Rafael burst through the soil, the early morning light hurting his skin and eyes, but definitely tolerable. He shifted in the air, assuming his favorite shape of the harpy eagle, and began winging his way toward Sean Everett’s ranch. Simultaneously he felt Nicolas rise, and knew he was heading for the ranch as well.
I should have considered that Kirja might retaliate against the boy.
There was deep regret in Rafael.
I knew he was wounded and thought he would go to ground to recover, not use his last remaining strength for revenge.
He will be in bad shape now. If we can find his resting place, we may be able to kill him before he can regain his strength,
Nicolas ventured.
Rafael blistered Nicolas’s mind with a string of curses.
Do you have any idea what I have done? She will not forgive me.
She is your lifemate. Eternity is a long time even for a Dragonseeker to hold on to anger. Do you have an idea where the vampire has constructed his lair?
Maybe,
Rafael said thoughtfully.
The ranch house was blazing with lights. He dropped low, into the front yard, shifting to vapor so he could easily enter the house and appear as if he’d come from his assigned bedroom. Nicolas met him in the hall and they hurried to Paul’s room.
Sean Everett stood, grim-faced, his arm around Joclyn, while Julio comforted Ginny, who clearly refused to leave.
“Forgive me, Paul,” Nicolas greeted. “I slept soundly when I should have been on watch.”
“We thought you were safe,” Rafael said. He closed his eyes for a moment, knowing he had no choice. Colby loved this boy. For her sake, for the child’s sake, he had to be sent away where the vampire couldn’t touch him should they fail in
their efforts to destroy the undead. Colby would never forgive him. A dread began to settle in the pit of his stomach.
Paul lifted his head. His face was very pale, dark circles prominent under his eyes as he regarded the two Carpathians. “I held out against him a long time.”
“I know you did. I am proud of you.” Rafael reached out and deliberately circled the ragged tear in the wrist, his palm covering the gaping wound. “I have some ability to heal. Allow me.”
Juan kept his hand on Paul’s shoulder in a gesture of solidarity. “He fought hard, Don Rafael, Don Nicolas, and this time we were able to stop him. But what of next time?” He looked at them. “There will be a next time.”
Nicolas nodded. “We must put distance between Paul and our enemy.” He looked straight at Rafael, reading the fear of what it would do to Colby. Rafael’s nod was nearly imperceptible.
“Would someone like to tell me what is going on?” Sean said. “Juan and Julio refused to allow me to call the doctor. By rights, Paul should be in the hospital where he can receive psychiatric counseling as well as medical care.”
Nicolas shook his head. “Our old enemy has found us and he is attempting to use Paul for revenge. Paul has been hypnotized to do his bidding.” He smiled at the teenager. “Paul is much stronger than any of us realized. I am proud of you.”
“We should call Ben,” Sean insisted.
Nicolas turned his head to look directly into Sean’s eyes. “It is better we handle this alone. It was only an accident. The boy was careless playing with his knife and we do not want him to be food for gossip in a small town.”
Sean nodded. “I agree it’s best not to say anything.”
“If we were to take Colby, Paul, and Ginny to Brazil, Sean, would you and your men be able to run her ranch? We would be willing to pay you to care for Paul and Ginny’s property until they came of age. If neither wanted it and wished to remain in Brazil with us, we would sell the ranch to you if you desired the property,” Rafael offered.
“Colby’s going to be pissed,” Paul whispered.
“Colby told you not to use that word,” Ginny said, sticking her head out from behind Julio. Her eyes were very large as she looked at her brother. “What’s Rafael doing to you?”
Rafael’s hand remained wrapped around Paul’s wrist. The angry-looking cuts seemed to be fading into the area Rafael’s palm covered.
“Does it hurt?” Ginny persisted.
“Not anymore. Rafael’s making it feel better.”
“What do you say, Sean? Can you and your crew handle the extra acreage and work load?” Rafael asked. He knew what Colby would think and he knew what he risked by sending the children away, but there was no other choice. He wanted to rip something apart, wanted to destroy everything around him. He wanted to forbid his brother to send Paul and Ginny away, but he knew she loved these two children. Through her, he had learned to love them and, more than his own happiness, he had to put Colby first. And that meant sending Paul away to keep him safe. Now, this night. As soon as possible.
“We are talking a large amount of money, Sean. You will need to pay your men,” Nicolas added as a further enticement, glancing warily at his brother, reading his tormented thoughts and feeling the tension rising in the room.
“What about Colby?” Sean inquired. “The last I heard, she was hell-bent on running the ranch herself.”
“Rafael and Colby are getting . . .” Nicolas glanced at Juan.
“
Casam-se,
” Juan supplied. “They are getting married.”
“Naturally Colby and the children will return immediately to Brazil. Juan and Julio will make the arrangements to ship their belongings and horses home.”
“And King,” Ginny said. “I’m not going without King.” She tugged at her uncle. “And I won’t go without Colby.” She sounded stubborn, a small replica of her sister.
Rafael raised an eyebrow. “I would never leave Colby behind, little sister. Have no fear of that.”
“Are you certain about Colby agreeing?” Sean asked again, shocked that she might actually walk away from the ranch she’d spent her entire life on.
Nicolas turned his head and once again captured the man’s gaze. “Colby wants to come with us more than anything else. She is with Rafael and wishes to make her home with him. Naturally she will take the children with her.”
“Naturally,” Sean agreed. “If you really are making the
offer, Nicolas, you know I’m always willing to do business with your family. I could use the extra acreage and I certainly have enough men to run both spreads.”
“Colby is never going to agree,” Paul whispered to Rafael. “You know she won’t. She’ll be furious.”
“You let me take care of that, Paul. The most important thing right now is to get you out of the vampire’s range so he can’t harm you while we are hunting him. I’m going to have Juan help you pack and you and Ginny will leave this morning. We have a private jet and it will take you to our home far from this place. I will bring Colby as soon as possible.” He glanced at Ginny. “And, of course, the dog must go too.”
“But don’t we need passports? I don’t have a passport. I’ve never traveled anywhere.” In spite of himself, Paul was excited at the prospect of being on a private jet, of seeing another country, of waking up in the morning and not having to work from sunup until sundown. He felt a little guilty, but he was eager to try it just once in his life.
“I’m not going without Colby and neither are you, Paul,” Ginny declared, glaring at the men in the room.
Rafael reached a hand out to the little girl. “You are much like your sister, Ginny. She will come. She is with me and must accompany me to our home. There is an indoor horse arena and a swimming pool.”
“I like my garden.”
“We have a wonderful garden and you will be able to spend time with your uncles and your entire
família.
They are all very anxious to meet the three of you. Your dog will be welcomed and you can have as many horses as you like.”
Paul suddenly tugged at his hand, trying to free himself from Rafael’s grip. He didn’t seem to notice when Rafael tightened his hold and turned his attention completely on the boy. Paul went very still, his eyes glazing over. His body began to tremble and his expression went slack as if he were far away from them.
Nicolas moved closer to the bed. Rafael kept the physical connection to Paul. The self-inflicted wounds were all healed, but both Carpathians were in the boy’s mind, feeling his emotions and reading his thoughts.
“What is it, Don Rafael?” Julio asked.
“Take the child out of here. Sean, put her to bed.” Nicolas gave the order, his voice a powerful weapon.
Sean Everett obeyed, taking his wife and Ginny with him.
The Chevez brothers crowded closer to their nephew. “Has the vampire taken him over again?”
Rafael held up his hand for silence, his features grim. “The vampire is on the move. By rights he should be in the ground. He is badly wounded and the dawn is upon us. He has cloaked the sun with heavy clouds, but he should not be able to travel once the sun has risen. He has truly become far more powerful than most of his kind. Paul is tracking him.”
“Good boy,” Juan murmured.
“He is moving underground, not above,” Nicolas said.
“Why would he be on the move?” Rafael mused aloud. A tightness was beginning to form in his chest. He glanced at Nicolas to see if he shared the sudden dread. Nicolas met his gaze with a dark sober one. “Colby.” Rafael stood abruptly, his expression savage. “He is after Colby.” Rafael’s heart began to pound. Fear clogged his throat. Terror warred with rage.
“He knows where she lies,” Paul said. He stared straight ahead, his eyes unfocused, but he said the words clearly. “He is making his way to her and he wants me to know he will kill me after he kills her. Then he will kill Ginny.”
“He will not have the chance,” Nicolas assured him. “Will the safeguards hold?”
“He is ancient. We invented the safeguards.” Rafael’s hands trembled. He itched to tear out the vampire’s heart. The ground rolled ominously. Outside the building, lightning lit up the sky and the crash of thunder shook the house.
“He cannot possibly move fast and the light will slow him.”
“Nothing stops Kirja.” Rafael was already dissolving into a vapor, streaming from the room toward the early morning sky.
When he is determined.
Outside the sky had turned black, matching his turbulent rage.
Colby! Wake!
He issued the command with tremendous force, the force of a powerful ancient.
He felt her instant response. Fear slammed into her, into him through her. The fear of being buried alive. He took hold of her with ruthless force, calming her mind.
Kirja hunts you. How he does this thing in the early light, I do not know, but it is past the hour he should feel leaden. You are no longer human. You must get past all human fear and know you can do this. You are Carpathian.
Her reaction was to keep her eyes tightly closed, but a swirl of anger drifted through her.
Where’s my brother and get me the hell out of the ground.
Rafael felt the familiar clenching in his gut, the brush of fire through his veins. Colby had a temper and it always fascinated him, always aroused him. And he knew she would need it—that iron will and determination, the anger that pushed her when others would give up.
Paul is safe and Nicolas guards the children.
I feel the vampire now. He’s burrowing through the soil, like a mole. The ground is screaming. Get me out of here.
So the early morning light
was
too much for Kirja, but why wasn’t he leaden as he should be? Rafael tore across the sky, speed uppermost in his mind.
Your body is not yet ready to come out of the ground. You need the healing soil, querida. Can you still feel the fire raging in your organs? It is too dangerous.
He’s close.
He felt malignant, violent, a weapon of hate and vengeance so evil Colby shuddered with fear.
Rafael, hurry.
There was the feeling of urgency in her. She felt something moving over her. An exodus of bugs, running from the malevolence in the vampire, trying to escape him.
Insects, they’re everywhere.
Rafael could hear the hysteria in her voice.
It is so like you to face down a bucking bronco yet be frightened of a couple of bugs.
He tried to be soothing and calm, when he wanted to rip out the heart of his enemy for putting her through such terror. He forced his mind away from the fear in her and sought to feel how close to her Kirja actually was. The migration of insects meant he was approaching her resting place. The safeguards would slow him down, but Rafael doubted if he could reach her before Kirja had unwoven the spells guarding her.
Damn you for this.
There was a sob in her voice that tore at his heart.
I feel like I’m in a coffin. If you don’t get me out of here, I’m going to lose my freaking mind.
Rafael began to throw barriers in Kirja’s path. A solid wall of granite rock, impossible to break through. He would be forced to go around it and he had to be getting weaker. Whatever he
had found to allow him to continue moving after the coming of the dawn could not possibly last long. The Carpathian people would have heard of such a feat and moved to counter it.
Please, Rafael. Please get me out of here. I swear whatever I did, I’m sorry.
She was weeping now, clawing at the soil. He could feel her heart pounding, accelerating until he feared it would burst. Her pleas only served to madden him. He wanted to weep with her.
Colby! Stop it. Stop crying. You can do this. You have to do this. I cannot bring you out of the ground. I want you aware so I can use you to fight him off if needed. You have power. You will do this. Stop crying and pull yourself together.
His voice was a merciless command. He issued a warning, a deliberately harsh decree, rather than soothing her. She reacted exactly in the way he would expect from her. He felt the surge of anger at him.
The bugs are crawling in my hair, you bastard.
In truth she could feel thousands of tiny legs moving over her fast, rushing away from the area and that was nearly as frightening as the insects touching her body.
She was fighting to stay in control. Rafael began to draw on the minerals from the volcano. He built a chamber of diamonds, first forming a roof over her head, a glittering transparent cavern, just large enough to keep her from feeling as if she were buried alive, and small enough that he could manage it quickly. The diamond fortress would keep Kirja out. Colby would be able to see the vampire, and it might be possible to further harm or even destroy the vampire using her sight.