Traian had never really experienced gut-wrenching, bone-deep fear before. He had never had anything to lose. Now there was everything. A woman whose mind he shared, whose body he didn"t yet know intimately.
I"m well aware of that. Joie inched closer to him, trying to appear confident in a situation she"d never encountered and had little idea what to expect.
For some reason her simple words made Traian relax, want to smile. Joie didn"t panic easily. She didn"t lack for courage and she was committed to fighting with him. She wasn"t going to faint because vampires were real and had come with vengeance and death in mind.
Don"t count on it, she denied, staying close in his mind, reading his thoughts. Fainting might be my only option if they get their hands on me, and I"m not above trying it.
Her wry amus.e.m.e.nt told him she was a shadow in his mind, looking for strategy on how to defeat the enemy.
Do they have a weakness?
Ego. Vampires are extremely vain.
Joie took a deep breath as the creatures slowly pulled themselves up to their impressive heights. Fire burned in their eyes. A foul stench permeated the cavern, choked off all the cool, clean air and replaced it with a thick putrid substance. The falling ice hadn"t come from them, that much was obvious. They had protected themselves just as Traian had done.
Which is the stronger?
Traian noted her calm manner. She accepted that they would have to fight their way clear. Having battled with the same vampires on three occasions, Traian was well aware of their strengths and capabilities.
The one with the incisors over his lower lip-he is extremely powerful. He is called Valenteen and is a master vampire. The other is called Shafe. There might be more, so stay very alert.
Well, darn, and here I was expecting I"d take a nap while you did a little cleanup.
Traian worked at keeping a straight face. Even in their desperate situation, Joie could let him know her feelings.
I was worried you might be a little tired and needing a rest. Can you distract them for a moment?
Joie tapped her foot. "If it isn"t the troll brothers. How are you? Just dropped in to be neighborly? I"m so glad you didn"t bother to dress formally. It"s just a small get-together we"re having."
Deliberately she walked across the stone patterns in the floor, keeping their attention centered on her even as she made certain she was just a bit behind Traian. "We"re in the midst of redecorating. What do you think? Too many crystal b.a.l.l.s?" She indicated the largest, nearly a foot tall, resting on a tall pillar of black obsidian. "They"re very valuable. You can see your future in them. This one answers questions and finds objects." She reached out as if to pat the smooth sphere.
Joie was fully aware that Traian was keeping his body between her and the vampires. The two creatures stood in a swirl of steam and mist, coated in black ooze. The moment she mentioned the spheres, greedy eyes stared at the globe.
Surprisingly, Joie felt warmth along her palm as she positioned it above the crystal ball. The crystal leapt to life at the close proximity of her hand. For a timeless moment, she saw her own face swirling in the mists of the globe, and Traian standing behind her, reaching for her, love etched into the lines of his face, hunger and desire burning in the depths of his eyes. She couldn"t look away from his face, there in the sphere, from the intensity of his love. He couldn"t feel that way about her, could be? He didn"t know her. How could two people be so drawn to one another, recognize love so quickly? His look robbed her of breath, of sanity. She wanted to crawl inside the sphere and be with him for eternity.
Get away from that thing.
Joie blinked, and forced herself to look up. White swirls of mist were filling the cavern, consuming Traian. Consuming her. In the tendrils of fog, something moved-something dark and menacing. She caught a glimpse of another shape in the shadows curled protectively around an object, but she couldn"t make it out with the white mist and gray shadows merging together.
Traian turned slowly toward those gray shadows, his hands down at his sides and slightly outstretched, palms up as if appeasing something-or someone. Behind him, a darker shadow loomed, one with a hideous skull, skin stretched tight, blood-stained teeth and glowing red eyes.
Watch out!
Joie tackled Traian. Her momentum carried them both away from the vampire and close to the outer wall of the cavern. Traian rolled with her, his arms tight around her, taking her through the dense fog. The drops felt wet on their skin, the blanket m.u.f.fling sound, but still, something moved inside all that white and gray swirling mist.
Very gently, Traian eased her to her feet. Stay very still. Perfectly still, he cautioned.
Joie looked cautiously around her. An array of weapons adorned the nearest alcove. Glittering gems decorated wicked-looking knives and long spears and swords. Here was a virtual treasure trove for Joie. She was drawn to the weapons, yet something held her back, some finely tuned warning system that prompted her to put her hands behind her back and ignore them.
Traian calmly regarded the black shadow that was emerging from the fog in the cavern. "Justice has come, Valenteen," he said to the master vampire. "A shadow warrior has been awakened and he is seeking our deaths. Do we fight each other?"
Valenteen growled harshly, shaking his head, backing away from the large, smoky creature emerging from the shadows.
Joie twisted her fingers in the back of Traian"s shirt, peeking around him at the thing Traian had identified as a shadow warrior. It was insubstantial, made of ever-moving black and gray smoke. Its eyes glowed an eerie red, not like the bloodshot eyes of the vampires, but fierce flame burning brightly. There was something very n.o.ble in the stern face she occasionally caught sight of, as if the shadow was a warrior of old who had long fought for honor.
I wouldn"t mind waking up now. If the vampire is afraid of it, how much trouble are we in?
Traian reached behind him, circling her bare wrist with his fingers. Gently. Barely there. Just a whisper of contact, yet it was enough. They were together. It was all that mattered. He would shield her from the warrior, from the vampires.
Can you get out of here by yourself? It suddenly occurred to her that he could shape-shift, perhaps become as insubstantial as the mist. Maybe even burrow through earth and ice as the vampires had done. He had known she would be a hindrance to him. He"d told her to leave with the others. Traian? Can you get out of here without me?
The vampires dissolved, leaving behind a pool of black goo. It bubbled and spat a poisonous brew at the shadow warrior. Joie gasped. There was a strange silence. An icy blast of air cleared the stench from the chamber and pushed the smoky creature away from Traian and Joie.
It matters little if I could. I would never leave you behind. His voice was rea.s.suring. Calm. Steady. Confident.
Joie"s mouth went dry. Jubal and Gabrielle are still in the caves. If the vampires find them ... my brother and sister can"t protect themselves from the vampires.
Both vampires have remained in this room. They will not leave or move to give away their presence to the warrior. In any case, there is little we can do other than hope they make it out fast. At this moment, both are alive. I would know if your brother perished. You"re doing fine. Stay calm. We will get out of this and your brother is a man of great resources.
Joie let her breath out and worked to control the wild beating of her heart. Why isn"t that thing coming at us? Can"t he see us?
The shadow warrior has not attacked because we haven"t touched anything. If we draw his attention to us, or take something the mages left behind, he will strike.
Joie frowned. My brother took the weapon that came to him. It"s on his wrist. Why didn"t the warrior attack him?
I believe that is a good question. The shadow warrior would not attack a mage.
Joie didn"t like the speculation in his voice or the distrust in his mind. Voices whispered, distracting her. She could hear the continual murmurs filling her mind-filling the chamber with temptation. Before she knew what she was doing, Joie"s fingers were nearly curled around a knife with a wicked-looking curved blade. It called to her. Her palm itched to feel the weapon in her hand. She clenched her fist, resisting the temptation. The voices increased in strength. She glanced toward the spheres, saw them all active, the clear colors swirling with life, with deeper hues and sparkling gems.
Traian caught both of her hands in his. Talk to me. Tell me about yourself. Everything you can think of. Look only at me. Look into my eyes. See me. Only me.
His hands were much larger than hers, enveloping them. When she obediently tore her gaze from the jeweled daggers and knives, she was caught in the black depths of Traian"s gaze. The world narrowed for her.
Around them, smoke and mist drifted upward from the floor, creating a world in the clouds where voices muttered, the words in an ancient tongue, harsh, yet not foul, insistent, yet not commanding. Colors pulsed in the room, bright banners from the spheres, which were alive with heat and energy.
Look only at me, Traian reiterated when she would have turned her head toward the pulsing lights. This is a trap directed at you, at your love of weapons, at your curiosity. Think of me. Let me tell you who I am, what I am. What I need and want. I want to know everything about you and your family. Talk to me. Tell me who you really are, what you stand for. Tell me everything about yourself.
His voice was mesmerizing, tugging at her heart when she thought there should be only physical attraction. He was easily the s.e.xiest man she"d ever encountered. They were in mortal danger. Vampires huddled somewhere in the room, awaiting their moment to strike. A warrior come to life out of the shadows that guarded centuries-old treasures in a world of sorcery, yet Joie was fascinated by the man in front of her.
You don"t make sense.
I make perfect sense. He smiled, a flash of dazzling white teeth. We make perfect sense.
She nearly stopped breathing. You know I work as a bodyguard.
Joie found it difficult to resist the pull of temptation for those amazing weapons just inches from her fingertips and her gaze strayed to the ornate swords.
Traian tipped her chin up, forcing her gaze to his. Silly profession, placing your precious body between someone else and danger.