Carpathian 05 - Dark Challenge

committed to destroying an enemy even if it meant his own life. Julian understood, but through long experience he had learned to pick his battles. Darius had to attack anything threatening those under his protection, but some part of him was urging him to fight to the death, wanting to take the vampire with him to eternal rest.
    The idea of losing Darius left Desari raw with fear. And Julian found he could not bear Desari's fear. He felt the presence of evil, the thick air surrounding them making it difficult to think. It was a common trick used by the undead to buy time. Julian simply directed his body on his instincts, trusting himself and his own strength and power.

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    Darius had often come up against the same snare, the effort to slow them down. He charged forward in a direct flight to catch up to their enemy.
    The attack came without warning from behind both of them, two experienced hunters unprepared for the hurtling spear that zeroed in on the shadow in Julian like a heat-seeking missile. Neither knew whether it was Desari's cry of fear as she launched herself skyward or their own instincts, but as Julian turned to face whatever was threatening him from behind, Darius, flying slightly above and ahead, plummeted to place his body between his sister's lifemate and the incoming spear.
    The streamlined weapon the vampire had fashioned was well made and deadly. It sliced through flesh and bone, catching Darius's body, imprisoned within the bird, just below the heart.
    Dayan ! Without conscious thought, Julian took over the leadership, calling the other Carpathian to their aid, then racing to catch Darius's body as it fell from the sky, at the same time searching around him for the vampire who had suddenly turned the tables and was now in the far better position to escape or attack. Desari, breathe for him, now. Take a breath. I need you calm. Breathe for him, and keep him alive. The spear sliced his heart, and he had no choice but to cease breathing on his own.
    Merge with him and bind him to us . Julian gave the order as a healer. He had learned much of the ancient art by watching Gregori, the Dark One, Darius and Desari's brother and blood kin, their people's healer.
    Dayan .reached them, cradling Darius in midflight, leaving Julian free to guard them as they raced toward their own safe haven, a mountain with pools of heat and fire within it. Julian's breath came out in a long, slow hiss. He could not continue to track his archenemy while Darius was in such need. Darius had saved his life and Desari's. Julian's sense of honor would never allow him to do other than what was right. The others did not have his powers of healing, although their closeness would help enormously.
    Julian followed the others, guarding them from behind. His mind was already merged with Desari's so that he could better follow the patterns inside Darius's mind, so that he could examine the mortal wound even in flight. Darius had a strong constitution, a will of solid steel. Ultimately he would choose life or death for himself. No one would hold him to earth if he decided to go to eternal rest. It only strengthened Julian's own belief that Darius was blood brother to Gregori, the Dark One, the greatest hunter and healer of their time.
    Barack and Syndil had already opened the mountain to make entry easier to the narrow passageway leading deep within the earth. Barack moved ahead of the group as their scout, his senses flaring out for every scrap of information he could ferret out. He looked for traces of the undead, blank spaces, strange smells, anything that might signal the presence of an enemy. Together he and Syndil worked to prepare a healing room. They found the richest soil. Syndil went down on her knees to add to the richness, chanting softly while Barack circled the cave, placing herbs and candles in a pattern along the wall.
    Dayan placed Darius's body into the bed of soil so carefully prepared, and stepped back to give Julian room. Desari sank onto the edge of the sunken earthen bed, her entire attention centered on her brother.
    He was no more than a spirit while his body lay lifeless under her stroking hand. Tears were running unchecked down her face. She was well aware of Darius's strong will. If he chose to stay with them, it would certainly be his choice alone. She could not make him do anything he didn't want to do.
    He will stay with us . Julian's