"I"m going for help, Antonietta. We"ll need the doctor," Paul said decisively. "I think you were shot, too."She didn"t notice, she concentrated on the voice. Tell me what to do. She had to believe that distant voice. Who are you?
Jacques. Byron has family in the area. If you can get him out of there into the open, they will come and care for him.
I want to care for him. But Antonietta was already on her feet, tugging at Byron"s dead weight, trying to drag him down the tunnel. The dog caught at Byron"s jacket, adding his strength to hers.
"What the h.e.l.l are you doing?" Paul demanded. "He"s dead, Antonietta. We have to get you medical attention."
"Just help," she snapped. "Don"t say anything, or I may pick up that gun and shoot you myself! I can"t believe you brought that thing into my home."
"I have people after me," Paul admitted, reaching down to help pull Byron along the floor. "I got into some trouble with some people I owe money to. They aren"t the kind of men you want to meet up with without a gun."
"I thought you quit gambling, Paul."
"Aren"t we going the wrong way? We"re going downhill, toward the cove."
"That"s right."
"You aren"t going to just dump the body, are you, Antonietta? I mean, grazie, but we have to inform the authorities. I could have killed you, too. We have to give them the body, well, we should give them the body, but if it was found in the sea, or never found-"
"He isn"t dead," she said between her teeth. "Shut up and concentrate. We have to get him outside."
"You aren"t making sense, Antonietta." But Paul continued to help pull the body down through the maze of tunnels until he could smell the sea.
It took hard work, but between Antonietta, Paul, and the borzoi, they managed to get Byron outside. The rain was falling steadily, sheets of it, so that they were instantly soaked through. The wind whipped at them.
"Find me soil, Paul, rich soil, not sandy sod. I want good soil."
Paul muttered and shook his head, but he did as his cousin wished, taking off his shirt to heap the soil from the beds the gardener had planted just above the cove. He was well aware Antonietta had remarkable powers as a healer, but even she couldn"t bring back the dead. He rushed back to her side and knelt to watch as she packed the wounds, front and back, with the soil. "If you did manage to bring him back, he"d just die again with gangrene."
"That"s not funny." Antonietta wanted the rea.s.surance of the voice again. We"re outside, near the cove. I"ve packed the wounds with soil, but he isn"t responding.
Call to him. He will hear you.
Antonietta didn"t hesitate. Her insides were churning, and she wanted to scream and scream. To let the wind carry her horror and the fear held so tightly in check out over the sea and away from her. She never wanted to feel so afraid, so empty and dead again. She leaned close, sheltering his face from the rain. Byron. Byron, open your eyes. Her hand trembled as she stroked back his hair in a small caress. Don"t leave me now that I"ve just found you. Wake up before I begin to weep and scream and plead like a ninny. I"m really afraid, and I need you.
Byron became aware of many voices. At first he couldn"t sort them out. There was chanting in the ancient tongue. Antonietta, summoning him imperiously back to her. Someone was yelling his name. He identified his sister Eleanor"s voice. She sounded close to him, yet he knew she was far away. A man"s voice called to him calmly yet with command. Jacques. Byron was certain he was hallucinating. He hadn"t spoken telepathically with Jacques in years. "Maybe I really am dying." He muttered the words aloud to test his voice.
"No you"re not! I refuse to allow it," Antonietta replied firmly. The relief was so tremendous she felt ill.
Pain spread through him, and before he was fully aware, through her, so that she gasped and caught at him. "You need a doctor desperately. You"ve lost so much blood, Byron. You appeared dead, I couldn"t even find a pulse."
"No, I do not need a doctor, but I would not mind strangling your cousin. Was he trying to kill you or me or both of us?"
Byron"s black eyes had already found Paul kneeling beside Antonietta. Paul was very pale. He shook his head in denial. Byron noted Celt had positioned his body for a full-out attack should one be necessary. The dog was in alert mode, watching Paul"s every move. Byron"s dark gaze went back to Antonietta"s white face. There were dark circles under her eyes and blood all over her. It took a minute before he realized not all the blood was his.
"Antonietta, you are injured." Byron made an effort to rise despite the weakness sweeping through him. The world tilted alarmingly, and blood gushed from his abdomen. His fingers found the gash in her shoulder, lingered there.
Strangely, at his touch, the pain in her shoulder lessened. She pressed him back. "It"s nothing, lie still. Your friend Jacques told me your family was close. He said they would come for you."
"I had no idea any of my people were near. Go into the house. Keep Celt with you at all times. I will come as soon as I am able. Go now, Antonietta, or you will catch a chill. Your shoulder needs attention."
"I"m not leaving you alone."
Byron waved his hand to still all speech. His concentration couldn"t be broken when his reserves were nearly gone. The rain fell steadily. The waves crashed and boomed endlessly. Paul knelt motionless, unable to move or speak. Celt stood over the man, eyes burning alertly. Byron reached for Antonietta. No one else mattered. Nothing else mattered. Not even his broken, torn body.
He caught her to him, drew her down, his mouth finding her torn wound. He didn"t have the energy to leave his body and enter hers, but he took his time, using precious minutes to heal her shoulder.
Byron fell back, exhausted, watching the blood soak into the ground from a distance. He hurt, the pain intensified by his movements, but it didn"t concern him as much as watching Antonietta come out from under his enthrallment, seeing her move much more easily, seeing the white lines of pain etched into her face ease.
Paul pressed forward, jerky now that his body was once again his own. He blinked several times, trying to remember what he had been doing. He only saw Byron"s nearly translucent face turned up to the rain. If a smear of blood had been on his mouth, it was gone now, washed away by the rain. "I"m sorry I shot you, Byron. The gun just went off."
"And if Byron hadn"t jumped in front of me, you would have shot me," Antonietta said, glaring at her cousin.
"Nonno is going to throw me out," Paul said.
"I"m going to throw you out," Antonietta countered, furious with him. Does he really think an apology is sufficient?
She was shaking, and she preferred to think it was from anger and outrage rather than fear.
Byron took her hand, brought her fingers to his mouth. Probably, but he will find out differently. Please do as I ask and go in.
Someone is coming for me.
Celt stiffened, his head going up alertly. Dark clouds swarmed across the sky, shadowing even the rain so that it went from silver to black. Plumes of white water swirled madly, rising in several towers toward the veiled moon. A bird of prey with a hooked beak and razor-sharp curved talons flew overhead and circled the small group in the cove. The wind rose to a howl.
Faintly, far off, the sound of animals answering could be heard.
The rain slashed at them, whipped into a frenzy by the sudden fury of the storm. The large owl landed on a tree above the path leading to the cove several yards from them. The heavens opened up and poured the rain down, a solid sheet, blocking sight of the bird. When it cleared, a man walked down the path toward them. He was enveloped in an old-fashioned, long, black cape.
The folds swirled about his legs and body, and the hood hid his face. Rather than walk, he gave the impression of gliding, his feet not quite touching the ground. He halted a short distance from them, his outline vague and insubstantial in the silvery rain.
Byron struggled to a sitting position, holding out his hand toward the stranger in warning. He tugged at Antonietta"s wrist. "Go, now, take Paul and get him inside the tunnel. He is not safe out here. Do as I say quickly." He issued the command, nothing less, burying a push in his tone to force compliance.
There was something so compelling in Byron"s voice that Antonietta took Paul"s arm without protest and hastened back into the Scarletti pa.s.sageway. Celt stayed a moment longer to study the motionless figure in the distance, but he loped after Antonietta, disappearing into the dark caverns.
The two men stared at one another in silence. Byron pushed himself up with an unsteady hand. Blood ran into the sand and dirt beneath him, staining the ground a reddish pink. He managed to get his feet under him.
"Do not be foolish and waste your energy." The voice rippled with power. It was quiet, almost soft, yet carried the force of nature.
Byron studied the man approaching him, gathering his strength as he did so. Lightning flashed across the sky, lit up the ground to reveal the small river of blood. "I do not recognize you. Have we met before?" Byron knew he had never before met the ageless stranger. The eyes were shimmering fire, the face etched with hardship.
"Your kin was not close enough to reach you in time." The voice was very quiet, a pure, velvet tone. "I offer my blood freely that you may live."
Byron knew even the most evil and cunning of vampires could appear n.o.ble and virtuous. They were master deceivers.
Without taking his eyes from the stranger, Byron nodded slowly, even as he sought Jacques. Do you know this one? It had been years since he reached down that familiar path to his childhood friend. He felt awkward and stiff, but it was necessary. His enormous strength had run out onto the ground, leaving him swaying and weak. And there was An-tonietta to protect. He would live to defeat any vampire to protect her.
He must be one of the ancients sent out by my father. I do not recognize him, nor has he yet sworn allegiance to our prince. It was discovered ancients were sent out across the seas to protect where they could. The call has gone out to bring them home.
Jacques was guarded in his reply. Do not lose consciousness. Focus on him.
Byron burst out laughing. "Does one have control over losing consciousness? What do you think?"
The stranger was on him, a tall man with old eyes and a faint, humorless smile. "My guess would be that you should remain alert so your friend, watching me so closely, may" continue to guard you properly. I am called Dominic." He bowed low, an Old World, courtly gesture of respect. "I have been long from our homeland. You are one of the first of our kind I have seen in a long time."
"I am Byron. I thank you for your a.s.sistance," Byron returned formally. "I would greet you in the proper way of the warrior, but I am afraid I would fall down." A faint smile took some of the pain from his face."It is not necessary. We are brethren. It is enough." Very casually, Dominic tore at his wrist with his teeth, opening a gaping wound that he pressed to Byron"s mouth. "I am on my way to see our prince and to see for myself if it is true that his life mate was human."
The blood poured into Byron"s starving cells, ancient blood, pure and strong. Byron tried not to be greedy when his strength was all but gone and the sudden infusion of ancient blood hit with the force of a freight train. The rush was heady and overwhelming.
"The borzoi guards your life mate well. He would have attacked me, had I made a wrong move, yet he recognized what manner of creature I am. I had forgotten their loyalty and heart. I thank you for providing the memory."
Byron sank down onto the earth, felt the soil reaching for him. Comforting him. Very politely he closed the wound on Dominic"s wrist. "You have hunted long."
"Too long. I have grown weary and wish to sleep, but I must bring news to our prince. There is something evil sweeping the land. It is subtle. So subtle I cannot find the source of it, and I have looked. But it threatens our prince and our people. It threatens our very existence and way of life. I must warn him and then continue in my hunt for my lost kin."
Byron felt the blood moving through him. It had been so long since one of his own kind had shared blood with him that he had nearly forgotten the heady rush. "Lost kin? Is the prince aware one of our people is missing?"
Dominic leaned down, gathered Byron into his arms as if the full-grown man were no more than a child. "My sister was an apprentice to a great wizard. She had amazing skills, and under his tutelage she became adept at many things now lost to our kind."
Dominic shifted shape, still holding Byron securely, sweeping through the sky under cover of the storm.
The words triggered a distant memory, a fairy tale told of magicians and wizards among their kind teaching safeguards and spells to their people. Byron closed his eyes, allowing weariness to sweep through him. He reached to connect with his other half.
His soul. Antonietta? Are you well? Did they see to your wound?
Byron? I left you alone. I can"t remember what happened. Why would I leave you alone? There were tears in Anton- ietta"s voice. She sounded forlorn, agitated. Not at all like his confident life mate. How could I have done such a terrible thing? For my cousin? To save my cousin? I can"t think why I would have left you.
Be calm, cara mia, I am fine. I asked you to leave me so my people would heal me in our way. It would have been too complicated to allow a doctor to see to my wounds. They would have insisted on calling the authorities. This is best.
No! It isn"t best! I knew there was danger, I felt it all around us. It was storming and cold, and you lost so much blood. Tasha screamed when she saw me. I was covered in your blood. I should have stayed with you to protect you. To heal you. I have skills.
Byron smiled. Even a Scarletti with her unusual legacy did not have sufficient skills. He sent her waves of warmth, of love. I shall be with you tomorrow night. Keep Celt close to you at all times. You will not be able to reach me until sunset tomorrow, so do not panic if you reach for me and I am not there.
I need to touch you. To know you"re really alive. Their connection was already fading. Antonietta tried desperately to hold on to the link between them. Byron drifted in and out of consciousness as Dominic took him to a series of caves deep beneath the earth.
"We will rest here this night." Dominic opened the earth, cutting into a section of rich soil before lowering Byron into the cool, welcoming ground.
"Tell me of your kin. How is it she is lost to you?" Byron roused himself enough to seek the companionship of his kind.
"I am a hunter of the vampire. I was born a hunter."
"Where I was not."
Dominic shrugged his shoulders. "One who hunts when it is not their heritage is a warrior to respect. It is all I have known, even in my fledgling days. Those were dark times, long before the wars that destroyed most of our people. My sister learned much, and even Prince Vlad consulted her. Some say she knew too much. Some say she turned on her people, wanting to rule, believing it was her right."
"You are of the Dragonseeker blood." Byron leaned his head against the soft soil and looked up at the man who had shared his lifeblood. "When I was a fledgling, I used to go to the house where you once must have dwelled. The carvings, the artwork was so beautiful. I wanted to be able to create such wonders. That was a long time ago."
"The old house still stands? It would be a miracle to see it again."
"Out of respect for your lineage," Byron said. "Nothing has ever been touched, only to preserve it for you or any of your kin should they remain."
"My sister was loyal to Prince Vlad and our people. No Dragonseeker has ever betrayed our people. Not one ever turned vampire. I cannot rest until I find who took my sister from us and clear our name."
"I have never heard it whispered the Dragonseeker blood was tainted," Byron objected. He watched as Dominic swept his hand around the cave so tiny pinpoints of light leapt to life. The stranger took powder from a small container and blew it across the cavern. The scent was aromatic and soothing.
"I am grateful that in my absence, such a thing was never suggested." Dominic knelt beside Byron and began to gather hand-fulls of the earth. He mixed the soil with a second powder and his own saliva. "You will need more blood before you go to ground.
The wound is quite extensive and did much damage to your internal organs. How is it you have hunted the undead, yet that human male was able to harm you?"
If there was a reprimand in Dominic"s voice, Byron couldn"t detect it, only mild interest in how a human managed to injure a Carpathian hunter. "Perhaps I am a better craftsmen than hunter."
"I have noticed several of the people in this place have strange barriers. It is better to take your life mate and leave this place.
Take her to our homeland. She will eventually get used to it and get over being annoyed with you." Dominic helped Byron to lean forward so he could pack the material tightly into the gaping back wound. "A craftsman who turned hunter to aid his people is always welcome at a warrior"s camp fire. Craftsmen are meticulous and methodical. It is an honor to meet one such as you."
Dominic"s hands were gentle as he helped Byron to lie back down.
"The prince found his life mate some time ago," Byron volunteered the news. "It seems that some human women possess psychic abilities, and those women can be successfully converted without fear of madness."
"I have heard this rumor. How can this be?"
"I believe it is possible that the women we are finding with psychic powers are descendants of the Jaguar race."
Dominic once again mixed the rich soil with his powder and saliva to pack into Byron"s chest. "I had not thought that any remained unless deep within the jungle."
"Not true Jaguar, but of their blood. It would explain why the women are compatible with our race. The Jaguar are shape- shifters, and they had many gifts, as our people had." Byron closed his eyes. "Do you leave tomorrow?"
"At sunset. I have not found the undead dwelling in this region," Dominic answered. "I will continue my travel as soon as I rise. You will heal in the ground and be safe for several risings."
"I must be able to wake tomorrow evening. Antonietta will grieve. I do not want her to suffer."
"You will not be at full strength, but I will make certain you wake."
Byron"s attention was caught and held by the piercing gaze. "You have green eyes." Not just green but glittering, metallic green. Eerie. Eyes that saw through to the soul. "I should have remembered, it is the Dragonseeker"s legacy. Eyes of the seers."
"I am weary now, Byron, I do not see what should be seen. Once I find the answers I seek, I will follow my kinsmen into the next life."
"Or find your life mate. I did not think it possible, yet there is no doubt that Antonietta is my other half."
"My lineage is all but gone. Rhiannon and I were the last of our line. I doubt if either of us would have been so lucky."
Dominic stood, looming over the deep cut in the earth. "Sleep now, and wake fully healed. I will give your regards to our prince and give him the news that another woman will join our ranks soon. That alone is cause for celebration."
"I thank you for your courtesy and for my life."
Dominic bowed low in the way of the Carpathians. "You must sleep now and allow me to attempt to heal these ma.s.sive wounds."