You have not laid eyes on me, my lady.There was amusement in his voice.
I am about to. Be prepared for the innocent and foolish princess to comelooking for her brother and the stranger. My brother is very adept with a sword. I have one I shall be giving him. Make certain he is in good enough shape to join our battle.
He has fought vampires and demons?
My brother has fought anything and everything needed to keep our lands safe. That is what royals do.
CHAPTER
3
Snow was a blinding white. Blinding. The gorge had many rocks coated in thick ice that appeared a true black. Afanasiv had seen in shades of gray for centuries, and the colors of white and black dazzled with just the sliver of moon shining on them. Colors were radiant—vivid—alive and moving behind his eyelids even when he closed his eyes in order to lessen the impact. But those colors did nothing to prepare him for the sight of his lifemate. Not one little thing. Vasilisa took his breath away.
In all the centuries of his existence, nothing and no one had ever affected him the way she did. Every cell in his body was tuned to her. Every part of his mind. His heart beat with hers. His soul, tattered and scarred as it was, felt her without reaching. She was just there. She claimed him. She didn’t spend time considering or wondering. She didn’t reject him now that she could see the two halves put together. She accepted him unconditionally. Siv felt the universe had handed him a gift beyond any price.
She walked carefully along the narrow trail, not looking as if she were a helpless young girl alone and lost. She looked alert and ready to take on the enemy. That was what those hunting her expected, andthat was what she gave them. She was encased in white fur from her neck to her ankles, the slim coat hugging her lithe figure.
It was her eyes that caught him. She didn’t shade them from the snow at all, as if the glare didn’t bother her in the least. The color was a burning blue, like the hottest flame in a roiling fire or coldest ice of a glacier. It was the color a man could be lost in for the rest of his centuries.
White mist slowly began to swirl around her, creeping up from the floor of the gorge. The vapor appeared natural. He had noticed it first where the frozen waterfall was. The mist came off the ice in abundance, rising toward the night sky in beautiful waves and swirls, drawing the eyes, just like it was doing now as it swirled around Vasilisa.
Siv’s mind computed that information quickly. The mist had been there all along, staying close to the floor rather than along the waterfall and tops of icy boulders. The formations the vapor made were what he found interesting. Those loops and whorls had caught his attention as the vapor drifted lazily toward the sky and eventually rose above the gorge. Now, he wondered about them.
Just what magic is your brother capable of?
Perhaps you should have made better use of your time and carried on an actual conversation with him instead of keeping him unconscious.
The note of amusement in her voice did unexpected things to his body. He had to allow the needs to move through him without processing them, just noting and enjoying them while he took in every detail of his lady. She was truly magnificent.
He was too concerned about my relationship to Dimitri. I do not answer questions about my brethren.
He would have been more concerned had you expressed interest in me. One teensy little question would have sparked an entire inquisition.
The moment I set foot on this land, I knew you were here. There was not a single doubt in my mind.
Siv had felt her with every step he took. He’d breathed her into hislungs as if she’d been stamped into every larch tree, every bush and rock. The ground held her imprint deep. She was everywhere.
He did not need to make inquiries about Vasilisa. He didn’t want to call attention to the fact that he was hunting her. It was bad enough that they’d made the mistake of asking after Dimitri. They knew he had a home in the area and thought it wouldn’t cause a problem asking where his residence was. That hadn’t been the case. The people at the inn had been polite but had frozen up immediately, making it clear they weren’t going to answer any questions regarding Dimitri or Skyler.
I believe I am being watched.
You are correct,Siv agreed. He nudged her brother, who lay next to him. “Quit faking. Your sister has arrived to rescue you.”
Garald sat up with a fake groan. “Vasilisa. Did you bring me a present?”
“Naturally. I never leave home without one for you. I see you have found my man. I trust you put your time to good use and got the interrogation out of the way. Neither of you are really tied down, are you?”
Garald threw back the barbed cuffs that anchored him to the ground. “What do you mean,your man? Please tell me you have not been internet dating like the young girls are lately.” He glared at Afanasiv, who was unimpressed.
“The idea is to appear a prisoner, Garald,” Vasilisa reminded him.
Siv felt the earth beneath him shudder and shrink. Something foul had touched the surface. An abomination. He looked up to catch Vasilisa and her brother share a quick signal as they recognized that the loathsome, vile undead was close, contaminating everything it touched. He knew vampires left behind acid, killing trees and bushes, poisoning the ground and twisting wildlife into deadly mutations. They often created puppets out of humans, giving them a half life, promising to make them immortal but leaving them to feed on the blood and flesh of other humans. They took great delight in their agony and the mayhem they caused.
“The master vampire who has come here calls himself Prince Vitus. He has servants with him. Several of them. Two are of great consequence. Very old and experienced fighters. Rufus prefers to come straight at you, then at the last minute vanishes and comes in from behind. He will appear very handsome with few scars or former injuries. He is vain, and stroking his ego can trap him at times. Mars is all business. He is a bull and wants to be feared. His appearance reflects that. He will intimidate and do his best to confuse you with many tricks. Watch him closely. He’ll move constantly, each time coming close and then moving away, using a hypnotic dance to keep you from realizing he is about to attack.”
Afanasiv kept his voice low as he imparted the information to the two siblings. The vampires had excellent hearing. He didn’t want them to realize they were readying for battle. He continued to act as if the head wound had nearly knocked him out. Garald had once again slumped down in the snow, hiding his freed hands with his body.
Siv could feel the earth shrinking away from the steps of the foul undead as they circled around the two wounded men and Vasilisa. She reacted as if she had just became aware of the danger, head up alertly, eyes flashing, one hand moving inside her coat as she tore open the buttons with the other so she could withdraw what looked like a ceremonial sword. She turned in a full circle, the small sword held above her head.