Dark Challenge (39 page)

Julian?
Desari’s musical voice flowed into his mind to warm him.
Where are you going? I feel your worry.

That arrogant brother of yours is more stubborn than anyone I have ever met, and that includes Gregori. He insists on chasing the undead back to its lair.

Darius is a tremendous fighter
. There was a wealth of confidence in Desari’s voice.
He would never leave a vampire alive that has shown itself to him. How could he do other?

He could lure it out into the open, away from its lair, on the next rising. It is wounded, my love, and angry that it was thwarted in its attempt to acquire Syndil. It knows me and is afraid. Fear in these creatures only increases their cunning. Now it is returning to its place of safety. A vampire’s lair is one of the most dangerous places on earth. I have cautioned Darius, but I cannot leave him alone to battle when I know he is moving into a trap
.

Julian was winging his way through the air fast, hard on the tail feathers of Darius. The rain had slowed to a
steady drizzle, but the air felt heavy and thick. Julian shook his head at the foolishness of what they were doing. Darius believed in the straightforward approach. At the same time, he was a lethal adversary, one fully committed to destroying an enemy even if it meant his own life. Julian understood, but through long experience he had learned to pick his battles. Darius had to attack anything threatening those under his protection, but some part of him was urging him to fight to the death, wanting to take the vampire with him to eternal rest.

The idea of losing Darius left Desari raw with fear. And Julian found he could not bear Desari’s fear. He felt the presence of evil, the thick air surrounding them making it difficult to think. It was a common trick used by the undead to buy time. Julian simply directed his body on his instincts, trusting himself and his own strength and power.

Darius had often come up against the same snare, the effort to slow them down. He charged forward in a direct flight to catch up to their enemy.

The attack came without warning from behind both of them, two experienced hunters unprepared for the hurtling spear that zeroed in on the shadow in Julian like a heat-seeking missile. Neither knew whether it was De-sari’s cry of fear as she launched herself skyward or their own instincts, but as Julian turned to face whatever was threatening him from behind, Darius, flying slightly above and ahead, plummeted to place his body between his sister’s lifemate and the incoming spear.

The streamlined weapon the vampire had fashioned was well made and deadly. It sliced through flesh and bone, catching Darius’s body, imprisoned within the bird, just below the heart.

Dayan!
Without conscious thought, Julian took over the leadership, calling the other Carpathian to their aid,
then racing to catch Darius’s body as it fell from the sky, at the same time searching around him for the vampire who had suddenly turned the tables and was now in the far better position to escape or attack.
Desari, breathe for him, now. Take a breath. I need you calm. Breathe for him, and keep him alive. The spear sliced his heart, and he had no choice but to cease breathing on his own. Merge with him and bind him to us
. Julian gave the order as a healer. He had learned much of the ancient art by watching Gregori, the Dark One, Darius and Desari’s brother and blood kin, their people’s healer.

Dayan reached them, cradling Darius in midflight, leaving Julian free to guard them as they raced toward their own safe haven, a mountain with pools of heat and fire within it. Julian’s breath came out in a long, slow hiss. He could not continue to track his archenemy while Darius was in such need. Darius had saved his life and Desari’s. Julian’s sense of honor would never allow him to do other than what was right. The others did not have his powers of healing, although their closeness would help enormously.

Julian followed the others, guarding them from behind. His mind was already merged with Desari’s so that he could better follow the patterns inside Darius’s mind, so that he could examine the mortal wound even in flight. Darius had a strong constitution, a will of solid steel. Ultimately he would choose life or death for himself. No one would hold him to earth if he decided to go to eternal rest. It only strengthened Julian’s own belief that Darius was blood brother to Gregori, the Dark One, the greatest hunter and healer of their time.

Barack and Syndil had already opened the mountain to make entry easier to the narrow passageway leading deep within the earth. Barack moved ahead of the group as their scout, his senses flaring out for every scrap of
information he could ferret out. He looked for traces of the undead, blank spaces, strange smells, anything that might signal the presence of an enemy. Together he and Syndil worked to prepare a healing room. They found the richest soil. Syndil went down on her knees to add to the richness, chanting softly while Barack circled the cave, placing herbs and candles in a pattern along the wall.

Dayan placed Darius’s body into the bed of soil so carefully prepared, and stepped back to give Julian room. Desari sank onto the edge of the sunken earthen bed, her entire attention centered on her brother. He was no more than a spirit while his body lay lifeless under her stroking hand. Tears were running unchecked down her face. She was well aware of Darius’s strong will. If he chose to stay with them, it would certainly be his choice alone. She could not make him do anything he didn’t want to do.

He will stay with us.
Julian’s calm voice was in her mind. Strong. Gentle. Certain.
Darius knows that all of you need him. He will not leave you alone until he is certain all of you will be safe without him.
Julian said it firmly, knowing Darius’s spirit could easily read De-sari’s mind and hear his words. Desari needed reassurance badly.

Julian touched her shoulder, brushed her hair tenderly. Without looking at the others, he took a deep breath and released it, concentrating on losing himself, becoming pure energy, a white healing light that floated out of his strong body and into the body lying so still before him.

The wound was a terrible thing. The spear had entered just below the heart, tearing through sinew and tissue, arteries and veins. The tip had caught Darius’s strong heart, slicing a wicked cut before driving on through almost to his back. This spear had been meant for Julian.
Most likely it would have killed him. And Desari would have died, too.

I owe you a tremendous debt,
he murmured softly in his mind even as he began the difficult work of healing Darius from the inside out. Darius had managed to shut down his systems immediately, his spirit merged with Desari’s that he might aid them if necessary. Julian could read the intentions of the leader as surely as if they were his own. Darius would not leave his family unprotected until he was certain Julian could take his place.

And then Julian was nothing but light and energy, pure white heat to be used for healing. He closed the terrible wounds in the artery that were draining the precious fluid of life from Darius. The heart required tremendous concentration. The gash was deep, and Julian could make no mistakes. He became aware, after a time, that the sound of chanting was surrounding them. The words were ancient and soothing to him, filling him with a quiet confidence for the work he had to do. This was the most extensive repair on anyone he had attempted, and the familiar words in Desari’s beautiful voice gave him needed peace. She was there with him every step of the way, holding Darius to her, lending her strength to Julian even as her voice surrounded them with the healing words of the ancients. He was aware of the others joining in the melodious chant, lending their voices to the healing process.

Becoming pure energy tired any healer quickly. It was a difficult process to put one’s body aside thusly. At the end Julian felt so drained that he slipped from Darius’s body and found himself staggering, his enormous strength gone. He sank down onto the soft earth and allowed his head to fall forward so that his long hair hid the deep lines of strain in his face.

Desari stroked a long caress through the tangle of golden hair, her heart beating a steady rhythm to support her lifemate. Julian was so like her brother. He simply, masterfully, took control of a situation and did what had to be done. The two were very similar in character. She felt the stirring in her mind. Not the path she shared with Julian, but rather the familiar one she had known for so many centuries. Darius would live.

Dayan had moved into a position where he could watch the procedure closely. “He is going to live?” The question was addressed to Julian rather than Desari, a tentative olive branch from the second in command.

Julian glanced up at him, fatigue etching harsh lines in his features. “Darius will not leave this world until he is ready to do so. Then there will be no one who can stop him. He will live, but he needs blood and rest. All of us must feed well that we can supply him. He will need to be safeguarded at all times. The vampire is aware Darius is injured and thinks him vulnerable now. He will actively seek his resting place in hopes of an easy kill.”

Beside him Desari stirred in protest, her slender body suddenly pressing itself against Julian’s as if for protection. Julian responded immediately, his arm drawing her to him, shielding her from the world. “There will be no easy kill, Desari. Darius, even in his present state, is dangerous. His mind alone holds enough power for the kill. Do not fear for him. In any case, we will provide safeguards to protect him should the vampire get past any of us.”

“He will come after
you
.” Syndil spoke the words softly, her voice so beautiful it seemed to reach out and touch Julian’s soul. “He hates you all, every male, and intends to use me to destroy you.” She raised her eyes to Julian. “But he hates you most of all. He thought to
control you, and he cannot. I felt his rage.”

Julian’s glittering eyes examined the woman standing with her head bowed a little distance from the others. She was very pale, her eyes enormous. She looked fragile and vulnerable, as if she might break should the wind blow too strongly. He felt Desari twine her fingers through his as if to prevent him from speaking. Barack stirred, a restless, fierce movement the women misinterpreted as aggression. Julian read it as fiercely protective. Barack saw himself as a shield between Syndil’s vulnerability and all others who might hurt her inadvertently or, worse, on purpose.

“He cannot use you against us, Syndil. You are our beloved sister and under our protection, just as the earth is under yours. Your power is too strong for this evil creature to corrupt.” When he spoke, Julian chose each word carefully, adding a subtle “push” with his velvet voice. “He wishes you to believe you draw evil to you, but it is only one of his illusions. The undead have many traps they use in the hopes of ensnaring one of us. I have spent centuries hunting these creatures, and I have seen such traps targeted for specific individuals. You cannot be touched by his taint. It is impossible, as you are too pure. I know this through my mind merge with Desari. Every one of us knows this.”

Syndil’s long lashes swept her cheeks. “I do not know this.”

Barack stirred again, a low growl rumbling within his throat. At once, Syndil’s slender frame began to shape-shift, wavering somewhere between that of a human female and a female leopard.

Desari, you must tell Barack to give her more space
. Julian knew better than to challenge the adult male. Darius might do so, but Julian doubted it. Sometimes Carpathian males allowed their protective natures to
overcome their good sense. Barack was not likely to back off just because an older, stronger, more dominant male told him to. Desari had a much better chance of getting Barack to back off with her soft, winning way and her magical voice. Julian didn’t blame the man; Barack felt fiercely protective of Syndil and was still in a dangerously combative state. Once the demon within was aroused, it was difficult to overcome the savage, predatory instincts of their kind.

Desari’s answer was so perfect, it was all Julian could do not to clasp her to him. She didn’t so much as glance at Julian or in any way act as though they had communicated. “Syndil.” She whispered the woman’s name softly, lovingly, so that the leopard shimmered between human form and animal. “Do not leave me as yet. I am in sore need of your comfort.” Desari projected just the right note of weariness into her voice, and even Julian was a believer.

How could she not be tired after her tremendous ordeal? Of course she was. He could feel it in her now as her body swayed slightly against his. Her large eyes touched Barack’s stone-hard features.
I know she wishes to flee, Barack, but if you would, please step aside and allow her to come to me. I have a great need to be with my sister.

You have the golden one to aid you, Desari
. Barack’s words were harsh, but even as he sent the message winging through the air between them, he moved away from Syndil, allowing her a clear path to Desari.

It was Desari who moved, rather than Syndil, covering the distance between them in a few unhurried steps. As they came together, their arms surrounding one another, they simply disappeared from the men’s sight.

Barack swore aloud and turned burning eyes on Julian.
“There is the matter of the undead before us, and we have not fed, nor have our women.”

Julian shrugged with his casual strength coming easily, fluidly to his feet as if he was as fresh as at first rising. “Then we must see to their needs,” he responded quietly, sidestepping the bristling Carpathian.

Barack shoved a hand through his long hair, furious for no reason at all. He had never felt so edgy, so on the verge of violence before. He wanted to make the kill. To have such a foul, unclean creature as the undead come so close to capturing one of their family was unthinkable. There were four males to guard the women, yet the trap had been sprung, and Syndil once more had been the victim of an attack. It made him feel like clawing and raking the heavens above. It made him feel a failure. He had promised himself it would never happen to her again, yet that filthy abomination had managed to touch her mind, made her doubt herself, made her relive Savon’s brutal attack and believe she was in some way to blame.