Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

rumbled out ran over Riley, causing her to jump back. Dax’s whole demeanor
     was one of victory and entirely too male, she thought. “You beast.” Shocked laughter
     infused her voice at the man that had growled at her.
    “If you wish me to be, sivamet . It would be my pleasure.”
    Riley felt he wanted to pounce on her right then, and by God there was a part of her
     asking him to. Dax spoke in her mind. We will have lots of time for pouncing, I promise you.
    “I’m going to leave that one alone for right now. Thank you for the bracelet.” She
     was trying to find a way to break some of the sexual tension, but she didn’t think
     there was a knife big enough. “What does sivamet mean?”
    Dax smiled down at her, tucking a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re welcome.
     I enjoy giving you things you like. As for sivamet , it means ‘of my heart,’ or ‘my love’ might be a better interpretation in your language.”
    Her heart performed a slow dizzy somersault. She had no words, but held his answer
     close to her. She just nodded.
    “We need to get moving,” he said gently.
    “It’s probably best. Where is the village we were going to?”
    “Not very far, but we should explore the perimeter first and see what we find. And,
     Riley, be aware, Mitro’s evil will be drawn to you like no other. Keep your mind open
     to me at all times.”
    “Dax, I made my choice.” She rubbed the bracelet on her arm. “Mitro killed my mother,
     those villagers and how many others, and now he’s out there right now and by all accounts
     doing it all over again. I don’t think I can fight him, but I can do this.”
    “Take my hand. I have been blocking the area around us from your senses, but I am
     dropping the barrier now.”
    The difference was instantaneous. Riley was filled with information. Her power was
     not one she could turn off and on, only turn up or dim down. It was easy to tell where
     the village was. The slimy feeling sinking into her skin gave that away.
    “He was here,” Dax said. “But he’s long gone. I feel his evil permeating the ground.
     He’s left a few traps, and I’ll get rid of those. He’s good at masking his tracks,
     but there will be evidence. As powerful as he is, even he has to leave something of
     himself behind.”
    She closed her eyes and filtered through the information.
    They walked the perimeter, in a very wide circle, looking for signs Mitro left behind.
     They’d circled halfway around the village when Dax suddenly stopped in his tracks.
     Evil lay so thick in the ground, she felt like she was swimming through it. She looked
     down at the ground and saw the soil moving. “What is that?” She was horrified.
    The moment she spoke, ants erupted from the ground, the surrounding bushes, even dropped
     from the branches overhead. Dax snatched her up and jumped across a clearing of grass
     and dirt. The area was ant-free, and as Riley looked back, she saw that the spot they’d
     leapt from had already returned to normal.
    “One of Mitro’s traps. Let’s continue.” He was matter-of-fact.
    Dax found two other traps, sprang them and cleared them unemotionally. But then, just
     before they completed their circle around the village, Riley halted abruptly without
     even knowing why. “Dax.” She looked up at him, confused. “I’m not certain what I’m
     doing.” She frowned. “There’s something here. Do you feel it?”
    “Yes,” he said.
    She looked up at him. “You would have found this without me. What is this? Some kind
     of test?”
    “I didn’t want to leave you there. It was too dangerous. If one person from this village
     escaped or lagged behind the battle, you would be the target. Here I could protect
     you as well as find out what you can and can’t do.” There was no remorse in his voice.
     She realized he wasn’t going to apologize for choosing the best way to keep her safe.
    She straightened her shoulders. “Let me try, then.”
    As he had done when they first reached the village, Dax blocked all the other information,
     letting her concentrate her senses on that one strangely empty spot. As she focused,
     Mitro’s trail became clear. Riley began to shiver. The tiny spot wasn’t empty. The
     evil was so concentrated, it froze her senses, the way ice numbed nerves.
    Riley sidestepped away from the direction they had been going, and started following
     the icy trail, certain that this was the path Mitro had taken. Her