Carpathian 05 - Dark Challenge

this one," Darius answered softly, his black eyes empty, ice cold.
    Julian nodded his agreement. "Dayan, I must ask of you that you stay with Desari and see that she comes to no harm should I be mistaken."
    "Perhaps I could draw him out with my voice," Desari offered, suddenly anxious, not wanting to be separated from Julian.
    You will not attempt to draw out the vampire. Dayan will keep you close. Stay linked with me unless I break off suddenly, and do not merge again unless you are in danger. Please do as I ask.
    Without your cooperation, I will be unable to help Darius.

    Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    Desari bit her lower lip. Dayan was moving to her side, his face grim and harsh. "I will concentrate on holding Syndil to us," she agreed as Dayan gently but firmly took her arm. "I will not fail her."
    "It will be a struggle; do not think it will not be. The ancient undead will not give up his plan easily. It will take the combined strength of both you and Barack. Call her to you now, and hold her to you. Draw her back if you can do so. Darius and I will hunt this monster down."
    Dayan can hunt with him . She couldn't help herself.
    I must stay with Darius if I am to keep my promise to you. Dayan has not the experience to help should there be need .
    Desari sent him waves of warmth and love, surrounding him for a moment in the wealth of emotion before she shimmered into transparency and allowed Dayan to lead her away from the danger zone. In his mind, Julian heard her soft, persuasive voice, a weapon powerful beyond imagining, a soothing, luring spell calling out to the woman who was like a sister to her. It was a call of need, of love, promising unity, sisterhood, and family.
    Julian shook his head to rid himself of the powerful tug of Desari's enchanting magic. He glanced at Darius. "She is unique in my world. I marvel every time I hear her."
    Darius was busy searching the area around them, all senses alert. "As I do," he replied sincerely. The women had extraordinary powers. Although he had had the privilege of knowing them for centuries, it had not lessened his memories of admiration of and awe at the women's incredible gifts. Darius remembered his pride and love for them and held tightly to that memory. No one would harm his women.
    Julian's shape was already contorting as he launched himself skyward, wings spread wide so that the sharp eyes of the bird could catch anything unusual on the ground below. He had a much wider range of vision from above. He studied the blackened area, looking for anything that jarred the line of the landscape, no matter how slight it might be. He knew Darius would seek the vampire using the ability they all had to feel faint shifts in the air or land itself. Darius was a very dangerous male, one a Carpathian even as powerful and experienced and confident as Julian was would not want to have to battle. This vampire had not lived as long as he had without knowing it would be tantamount to suicide to go against one such as Darius. They were dealing with a truly powerful ancient.
    Julian concentrated on blocking out everything but what he must find. The real threat to Darius would come from another direction. The undead would be wrestling the combined strength of Desari's voice and Barack's determination to reclaim Syndil. Julian believed in Desari's love for Syndil and Barack's determination that no one would ever harm her again. He was certain they could hold Syndil to them while Darius battled whatever the undead could throw at him.
    Julian, within the body of the circling bird, caught a slight movement in a blackened tree a few feet from Darius. The bark, already wracked with pain, dying a slow death, seemed to ripple once. Julian fixed his eyes on it. It rippled again, and the tree trunk itself began to split apart. Darius was moving now, away from the tree toward the middle of the burned landscape. The twisted, blackened ruins of what had once been a beautiful forest looked suddenly sinister, as tree branches reached out-like eerie stick people.
    Darius was being drawn into the very center of the trap, the vampire deliberately showing a blank space where he wanted Darius to go. High above, the bird circled the blackened land and watched as several charred trees began to ripple like waves, the bark separating from the trunks, long black shadows moving silently to surround the tall, broad-shouldered man.

    Generated by ABC Amber LIT