Be strong, Carisma, for your mother. She fought for you. Fight for her. Fight for us. You are not alone. You have all of us waiting for you. Prepared to love and defend you. He didn't know the slightest thing about babies, and all he knew of children was that parents spoiled them and didn't teach them the things that would keep them safe.
The softest touch in his mind held a trace of that feminine amusement he knew was his woman laughing at him.
Tell me. Those scars.
On my face or body?
The ones you call a tattoo.
Dragomir sighed. He couldn't deny her anything, let alone a simple explanation that wasn't really so simple. "I cannot tell you what it was like to live centuries in the darkness. Not even darkness." He ran his fingers over her hair, those silken midnight black strands he loved. "Gray. A gray void. No feelings, none, Emeline. Just the battle and the kills. Men who had been my friends. Watching everyone that had been in my childhood turning from lack of one thing--finding a lifemate."
The wave was almost at its peak. He tightened his hold on her, bringing her front to his, so that her breasts pressed into his chest. He cradled the back of her head in the palm of his hand, feeling every ragged, labored breath she took. Every wheeze. The inevitable struggle for life. "At first there is the whisper of temptation. Soft at first, then as time passes, that whisper becomes the only thing one hears. Kill. Terrorize. You will feel the rush. You will feel."
To his shock and dismay, Emeline's mind stroked caresses in his. Soothing. Comforting. In the midst of the pain, she still thought of him first. There was a persistent burning behind his eyes--one he'd never felt before.
Keep talking. Hurry. I need your voice. It keeps me centered. Grounded. I can do this if I have your voice.
I thought that whisper was the worst of what could happen and I learned to live with it, to ignore it. Time passed. So much time. And then even that was gone. There was no whisper of temptation, only time moving and no letup in sight. I was growing weary, and that is a dangerous time for a Carpathian hunter. Every battle, every kill, takes its toll. So, those like me got together, and we found our place in the monastery. Alive but not. Dead but walking. We found a gatekeeper, one close to his time like us, but unwilling to meet the dawn. His job was to keep us from killing anyone. His job was to feed us.
He fed all of you? What a good man.
No one had ever called any of them a "good man." Most ran from them, and with good reason. Every one of the monks was dangerous to mankind.
Those nights were difficult. To get through them, we practiced fighting, pairing off most of the hours to engage in hand-to-hand or weapons training. Sometimes one of us had to take on the rest of the brotherhood.
One man against so many. Her breath hitched and she exhaled a long wheezing rush of sound like a ragged whisper.
He loved her beyond all imagining. She made him feel such a wealth of emotions, all centered around her. The ink embedded into my skin was carved deeply by my brothers in the monastery. We took vows, and were a brotherhood, but those vows weren't said to a higher deity, but to the ones holding our souls. The ones keeping us safe. Ones like you, Emeline. Those vows were made to our lifemates, not anyone else.
He'd meant every word of those vows he'd taken to become what he was--a part of that brotherhood. The first line is Olen wakeva kuntankert. That translates in your language as staying strong for our people. The second line is Olen wakeva pita belso kulymet. That means, staying strong to keep the demon inside. We all know we have that demon. It is powerful and at any time could consume us or those around us. The third line is Olen wakeva--felert ku vigyazak. That is our most important line and the one we repeat when the demons are too close. It means staying strong for her. The last line is very simple but it says it all. Hangemert.
He knew his voice had changed. He knew that last word was said with reverence. It always was. Hangemert means only her. It is simple, but it is everything. You are everything to me. You always have been. I lived a life of honor for me, but also for you. There is only you. None came before you and none will ever come after you. There is only you.
The terrible wave was receding and her breathing changed, became less labored. She needed respite. She needed the healing soil. He checked her, every part of her, and then checked their daughter. Gary had kept her shielded enough that as her little organs changed, she had hung on through the terrible, painful transformation.
Dragomir pushed back strands of damp hair from her face. She was sweating blood. There were dots of it on her forehead and smears on her body. He opened the earth right next to them, making it deep. Seeing the shimmer of rich minerals made his heart a little lighter.
This is the scary part. Buried alive.
Her voice tried to make light of it, but he felt the undertone of horror. You will sleep and the baby will sleep. When you wake, you will be out from under the soil. On your rising we will practice opening and closing the soil until I know you are always safe and feel confident in your abilities.
He brushed a kiss across her mouth. He, as always throughout her ordeal, had swept away the dots of blood on her forehead and the smears on her body. All toxins were gone and the air was sweet-smelling and fresh. Still, she turned her head away.
I am not clean.
You are very clean. I will put you under before the next wave starts. I'll sleep beside you this night. He waited for her consent. It was a long time coming.
Her gaze clung to his and then finally she nodded. He reached out immediately to the healer. It is time.
I agree. The child is ready.
Dragomir touched his daughter lightly, just to make certain. She was sleepy. Weary. She needed the ordeal over. Gary was back in his body, slumping to the ground. Immediately Tomas offered him his wrist and the healer gratefully took it.
Dragomir kissed Emeline again and sent mother and daughter to sleep. They went under without a fight. He floated into the deep hole with Emeline in his arms. He was gentle as he placed her carefully in the soil before rising again. One wave closed the blanket of rich dirt over her. He turned as Sandu offered him his wrist. His gaze found Tariq's.
"We need to find the traitor aiding Vadim. We need to do that now, before they have another chance to strike at us."
8
All trace of civility was gone from Dragomir's face. There was death in his eyes and he didn't care who saw it. Centuries fell away until there was only the vicious predator stripped of all mercy, all hint of kindness. There was only the killer left, the one that hunted--and prevailed. He looked like what he was, ruthless and implacable.
Tariq nodded, his face as grim as Dragomir's. "I agree. We need to find out just who is aiding Vadim and how. I will do that, ekam. You must feed and then go to earth to heal."
Dragomir shook his head. "My lifemate was nearly taken by a master vampire, one who raped her mind and invaded her body. He tortured her for weeks. The traitor allowed Vadim and his army access to this compound, putting every single man, woman and child, human and Carpathian alike, in danger."
Tariq nodded a second time. Maksim moved up to stand on Tariq's left. Gary took up a position on his right. Tomas, Lojos and Mataias flanked them. Dragomir understood the men were protecting Tariq, although Tariq didn't seem to notice the others surrounding him. He was the acknowledged leader. Those guarding him were making a statement. Dragomir wondered briefly why Gary was throwing his support behind Tariq, but at that moment his reasoning didn't matter.
As soon as the Carpathian hunters lined up behind Tariq, the ancients made their move. Sandu moved to Dragomir's right and Andor to his left. Ferro, Afanasiv and Nicu flanked Dragomir. Afanasiv and Nicu both had the same tattoo as Dragomir, drifting down and across their backs. The two had left the monastery, but they had joined the brotherhood. They were ancients, experienced in every kind of battle, shockingly fast, infinitely powerful. Brotherhood trumped friendship every time.
Dragomir hadn't asked for that allegianc
e, not in the issues he had with safety at the compound, but the others had decided to make a show of force and solidarity with him. Emeline wanted to remain in the compound, and for her safety and that of the baby, he knew it would be best. Creating a division wasn't what he wanted, or what Emeline needed. That didn't matter right at the moment. He had to shut down every threat to his lifemate. It was his duty, his right, and more than anything else, his need.
Tariq let his breath out in a long sigh, not looking at any of the other ancients, his entire focus on Dragomir. "I understand. Charlotte is my world as Emeline is yours. You know that every woman is cherished by the entire Carpathian community and equally as important. I will examine every member of my security force, the older couple--Donald and Mary Walton--and every other person living on this compound. I intend to get to the bottom of this tonight."
Dragomir pinned him with a steady, challenging gaze. His eyes were pure gold, glittering with menace and the promise of violence. "My woman is pregnant. The baby was in grave danger, her heart clogged with Vadim's poisonous filth. If the healer had not been here, Vadim would have forced Emeline to return to him, using the threat of killing her child. This traitor allowed that threat to become a very real possibility by allowing him to use the lightning during the healing and conversion."
Again Tariq nodded. "I understand the anger you must be feeling."
"Rage," Dragomir corrected. "Ice-cold rage. I invoke my right as her protector, as her lifemate, to hunt those putting her in harm's way." His voice was pitched low, a hint of savagery deepening the timbre. Still, as softly as he'd spoken, his words carried to the Carpathian people ringing the healing grounds. A hush fell instantly. Dragomir was well within his rights. He could hunt--and kill--anyone threatening his lifemate.
The invocation of Dragomir's right as Emeline's lifemate was a formality no one in the Carpathian world could dispute--not even the prince himself. It was a body blow to Tariq, who hoped to take care of it himself. Charlotte came up beside him, slipping her hand into his, looking up at the leader there in the compound.
"What is it, Tariq? What does that mean? Surely we all want to find out if someone is betraying us."
Tariq understood exactly what was in Dragomir's mind. Centuries past, children were raised by the community. It was a necessary way. If one's lifemate was killed, the other followed, leaving behind any children. The children were left bereft, but by having everyone participate in raising them, they were able to carry on. Each warrior could aid in sharing battle experience with the children. When the child did something wrong, the punishments were severe. Every consequence of their action was life-threatening--to the child or someone else, so the repercussions were equally harsh.
"It is your right, Dragomir," Tariq agreed. "I ask that you make an effort to understand these children. They were raised human and in a different century."
Dragomir didn't take his gaze from Tariq's, not for one moment. He didn't blink. He focused completely. "You know it is one of them." He hissed the accusation, a soft, piercing spear of sheer anger. "You know."
Charlotte gasped and put a defensive hand to her throat, but she glanced up at the mask that was Tariq's face and subsided instantly.
"I suspect," Tariq corrected. "There is someone, that much I'm certain of. None of my security force has been near the vampires long enough for Vadim to gain control. Genevieve hasn't, either. The Waltons aren't even on the vampires' radar. The children are the ones he had down in the underground city long enough to put them under his control. But they are traumatized children, Dragomir . . ."
Swift impatience crossed Dragomir's face. He waved away Tariq's caution dismissively. "I am tired of the excuses all of you make for them. These children wield power. One of them was brought into our world. She must abide by the rules of our world, just as every other Carpathian child has done. The other children have chosen to stay here, within the safety of your walls. They enjoy that safety because of the ancients safeguarding them. That means they fall under the rules of our world."
"There is no mercy in you," Charlotte whispered. "They are children."
"They brought evil into the compound," Dragomir said. "They allowed a master vampire to come into this place of safety, and they endangered my lifemate. As it was, she has been tormented every hour of her existence by Vadim Malinov, and someone here aided this monster in torturing her."
There was steel in his voice, steel in his heart. He turned abruptly away from Tariq and started across the wide expanse of the healing grounds. "Call them out of their home. They will stand for punishment and inspection." It was a decree. His invoking the ancient law of their people had given him every right and Tariq could do nothing but comply.
Behind him, he heard Charlotte begin an argument with her lifemate, begging him not to allow Dragomir near the children. She feared what he might do. She should fear the repercussions of such a grave offense. It angered him that Tariq hadn't done more than confine the children to their home. Genevieve watched over them, which to him was laughable. She had succumbed to a sleeping spell already, so the children knew they could manipulate her.
"They may decide to fight for the children," Sandu murmured.
Dragomir glanced at him, his features set and hard. He knew every scar on his face showed, every line depicting his many battles. "You do not have to accompany me."
"I believe you are right in what you do. More than right. I will admit I know little about the human world, but these children live in our world. That means they follow the rules. They can't have human rules and get away with a slap on their hands when we are dealing with life-or-death matters."
"Then what?"
"Your woman lies beneath the earth and must remain at least for the night. Possibly longer. If we start a war and must leave this place, she will remain behind."
Dragomir shook his head. "I thought of that. If there is a war, we must be the ones to keep this place. She needs the healing soil. The one that must be taken out before all others is--"
"The healer," Sandu said. The others nodded solemnly in agreement.
Dragomir sighed. "He is good, too good. Strong. He holds the memories of many ancients. He is programmed with the knowledge of their battles and experiences. It is a heavy weight to bear, but it also makes him a deadly opponent. Clearly he has given his protection to Tariq. I think Tariq makes a good leader and is needed here, but those children are his weakness."
Dragomir led the way outside and went straight to the side of the house where the cracks had been strategically placed in the wooden walls to allow the Carpathians to call down lightning when it was needed. He crouched low and sniffed the air, the wood and the dirt surrounding the flower beds. Flowers had wilted, some stalks yellow and drooping. The signs of lightning were right there, right where he was scenting that elusive odor he knew he'd caught just before the first lightning strike. The person who had given Vadim control when safeguards would have kept him out had stood right there, staring into the healing grounds, seeing Emeline, seeing him. She had allowed Vadim, aided him in attacking Dragomir's woman. His lifemate. His child. This girl would pay.
Tariq had called the children out of their house and they came slowly, holding hands, looking both guilty and remorseful at the same time. Tariq and Charlotte stood to the side of the play yard where the children had gathered to hear what Tariq had to say. Dragomir strode into the center, between Tariq and the children, shocking them. Alarming them.
Danny stepped forward, pushing his youngest sister, Bella, toward the fourteen-year-old girl, Amelia. "Thank you for saving out lives, Dragomir. We know we messed up. We wanted to fly the dragons and we should have waited until Tariq said it was okay."
Dragomir crooked his finger at the boy. Danny glanced at Tariq, but Tariq remained stoic. The boy shuffled forward a few steps, putting himself in jeopardy.
Maksim and the healer are behind us. Tomas and Lojos to our right. Mataias is to your left. I do believe they have us boxed in, Sandu
said.
"Tariq, if you do not want a war, send your guardians elsewhere," Dragomir said. "We can keep this to the finding of our traitor, or we can make it something else altogether."
Tariq frowned and lifted his head, looking left and right as if seeking. "I didn't ask them to attend. You were invited to this compound and I have not rescinded that invitation, nor do I intend to. You are needed here, as are the others. Vadim has declared war and we have to stop him. You are well within your rights to demand punishment for the children. They did open us up to an attack, and that could have ended badly. More, all of us want to find the traitor. That's imperative. I trust that you will remember these are my children. As you love Emeline and your daughter, I love these children. I also know they must learn what their actions could have caused."
Dragomir respected the man even more. Tariq was a born leader, a diplomat, but he was a hunter through and through. He understood language and words. He understood that by giving Dragomir carte blanche to punish his children, he was also tying his hands--just a little.
Danny straightened his shoulders and crossed the cement patio to stand right in front of Dragomir. "I lead my family, my sisters. If one of them did something, I will take the responsibility for it and the punishment."
A collective gasp went up from the girls. Ten-year-old Liv shook her head and ran toward her brother. "It was me. I did it. I opened the safeguards so we could fly the dragons."
Even as she stumbled over the last words of her confession, Dragomir waved a casual hand toward the child and she stopped in her tracks. She looked horrified. Terrified. The air shimmered for a moment and then a man materialized beside her. Valentin Zhestokly stood to the right and one step in front of the child, his body shielding hers. He didn't say anything, but he looked grim. Liv ducked her head, not looking at him or Dragomir. She looked as if she might burst into tears any minute.