Christine feehan - Dark Slayer 20

It had made her physically ill to shoot him with an arrow. She thought she had successfully separated the past from the present in her mind, but seeing him in person wasn't the same as thinking about him abstractly.

I am coming to you. Stall for time. Use the wolves if you must.

«Allow our healer to help you,» Mikhail said, his voice dropping another octave, becoming almost hypnotic.

She couldn't help but feel the pull of that pure voice, even though over centuries she'd trained herself not to fall prey to sound. Farkas pressed closer to her legs, his body trembling. He was in the same shape as she was.

«I have no need of your help, Dubrinsky,» she said, her voice haughty. «I neither ask nor want anything from you or anyone connected to you.»

Gregori's breath came out in a long, slow hiss.

Her gaze jumped to his face, to the storm gathering in his eyes. If an attack came, it would come from him. She was weak from blood loss and pain, and was running out of time. «You evidently have never learned, in all your years of existence, how a voice can be sweet and pure to the ears, yet hide the truth behind the mask. My brothers chose the path of evil, but they were not wrong in their judgment of the Dubrinsky line. The prince you follow is not at all what you believe him to be.»

Her gaze flicked to Mikhail, holding absolute, utter contempt. «You cannot deceive me, karpatii ku kod-liar, I am only fooled once, and your father was a champion. I wish to leave. Are you holding me prisoner?»

There was a small silence and Gregori slowly shook his head. «Do you believe you can fight all of us and emerge the victor? You are a woman, a Carpathian woman without anyone to protect her. I am sworn to carry out my duty whether you wish it or no.»

Ivory took a breath, and let it out. Be ready, Raja.

The pack bared teeth and faced the threat of the Carpathian males without flinching.

Gary moved then, deliberately placing his body in front of hers, standing between her and the guardian of the prince, ignoring the threat of her pack.

«Please,» he said. «No one wants to take you prisoner. I'm offering my blood freely to you. My life for yours. I'm not certain of the formal words, but if you take what I offer, we'll know you'll at least have a fighting chance should you run into another vampire. No one wants to imprison you."71

«She is infected with the vampire's blood,» Gregori explained. «The parasites have to be removed.»

«I am well aware of the infestation,» Ivory retorted. «I am perfectly capable of healing myself.»

Another male and female materialized just beyond the prince, and Ivory heaved a sigh, wishing she could just sink down into the snow and rest. She recognized the male, with his strong, handsome features, and a smile nearly broke out. Falcon. A friend of her family, of the De La Cruz brothers. He was a loner but a good man. She was grateful to see him, to know that at least a few of the older males still survived with their souls intact.

«Ivory!» Shock registered, shock and happiness. «You are the mysterious woman who saved our son?» Falcon glided forward but stopped abruptly when she stepped back and waved him off with her hand.

«Pesasz jelabam ainaak-long may you stay in the light, Falcon,» she greeted. «It has been many years.»

«You're injured,» the woman exclaimed, hurrying forward.

Falcon stopped her by putting a restraining hand on her arm. «What is going on here?»

Ivory noted that he didn't sound judgmental, just cautious. «I wish to leave and your prince and his servant have dictated otherwise.»

«Only to see to your health, lady,» Gregori said with a slight bow, ignoring her taunt.

The woman frowned. «I'm Sara, Falcon's lifemate. You saved our son and we're indebted to you. No one here wants to harm you.» She sent a small glare toward Gregori. «I can't imagine that anyone here would want to do anything but reward you for your help. I offer freely my blood to help heal you. Both Falcon and I will do our best to heal your wounds, although Gregori is a healer without comparison. He may look intimidating, but he is really a gentle, caring man.»

«I am not intimidated by the dark one,» Ivory denied. «I wish only to go my own way.» The woman tempted her with her offer. A healing would certainly go a long way toward strengthening her, but if she took the dark one's blood, he could track her all the more easily. Blood called to blood. And she would be so vulnerable. He could easily take her blood and then she would always have to worry that he could find her lair. As it was, Sergey knew she lived. He might get it in his head to try to find her.

She sighed and shook her head. «I regret that I cannot take you up on your generous offer, but thank you,» she said to Sara.

Raja growled a warning and she realized that Gregori had moved closer. The dark one halted when she swung toward him, angling the knife up toward the softer parts of his body.

«You would be very foolish indeed, dark one, to try it.»

«You are swaying with weariness,» Gregori said. «If I said anything to make you think I wish you harm, I apologize. Surely you can see my only concern is your health. While we stand here, the parasites have had more of a chance to spread their poison through your body.»

«I am well aware what parasites can and cannot do.»

She reached for Razvan, desperate now. The healer was closer than she was comfortable with, perhaps within striking distance. Ivory wasn't foolish enough to disregard the man's reputation. He was known far and wide throughout the community as a dangerous, ruthless defender of the prince and of the Carpathian people.

Unless I allow him to give me blood, I have no choice but to fight my way out.

You will not have to fight. I give my life for yours. Follow my lead. Talk to the woman, distract them for another couple of minutes.

There was something reassuring in his tone. She had left him a broken, fallen warrior, but he had risen something altogether different. There was confidence in his voice. Razvan was Dragonseeker, one of the oldest and most powerful of all Carpathian lineages, and he had endured torment and suffering for hundreds of years without succumbing to darkness. She had been in his mind, and his memory was long. He had absorbed fighting skills, techniques and strategies. He knew more about Xavier than any other living being and he had more cause to destroy him than any other. She wanted to believe in him. Shaken and weak, she needed to believe in him.

The healer is trying to outwait me. He knows I cannot last.

You will last.

Strength poured into her. «Sara,» she said softly. «I appeal to you. Ask the dark one to step aside. I have done harm to no one here and I want only to leave in peace. You indicated the need to repay me for saving the life of your child. This is what I ask. Simply have your healer step aside.»

Sara looked up at Falcon and then to Mikhail. «I think she sounds reasonable. Please, Gregori, just step aside.»

All of them looked at Sara, who angled closer, more protectively, toward Ivory.

Dirt geysered beneath the heels of the prince and a body materialized behind him, one arm locked tight around Mikhail's neck, the blade of a knife pressed against the heart of the prince. Stormy, merciless eyes locked on the face of the dark one with absolute resolve.

CHAPTER 5

No one moved. No one breathed, remaining statues frozen in time, as if one small mistake would start a bloodbath, and judging by the death in Razvan eyes-and Gregori's-there was little doubt there would be.

Gregori released his breath in a long, slow hiss. «It is a death sentence to threaten the life of the prince.»

Razvan shrugged his shoulders, a casual ripple of power. «I have been under a death sentence since my fourteenth summer. It is nothing new to me. There is nothing you can conceive of to do to me that has not been done already. I accept that I will die this night.» He inclined his head to Gregori, his expression unchanging, as if giving the Carpathian leave to kill him.