Carpathian 03 - Dark Gold

"I'm going after him with or without you."
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    Stefan nodded. "Of course I will come with you. But he'll be very angry with us."
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    Alexandria flashed a smile of camaraderie. "I can take it if you can."
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    Hear me, cara. I cannot make it home this night. Go to the chamber, and I will attempt to come to you tomorrow night . He was trying to hide his pain from her, to cover the fact that he was dragging himself to shelter, trying to find a piece of ground he could safely open to crawl into.
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    Just stay put, Aidan. I'm coming for you.
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    Do not! There is great danger to you. Stay in the house!
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    Give it up. I've never been very good at minding anyone. In case my little brother neglected to inform you, I've been the boss for years. Stefan is with me, and we're already on our way, so just stay put and wait for us.

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    She followed Stefan to the driveway, her eyes jumping to the gun in his hand. He was searching the sky, clearly half expecting an attack from that direction.
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    "I don't feel any of them close by, but the air is thickening around Aidan. We have to hurry. One of them is dead or dying, but the other is returning to finish the job."
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    "How weak is Aidan?" Stefan did not question her connection to his boss or how she was attaining her knowledge of Aidan's situation as he drove.
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    "He's trying to hide it from me, but I'm not certain he can sustain another attack. He acts confident, but he feels the approach of the other one." She laughed softly to herself, helping to suppress her own fear. "He's warning me of. In fact, he's actually angry. I've never heard him anything but cool and collected. That's so annoying, don't you think? Always being so in control?
    If I wasn't terrified, this would be comical. Go left here. I know this is the way."
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    Stefan slowed the car in hesitation. "Let me go by myself. The other doesn't want me. But if something were to happen to you, we would lose Aidan."
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    "You'll never find him on your own. We don't have time for this. Come on, Stefan. He's out there alone." She didn't stop to think why it was so important, but she would do anything to save Aidan Savage.
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    You do not understand, cara. You cannot come here. This one is stronger than Yohenstria, and I am weak. I do not know if I can protect you from him.
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    You will protect me where you would not protect yourself. He comes now. He is close to you.
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    You do not even trust me. You still do not know if 1 am vampire. Why are you placing yourself in danger ? He was frustrated with her disobedience; she could feel his impotent rage at not controlling her. But he could not expend the energy it would take and still protect himself and fight the rapidly approaching vampire.
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    Pay attention to what is happening there. I have a plan . That was the biggest lie she had ever told anyone in her life. And she was becoming more terrified the closer they were to their destination. Why was she doing this stupid, crazy thing? She didn't like Aidan, didn't trust him, and she was terrified of him, of what he might be, of the control he had over her. All she knew for certain was that she couldn't allow him to die.
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    "We need a plan, Stefan. A really good plan. If you shoot that thing with the gun, will it kill it?"
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    "No, but if I hit something vital enough, I can slow it down, maybe keep it from going to ground.
    Then the sun would kill it," Stefan informed her grimly.
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    "Okay, here's the plan. I'll keep telling you where the creature is, and you keep shooting while I pull Aidan into the car. Then we drive away as fast as we can and hope we leave it behind."
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    That is the worst plan I have ever heard . In spite of his dire situation, there was a hint of humor in Aidan's voice.

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    Stefan snorted aloud. "That is absolutely the worst plan I've ever heard. You aren't strong enough to get Aidan into the car. And we can't trade places, because you've probably never fired a gun in your life."
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    "Well, I don't hear anything brilliant from either one of you," she snapped indignantly. "Isn't it funny how men stick together even when they can't hear one another?"
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    "What are you talking about?" Stefan was looking nervously up at the sky, in his rearview mirror, out the side windows.
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    "Never mind. Turn on this road. He's