Carpathian 15 - Dark Secret

rise, Colby slowed the horse while she scanned the area. There was no sign of life. It was quiet, too quiet. Colby's heart slammed against her ribs. Fear choked her. Not Ginny. Colby would not allow any harm to come to Ginny. If anything happened to her, Colby didn't know what she would do. Fighting back a sob, she reined in, practically shoving Paul off the horse. "You look for a sign. If you see anything, anyone, you shout but stay to cover. Understand, Paul? Stay covered. If anything happens to me, go to the sheriff. Go to Ben. Don't trust anyone else."
    "But—Colby?" White-faced, he stared up at her. "I couldn't have done this. I couldn't have hurt her, could I?"
    "You didn't do this," she said. "You're in as much danger as Ginny. Be careful, Paul, and don't trust anyone. I wish to hell I knew what was going on."
    "What if something awful has happened to her? I don't think... " He trailed off. He couldn't face a vampire again. Not for Colby. Not for Ginny. Not for anything.

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    "Do what I say." She kicked at the mare again, riding across the meadow to the far hillside, where she began casting about for a sign.
    Meu amor, why are you so afraid? Your terror awakens me from even the deepest of sleeps.
    Rafael's voice was a soothing caress in her mind. She nearly went to pieces the moment he touched her mind with his. She actually felt his hand brush her face and realized she was crying.
    It's Ginny. The dog was drugged and she went alone for a walk. It should have been safe. The vampire is locked in the ground, isn't he? She needed the reassurance.
    He is in the ground but he can use puppets. Where is Paul? He asked it carefully, knowing how she would react.
    It wasn't Paul. If it had been Paul I wouldn't be so worried—I know he'd fight against it. But I can feel that something is wrong, Rafael.
    I will come to you.
    No! Colby's gaze was riveted to the ground, looking for signs. You're badly wounded and I can't take care of anyone else right now. Stay where you are and let me find her.
    I'm coming to you and the little one. His tone was implacable.

    Paul checked the spring first. If Ginny had come this far she would have been thirsty. The first thing they always did when they were out walking was go to the spring for a drink. There was no print of Ginny's small boot in the wet ground, but his heart nearly stopped when he saw the clear outline of a man's boot.
    A good two sizes larger than his own foot, Paul knew neither Colby nor he had made that track. It might be from one of his uncles, but they wore a distinctive boot with a different tread and neither had such a big foot. Alarmed, he scanned the ground for anything that would give him a clue as to which way the man had gone.
    A few minutes of scouting around and he found a faint trail. Not much, a partial track, a twisted leaf, a snapped twig; once he found a cigarette butt. Suddenly he dropped to his knees beside the imprints in the dirt, a low cry of alarm escaping. His hand reached of its own accord to touch the small boot print. It was definitely Ginny's track; he would recognize it anywhere. The larger boot had covered hers. For just a minute indecision warred in him—he wanted to yell for Colby, but feared whoever had taken Ginny would hear him and hurt her. The tracks were fresh. He began to follow the tracks, staying low, keeping to cover, careful not to disturb the dirt and send dust into the air. He hoped his uncles or Colby would come after him soon.
    Rafael burst from the ground. He gave a guttural cry as shafts sunlight raked across his skin like knives.
    He shape-shifted immediately to protect his sensitive eyes and body from the burning sun. The wrenching of muscles and bones opened his wounds so that droplets of blood sprayed across the sky and settled on the ground. He chose the form of vapor so he wouldn't have to continue to protect his eyes. Holding form in his weakened state was precarious and left him with little energy to provide cloud cover. Nicolas had found healing soil deep in the mountains, but far from the ranch, andput Rafael to ground there, in the hopes that the rich minerals would heal him faster. It had been a perfect healing ground, but it meant traveling a distance with his body already drained of strength. Using his tremendous iron will, Rafael shed Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    aside the clawing