Carpathian 15 - Dark Secret

himself over and over, insisting he take his own life. Paul fought hard against the commands, but the vampire wore him down. Where was Nicolas? Where was Rafael? Both had promised to help him.
    The vampire gripped him hard in his thrall. He'd gathered his strength and made one concentrated attempt to force the boy into compliance. Paul's eyes opened wide, staring into space as he felt the undead move within him. For one ghastly moment he was aware of the creature in his head, looking through his eyes in triumphant glee. He felt the terrible bite of the blade into his flesh. It hurt, a searing pain that lanced through his body. Time stopped. In that heartbeat, five separate people were joined together. Nicolas and Rafael had taken Paul's blood and they were suddenly aware, brought out of their sleep, sharing his head with the vampire. They could all see one another; feel one another. It was sobering and terrible, the vampire elated, his evil laughter a harsh echo in Paul's mind.
    Through Rafael, Colby joined them. Paul felt her awareness, the scream of anguish welling up. The terrible moment when he was conscious of Colby, buried beneath the ground, trying to claw her way up through the soil to try to reach the surface and get to him. In that heartbeat they were all together and the vampire threw back his head and laughed in triumphant glee.
    Juan dove for Paul, knocking him back on the bed, wrestling the knife from him. Paul blinked rapidly to clear his blurring sight and to try to focus on what was really happening. The thought of Colby buried alive made him ill. His wrist burned and his uncles were tying him down so he couldn't hurt himself while they worked on stopping the flow of blood. Paul could hear Ginny crying, but he couldn't move, couldn't find his voice, could only lie still with his heart pounding and a terrible dread beginning to flood his brain.
    The vampire wasn't finished.
    Colby. Rafael caught her to him as she struggled wildly, tearing through soil with her bare hands to get to her brother. He had placed her in a deep sleep. Nothing should have disturbed her. Nothing should have Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    penetrated the safeguards to awaken her, yet she was frantic to get to Paul.
    It is her Dragonseeker blood, Nicolas explained calmly. She is far stronger than either of us realized.
    It was true. Rafael knew her bloodline provided the iron in her will and also enhanced the tremendous sexual hunger she couldn't overcome when she was around her lifemate. The bloodline was both her strength and her downfall. Her pain and anguish tore at him. Querida. He smoothed her hair, pulled her hands away from the soil. Paul will not die. You cannot leave this place of healing. He could still feel the fire in her body, her organs still undergoing the reshaping.
    Get away from me! What have you done? Oh, God, Paul's hurt. I have to get to him. Help me get out of here.
    Nicolas and I will go to him. Juan and Julio have him and Sean is there. You cannot leave the earth yet. You are not healed and the light would harm you. Rafael tried to provide a calm, cleansing breeze of sanity in the nightmare Colby found herself in. His hands were gentle as he tried to restrain her.
    She didn't stop clawing at the soil. Rafael was forced to pin her wrists together. She was going to do damage to herself. Colby, pequena, be calm. Nicolas is rising. We will stop him. You cannot do this without causing harm to yourself. He tried to be reasonable, but she was breaking his heart. He wasn't a man familiar with his gentle, tender side and his fierce, protective nature demanded he force obedience.
    Damn you, I don't care about myself. I have to get to him. He's hurt. For God's sake, Rafael, he tried to kill himself. He's only a boy.
    Her distress raked at him, tore his heart to shreds. I will make certain he is safe. Sleep, Colby. He pushed hard with the command.
    She didn't succumb, her Dragonseeker blood rising to protect her. Go to hell, Rafael. He's my brother.
    If you don't get me out of here, I'll get out myself.
    He was enormously strong and there was no way to fight him physically and win. You cannot, meu amor. Sleep now. This time he took command, not allowing her to use her blood or will against him.
    I will not ever forgive you for this. She succumbed to his compulsion, reluctantly fading into the sleep of their people, but not before he felt the rift between them. It yawned