Christine Feehan - Dark Celebration 17

Mikhail shook his head. «We need to be calm and think clearly. Skyler, if this person or persons uses psychic talent again, will you be able to tell, or can they block you now that they know you are close by?»

«I doubt they could stop me from feeling the disruption in nature, but I carry Carpathian blood as well. I didn't feel it right away when Alexandria and I were walking in the forest. She knew something was wrong before I did.»

«Not exactly,» Alexandria said. «I felt the effects, and bought into the illusion my mind created, but I didn't realize I was being manipulated.»

«Skyler cannot go anywhere near that inn,» Dimitri decreed, glaring at Gabriel, his body posture clearly challenging the other man.

Before Gabriel could respond, Mikhail held up his hand. «I'll send Jubal to the inn. He's human and is a very strong psychic. Manolito De La Cruz will go with him. His wounds from the battle are healed, and he is a very powerful hunter. Together perhaps, they can pick up any signs of treachery. We will all be on our guard. As for Skyler, she has Lucian and Gabriel as well as you, Dimitri, to look after her. I doubt with the three of you guarding her, anyone could do her harm.»

Mikhail beckoned for the teenager to approach him. «You understand the danger you are in? Because our enemies might be able to find you, everyone in your household is in danger. You must be guarded at all times. Francesca, I suggest you talk to her about what a Carpathian male suffers when he is alone without his other half. She should have some understanding of the situation.»

Dimitri, you will learn about this young lady, what she has suffered, the trauma in her life, and you will also avail yourself of Raven's knowledge of human children. Mikhail made it a command, emphasizing what he knew Dimitri was fully aware of. Dimitri had to understand the girl was too young and had been through too much for him to bind her to him. «Skyler is cold and Alexandria needs to get back to her home. Thank you, Alexandria, for your quick thinking in shoving Skyler out of the way. She could have been hurt a lot worse.»

Alexandria's gaze jumped to the face of the prince. «How did you know?»

He indicated the ground. «I can read signs just as well as the next person. You pushed her away from the larger branches.»

«Thank you,» Gabriel said. «We owe you a great debt.»

«The debt is to Dimitri,» Alexandria demurred. «He saved her life by stopping the bleeding.» She leaned against Aidan for support. «Whoever was able to find my fears and amplify them did a good job. I was very frightened.»

«What made the tree come down?» Mikhail wondered aloud.

«There was a small earthquake right before it began to crack. I felt the ground roll,» Dimitri said. «I did not feel a surge of power. It felt natural to me, but we cannot know for certain.»

«I was so scared I think I imagined most things,» Alexandria confessed. «I was certain a vampire was hunting us, but Skyler didn't feel it.» She couldn't help herself, she had to examine the base of the tree. There was no sign of a garrote, shadow or otherwise. The trunk remained untouched and solid, the top having cracked and fallen in the bitter cold. She looked up at Aidan. «It was my imagination. I should have recognized the flow of power. I feel so foolish.»

His hand crept to the nape of her neck. «There is nothing foolish about you. Gabriel and Dimitri nearly came to killing blows and neither recognized the flow of power feeding their anger. And when I saw you lying so still covered by the branches, my emotions swung out of control. For a moment, I wanted to seek the dawn, thinking to join you.»

Her breath caught in her throat. «Aidan.» She brushed her fingertips down his face. «You thought I was dead?»

«It is my worst fear,» he admitted, catching her finger in his mouth. «I always fear I

might lose you.»

«Well, you won't. I'm strong, Aidan, and my skills are growing every day. I would have turned to vapor, but I needed to get Skyler out of harm's way. It seems I pushed her right into a compound fracture.»

«If she had remained where she was, she would have died,» Dimitri said. «The heaviest piece of the trunk fell directly over where she was standing. I owe you much.» He bowed slightly toward Francesca. «I apologize for causing you distress. I did not feel the subtle disturbance in nature and should have. I was consumed with the need to protect Skyler.»

«Women cannot be put in a bubble on a shelf somewhere, Dimitri,» Francesca pointed out. «We have to live our lives as well as you men do.»

Mikhail interrupted as Dimitri opened his mouth in what obviously was another protest. «We cannot cancel the Christmas party. If we do our enemies might guess who in this region is human and who is Carpathian. By cooking and 'eating' food, we appear as normal as the villagers around us. Now that we know there is danger close at hand, we will be able to keep our loved ones safe.»

Dimitri's fangs glistened as he bared his teeth and took a step toward Skyler. «She has suffered enough at the hands of human men. I will not allow this.»

Skyler pressed closer to Francesca, gathering her courage to defy a man who seemed too tall, too strong-too invincible with his hard face and burning cold eyes.

Do not rouse Gabriel's anger against Dimitri, Francesca cautioned. Let us handle this. She smiled at Dimitri. «Every child looks forward to a celebration such as this. Surely you can watch over her with us and give her this opportunity to relax and enjoy meeting the others as she has looked forward to doing for so long. She needs every good memory, every chance at laughter and a childhood she can have. Remember, Dimitri, she was robbed of that when she was young.»

«There is no chance I will ever forget,» he bit out between his teeth. He turned the full intensity of his glittering eyes on Skyler. «This is important to you? It is not an act of defiance because your lifemate does not want you to attend?»

She sucked in her breath, feeling the impact of his gaze all the way to her toes. She could never be with this man. She wanted to scream her denial. She wouldn't be a lifemate to any Carpathian, least of all this man. He terrified her. Desperation filled her with panic.

At Gabriel's soft warning growl, Francesca squeezed her shoulder.

Skyler forced air through her lungs and clutched Francesca's hand tighter. «I would very much like to go.» She wouldn't ask permission. She had done enough begging from men. As a child, she'd had to perform vile disgusting acts for food. She'd had to seek permission to sleep, to go to the bathroom, just to speak. Her life had been hell and she would not return

to that-she'd rather be dead.

Never, baby. Francesca's voice whispered through her mind. A pure love, unconditional, a promise that would always be kept. No one will ever hurt you like that again and live. I am your mother now and will protect you with every fiber of my being. Dimitri seems cruel and unfeeling, but in truth, his emotions are too overwhelming for him to control, so to protect you and all of us, he has to push his feelings aside and become a ruthless warrior. It is what he knows.

And who he is, Skyler said. He's violence personified. I've seen into his mind. He merged with me and I could see him killing without thought, without remorse. He thinks to control me. To make me do as he says.

All Carpathian males think that way. They are control freaks. Even our beloved Gabriel. You are too young and although his every instinct is pushing him to take you now, Dimitri is trying to hold back and give you what is yours-time.

«I will confess I do not like it, but I am probably being overprotective. I cannot bear to see-or feel you suffer.» Dimitri bowed slightly from the waist in an old-world gesture. «Then you shall go.»