Carpathian 11 - Dark Descent

glow hot in his eyes.
    Joie laughed. "Stop that."
    Gabriele looked from her sister to Traian and made a rude noise. "Oh, no. Joie, we leave you alone with him for a few minutes and you seduced him, didn't you?"
    Joie shrugged unrepentantly. "You have to admit, he's pretty hot."
    "I'm teling Mom."
    "Wel, you tattletale, if you say one word to Mom, I'm going to tel her you were thinking of taking that job researching the Ebola virus. You know what she'l do when she hears that."
    "You wouldn't dare," Gabriele said. She pushed at Joie's shoulder as the slender stranger approached, trying unsuccessfuly to move her sister aside for a better look.
    "Now that is a hottie, Joie. There's more to a man than muscle." She grinned at Traian. "No offense or anything."
    "None taken," he assured her.
    "Your tongue is hanging out, Gabriele," Joie whispered. "Stop ogling him. For you to be faling at his feet, he must have an IQ of two hundred." She glanced up at Traian.
    "No man she's ever looked at could carry on a normal conversation. I think she can see straight through to their brains." She nudged her sister. "Your eyes are popping out of your head."
    "I was just looking," Gabriele hissed back. "At least I didn't throw myself at him and show off by doing in underfed trols fresh out of the grave."
    "I was happy she did that," Traian pointed out.
    "Yes, wel, I suppose you would have been, under the circumstances," Gabriele conceded. "But she has a major hickey on her neck. If Mom saw that, there'd be consequences."
    Traian bared his strong white teeth at her. "I think I can handle your mother."
    Gabriele and Joie looked at each other and burst out laughing. "It isn't possible, Traian, even for you," Joie said.
    The slender man stopped in front of them and held out his hand to Traian, although Joie noticed that his gaze continualy shifted to Gabriele. "I'm Gary Jansen. Mikhail Dubrinsky sent me. He asked me to convey his apologies, but unforeseen circumstances prevented him from coming himself. Should there be need, he asked that you put out a cal to him and he wil send Falcon. Mikhail's brother is in Italy at this time, so I was sent to gather the information and aid you in any way I can."
    Traian gripped Gary's hand firmly. "I am Traian Trigovise. This is my lifemate, Joie Sanders, and her sister, Gabriele. I trust the prince and his lifemate are wel?"
    "Raven has been il," Gary said briefly.
    Traian caught the echo of Gary's thought. Miscarriage. Joie slipped her hand into his, an offer of condolence that betrayed the fact she'd been a silent shadow in his mind.
    She might not understand the importance of the news, but she could feel his sorrow. "We need to speak somewhere quiet," Traian said. "I have news the prince must hear."
    Jubal joined them, slipping an arm around his two sisters and waiting to be introduced. Traian did so as they folowed Gary from the lounge to the comparative quiet of his room.
    "Nice," Jubal commented. "We're on the second story with smal balconies. This is great." He looked out the double doors to the spacious verandah. "Joie, we should have asked for the ground floor."
    A dul red swept under Gary's skin, and he glanced at Gabriele as he hastily cleared clothes from a chair. "Sorry about the mess."
    Gabriele smiled at him. "You should see my room. We were in a cave, and our clothes were filthy. Al I could think about was taking a hot shower." She blushed for no reason, turning away from Gary to study the verandah Jubal seemed so interested in.
    "Mikhail wanted me to ask you why you did not simply give him the information when you requested that someone join you here," Gary said.
    "Had I used the common telepathic link, the undead would have heard what I had to say," Traian said. "I have never exchanged blood with the prince and do not have a private telepathic link. It was better to keep my news confidential."
    Gary nodded toward the Sander siblings. "Forgive me for asking, but you are certain everyone in this room can be trusted?"
    "I am more certain of them than I am of you," Traian answered.
    Gary smiled, relaxing for the first time. "That's good enough for me. I can give Mikhail your news, although he asked me to have you return home as soon as you are able.
    He has caled in the ancients his father sent out. He needs their knowledge to make informed decisions in the ongoing war with the undead."
    "Where is his second? I fear the life of our prince is in danger. I do not like the fact that the undead