Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

every advantage.
    At once her mind was flooded with warmth. You have great courage, Riley. There is no other for me, nor will there be.
    She got that. She really did. She’d committed to him. She hadn’t gone to sleep insecure,
     but she’d awakened that way. Her mind turned that over and over. What had been different
     from the time Dax had carried her back to the others and helped her set up her hammock
     for the night and when she’d awakened? Something had happened to make her doubt herself,
     or worse—doubt Dax. What was it? She must have fallen into a trap Mitro had set.
    She looked around her at her traveling companions. None of them seemed affected.
    Gary turned around abruptly to face her, stopping so fast she ran into him. He caught
     her shoulders in a steadying grip. “You’re burning up.”
    A lump had formed in her throat and when she tried to swallow, she had difficulty. You’re talking to Gary again.
    You’re shutting me out.
    No remorse. She would have to store that away for future reference. Apparently not, because you’re back in my head again.
    Everyone had stopped at some command from Jubal. Dax set the professor down gently
     on the makeshift travois the guides had made. Riley watched him stride toward her.
     Her heart leapt toward him. He was impressive any way one looked at it. Sometimes,
     when she saw him, like now, so confident and purposeful, he intimidated her just a
     little, yet at the same time, he made her feel safe.
    He seemed to get taller as he approached her. His grip on her upper arms was as gentle
     as ever, yet she knew if she tried to free herself it would be impossible.
    “Look at me, sivamet. Into my eyes.”
    She was aware that the scales running beneath his skin were very close, which meant
     he was more upset than his demeanor indicated.
    Lightning forked across the sky. The wind howled, sweeping through the trees with
     deadly intent. The branches swayed, rubbing one another to make a clacking sound that
     seemed to reverberate through the jungle. Long vines dropped down from the overhead
     canopy, looking like hangman’s nooses in the dark.
    Dax transferred one hand to her chin, tipping her head this way and that, studying
     her eyes. “You’re ill,” he said.
    “The spider bite. That’s the only thing I can think of. Mitro must have had insects
     waiting to attack me. Can he program them to do that?” Even to her own ears, her voice
     sounded far away. “I should have known something was wrong when I was acting so out
     of character.”
    “Out of character?” he repeated, catching her when she would have collapsed.
    “You know, doubting that I was good enough to be your lifemate. I’m sure I have a
     high opinion of myself.” She reached up to stroke his jaw. “You really are beautiful,
     Dax.”
    He hissed something between his strong white teeth she couldn’t catch. She seemed
     to be floating through the air, while several of her travel companions looked on with
     trepidation on their faces.
    She waved at them. “No worries. He has a pink cape,” she assured.
    Overhead, the flutter of wings distracted Dax for one moment as he found the spot
     he was looking for. Crouching low, he looked up as a great horned owl, known as the
     night tiger, settled on the branches above them. Somewhere in the distance, an eerie
     scream sent a shiver of goose bumps chasing down the travelers’ spines. They all moved
     closer together.
    “This is my fault, Riley,” Dax said. “This evening I was so eager to be with you that
     I dismissed the bite as a typical hazard of the rain forest. I took the swelling and
     itch away, without delving deeper.”
    Riley looked up at him, her hand stroking his face. “I’m right, aren’t I? Mitro attacked
     me, didn’t he? I should have known right away. I hate it when I’m slow on the uptake.”
    He passed his hand over her face, taking the sheen of sweat from her skin. “I think,
     in this instance, you were quick figuring it out. You aren’t used to dealing with
     the undead.” He laid one hand over her heart and the other over the small wound on
     her hand. “Mitro is clever, and his traps can be subtle.”
    Jubal. Gary. Keep an eye on that owl. Be ready to kill it if necessary. Dax sent the order to the two men he felt had a chance of keeping Mitro’s next weapon
     at bay. He still found it a little disconcerting to rely on humans, but neither man
     flinched when it came to combat with the vampire’s