Carpathian 20 - Dark Slayer

tracks.
    â€œThere is a blood trail here,― Ivory pointed out unnecessarily. “You can see where the carcass of a deer has been dragged from the shelter of the trees through the snow and toward the mountains. It is not wolves who killed the deer, nor human hunters.― She pointed to the spike marks in the snow. “Bats.―
    She stood for a long time just studying it. Razvan said nothing, enjoying watching the huntress in her puzzle out the trail. It was highly unusual for Xavier’s mutated bats to feed any distance from the caves, but this had definitely been a bat attack. The evidence of the creatures walking on their wings was clear in the snow.
    â€œThey ambushed the deer here,― she said. She pointed overhead. “Some dropped from above, some came from below, and they obviously surrounded it. The poor thing had no chance.―
    He didn’t point out that she hunted with various wolf packs, aiding them in getting through the winter.
    Ivory glanced up sharply, her gaze narrowing. “It is not the same thing. They take the blood to their master for evil purposes.―
    â€œThat is true,― he agreed. “Why do you read my mind when it just annoys you?―
    â€œIt only annoys me when you get that secret little smirk on your face. The male one.― Because he melted her insides with it, and that just wasn’t acceptable. Like he thought she was cute or something. Cute . What an irritating word. She shot him a look, a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. There it was again, that little male smirk that made her want to jump his body right there in the snow and ice, with danger surrounding them. “You are distracting me.―
    His white teeth flashed. “I am simply paying close attention to the expert so that I might learn.―

    â€œYou are deliberately distracting me and I—― She broke off, her eyes widening.
    The smile faded from Razvan’s face as he followed her gaze to an overhead tree limb. It looked fine to an untrained eye.
    The snow clung to the needles and weighed down the branches. He caught the flash of alarm in her mind.
    â€œWhat is it?―
    â€œUp there. High in the very top branches.― Her voice was very low, barely a thread of sound. “The snow is disturbed.―
    It took a moment to see what she was talking about. In four small places, as if a bird had landed lightly on the thin branch, the snow had flaked off, revealing a smudge of bark.
    â€œThe bats?―
    â€œNo, they scratch lines in the snow but the bark does not show through. Hunters followed the bats.― A note of fear crept into her voice. “They do not know who dwells in this place and what they face. We weakened Xavier with our ritual.
    We turned his hatred back on himself. If he manages to find a hunter . . .― She trailed off.
    His stomach lurched at the idea of Xavier getting his hands on Carpathian hunters. Not only would the hunter suffer, but Xavier would be extremely powerful with a Carpathian’s blood.

    â€œAre you certain?―
    In answer, Ivory shifted, streamed as vapor up to the treetop.
    She hovered in the air while she examined the branch and dropped back to earth beside him, careful not to disturb the snow. “Definitely Carpathian. There is no scent. Nothing else, just those two small telltale marks.―
    Razvan rubbed his hand over his jaw. “We have to follow them all the way in, Ivory, if they followed the bats. You know we will have no choice. We will not be able to leave them to Xavier. If we are very lucky, they will be very strong, experienced hunters.―
    â€œXavier will not be alone,― Ivory added.
    â€œNo, he will not. And he has many abominations to guard him, not the least of which is the undead,― Razvan said.
    She reached out to him, her fingers connecting with his.
    â€œWe go then.―
    â€œAll the way,― Razvan agreed.
    Ivory and Razvan moved with stealth, careful of disturbing even a single snowflake as they approached the outer rolling hills leading to the mountain where Xavier had begun to build his latest fortress. He needed the deep ice caves and network of caverns beneath the earth where he could conduct his evil experiments and wreak havoc on the Carpathian people. He had chosen an optimal location near the edge of the glacier, so he could use nature to carry his