"He isn't mage," Joie said again. She pulled away from Traian, one hand sliding to the hilt of her knife.

Traian stepped close to Jubal and placed both hands on either side of his head, fingers over his pulse. He allowed his mind to merge with Jubal's through their blood bond. The man was extremely intelligent, brilliant even, but Traian could find no hint of evil, no hint of magic or mage training.

He let out his breath slowly. "You can remove the knife from my b.a.l.l.s, Joie." He could easily read his lifemate's mind, just as he could pick up the thoughts of her siblings. Joie loved her brother and sister and would willingly sacrifice her own happiness for them if need be. If he dared to harm her brother, she would have tried to kill him.

"You all right, Jubal?" she asked, sliding the knife carefully away from Traian.

"Yes. I felt Traian moving through my mind, but I didn't feel a threat, only rea.s.surance. Whatever the reason, this place responds to me-and I have no idea why-I don't have a clue about any of the things in this cave."

Gabrielle shook her head. "He would have killed Jubal. Are you certain, Joie? This is your choice? We don't really know him at all."

Joie felt the possession in Traian's touch, felt the brush of his mind in hers. She smiled up at him in rea.s.surance. At the same time, she reached for Gabrielle's hand.

"I know him. Deep inside, I know him. The one thing that matters to me is family. I hope I know what I'm doing, Gabrielle. You know I've always relied on my instincts. I feel this is right-he's right. I don't understand any of it, but maybe I've been preparing for him all of my life. I fit with him. You're right, I don't know him yet, but I fit with him." She rubbed her face, smearing mud across it. "A one-and-only sort of thing."

Jubal groaned. "Joie, I never thought you'd turn all mushy romantic on us." He slung his arm around Gabrielle's shoulder. "He's solid, honey. Weird, but solid."

Gabrielle exchanged a long look with Jubal and turned to Joie. "Well, I suppose your life with him will always be interesting."

"My sisters have already put gray in my hair," Jubal announced. "I won't survive Traian hanging around, howling at the moon, biting Joie's neck. And, just for the record, stay the h.e.l.l away from mine, Traian. Having a woman bite my neck might be a turn-on-kinky, maybe, but I could handle it. Having a man bite my neck is out of the question. Doesn't do a thing for me," Jubal said dryly.

"Ouch. That hurts, Jubal," Traian said. "I was really looking forward to a snack later." He leaned down to brush the top of Joie's head with his chin. He had to touch her, keep reminding himself she was real. Even when they were speaking telepathically while he searched the complex of caves for whatever the vampires were frantic to find, he almost believed he had made her up.

Gabrielle managed a grin. "Well, he fits in with our weird family, Joie. I can't wait to see Mom and Dad's reaction."

Jubal touched the weapon on his wrist. "Do you think they can track me with this thing on me?"

"Since we don't know how to get it off other than to chop off your arm," Traian said, "we will just have to chance it."

A deep boom shook the network of caverns. "Go," Traian ordered. "Through that left chamber."

He relied solely on instincts now, rushing them through the narrow hallways that opened into one chamber after another, down a maze of halls into another, larger chamber, again filled with the strange lighting system. They ran from one wall to another, examining each, but they all appeared solid.

"There has to be a way out," Traian said. "Mages are not able to shape-shift or fly. They are nearly as human as you are, only with longer lives and the ability to weave elements together and bend them to their purpose. There must be an opening leading to the surface. Look for something that does not feel right. There will be a hallway leading up to the entrance."

"It's here," Jubal said. "I can feel it."

"Like the rocks outside the cave. The pattern was all wrong," Joie said. "Jubal, you're good at patterns. Find us the opening, and hurry. Jubal's rather infamous in our family for his mathematical mind," she told Traian. "He can see a pattern in just about anything. That's how he makes all his money."

They could hear scratching, a terrible sound amplified by the acoustics of the cavernous room. Great claws sc.r.a.ping at the earth, digging to get at them. They spread out, walked along the wall, carefully examining every surface. All the while they could hear the vampires tunneling furiously through the mud and ice. The sounds grew louder, closer, and Traian dropped back, facing the wall where the creatures were certain to break through.

"I've got it!" Jubal said triumphantly. "We were expecting up, but it's down. The floor. See the pattern on the floor, Joie?"

"Open it," Traian said tersely, not looking, his attention centered completely on the far wall.

Jubal studied the squares, pyramids, and starburst patterns of stone beneath the layers of muddy ice. In the center of each symbol were hieroglyphics, pictures carved into each stone. He stepped on various ones, taking his time, choosing each stone carefully, following the pattern he could see laid out before him.

At last a large stone slid aside to reveal steps carved into the ice. Jubal hesitated. "Are you certain this is the way?"

"It has to be the way," Traian said. "Take your sisters and go."

Jubal was cautious, shining his light down the narrow staircase. The stairs appeared to be a bridge over a dark, fathomless abyss. "It's another bridge, Traian. Do I trust it?"

"You have to. It must have been their way out."

Jubal took a deep breath and stepped onto the first stair, found it solid, and reached back to aid Gabrielle. "Hurry, Joie."

"Come with us, Traian," Joie pleaded.

Water gushed in a dark, muddy stream from the side of the wall. Insects poured into the gallery. The wall to Traian's left collapsed in an oozing pool of dark sludge.

Two hideous creatures flopped onto the floor of the chamber, abominations in the crystal perfection of the room. Gaunt and cadaverous, they were covered in black muck. Baring their jagged, spiked teeth, they stared at Traian from red-rimmed eyes filled with venomous hatred.

Chapter Six

"Gabrielle, run," Joie urged. Fear clawed at her insides, but she dropped back to protect her sister and brother. "Jubal, go, don't look back."

She couldn't leave Traian. She wouldn't leave him-not to face hideous monsters on his own. It didn't matter that he claimed to have hunted vampires all his life, she was incapable of abandoning anyone to face danger alone. And somehow, Traian was connected to her. A part of her blood and bones. Of her heart and soul. She would stand with him.

"Not without you, Joie," Jubal said. "I mean it. Gabrielle, start down that staircase now."

"Go with them, Joie," Traian urged. "It will be easier for me to defend myself without having to worry about your safety."

Heart beating hard, Joie hesitated just for a moment and then whirled to run after her brother and sister. Guilt settled hard on her shoulders, but arguing when action was called for was just plain stupid and she refused to be that woman.

Seeing that Joie had committed to following them, Jubal caught Gabrielle's hand and jerked her down the stairs in a race for their lives. Joie took three steps and the chamber shook ominously. Great blocks of ice burst from the walls, shooting across the room from every direction even as the giant icicles hanging on the ceiling rocked, cracking with loud explosive shocks and fell like giant missiles, rocketing toward the floor. Some shattered, so that large chunks and debris fell with the spears of ice.

Traian leapt across the distance to throw Joie down, shielding her with his own body as well as hastily constructing a force around them to deflect the attack from the cave itself. The thick slab of stone slid back into place, cutting them off from the hidden stairway leading out of the chamber. Great chunks of ice fell over the escape hatch, locking Joie in the cavern with Traian and the two furious vampires.

Traian buried his face in her hair for a moment, holding her tightly against him. We will be all right, Joie. You can do this. Follow my instructions and do not look directly at them. They are masters of illusion.

Joie had one knife as well as her utility knife, her ice axe, and a few other smaller, less effective weapons and knew Jubal no doubt was inventorying his weapons as well. He would have to protect Gabrielle and find a way out of the elaborate labyrinth while she faced the undead with Traian. Neither seemed a very good position to be in, yet Traian exuded such confidence, in the calmness of his mind and the steadiness of his voice.

Put your brother and sister out of your head. You will need to focus solely on this situation to come out of this alive.

Joie knew Traian was right, but it didn't make it any easier to push her siblings out of her mind. Be safe Jubal and Gabby. I love you both.

She took a deep breath and nodded. The warmth of his body infused hers with much needed heat. She flexed her fingers in preparation. I'll do whatever you need me to do to help. What else could she do? She had no idea how to fight such evil creatures. You killed them and they just got back up.

Gabrielle cried out as Jubal pushed her in front of him, and then the stairway went completely dark. Jubal caught her shoulders in a firm grip to give her confidence. He turned around, shining his headlamp along the walls of the narrow tunnel they found themselves in.

"Joie didn't make it in, Gabby," he said. "She's on the other side and I think the ceiling came down. I can still feel her-and Traian-so they're alive. We'll have to find our own way out and trust them to find their own way as well."