Carpathian 17 - Dark Celebration

to that," Natalya said, brushing back the girl's hair. "You've been through a lot and most of it was not good, but you have the opportunity to become whatever it is you would like. Don't let fear stop you. Let Gabriel and Francesca find out what's behind that wall in your mind. Once you know, it can't hurt you anymore. Isn't that right, MaryAnn? Isn't it better to have the knowledge and just deal with it than lock it away and not understand why we're afraid?"
    MaryAnn kissed the baby's brow and carefully put her back in the front-pack so she could snuggle against her mother's chest. "I believe it's better. I'm a great believer that the more knowledge one has, the more empowered they are. You think you don't have courage, Skyler, but you found a way to survive when few others could have."
    "And you aren't alone," Destiny said. "There are millions of survivors. We refuse to be victims. We rebuild our lives, and maybe we aren't ever what is considered normal, but we're strong and we lead happy lives. Don't let your past take that away from you."
    "Don't ever think you don't belong," Corinne added. "All of us"—she gestured to encompass everyone there—"we all stand together. And you belong here with us."
    Gabriel hugged her again. "Francesca is anxious to see you." He lifted her into his arms and took off into the night with her.
    "Are we going to pull this party off tonight?" Dayan asked.
    "We'd better," Corinne said. "After all the work that went into it. And the children are really anxious. We can't let them down. Fighting off vampires and now, mage attacks, is just part of our lives, just like you told me earlier. Now that we know what is happening, we can find a way to prevent it. I don't want them to stop us from living our lives, any more than we want Skyler not to be living hers."
    Dayan slung his arm around Corinne and pulled her close to him. Now that her heart was beating just fine, his was accelerating overtime. "I'm thinking, just for a while, I might wrap the two of you up in that bubble wrap and keep you safe on a shelf. Thank you, Gregori. I'm sorry to have interrupted your evening."
    "It was an interesting puzzle," Gregori said. "I want to get together later with you, Natalya, so we can begin working together to keep such things from happening."
    Natalya nodded. "Of course. Right now I'm heading over to the inn to see if I can help Lucian spot any likely candidates. Skyler was very certain he had come from there. We want to make certain that this party will be safe for all the children."
    "I think I'll go back to the house and hide under the covers," MaryAnn declared. "All this excitement is just a little too much for me."
    "You never think of yourself as brave, MaryAnn," Gregori admonished. "But you always manage to find the courage to go to a fellow woman in need, no matter what the cost to you."
    She gave him a small smile. "Anything for my sisters."
    Gregori suddenly swung his head around, looking toward the trees, his silver eyes narrowed as he carefully examined the area around them. MaryAnn shivered and pressed her hand over the small spot right above her breast that seemed to be aching from the cold.
    "Are you all right?" Destiny asked.
    "Just a little tired," MaryAnn confided. "Your late night hours are a little hard on the human here."

Chapter 17
    Manolito De La Cruz filtered through the trees in a slow, steady stream, careful not to disturb the air around him. There was something exhilarating about being so close to so many hunters, his prey in the middle of their tight circle, and none of them even saw him.
    He couldn't leave her until he was certain she was safe. He wanted her out of the woods and back in the shelter of Nicolae's house until the party. The ancients were suspicious, doubling back several times trying to figure out where he was—who he was.
    Euphoria could be as dangerous as feeling nothing at all. He felt alive, giddy with it, staring in awe at the colors, absorbing emotion that seemed to bombard his entire system.
    He had waited in vain for so long, living only with his memories, only with honor, and now this woman had given him life. They would not keep her from him, no matter the cost. He had lived centuries risking his life—his very soul—asking nothing in return. Until now.
    MaryAnn was his, and he would not give her up.
    Manolito? Have you a need of me?

    His brother's voice stilled the wild chaos in his mind. He needed to be cold and deliberate, planning out