From out of the walls, more vines attacked. Several dropped from the ceiling, trying to form a cage around him. He couldn’t shift to mist, not with the vampire’s heart attempting to chew through his palm. Using his free hand, he countered, reversing the direction of the vines back onto the vampire.
Snarling in frustration, Gazsi blocked the wooden vines he’d created as they snapped greedily at him and tried to sink hooks into hisbody. Afanasiv continued to backtrack through the house, staying off the floors and away from the walls. He didn’t get too far ahead of Gazsi, not wanting him to attempt to lure anyone else out of their hidden safe room as a hostage to trade for the shrunken heart.
We are merged, my lady, and yet I can sense you are apprehensive.
The next room was exactly what he was looking for. Oval-shaped. Large. Empty. A fireplace with a good-sized chimney. His dragon had been glowing on his side, a warning that the vampire was near. He hovered close to the fireplace, turned slightly so the dragon faced the firebox with an iron grate on the floor of it. A few logs were piled up, ready to be set on fire. The ashes were already cleaned out for the night. The dragon glowed bright for the briefest of moments, casting a shadow on the opposite wall. Then the fiery red-orange light was gone as the mythical creature traveled up past the damper to the smoke chamber and out into the night.
I feel the vampire’s gathering power. He is starving. He is also aware the Lycans have arrived in force to protect us. He knows the plan was somehow thwarted, but he doesn’t know how.
Afanasiv didn’t like the idea that Vasilisa was anywhere near Gazsi’s mind. It was as rotten as the heart he held in his hand. If the vampire sensed she was there, he could show her things that would sicken her. She would never be able to get them out of her mind. The best healers would not be able to aid her.
How do you know these things? You cannot touch his mind, Vasilisa.
Petru and Benedek removed the splinter of Xaviero from Rudlof. Once they were able to destroy the sliver before it found another host, they questioned Rudlof. Lycans put our species first as a rule. Rudlof knows all of those within the Sacred Circle involved in the conspiracy to murder us. He also was connected with the vampire through Xaviero. That sliver was meant to command Rudlof and spy. That gave Xayvion two sets of eyes. Through Rudlof, all Lycans can feel the master vampire’s hatred of you and his need to get at your blood.
Afanasiv sent her reassurance.Have no worries.
You are Dragonseeker, Siv. They all seem to have this idea about Dragonseekers. They think you are magic. That the earth will respond in ways to you that it will not to even the Lycan. We are guardians of the earth. I can’t help but be afraid for you.
His woman. She had courage. She also thought she needed to protect him, because he must be delusional thinking that a Dragonseeker could have a stronger connection to the earth than a Lycan. She heard the rumors and legends of ancients and how powerful they were, but he shielded her from just how dangerous he was. Mostly, he did so because he had crossed over to a place where the darkness would always be a part of him, and he didn’t want his woman to ever doubt him.
Afanasiv knew Vasilisa was someone who needed to feel in control. She was a warrior, and she had been raised to believe her purpose was the protection of others. He didn’t want to take away her belief that she was his equal in power, or even that she might have more power than he did simply because she was both Carpathian and Lycan. What he was about to do would change things. She would know who her lifemate was.
“You are trapped, ancient one. Give me my heart. There is nowhere for you to go.” Once more, Gazsi tried using his voice on Afanasiv to compel him to obey.
Light burst through the firebox as the dragon dropped through the chimney and landed on the iron grate, still flapping wings in a fierce display. Outside, thunder rolled and then boomed so loud it shook the house. Gazsi looked nervously out the window to the roiling clouds. Lightning lit up the dark skies, but instead of jagged bolts or forked rods, the white-hot electricity appeared in the shape of a dragon streaking toward earth.
Gazsi looked from the fierce dragon in the sky to the tiny glowing one rearing back on two legs, wings flapping as it turned its blue eyes, now swirling with a deep emerald green. He burst into a cackle, pointing to the small mythical creature.
Without preamble, Afanasiv tossed the heart right to the dragon. Grasping the heart in its talons, the dragon was gone, disappearing up the chimney.
Outside, the fierce dragon made of lightning flicked its tail to send spears of the white-hot energy sizzling across the sky. Screaming, Gazsi watched as the tiny dragon tossed the heart up toward the fierce dragon. Instantly, a stream of fire burst from the huge dragon in the sky, incinerating the vampire’s heart. Simultaneously, Gazsi leapt toward the window, reaching up as if he could stop the fire from reaching his heart. Very slowly, his body crumpled and broke apart, spewing insects and acid onto the tiled floor.
Outside the house, the wind howled just as loud as the wolves as they descended on the demons and vampires.
That was...Vasilisa hesitated, searching for the right words.Incredible. Truly incredible.
CHAPTER
19
Andros thrust open the door to the Wolf’s Retreat, Vasilisa right behind him. There was an urgency to their entry, and those inside turned slowly, one by one, stopping conversations to stare at the two of them. Lycans shared a common pathway. They knew what had transpired this night—a plot to murder the royals and to kill as many Lycans as possible and blame it on the Carpathians. To protect the royals from the speculation from outsiders, those inside the inn were willing to go to any lengths.
Andros held up his hand and Kendal shut off the music. “A child was kidnapped several days ago, and we have been searching for her. A credible anonymous tip has come in that she was thrown into one of the many wellbores in the old oil field. She was alive at the time she was tossed inside. The odds are against her being alive now, but if there’s the slightest chance, we have to find her. I need volunteers. It’s a big field with quite a few old wellbores.”
“Dimitri has organized the search by mapping out the field in grids,” Vasilisa added. “We need as many people as possible.”
The Carpathians were already searching. All of them. Lycans could feel the earth talking, but down that deep, possibly covered inoil, she doubted if any of them would even hear a whisper. But the Dragonseekers—children of the earth—that might be different. Hopefully, it would be.
The reaction to the call for help was instantaneous. The Lycans in the inn immediately rose, abandoning drinks and food to gather coats. Andros and Vasilisa turned to follow them out.
“Andros, wait.” Nikolay Sokolov, the government agent Vasilisa had spoken with, hurried to him. “My friends and I will help you find this child. We might not know the area, but we can search as well as anyone else.” He gestured to the other three men who had come up behind him.
Andros’ clothes were covered in dirt, blood and rips. It was easy to see he had been in a fight of some kind. He nodded his head. “All help is gratefully accepted, Nikolay. Alyona is my fiancé’s daughter. She’s only three. We must go. There’s a slim chance she’s still alive.”
Vasilisa knew if the child still lived, it was because she was Lycan. That was the “slim chance” Andros was talking about. She knew he was feeling crazy inside. He was broadcasting his distress so loud she was certain the Lycans could feel it the way she did. He didn’t want to be at the inn, he wanted to be at the oil field looking for Alyona. He had to protect the government agents.
Part of the three-pronged attack on the Lycans was to have the government people murdered and Andros and his family implicated so there would be an investigation. Again, Xayvion counted on those he controlled in the Sacred Circle to come forward and tell the investigators Andros had declared himself a king.