Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

by doing
     so keep their race safe. We didn’t make that vow lightly, and we don’t keep it lightly.
     There are men, women and children . . .” He paused for a fraction. “And babies counting
     on us.” He watched the returning members of the search party as they separated and
     sought out their own tents, and his expression turned resolute. “We will not fail
     them. We can’t share even a hint of what we know with others. Too many lives depend
     on our silence—not to mention, do you really think the likes of Don Weston would believe
     us?”
    “Gary, how long have you known about the Carpathians?” Riley asked.
    “For some time now,” he admitted. “Several years.”
    “And in that time you’ve never told anyone else about them? Ever?” Her question made
     the two men go still, as if she had touched something sacred.
    After a long silence, Jubal finally said, “Riley, you’re the first person either of
     us has ever told.” The way he said it made her wonder how these two men lived with
     such a big secret. How the world looked to them, as they went into coffee shops and
     airports, listened to news reports about unexplained events, knowing what they knew.
    The ground under her seemed to shift a little. Riley looked down and sent a thought
     spiraling into the ground. Go to sleep. I’m not dealing with you right now.
    Riley tried to put herself in Gary’s and Jubal’s shoes, to imagine what she’d do in
     their place. If an entire race of beings depended on her for survival, would she betray
     their trust and reveal their secrets to others? Or would she keep their secrets even
     if that meant she might put other people in danger?
    Truth be told, she’d already made that choice. She and her mother, both. They had
     come here to this mountain to work the ritual that had been passed down from generation
     to generation. Her mother had known about the evil imprisoned in the mountain, but
     she hadn’t warned the others in their party. Neither had Riley, when the secret fell
     to her to keep. She’d done what needed to be done. Was she really any different than
     Gary and Jubal?
    “Riley, I know it’s hard for you to understand. It’s hard for us to withhold information
     when we know it might cost lives. But have you ever been a part of something so important
     that your own needs become insignificant? That’s what this is to us.” Jubal paused
     to let his words sink in.
    “Even though we can’t talk about what we know, we still do what we can to protect
     the innocent,” Gary added. “Like the way we accompanied you up the volcano. We suspected
     what was up there. We couldn’t tell you our suspicions, but we came with you to protect
     you all the same.”
    Riley saw the same defenseless honesty in Gary’s face that she had in Jubal’s. That
     helped put her own feelings of guilt to rest.
    She felt Dax before he spoke to her this time. They are both great men, sivamet, both have tremendous capacity for caring for others.
     It is a very rare trait. It is no wonder my people have chosen to bring them in.
    Dax had a way of bringing a calming stability when he spoke to her. They helped as much as they could on the trip here, and on the mountain. I owe them
     a debt. It was odd speaking in her head to someone, but she had to admit she liked the intimacy
     of it. Strangely, when his voice filled her mind, she sometimes caught a hint of life,
     his memories, as if more than just his voice had entered her mind.
    It seems we both do. Riley heard the conviction in his voice.
    If you’re going to keep talking to me, I don’t see why you’re pretending to sleep.
    Riley could almost see him smiling. I will rise soon. I find I can withstand the sun even longer now than I could before.
     However, since I doubt Mitro has gone far, I need to conserve my strength.
    All the more reason you should stop talking. I’m sure it takes energy to speak to
     me like this. She wasn’t at all sure she was right, but she remembered how completely drained she’d
     felt after she healed him.
    Riley, I find that I only gain from speaking with you. As for strength, I find myself
     stronger than I have ever been before, but thank you for your concern.
    Riley took a deep breath. You called me päläfertiilam.
    Yes. There was no hesitation. He exuded complete confidence.
    She felt another surge of heat curling through her body like a wave. I asked Gary for the translation. He said it meant lifemate and