Christine Feehan - Dark Demon 16

«Was?»

Ordinarily the demand in his voice would have irritated her, and Vikirnoff was already moving to put himself between her and the stranger, though for her protection or the stranger's she wasn't certain. Something in the man's face saddened her. The man, whoever he was, bore an uncanny resemblance to her father. «Xavier killed Rhiannon long ago,» she explained.

«She is dead?» Though no expression crossed the man's face, she was certain the news struck him hard. «You are certain?»

«I'm capable of accessing the memories in objects, particularly if violence is associated with the object. Xavier used his favorite ceremonial knife to kill her. I saw it happen

through the knife and Vikirnoff witnessed it as well.» The man closed his eyes as if in pain. «I'm sorry,» she added. «Did you know her?»

«Forgive me, little sister. I should have introduced myself. I am Rhiannon's brother, Dominic. I have long sought my beloved sister in the hopes of finding her alive. It is good she lives through you.» Dominic clasped Vikirnoff's arms. «Eka, kont. I had hoped one day to see you again.»

«You are wounded.»

Dominic shrugged. «I had a run-in with Maxim Malinov and we had ourselves quite a little battle.»

He was the dragon in the sky the other day, wasn't he? Natalya asked Vikirnoff, excited. What did he call you?

Yes. He has always been a superb warrior. He called me brother and warrior. Coming from Dominic, it is a great honor.

«It is why I was late this rising. I meant to attend the healing, but fear my wounds needed a few extra hours in the soil to ensure I was fit to aid our people should the need arise.» All the while he spoke, his gaze continued to flicker over Natalya. «I would see the memories of the murder of my sister with my own eyes, Vikirnoff.»

Vikirnoff readily complied and Natalya looked away, out the window, refusing to brush their minds while they exchanged information. She could not bear to relive the past again.

«I have long used the disappearance of my sister as my reason for remaining on this earth. I thought once I knew what happened to her I would seek the dawn, but I must know about her children.»

«My father is dead,» Natalya spoke up. «Xavier murdered him. I don't know what happened to my aunts. They were triplets, two girls and a boy. My father thought his sisters had to be dead. He rarely spoke of them.» Natalya pressed a hand over the suddenly burning birthmark and looked anxiously at her lifemate. «Vikirnoff? They are coming.»

«Who is coming?» Falcon asked, rising from where he'd been sitting with Sara.

«Vampires,» Dominic answered, his palm covering his side over the same birthmark. «The dragon is burning. They are already here.»

Mikhail thrust Raven behind him, looking out his window. «I do not feel their presence.»

«Nor do I,» Falcon agreed. He was at the opposite window.

«I feel them only through Natalya,» Vikirnoff said. «This is what has been happening everywhere and must have something to do with whatever they are putting in their blood.»

The first explosion rocked the house, sending a shower of wood and debris down on them. An orange-red ball drove through the roof, the top story, past them and down to the basement below, spreading flames everywhere it touched. Instantly several more fireballs hit the house from every direction. Explosion after explosion shook not only the house, but the ground. Flames shot up the walls and danced across the ceiling. Faces appeared in the rolling waves of fire, laughing and taunting. The ceiling collapsed in large, burning chunks.

Vikirnoff drove Natalya to the floor, covering her body with his own as he threw up a hasty shield, trapping oxygen inside. Mikhail and Raven and Falcon and Sara huddled together, while Manolito and Dominic raised similar barriers. The breath slammed out of Natalya's lungs, leaving her gasping and fighting the weight of Vikirnoff's larger frame. She pushed at him, trying desperately to get at her weapons.

«Mikhail is creating a vacuum, sucking all the air from around us to put out the fire. Be still.» Vikirnoff gripped her shoulders, holding her down with the casual strength of his species.

«Freakin' idiot, next time warn me. I might have slit your throat thinking you were the enemy,» Natalya snapped. Her heart was pounding. The world was in flames around her. The fire roared so loud it hurt her ears and the faces writhing in the conflagration stretched their lips wide with wild shrieks of laughter. The tigress didn't want to be held down. Every survival instinct was roused, desperate to fight for freedom; Natalya focused on lying still beneath Vikirnoff to keep from running.

There was a whooshing sound that rocked the house as Mikhail removed the oxygen and immediately the flames vanished, leaving a blackened shell with most of the roof gone. The eerie silence clawed at Natalya's nerves. Before they could move, the orange-red fireballs began pounding what was left of the structure again and the flames leapt to life. Several bombs rained down on them from directly overhead, tearing gaps in the floor, exposing the chambers beneath in the basement.

We have to get out of the house. Get to the underground chamber and go through the ground to safety.

Natalya recognized Mikhail's voice. He was calm, but there was an underlying urgency. At once their shelter disappeared and Vikirnoff's weight lifted from her body. She sprang to her feet and raced toward the nearest hole in the floor. Walls of flames raged around them, the heat so intense she could barely breathe.

No! We cannot go that way. Vikirnoff gripped Natalya's arm before she could jump, dragging her back against him, pressing her face into his chest to help alleviate her burning lungs. That way is closed to us, Mikhail. They await us with traps in the ground.

You are certain? Mikhail asked.

Vikirnoff nodded. Trust me.

Natalya touched Vikirnoff's mind and realized he was using her connection to Razvan. He had turned the tables on her brother, reaching out on her telepathic path to her twin, unraveling the familiar safeguards and searching his mind for information.

I should have thought of that. And maybe she had. Maybe she just couldn't accept what Razvan had become. I'm sorry.

Vikirnoff hissed something at her between clenched teeth, the images he was receiving from Razvan evidently infuriating him. We'll have to shift. I will hold the image of mist uppermost in your mind and we will shift together as soon as it is safe to move.

Natalya nodded. She was furious at being trapped like a rat in a cage. It took two heartbeats to realize it was Vikirnoff's fury she was feeling more than her own.

Get down. When I extinguish the flames after all of you escape quickly, and remember, they will know we are coming. Mikhail accepted that they had no choice but to use the common path of communication in the midst of the roaring flames and black smoke.

Natalya went to the floor, not waiting for Vikirnoff to drag her down. This time smoke mixed with oxygen within the hastily erected shield, but the air was still breathable. Vikirnoff settled on top of her and the tigress growled in protest, but remained still.

She was more prepared this time for the ground trembling and the force of the air being removed from the building. Again there was the same eerie silence. The Carpathians threw off the shields and began to shimmer into mist. Vikirnoff's fingers curled tightly around hers as he pushed the image of vapor into her mind.

Stop! The order came from Vikirnoff again as he delved even deeper into Razvan's brain, reading the battle plan. They have devised a method to keep us from restructuring. Xavier and Razvan have constructed a net to entrap us. If we shift, we will be caught in that form, unable to change. It is what they expect of us.