Christine Feehan - Dark Celebration 17

«Don't ever think you don't belong,» Corinne added. «All of us»-she gestured to encompass everyone there-«we all stand together. And you belong here with us.»

Gabriel hugged her again. «Francesca is anxious to see you.» He lifted her into his arms and took off into the night with her.

«Are we going to pull this party off tonight?» Dayan asked.

«We'd better,» Corinne said. «After all the work that went into it. And the children are really anxious. We can't let them down. Fighting off vampires and now, mage attacks, is just part of our lives, just like you told me earlier. Now that we know what is happening, we can find a way to prevent it. I don't want them to stop us from living our lives, any more than we want Skyler not to be living hers.»

Dayan slung his arm around Corinne and pulled her close to him. Now that her heart was

beating just fine, his was accelerating overtime. «I'm thinking, just for a while, I might wrap the two of you up in that bubble wrap and keep you safe on a shelf. Thank you, Gregori. I'm sorry to have interrupted your evening.»

«It was an interesting puzzle,» Gregori said. «I want to get together later with you, Natalya, so we can begin working together to keep such things from happening.»

Natalya nodded. «Of course. Right now I'm heading over to the inn to see if I can help Lucian spot any likely candidates. Skyler was very certain he had come from there. We want to make certain that this party will be safe for all the children.»

«I think I'll go back to the house and hide under the covers,» MaryAnn declared. «All this excitement is just a little too much for me.»

«You never think of yourself as brave, MaryAnn,» Gregori admonished. «But you always manage to find the courage to go to a fellow woman in need, no matter what the cost to you.»

She gave him a small smile. «Anything for my sisters.»

Gregori suddenly swung his head around, looking toward the trees, his silver eyes narrowed as he carefully examined the area around them. MaryAnn shivered and pressed her hand over the small spot right above her breast that seemed to be aching from the cold.

«Are you all right?» Destiny asked.

«Just a little tired,» MaryAnn confided. «Your late night hours are a little hard on the human here.»

Chapter 17

Manolito De La Cruz filtered through the trees in a slow, steady stream, careful not to disturb the air around him. There was something exhilarating about being so close to so many hunters, his prey in the middle of their tight circle, and none of them even saw him. He couldn't leave her until he was certain she was safe. He wanted her out of the woods and back in the shelter of Nicolae's house until the party. The ancients were suspicious, doubling back several times trying to figure out where he was-who he was.

Euphoria could be as dangerous as feeling nothing at all. He felt alive, giddy with it, staring in awe at the colors, absorbing emotion that seemed to bombard his entire system. He had waited in vain for so long, living only with his memories, only with honor, and now this woman had given him life. They would not keep her from him, no matter the cost. He had lived centuries risking his life-his very soul-asking nothing in return. Until now. MaryAnn was his, and he would not give her up.

Manolito? Have you a need of me?

His brother's voice stilled the wild chaos in his mind. He needed to be cold and deliberate, planning out his campaign each step of the way. Even as Rafael reached out to him, he felt Nicolae probing, thrusting hard in an effort to catch the unwary's mind open for invasion. It had been centuries since he was able to enjoy himself, to actually feel anything, and playing hide-and-seek, as dangerous as it was, was giving him a rush of adrenaline, a powerful high. He used his hunting skills, playing cat and mouse with them all, not leaving so much as a scent or a hair to tip them off. As a Carpathian male without a lifemate, he would naturally fall under suspicion, but there were several gathering with the couples to attend the celebration. He had to appear indifferent, not so much as brush up against her, not even noticing that she was near.

Manolito. Where are you? Have you need of me? Rafael called out to him again, this time much more insistent, alarm in his voice. His brothers knew how close he was, how the beast crouched and roared and the darkness spread covering his soul.

I checked the inn for our enemies and have scanned the forests. I will be returning as soon as I ensure Juliette and Riordan are safe. I want to double their safeguards. Manolito made certain he sounded matter-of-fact, expressionless, simply a man going about his duty. His brothers, Rafael and Riordan, would definitely help him carry out his plan, but enlisting them would put them in a terrible position with their lifemates-and he didn't altogether trust the women to stay silent. None of them seemed to understand it was a saving of the soul-far more important than a life.

Rafael heaved a small sigh. That is a good idea. Juliette was so upset over her sister and cousin refusing to join us for this holiday. They never come to any of the family functions. Colby says Juliette is so unhappy, Riordan is considering leaving the ranch and going into the jungle where Jasmine and Solange live so she can be closer to them.

Manolito was silent for a moment, weighing whether or not to use this opportunity to plant a seed. He took it. It is too bad we do not have a counselor such as this woman visiting with Nicolae and Destiny. Nicolae mentioned she had helped both Destiny and the young teenager, Skyler. Perhaps Riordan should try to find someone similar near the ranch. He kept his voice as always, flat and uncaring, merely a suggestion to solve a problem. He didn't betray that his heart was accelerating or his eyes nearly blinded by the vivid brightness of the world around him.

There was another small silence. That is a good idea. I hadn't thought of that. I heard Destiny was nearly lost and this woman brought her back. Perhaps Juliette's sister would benefit from counseling as well. See to Riordan and if possible, come back before the party. I do not know if you were paying attention, but the word went out that there is a mage at work.

I have heard. He had seen Natalya do battle, and he'd stayed close to watch over MaryAnn. Now she was finally safe, back in Nicolae's house, and he could relax his vigil somewhat. Twice he had glimpsed the black wolf he knew to be Dimitri watching over young Skyler, and he felt sympathy for the man. Dimitri didn't have the choice to snatch a

child from the safety of her parents. Even Manolito would draw the line there.

He made his way back toward the inn, trying to get a feel for the mage who had attacked earlier. A mage spell such as the one that had been used wouldn't work on a hunter without a lifemate. They had no emotions to play on. This was directed at the women. And that meant all the women were in great danger. Urgency gripped him. He wanted to simply kidnap MaryAnn and rush her back to his ranch in South America. With his four brothers and their ranch hands available to help see to her safety, there would be no chance of anything-or anyone-harming her.

Away from Nicolae's house-and temptation-Manolito shifted into mist and streamed through the forest toward the cave of healing. He knew the safeguards had been woven, but with enemies so close, he wanted to take extra precautions. Maybe he was simply uneasy with so many other Carpathians around. The De La Cruz family was used to relying on one another, and he wasn't taking chances with his youngest brother's life. He had a nagging feeling that just wouldn't go away, and he never ignored those feelings.

He streamed into the cave through one of the narrow chimneys and dropped down to the main floor. There was a network of chambers and pools and instead of going directly to the chamber where Riordan and Juliette rested, he moved slowly through the others, trying to feel with every sense, wanting to rid himself of the plaguing feeling that something wasn't quite right. The mage knew Juilette was injured. He had set her up for the vampire to make the kill. He would know her lifemate would rest with her in the healing soil, and if he knew where the caverns were that were routinely used, wouldn't it be the perfect place to strike? That's what Manolito would have done.