Christine Feehan - Dark Celebration 17

He took his time, hiding his presence as he examined each chamber. He was adept at concealing himself, and he assumed his enemies would be as well. He looked for a small anomaly, a rift in the natural harmony, one small sign of malignancy. To his shock, as he entered the chamber where his brother lay, Mikhail Dubrinsky stood examining the walls and floor of the cavern, a small frown on his face. He turned his head at Manolito's approach, moving into a better defensible position.

Manolito took his human form, striding across the cavern floor, automatically checking on his brother as he did so. Riordan appeared to be resting peacefully beneath the ground with Juliette. «You should not be out here alone,» Manolito said. Already he was moving to protect the prince, reaching to Rafael, concerned that their prince was so exposed. «Where is your second?»

Mikhail gave him a faint smile. «I do not need a bodyguard to travel in my home territory, Manolito.»

«I disagree and cannot imagine that Gregori would want you traveling alone. What are you doing here anyway?»

«I began to worry that Riordan and Juliette might be attacked as they lay in their resting

place.» Mikhail raked a hand through his dark hair. «I suppose I second-guess our enemy far too much.»

«I had the same thought. I did not like that the dark mage has sent an emissary or come himself. He uses things we do not have adequate safeguards against.» Manolito studied the prince's face. He looked older than Manolito remembered him even the week before. There was sorrow in his eyes, and a trick of the light made him look as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

«We have certainly learned we have to protect below ground as well as above. Our resting places are no longer the safe havens we thought them,» Mikhail agreed. «How are you feeling? I know your wounds were quite serious. Has Gregori examined you to ensure that you are completely healed?»

«I'm fine. I have been wounded many times and will be again.» Manolito examined the walls of the cavern. «Do you believe Xavier has been able to unite the vampires against us?»

«Whoever has united our enemies, whether it be the Malinov brothers or Xavier and Razvan, doesn't really matter. They have come together and we have no choice but to deal with them.» Mikhail added a complicated weave to the safeguard already surrounding the couple in the earth. «I can find no evidence in here, or throughout the network of caves, that our enemy is lying in wait. Have you?»

«No.» Manolito admitted with some reluctance as he added his own strands of safeguard, peculiar only to his family, one that would be difficult-and slow-to unravel, with serious consequences if it were done improperly. Riordan would recognize his handiwork immediately. He had found no evidence, but he still wasn't convinced his youngest brother was entirely safe-and that didn't sit well with him.

The two walked together out of the chamber and started down the narrow passageway leading back up toward the surface. Manolito tried to move just ahead of the prince, still uneasy, still feeling edgy, in spite of his examination of the entire cavern.

«I have to see Falcon and Sara, and then head over to touch base with Gregori and my daughter,» Mikhail said. «I will be glad when this night is over. Did you check the inn? Skyler has indicated several times that she thinks the surge of power is coming from that direction.»

«Yes, but I will go back again. Falcon told me he was bringing the children there in about an hour. I want to make one more sweep before all the women and children arrive,» Manolito replied. «Just to be sure they are safe.»

His restless gaze moved over the ground, the walls, the roof of the cavern as they walked quickly through the passage. The sound of the water dripping was relentless. It seemed overly loud in the chambers, the endless rhythm blocking out any whisper of sound that

might alert him to danger. He tried to tone down the volume, but the sound only seemed louder, almost booming through the caves.

Manolito halted, placing his body between Mikhail's and the cavern. «I don't like this.»

«I haven't liked any of this for a long time,» Mikhail answered.

They both studied the passageway. They were only a few feet from the entrance. Light from snow and ice spilled along the opening for several feet as if in invitation. Small formations of ice had formed on the ceiling of the passageway, long, narrow spears of various colors.

Manolito shook his head, holding up his hand. «Let me go first. Just wait here and see if I trigger a trap, or perhaps we can move through as vapor and see what happens.»

«If they're here, we want to know it. Your brother lies asleep with his lifemate. One of our women is about to give birth. We have to know if our enemies have invaded our chambers as well.»

Manolito nodded and took several cautious steps, keeping an eye on the ice spears overhead. With each step he took, the ice rippled as if a vibration had gone through it.

«Go to mist,» Manolito instructed the prince, concern shadowing his mind.

Dirt and ice spewed into the air right at the prince's feet, a geyser of soil spraying high between the hunter and Mikhail, opening the earth where Mikhail would have stepped.

«Go! Get out of here,» Manolito ordered, swinging back.

The hole widened and deepened with blurring speed, a yawning crevice cracking beneath the prince even as he began to dissolve into vapor. A clawed hand reached from the dark hole and wrapped around Mikhail's ankle, talons biting deep into flesh. The hold prevented the change and the creature jerked hard, determined to drag the prince beneath the ground.

A collective gasp went up from the Carpathian people. It was Mikhail who connected them together. Mikhail who provided the common path of communication, and it was Mikhail who held the past and future together with the present for the Carpathian people. They all knew the moment he was in trouble-under attack.

Raven's soft cry of distress only added to the alarm and shock.

Manolito ignored it all, dissolved into vapor, sliding through the geyser of soil to the other side. Mikhail struggled to stay out of the gaping hole ripped in the floor of the passageway. The talons had torn two holes in his ankles. Mikhail could feel the razor tips of the vampire's claws meeting in his very flesh. The creature gulped his blood, teeth trying to tear at his flesh for more, all the while making hideous noises, as he wrenched at Mikhail's leg in an effort to drag him below to his lair.

Vampire, yet not. Mikhail sent to Manolito.

Manolito dove straight into the ground, aiming for the creature's upturned face. At the last instant before contact, he shifted form into that of a harpy eagle, the great curved beak, razor-sharp talons curved and wicked. He went straight for the eyes. As he entered the killing grounds of the unknown creature-a mixture of vampire and something hideously evil, he thought of MaryAnn. I am sorry.

For one brief moment he felt her awareness, bewildered and frightened. He touched her mind, one brief caress, and he let her go. Better not to have found her than to take her with him to the grave. And entering the burrow of an unknown enemy was tantamount to suicide. The prince had to be protected and there was no hesitation on his part. If his life was forfeit, his people would still go on.

The eagle ripped at the vampire's red-rimmed eyes, shredding skin over the throat and chest, digging deep and fast in an effort to force the creature to give up its prey. It had no choice, not if it wanted to survive. The abomination wrenched its claws from Mikhail's ankle and stabbed viciously at the eagle.

Go! Go! Get out of here! Manolito shouted at Mikhail as the dirt and rocks began pouring in over his head. One rock hit the eagle hard, knocking it sideways so one great wing crumpled. Manolito switched forms, trying to get a purchase in the soft dirt to get out before the rapidly filling dirt could close over his head. He used his hands to catch at roots to hold himself up as he kicked at the clawing creature with his foot. The dirt and debris rained on his head, filled his mouth so that he spat and closed his eyes, once more shifting to stay alive beneath the dirt.