Dark Curse

He rubbed his palm up and down her narrow rib cage, savoring the feel of her soft skin, the movement more absent-minded than voluntary. «I do not understand how these things got into the women. Are there more than one?»

She frowned. «It doesn't appear so, at least not in Raven or Savannah. Extremophiles can be very aggressive about defending their territory and basically that's what these mutated microbes are.»

«So once they're gone, everything is back to normal? It seems too fast.»

«I think it is too fast. How did the organism get there in the first place? Whatever the source is, we

haven't found it. I overheard Shea talking to Francesca right before we left. She thought there was a good possibility it was transferred from male to female and that they live in the soil first.»

«She is wrong about the males,» Nicolas said, his hand stilling on her breast. «And they better not think you are taking journeys through every male.»

Her body felt so warm beside his, fit so perfectly and when she laughed, that soft melodic sound, teasing at his senses, he felt absolutely content-right-complete. He had always known he was highly intelligent, that he'd been gifted to be fast with natural hunting instincts, but finding her had made him a better person.

«What about you? If you are infected, then I would become infected as well.»

He swore beneath his breath, a time-honoredo kod belso –darkness take it! The husky male timbre combined with the words made her smile, and she leaned upward to kiss his jaw.

He cupped her breast, his thumb sliding over her nipple. «I did not even consider that.»

«I think all Carpathians have to consider it.»

There was a small silence. «Would you check?»

She frowned and rolled over, pressing her soft breasts into his chest so that his body reacted with a shudder of awareness. «If a single microbe first enters the male body and then is passed to the female, it would leave the male's body open as a host for a second microbe. As long as one resides in the woman, the second would stay in the male. But if Raven or Savannah, who are now without a microbe, have sex with their partners, and Mikhail and Gregori are infected, then they would be reinfected. This could be a very vicious circle, Nicolas.» Especially if she was the only person able to detect the extremophile.

Nicolas sat up, pulling her with him. Her face was pale, dark circles under her eyes. She wasn't eating anymore, not even broth. And he read her mind. What if she couldn't detect the microbes once she was fully Carpathian? Natalya couldn't seem to do it on her own and she had been part mage. That would leave the entire weight of a dying species falling directly on Lara's shoulders.

«I don't understand how this happened, Nicolas. I just got up one evening and decided The Carpathian Mountains was the next area I was going to search for the ice cave, mostly because of the gaps in the memories of those I spoke with about the ice caves. Now I've got you and all this responsibility I never dreamed of. But I'm afraid for us. I'm afraid to look inside of me and see a microbe. I'm afraid to look inside of you.» She framed his face with her hands, coming up on her knees beside him. «I want children and I don't want them to suffer like that, or to ever believe they weren't wanted.»

He leaned forward and took her mouth, his kiss gentle, pouring as much reassurance into it as he could. «They will know they are wanted,fel ku kuuluaak sivam belso .»

She loved the way he whispered «beloved.» The Carpathian phrase had music to it, a tenderness that shook her each time he said it to her. It was always more than just the word, but the true meaning behind that word as well. His overwhelming emotion for her. And she believed him.

Because he made her believe a man like him could love her and accept her, even damaged from the trauma of her childhood, she found the strength to hunt for the microbe, to see for herself if either was infected-and only she was. The one inside of her was newly there, and hadn't had time to establish

itself. Her body was still treating it as an intruder. So that meant either the men weren't infected, and Shea's theory was incorrect, or that because she had only recently gotten together with Nicolas, he had passed her the microbe and had not yet been exposed to reinfection.

«You didn't sleep in the soil, Nicolas, You stayed on the bed with me.»

«We need to go talk to Francesca and Gregori about this,» Nicolas said.

She would never feel comfortable around Gregori with his strange-colored eyes, but she nodded. She had to journey into the other pregnant women this evening and hopefully Francesca would be able to follow the faint trail of the killer to aid in removing the microbes from all the other women. And she wanted the one in her out-this rising.

* * *

Lara felt drained when she came out of the healing cave with Nicolas at her side. She had aided two other pregnant women and also led the microbe within her to the surface for Natalya to destroy. They had experimented, taking both Natalya and Francesca along, but Francesca, try as she might, could not detect that faint, tainted path, and something in Natalya served as a warning to the extremophile and it successfully hid its presence from them, ruling out the possibility of Natalya tracking them.

A microbe was found in Mikhail and one in Gregori. Shea was excited that she might actually be on the right track at last to solving the problem of miscarriage. She, Gregori and a man Lara had never met named Gary, retreated together to try to explore ideas on how to combat the microbe.

Nicolas walked through the village with her. She wanted to visit Gerald and check on Terry while he and Vikirnoff finally searched for another entrance to the ice cave.

«I will not be gone long,» he assured.

«And you won't go in without me,» she added, giving him a quick, warning look.

At the bottom of the steps leading to the inn, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. «No, I told you I wouldn't. You look pale, though. If you can manage to get some broth down, do so. If not, Lara, we cannot wait much longer to convert you.»

She moistened her lips. «I have avoidance issues, I think. When I don't want to think about something, I just put it out of my mind and pretend it will go away. I like being mage. I rely on being mage.»

«Mage blood aids in casting and learning, but Carpathian blood does as well. Our two species were intertwined for centuries, Lara. Xavier came up with the safeguards, but in the end Carpathians improved on them. Mages had longevity, so did lycanthrope, but even mortal wounds could sometimes be healed by Carpathians, leading others to believe our species is immortal. But we can be killed.»

She tilted her head, facing her worst fear. «And that's what all the experiments on Razvan are about, aren't they? It's the reason Xavier has kept him alive. He's trying to find a way to kill Carpathians.»

Nicolas held her close to him. «I am afraid of that, yes.»

«Then if there is a chance he's alive, Nicolas, we have to find the evidence in the ice caves. I owe him that.»

He tipped her face up and kissed her gently. «I will only be gone a couple of hours. Stay in the inn with the innkeeper and wait for me.»

Lara nodded and with reluctance, left his side, stepping onto the first stair. Standing there in the dark, she watched him go-a tall, handsome man striding down the walkway, long coat swirling around his legs, his silky hair flying behind him-and her heart hammered out a rhythm of love.

He shimmered, his formidable physique nearly transparent and then he was gone, swallowed up by the darkness. She stood there listening to the night, hearing so many things she hadn't heard before. She saw differently, and the night took on a special beauty. She enjoyed just standing there, drinking it in, the solitude, the peace, with the murmur of life going on behind the scenes.

A few minutes later, Lara pushed open the door to the inn and slipped inside. It was warm and cozy, the open beams giving the inn a sense of space, the fireplace giving the room a homey feel. Slavica, the innkeeper, greeted her with a smile.

«I was hoping to see you. How are you?»

Lara was aware that few villagers were aware of the Carpathian people. Of course there were rumors, old legends whispered around a fire at night, but few modern people believed the old tales. She had heard that Mikhail Dubrinsky and the innkeeper's family went back years, but she didn't want to make the mistake of drawing too much attention to herself. She smiled and nodded. «I wanted to check on my friends. Have they been down at all?»

Slavica shook her head. «I called them to see if they wanted me to bring them food, but they refused, so I've left them alone.»

«Neither, of them has been down to eat? Not even Gerald?» Lara frowned. Both men normally had hearty appetites. «Did Gregori check on them?»

«Early last night, your friend Nicolas came and then much later Gregori stopped by. He knocked, but they were already asleep. He told me he'd be back some time this evening.»

«Did you ask them if they wanted food tonight?»

«Each meal we've asked and they've declined.»

Lara was very uneasy with Slavica's answer. Terry might not feel like having food, but Gerald should be starving. «I'm going to check on them.» She crossed to the stairs and began to climb, Slavica keeping pace.

«Would you like me to go with you?»

Lara bit down on her bottom lip. Her apprehension grew.Nicolas? I'm here at the inn, but when I asked Slavica about Terry and Gerald she said . . . What could she say? They'd refused a couple of meals. It was very possible Gerald would turn down one meal, but three? More than three?

Wait for me. I am not far from you and I will come back.

She felt silly standing at the top of the stairs facing the hall with the innkeeper looking at her as if she

wasn't quite bright.

«What's wrong?» Slavica asked.

«Nothing. I think I forgot my key.» Color rose as she told the ridiculous lie. She rubbed her palm over her left side, down low. The spot burned a little.

«Won't they let you in if you knock?» Slavica asked, moving briskly down the hall toward the door.

Lara dragged her feet. «Maybe I'll wait for Nicolas. He was going to stop by and Terry and Gerald will want to see him.»

Slavica started to turn back toward her, but stopped abruptly, wrinkling her nose. «What is that terrible smell?»

A cold finger of fear raced down Lara's spine. «Slavica, come away from there,» she said softly. Her side burned hotter, that small telltale dragon that warned her when the taint of evil was close. She held out her hand, lowering her voice even more. «Hurry. Right now.»

Slavica reacted to the urgency in her voice, not stopping to ask questions, but hurrying back toward Lara. Lara caught her arm and yanked, an instinctive, primal gesture, nearly throwing the innkeeper onto the top of the stairs. It saved Slavica's life.

The door splintered outward, shooting spears of sharpened wood into the hall where Slavica had been standing. Gerald emerged, his face twisted into a grotesque mask. Blood tracked like tears from his eyes and trickled from his nose and mouth. He tore at his chest with his fingernails, gouging trails of flesh in madness.

Horrified, Lara stepped in front of Slavica. «Get downstairs. Don't let your other guests up here. He's infected.»

He was deranged. The madness in his eyes told her that. He looked around him with a blank stare until he spotted them-spotted her. At first she thought he recognized her, but then he sniffed the air like a dog.

She reached to her belt to find the comforting hilt of her knife with trembling fingers. «Go, Slavica. I don't know if I can stop him.»

Gerald growled and hissed, his eyes glowing red-hot. He turned toward her, stumbled and raked his fingers along the wall, gouging huge chunks of wood from the polished surface. Her heart jumped.

Nicolas. Now would be a great time for you to show up. You know all that crap about women fighting vampires? I'm on your side.

This was her friend. She didn't want him dead. She wanted him fixed. When Terry had ripped out the snake's head, blood had splashed all over the car. Gerald must have had an open wound somewhere and parasites had entered. She hadn't thought to have the healer check him, she'd been so disoriented from that long-forgotten foul stench. The odor permeated Gerald. The infection had spread rapidly or…

Her stomach lurched. She moistened her lips. «Gerald? Where's Terry?»

Gerald lumbered toward her, his steps jerky and plodding. His head tilted to one side, a cunning, animalistic expression crossed his face. «Worthless traitor,» he hissed.

Spittle sprayed into the hall and she couldn't help but follow the droplets with her gaze, fearing the tiny parasites would be strewn all over the floors and the entire inn would be infected. She had visions of zombies breaking through walls and eating people.

Slavica caught her arm and tugged, slowly backing down the stairs. Lara didn't want to be on the staircase, but she didn't have a lot of fighting room.

Gerald wrinkled his nose and sniffed the air more. Growls emerged from his throat, a rumbling challenge. The dragon mark burned hotter. She gripped the knife.

«Gerald!» She said his name sharply, trying to find the man inside the beast.

He blinked rapidly, tilting his head to one side, his body tensing. She gripped the knife harder and set herself on the balls of her feet. She couldn't let him get downstairs where many of Slavica's guests had gathered for dinner or drinks.

Gerald suddenly moved, lightning fast, a blur of preternatural speed that scared the hell out of her. She leapt to the side, over the banister and onto the landing, barely escaping his slashing claws. Slavica nearly fell backward down the stairs, stumbling and then recovering, back-pedaling as fast as she could to get out of reach.

Screams broke out below them as guests looked up to see a wild-haired man covered in blood lunging at the two women. Two of the men rushed up the stairs to try to help.

«Stay back!» Lara called out, terrified someone else would be infected. «Gerald, who am I? Try to remember who I am and who you are.»

They'd been colleagues and friends for several years, had gone caving together in some of the most dangerous caves in the world, relying on one another and forming a family of sorts.

«Gerald.» Maybe if she said his name enough times, it would jog his memory.

He has no memory. Get out of there. The parasites have consumed his brain. I mean it, Lara, get away from him.

Nicolas strode up the stairs, waving a hand to calm the group below, blurring the scene so no one could quite see what happened. He had scanned Gerald and Terry the moment he set foot in the inn. Terry was dead and Gerald was the walking dead.

«Don't kill him,» Lara pleaded. «There has to be a way to save him.»

Nicolas caught her around the waist and shoved her behind him. «He's already dead, Lara, and he's programmed to find and kill you.»

Gerald sniffed the air again, looking confused with Nicolas blocking access to Lara.

«He's my friend. You can't know that.»

«He's not your friend. Go now. Wait for me outside.»

«But…» She couldn't just walk away and give up. «This is my fault. I should have checked on them.»

Hands dropped to her shoulders. Startled, she swung around, the knife in her fist. Gregori shook his hand and took the weapon. «Let us handle this, little sister. The fault does not lie with you. I should have checked him.»

Lara backed down the stairs. The Carpathian males had a difficult time detecting the parasites, but she should have scented the taint of Xavier. Sheshould have sensed it, but she'd been too busy feeling sorry for herself. She wiped at the tears streaming down her face. She hadn't achieved any of her goals since her arrival. She'd only managed to get her friends killed. She hadn't recovered the aunts. Their bodies were still locked away in the labyrinth of horror where Xavier had ruled.

She couldn't leave, couldn't look away. She owed it to Gerald to be with him, to stay while they destroyed the mass of parasites eating him from the inside out. Nicolas turned his head slightly to glance over his shoulder at her. She saw his long hair swing out and then-nothing at all. They were gone.

She stood staring up the staircase, one hand pressed to her mouth, trying to push back the sobs welling up. She'd lost her friend. Both of them. Lara backed away from the stairs into the lobby. Gregori and Nicolas could deal with the memories of Slavica's guests. She needed air fast. And she was going to the caves with or without Nicolas. She was going to find the bodies of her aunts and bring them home.

The cold air hit her face and it was only then she realized she was outside with Slavica standing beside her, a look of concern in her dark eyes.

«I'm sorry about your friend.»

Lara ducked her head. «None of us had any family, so we kind of hung together. And we shared a love of caving. I can't believe this happened."Nicolas, is Terry dead ?

I am sorry, fel ku kuuluaak sivam belso. Gerald killed him. We have to insure that all the parasites are destroyed.

Lightning arced across the sky, zigzagged and lit up the clouds in a fiery display before slamming down to earth. For a half-second the inn lit up and then everything went dark again. Lara stood beside Slavica with an occasional snowflake drifting past her.

«You aren't terrified by all this,» she said to the innkeeper.

Slavica shrugged. «Life can be frightening if you dwell on things you can't control. I choose not to be afraid if I can help it. Mikhail will see that my guests are safe, or at least as safe as we can keep them when the undead walks the night. Most outsiders think it is superstition when we caution them, but locals know such things walk among us.»

«I wish I'd been more careful. I should have been more careful.»

She didn't realize she was weeping until Nicolas turned her into his arms and pressed her face against his chest. She caught a glimpse of Gregori before she closed her eyes and let herself cry for the loss of her two friends.

«The inn is no longer contaminated and there is no evidence of any problem, Slavica,» Gregori said. «Your guests will not remember anything took place.»

Slavica nodded and went back inside, leaving Lara clinging to Nicolas.

Nicolas stroked his hand down her hair. «I'm sorry, Lara. I should have checked your other friend.»

Gregori added his own apology.

Lara lifted her head and looked up at Nicolas. «I can find a new entrance to the caves. I want to go now-tonight. I need to go, Nicolas.»

He nodded. «Then we will go tonight.»

«You cannot,» Gregori protested. «You have a higher purpose.»

She lifted her chin at him. «I came here for one purpose and that was to find my aunts, and I'm going to do it, with or without help. I've tried to help Francesca learn how to recognize Xavier's touch…»

«But she's unable to do so,» Gregori pointed out.

Nicolas dropped his arm around Lara's shoulders. «She needs to do this and she has more than done her duty to our people, Gregori. In any case, what we find there may be invaluable. If Lara can recognize the source, we can stop our women from miscarrying for good.»

Gregori sighed. «There is truth in that.»

«She goes,» Nicolas stated.

Chapter 17

Nicolas studied the snow-covered mountains rising sharply above them. Ringed in swirling mist, the mountains appeared a peaceful place of cold beauty, but he heard the soft: voices murmuring continually, and felt the steady flow of energy, a force field subtly sending out signals tuned to brain waves.Stay away. Fear this place. Forget this place .

Even the locals avoided the mountain. The upper peaks were inhospitable. Nothing grew but a few straggly plants in the midst of boulders and once you climbed past the boulders, there was the glacier itself. Unwary travelers who braved the uneasy, disturbed feeling often found themselves victims of falling boulders or a heavy avalanche. The mountain shook and rumbled the moment anyone dared set foot on it.

He walked along the base, studying it from every angle, looking for anything that might conceal an entryway. Natalya, Vikirnoff and Lara spread out several yards apart and did the same, all of them careful not to get too close and trip any hidden traps or alarms that would trigger the mountain to protect itself.

«What do you think, Lara?» he called.

The wind whipped his words away from the mountain, slamming his voice back down his throat. It was an aggressive move and he'd been unprepared for the attack. They weren't actually on the mountain. He exchanged a long look with Lara.

She nodded her head and moved toward him. Nicolas signaled to Natalya and Vikirnoff to watch above their heads and below their feet, in the ground itself. Lara placed her feet carefully, all the while scanning along the snow-covered ground for the slightest movement.

If we triggered an alarm, then we have to be close to an entrance. It will be something ordinary, easily overlooked, but simple.

Nicolas spotted a crack that ran the length of the overhang at the base of the mountain. The line was narrow, tiny really, no more than an inch thick running just under the overhang, nearly hidden in the shadow of the limestone cliffs. He scanned along the crack, inch by inch, but couldn't see where there could be an opening.

From the air, Nicolas had noted the pattern of rocks, which looked, with its ice cap, like an undulating sea of blue beneath the glacier-a sure sign that far below melt-water had carved canyons and formed large ice caves beneath the surface. He might know a labyrinth of chambers was beneath the mountain, but finding a way in was difficult.

It's here, Lara said with confidence.Very close .

Now that she knew she was in the right area, she knew what to look for. No, not look. «Feel» for. Scent. Xavier had sealed the entrances, but they were there and she shouldn't be looking for an opening, she should be following the taint of evil, just as she had when she searched the women's bodies for mutated extremophiles.

A short distance from them, deer moved out onto the meadow, but none approached the thicker grass a few yards from where she was standing. She touched their minds. Gentle creatures as a rule, interested in feeding. A few pawed the snow to reveal short stalks of grass beneath the white layer. Not one looked or scented the thick offering pushing through the snow.

She closed her eyes and inhaled the night, taking in the information her surroundings offered. The night was crisp and cold. The snow had ceased to fall but the smell was there, a clean feel to the air until you went deeper. She caught the whiff of tainted magic and wrinkled her nose, turning in the direction where it was strongest before opening her eyes. She was looking at that patch of tall grass that poked through the snow, yet didn't tempt hungry deer.

She took a couple of steps closer to the green stalks now rippling as if wind drove them-but there was no real breeze on her face. The ripples increased, until the grass undulated as if water ebbed and flowed around it. Something moved in the forest of green, a stealthy crawl that drew her eye. A bat emerged, using its wings as legs, coming out of the deep grass to creep silently toward the grazing deer. A second and third bat appeared, and then the ground seemed covered by them, a stealthy, dark-furred army, circling an unwary doe, cutting it off from the rest of the herd.

Lara gripped Nicolas's arm as the bats swayed back and forth, walking on the tips of their wings, to close the net on the deer.Vampire bats just take a small amount of blood. They don't behave like that . As if they were stalking the deer for darker, more sinister purposes.

Before Nicolas could reply, the bats rushed the doe, wings flapping, so that the circle appeared solid. She caught a glimpse of huge teeth, not like a vampire bat, but more like a shark, razor-edged and rows of them filling the muzzles. The sheer weight of numbers drove the doe to her knees and then down to the grass. Blood ran onto the snow. The herd whirled and raced away from the meadow, back into the forest.

The bats swarmed over the doe, her sides heaving, her pitiful bleats tearing at Lara's heart. When she would have moved, Nicolas stopped her.

There is nothing to do for her. Look at what they are doing.

The bats tore great chunks of flesh from the deer to get at her insides, but even while some fed, others began to use their teeth to pull the weight of the carcass across the meadow toward the taller grass. Behind them, they left a trail of blood. Several bats licked at the blood before hurrying to help drag the doe.

Have you ever seen something like that before? Lara asked. She glanced at Vikirnoff and Natalya and they looked every bit as stunned as she was.

Nicolas shook his head.They aren't vampire bats .

A mutation then. Lara watched the deer carcass disappear into the longer grass. Dirt and snow boiled up, spewing like a small geyser. The grass shook. Under the swarm of bats, the deer rolled over, legs up in the air and then sank beneath the earth. The ground was quiet again.I think we've just met the guardians of the gate , Lara said.And they aren't going to be alone .

«Did you see the teeth on those things?» Vikirnoff asked.

«Maybe we should try another way in,» Natalya ventured.

Nicolas watched Lara closely. She moved in a semi-circle a few yards from the patch of green grass, pacing back and forth, counting beneath her breath, one hand out, palm facing down toward the earth.

«What's she doing?» Vikirnoff asked.

«Testing the strength of his safeguards,» Natalya said. «Mage magic is all about elements and energy. She's obviously extremely sensitive to Xavier's signature. Every mage has one and when you work with them you get to know their particular fingerprints.»

«That's why she can detect the microbe in the women?» Vikirnoff asked. «You're mage. And you're actually Xavier's granddaughter. She's his great granddaughter. You knew him, too.»

Natalya shook her head. «Not like Lara. I stayed away from him. I was good at mage spells, Razvan wasn't. I was more mage, and I thought Razvan wasn't mage or Dragonseeker, but I was wrong. I was wrong about so many things.»

Vikirnoff stroked a caress down the length of her hair. «He wanted you to be. He misled everyone on purpose to protect you.»

«It seems he did that all the time,» Nicolas said.

He stayed close enough to Lara to protect her, but far enough away to allow her to get a good feel for the traps Xavier left behind to safeguard his lair. He noted her hair banded, the red stripes moving through the blond. Tiny electric sparks gathered around her and he felt the buildup of energy as she gathered power to her. She lifted her arms into the air.

Air, earth, fire and water, hear my call. See your daughter…

The air grew heavy with the combination of elements gathering and spinning into a combined force.

Air unseen, seek that which is closed. Earth that does hold open, unfold. Fire that burns, eat that which would harm, water that flows, break open this door.

As she spoke, the ground beneath their feet shook. The mountain rumbled in protest. Rocks and snow rained down, as though hurled from above, showering the entire area where Lara stood, but she didn't move, trusting Nicolas to keep her from harm.

He waved his hands to form a protective shield over her, careful to give her room to work. Her hands moved in a graceful pattern, parts of which he recognized. She was reversing the tight weave of a safeguard, reversing the spell so she could open the entrance.

The wind rose to a piercing whine. The earth quivered and then shook in earnest. Fire spiders webbed along the base of the mountain right above the patch of green. Racing along tiny, unseen cracks, fire rained down on the patch of green. Right behind the silken strands of orange-red flame came a flood of water to pour over the blaze and into the cave entrance to finish eroding the safeguards.

Lara's hands continued to flow gracefully.That which was set in place to harm, now give forth a warning alarm . A fine-spun pattern began to appear.Spiders, spiders of finespun ice, hear my call, spin and splice. Create a web of finest thread, to give a warning against harm and dread . The pattern burned brightly in the air for a brief moment and then slowly faded away.

Stone creaked and groaned as if rubbing against itself. Snow slid from the mountain in a long rush of white. The patch of green sunk in so that dirt, snow and vegetation fell in on itself, revealing the deep hole penetrating the earth.

Nicolas caught Lara and shoved her behind him as he and Vikirnoff examined the entrance. Even as they watched, a thin layer of ice stretched and then covered the hole so he appeared to be looking through a window into the black interior. The ice walls were textured in spots with mud, grass and a dark stain that could only be blood. In direct contrast, the rest of the wall looked pristine and beautiful, like a great ice sculpture, thick and carved into a round tube of shimmering glass.

Lara caught Nicolas around the waist from behind and peered down into the hole, noting the darker spots lining the tube, most of which dotted the first two hundred feet of the shaft. The stains of grass and blood formed a distinctive trail to the scattered spots. They looked solid, but on closer inspection, that same sheet of thin ice that formed the window covered holes.

She indicated them with her chin. «That's where the guardians live.»

«Bats with big teeth that will crawl out of their little holes and drop on us to gnaw our heads off as we descend,» Natalya said. «Great. Someone ought to make a movie.»

Vikirnoff grinned at her. «You and your movies. She has the worst taste in movies.»

Natalya blew him a kiss. «Just for that, you can go first.»

Lara shook her head. «Let me remove the ice cap and then I'll weave a holding spell. We should be able to get past them without too much trouble.» She sent Nicolas a faint smile. «And I'd rather have someone protecting me from above.»

She made a move toward the hole and Nicolas caught her arm. «You do your mage spell, but you do not set one foot in there by yourself. Vikirnoff can go first to make certain we land without too much harm and I will bring up the rear to protect you from above.»

Lara put a hand over her heart and sent a quick grin in her aunt's direction. «I love it when he does that.»

Natalya rolled her eyes. «He-Man and She-Ra.»

Nicolas frowned. «Who?»

Vikirnoff groaned. «Do notever make the mistake of asking.» He looked up at the night, took a deep breath. «The safeguards are down?»

Lara nodded. «In theory, you should be able to go right through the thin layer of ice and straight down the tube without disturbing the guardians. Once into the lava tube, avoid touching anything that might trigger a response.»

«Great, thanks,» Vikirnoff said. He shimmered into mist and slipped through the layer of ice covering the entrance.

Natalya followed him immediately.

«I will hold the image for you,» Nicolas assured.

Now that she'd had some experience with shifting, she knew what to expect so the sensation of her body disintegrating into vapor didn't alarm her and she just let it happen. Oftentimes, when caving in an ice cave, the ropes used could collect a thin layer of ice. There were hazards from falling icicles and great chunks of ice bursting out of the walls due to the tremendous pressures from the sheer weight. Becoming mist seemed so much easier.

The world beneath the earth, inside the ice cave itself was, to Lara, a world of uncommon and magnificent beauty. As she descended into the dark moulin, essentially a deep pit, she whispered a brief spell, calling for soft light to spill along the walls and floors wherever they walked. Using her childhood spiders, the only friends she had to light the way, she chanted softly.

Spiders, spiders of crystal ice, spin your webs of softest light. The little spiders appeared instantly out of the walls of ice, spinning and dancing to freely form a continuous fine web of translucent icy silk, covering the walls and rushing ahead of them down toward the floor.Spin and dance, surround and form, so our eyes may see to prevent all harm .

At once the tube turned blue, a beautiful, surreal world of ice. The water spraying continually from above had caused an avalanche of various sized ice balls to cascade down the walls so it appeared as though a waterfall of blue ice rushed downward, when in reality, the ice balls were stationary, attached to the thick

walls surrounding them. She was used to the sound of creaking ice punctuated by the thunderous roar as the tremendous pressure sent giant chunks hurling out of the wall to slam against the opposite side and fall to the floor below.

As she passed the darker holes, she realized the entryways were a maze of dwellings woven into the ice to allow the bats communal living. Through the thick window of ice, she could see bones and hair and blood from discarded carcasses. The cave dwellers feasted on their kill, lived for a while on the remains and then every so often swarmed to the surface to drag a hapless victim to their lair. Anything or anyone venturing too near at the wrong time was fair game.

They floated past a ledge that ran the circle of the tube, not very wide. Hanging below it was a variety of long icicles, each one coming to a lethal point.

We need to break those off,she told Nicolas.He'll use those against us and we don't want to be caught on the floor when they come flying at us .

At once sound echoed through the tube, a high note that set the icicles rocking. Some shattered. Others broke loose and fell to the cavern floor several hundred feet below. The sound was loud-too loud-too abrupt. The bats flew at their entrances, the movement frightening to watch through the ice, but Lara's safeguard held against the battering bodies. Tiny fire spiders rushed down the sides of the walls, using their silken threads of flames. As the bats emerged from the holes, using their wings like arms to creep out onto the sheer wall, the nets made of flames and silk dropped over them, consuming them entirely.

A noxious odor permeated the moulin. Despite being insubstantial mist, Lara felt sick.

Nicolas flashed into human form, waved his arms to create a breeze, and then before any of the falling debris could strike him, was back to vapor form.

Thank you.

He seemed to think of everything for her comfort and she was grateful, because this place brought back too many horrific memories. She had to steel herself to the idea that she would find her aunts dead and bring them home. She didn't want their bodies to remain imprisoned as they'd spent their lives that way.

The cave floor was just beneath her and she hovered there, studying the layout, the way the chamber widened and ran into a maze of galleries. She took her time, not wanting to miss the slightest taint of dark magic that would herald an attack. This was Xavier's private realm. She recognized the high ceilings and network of lava tubes leading to various chambers where he conducted his gruesome experiments.

We got lucky. This is Xavier's exclusive domain. The entire mountain is a maze of tunnels and chambers and we were lucky enough or crazy enough to find his private quarters.

Her voice shook and she pulled back to get a better grip on her emotions. She hadn't considered what it would do to her to be surrounded by Xavier. He was everywhere, his mark on everything. His smell filled her with dread. He had been there recently. No matter what anyone said, his pipe tobacco mingled with the pungent scent of blood smelled all too fresh. No matter how long ago it had been, she couldn't forget the difference between old blood and new and the way his tobacco intermingled, making her gag.

If at any time, Lara, you have to leave this place, Nicolas reassured,tell me and I will get you out. And I will come back and search for your aunts . He wanted to hold her, to wrap her up in comfort and make her feel beautiful and safe. No one was ever going to understand what it cost her to come to

this place, to be haunted by the torment of that young child.

Thank you. She sent him waves of warmth.He's been here, Nicolas. Very recently. And if he's still using these chambers, he would never leave them without serious traps. The floor is washed in magic. I think the entire room is a trap .

Nicolas shifted to the common Carpathian path.Do not touch anything. We should move on to the next chamber .

Lara tried to remember where she had seen the young woman miscarrying.Take the left tube and move slowly. Even the disturbance of air could trigger an attack .

The four of them went as carefully as they could down the twisting ice tunnel until they came to a series of smaller chambers. Lara sucked in her breath, the smells hitting her like a punch in the stomach. Water trickled from the walls, dripped from the ceiling and poured out in other places so that she heard a continuous echo, loud and growing even louder until it rang in her ears and filled her mind with confusion.

She remembered that sound from her childhood. The sound seemed to be an alarm, roaring through the chambers, or whispering quietly, but warning her of the monsters lurking everywhere. Her heart beat too fast and she could barely draw air into her lungs, but she kept moving, directing Nicolas toward the terrible chambers where the screams of victims drowned out the relentless sound of water.

Lara stopped just inside the room where Razvan had been kept chained. Memories rose along with bile and she couldn't hold the form even with Nicolas helping her. She needed to kneel on the ice floor and put her head down to keep from passing out.

Nicolas dropped a hand on her shoulder. «You do not have to do this.»

She drew a breath and nodded. «I do. I do have to do this.»

But she couldn't look at that alcove where her father had been chained so much of the time. Where she had been kicked and beaten, where the flesh had been torn from her wrist so sharp greedy teeth could bite deep and drain her to the point she was dizzy and wheezing for air. She remembered crawling across the floor, the cold biting into her knees and arms, on her belly, like a dog, he'd said, too weak to get up.

«There's fresh blood here,» Natalya said. «It's all over the place.» She touched a manacle, smeared the blood on her fingers and held it to her nose. Her face paled. «Razvan. This is my brother's blood. He had to have been here within a rising or two.» The blood was sticky and congealed, but not dry.

Vikirnoff examined the manacles. «Vampire blood to burn him while he's chained.»

Lara shuddered. «There's so much blood, and stab wounds in the ice. Look at that,» she pointed to the wall. «It looks as though he was stabbed and the instrument went through him and out the other side.»

Natalya skimmed her palm down the wall without touching the blood spatter. Lara could hear her heart pounding and the rhythm matched the drumming of the water coming out of the walls. Natalya's body trembled as she kept her hand over the blood of her twin.

«There's something here.»

Lara put out her palm to feel the energy band. It was low, humming, very much alive. «The energy

doesn't feel dark.»

Natalya shook her head. «It's Razvan. He left something here. When we were children we used to leave messages for one another right under Xavier's nose.» She frowned and paced the length of Razvan's prison, both hands palm out away from her body as if feeling the air.

Lara tried not to be that little girl, worthless and lonely in the cave with only ice spiders for friends. She detested how pathetically jealous she was that Natalya had good memories of her father. She rubbed at the ridges on her wrist.

Nicolas reached over and took her hand, bringing it to his chest.I love you, sivamet .

Her heart fluttered. She wasn't that lonely child anymore, living in terror, feeling worthless and unloved. She looked up at him, at his beautiful face, so masculine and strong. There was love in his eyes, tenderness in the way the pad of his thumb swept back and forth over the palm of her hand. This tall, dangerous man loved her.Loved her. With all her failings, even her aversion to letting anyone take her blood, he loved her, and that was everything.

Nicolas turned up her wrist and brushed his lips over the fading scars.I am very grateful that I found you .

She sent him a quick, teasing smile.Actually, I found you .

Natalya's gasp drew her attention.

«I found it. He left a message behind.» Natalya leaned over the ledge of ice, waved her hands gracefully, murmuring low.

That which is hidden from all sight, created between two who shared the fight. Blood of blood, twin and twine, show me now the twining rhyme.

The ice lit up from within and an image wavered, a hologram of a man ravaged by time and torture. He was manacled to the wall, no shirt and his trousers in shreds. Lines cut deep into his face. His hair was in dreadlocks, streaked with gray, but it was his eyes that Lara couldn't look away from-so filled with sorrow and pain.

The hologram began to glow and the man spoke, but his words were garbled, unintelligible, a twin talk devised and scrambled between the brother and sister. Natalya's hands moved, gently weaving another unlocking spell, rearranging the notes of his voice, working to make sense of the message left long ago-and meant only for her eyes and ears. Slowly she began to see the pattern of the language, unraveling it until he made sense.

«Natalya. Beloved sister. I pray you find this message I've hidden at great cost. I dare not let Xavier ever touch you or my Lara. He's evil beyond all imagining. I no longer have the strength to fight him, although I believe I've put up a worthy battle. He uses my body to produce children he can feed on and, although I have tried, I cannot stop him.» He shuddered, pain crossing his face. «The knowledge that it is me he uses to cause such harm to others, to those I love, is far worse than any physical torment he has ever devised.»

Natalya let out a soft cry of distress. Vikirnoff circled her waist with his arm.

«When I could, I helped their mothers escape him and take the children far from him, but I do not even

have that ability left to me. I opened my soul in a moment of weakness and he owns it now, commanding me for his foul purpose and, though I am aware on some level, I cannot resist his commands. I think that amuses him so much he wants to keep me alive. Few things amuse him these days.»

«Razvan.» Natalya whispered her brother's name and turned her tear-streaked face up to Vikirnoff. «Look what Xavier did to him.»

There were scars. Horrible scars on his neck and throat, on his arms and chest, his wrists, even his legs. The links of the chains smeared in vampire blood had burned the images into his skin-Carpathian skin that didn't scar.

Natalya drew in a sobbing breath. «He is Dragonseeker. He would never turn. I should have known and believed in him. Instead I tried to kill him.»

The hologram continued. «I beg you to find my daughter. She is so like you. Tatijana and Branislava have agreed to help her escape. I've convinced them not to tell me their plans. Xavier still likes to occupy my body and I'm afraid if he does, he'll discover the plan and we won't be able to get her out of here. I dared not let Lara know too much because if Xavier suspected anything, he would torture her until she told him everything.»

He hung there, his chains cutting into his flesh, his tangled hair hanging down his back and around his shoulders. He was painfully thin. Even talking tired him out, that and the use of magic as he recorded his message to his sister. He moistened his cracked lips.

«He keeps us all drained of blood and weak. He's using me to find a way to kill the Carpathians. Everything from poisons to parasites. He has to be stopped. Find the prince and tell him, Xavier has to be stopped. But first, find my child. Her mother was not my lifemate, but the mage in me loved her dearly. She was sunshine in a world of madness. Find Lara for us and love her, Natalya. It is the last thing I ask of you.»

He looked to his left. His body shuddered and his skin took on a grayish tinge. «He's coming for me and I'll hold on as long as I can until Lara is out of his hands, and then I will find a way to force him to kill me. Natalya, do not ever come back here. And don't look for me. Find Lara and let that be enough.» He turned his head and looked straight at them.

Lara could feel his piercing gaze right through to her soul. The mental anguish he suffered was far worse than any physical torture Xavier could conceive. She didn't even realize she was sobbing until Nicolas turned her into his arms and held her close.

«I've hated him for years. I thought of him as a monster,» she whispered. «He wanted me to think of him that way so he could protect me.»

«He's alive,» Natalya said. «He's out there, Xavier's prisoner, and he's alive.»

«We don't know that,» Vikirnoff objected. «There's so much blood here,sivamet , and it is all his. If he survived this, it would be a miracle.» He caught her to him. «I know what you're thinking, but he does not want you to try to find him. Either of you.» He glanced at Lara before turning his attention back to his lifemate. «Don't you see? You and Lara are the two people he loves most and he's managed to protect you. We have to give him that. It's all he has to hang on to to keep him sane. This man has given up his life, his soul, everything he is or ever was in order to insure you and Lara have a life. You cannot take that away from him.»

«I can find him.»

«What do you think it would do to him if you fell into Xavier's hands after all of his sacrifices?»

Natalya shook her head, refusing to answer.

Lara knew she would never give her word not to go looking for her brother. Lara wouldn't either, if Nicolas asked it of her. She took a deep breath, let it out and looked cautiously around her. The others, always so confident in their power and skills, weren't as nervous being in Xavier's lair as she was. And they were growing in confidence the longer they went without anything attacking them, but the lack of resistance only made her leerier.

She stayed very still, watching the cave as the others fanned out in an attempt to find more clues. Natalya used her connection with her brother, hoping to find more messages, while Nicolas and Vikirnoff examined the devices shelved in the ice where Razvan was chained to the wall. Obviously the various instruments had been stored where he could see them to build anticipation of torture.

«Xavier is one sadistichan ku tuulmahl elidet ,» Nicolas commented.

Life-stealer, Lara translated, and thought the phrase more than appropriate. Xavier was definitely a stealer of life. He took from everyone-family, species, everyone he met-and the Carpathian meaning was so much more, not just the words, but the inflection, the darkness behind the words.

Vikirnoff bent down to examine marks gouged into the ice. «What is this, Nicolas?»

Lara followed his gaze as both men crouched beside what appeared to be claw marks running along the ice floor. Her heart jumped. The aunts in the form of dragons? Could it be? The marks were recent. Had they been there? Hope sprang even though she knew it was impossible. Both had been so ill all those years ago.

Nicolas and Vikirnoff stroked fingers along the grooves in an effort to figure out what had made those marks. Heart hammering, she crouched down beside Nicolas.

Nicolas turned his head to look at Lara as her shoulder brushed his. The scent of her enveloped him. Although she'd braided her hair, stray strands curled around her face, making him want to brush them aside just for the pleasure of feeling her satin skin and the silky texture of her hair. He had lived long, battled hard, seen beautiful places and none of it, not one thing, compared to the treasure he had been given. The gift.Lara . He whispered her name in his mind, wanting to take the anxiety from her.

Their eyes met and his heart slammed inside his chest in reaction. His belly knotted at the intensity of his love for her. The emotion seemed to grow each rising, filling him so completely, he barely recognized himself anymore. There was a gentleness in Lara he was drawn to. Maybe because he felt there was little in him. Maybe she brought out the best in him-made him a better man. Whatever it was, he ached inside for her. He thought of her, watched for every expression to chase across her face. He didn't even know exactly when it had happened to him-the growing love and need of her-but he accepted that it was only going to get stronger.

«What?» she asked, a small smile chasing away some of the shadows in her eyes.

He smiled back. «Just looking at you.»

She blushed and looked down at the claw marks, running her palm over the area to get a feel for what had made the gouges. At once she felt the taint of darkness. Gasping, she scrambled back. «It's a trap. Don't touch it. Get away from there.»

Nicolas caught her hand and pulled her to her feet. Vikirnoff and Natalya turned back to back so they faced outward, looking for an enemy.

Large icicles rained down on them from the ceiling. Others hurled themselves like spears from the walls. The men threw up shields to prevent injury or even death from the heavy, sharp, daggerlike ice formations.

The ice cave rumbled and shook. Water gushed from a crack on the wall above them, pouring down with a roar. The ice splintered and a spiderweb of tiny lines spread from ceiling to floor. Water seeped, began to trickle and then pour from the cracks, widening them into deeper crevasses. The ice quivered and then sloughed off in great chunks, crashing to the floor. The grinding and cracking noises increased, as if the walls were moving closer together.

«This chamber is mutating. We have to get out now,» Lara warned.

«They do that?» Nicolas asked, already running toward his right where a long, narrow tunnel looked more hospitable.

«This one does,» Lara said and rushed after him with Vikirnoff and Natalya close behind.

As the water filled the chamber and began to leak into the tunnel, Lara turned back and murmured her own safeguard. Let Xavier deal with a solid wall of ice several feet thick in his torture chamber.

Water that runs, shift and grow, rise high now to fill these walls. The water began to form layer after layer, growing quickly into a block of ice as big as a tower.

Satisfied that the water had halted at the entrance to the tunnel and began refreezing, she turned and ran after the others. As she ran, she heard the steady drip of water again, the same monotonous pattern she'd noted earlier. She could actually hear each individual drop plop into a puddle. A shiver went down her spine.

Something isn't right, Nicolas. Xavier's chambers know we're intruders and we're in for a fight. Watch everything, no matter how trivial. That's his specialty-the subtle, creeping up on you before you notice anything.

Out of the narrow tunnel they found themselves in a much larger room, this one intensely beautiful with ice sculptures and prisms and many orbs. Lara halted, her heart pounding. She had been in this room many times. She glanced over at the tall pillars, terrified she would see Xavier standing there with his grotesque mask of a face, his fierce eyes and the twisted smug smirk he always seemed to wear.

Shadows moved and stretched. She gasped and stepped back.

«What is it, Lara?» Natalya asked. «What do you feel?»

Lara shook her head, twisting and turning, spinning in a circle to see everything-everywhere. «Apparitions. Shadows. We shouldn't be here. Through there,» she gestured toward another narrow

tube, «is his laboratory.»

«We need to take a look at it,» Vikirnoff said, moving toward it.

«Stop!» Desperation was in her voice. «Don't take another step. Don't breathe hard.»

The others looked warily around the room. Water dripped, a steady plop into the puddle forming at the base of the wall beside a wide column. Lara turned toward the sound. Another loud drop hit a second puddle, this one closer to her, right near the tallest pillar. She stared into the water as rings expanded outward toward the edges of the small pool of water.

«Elements. Water. He's all around us. He's everywhere.»

Nicolas glanced at her, alarmed by her rambling. «Lara!» He said her name sharply to snap her out of it. «He isn't here.»

«You don't understand,» Lara said. «He's here. He locks himself into things, into elements. He can travel that way. You don't know him.»

Nicolas moved cautiously to wrap his arm around her. He was worried about her and it showed on his face. «Lara, monsters always appear larger and much more indestructible when you are a child. He may have been here recently…»

«I smell his tobacco.»

Natalya inhaled, shook her head and shrugged. «If he is, Lara, he's hiding from us.»

The men were cautious as they made their way across the open floor. Natalya and Lara followed, both watching above and around them. The water dripped monotonously. As they approached the archway leading to the next series of open caverns, they could see just inside the entrance. Water sprayed from the ceiling, the droplets falling into a series of pools. Each pool was a bit lower than the first and each was a different color.

Tiny frogs croaked, the notes mournful. A dark red stain dripped down from the ice and dropped into one of the pools, staining it a deep crimson. Several of the frogs stuck to the side of the wall, long tongues dipping in the blood, licking at it as it ran down. Although there was no breeze, each pool of water rippled slightly, as if something lived in them. The scent of blood and bodily fluids was heavy in the air.

«This is it,» Lara said. «This is what you've been looking for, Nicolas. He mutates them here. He's experimenting with extremophiles and this is where he tests and corrupts them for his own purpose. We've found his laboratory.»

Chapter 18

Standing at the entrance of the laboratory, watching the light spray of icy water come down from the ceiling to feed the pools, Nicolas felt his gut tighten. If Lara was right, and Xavier was experimenting with

microbes, then it was the mage who had virtually brought the Carpathian people to near extinction and none of them had ever suspected the extent of his true treachery all those centuries ago. As if sensing his need, Lara slipped her hand into his. He closed his fingers tightly around hers and drew in a deep, shuddering breath.

«Without you, Lara, he might have succeeded.»

Vikirnoff looked over their shoulders. «Is that spray natural?»

Steam curled over several of the pools, as if they were somehow warm and the icy spray created a foggy condensation. Droplets froze on the walls and congealed in the trail of blood.

«It appears so,» Lara said, «but you can't trust anything in these chambers to be what it appears.»

She held out her hands, palms out. The spray from the ceiling was so fine, it appeared more mist than anything else. «It's ice,» she said, «tiny particles of ice.»

«There has to be a purpose for it,» Natalya added. She also put her palms out to test the «feel» of the spray. «Are you getting anything?»

Lara frowned. «Yes, I feel Xavier's hand in this. There appears to be subtle influence in the mist, but I can't tell what it is yet. Why can't you feel it?»

«I can in the outer chambers, but it was difficult,» Natalya said. «But in this room, I wouldn't have even been able to tell you Xavier had been here.» She looked around. «And I have to say, this is creepy, like in those spooky old movies where the mad scientist conjures up mutated zombies. These are all vats with extremely disgusting gunk bubbling in them.»

Nicolas stepped into the room, waited until the mist touched his face and arms before signaling the others inside. «It's cold, but I expected that.»

«The room isn't cold,» Lara pointed out. «In fact, that pool over there is steaming. I'll bet it's fed by an underground volcano. Xavier's tapped into something hot.»

«Wouldn't that kill anything he's trying to grow in here?» Natalya asked.

«Extremophiles are called just that because they live in extreme conditions.» Lara looked around the room. «And it looks to me as if he's testing every condition. Hot. Cold. Acid. Blood. Salt. Minerals. You name it, he has it in here. This is his breeding program.»

«Why all the frogs?» Vikirnoff asked.

Lara approached the little creatures, ignoring Nicolas's restraining hand. Again she placed her hand just inches from them. «They're male. All of them.»

Nicolas's jaw tightened. «This is where it started then. He found a way for the microbe to force male offspring and suppress female.»

Lara indicated the first pool. «See those stalks with that gelatinous mass, the tiny black specks wiggling inside? I'm betting those are all male. He's still working at perfecting his methods, I see.»

Things can always be improved.The hated voice whispered in her ear and Lara spun around, eyes wide with terror, expecting to see the mage standing behind her with his smug expression and his hate-filled silvery eyes.

She drew in a deep breath and pressed a hand to her thudding heart. He had always said that when he injected something into Razvan's body. The memory poured into her mind, the image vivid and sharp. Razvan fighting, sweating blood, her mother crying while Razvan writhed and convulsed on the ice floor. Bile rose. She was going to be sick.

Nicolas pressed his hand against her stomach, his mind merging with hers.I am here. He cannot harm you, Lara. You are not the little helpless child anymore . He poured strength and love into her mind.

«I'm sorry. I can do this. We have to do this. I want to find my aunts.» Lara lifted her chin and managed a faint smile. «Be careful in here. I don't trust anything.» Her chest felt heavy and she pressed her hand against it hard as she took another nervous look around. He was there. Maybe not physically, but Xavier permeated the room. His evil nature seemed permanently pressed into the layers of ice.

She took another deep breath to steady herself and forced her body closer to the tanks. One was filled with fluid and when she sniffed it, she drew back horrified. «I think this is amniotic fluid. Where would he get that?» The one beside it was blood. The blood coming from above ran steadily into the pool. Dense clusters of organisms floated in both pools.

«Where's that blood coming from?»

Nicolas stepped closer and sniffed it. «That is from the deer the bats took down earlier, but look at the other trails, Lara. This one has two separate blood trails. They are older, but the blood is Carpathian.»

Natalya waved them to the corner wall. «This is Razvan's blood. It's not as old as those trails and it also goes into that pool.»

«How old do you think Razvan's blood trail is, Natalya?» Vikirnoff asked.

She shook her head. «Not very old. A day or two. Just like in that chamber, his blood is congealed, frozen even, but it isn't old.»

«Then he's been here recently, which means Xavier has been here. Right under our noses,» Nicolas said. «He's been conducting experiments and sending his little microbe army after us this entire time. How could he hide from us?»

«He's had centuries to perfect his methods, and he appears to be sharing them with vampires,» Vikirnoff pointed out.

There was a small silence while all around the ice seemed alive, creaking and groaning. Lara looked around her. «The deeper the ice cave, the more unstable the ice, unless guarded by magic. Ice caves never stay the same, not like this one. Water can pour in from a melt above, creating a very strong waterfall, and then a few days later, when it's cold again, that can be completely frozen. And it moves. The walls move on you. You measure them to make certain they aren't closing on you. This ice is very stable in spite of the fact that we are hundreds of feet down. The walls move when he wants them to move. He's been here.»

Her lungs burned. She realized she was breathing shallowly. She detested this place and she wanted out.

«Lara,» Nicolas said, «can these two other blood trails be your aunts? I do not recognize the scent, other than knowing it is Dragonseeker.»

Natalya hurried over, pressing both hands to her chest tightly. «I did not know them. I thought them long dead.»

Lara felt sluggish, reluctant to move. «If that's their blood, we should be able to track it back to them. He kept them weak and sick because he was afraid of them, but he wanted their blood and he drained it from them often.»

Nicolas whipped his head around to look at her. «Lara! What is wrong with you?» He looked from her to the other two. «Something is wrong. None of us are breathing right.»

Lara tried to clear her foggy brain. «A natural hazard. He would use the elements and it would be simple.» She lifted her face to look at the ceiling and spray hit her. «Nicolas, we have to get out of here. Warm up your lungs. He's freezing our lungs using the ice crystals. The particles are so tiny and we inhale them.»

Nicolas yanked her out of the laboratory and into the next chamber. It was free of the icy spray. Vikirnoff and Natalya followed them out. Nicolas turned to her, his hands pressing on either side of her body, spreading warmth through her lungs and chest. Pins and needles ran along her skin, but the terrible pressure was gone.

«We were lucky,» she said. «Ice particles in the lungs can kill you very fast. And suffocation is a lousy way to go.» She rubbed Nicolas's arm. «Can you track the blood trail of my aunts?»

«They are above us and toward our left. We go in that direction.»

Nicolas took the lead, choosing a wider tunnel leading upward. The ice was banded tightly with white and blue thin stripes. Crackles and grumblings and the ever-present trickling of water were constant companions. The weight of ice and rock pressed down heavily on them. As they hurried, the floor became more and more uneven, as if the earth had pushed chunks of ice upward. They took to the air, skimming over the surface, following the twisting tunnel upward.

Several other galleries opened, but other than glancing inside, the four continued upward. They'd been inside Xavier's lair for sometime: They needed to find Tatijana and Branislava and get out. The shower of ice was constant, small pieces breaking off and raining down on them, so it was necessary to keep a shield above them. As the floor sloped up, icicles began to vibrate. Water dripped faster. One wall began to web into tiny cracks. Water trickled out.

«I detest this place,» Vikirnoff said. «We should just get out of here.»

Natalya scowled at him. «I'm not going to leave without finding my aunts' bodies. You saw the blood. What if they're still alive?»

Nicolas muttered something foul under his breath. «They are not alive. After all this time, it would be impossible. This is a fool's errand and you are going to get us killed.»

Vikirnoff whirled around, baring his teeth. «This was not Natalya's idea.Your lifemate dragged us here.»

Nicolas responded with aggression, his black eyes smoldering with red flames, with the need for action. «Do not use that tone when speaking of my lifemate.»

Lara frowned as she stepped between the two men. With the ice spiders weaving luminescent threads to light the way, the silky strings cast shadows not only along the blue and white ice, but over both men's faces, and they seemed dark and sinister in the shimmering glow. Along the wall, the shadows seemed to move of their own accord, growing and extending, reshaping with each movement within the tunnel.

Lara lifted her hands palm out and sang to her spiders.Tiny spiders of crystalline ice, spinning threads to make us light, throw and cast your finespun threads, digging deeper into what we dread. Enter the ice, search it well, reveal to me what's hidden by spell .

Dark streaks appeared along the ice wall and crisscrossed the tunnel itself. She drew in her breath. «He's controlling emotions. It's Xavier. Don't speak. Don't think. Keep your mind blank while I find a way to counter this.»

Again she lifted her hands and wove a counterspell.That which has been cast to control and be hidden, can be undone by the song of a maiden .

Within the icy walls, a face and form of a young girl began to take shape, and then a perfectly formed ice sculpture of a young girl emerged. She appeared to be reaching down into the ice. As she bent over, she began to sing and the notes appeared like a cold wind, blowing across the walls and up across the tube itself, coating the dark streaks with ropes of ice so that each streak froze solid. Her notes pitched higher and higher until the frequency shattered the ice ropes and they fell, harmless to the floor. The maiden climbed back into the ice and disappeared.

Nicolas grinned at Vikirnoff. «That's my woman.»

Natalya smiled at her, pride on her face. «You really know your stuff.»

«The aunts taught me everything. It's all them.» Technically, they were her great-aunts and Natalya's aunts, but Lara would never think of them any other way. «I have to find them.»

«We will,sivamet , we all want to find them and bring them home,» Nicolas assured.

Still the shadows on the walls continued to grow and lengthen. The male Carpathians put the women between them, deadly snarls on their faces. The danger in the tunnel was palpable. The shadows swirled on the blue-white walls, pushing through the layers of ice so that smoke drifted out.

Natalya gasped. She gripped Lara's wrist. «I know what this is.»

Both looked at one another, horror on their faces. «Shadow warriors,» they whispered together.

Nicolas drew in his breath and looked up and down the long tunnel. They were in the middle of the tube and all along the walls, in front and behind them, smoke began to push through the cracks in the ice. «Not even the most seasoned hunter can hope to escape the shadow guardians,» he said. «We have to get to the next chamber before they emerge from the wall. If we are caught in between them, we die here.»

«Movement attracts them,» Natalya pointed out.

«I would have to say they already know we are here,» Nicolas replied.

«If we can get to a safer place and give Natalya some time,» Vikirnoff said, «then she can perhaps deal with them, but it takes time.»

«I could because I had mage blood running in me, I think,» Natalya said. «I'm not as certain I could control them now.»

«I have mage blood,» Lara said.

«Talk later! Run now!» Nicolas caught Lara's wrist and, without waiting for an argument, put on a burst of preternatural speed.

Vikirnoff and Natalya stayed right on their heels, all four blurred they moved so fast, but the action caused a reaction from the whirling shadows. The dark smoke poured even faster from the ice wall and began to form into life-sized apparitions of swirling smoke, shadow and substance.

They barely made it to the entrance to the next chamber before the shadow warriors were after them, gliding silently through the twisting ice tube, swords raised high. The smoke swirled and shifted, often revealing an armor-clad warrior, face obscured completely, but sword gleaming and polished.

Nicolas kept moving to the opposite side of the chamber, heading for the left entrance, but several warriors spread out quickly through the room, cutting off that escape route. The only choice they had was a narrow right passage, still leading up, but away from the direction they wanted to go.

Shadow warriors were made of whatever elements were available, molecules and water. Once the most skilled and honored fighters of their time, their spirits were ripped from them and forced into service by the dark mage. They were already dead, insubstantial and nearly impossible to defeat in battle.

The warriors fanned out and the Carpathians retreated farther into the narrow corridor of ice. The men kept the women firmly behind them, walking backward, facing the enemy.

«They'll have to face us one at a time,» Nicolas said with some satisfaction.

Natalya tried to stem the flow of shadows into the room. She halted and raised her arms.

Hear me now, dark ones, torn from your resting place. I call on earth, wind, fire, water and spirit.

The warriors should have put down their swords and waited for commands, but instead, they rushed toward the two women, the smoke going from gray to black.

«That's not working so well without the mage blood,» Natalya said. «Run!»

The Carpathians whirled and ran again, using their blurring speed. Lara had a difficult time keeping up, although Nicolas was pulling her along and her feet didn't really touch the ground. She kept forgetting to regulate her body temperature and it was so cold, she ached and shivered continually. Her legs and arms felt stiff and her chest hurt from the cold. As they continued up the narrow corridor, the air changed, warming a bit, which gave her some relief, but she worried with the temperature a few degrees warmer, the ice might melt.

Lara glanced over her shoulder and saw that the warriors had finally come to a halt. Perhaps the holding spell Natalya had cast had finally taken, or they were guardians of a specific area and could not go any

farther.

«They aren't following us,» she announced.

The others stopped to look back. The warriors had halted at the entrance to the tube and stood, smoke whirling around them, swords raised.

«Keep moving,» Nicolas said, his hand on the small of Lara's back. «Who is to say they will not attack again? Let's keep going, but look for a corridor leading to our left and we can take that and get back on track to find your aunts.»

Lara checked the ice surrounding them. Even a few degrees difference in temperature could trigger large chunks of ice to come flying out of or off of the wall. This tube was narrower than most and lined heavily with rows of dagger-sharp icicles. On either side of them, above and below, were two solid rows of icy stilettos in strange colors of faded brown, very unusual for an ice cave. The floor was covered in round ice pods, also very unusual. The slightly raised bumps were everywhere, as if some strange form of bacteria grew along the floor of the tunnel.

As they continued, it grew darker and she realized the ice spiders were not emerging from the walls to light the way with their luminescent silk. The floor curved upward and with each step there were more of the pods and the temperature increased.

«Stop.» Lara took a careful look around.

She had good night vision, but the Carpathians could see in the dark without any light and it looked as if a few more steps would take them over the slight rise and into pitch blackness. Before she went blind and had to rely on the others, she wanted to check out the stability of the ice. She noted two particularly sharpened, curved icicles-one on either side of them near the opening-were dripping. Each drop was yellowish in color and formed a small pool before running along the base of the icicles on the floor. The liquid fed the small ice pods, slowly staining them a pale amber. As the pods went amber, she detected movement, tiny microbes wriggling inside the pods.

She swore under her breath. «This isn't good.»

Nicolas had continued forward a few steps in order to put the light far enough behind him for his night vision to kick in. At the top of the slope he peered down into the darkened tunnel.

«The sounds are different,» Natalya said. «I don't like this.»

Vikirnoff moved up beside Nicolas, surveying the only way open to them. «What do you think?» Both scanned all around them continuously.

«Something is down there waiting for us,» Nicolas said. «It is unfamiliar to me, but I feel movement. I think the shadow warriors herded us into this tube for a reason and the reason is crouched in the dark, ready to attack.»

Vikirnoff glanced over his shoulder. The shadow warriors had not melted away. They were holding their position and waiting for something.

Lara crouched down beside the pods, studying them carefully and then, careful not to step on them, examined the double rows of brownish icicles. She passed her palm over the formations without touching

them. «These icicles are swarming with bacteria, but that's not why they're such an odd color.» She leaned closer and sniffed delicately. «This is diluted blood. At least I think it is.»

«Whatever is moving down there is coming this way,» Nicolas warned.

For the first time since entering the cave, he felt truly trapped. Whatever was creeping toward them out of the dark, sounded, to his ears, as if it was not alone. His vision cleared as the thing got closer and at first he thought it was several large snakes, thick like anacondas. The heads were large and each opened its mouth wide, forked tongue testing the air, sniffing for prey. The snake heads looked suspiciously like the ones taken from Terry's leg.

«How many?» Vikirnoff asked. «I'm counting six visually, but hearing more behind them.»

«It's only one,» Nicolas corrected. «One with tentacles. I think it's planning on dragging us into its mouth.»

«We are already in its mouth,» Lara said.

There was a small silence while they all looked around the tube. The double rows of bloodstained icicles were teeth. The two curved teeth held venom. The mouth was a breeding ground for bacteria, all kinds of strains, many fatal. The bumps along the tongue were the nesting pods. And the tentacles reaching for them would pull them back where they could be digested.

«Vikirnoff and I will hold the tentacles back, but we have to get out of here. Find a way through the shadow warriors, Lara. You're mage.»

She rolled her eyes. «Whatever happened to your women-not-fighting campaign?»

«No, we just have to fight a legion of shadow warriors,» Natalya said sarcastically. «No biggie.»

«You've done it before,» Vikirnoff pointed out. «I think you can handle it.»

«Are you certain you don't want to impregnate me and send me home while you play Superman? Because I'm all for it,» Natalya said.

«The snake heads have stopped sniffing and they're coming for us,» Nicolas said. «You might want to get on those shadow warriors right now.»

«As my absolute hero inThe Abyss would say, 'Keep your pantyhose on.' « Natalya sniffed indignantly. «Come on, Lara, let's show them how to fight a shadow warrior.»

Lara reluctantly followed her aunt back toward the double rows of teeth. «Be careful, don't step on the pods. I think this is parasite breeding ground, not the microbes. I'm fairly certain that laboratory was for the extremophiles. He collects them from the ice and tests them in the first few pools, mutates them and sends them into the blood and amniotic fluids so they learn to survive in those conditions. And then he lets the glacier take them down to the soil where the Carpathians rest. This thing, whatever it is, breeds his parasites. Look at them wiggling inside the pods.» She was very suspicious that the yellow-colored venom feeding the pods was the same liquid injected into Razvan.

«Oh dear,» Natalya quipped. «I do believe we re inside mommy dearest.»

The tiny maggots became excited, even agitated when they stepped close to the pods.

Behind them, the first attack came. Nicolas and Vikirnoff fashioned swords of ice, spreading out to give themselves room to maneuver, hovering inches from the floor in order to keep from stepping on the pods littered all over what had to be the creatures tongue. The huge heads bobbed and ducked, slashing from side to side. The attack was well-coordinated, the heads moving in a mesmerizing pattern, like a cobra hypnotizing its prey.

Both women steadied themselves and picked their way through the maze of bumps to stand just in back of the bacteria-encrusted teeth. There were flashes of light, swearing, a spatter of blood along the walls that sent the parasitic worms into a frenzy. The floor swayed and bucked beneath their feet. More venom dripped from the fangs and ran down along the floor.

«Remind me to call down the lightning to make certain we're clean before we go back to the village,» Natalya said.

Lara was grateful Natalya thought they'd actually get out of the ice cave alive.

«Look out, Vikirnoff,» Nicolas shouted. He'd severed a head and blood filled with parasites spewed across the walls and floors. «Do not let them touch you. Lara, Natalya, keep out of their way.»

Lara sent a scowl over her shoulder. «Were concentrating here. Do you think this is easy?»

«We can't kill them, they're already dead,» Natalya said, thinking aloud. «We can't freeze them, they came out of the ice.»

«We should be able to get their attention and wrestle the command away from Xavier. His way is always simplicity. He rips their soul from them and takes command, much like he did to my father,» Lara mused. «So there's no loyalty there. They're enslaved against their will.»

«Lara!» Nicolas called. «It's grown another head. What are you doing up there?»

«Playing dolls,» Lara called back, a bite of irritation in her voice. «This isn't easy, Nicolas. I need to concentrate.»

«You can do it,» Natalya encouraged. «You have a feel for him and I've noticed the ice responds to you.»

Lara hadn't considered that. She was at home in ice caves. They felt natural to her and the mage spells flooded her mind, faster and faster the more she used them. The aunts had prepared her for any trouble, it seemed, and more than ever she was determined to bring their bodies home. In life, maybe they'd been prisoners, but not in death.

«Keep the venom and parasites off of me, Natalya,» she said.

«You got it.»

Lara took a breath and let it out, lifting her hands and weaving a pattern in the air directed at the shadow warriors.

Ancient warriors of the past, who stood with honor and favored tasks. Now controlled by the dark and unseen, I call to you-listen to me. Bound by darkness that has no honor, I call to your spirit-fight once again as warriors. I send to you strands of strength, allowing you the ability to

think. I ask a boon and release your souls, stand as one that has been froze.

The shadow warriors froze, dropping their swords, points toward the icy floor. Through the swirling smoke, Lara caught glimpses of the red pits for eyes set into black masks where their faces should have been. Facing the mirror of ice, the warriors remained frozen, staring sightlessly into that which reflected their empty souls. It saddened her that these men, who had lived their entire lives with honor, could be commanded by one so evil as Xavier.

Lara lifted her hands once more and began to weave a pattern, this one even more intricate and detailed than the one before. This time when she chanted, her voice rang with respect.

Those who have suffered evil wrongs, who have fought in battles standing strong, look into the ice and see, that which may be reclaimed by thee.

Holding her breath, she waited as each warrior began to move, awakening as if from a long sleep. They stretched their arms toward the mirror of ice.

Lara continued to chant softly.Warriors of strength, time and valor, take back that which is yours and ascend with honor .

The ice began to form and give birth to floating lights, each a different color and shape. As the lights descended, the warriors stepped into them, glowing for a moment. Then each, bowing low toward Lara, simply vanished.

The moment the last of the shadow warriors disappeared, Lara called to Nicolas. «The way is clear. We have to get out of here. Don't step on the pods.»

Vikirnoff and Nicolas joined their lifemates, hurdling over the snapping teeth to get out of the mother parasite.

«That was well done, Lara,» Nicolas said, sending a small salute after the warriors. «You honored them and rightly so.»

«What are we going to do with that?» Vikirnoff asked, as the hideous creature snapped her jaws at them. She couldn't move, frozen as she was, her body part of the ice cave.

«Destroy it, Lara,» Nicolas said. «I cannot call down the lightning here, but you can destroy that breeding machine. It sits there waiting for victims to feed to its young. You command all the elements.»

«So do you.» She tipped her head back and studied his face. He wanted this for her-to feel powerful and in control. He wanted her to know she could kill the monster that preyed on his people. She nodded. «I wish we'd had time to think of a way to destroy his laboratory.»

Nicolas's smile held no humor, he simply bared his teeth in a wolfish way. «I'm giving it some thought. It is necessary to see where he is slipping the infected microbes into the soil.»

«He has to be using the glacier to deliver them to either the soil or the water,» Lara said. «My guess would be the soil because the villagers don't seem to be infected.»

«We will find it now that we know what we are looking for,» Nicolas said with confidence. «But in the meantime, destroy that creature.»

Lara looked back at the ice monster with its bloodstained teeth and dripping venom. Xavier had created the perfect mother for his parasites.

Lara needed fire, and air to feed the fire. She lifted her arms and faced the monster, while the others stood back, knowing Nicolas had given her a perfect opportunity to thwart Xavier. Destroying his parasite factory would set him back a great deal.

«This is for Razvan and Gerald and Terry,» she whispered softly and held up her arms, hands sketching a pattern in the air.

I call on the power of the west, air hears my call I draw on the power of the east, fire come to me.

A rushing of wind could be heard as small, flickering particles began to gather, swirling round and round, creating a wind tunnel. The faster it turned, the higher the flames leaped, gathering more and more particles until it became one large tube of fire. Lara gave a flick of her hand and shot the fire funnel straight and hard at the monster breeding the horrific parasitic worms, enveloping it entirely.

That which is mother and bound by deed, let fire consume the parasites that feed.

The great jaws gaped open in a silent scream and the fire hissed and fought against the ice, blazing white-hot, incinerating and melting the creature fast.

Nicolas blew Lara a kiss. «That ismy woman,» he said. «Let's get out of here.»

They used their blurring speed to move through the passageways. Xavier's ice caves were well aware of their presence and were beginning to fight back in earnest. The sun would be rising soon and they had to leave. They needed to find the bodies of the aunts and get out before they were trapped by their own weaknesses.

They used blurring speed, not touching the ground, moving fast through the twisting, sometimes very narrow tunnels, always going to the left and up.

Lara's heart began to pound.This is it. This is the chamber where I last saw them and they helped me to escape .

Immediately, Nicolas halted. Natalya and Vikirnoff stopped as well, looking around.

Lara recognized the cathedral ceilings and the two rows of tall, intricate crystal-and-ice-carved pillars running the length of the room. Globes of various colors sat in niches built into the columns. Life-sized ice sculptures of various mythical creatures were scattered around the room, looking like fierce guards. The sculptures had frightened her as a child, especially when she'd seen them come alive at Xavier's whim and stalk her across the floor. Set inside chiseled archways were bloodred pyramids that gave off an unholy glow.

«Don't look into the globes, especially the cloudy ones. They come alive and can trap you.» Lara reached for Nicolas's hand, needing the contact.

«Natalya and I have been here before. I pushed the ice through the opening to close it in order to prevent the prince from coming down here to aid us,» Vikirnoff said. «Xavier had set a trap for Mikhail using vampires to help him. We were forced to close the opening to protect him, and Natalya and I

barely made it out alive.»

«We went through the floor,» Natalya said. «He has trapdoors built in to escape.»

Beneath the ice floor was a starburst, squares and pyramid pattern that ran through the floor. In the center of each shape were hieroglyphics, each symbol carved deep into the various shapes.

«And I saw the dragons encased in ice,» Natalya said. «The ice around them was several feet thick. They looked like water paintings. At first we didn't realize there were two of them.»

Lara nodded to her right. «There's an alcove just through there.» Now she could barely breathe. Would the bodies still be there? And if so, where had the blood come from? They couldn't still be alive, could they?

«Do you want me to look for you?» Nicolas asked.

She shook her head. This was her quest-her promise. She would do this herself. She squeezed his hand and let go, straightening her spine and forcing her body to put one foot in front of the other. Vikirnoff, Natalya and Nicolas fanned out to protect her, watching the room closely for an attack-certain one was imminent.

Lara crossed over the ice squares, ignoring the horrific memories pouring into her mind. Deliberately she reached for the good-and there had been good-all because of two women. She'd never seen them in their human form, only the dragons, but their voices had kept her sane, made her feel loved, taught her everything she knew and then some. These women had been her only real family and she desperately wanted to bring them home. Xavier couldn't have them any longer.

Please. Please. Her throat felt swollen. Her heart hammered loudly. Her chest was tight and her eyes burned.Please . It was a litany. She wasn't certain she could face not ever knowing. They had done so much for her, kept her sane, given her values, taught her right from wrong, given her a chance at life, sending her out into the world with as much knowledge as they could give her. They had loved her, and because of them, she knew what love was.

I am with you, Nicolas assured.

She realized he was merged with her, his strength and love flowing into her, bolstering her. Lara clung to him for a moment and then rounded the corner to enter the alcove. Her breath exploded out of her lungs and silent tears tracked down her face. She could see Aunt Bronnie, one beautiful emerald eye staring at her through the thick wall of ice. Scales covered the serpentine neck and ran up the wedge-shaped head. One claw was outstretched, had obviously been digging at the ice before she froze. Behind her, shielded as usual by Branislava, was Tatijana, her body almost impossible to see.

They're still here, Nicolas. If I can get their bodies out of the ice, can you float them? They're enormously large and impossible to carry.

Whatever you need.

He wouldn't tell her the cost to his strength while he was keeping her warm and scanning constantly for the enemy. He never would and she knew that. She also knew it was getting closer to dawn. They had to get out.

Lara stood back away from the wall and lifted her hands. This would be the most important spell she would ever cast. She had to command her spiders to bore through the ice, to cut huge chunks away to release the dragons, but she also needed to stabilize the ice so it wouldn't collapse in on them.

The ice constantly groaned, reminding her just how unstable it really was. First, she needed to know if the walls were moving, because she was fairly certain they were. She took a breath. She needed a web stretched taut from wall to wall to warn her if the passage was narrowing.

Tiny spiders of crystalline ice, weave your web, make it tight, cast your silk from wall to wall, making sure no ice shall fall. Spin your patterns, weave them tight, watch your lines command the ice.

The spiders raced out of the ice, spread across the thick walls and began to weave and spin their luminescent threads until the shiny, glowing web was stretched in an intricate pattern from wall to wall. Satisfied, Lara wove a pattern with her hands, graceful and loving movements, tracing each weave carefully, her voice thick with emotion as she commanded the spiders to begin boring holes into the ice all around the dragons, like a giant cutout.

Spiders, spiders, form a line, use your skills, cut-bore-and bind.

The spiders swarmed over the wall encasing the dragons. It took some time to bore several feet inward and around such a large area.

«Hurry, Lara. The globes in here are changing colors, swirling with what looks like blood through each orb,» Natalya called. «We have to get out of here.»

Lara refused to hurry her next spell. This mattered too much. She wouldn't chance losing the aunts when she was so close. She added a holding spell for the ice, knowing it wouldn't last too long against the tremendous pressure of the glacier and Xavier's wrath that she could already feel in the ice itself.

I call thee water in frozen form, hold your place though cracked and worn. Tiny particles of water, ice meld and mold, fit and splice.

The ominous creaking and rumbling faded to whispers, but the sound of water continued to surround them. This was it then. She took another breath and with all the hope and love and knowledge she had, she wove her next spell to open the ice block the spiders had cut for her.

Thrice around this ice do bounds evil sink into the ground. Little spiders of crystalline ice, hold your webs, keep them tight. Cast them round, protect and be, so I may reach those who sleep.

The spiders wove their silken fire strands through each bore hold and pulled the threads tight, sawing back and forth until chunks of ice broke free. They continued to work until they exposed the dragons, and then they carved holes around the bodies until the dragons slipped free.

The dragon carcasses slid out of their ice prison, still frozen, hitting the floor with a cracking sound.

Chapter 19

Lara crouched down beside the dragons, weeping. She put one hand on each of the ice-cold necks, bowed her head and whispered to them softly. «I'm setting you free. Just the way you did me, he doesn't have you any longer.» Maybe it wouldn't matter to them in death, but it did to her. She would never want Xavier to have any part of her-in any form.

«Lara! Look at the web,» Natalya said sharply. She peeked around the corner of the alcove and gasped aloud, staring in awe and dismay at the two dragon carcasses.

The ice spiders were making a mass exodus, rushing across the thick ice wall. The web they'd spun tight sagged in the middle by a few inches, but that was steadily increasing. The creaks and rumbling in the ice increased to an almost angry roar.

Nicolas rounded the corner of the alcove at a run and slid to a halt so fast that Vikirnoff, on his heels, bumped into him.

«You got them out,» Vikirnoff said. «You found them and got them out.»

Nicolas frowned and walked around the two bodies. He glanced at Vikirnoff. «They really are in dragon form.»

«You knew they were,» Lara said, «I told you. And you were with me…» She trailed off, glancing at Vikirnoff and Natalya, who were walking around the two dragons. Lara stroked loving caresses over the scales, usually shimmering with iridescent color, but now drab and dull.

«But they are part mage. How can they shift?» Nicolas murmured aloud.

«You said I could shift,» Lara pointed out.

«You can, as long as I'm holding the image for you. Your Dragon-seeker blood is strong but…» He trailed off and looked at Vikirnoff.

Vikirnoff crouched down beside the two women. «Natalya, reach for them.»

«I don't understand.»

«Lara should. She's spoken numerous times with them telepathically,» Nicolas said. «Lara, reach deep along the path you used to speak to them. Call them to you.»

«You can't possibly think they're alive. Look at them. They're frozen solid. They're thin and drab.»

«They are not mage,» Nicolas said. «They are Carpathian. Fully Carpathian. How that came to be, I do not know, but they could not have survived all these years frozen, encased in ice,-and you said they were kept in ice even when you were a child-unless they are Carpathian. Mage would die. I do not know how I missed that. How any of us did. How could they be caught in the bodies of dragons?»

«You're saying they're still alive?»

«It is a possibility, yes,» Nicolas said.

The ice continued to protest, crackling as icicles rained down on them, as large chunks sloughed off to

crash to the floor. The trickle of water became louder.

Lara cleared her mind and reached. She knew the path intimately, had clung to it as a child, her only stability in a world of absolute madness. She reached with a mixture of love and hope.Aunt Bronnie. Auntie Tatijana. Can you hear me ?

There was a weak stirring in her mind. Lara lost all color and gave a little cry. «I felt them. They're there. I felt them.»

Nicolas looked grimly at Vikirnoff and then to the spiderweb, which was now sagging by at least a foot more. «I'm calling in aid. Let us go now.»

Warrior to warrior! We have great need. We have found two of our women in the ice caves and we are under attack.

Nicolas sent the call and immediately levitated the dragon's bodies. «Let's get out of here. Vikirnoff, you take the lead, I'll hold the rear.»

Vikirnoff glanced back at him in total understanding, and then turned and ran. The look that passed between them said a multitude of things. Nicolas was entrusting the other half of his soul to Vikirnoff. He was telling him not to guard his back, but to take the women to safety no matter what happened behind him. Vikirnoff accepted the responsibility of the women and also the consequences should Nicolas die in the ice cave protecting their flank.

Natalya grabbed Lara's wrist and yanked her into a blurring run, racing after Vikirnoff. Behind her, the bodies of the two dragons burst through the tunnels, sheering bits of ice off the walls.

Nicolas ran behind them, his senses fully alert for any movement, any danger. He had given Vikirnoff the responsibility of getting the women out of the caves. An army of Carpathian males were on the way and they would first go to defend the women so Vikirnoff's job was to get them as close to a meeting point as fast as possible. Relieved of watching out for the women, Nicolas was left with only one task. He would fight whatever came at them and see to it that Vikirnoff had the time needed to meet up with their relief forces.

The creaking and groaning grew to rumbles of protests. The rumbling became a roar of fury. The ice cave came alive, furious that they were escaping with Xavier's greatest treasures. Thunder crashed, echoing through the chambers, shaking the walls all around them. The pressure of the glacier, the weight of the ice itself, along with Xavier's wrath, forced out huge chunks of ice, squares and rectangles, several feet thick and wide, from the ice wall. The chunks shot out across the chamber, destroying everything in their path.

Vikirnoff shepherded the women back down along the tube winding through the chambers, leading back toward the entrance where they had originally entered the cave. Large chunks of ice slammed down, the caves crumbling as they ran. Nicolas waved his hand and stayed the huge weight, holding the ice chunks just the few seconds so the women could run through, towing the dragon bodies and then hastily staying the next series. It took tremendous concentration and timing to stay just ahead of the small group while he ran, too.

Water went from a trickle to a continuous pour, so that from every wall and the ceiling water flowed into their escape tunnel.

It will only take minutes for this to become a waterfall, Lara warned.The force of the water alone can kill. It's designed to sweep anything surviving back into his lair .

Just run!

Nicolas had already figured out what the next attack would be. He was beginning to know his enemy. Xavier was mage, and mage, like Carpathian, used the elements and whatever was simplest and available. Xavier was a master at simplicity. Water was turning torrential, hammering down in a long fall from several steep places to roar to the floor.

The water kicked up an icy spray, the particles tiny such as Xavier had in his laboratory, so the danger was inhaling and freezing the lungs. It was Vikirnoff he warned, because he had to shut himself off from the danger to Lara in order to be one hundred percent focused on keeping them all alive.

Mask everyone.

Vikirnoff did so ruthlessly, not asking, simply constructing and fitting masks to everyone as they ran. Twice Natalya glanced over her shoulder as if she might fall back to help protect the flank, but Vikirnoff said something sharply and she renewed her efforts to drag Lara through the tunnel and with Lara, the two dragons.

The water burst through every wall, broke through the ceiling. Nicolas used the huge chunks of ice against it, hastily building ice dams several feet thick, staying the water from filling the tunnel. The waterfalls were cold, so it was the battering rather than the temperature that took the toll on the ice dam.

Vikirnoff veered off through a series of chambers. The moment they exited the tube, Nicolas sealed it-a temporary hold, but he only needed to buy them minutes. As he raced after the women and Vikirnoff, Nicolas noted the change in the feel of his surroundings. His scanning of the chambers ahead picked up movement, although nothing registered as a life form.

It is possible you are going to be running into shadow warriors again. Before entering the chamber leading to the entrance, back off and let me take the lead. I will draw their attention and let you slip past with the women.

Nicolas noted that the dragons were thawing along with the ice cave. The bodies were harder to control. He was going to have to give them completely into Vikirnoff's care.

They are awakening and will need to be reassured. You, Natalya and Lara will need to cope, Vikirnoff.

He glanced at the dragons as he put on a burst of speed and slipped past. The moment Vikirnoff halted their forward progress, the two bodies lay on the floor. As the blood began to unfreeze, the muscles locked and contorted. He couldn't imagine the pain they had to be in.

Lara knelt beside her aunts, murmuring reassurances, trying to touch their minds and let them know what was happening. Bronnie looked up at her, blinking her enormous emerald eyes, tears swimming there.

Auntie Bronnie. It's Lara. I came back for you.

The dragon turned her head and stretched to cover her sister with her chin, her touch gentle when her body went rigid, contorted and then relaxed again.Starved . The single word was a croak.

Can you shift to human form? Natalya can clothe you and we can give you blood. The idea made her stomach lurch, but to save her aunts, she was willing to do anything.

The great emerald eyes blinked and then turned to look at Natalya.

She stared at her niece for one long, emotion-laden moment.No strength .

Put the images you need in Natalya's head and she can hold them for you. Vikirnoff will help send you strength. We have little time. Xavier is sending his guardians after us.

Natalya and Vikirnoff held the images Branislava provided and the dragons disappeared, leaving two women lying on the floor of the ice cave. Natalya had provided clothes for them, warm leggings and sweaters to help heat their bodies. Their hair was long and thick, far past their waists and Natalya hastily braided both with a wave of her hand and then covered them with warm caps to keep the strands from freezing.

Lara held their heads in her lap while Natalya immediately offered Tatijana her wrist. There was no hesitation. Natalya smiled at her aunt and murmured the ritual offering.

«I offer my life freely for yours.»

Lara took a breath and held out her hand to Branislava. «I offer my life freely for yours.» Her heart thundered in her ears. Her mouth went dry. Terror filled her mind, but she ruthlessly pushed it aside. This was her beloved aunt, who had sacrificed everything for her. She would save her and she would do so gladly. She meant her offering. She owed her life to Branislava and Tatijana-more, she owed her soul to them. Razvan's soul had been stolen by a madman and he could just as easily have used her, but at great cost to themselves, they had saved her.

Teeth bit down into her wrist. Her stomach lurched, but she held on, breathing through the need to be sick, grateful her aunt was too ill to notice. It took a moment to realize her aunt wasn't hurting her. The teeth didn't tear at her flesh, but rather pierced with two small holes. There wasn't the erotic feel that there was when Nicolas took her blood, but more of a giving, a sharing, an act of camaraderie, giving her a deeper connection.

Her aunt's body warmed faster with the influx of blood, but it wasn't enough for the shriveled cells and organs. As soon as Branislava swept her tongue over the pinpricks to close the wounds, Vikirnoff knelt beside her.

Branislava shook her head.You need your strength to get us out of here . Even that small effort exhausted her.

The continual sound of water became overly loud, drawing Lara's attention. She caught Natalya's wrist and gestured with her chin, not wanting to alarm her aunts. The water dripped onto the floor and ran along a crevice, forming a long, narrow tube. Within moments of hitting the icy floor, the water refroze, forming the long body of a snake. The moment one formed and slithered off, another took its place until a good portion of the floor was taken up by hissing snakes.

Tatijana swung her head toward them, although she was too weak to lift her neck to see.Don't let him take us. Kill us if you have to .

Lara tightened her arms around both of them. «He will never get near you again,» she assured fiercely.

«I'll deal with the snakes,» Natalya said. She raised her arms and gathered power to her. She was tired of Xavier's relentless pursuit and happy to find a target. «Those people onSnakes on a Plane should have tried this.»

That which does slither, bites and strikes, feel the wrath of fire-cold ice. I call thee fire, cold of flame, fit to my hand, strike this bane. As Natalya gathered the energy force, converting it into cold fusion fire, she directed it straight at the icy serpents.

The snakes shattered into a million pieces, the ice crystals melting. They were absorbed by the floor. Natalya looked grimly satisfied. «We've got to get out of here fast. I hear the water beating at the dam Nicolas built and if we're caught…»

«Nicolas will find us the way out.» Lara said it with absolute conviction because she believed in him. She lifted her head to try to look to see what was happening in the chamber leading to the escape corridor.

Nicolas stepped into the cavern, alert for whatever trouble Xavier had left as his last line of defense against losing his daughters. He had held Branislava and Tatijana prisoner for centuries, and he wouldn't let them go so easily. He could see shadowy figures moving in the darkness of the chamber, and there were more than he wanted to think about. Not shadow warriors. As much as they seemed insubstantial, they didn't appear to move with the same swirl of smoke and grace. No, these were different.

He felt the rush battle brought, the one feeling he was familiar with and embraced. He knew what heightened senses brought, and the power flowing through his body.Come to me , he sent into the darkened chamber.Come to me and die .

As he moved into the center of the chamber, the first attack came as a shadowy figure charged him. Nicolas leapt smoothly into the air, slashing as he did so, razor-sharp talons slicing across the throat of the aggressor. His claw went through the air, touching nothing solid at all. He landed in a crouch, recognizing his opponents. Not shadow warriors, men of honor whose souls were ripped from their resting place, but death slaves, mercenaries who willingly pledged their service after death in order to rape and pillage with the aid of the dark arts to protect them in life. They were already dead and they were nearly as bad as vampires.

Three rushed him and he whirled around and through them, drawing energy from all around him until he could fashion a sword of blazing light-light he knew they avoided. If the light remained too long, they would grow accustomed to it, even with their sensitive eyes, so he flashed it on and off. Colors pulsed through the light, giving off a strobe effect, but each time the light came near, the death slaves retreated.

Take them through now, Vikirnoff. Death slaves guard the way. Hurry.

Vikirnoff didn't wait. He sent Natalya ahead of him with Lara, and caught up with the other two women, trusting Natalya to get Lara through.Faster , he ordered.

Natalya muttered something that sounded like «chauvinist pig» in his mind, but it sounded more of a caress than an insult.

The death slaves let out an eerie cry and, sensing the women, charged in spite of the light. Nicolas closed in on them, clearing a path, sweeping his light sword through the ranks, driving them back. Two managed to slash at him, in spite of his speed, their numbers overwhelming. One opened a cut on his arm, another

on his side. He sealed off both wounds, weaving in and out of their ranks, his light sword hacking through them.

Like shadow warriors, the death slaves were already dead and therefore insubstantial, but light was a bitter enemy and enough of it could destroy them if he managed to strike them in the heart. In the dark, surrounded by enemies, it was nearly impossible to choose his target accurately at the blurring speed he needed to survive.

Natalya and Lara stopped to look back in spite of Vikirnoff's gruff command to keep moving. They could see Nicolas moving in and out of the death slaves with fluid grace and astonishing speed. He seemed a machine, flowing rather than stepping, never flinching even when the tip of a dagger or sword tore open his flesh.

Lara hesitated, but Natalya grabbed her arm.

«Look at him,» she whispered. «He was born for this.»

Carpathian males burst through the tube, catching at the women and passing them to the front out of harm's way, paying no attention to their resistance. Vikirnoff relaxed visibly, but he didn't relinquish his charges.

What do you need, Nicolas? Lucian asked.

Gregori, leading a large group, charged into the foray to take the pressure off of Nicolas.

The sun, Nicolas answered, taking his time, now that he had reinforcements, to plunge the sword of light into the nearest heart. The death slave exploded, burst into molecules and rained down onto the ice floor.

Again that eerie cry went up as one of their own was sent for good to the land of shadows.

I'll see what I can do, Lucian said.

Natalya peeked through the solid wall of tall, grim-faced Carpathians. Lara did the same. For the first time, Natalya saw the difference in the coordinated movements of the warriors. Without women to protect, they moved with double the speed, graceful and precise, utterly without fear, their attacks well orchestrated.

The first wave of Carpathian males charged the center of the mass of death slaves, Nicolas leaping over the first line of the enemy, forcing them to either come after him and turn their backs on the other Carpathians or fight the men coming at them. The death slaves had no choice but to defend themselves against the newcomers, giving Nicolas more time to fight the three facing him.

It was obvious the battle was well-coordinated on the part of the Carpathians. They each knew how the other worked, never once having to look to see if their backs were guarded. They flowed together, almost like a ballet, cutting through the ranks of Xavier's guardians.

The ice cave expanded and contracted as more death slaves poured into the battle from all directions. They must have been guarding other entrances and, with the disturbance, came running. They swarmed into the chamber, slicing at Carpathians with lethal swords, attacking with a fury born of desperation. Xavier punished any who failed him and even the dead were careful not to cross him.

Lucian waited until the fighting was at its most ferocious, when the chamber was arcing with energy. He began to gather the energy into a ball, pulling power from every conceivable resource. The ball spun brighter and hotter, so much so that he was forced to cloak it, to keep from blinding himself. Still, he drew power to him, collecting every bit he could summon to him without draining his companions. When the ball pulsed with power, threatening to detonate, he called out to Nicolas.

Your sun is ready.

Mist.Nicolas gave the command on the common path and shifted.

The other Carpathians shifted at exactly the same moment.

Lucian released the whirling mass of energy, a bright white light spinning out of control through the chamber. The ice cave lit up like daylight, only brighter, as if a bomb had gone off, the flash as bright as the sun.

The death slaves screamed a collective cry of denial, the note shattering the ice chamber, causing cracks all along the walls and ceiling. Their bodies glowed bright, burst outward into molecules and scattered across the floor.

Out! Nicolas was already streaking for the tube.

Vikirnoff and the others burst into the open. Branislava and Tatijana cried out, covering their eyes. Neither had ever been out of the ice caves before and the wide-open space was terrifying. The male Carpathians gathered around them, shielding them from the early-morning dawn and providing a tighter group so they felt safe.

Lara didn't look back as they set out for the home of the prince. She never wanted to see the ice caves again. She held tight to Nicolas's and Tatijana's hands as he whisked them through the skies to the deep forest.

* * *

Francesca had already been alerted and she was waiting along with Mikhail to greet Rhiannon's daughters. The two women were thin and weak, their bodies' wracked with pain, muscles cramping continuously. Lara sat between them, holding their hands while the two healers worked on them. Mikhail gave them his blood and Gregori followed suit, while outside, the unmated Carpathian males formed a ring of protection.

«How is it you are fully Carpathian?» Lara asked, feeling guilty that she was asking questions when both were so weak and needed to go to ground to rejuvenate.

«Our mother,» Tatijana explained. «It was the only way she could think to help us fight him. And we did the same for Razvan, your father, after Xavier killed our brother.»

Nicolas knelt beside them. «I am Nicolas, lifemate to Lara. Lara and I would be honored to take you home and watch over you until you are at full strength, but we will take you wherever you are most comfortable.»

«Of course with Lara,» Branislava said. Weakly, she touched Lara's arm, love filling her gaze. «We never thought you would return for us.»

«Thank you, Lara,» Tatijana added. «We had lost all hope.»

«Do you have news of my brother?» Natalya said. «We thought he had turned.»

«Xavier torments him with that idea that you believe he betrayed you, that all Carpathians abhor him and that his own daughter believes him a monster.»

«I did,» Lara admitted. She rubbed her wrist where it burned and ached.

At once Nicolas took her hand and turned her wrist up to feather kisses over it.You had reason. Do not feel guilty when you have just saved your aunts. No one else would have freed them. Without you, they would have remained prisoners for all time and everyone would still believe Razvan followed in Xavier's footsteps .

«We were not allowed out of our prison for several years now,» Tatijana explained. «We were frozen, asleep most of the time since you were gone, only awakened when he wanted to drain our blood. I am sorry, but we only know of the past.»

Branislava blinked rapidly. «I want to visit with you, both of you, all of you, and thank you for our rescue, but I am much too weak and disoriented. Nicolas, would you take us home?»

«It is best,» Gregori said. «They need the soil. They have been denied it their entire lives. On the rising we can give them more blood and slowly, over time, they will be strong again.»

«The soil could be contaminated,» Lara objected.

«Most likely,» Gregori agreed, «but it is all we have for now. We can only do one thing at a time. If your aunts are comfortable with you, that is where they must go to heal. We will deal with all else another time.»

Lara nodded, although she abhorred the idea of her aunts becoming infected.

«Most likely it is the man infected first,» Gregori added, to try to reassure her.

Excitement was tangible throughout the Carpathian community as word spread that two Dragonseeker women had been recovered. Nicolas, Vikirnoff beside him, went out to address the unmated males guarding the home of the prince. As Dominic was suspect with the parasites in his blood, Nicolas and Vikirnoff-as the two related males-were now the official guardians of the two Dragonseeker women.

Light was pouring into the sky and Nicolas winced automatically. He loved the night. Even in the early morning light, he felt his skin burn, although he had to acknowledge it was more psychological than anything else. He knew some Carpathians enjoyed walking around the village in the early morning hours-he wasn't one of them.

He thanked the men who had come to his aid, told them all what they'd found and confirmed that yes, Branislava and Tatijana were Rhiannon's daughters. He confirmed they were ill and would be resting for some time before being introduced into Carpathian society, trying to be tactful when he was telling them they couldn't be introduced immediately. What he really wanted to say was to leave the women the hell alone, that they'd been through enough already and didn't need the men circling around like a pack of wolves. As he spoke, he could feel Lara's amusement. He couldn't see her, she was inside Mikhail's

house with her aunts, but she was laughing at him.

What is so funny?

You prefer to tell everyone what to do.

His stomach tightened in reaction to her teasing tone. He had forgotten fun in the midst of duty.I want to go home . He wanted to hold her close to him.And I only want to tell you what to do .

She laughed at that.You would dictate to the world if you could get away with it .

Maybe that's the truth, but only because I am always right.

He left it to Mikhail to tell the others they needed to let Branislava and Tatijana alone until they were fully healed, but he made it clear the two women were under his protection.

Lara gave him the mental equivalent of rolling her eyes and he gave a shrug back.It is always better to be safe, especially when one guards our treasures .

They took Branislava and Tatijana to their home. Lara fussed over them, insisting on checking the soil for the richest and most fertile they could find within the cave. Used to the cold of the ice, the warmth of the cave was nearly as disconcerting as the open spaces.

«We will get used to it,» Branislava assured. «We have dreamt of freedom all our lives. Razvan tried to keep us up with what was happening in the outside world. He shared his knowledge with us as much as possible.»

Tatijana stretched her arms wide. «I have wanted to do that for some many years.» She leaned over and kissed Lara's forehead. «I could not do something so simple as to stretch.»

Nicolas opened the earth for them. «We will be resting just above you. Your protection is paramount not just to Lara and me, but to all the Carpathian people. If you fear anything at all, you have only to send a call.»

«But we'll be close,» Lara assured. She could barely let the two women go.

Nicolas slipped his arm around her, holding her while the earth welcomed her aunts.

Lara looked up at him. «You are covered in wounds.»

«I am?» He looked down at his body, a little shocked to see the scattered cuts. «There isn't anything really serious, certainly nothing to put that little frown on your face.» His thumb caressed her lips and then slid along the small dimple in her chin.

She caught the edge of his shirt and tugged, pulling it off of him. «You can get in the pool and then I'm going to make certain none of those cuts are serious.»

He decided he liked her bossy tone. Nicolas took his time stripping, mostly because she looked like he was unwrapping a gift. The look of tenderness and concern had him feeling soft inside, weakened in some way, but gave him strength in so many others.

«Now you.»

Her smile was slow and sensual. «Now me what?»

«Now you take off your clothes.» He was already growing hard, his body reacting with insatiable hunger to the way she was looking at him.

Her gaze dropped to his thickening erection. He circled the base with his hand, sliding a stroke along the hard length, watching her eyes darken and the tip of her tongue dart out to moisten her lips.

«I'm supposed to be taking care of you.»

His smile widened. «That is taking care of me.» He continued the casual stroking while she slowly pulled off her top and flung it aside. «You can take care of this particular part of me.» He drew her attention to the thick length of him, so hard now he ached. She looked mesmerized by the movement of his hand and the tiny pearl drop of liquid smearing across the broad, flat head. When she licked her lips, his shaft jerked in anticipation.

Her nipples beneath the lace bra were already stiff, pushing at the lace. He couldn't resist leaning over to catch her breast in his mouth, flicking at the tight bead through the material. He sucked and teased, using the lace to scrape over her nipple so that she arched into his mouth and gave him that little gasping sound that he found particularly sexy.

He lifted his head and stepped back to watch her shimmy her knit pants off her hips. She wore little boy shorts, skimming over her hips and cut up across the curves of her bottom. The lace stretched over her creamy skin, enhancing his desire to see her without a stitch. His breath caught in his throat as she unhooked her bra and her breasts tumbled out, the soft rounded curves inviting, her skin gleaming in the soft glow of candlelight. Her boy shorts were next, sliding off her skin, making him ache inside, just to touch her.

He gestured for her to wade out ahead of him into the pool, just for the pleasure of watching her body move. She was conscious of him watching her, giving him that little extra enticement, drawing him to her with her sexy come-on. Standing waist-deep in the bubbling water, he drew her back against him, cupping her breasts and bending his head to her neck, his body flattening along the back of hers, pressing deep, using his height and weight to bend her over just a bit, so he could press even tighter against her.

His arm circled her waist to hold her in place while his other hand slid up her satin thigh to find the nest of red-gold curls, strumming along the secrets folds, tunneling into the warmth of her moist, tight channel. She moaned, her bottom pressing back into him, rubbing along his al-ready aching shaft, sending arrows of pleasure darting through him. He sank his finger deep, feeling her muscles clamp down and suck on him, dragging hard. His shaft pulsed and wept, wanted to feel that hot, hungry clasp around it.

His fingers stroked down her neck and over the creamy swell of her breasts, his teeth scraping suggestively over her neck. Her breathy little moan sent heat sweeping through his belly. His fingers curved and plunged deep inside her. Her hips bucked, pressing against his hand while her firm buttocks slid tantalizingly over his heavy erection.

He turned her into his arms and found her mouth. His kiss was hard, a little rough and very possessive. His tongue teased and enticed her, cajoling her into giving him anything he wanted. He whispered hot, sexy, very graphic suggestions that left her heated and a little shocked.

She kissed him back, blushing, her skin flushed and damp. «I have to take care of this first,» she whispered. «Stop making my knees weak.»

She pressed her mouth to the laceration on his arm, her tongue dipping and sliding in small caresses, healing the wound as she kissed him better. Next was the one on his side, a little deeper, the silk of her hair sliding sensuously over his skin as her tongue lapped at him and the bubbles in the poolfizzed over his hardened shaft.

He caressed her breasts with his long fingers, stroking and kneading, occasionally leaning forward to suckle while the water lapped at her as well. She bent her head again and swept her tongue across a graze on his lower abdomen. Every muscle in his belly bunched and knotted. Suddenly nothing was as important as feeling her mouth around him, tight and wet and hot. He pulled her to the shallow edge where the pool was lined with boulders, seating himself on a higher one so she could remain in the bubbling water.

His hands fisted in her wealth of hair and dragged her head down to his lap. He murmured in his ancient language, the harsh tone and explicit instructions making her hot all over. She loved the urgency in his voice, the control in his hands, the way his hips thrust against her mouth. It took a moment to pick up the rhythm; he didn't give her much of a chance to get used to the thickness and length of him.

Harder. His head was thrown back, his eyes closed, his throat exposed as he urged her on. She couldn't tell if he was talking to himself or to her, but the clipped, graphic need sent desire shooting through her.Take me deeper. That's it. That's what I need. Squeeze harder, suck on me .

His voice continued each whispered command rougher and wilder.All of me. Take more. You can do it . He was no longer looking to her comfort, or helping her breathe, and the demands only made her want to give up everything to him. He was fast losing control and she had never thought he ever would.

She increased her attentions, sliding her mouth over him, flattening her tongue, hollowing her cheeks until he was gasping for mercy, until he spilled over, his hot essence jetting strong before he could regain control.

More than satisfied with her success, she took over, climbing onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and settling her body over his still hard erection with exquisite slowness. He pushed through her tight sheath, filling her, stretching and burning until she was completely seated and she felt full and deliciously stuffed.

She began to ride him, lifting herself up and dropping back over him, squeezing her muscles, getting a feel for what robbed him of his breath and sent streaks of fire racing through his body. She loved taking his body and making it her own. There was a heady excitement in watching the breath slam out of his lungs. Of moving up and down his body, using it for her own pleasure. She rode him slowly, leisurely, refusing to give in to the urgency of his hands biting into her hips or the enticement of his tightening thighs. She took her time, letting the waves build in her, pushing her higher, sending fire streaking through her womb so that she all but vibrated with the building tension. All the while she watched him as his breath hitched, as his expression grew darker, more filled with lust.

Nicolas fought himself to allow her keep control, watching her face through half-closed eyes, enjoying the way she moved her body, the feel of her sheathing him like a tight glove. She was driving him insane with her slow, leisurely ride. She would rise up, twisting a little, contracting her muscles so her hot, silken sheath would tighten like a greedy fist around him. His body just kept building and building pressure until he was afraid he would spontaneously combust.

«Lock your ankles around my waist,» he ordered, through bared teeth.

She looked amused. «What do you want me to do?»

«I am not joking around with you.» Because she was torturing him slowly with her sensuous ride.

«Really?» Her eyebrow shot up and she lifted again, moving her hips in a small spiral as she locked her muscles around him.

Her creamy buttocks were far too tempting and he didn't try to resist, turning her skin a rosy red while reminding her who was the boss. She just laughed as she locked her ankles, gasping a little as he swung her around, setting her on the boulder and leveraging over her, locking her beneath him so he could have his way with her.

He slammed deep, driving into her the way he needed, burying himself into her so deep she went wild, exploding around him, gripping him hard as her orgasm tore through her. He continued to pound into her while her body squeezed and milked his, until, with a hoarse cry, he jerked hard, thrusting mindlessly, his hot release flooding her.

Still buried deep, his body rocking, he bent his head to her breast, teeth aching, mouth filling with the taste of her. He flicked his tongue, nipped at her.

Nicolas's teeth scraped along her breast and her toes curled. Butterfly wings brushed the inside of her stomach. His lips feathered over her pulse, his tongue rasping a light caress. She felt his bite of pleasure/pain.

Her wrist burned. A flashing image of teeth tearing at her flesh intruded. Her stomach lurched and she ground her teeth together to keep from crying out. Everything in her tensed. Waited. Screamed at him to stop.

Nicolas lifted his head, his black, hooded gaze, so sexy, so dark with desire, drifted alertly over her face. «What is it,han ku kuulua sivamet ?»

His voice was a velvet stroke, a dark caress as he called her «keeper of my heart.» How could she be the keeper of his heart when she couldn't give him everything?

«I don't think I can,» she whispered, tears burning behind her eyes. She'd managed to give blood to her aunt and that was all her mind would allow.

She detested disappointing him, especially now when she was feeling totally satisfied and loved. She wanted that for him as well. She wanted him to know she would give him everything if he asked-but she couldn't quite overcome the aversion she had. She knew giving blood was natural, even erotic between lifemates, she'd enjoyed it once, but now her stomach churned and panic set in. Everything had been so perfect and she had ruined it.

«I'm sorry,» she whispered, shamed. «I'm so sorry.»

He cupped her chin, lifted her face to kiss his way along her cheeks, collecting her tears with his tongue along the way. «Do you honestly think taking your blood every time I make love to you matters to me, Lara?»

Nicolas kissed her pulse and swept his tongue over the pinpricks there. «Tet vigyazam. I love you, it is that simple. Nothing else matters. You. Just you. I love to touch your body and make love to you, but it is you, who you are inside, that counts to me. If I cannot take your blood, will I miss that? I am certain I would occasionally. But truthfully, I would rather have you curled beside me, laughing with me, teasing, bringing me joy, than ever being with anyone else.Tet vigyazam , Lara. Forever. I love you for all time.»

She reached up to his beloved face. «Tet vigyazam, Nicolas,» she whispered, knowing it was true.

Chapter 20

Lara and Nicolas rose early the next evening, bathed in the pool and made leisurely love. The naming ceremony was in a couple of hours and Lara was looking forward to it. She could feel the excitement building in the air all around her, even from within their cave. As she dressed she studied Nicolas. The wounds were gone, but she could see the raw edges not yet healed.

«When are you going to ground? You haven't been since we've been together.»

«I will go when you are ready,» he said.

She frowned. «That's not good enough, Nicolas. I can only check a few people a day for the microbe. I'm not through with all the women, let alone starting on the men. And if the microbe is in the ground, it will be an endless, vicious circle.»

«You have to be converted, Lara.»

«I will be, just not right now.»

«Within the week. Check the women and you are done.»

She didn't reply, knowing when he got that edge to his voice that he was worried about her. She knew what that felt like when she looked at him and saw his wounds that should have been healed. And she was very aware how often Nicolas suppressed his need to protect and keep her healthy. He knew the drain the journey was on her when she was hunting the microbe and she was having trouble keeping even broth down.

Nicolas suddenly looked alert, his fingers settling around her arm, pulling her behind him. «We have company. Let us meet them at the entrance to the cave, away from where your aunts rest.»

To Lara's surprise, Shea and Jacques Dubrinsky stood waiting for an invitation to enter, Jacques holding their infant son in his arms. It was the first time Lara had ever gotten a good glimpse of the man who was lifemate to the Carpathian's researcher. He reminded her in some ways of her father, that ravaged look, with lines etched deep, eyes that had seen too much pain and suffering. She had heard the rumors of this man, of his splintered mind and how truly dangerous he was, but watching him hold his son so tenderly, it was difficult to believe.

«We've come asking more from your lifemate, Nicolas,» Jacques said without preamble. «I understand

these journeys she makes are difficult, and I would not ask, but Shea thinks it is necessary.» His gaze slid to his lifemate and the tenderness in his expression was touching.

«It isn't so bad now that I know what I'm doing,» Lara said. «And I have Nicolas as well to anchor me.» She cleared her throat, thinking to confess her problem with giving or taking blood, which made the journeying difficult. She could only take blood from Nicolas and she didn't want to take a journey without him close. Reliving her childhood repeatedly was taxing.

It is no one's business. Nicolas reached out and took her hand, bringing her palm to his chest.

Shea touched her son's foot and looked up at both of them, blinking back sudden emotion. «He isn't doing well. Our son. He's struggling and I've tried everything I know how to do, and he's still losing ground. Gregori and Francesca have both examined him repeatedly, but he has the same wasting disease the other children we've lost has had. I cannot feed him properly and the mixtures I've tried for him are not nourishing him.»

«Shea, I'm so sorry,» Lara said. «We had no idea. No one's said a word.»

«We thought it best to keep it private,» Jacques replied. «A few of our women are pregnant now and we do not want to chance causing them more stress.»

«What can I do?» Lara asked.

«Journey and see if he is infected with the microbe.»

Lara and Nicolas exchanged a long look of sudden comprehension. «You think I'll find one, don't you?»

Shea bit her lip, nodding as she did so. «I think a microbe finds the male first and when he has sex with his lifemate, the microbe travels to her, leaving him open territory. While he lies sleeping in the soil, another enters, through his skin most likely. The first microbe has found the female host and lies in weight for conception. If she becomes pregnant, the organism forces her to miscarry by continually attacking the baby, but if it isn't successful, I believe the microbe then travels into the baby, again leaving her without one. So the cycle starts all over again with the man once again infecting the woman. Once inside the baby, the microbe slowly kills it.»

Lara closed her eyes briefly. Shea's theory sounded very sensible, especially since they had found Xavier's laboratory and his series of pools. Each was a different environment for the extremophile.

«Unfortunately, your theory matches evidence we found in the ice caves. These microorganisms are very difficult to kill as a rule, Shea. We re burning them one by one, but if everyone is continually infected each time we go to ground, it will be impossible to keep up.»

Nicolas's hand curved around the nape of Lara's neck. «Especially when so far, Lara's the only one who can find them. And when I convert her, she may not be able to do so anymore. Natalya cannot.»

Shea gasped. «You can't convert her, Nicolas.» She shook her head. «I know how much you both must want to, but you can't. We can't take any chances. This is too important to all of us. Until I can find an antibody that will fight this thing in the ground, Lara is our only hope.»

«Xavier corrupts the extremophiles. If someone collects them for you, perhaps you can use the original superpowered bugs to fight his corrupt ones,» Lara offered. «I've collected them for research before and

scientists all over the world believe the extremophile can be used to cure many diseases. They actually will defend against other microbes, so maybe the answer is the simplest of all. Use the original.»

Shea's expression brightened. «You saw evidence of mutation?»

Lara nodded. «I've seen normal extremophiles hundreds of times. Xavier definitely mutated these.»

«If that's true,» Shea said with confidence, «I believe we'll be able to find an antidote, or vaccine, or something to combat this. Finally. Hope. Real hope.»

«But you are talking experiments to get it right,» Nicolas said. «That takes time.» He tugged Lara to him protectively. «She is caught between both worlds, Shea. She can barely manage to keep any food down. She cannot go to ground, but she cannot be in the light either. Is it right to ask my lifemate to live in a half-world?»

«No,» Jacques answered for both of them-for the entire Carpathian people. «No, of course it isn't, but we have no choice. We have to ask you to save our children.»

Lara looked at the baby in his arms, so innocent, already slipping away from them. He was pale and thin, listless, his eyes dull. Her gaze met Nicolas's. She tried not to let him see or feel her despair. She couldn't sacrifice this child or any other-and neither could he. Until they could find a way to counteract the microbes already living in the soil she couldn't be converted.

You can, Nicolas said firmly.We have no idea what could happen to you living a half-life. No one can ask this of you .

I love you, too. She smiled at him.And you know there is no choice. This child belongs to all of us .

Nicolas swore and looked away from her, once again feeling helpless. His centuries of existence had failed to prepare him for failure. He had driven her to the very end of her endurance. He had been unable to protect her when she'd relived her childhood. He'd failed to save her friends, and now he could not take her from the half-life. What kind of a lifemate was he? Protection had always-always-come first in his mind, but now he was an utter failure at the one thing that was the most important.

Lara wrapped her arms around him, right there, in front of Jacques and Shea, leaning into him and tilting her head. «You are the best lifemate. That's what you are, and right now, I need you to help me find whatever is trying to harm this child. We'll need Natalya to draw the microbe out once I lure it to the surface and you'll have to be ready to give me blood. And then-« She smiled at Shea. «-then we have a celebration to go to. Everyone is so excited about the naming ceremony.»

Shea managed a weak smile. «Please find it, Lara. If you don't, I have no idea how to save our son.»

«I'll find it,» Lara said with more confidence than she felt.

* * *

A hush fell over the gathered crowd. Anticipation and excitement heightened awareness of details. The incense burning, the fragrance of sage and lavender blended with the aroma of candles. The chamber was warm, the direct opposite of the ice caves and Lara couldn't help but compare this child's welcome to the one given her. She wished her aunts could have been there to participate but after the healers had examined them, and given them more blood, both decreed it was too soon and the women needed far

more time to regain their health in the ground. She looked up at Nicolas and smiled.

Nicolas tightened his fingers around Lara's. Pride welled up in him in spite of the fact that a part of him wanted to throw his lifemate over his shoulder and take her back to South America where he could see to her health. If it wasn't for Lara, this child would never have a chance at life. She had taken the journey into the small body and discovered Shea's theory was right. The microbe had passed from mother to child and was slowly killing the baby.

The journey had been more difficult than he had expected. The baby was small and already weak and sick. Lara had to be careful and go in as an infant almost before she really got started. The microbe would have run from an adult. The continual reliving of her childhood was taking a toll on Lara, but when he tried to put his foot down and tell her enough was enough, she only smiled at him and pointed to the baby. With the microbe out of its body, it was already hungry and active, bouncing back fast.

He watched Jacques carry his son into the center of the chamber while the Carpathian greeting chant swelled in volume. Everyone present would pledge their love and support to the child, become family to him, vow to raise him should anything happen to his parents.

Jacques handed his son to his brother and the prince raised the child high into the air. A roar of approval went up. Shea slipped her hand into her lifemate's and looked over at them.

Thank you both. You enabled this to happen.

Nicolas felt his throat tighten. He brought Lara's hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the center of her palm.

«Who names this child?» Mikhail asked.

«His father,» Jacques replied.

«His mother,» Shea said.

«His people,» the crowd of males and females, lifemated and single, added.

«You are called, Stefan Kane,» Mikhail announced, «born in battle, crowned with love. Who will accept the offer of the Carpathian people to love and raise our son?»

«His parents, with gratitude.» Jacques and Shea looked at one another with joy.

Nicolas felt the emotion spread through him. Joy. He knew the meaning of the word and it was Lara.

Carpathian Healing Chants

To rightly understand Carpathian healing chants, background is required in several areas:

The Carpathian view on healing The Lesser Healing Chant of the Carpathians The Great Healing Chant of the Carpathians Carpathian chanting technique

1. THE CARPATHIAN VIEW ON HEALING

The Carpathians are a nomadic people whose geographical origins can be traced back to at least as far as the Southern Ural Mountains (near the steppes of modern day Kazakhstan), on the border between Europe and Asia. (For this reason, modern-day linguists call their language, «proto-Uralic,» without knowing that this is the language of the Carpathians.) Unlike most nomadic peoples, the wandering of the Carpathians was not due to the need to find new grazing lands as the seasons and climate shifted, or the search for better trade. Instead, the Carpathians' movements were driven by a great purpose: to find a land that would have the right earth, a soil with the kind of richness that would greatly enhance their rejuvenative powers.

Over the centuries, they migrated westward (some six thousand years ago), until they at last found their perfect homeland-theirsusu –in the Carpathian Mountains, whose long arc cradled the lush plains of the kingdom of Hungary. (The kingdom of Hungary flourished for over a millennium-making Hungarian the dominant language of the Carpathian Basin-until the kingdom's lands were split among several countries after World War I: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia, Austria, and modern Hungary.)

Other peoples from the Southern Urals (who shared the Carpathian Over the centuries, they migrated westward (some six thousand years ago), until they at last found their perfect homeland-their «susu»-in the Carpathian Mountains, whose long arc cradled the lush plains of the kingdom of Hungary. (The kingdom of Hungary flourished for over a millennium-making Hungarian the dominant language of the Carpathian Basin-until the kingdom's lands were split among several countries after World War I: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia, Austria, and modern Hungary.)

Other peoples from the Southern Urals (who shared the Carpathian language, but were not Carpathians) migrated in different directions. Some ended up in Finland, which accounts for why the modern Hungarian and Finnish languages are among the contemporary descendents of the ancient Carpathian language. Even though they are tied forever to their chosen Carpathian homeland, the wandering of the Carpathians continues, as they search the world for the answers that will enable them to bear and raise their offspring without difficulty.

Because of their geographic origins, the Carpathian views on healing share much with the larger Eurasian shamanistic tradition. Probably the closest modern representative of that tradition is based in Tuva (and is referred to as «Tuvinian Shamanism»)-see the map above.

The Eurasian shamanistic tradition-from the Carpathians to the Siberian shamans-held that illness originated in the human soul, and only later manifested as various physical conditions. Therefore, shamanistic healing, while not neglecting the body, focused on the soul and its healing. The most profound illnesses were understood to be caused by «soul departure,» where all or some part of the sick, person's soul has wandered away from the body (into the nether realms), or has been captured or possessed by an evil spirit, or both.

The Carpathians belong to this greater Eurasian shamanistic tradition and share its viewpoints. While the Carpathians themselves did not succumb to illness, Carpathian healers understood that the most profound wounds were also accompanied by a similar «soul departure.»

Upon reaching the diagnosis of «soul departure,» the healer-shaman is then required to make a spiritual journey into the nether worlds to recover the soul. The shaman may have to overcome tremendous challenges along the way, particularly: fighting the demon or vampire who has possessed his friend's soul.

«Soul departure» doesn't require a person to be unconscious (although that certainly can be the case as well). It was understood that a person could still appear to be conscious, even talk and interact with others, and yet be missing a part of their soul. The experienced healer or shaman would instantly see the problem nonetheless, in subtle signs that others might miss: the person's attention wandering every now and then, a lessening in their enthusiasm about life, chronic depression, a diminishment in the brightness of their «aura,» and the like.

2. THE LESSER HEALING CHANT OF THE CARPATHIANS

Kepa Sarna Pus(The Lesser Healing Chant) is used for wounds that are merely physical in nature. The Carpathian healer leaves his body and enters the wounded Carpathian's body to heal great mortal wounds from the inside out using pure energy. He proclaims, «I offer freely, my life for your life,» as he gives his blood to the injured Carpathian. Because the Carpathians are of the earth and bound to the soil, they are healed by the soil of their homeland. Their saliva is also often used for its rejuvenative powers.

It is also very common for the Carpathian chants (both the Lesser and the Great) to be accompanied by the use of healing herbs, aromas from Carpathian candles, and crystals. The crystals (when combined with the Carpathians' empathic, psychic connection to the entire universe) are used to gather positive energy from their surroundings, which then is used to accelerate the healing. Caves are sometimes used as the setting for the healing.

The Lesser Healing Chant was used by Vikirnoff Von Shrieder and Colby Jansen to heal Rafael De La Cruz whose heart had been ripped out by a vampire in the book titledDark Secret .

Kepa Sarna Pus(The Lesser Healing Chant)

The same chant is used for all physical wounds, «sivadaba"note 1 would be changed to refer to whatever part of the body is wounded .

Kunasz, nelkul sivdobbanas, nelkul fesztelen loyly.

You lie as if asleep, without beat of heart, without airy breath.

Ot elidamet andam szabadon elidadert. I offer freely my life for your life.

O jela sielam jorem ot ainamet es so?e ot elidadet. My spirit of light forgets my body and enters your body.

O jela sielam pukta kinn minden szekmeket belso.

My spirit of light sends all the dark spirits within fleeing without.

Pajnak o susu hanyet es o nyelv nyalamet sivadaba.

I press the earth of our homeland and the spit of my tongue into your heart.

Vii, o verim so?e o vend andam.

At last, I give you my blood for your blood.

To hear this chant,visit: http://www.christinefeehan.com/ members/ .

3. The Great Healing Chant of the Carpathians

The most well-known-and most dramatic-of the Carpathian healing chants was En Sarna Pus («The Great Healing Chant»). This chant was reserved for recovering the wounded or unconscious Carpathian's soul.

Typically a group of men would form a circle around the sick Carpathian (to «encircle him with our care and compassion»), and begin the chant. The shaman or healer or leader is the prime actor in this healing ceremony. It is he who will actually make the spiritual journey into the nether world, aided by his clanspeople. Their purpose is to ecstatically dance, sing, drum, and chant, all the while visualizing (through the words of the chant) the journey itself-ever)' step of it, over and over again-to the point where the shaman, in trance, leaves his body, and makes that very journey. (Indeed, the word «ecstasy» is from the Latinex statis , which literally means «out of the body.»)

One advantage that the Carpathian healer has over many other shamans, is his telepathic link to his lost brother. Most shamans must wander in the dark of the nether realms, in search of their lost brother. But the Carpathian healer directly «hears» in his mind the voice of his lost brother calling to him, and can thus «zero in» on his soul like a homing beacon. For this reason, Carpathian healing tends to have a higher success rate than most other traditions of this sort.

Something of the geography of the «other world» is useful for us to examine, in order to fully understand the words of the Great Carpathian Healing Chant. A reference is made to the «Great Tree» (in Carpathian:En Puwe) . Many ancient traditions, including the Carpathian tradition, understood the worlds-the heaven worlds, our world, and the nether realms-to be «hung» upon a great pole, or axis, or tree. Here on earth, we are positioned halfway up this tree, on one of its branches. Hence many ancient texts often referred to the material world as «middle earth»: midway between heaven and hell. Climbing the tree would lead one to the heaven worlds. Descending the tree to its roots would lead to the nether realms. The shaman was necessarily a master of movement up and down the Great Tree, sometimes moving unaided, and sometimes assisted by (or even mounted upon the back of) an animal spirit guide. In various traditions, this Great Tree was known variously as theaxis mundi (the «axis of the worlds»), Ygddrasil (in Norse mythology), Mount Mem (the sacred world mountain of Tibetan tradition), etc. The Christian cosmos with its heaven, purgatory/earth, and hell, is also worth comparing. It is even given a similar topography in Dante'sDivine Comedy : Dante is led on a journey first to hell, at the center of the earth; then upward to Mount Purgatory, which sits on the earth's surface directly opposite Jerusalem; then further upward first to Eden, the earthly paradise, at the summit of Mount Purgatory; and then upward at last to heaven.

In the shamanistic tradition, it was understood that the small always reflects the large; the personal always reflects the cosmic. A movement in the greater dimensions of the cosmos also coincides with an

internal movement. For example, theaxis mundi of the cosmos also corresponds to the spinal column of the individual. Journeys up and down theaxis mundi often coincided with the movement of natural and spiritual energies (sometimes calledkundalini orshakti) in the spinal column of the shaman or mystic.

En Sarna Pus (The Great Healing Chant)

In this chant, eka(«brother») would be replaced by «sister,» «father,» «mother,» depending on the person to be healed .

Ot ekam ainajanak hany, jama.

My brother's body is a lump of earth, close to death.

Me, ot ekam kuntajanak, piradak ekam, gond es irgalom ture. We, the clan of my brother, encircle him with our care and compassion.

Opus wakenkek, ot omas arnank, es ot pus funk, alnak ekam ainajanak, pitanak ekam ainajanak elava.

Our healing energies, ancient words of magic, and healing herbs bless my brother's body, keep it alive.

Ot ekam sielanak pala. Ot omboce palaja juta alatt o juti, kinta, es szelemek lamtijaknak. But my brother's soul is only half. His other half wanders in the nether world.

Ot en mekem? ama?: kulkedak otti ot ekam omboce palajanak. My great deed is this: I travel to find my brother's other half.

Rekature, saradak, tappadak, odam, ka?a o numa waram, es avaa owe o lewl mahoz.

We dance, we chant, we dream ecstatically, to call my spirit bird, and to open the door to the other world.

Ntak o numa waram, es muzdulak, jomadak.

I mount my spirit bird and we begin to move, we are under way.

Piwtadak ot En Puwe tyvinak, ecidak alatt o juti, kinta, es szelemek lamtijaknak. Following the trunk of the Great Tree, we fall into the nether world.

Fazak, fazak no os aro. It is cold, very cold.

Juttadak ot ekam o akarataban, o'sivaban, es o sielaban. My brother and I are linked in mind, heart, and soul.

Ot ekam sielanak ka?a engem. My brother's soul calls to me.

Kuledak es piwtadak ot ekam. I hear and follow his track.

Sayedak es tuledak ot ekam kulyanak.

Encounter-I the demon who is devouring my brother's soul.

Nenam coro; o kuly torodak. In anger, I fight the demon.

O kuly pel engem. He is afraid of me.

Lejkkadak o ka?ka salamaval. I strike his throat with a lightning bolt.

Molodak ot ainaja, komakamal. I break his body with my bare hands.

Toya es molana.

He is bent over, and falls apart.

Han cada. He runs away.

Manedak ot ekam sielanak. I rescue my brother's soul.

Aladak ot ekam sielanak o komamban.

I lift my brother's soul in the hollow of my hand.

Al?dam ot ekam numa waramra. I lift him onto my spirit bird.

Piwtadak ot En Puwe tyvijanak es sayedak jalleen ot elava ainak majaknak. Following up the Great Tree, we return to the land of the living.

Ot ekam ela jalleen. My brother lives again.

Ot ekam wenca jalleen. He is complete again.

To hear this chant, visit:http://www.christinefeehan.com/ members/ .

4. LULLABY

This song is sung by the Carpathian women when a woman is miscarrying and they are trying to save the child. Because these babies can hear them inside the womb, the women sing them this lullaby saying, in essence: Stay-you'll be protected by love even from inside, until you are born.

Odam-Sarna Kondak (Lullabye)

Tumtesz o wake ku pitasz belso. Feel the strength you hold inside.

Hiszasz'sivadet. En olenam g?idnod. Trust your heart. I'll be your guide.

Sas csecsemom, kunasz.

Hush my baby, close your eyes.

Rauho jo?e ted.

Peace will come to you.

Tumtesz o sivdobbanas ku olen lamt?ad belso. Feel the rhythm deep inside.

Gond-kumpadek ku kim te. Waves of love that cover you.

Pesanak te, asti o juti, kidusz. Protect, until the night you rise.

To hear this song, visit:http://www.christinefeehan.com/members/ .

5. SONG TO HEAL THE EARTH

This is the earth-healing song that is used by the Carpathian women to heal the soil that is filled with toxins. Although referred to as a healing song, the women dance to heal the earth while singing.

Sarna Pusm O Mayet (Song to Heal the Earth)

First verse

Ai Ema Ma?e, Oh, Mother Nature,

Me sivadbin lanaak.

We are your beloved daughters.

Me tappadak, me pusmak o ma?et. We dance to heal the earth.

Me sarnadak, me pusmak o hanyet. We sing to heal the earth.

Sielanket jutta tedet it, We join with you now.

Sivank es akaratank es sielank juttanak.

Our hearts and minds and spirits become one.

Second verse

Ai Ema Ma?e, Oh, Mother Nature,

Me sivadbin lanaak.

We are your beloved daughters.

Me andak arwadet emanked es me ka?ank o

We pay homage to our mother and call upon the

Pohi es Louna, Ida es Laas. North and South, East and West.

Pide es aldyn es myos belso.

Above and below and within as well.

Gondank o ma?enak pusm han ku olen jama. Our love of the land heals that which is in need.

Juttanak teval it,

We join with you now,

Ma?e ma?eval. Earth to earth.

O pira elidak wenca.

The circle of life is complete.

6. CARPATHIAN CHANTING TECHNIQUE

As with their healing techniques, the actual «chanting technique» of the Carpathians has much in common with the other shamanistic traditions of the Central Asian steppes. The primary mode of chanting was throat chanting using overtones. Modern examples of this manner of singing can still be found in the Mongolian, Tuvan and Tibetan traditions. You can find an audio example of the Gyuto Tibetan Buddhist monks engaged in throat chanting at:

http://www.christinefeehan.com/carpathianchanting/.

As with Tuva, note on the map the geographical proximity of Tibet to Kazakhstan and the Southern Urals.

The beginning part of the Tibetan chant emphasizes synchronizing all the voices around a single tone, aimed at healing a particular «chakra» of the body. This is fairly typical of the Gyuto throat-chanting tradition, but it is not a significant part of the Carpathian tradition. Nonetheless, it serves as an interesting contrast.

The part of the Gyuto chanting example that is most similar to the Carpathian style of chanting is the midsection, where the men are chanting the words together with great force. The purpose here is not to generate a «healing tone» that will affect a particular «chakra,» but rather to generate as much power as possible for initiating the «out of body» travel, and for fighting the demonic forces that the healer/traveler must face and overcome.

The songs of the Carpathian women (illustrated by their «Lullaby» and their «Song to Heal the Earth») are part of the same ancient musical and healing tradition as the Lesser and Great Healing Chants of the warrior males. You can hear some of the same instruments in both the male warriors' healing chants and the women's «Song to Heal the Earth.» Also, they share the common purpose of generating and directing power. However, the women's songs are distinctively feminine in character. One immediately noticeable difference is that, while the men speak their words in the manner of a chant, the women sing songs with melodies and harmonies, softening the overall performance. A feminine, nurturing quality is especially evident in the «Lullaby.»

Appendix 2

The Carpathian Language

Like all human languages, the language of the Carpathians contains the richness and nuance that can only come from a long history of use. At best we can only touch on some of the main features of the language in this brief appendix:

The history of the Carpathian language

Carpathian grammar and other characteristics of the language

Examples of the Carpathian language

A much abridged Carpathian dictionary

1. The history of the Carpathian language

The Carpathian language of today is essentially identical to the Carpathian language of thousands of years ago. A «dead» language like the Latin of two thousand years ago has evolved into a significantly different modern language (Italian) because of countless generations of speakers and great historical fluctuations. In contrast, many of the speakers of Carpathian from thousands of years ago are still alive. Their presence-coupled with the deliberate isolation of the Carpathians from the other major forces of change in the world-has acted (and continues to act) as a stabilizing force that has preserved the integrity of the language over the centuries. Carpathian culture has also acted as a stabilizing force. For instance, the Ritual Words, the various healing chants (see Appendix 1), and other cultural artifacts have been passed down the centuries with great fidelity.

One small exception should be noted: the splintering of the Carpathians into separate geographic regions has led to some minor dialectization. However the telepathic links among all Carpathians (as well as each Carpathian's regular return to his or her homeland) has ensured that the differences among dialects are relatively superficial (e.g., small numbers of new words, minor differences in pronunciation, etc.), since the deeper, internal language of mind-forms has remained the same because of continuous use across space and time.

The Carpathian language was (and still is) the proto-language for the Uralic (or Finno-Ugrian) family of languages. Today, the Uralic languages are spoken in northern, eastern and central Europe and in Siberia. More than twenty-three million people in the world speak languages that can trace their ancestry to Carpathian. Magyar or Hungarian (about fourteen million speakers), Finnish (about five million speakers), and Estonian (about one million speakers), arc the three major contemporary descendents of this proto-language. The only factor that unites the more than twenty languages in the Uralic family is that their ancestry can be traced back to a common proto-language-Carpathian-which split (starting some six thousand years ago) into the various languages in the Uralic family. In the same way, European languages such as English and French, belong to the better-known Indo-European family and also evolve from a common proto-language ancestor (a different one from Carpathian).

The following table provides a sense for some of the similarities in the language family.

Note:The Finnic/Carpathian «k» shows up often as Hungarian «h». Similarly, the Finnic/Carpathian «p» often corresponds to the Hungarian «f.»

Carpathian

(proto-Uralic) ela-live elid-life pesa-nest kola-die pala-half, side

Finnish

(Suomi) ela-live elinika-life pesa-nest kuole-die plelta-tilt, tip side

Hungarian

(Magyar) el-live elet-life feszek-nest hal-die to thefel, fele-fellow human, friend (half; one side of two) feleseg– wife

ad-give here-drone, testicle

and-give anta, antaa-

give koje-husband,koira-dog, the

man wake-power

male (of animals)

vaki-folks, vall-vel-with

(instrumental suffix) vele-with him/her/it

people, men;

force vakeva-

powerful, strong

wete-water

vesi-water viz-water

2. Carpathian grammar and other characteristics of the language

Idioms.As both an ancient language, and a language of an earth people, Carpathian is more inclined toward use of idioms constructed from concrete, «earthy» terms, rather than abstractions. For instance, our modern abstraction, «to cherish,» is expressed more concretely in Carpathian as «to hold in one's heart»; the «nether world» is, in Carpathian, «the land of night, fog, and ghosts»; etc.

Word order.The order of words in a sentence is determined not by syntactic roles (like subject, verb, and object) but rather by pragmatic, discourse-driven factors. Examples: «Tied vagyok.» («Yours am I.»); «Sivamet andam.» («My heart I give you.»)

Agglutination.The Carpathian language is agglutinative; that is, longer words are constructed from smaller components. An agglutinating language uses suffixes or prefixes whose meaning is generally unique, and which are concatenated one after another without overlap. In Carpathian, words typically consist of a stem that is followed by one or more suffixes. For example, «sivambam"derives from the stem «siv» («heart») followed by «am» («my,» making it «my heart»), followed by «bam"(«in,» making it «in my heart»). As you might imagine, agglutination in Carpathian can sometimes produce very long words, or words that are very difficult to pronounce. Vowels often get inserted between suffixes, to prevent too many consonants from appearing in a row (which can make the word unpronouncable).

Noun cases.Like all languages, Carpathian has many noun cases; the same noun will be «spelled» differently depending on its role in the sentence. Some of the noun cases include: nominative (when the noun is the subject of the sentence), accusative (when the noun is a direct object of the verb), dative (indirect object), genitive (or possessive), instrumental, final, supressive, inessive, elative, terminative, and delative.

We will use the possessive (or genitive) case as an example, to illustrate how all noun cases in Carpathian involve adding standard suffixes to the noun stems. Thus expressing possession in Carpathian-«my lifemate,» «your lifemate,» «his lifemate,» «her lifemate,» etc.-involves adding a particular suffix (such as «=am») to the noun stem («palafertiil»), to produce the possessive («palafertiilam» –«my lifemate»). Which suffix to use depends upon which person («my,» «your,» «his,» etc.) and whether the noun ends in a consonant or vowel. The following table shows the suffixes for singular nouns only (not plural), and also shows the similarity to the suffixes used in contemporary Hungarian. (Hungarian is actually a little more complex, in that it also requires «vowel rhyming»: which suffix to use also depends on the last vowel in the noun; hence the multiple choices in the cells below, where Carpathian only has a single choice.)

Carpathian contemporary

(proto-Uralic) Hungarian

noun noun ends noun noun

ends ends ends

person in vowel in in vowel in

consonant consonan

t

1st singular

-m

-am

-m

-om, –em,

(my)

-om

2nd

-d

-ad

-d

-od, –ed,

singular

-od

(your)

3rd singular

-ja

-a

-ja/-je

-a,-e

(his,her,its)

1st plural

-nk

-ank

-nk

-unk, –unk

(our)

2nd plural

-tak

-atak

-tok, –tek,

-otok,

(your)

-tok

-etek, –otok

3rd plural

-jak

-ak

-juk, –juk

-uk, –uk

(their)

Note:As mentioned earlier, vowels often get inserted between the word and its suffix so as to prevent too many consonants from appearing in a row (which would produce unpronouncable words). For example, in the table above, all nouns that end in a consonant are followed by suffixes beginning with «a.»

Verb conjugation.Like its modern descendents (such as Finnish and Hungarian), Carpathian has many verb tenses, far too many to describe here. We will just focus on the conjugation of the present tense. Again, we will place contemporary Hungarian side by side with the Carpathian, because of the marked similarity of the two. As with the possessive case for nouns, the conjugation of verbs is done by adding a suffix onto the verb stem:

Carpathian (proto-Uralic)

-am

(andam),-ak –sz (andsz)

-(and)

-ak (andak) –tak (andtak)

Person

1st (I give)

2nd singular (you

give)

3rd singular

(he/she/it gives)

1st plural (we give)

2nd plural (you give)

3rd plural (they give) –nak (andnak)

contempor

ary

Hungarian

-ok,-ek,-ok

-sz

-unk,-unk –tok,-tek,-to k –nak,-nek

As with all languages, there are many «irregular verbs» in Carpathian that don't exactly fit this pattern. But the above table is still a useful guideline for most verbs.

3. Examples of the Carpathian language

Here are some brief examples of conversational Carpathian, used in the Dark books. We include the literal translation in square brackets. It is interestingly different from the most appropriate English translation.

Susu.

I am home.

note 2

Moert?

What for?

csitri

little one

note 3

ainaak enyem

forever mine

ainaak'sivamet jutta

forever mine (another form)

note 4

sivamet

my love

note 5

Sarna Rituaali(The Ritual Words)is a longer example, and an example of chanted rather than conversational Carpathian. Note the recurring use of «andam"(«I give»), to give the chant musicality and force through repetition.

Sarna Rituaali(The Ritual Words)

Te avio palafertiilam. You are my lifemate.

note 6

Entolam kuulua, avio palafertiilam.

I claim you as my lifemate.

note 7

Ted kuuluak, kacad, kojed.

I belong to you.

note 8

Elidamet andam.

I offer my life for you.

note 9

Pesamet andam.

I give you my protection.

note 10

Uskolfertiilamet andam. I give you my allegiance. note 11

Sivamet andam. I give you my heart. note 12

Sielamet andam. I give you my soul. note 13

Ainamet andam. I give you my body. note 14

Sivamet kuuluak kaik etta a ted.

I take into my keeping the same that is yours.

note 15

Ainaak olenszal'sivambin.

Your life will be cherished by me for all my time.

note 16

Te elidet ainaak pide minan.

Your life will be placed above my own for all time.

note 17

Te avio palafertiilam. You are my lifemate. note 18

Ainaak'sivamet jutta oleny.

You are bound to me for all eternity. note 19

Ainaak terad vigyazak. You are always in my care. note 20

See Appendix 1 for Carpathian healing chants, including both theKepa Sarna Pus («The Lesser Healing Chant») and theEn Sarna Pus («The Great Healing Chant»).

To hear these words pronounced (and for more about Carpathian pronunciation altogether), please visit: http://www.christinefeehan.com/members/

Sarna Kontakawk(The Warriors' Chant) is another longer example of the Carpathian language. The warriors' counsel takes place deep beneath the earth in a chamber of crystals with magma far below that, so the steam is natural and the wisdom of their ancestors is clear and focused. This is a sacred place where they bloodswear to their prince and people and affirm their code of honor as warriors and brothers.

Sarna Kontakawk (The Warriors' Chant)

Veri isaakank-veri ekaakank.

Blood of our fathers-blood of our brothers.

Veri olen elid. Blood is life.

Andak veri-elidet Karpatiiakank, es wake-sarna ku meke arwa-arvo, irgalom, han ku agba, es wake kutni, ku manaak verival.

We offer that life to our people with a blood-sworn vow of honor, mercy, integrity and endurance.

Verink sokta; verink ka?a terad. Our blood mingles and calls to you.

Akasz enak ku ka?a es juttasz kuntatak it. Heed our summons and join with us now.

To hear these words pronounced (and for more about Carpathian pronunciation altogether), please visit: http://www.christinefeehan.com/members/ .

SeeAppendix 1 for Carpathian healing chants, including theKepa Sarna Pus (The Lesser Healing Chant), theEn Sarna Pus (The Great Healing Chant), theOdam-Sarna Kondak (Lullabye) and the Sarna Pusm O Mayet (Song to Heal the Earth).

4. A MUCH-ABRIDGED CARPATHIAN DICTIONARY

This very much abridged Carpathian dictionary contains most of the Carpathian words used in these Dark books. Of course, a full Carpathian dictionary would be as large as the usual dictionary for an entire language (typically more than a hundred thousand words).

Note: The Carpathian nouns and verbs below are word stems. They generally do not appear in their isolated, «stem» form, as below. Instead, they usually appear with suffixes (e.g., «andam»-«I give,» rather than just the root, «and»).

agba-to be seemly or proper.

ai-oh.

aina-body.

ainaak-forever.

ak-suffix added after a noun ending in a consonant to make it plural.

aka-to give heed; to hearken; to listen.

akarat-mind; will.

al-to bless; to attach to.

alatt-through.

aldyn-under; underneath.

al?-to lift; to raise.

alte-to bless; to curse.

and-to give.

arvo-value(noun) .

arwa-praise(noun) .

arwa-arvo-honor(noun) .

arwa-arvo olen g?idnod, ekam-honor guide you, my brother(greeting) .

arwa-arvo olen isanta, ekam-honor keep you, my brother(greeting) .

arwa-arvo pile sivadet-may honor light your heart(greeting) .

arwa-arvod mane me kodak-may your honor hold back the dark(greeting).

asti-until.

avaa-to open.

avio-wedded.

avio palafertiil-lifemate.

belso-within; inside.

bur-good; well.

bur tule ekamet kuntamak-well met brother-kin(greeting) .

cada-to flee; to run; to escape.

coro-to flow; to run like rain.

csecsemo-baby(noun) .

csitri-little one(female) .

eci-to fall.

ek-suffix added after a noun ending in a consonant to make it plural.

eka-brother.

ela-to live.

elasz arwa-arvoval-may you live with honor(greeting) .

elasz jelabam ainaak-long may you live in the light(greeting) .

elava-alive.

elava ainak majaknak-land of the living. elid-life.

ema-mother(noun) .

Ema Ma?e-Mother Nature.

en-I.

en-great, many, big.

en jutta felet es ekamet-I greet a friend and brother(greeting) .

En Puwe-The Great Tree. Related to the legends of Ygddrasil, theaxis mundi , Mount Mem, heaven and hell, etc.

engem-me.

elasz arwa-arvoval-live nobly(greeting) .

es-and.

etta-that.

faz-to feel cold or chilly.

fel-fellow, friend.

fel ku kuuluaak sivam belso-beloved.

fel ku vigyazak-dear one.

fertiil-fertile one.

fesztelen-airy.

fu-herbs; grass.

g?idno-road, way.

gond-care; worry; love(noun) .

han-he; she; it.

han agba-it is so.

han ku-prefix: one who; that which.

han ku agba-truth.

han ku kaswa o numamet-sky-owner.

han ku kuulua sivamet-keeper of my heart.

han ku meke piramet-defender.

han ku pesa-protector.

han ku saa kuc?aket-star-reacher.

han ku tappa-deadly.

han ku tuulmahl elidet-vampire(literally: life-stealer) .

han ku vie elidet-vampire(literally: thief of life) .

hany-clod; lump of earth.

hisz-to believe; to trust.

ida-east.

irgalom-compassion; pity; mercy.

isa-father(noun) .

isanta-master of the house.

it-now.

jalleen-again.

jama-to be sick, wounded, or dying; to be near death.

jela-sunlight; day, sun; light.

jela keje terad-light sear you(Carpathian swear words) .

o jela peje terad-sun scorch you(Carpathian swear words) .

o jela sielamak-light of my soul.

joma-to be underway; to go.

jo?e-to come; to return.

jo?esz arwa-arvoval-return with honor(greeting) .

jorem-to forget; to lose one's way; to make a mistake.

juo-to drink.

juosz es elasz-drink and live(greeting) .

juosz es olen ainaak sielamet jutta-drink and become one with me(greeting).

juta-to go; to wander.

juti-night; evening.

jutta-connected; fixed(adj.) , To connect; to fix; to bind(verb) .

k-suffix added after a noun ending in a vowel to make it plural.

kaca-male lover.

kaik-all.

kaswa-to own.

ka?a-to call; to invite; to request; to beg.

ka?k-windpipe; adam's apple; throat.

kada-to abandon; to leave; to remain.

kada wakeva ovo kod-stand fast against the dark(greeting) .

Karpatii-Carpathian.

kasi-hand(noun) .

keje-to cook; to burn; to sear.

kepa-lesser, small, easy, few.

kidu-to wake up; to arise(intransitive verb) .

k?m-to cover an entire object with some sort of covering.

kinn-out; outdoors; outside; without.

kinta-fog, mist, smoke.

kod-fog, mist, darkness.

kod alte han-darkness curse it(Carpathian swear words) .

o kod belso-darkness take it(Carpathian swear words) .

kod jutasz belso-shadow take you(Carpathian swearwords) .

koje-man; husband; drone.

kola-to die.

kolasz arwa-arvoval-may you die with honor(greeting) .

koma-empty hand; bare hand; palm of the hand; hollow of the hand.

kond-all of a family's or clan's children.

kont-warrior.

kont o sivanak-strong heart(literally: heart of the warrior) .

ku-who; which; that.

kule-to hear.

kulke-to go or to travel (on land or water).

kulkesz arwa-arvoval, ekam-walk with honor, my brother(greeting) .

kulkesz arwaval-jo?esz arwa arvoval-go with glory-return with honor (greeting).

kuly-intestinal worm; tapeworm; demon who possesses and devours souls.

kumpa-wave(noun) .

kuna-to lie as if asleep; to close or cover the eyes in a game of hide-and-seek; to die.

kunta-band, clan, tribe, family.

kutn?-to be able to bear, carry, endure, stand, or take.

kutnisz ainaak-long may you endure(greeting) .

kuulua-to belong; to hold.

laas-west.

lamti (or lamt?)-lowland; meadow; deep; depth.

lamti bol juti, kinta, ja szelem-the netherworld(literally: the meadow of night, mists, and ghosts) .

lana-daughter.

lejkka-crack, fissure, split(noun) . To cut; to hit; to strike forcefully(verb) .

lewl-spirit(noun) .

lewl ma-the other world(literally: spirit land). Lewl ma includeslamti bol juti, kinta, ja szelem : the netherworld, but also includes the worlds higher upEn Puwe , the Great Tree.

louna-south.

loyly-breath; steam(related to lewl: spirit) .

ma-land; forest.

mana-to abuse; to curse; to ruin.

mane-to rescue; to save.

ma?e-land; earth; territory; place; nature.

me-we.

meke-deed; work(noun) . To do; to make; to work(verb) .

minan-mine.

minden-every, all(adj.) .

moert?-what for?(exclamation) .

molo-to crush; to break into bits.

molana-to crumble; to fall apart.

mozdul-to begin to move, to enter into movement.

myos-also.

na-for.

?ama?-this; this one here.

nelkul-without.

nena-anger.

no-like; in the same way as; as.

numa-god; sky; top; upper part; highest(related to the English word: numinous) .

nyal-saliva; spit(related to nyelv: tongue) .

nyelv-tongue.

o-the(used before a noun beginning with a consonant) .

odam-to dream; to sleep.

odam-sarna kondak-lullabye(literally: sleep-song of children) .

olen-to be.

oma-old; ancient.

omboce-other; second(adj.) .

ot-the(used before a noun beginning with a vowel) .

otti-to look; to see; to find.

owe-door.

ov-to protect against.

pajna-to press.

pala-half; side.

palafertiil-mate or wife.

peje-to burn.

peje terad-get burned(Carpathian swear words) .

pel-to be afraid; to be scared of.

pesa-nest(literal); protection(figurative) .

pesasz jelabam ainaak-long may you stay in the light(greeting) .

pide-above.

pile-to ignite; to light up.

pira-circle; ring(noun) . To surround; to enclose(verb) .

piros-red.

pita-to keep; to hold.

piwta-to follow; to follow the track of game.

pohi-north.

pukta-to drive away; to persecute; to put to flight.

pus-healthy; healing.

pusm-to be restored to health.

puwe-tree; wood.

rauho-peace.

reka-ecstasy; trance.

rituaali-ritual.

sas-shoosh(to a child or baby) .

salama-lightning; lightning bolt.

sarna-words; speech; magic incantation(noun) . To chant; to sing; to celebrate(verb) .

sarna kontakawk-warriors' chant.

saro-frozen snow,

sa?e-to arrive; to come; to reach.

siel-soul.

sisar-sister.

siv-heart.

sivad olen wakeva, han ku piwta-may your heart stay strong, hunter(greeting) .

sivdobbanas-heartbeat(literal); rhythm(figurative) .

sivamet-my love of my heart to my heart

sokta-to mix; to stir around.

so?e-to enter; to penetrate; to compensate; to replace.

susu-home; birthplace(noun) . At home(adv.) .

szabadon-freely.

szelem-ghost.

tappa-to dance; to stamp with the feet; to kill.

te-you.

ted-yours.

terad keje-get scorched(Carpathian swear words) .

toja-to bend; to bow; to break.

toro-to fight; to quarrel.

torosz wakeval-fight fiercely(greeting) .

tule-to meet; to come.

tumte-to feel; to touch; to touch upon.

ture-full, satiated, accomplished.

tyvi-stem; base; trunk.

uskol-faithful.

uskolfertiil-allegiance; loyalty.

veri-blood.

veri-elidet-blood-life.

veri ekaakank-blood of our brothers.

veri isaakank-blood of our fathers.

veri olen piros, ekam-literally: blood be red, my brother; figuratively: find your lifemate(greeting) .

veriak ot en Karpatiiak-by the blood of the prince(literally: by the blood of the great Carpathian; Carpathian swear words) .

veridet peje-may your blood burn(Carpathian swear words) .

vigyaz-to love; to care for; to take care of.

vii-last; at last; finally.

wake-power; strength.

wake kada-steadfastness.

wake kutni-endurance.

wake-sarna-vow; curse; blessing(literally: power words) .

wakeva-powerful.

wara-bird; crow.

wenc-complete; whole.

wete-water(noun) .

About this Title

This eBook was created using ReaderWorks(r)Publisher 2.0, produced by OverDrive, Inc.

For more information about ReaderWorks, please visit us on the Web at www.overdrive.com/readerworks

"into your heart"

"home/birthplace.» «I am» is understood, as is often the case in Carpathian.

"little slip of a thing», «little slip of a girl"

"forever to-my-heart connected/fixed'"

"of-my-heart,» «to-my-heart"

You wedded wife-my. «Are» is understood, as is generally the case in Carpathian when one thing is equated with another: «You-my lifemate."

To-me belong-you, wedded wife-my.

To-you belong-I, lover-your, man/husband/drone-your.

Life-my give-I. «you» is understood.

Nest-my give-I

Fidelity-my give-I.

Heart-my give-I.

Soul-my give-I.

Body-my give-I.

To-my-heart hold-I all that-is yours.

Forever will-be-you in-my– heart.

Your life forever above mine.

You wedded wife-my.

Forever to-my-heart connected are-you.

Forever you I-take-care-of.