women to be protected. Vlad tried hard to keep peace when many of the ancients were becoming bothered by his increasingly erratic behavior. We could not stop the others from allowing their daughters and lifemates to study, but we refused Ivory unless we attended with her. And we were called to battle so she was left alone.»

Without protection. Nicolas didn't say it aloud, but the thought was there in his mind. Even now, hundreds of years later, he remembered that moment as if it was yesterday. Ivory, his sister-kin, the only relief from the stark barren existence, smiling at them bravely, tears in her eyes, yet warmth and love seeping into minds and hearts as she watched them go. She kept her fears to herself, leaving them all with what comfort and happy memories she could provide.

«I am telling you so you know our frame of mind, Mikhail, at the time this dark deed was done,» Nicolas said. «Not to offend you or place blame on your name. I know you gave the order to destroy your own brother when it was necessary. But in truth, Vlad should have given that order years before.»

A muscle ticked in Mikhail's jaw, but he said nothing, simply waiting.

Nicolas rubbed the bridge of his nose and met Mikhail's gaze. «Your brother was twisted and Vlad knew it. Your brother wanted Ivory, even knowing he wasn't her true lifemate. Your sister Noelle carried the same strain of madness.»

Mikhail nodded. He hadn't ordered his sister's death any more than his father had ordered his brother's-and Jacques had paid the price. «So much power running through our veins can corrupt and twist, Nicolas, just as in any other family.»

Nicolas nodded. «It is true. When we learned a vampire had killed Ivory, we searched for her body to attempt retrieving her from the shadow world, but we could not find her. We had lost the one bright light in our lives, and there was no relief from the madness of our existence. So late at night, around the campfire, we plotted how to bring down the Dubrinsky family and end the reign of a man who was no longer fit to lead. Our two families had discovered the ability to link and share power in the way the Daratrazanoff bloodline can do. At the time, we believed that because we could do as the Daratrazanoff line could, that there must be another family that could be the living vessel for our people.»

«A living vessel must be able to hold all knowledge and power-past and present-for our people. He links all Carpathians together telepathically as well as physically through his mind,» Mikhail said. «I know of no other family who can do this.»

Nicolas sighed. «It stood to reason if we could do as the Daratrazonoffs could that there would be another family that could hold power. We know your family carried madness, tainted with a need for control over the opposite sex, and we believed we could find another more worthy leader.»

«And you came up with a way to destroy us?» There was quiet acceptance in the prince's voice.

«Yes.» Nicolas said honestly, still unflinching. «With the Malinov brothers. And they are implementing that plan. We believe they have been doing so for hundreds of years. First as Carpathians and now, perhaps, as vampires.»

Mikhail paced a short distance from Nicolas and returned. «I will call in our hunters.»

Nicolas reached for Lara, found her floating peacefully in the pool chamber. He nodded. «I think we have no choice.»

Warriors, heed the call to council. Mikhail sent the call immediately.

The two Carpathians exchanged a long look, took two running steps and leapt airborne, shifting into the bodies of owls, racing across the snow-laden clouds to the ancient cave of council. The two predatory birds dipped wings as they flew threw the entrance and raced down the long corridor to the council chamber.

Nicolas hadn't been in the cave for centuries but it still gave him the same sense of pride, honor and camaraderie as it had in days of old. The sacred council chamber was large, rounded, with a narrow, natural chimney in the center. Script on the wall was in the ancient language, the code of the warrior, the one he had lived by throughout the centuries. Honor. Mercy. Integrity. Loyalty. Deadly purpose. Their code-their way of life.

The walls of the cave were a deep midnight blue, almost like the darkest sky, great stalagmites rising from the floor in a semicircle, tall, nearly shooting up to the high ceiling where stalactites grew in downward spirals, each glistening with sparkling deposits of colored minerals. Crystals in various geometrical shapes erupted from walls and covered the floors in giant prisms. The interior blasted them with heat from the magma chambers beneath them, forcing the Carpathians to regulate their temperature.

At one time, the cavern had been flooded with hydrothermal water, rich in minerals, leaving the deposits

behind, until great, glowing crystals had formed. The crystals aided the warriors in focusing clearly on the coming battles, strategies and solving problems as well as the daily rigorous mental and physical training all Carpathian warriors were sworn to continue.

The first chamber opened into a second one, much smaller, completely enclosed and ringed inside with lava rocks. Purifying steam curled from the inside of the second chamber, beckoning to them.

Many single males crowded the cavern, dark, tall, eyes cold and distant. With his new emotions, Nicolas felt despair for them. Warriors without hope, who lived on honor only, battling not only the vampire but-worse-the call of the vampire. He took a breath and let the cave work magic on him.

Nicolas stood in the center of the crystalline cavern, in the place so many legendary warriors had stood before him. «It will be difficult to face my brother-kin when shame hangs over our family name for the first time.»

Mikhail shot him a look of exasperation. «It is a little arrogant to feel shame for things that happened hundreds of years ago, Nicolas, as if you are the only ones to ever make a mistake. You and your brothers have proven your loyalty over and over. Manolito saved my life and then the life of Shea and her unborn child. Should I hang my head in shame for all the errors in judgment I have made over the centuries? If I did, I would never see the sky.»

Nicolas shrugged, a small humorless smile flitting across his face. «We came up with a plan to overthrow your father, a way to bring down the reign of the Dubrinsky family. Mikhail, the things we planned were idle, angry talk to begin with, but when we sat around that campflre and fleshed out the details of a long-term battle plan, we committed treason against you and our people. There is shame in that.»

Mikhail frowned. «If you had destroyed the Dubrinsky line, who did you believe would carry the power and knowledge of our people?»

«As we are able to perform the duties of the Daratrazanoff family we were certain there had to be another family and we intended to search them out. Of course, later we abandoned the plan, so no one ever approached any of the other lines to see if they could be a living vessel.»

«And did you suspect any other lineage of being capable?»

«You sound as if you would step down immediately.»

«In a heartbeat,» Mikhail said and then sighed, shaking his head. «There is no one right way, Nicolas, and just because my family's line must bear the leadership does not mean we have all the answers. I am as fallible as any Carpathian. Every time we lose a child. Each time one of our women miscarries or a child dies. I consider it my failure and my shame that I have not found the answer to our dying race. I sit protected in my home while my warriors go out to battle evil, losing pieces of themselves along the way. Good men, better than I, stand between me and danger at every turn. Would I step aside and allow another to lead? In a heartbeat-especially if they were smarter than I.»

Nicolas shook his head. «We were wrong, Mikhail, as you are now to think that way.»

Mikhail sent him a small, twisted smile. «I thought to end my life. Before Raven, before I found my lifemate, I thought to end my life so I would not have to see the complete extinction of our species. You and the other warriors who served my father are far older, have hunted longer, endured longer, yet I could not continue under the weight of my failures. Was that not far worse? Was that not an act of

cowardice?»

Nicolas shook his head. «I believe it was an act of desperation. I walked the streets this very night intending to meet the dawn, yet I did not trust myself to make it one last night. It is the way of our people, Mikhail. Every hunter faces that moment, yet we do not have the added burden of an entire species resting on our shoulders.»

Mikhail clapped him on the shoulder. «We are flawed men, my old friend. Every last one of us. We sin and our women redeem us.»

Nicolas answered with a wry grin. «That is the truth.»

«Tell me of your lifemate. Where did she come from? The Dragonseeker blood runs strong in her.»

Nicolas's white teeth flashed in a real smile, one that lit his eyes. «She is the daughter of Razvan, and she is amazing. I cannot even begin to describe the way I feel inside. I barely know her, but I want to spend every moment with her. She just came out of nowhere at the perfect moment and saved my life, my sanity and my soul. I look around and I don't know how I survived all these centuries without her. The world is alive again for me. I had forgotten the beauty of nature. In truth, I had forgotten what it feels like to truly love my brothers.»

Mikhail let out his breath. «Another child with Dragonseeker blood is most welcome. As for the joy of lifemates, I have had Raven in my life for many years now, and yet each time I awaken from the earth, I am overwhelmed anew by the gifts she has given me.»

Nicolas cleared his throat. «I am uncertain that my lifemate sees a reason to be with me.»

«There is no reason for our women to be with us other than the way we are able to bind them. They are light to our darkness and the darker our souls, the stronger the woman must be. Guard your lifemate well, Nicolas. She is a treasure beyond price.»

Nicolas turned Mikhail's words over in his mind. There was no reason for their women to accept them other than the binding words that locked their souls together. His hold on Lara was fragile at best. He needed time to establish his bond, to form some sort of trust between them, although truthfully, he felt she should follow his lead without question.

He glanced around him, feeling the subtly flowing influence, the focus of the crystals, the energy of the cavern with the magma flowing far beneath it and the snow gathering a thousand feet above. Nicolas spread his arms wide. «And this place of power. I had forgotten the beauty of this cave. And the clarity one has when in it.»

Mikhail nodded. «There is no other place on earth quite like this. Ice and fire meet as one. Passion and control. The earth always holds the answers for our species.» He looked around him at the wondrous display of nature. «Hopefully we will come closer to finding answers this night.»

Chapter 5

As Mikhail spoke the Daratrazanoff brothers arrived. Four of them. All tall with striking looks, flowing black hair held back with leather ties. Faces cut from the same classic mold. Wide shoulders, broad chests, narrow hips, a warrior's straight posture and easy, fluid movements.

Darius, the youngest brother, every bit as battle-experienced as the eldest. Intelligent, cunning, able to do the impossible. He had the black eyes of the Carpathian race, and the grim mouth that came with too much knowledge of death. Beside him were Lucian and Gabriel, legendary twins who had hunted and battled for the Carpathian people. Gabriel flashed a smile of greeting as he clasped arms with Nicolas. Lucian and Darius remained expressionless, although their eyes held genuine warmth when they greeted their prince.

The very petite woman beneath Lucian's shoulder was his lifemate, Jaxon. Pixie face, short platinum hair, dark shrewd eyes, she had been a cop, maybe even still was, but now hunted the vampire alongside her lifemate. Nicolas disagreed violently with the modern idea that women-even trained women with the ability to fight-should ever be allowed to place themselves in danger, but Jaxon wasn't his woman. She belonged to Lucian, their most legendary warrior, and yet he allowed her to fight beside him. Perhaps it was sheer arrogance on the warrior's part, a confidence that he could protect his lifemate no matter what, but Nicolas felt she should be kept far away from the vile creature that was the undead.

Women were to be protected and cherished, not put at risk on a battlefield. A hunter couldn't be worried about protecting a lifemate when he battled the vampire. In ancient times, most lifemated pairs ceased hunting altogether rather than risking death for both. It was one of the main bones of contention between the De La Cruz and Manilov brothers and Vladimir Dubrinsky. Even then, their birthrates had been declining. None of them had believed the women should be allowed to fight when they didn't have the edge the males had. Not strength-but darkness itself.

Nicolas hid his true feelings behind a calm mask as he greeted the fourth Daratrazanoff, Gregori. Second in command to Mikhail, the man was without mercy when it came to enemies of the prince. He was a ferocious guardian, yet was known far and wide as the Carpathian's most gifted healer. Instead of the glittering obsidian eyes of his brothers, his were slashing silver, eyes that weighed and judged a man. He looked fit and healthy, not at all pale from fighting to save a human from parasites.

«Thank you for what you did this night for Lara's friend,» Nicolas said. «How is he doing?»

A frown flitted across Gregori's face and was gone, a huge show of emotion for him. «I did my best to rid his body of the parasites, but how much damage they did, I cannot say. I am hoping for a full recovery, but not expecting it. His friend is staying with him and Slavica, the owner of the inn, will check on him periodically. Should he have need, she will call.» Gregori looked around the cave, warmth creeping into his pale eyes. «It is long since I have come to this place-too long.»

His brothers nodded their agreement.

New arrivals forestalled further conversation as Jacques Dubrinsky, the prince's brother, entered. He had midnight black hair, black eyes, a thin white scar circling his throat, another on his jaw and cheek and it was said a jagged rounded scar on his chest. Carpathians rarely scarred, which meant the wounds dealt him must have been fearsome indeed. He had been a victim of torture that had nearly driven him insane. Even now, he stayed mostly to himself.

Nicolas stepped forward to greet him, clasping arms.

«Bur tule ekamet kuntamak,» Jacques said. «Well met, brother. It has been a long time since I have

seen you. How is Manolito?»

«Manolito is very well and has found his lifemate. Her name is Mary-Ann Delaney. I believe you know her. And your woman? And the child?»

«Shea is doing fine and we are having the naming ceremony in a few days. Our son grows strong.»

«That is good news,» Nicolas said. «The best of news for all of us.»

The flutter of wings heralded two more Carpathians. Vikirnoff Von Shrieder and his lifemate, Natalya, shifted together. Nicolas clasped Vikirnoff's arms, a little taken aback that Natalya had answered the summons to the warrior's counsel. It had not occurred to him that Vikirnoff, an ancient warrior of tremendous prowess, would allow his woman to place herself in harm's way.

He glanced at her. The woman had bright red hair and eyes that changed from brilliant green to blue. She had the mark of the Dragonseeker stamped all over her, the classic looks, the brightness illuminating her skin, the bands of color in her hair. She was known to be a fighter-and also the sister of Razvan, Lara's father. He stepped away from Vikirnoff, afraid he would be unable to maintain silence on the subject of women fighting when Natalya would be such a prize to Xavier should she be captured.

Nicolas shook his head and then caught Gregori watching him with his piercing silver gaze. He knew exactly what Nicolas was thinking.

«And I agree,» Gregori said, as he walked past Nicolas to position himself beside Mikhail.

«Agree with what?» Mikhail asked, turning away from where he'd been talking with Darius. «And with whom? It is not all that often you agree with anything.»

«I think one of the topics we need to place under discussion is the welfare of our women and children– allof them-including the women who believe they have the need to fight vampires.»

Mikhail bared white teeth. «O jela peje terad. Sun scorch you, Gregori, you are not getting me in trouble with my lifemate and daughter. I am not doing your dirty work for you…» He included Nicolas in his glare. «Either of you.»

Gregori shrugged. «Swear all you want, it is an issue you have to face.»

«Me? Oh no, you don't. I refuse to take all the heat on this. If we are getting into it, all of you are voicing your opinions loud and clear. The women would rise up like my worst nightmare.»

«I am serious,» Gregori insisted. «If we are going to bring in the full counsel, then we should address all issues.»

Mikhail nodded his head. «I know it must be discussed, Gregori, but you and I both know the old ways are long gone. Even then we had a few women warriors.»

«Not lifemates,» Nicolas interjected. «Never women who could bear us children, or that when lost would take their mate with them.»

Mikhail shrugged. «In the old days very few lifemates were warriors. Times are different. Our species is on the brink of extinction.»

«All the more reason to protect the few women we have,» Nicolas said. «Sometimes old ways are good, Mikhail. Our women did not take up arms just to show they could.»

«These women did not start out as Carpathians. Our specieslooks human and when we bind a human woman to us, although she is converted by blood, she thinks like a human. Through the centuries human women have had to fight for their rights…»

«That is a weak argument,» Gregori broke in. «What do we do here in this chamber? We swear our loyalty to our people. We swear to serve them, whatever the sacrifice calls for. Our lifemates have never done that. They do not understand that in order to save our species from extinction, they must sacrifice, too. We have a handful of couples, less than thirty, Mikhail. Our children do not mature for a good fifty years. Do you really believe that we can afford to lose one woman? One pair?»

«No, but I also know that we are in a war with enemies surrounding us from all sides. We cannot afford to be divided either.»

«We are not divided,» Gregori said. «No man wants his woman fighting.»

Mikhail shook his head, a slow smile touching his mouth. «So you think we should tell our women to be quiet and let us make decisions for them? It is not the men who will be divided, it is our women. From us. Free will. Have you forgotten that small little detail? We take that away when we bind them to us, do we continue to do so after they are our lifemates? I suppose we can reduce them to little more than puppets who do our bidding at our will. But I know both Raven and Savannah would walk into the sun before submitting to such enslavement.»

«O jela peje terad. Sun scorch you, Mikhail,» Gregori growled. «You have become modern and liberal in your old age.»

Nicolas turned away from the prince as another couple entered. Nicolae, Vikirnoff's brother, with his lifemate, Destiny, hurried in. Nicolas wanted to get a good look at the woman who had been captured by a vampire when she was just a young child. She had endured the torture of a vampires blood, riddled with cell-eating parasites, for years. Medium height, very curvy, with sculpted muscle, thick dark hair and enormous blue-green eyes, she flowed with grace and the fluid step of a trained fighter. He noted her eyes were restless, moving around the cavern, taking in every detail, noting exits and entrances, the chimney and labyrinth of tunnels.

Destiny was best friends with Manolito's lifemate, MaryAnn. She saw each person in the room, sizing them up, her gaze resting on him just a little longer. Nicolae, her lifemate, was very tuned to her, Nicolas noted with approval, placing himself between her and the men without lifemates in the room. Like most Carpathian males, Nicolae was tall and muscular with long black hair and cool dark eyes.

«You are Nicolas, brother to Manolito.» Destiny greeted, moving toward him, forcing her lifemate to keep pace in order to protect her.

It was a classic mistake women made, forgetting that anyone could be a danger, even here, in this sacred place of power. Nicolas sighed and shook his head. His woman would learn her place and every security measure he could think of for her.

«How is MaryAnn?» Destiny asked.

«She is happy,» Nicolas answered. «I have news to share, but want to wait until we have all gathered. I brought you a letter from MaryAnn.» He slipped his hand inside his shirt.

Destiny's eyes narrowed, became cool and watchful. She shifted slightly onto the balls of her feet, turning just slightly, a subtle movement that put her in a good position to defend herself and attack if necessary. As if choreographed, her partner shifted at the same time, a few steps between them, giving plenty of room. This was a fighting team. Even Nicolas, for all his absolute opinions on the subject of women hunting vampires, could see they were in perfect sync. It still didn't make it right.

He took the letter from inside his shirt and handed it to Nicolae as a courtesy. One warrior to another. Nicolae turned the envelope over in his hand, obviously scanning it before handing it to his lifemate.

«Thank you,» Destiny said to Nicolas. «I appreciate you bringing this to me personally.»

At first he thought she meant to be sarcastic because he had handed the letter to her lifemate, but then he realized the couple really was in perfect harmony. She didn't seem annoyed by his protection, but rather accepted it as her due.

Another Carpathian male arrived. The first was Dominic, of the Dragonseeker clan, great-uncle of Razvan and great-great-uncle to Lara, although Carpathians rarely made a distinction. As Lara referred to the aunts she, would refer to Dominic as «uncle.»

Nicolas studied his stern face. The Dragonseekers were one of the most powerful lineages in all of the Carpathian community. He was tall with broad shoulders and metallic green eyes, a legacy of his clan, eyes of seers, changing color with mood or in battle. In the last battle to save Mikhail and the Carpathian race, he had suffered severe burns across his shoulder, down one arm, up his neck to one side of his face. The scars were there if one looked closely, faint evidence of the horrific charring of his flesh. Strangely, the scars added to his aura of danger. His green gaze took in everything, then settled on Natalya for a brief moment.

Dominic strode over to Mikhail. Gregori moved to intercept, reminding Nicolas that Dominic was one of the ancients who had not sworn his allegiance to Mikhail. He had served Vlad in the old days, but had only returned recently. He had fought beside the prince, even offering his life to save him, but there had been no sworn blood oath. Jacques moved into position on the other side of his brother to insure protection. Nicolas found himself moving into fighting range just in case. No one could afford to take chances with the prince's life anymore than they could with their women.

Dominic bowed slightly. «En jutta felet es ekamet. I greet a friend and brother,» he said as he clasped Mikhail's forearms.

«Veri olen piros. Blood be red, Dominic,» Mikhail returned formally, the greeting literal, meaning he hoped Dominic would soon see in color.

Dominic's shoulder shrug was eloquent. He had not found his lifemate in all the centuries of his existence and he wasn't holding his breath.

Julian Savage, a tall, heavily muscled, unusually blond Carpathian with golden eyes strode in with Barack, another male at his side. «I bring regrets from my brother, Aidan,» Julian greeted. «He and Alexandria have returned to the United States. He would have come had he been within hailing distance. Dayan is on the way. He is checking the skies for the taint of the undead.»

Falcon came next, with two tall, unknown Carpathians at his side. One looked familiar, an ancient Nicolas was certain he had come into contact with other the years, and the other completely unknown to him. He had spent a great deal of his time in South America, away from his homeland and out of touch with the Carpathian people. Excitement surged in him at the thought of being among the great men of his time, once again standing solidly shoulder to shoulder as they had in the old days.

Dayan, guitar player for the Dark Troubadours and father of one of the few female children, arrived with Traian and his lifemate, Joie. Nicolas crossed his arms over his chest, biting back his disapproval. He saw some of the others glance at the women and shake their heads. He wasn't alone in his belief that the lifemates of the women should take charge and insist on safety before anything else.

Others arrived, some in pairs, some alone. Nicolas recognized a few of the men, but most were strangers to him. The Carpathian Mountains were no longer his home, although his homeland spoke to him, the soil rich and inviting. And he had missed this sacred place and the call of brothers to council.

The last to arrive was a tall man with a face that could have been carved in stone. He entered quietly and stood a little apart from the others. Nicolas recognized the signs of aloofness, a man who had seen countless battles and knew many were to come. A man without a lifemate, driven by the madness of the dark spreading across his soul. He was Dimitri, guardian of the wolves, and he stood straight and looked other warriors in the eye, but he stood alone.

The Carpathians gathered into a loose circle. Gregori waved his hand to light the candles placed along the curved walls of the chamber. Instantly the giant crystals burst into life, radiating muted colors. This was the one sacred place a hardened warrior could go, one who skated the edge of madness, and still feel a semblance of peace. Perhaps it was the hallucinations close proximity to the crystals combined with the intense heat produced, but once the candles were lit and the hallowed rituals begun, the hunters close to succumbing to darkness were revitalized for a short time.

Some warriors claimed the barren gray world was more difficult to endure after the brief reprieve, but Nicolas had always found the warriors' cavern a world of comfort that made sense in the craziness they lived. In long centuries that often ran together, the rituals were comforting, the old, traditional ways reassuring.

«We have much to discuss,» Mikhail said. «Thank you all for coming. Nicolas has brought us news that will help us understand the mindset of our enemies.»

The heat of the cave seeped under Nicolas's skin, in spite of his ability to regulate his temperature. Already he felt the crystals working on him, healing the small wounds in his body, providing clarity to his mind. Everything became sharper, much more focused, and the feeling of camaraderie deepened, so that he wanted to hear each warrior's opinion and could listen with an open mind to all views.

Mikhail moved to the center of the crystal circle, standing beside a large bloodred column of crystal minerals. Rising from the floor nearly to Mikhail's shoulder, it was one of the smallest in the room, but came to a point as sharp as a razor. He held his hand over the point of the crystal and the room grew instantly quiet, the Carpathians almost breathless in anticipation. When he spoke, he used the ancient language of his ancestors, the language still spoken by all their people.

«Blood of our fathers-blood of our brothers-we seek your wisdom, your experience and your counsel. Join with your brother-warriors and lend us your guidance through the blood bond. We pledge to our people, our unwavering loyalty, resolve in the face of adversity, swift and deadly retribution, compassion for those in need, strength and endurance through the centuries and above all, we will live

with honor. Our blood connects us.»

Mikhail dropped his palm over the point of the crystal and it cut through his flesh easily. Rich, red blood immediately coated the top of the column. «Our blood mingles and calls to you. Heed our summons and join with us now.»

As the blood of the prince mingled with that of the warriors who had gone before, the crystals were illuminated, throwing off lights and color like the aurora-swirling reds lit the room, emerald green banded in waves across the wall. The ever-changing spectacle pulsed with life, recognizing the prince of the Carpathian people.

A low murmur rose into a strong chant as the gathered Carpathians began their age-old ritual. «Veri isaakank-veri ekaakank. Veri olen elid. Andak veri-elidet Karpatiiakank, es wake-sarna ku meke arwa-arvo, irgalom, han ku agba, es wake kutni, ku manaak verival. Veri isaakank-veri ekaakank. Verink sokta; verink ka?a terad. Akasz enak ku ka?a es juttasz kuntatak it. Blood of our fathers-blood of our brothers. Blood is life. We offer that life to our people with a blood-sworn vow of honor, mercy, integrity and endurance. Blood of our fathers-blood of our brothers. Our blood mingles and calls to you. Heed our summons and join with us now.»

Gregori stepped in front of Mikhail and dropped to one knee. «I offer my life for our people. I pledge my loyalty to them through our blood bond.» He dropped his hand on the crystal point, allowed the precious gift to mingle with Mikhail's blood, with the blood of every ancestor who had gone before. Then he offered his hand to Mikhail.

«As vessel of our people, I accept your sacrifice.» Mikhail solemnly answered the pledge, taking the blood offered so that he could always find Gregori wherever he might be, any time, any place. It made the hunter vulnerable. Should he choose to give up his soul and turn vampire, he could be more easily tracked. Many chose not to participate, knowing the consequences. Gregori had often urged Mikhail to make the ritual mandatory, but Mikhail believed in free will.

Gregori rose and Lucian came forward to take his place, placing his hand over the crystal, mingling blood with that of his ancestors and kneeling before the prince to swear his allegiance and give his blood to the prince as a symbol of his vulnerability.

Nicolas held his breath as Jaxon, Lucian's lifemate, followed him to the pillar. This was a warrior's most sacred ritual. Of the three female hunters, she was the least experienced. If the crystal rejected her, his argument to keep the women protected would be much stronger.

The cathedral-like chamber filled with the sound of male voices. The music of the crystals harmonized with the chant, producing a strong and haunting melody. Steam swirled as Jaxon approached the dark red column. She looked small and fragile beside the centurys-old crystal's wide circumference. Without hesitation, she dropped her palm over the sharpened point. The hum of the crystals changed subtly, but continued as strong as ever, simply adding in a softer, more feminine note. As Jaxon knelt in front of Mikhail to swear her allegiance, her skin took on a luminous glow.

Nicolas stepped up next. He had performed this ritual many times in the past, but his memories had dimmed over the centuries, leaving him unprepared for the magnitude of feelings pouring into him. The moment his blood mingled with that of his ancestors, his soul called to the soul of the warriors who had gone before-and they answered, filling him with strength, clearing his mind so that every detail was clear and vivid.

His heart beat with a different rhythm, he heard the ebb and flow of blood running through veins like the endless steady ebb and flow of the tide. He felt the energy the crystals generated for healing, for clarity. Beneath the forest of crystals, hundreds of feet below the chamber, he felt the pool of rich magma feeding the heat into the cavern. The heat and fire fed the needs of his body, heightening his hunger for his lifemate. The ancient warriors murmured to him in the language of his people.Elasz jelabam ainaak. Kulkesz arwa-arvoval, ekam. Arwa-arvo olen g?idnod, ekam . Long may you live in the light. Walk with honor, my brother. Honor guide you, my brother. The voices continued, encouraging him to walk on the path of the warrior as they had done before him.

Mikhail took his blood and he felt the instant connection to the Carpathian people, men and women alike, the unity of strength and purpose. Nicolas went back to his place in the loose circle, feeling strengthened, and much more bonded with the other Carpathians than he ever had.

One by one, the warriors and the remaining women followed suit until only one warrior remained.

Gregori looked past his prince, to the man left standing, arms folded, back to the wall, near the entrance. His silver eyes met Dominic Dragonseeker's metallic green in challenge. A hush fell in the cavern. The hum of the crystals became louder, more insistent as if calling to the last warrior.

«No man should be forced to swear allegiance, Gregori,» Mikhail reprimanded softly. «Dominic, you have always served our people with your loyalty. No one, least of all me, questions your honor. It is enough that you swore a blood oath to my father.»

Before Gregori could reply, Dominic shook his head, his steps measured and steady as he walked forward. «These are difficult times and one cannot tell friend from enemy. Gregori would not be worthy of his position if he did not guard you well. These years I have sought my lost sister, but I know that she is dead, long gone from this world and I cannot save her, nor would she want me to call her back from the shadow world. At last she is with her lifemate and by the moon, I hope she is at peace. It is time to once again embrace my duties to our people.»

He dropped his hand over the crystal and blood swirled a deep red in the midst of so many other shades. The aurora filling the chamber changed color as well. Steam swirled and some of the giant crystals glowed a soft white light, as if the moon itself had entered the cavern and shown brightly above Dominic in appreciation. «I offer my life for our people. I pledge my loyalty to them through our blood bond.» He offered his hand to Mikhail.

Mikhail took the offering, ingesting the blood. «As vessel of our people, I accept your sacrifice.»

Dominic stood. «Someone must go into the camp of our enemies and find out what they plan next. Our women and children are at risk and we cannot ignore the fact that we have fewer than thirty women to rebuild our race. Our women must accept their responsibility to our people.» His gaze rested on Natalya and then flicked to each of the women in the chamber. «They cannot place their precious lives in more danger just for the sake of doing so. I am volunteering to go to the camp of the enemy and gather information.»

Mikhail shook his head. «They know who is with them through a blood bond. The parasites they inject into their systems call to one another. We found that out from Destiny.»

«Gregori has the blood and I can ingest it.»

Destiny gasped, one slim hand circling her throat. «You cannot. It eats at you every waking moment.»

«You have no protection,» Gregori added. «You have walked a darkened path for too many centuries and the parasites would eventually push you beyond your endurance. With no lifemate to guide you back, it would be suicide-more than that, you would mostly likely succumb to the call of the undead.»

«That is why I want you, your brothers, Nicolas and Dimitri to take my blood. I believe, with the Dragonseeker heritage, I have more of a chance to last longer, perhaps even a year, before I succumb. If I cannot walk into the sun, then there will be six of our most experienced hunters able to track me.»

Mikhail shook his head. «We cannot afford the loss of your bloodline, Dominic.»

«You have Natalya and Colby. Possibly young Skyler. And now this new young woman, Lara, who is lifemate to Nicolas. The Dragonseeker line will continue. I have not found my lifemate in all these centuries and I have grown weary. Allow me to give this last service to our people. I will do my best to walk with honor and go into the sun before it is necessary to hunt me, but if not, the preparations will already have been made. I will allow these hunters access to my memories so they are fully aware of how I function as a fighter. Hopefully that will give them an edge.»

The protest swept through the chamber. The crystals hummed louder and gave off a multitude of colors. Mikhail rested his hand on the bloodred column. He drew in a deep breath and let it out.

«Perhaps we should shelve this discussion until we have heard what Nicolas has to say.»

«Forgive me, Mikhail, but you cannot allow me to hear anything Nicolas or anyone else has to say. If I go, I cannot know your plans. I cannot hear one word of strategy. We are in a war and the very existence of our species is at stake. The choices here will be difficult.» His gaze sought out and rested on the three women-Natalya, Jaxon and Destiny. «Difficult for all of us. We have to make sacrifices and know what is the best use of every resource we have available to us. The choices are not easy, nor will they be popular, but they have to be made. I am expendable. I have the blood that will fight against the call of darkness the longest. My lineage was not given the burden of other bloodlines.» His gaze flicked briefly to Nicolas and gave him a warriors slight bow of respect.

Nicolas shook his head, his throat suddenly clogged. Dominic was a living legend, much like Lucian and Gabriel. He knew-and understood-the curse of darkness on the De La Cruz brothers. They struggled to maintain honor and always had in the face of that creeping stain. Now, when he must stand before the council admitting he and his brothers had a hand in plotting the conspiracy to bring the downfall of the Carpathian people, Dominic was acknowledging the terrible burden the De La Cruz brothers had endured over the centuries.

«No one is expendable,» Gregori said. «Not a single warrior, certainly not one of your expertise and wisdom.»

Nicolas remained silent as each warrior gave his or her opinion. In the sacred chamber, with their blood mingling with their ancestors, the steam purifying them and the crystals focusing and clarifying their minds, all were heard with great respect. But he knew Dominic was going to ingest the blood and sadly, he agreed it was the right thing to do, the only thing when their entire species was poised on the brink of extinction.

Dominic was right. The Carpathians needed to know what Xavier and his coalition of vampires and jaguar-men were up to. They needed a spy in the camp. The Malinov brothers would never be able to resist letting a Carpathian as powerful as Dominic join their ranks, and certainly Xavier would consider it

a huge coup. The turning of Rhiannon's brother would be a victory for him.

His eyes met Mikhail's. The naked sorrow there was reflected in his own gaze. Mikhail knew as well. Dominic would listen to the gathered warriors, but in the end, nothing would change his mind. Someone had to go and Dominic was the logical choice.

For one moment, the lines in the prince's face were etched deep. His mouth was set and he looked older, tired, weary of the burden resting on his shoulders.

The chamber grew quiet. Mikhail straightened to his full height, his black eyes glowing a deep red. His face changed completely, so that he looked majestic, every inch the leader of the warriors gathered to make momentous decisions. Steam swirled and several crystals softened color until it appeared the moon shone deep beneath the earth, spotlighting their leader. The aurora colors swirled with life, streaks of bloodred moving through an ocean of color.

«You honor our people with your bravery, Dominic,» he said. His low voice carried throughout the cavern. «It shall be. The Carpathian people will never forget your sacrifice.»

Dominic stared down at his closed fist, then one by one opened his fingers. One nail lengthened and he drew a thin line across his wrist, holding his arm out to Gregori. Gregori remained still, his face an expressionless mask. Mikhail lifted his hand-an order, a decree. First Gregori, and then Lucian, Gabriel and Darius came forward and took the blood sealing Dominic to them. Dimitri stepped forward and then it was Nicolas's turn. He took his place beside the warrior he considered one of the greatest of all time.

The prince, in the name of good for the Carpathian people, was sending Dominic to an existence far worse than any Carpathian could conceive. The De La Cruz lineage had been cursed with darkness, but they had also been gifted with enduring strength and honor. In the centuries past, no Dragonseeker had ever succumbed to the whispers that grew louder as one lived longer without hope, without emotion. This then, was the last of a great line of warriors, sent to spy in the enemy camp with the poisonous blood of the vampire eating him from the inside out.

Nicolas met Dominies gaze, steady and true, refusing to look away from greatness. He couldn't save him, but he could send him away with honor, and give him the respect due him. Dominic gave him his blood and then clasped his arms in the way of the warriors.

«Arwa-arvod mane me kodak. May your honor hold back the dark,» Nicolas said softly. «Fight fiercely.»

«Kulkesz arwaval. Go with glory,» Gregori said. «Jonesz arwa arvoval. Return with honor.»

Mikhail stepped close. «Jonesz arwa arvoval. Return with honor.» He clasped Dominic's arms hard and they stood toe to toe.

«It is the right thing,» Dominic assured in a low voice as he gripped his prince's forearms. «The only thing. Give me a couple of weeks and have someone start the rumor of my turning. Make sure it is subtle. It would be news, the first Dragonseeker to succumb to the darkness. People would talk, but the news cannot come from anywhere near you. Talk will get to them and the Malinov brothers will seek me out in an effort to recruit me.»

Gregori pulled the precious vial of blood from a small box and handed it to Dominic, who pulled the stopper out and drank without hesitation. The silence in the room was complete. Even the crystals ceased

humming. No one moved or spoke until Dominic gave them a slight bow and took his leave-alone.

Destiny choked and turned her head away, burying her face against her lifemate. «It is like a razor is ripping through your insides,» she murmured, the memories vivid and sharp.

Nicolae put his arms around her and held her to him, speaking softly, his tone low, but comforting.

Something soft inside of Nicolas rose to the surface as he watched the two. Nicolae's body posture was not simply protective, but loving. And when she turned her face up toward his, he could see the love shining back. He didn't have that. He didn't even have Lara's respect, let alone love. Nicolae had a treasure, a gift, something so precious-a lifemate was beyond comprehension-but with being so gifted, he should never be foolish enough to risk her.

Mikhail faced his warriors. «We have much to discuss before this night's end. Nicolas has brought us news of our enemies and their plans. He will speak this night. A young woman has arrived in our village and she is Nicolas's lifemate. He has made his claim and bound them together although the ritual is not complete.» His gaze rested on Natalya. «We believe his lifemate, Lara, is the daughter of Razvan.»

Natalya let out a single, small sound. Her twin brother had been lost to her for many years. She had believed she killed him in a recent battle, but he had returned, possessing an elderly woman's body to attack Shea and her unborn child.

«There is reason to believe that Razvan has been used for experiments, that possibly he was a prisoner for some time before he succumbed,» Nicolas added.

«I want to talk to her,» Natalya said.

Nicolas shook his head. «We have not completed the ritual. She does not trust us and has bad memories of her father. I do not want her distressed. She needs time.»

Natalya's eyes went from deep green to ice blue. «She would want to talk to me.»

Nicolas shrugged his shoulders, a casual ripple of muscle that put Vikirnoff just a little in front of his lifemate. «It matters little to me at this point. She does not know about you and I am not going to tell her until we have sorted out our lives. I have a very tenuous hold on her at the moment, only through our soul bond, and I will not risk it.»