Carpathian 16 - Dark Demon

consideration. Do not worry about your lifemate. My friends will protect her.
    Vikirnoff didn't snort his derision. It would have been rude when talking to royalty, but in truth, no one was going to protect his lifemate. If there was any protecting going on, Natalya would be the one doing it, he didn't care how distraught she might be over the separation. On that thought, came pride. Respect. Natalya might not be the woman he'd dreamt of, or fantasized about, but she was extraordinary and reliable. Utterly, absolutely reliable.
    Deep within a chamber he opened the healing earth. His body was tired and he desperately needed to feed, but he had waited too long and the sun had climbed too high.
    Floating down into the warmth of the rich soil, he allowed the soothing properties to wash over him. Are you all right ? He reached for her because he had to touch her. To know that she was alive and well.
    Yes. What about you? You sound exhausted. Why haven't you gone to ground?
    I was having a discussion with the prince.

    There was a small silence. You were ordering him around, weren't you ?
    Why would you think that?
    I just know you. Diplomacy and tact aren't exactly your strong suits.
    The dirt began to fill in around and over him as he laughed softly, the sound echoing through her mind.

Chapter 11
    "I love the way you laugh, Razvan, but it isn't going to get you the spell. You were supposed to study."
    "I did study." Razvan grinned at her, his hair falling into his eyes the way it always did.
    Natalya knew he believed all the girls thought he looked intriguing that way. She thought he looked like he needed a haircut, but she refrained from saying so.
    "Just not spells. You know I think they're archaic. What's the point? No one believes in magick and I don't have the affinity for it that you do. Besides, you always tell me in the end, so stop stalling."
    Natalya put her hands on her hips. Of course she was going to tell him. She always did, but she wasn't going to give it up that easy. "What do you have for me in return?"
    "You're supposed to give it to me because you adore me," her twin pointed out.
    "Adoration went out the window a long time ago when I realized I had to do all the studying. Safeguards are important, Razvan. What happens if I'm not around and you need to be safe?"
    "I can always reach you, Natalya." He hugged her to him. "It's never made sense for both of us to study the same thing. We share information."
    "But you aren't retaining the spells," Natalya argued, the smile fading from her face.
    "That worries me, Razvan. What happens if you need safeguards and you can't reach me?
    You protect me all the time, the only real thing I have to give you in return is knowledge and you don't take it seriously."
    " Believe me, Natalya, I take it very seriously ," Razvan corrected. He ruffled her hair affectionately. "You're so much smarter than I am, and maybe I take advantage of that by not studying as hard as I should, but never think I'm not aware of how much you help me.
    I'm proud of you ."
    "Did he hurt you this time or did the safeguards hold against him?" Natalya, lowered her voice and looked around them. A shadow fell between them. Razvan's arm slipped from her shoulders and all at once he was a good distance away from her. He seemed to fade and Natalya reached out a hand to him, but she couldn't touch him and she dropped her arm.
    "He was very angry. I think you're stronger than he is. If you keep working and learning things like you are, he can't touch us. Maybe his power is diminished, I don't know, but it worries me that you may be in danger. He doesn't like that he can't control you. If he can't hurt me, he can't get to you."
    For a moment Natalya's hair and skin banded with stripes and her eyes glowed a stormy opaque. "He was able to get through the safeguards and he hurt you, didn't he? To punish me because I won't come to him when he insists."
    "Show me the new one. Show me what you're using now."
    Razvan was fading from her and Natalya couldn't stop him. Grief intruded. Not for her brother but for Vikirnoff. Her need to touch Vikirnoff's mind, just to know he was alive, was safe. She ached for him, her mind reaching… reaching… but he wasn't there—only a dark pitiless void she seemed to be tumbling into.
    "Natalya! The safeguards." There was desperation in Razvan's voice.
    "I told you to take them." She was so distracted. She needed Vikirnoff. Where was he?
    Why wasn't he answering her call?