Christine Feehan - Dark Demon 16

«I don't want you to go into their quarters alone. Vikirnoff will kill me. Literally.»

She snorted. «He won't do any such thing, Jubal. Take them to the kitchen now.»

Jubal's brows rose in sudden comprehension. «Because you think someone's in there.»

«Slavica, take Angelina to the kitchen,» Mirko ordered, his voice hard. «We are going with Natalya.»

Natalya snapped her teeth together, irritated at the men's manly egos. She couldn't very well tell them they were going to be in the way. She preferred to fight by herself. Besides, something was in that residence, not some-one. The birthmark of the dragon burned hot on her body and she knew nosferatu waited inside.

«Please explain to me what you think is in my home,» Mirko said.

Natalya exchanged a glance with Jubal and shrugged. «I believe the undead, the vampire is waiting inside for you and your family to return.»

He stared at her face for a long moment. «And you were planning to go in alone, unaided to fight this thing?»

«I've fought them before.» She patted her weapons and the single can of hairspray she had left in her bag. «I'm prepared.»

«And this is what you use the flamethrower for? To kill the vampire?»

Jubal groaned and shook his head. «Do you have any idea how crazy this sounds? Have you seen a vampire? You're not going to kill one with a can of hairspray.»

«I plan on bringing them down and then incinerating their hearts with the can of hairspray,» she explained.

Jubal shook his head. «No vampire would dare come to the inn with so many hunters here. That's crazy.»

Natalya shrugged. She was not about to argue when she was totally sure of herself. Something was in that residence. And she was beginning to think vampire weren't only in the Ostojic home, but perhaps in other parts of the inn as well.

She touched Vikirnoff's mind. The battle for Gabrielle's life raged on, but it wasn't going well. Vikirnoff was literally forcing her heart to beat while Mikhail breathed for her. She could hear the ancient healing chant, the voices swelling as Carpathians joined from a distance. She could hear a woman, most likely Joie, Gabrielle's sister, weeping as she tried to join the others in the chant.

For a moment Natalya was there with Vikirnoff, seeing the overwhelming task, the terrible damage done to Gabrielle, her body torn and drained of blood. Vikirnoff never faltered, never gave up. She could feel his determination, the endless strength and power he poured into Gabrielle's failing body.

Vikirnoff was a man of steel and compassion. There was something in him that drew her in spite of her every determination to hold him at bay, to be angry with him for binding them together, for making her so aware of him as a man and herself as a woman.

The task she'd asked of him was enormous and required every ounce of his will to keep Gabrielle alive, but he was doing it for her. And she was going into that room filled with vampires for him. She didn't exactly believe in putting herself in danger unless it was for a great cause. Keeping vampires off of Vikirnoff was an excellent cause. She blew a kiss toward the stairs.

«Natalya!» Jubal demanded. «Let's get this over with. I'm getting nervous thinking about going in there. Let's just do it.»

«That's a vampire in there, Jubal,» Natalya said. «You'd better be very sure you want to do this.»

«I said I was going in.»

«I just said, be sure.» She didn't wait for his comment, but pushed open the door with caution. The lights were out. A lamp was overturned and lay on the floor, the bulb broken. Cans of hairspray were strewn across the floor and over by the window, a vase with wildflowers lay on its side, water forming a small puddle. Natalya drew her sword and stepped into the room, gliding in silence, her senses flaring out to «feel» the room. She signaled the two humans to stay back as she went farther into the residence.

She knew something was there. She couldn't find the telltale «blank» spots that might indicate the presence of the vampire, but she knew it was there.

Vikirnoff. It was a terrible thing to disturb him when he was working so hard to save a life, but she was beginning to feel a trap had been sprung. Real fear was intruding. Why had Brent Barstow attacked Gabrielle? It made no sense. Not even a fanatic would think she was in any way a threat to him. There was only one reason. Barstow had to be under compulsion. There are vampires here and they must be after the prince.

She felt the jolt of awareness that sent him back into his own body. Natalya, get out of there. He didn't question her judgment, although he scanned the building and surrounding areas and found nothing to indicate the presence of the undead. They could be after you.

It is the prince. They drew him to the inn and with all of the hunters are wounded, I'm betting they think this is the perfect time to strike. Get the prince out of there.

He will not go.

Natalya kept to the edges of the room, moving in a circle, calling the tigress to the surface enough to use its superior senses of sight and smell. The room appeared to be empty, but the tigress went on alert, stilling inside of Natalya. Her muscles locked into freeze-frame stalk. They are here, Vikirnoff.

I am coming to you.

No! You would never forgive yourself or me if something happened to Mikhail and you have not prevented Gabrielle's death. I can do this. Trust me as I'll be trusting you to keep everyone there alive.

Vikirnoff swore in three languages. She could feel his frantic need to get to her, to see to her protection. In truth, she was frightened. The adrenaline was already pumping through her body with her heightened alertness, but she could deal with fear.

Vikirnoff, I know what I am asking of you.

Do you? He bit the words out. If anything should happen to you… One scratch, Natalya, I will be most angry with you. You do not want to see me angry.

She snorted for his benefit, but somewhere deep inside, someplace she kept secret, she was pleased. He made her feel like she counted. His concern was for her, not the prince and not Gabrielle, yet he trusted her enough to stay and do what needed to be done. And that respect and trust meant everything to her.

I will be with you at all times.

She recognized he didn't want her thinking he wasn't safeguarding her. I know. You like to make things difficult. Do your thing, Vik, and I'll do mine.

Teasing him helped ease the fear. She stilled near a long, low-slung couch, listening. Waiting for information she knew was there. And then she heard it. Air moving in and out of lungs. Not one set, but several. She looked around her and saw multiple pairs of eyes staring back. They had ringed her as best they could with her staying against the wall. The eyes glowed red in the dark. It took a moment to make them out, the long, muscular bodies and powerful jaws of the wolves. This time the vampires were using the animal form rather than using the animals. She faced a pack of the undead.

Chapter 13

«We are in trouble. Natalya is certain vampires are inside the building. She believes they are coming to kill the prince and she does not make mistakes.» Vikirnoff didn't look at Mikhail, but at Falcon. It was their duty to see to Mikhail's protection and whether he wanted protection or not, the prince was going to get it. Without waiting for a reply, Vikirnoff bent his head to Gabrielle's throat. «I am sorry, sister kin, but I do not have the luxury of waiting to see if we can accomplish this task without conversion.» He murmured the apology and sank his teeth into her throat, taking only enough blood for an exchange. She needed volumes and his ancient blood would speed the healing process.

They had only minutes before they would have to move both Mikhail and Gabrielle to a safer place. She would not survive without his blood. He was uncertain whether she could possibly survive the trip even with the infusion of ancient blood. They dared not stay and jeopardize the lives of the humans staying at the inn and that was the one powerful argument they could use if Mikhail insisted on fighting the undead.