Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

we can’t just leave them out here alone. Who knows what sort
     of traps Mitro has set.”
    “I have to go to the village where these people came from.” He indicated the blackened
     battleground.
    “The remaining villagers have fled,” Jubal said. “They melted into the rain forest,
     and Miguel said they wouldn’t go back to their village.”
    Gary nodded. “We told him to take the others away from here, deeper into the forest
     as well, and to wait for us there. They think another more aggressive tribe attacked
     us.”
    Riley tightened her fingers around Dax’s. “Why go there? Haven’t you sacrificed enough?
     You don’t have to see what else he’s done.”
    Dax brought her hand to the warmth of his mouth. “Mitro had to have spent at least
     one night in that village to have corrupted so many. He would have left dangers behind,
     as well as his personal signature of evil. I have to clean that up. From there, I
     should be able to find in which directions he traveled. It’s possible you might be
     able to help me in that regard, Riley, although I’m not certain I want you to see
     any more death, but with Arabejila’s connection to him and your gifts, you might be
     able to pick up his trail. In that lies our best chance of discovering what happened
     to the two missing men. And finding them might help me anticipate Mitro’s next move.”
    The thought of seeing more innocent dead people twisted her insides, but Riley took
     a breath and agreed. If he had to endure the aftermath of the vampire’s destructive
     path, she wanted to share it with him. She was just as responsible. “I’ll do whatever
     I can to help. But how can finding Marty and Pedro help lead you to Mitro?”
    “It’s just a guess. The only thing that ever changed his course besides a hunter getting
     too close was information he could turn to his advantage. If he took your friends
     and didn’t kill them immediately, then he was likely using them for information.”
    “What information could he possibly get from an archaeology student and a local guide?”
     Riley answered her own question. “The local area. Pedro would know all the roads,
     all the villages and cities. He’d be like a walking map of this part of Peru.”
    Jubal continued the line of thought. “The kid would have buckets of information the
     vampire could use. Internet, English, how electricity works, biology, explosives.
     Hell, cameras, police, world trade. Marty’s college education would definitely be
     of interest.”
    “We should get moving. The more time that goes by the fainter Mitro’s trail will be,
     and it is a very big world out there for him to hide in,” Dax said.
    “Let me take a minute and see if I can . . .” Riley trailed off looking toward the
     blackened ruins of the battleground. “It will only take a moment.” She felt guilty
     for holding everyone up, especially since she knew they were on a limited time schedule,
     but the compulsion was growing strong in her. She couldn’t bear to leave that scarred
     piece of ground when she knew she could aid the healing process.
    She didn’t wait for permission, her feet already taking her toward the blackened soil.
     She was vaguely aware of Dax pacing protectively alongside of her, but her mind was
     already tuning itself to the earth. Everything else faded into insignificance. She
     knelt beside the terrible blackened soil and sank her hands deep. Closing her eyes
     she sent out energy, the seeds of plants, trees and flowers moving through her mind.
     She could see them sprout, wind their way up through the dirt to burst toward the
     sky. The soil was rich with minerals, fuel for the plants to aid them in recovery.
    She had no real idea of time passing until she found herself swaying a little and
     blinking at the sight of the circle of dense foliage growing in front of her. Dax
     put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Behind him, Gary and Jubal were looking
     at the amazing growth of plants. There was no feeling of evil thanks to Dax, and the
     ground was more fertile and thick with an abundance of young trees, ferns and plants.
    “I should probably get my pack—we will need supplies,” she said, with a small, shaky
     smile. She felt as if she was coming back from a long distance. She allowed Dax to
     help her to her feet. “What about them?” She pointed back toward the wall. “Are we
     leaving any weapons with them or anything? The professor didn’t look like he