She had proven to him time and time again that she always did the unexpected.

He turned his head slowly, his mind settling on the battle plan. The most important thing to do was to find the master vampire's lair. Now, before the sun had a chance to set, he would be locked in the earth. He would know Lucian was hunting him, and the vampire would be snarling beneath the mountain, counting the seconds until he was released. As Lucian moved upward through the caves and tunnels, he intensified the storm, stalling it over the mountains to aid him in his quest. With the clouds so dark and full, his eyes could take the light without the help of dark gla.s.ses.

He exploded into the sky just as the clouds burst open and rain poured down in silvery sheets. He began his search, sending his senses miles throughout the sky to scan the surrounding area.

The vampires themselves would be difficult to detect. Small things were more likely to give them away: an inordinate amount of insects, bats uneasy within their normal setting, a mult.i.tude of rats gathering together. The vampires would be spread out and unknowing of each other's lair. The master vampire would secret himself far from the others, not trusting his safety to anyone. The undead thrived on the pain and suffering of others, were wholly evil and capable of nothing but deceit and treachery. They would never trust each other with such important information as the location of their resting places.

He found a faint taint of power in the mountain to the north of his position. It was an indication of one of the lesser beings. No ancient would make such a mistake. Lucian proceeded away from the area to widen his search. A slight disturbance among the bats gave away the second vampire. He was using a cave high up in the southern tip of the mountain. He turned his attention to the west and east.

Jaxon was aware of nothing at all. But then a dark, oily thickness, insubstantial really, began to penetrate the layers of earth to find its way down to her. It seeped into her pores and saturated her mind, moved through her body to take possession of her heart, squeezing hard like a hand ma.s.saging. One beat. A second. Jaxon woke with sweat pouring from her body, with heavy earth surrounding her. She could feel every inch, every foot of soil and instinctively knew precisely how deep she was buried. Lucian knew the exact moment Jaxon awakened. He was truly astonished by her built-in radar system, by the intensity of their connection, that allowed her to override his command to sleep. Admittedly he was not using his full power, but Jaxon was not his puppet, and he would never treat her like one. He waited, a quiet shadow in her mind to see her reaction. If it was necessary, he could strike swiftly, taking control of her.

At first the sound of her heart was like thunder in her ears, such a roaring it was nearly deafening. Her throat was closed, suffocating her. There was no air to breathe; she was buried alive. Instinctively she brought up her hands to try to scratch her way out of her grave. Her mind was a chaos of screams and panic and fear. But the thick, oily darkness invading her soul was overpowering, pushing aside even her panic. Something was out there, malevolent, dark and evil, something lurking in wait for... Lucian.

Her heart stopped for a moment, then began to beat. It was hot beneath the earth, but her mind was still and calm, able to function and compute. There was a way to move this dirt. Not move through it, but actually move it. Lucian had done so when she first discovered they slept beneath the earth. What to do? She needed to think it through. It took tremendous discipline to ignore her mind telling her she couldn't breathe with the layers of soil crushing her, suffocating her.

She formed the picture in her mind, precise, meticulous in every detail, the earth opening all the way to the surface, a large enough area that she could escape the confining s.p.a.ce. To her surprise and intense relief, the soil above her parted neatly to reveal the high ceiling of the cavern. Slightly shocked, Jaxon drew in great gasping breaths, filled her lungs, and lifted her face to try to get some relief from the vicious heat. She was awake again despite Lucian's command to sleep. What had been strong enough to call her?

Jaxon floated to the cavern floor, sheer elation carrying her to the heated pools. She began to run along the narrow pa.s.sageway. Only one thing could wake her, only one need. Something was fixating on Lucian, threatening him in some way. She felt that dark malevolence, felt the greedy evil reaching out with unseen hands, poised to strike. Lucian, you skunk. So much for sharing the hunt with your partner. You thought you'd just take care of the problem while I was sleeping, didn't you? You cad. You're in great danger. The tunnel was branching in all directions. It was frustrating trying to remember which pa.s.sage led where.

Great danger? I do not believe I would use the word great, my beloved lifemate. There was not one iota of remorse in his voice. If anything, there was a thread of mocking male amus.e.m.e.nt.

That soft sound set her teeth on edge and made her more determined than ever to find her way out of the maze and help him. She closed her eyes and concentrated on Lucian. The scent of him, the heat of him. His energy and power.

It amazed her, the amount of information flooding to her immediately. She knew the way out instantly, unerringly. She knew exactly where he was and what he was doing. She sensed he was seeking the lair of the master vampire, that he was moving slowly, quartering an area he found suspect. As she moved swiftly through the mountain, working her way toward the top to the entrance, she cast her net into the skies to search also. Her body was like a tuning fork for something evil.

More toward your left, Lucian. She relayed the information automatically without thinking about it. He would have known the moment she awakened, she was certain of it. He had probably aided her in stilling the chaos of her mind. She was grateful he hadn't interfered, allowing her to open the earth herself. Even as she moved ever upward through the ma.s.sive bulk of the mountain, she frowned.

Perhaps he had helped her even then. You're close to the entrance. I can feel his loathing, his rage. He is very close to you, Lucian.

I have it. What do you think you are doing? As always Lucian's voice was gentle and calm. He was tranquil in the midst of extreme danger.

She caught a glimpse of a solid granite wall, seemingly undisturbed for centuries. As before when she "saw" through Lucian's eyes, it was disorienting.

Jaxon stumbled and caught at the rock pa.s.sageway for support. Be careful, Lucian. He knows you're there. He's watching you somehow.

He is locked in the earth until the sun sets. And the sun is very close to setting. You did not answer me. What are you doing?

Coming to help you, of course. It's called backing up your partner. She explained the concept sweetly, enunciating each word in her mind. Perhaps you remember it. I seem to recall you worked with your brother, so you must have known how to work together. We're partners. It means you don't run off and leave without the other one's knowledge.

Soft laughter brushed at her mind. Lucian couldn't help himself. She filled him with warmth in any circ.u.mstance. He surveyed the cliff wall carefully. As you have the habit of doing? He breathed the words in her mind even as he began to move in a peculiar pattern, his feet finding a rhythm centuries old. It was an ancient safeguard, not especially strong and set mainly as a delaying tactic. It required little effort but a great deal of time to unravel. He glanced skyward. He would never get to the evil one before the sun sank from the sky.

It didn't make any difference to him. His pace remained the same, steady so that he made no mistakes, a deliberate, precise set of movements designed to negate what the vampire had wrought. Lucian was not deceived by the primitive structure of the safeguard. He had infinite patience and even more confidence.

The only worry he had was Jaxon. She would not stay idly by, safe somewhere, while he hunted and destroyed the undead. She was determined to aid him.

Don't worry, Lucian, I am learning quite a bit from your memories. All you have to do is direct my actions as you did your brother's. I am quite capable of doing what he did. There was no hesitation in her voice. She considered it a duty, a responsibility. He had no doubt she meant what she said.

The first safeguard had been neutralized. He began the more complicated regimen of dismantling the trap set for unwary hunters. This pattern was a much more intricate and difficult one. He had not seen it used before, but that mattered little to him. It was an illusion hiding the entrance to the cave, an illusion using a deadfall and more to guard the opening. As he began to unravel it, the granite creaked and moaned in response. A shower of boulders fell from above him to crash in the spot where he was working. Lucian merely leaped to one side, the movements of his hands continuing despite the a.s.sault from above. As the avalanche showered down, increasing in strength and size, Lucian simply took a moment to provide himself with an invisible shelter to deflect the rocks.

Jaxon gasped, feeling the hatred and anger issuing in waves from beneath the earth. She was still some distance from the site, moving toward him, yet the malevolence the creature was projecting made her physically ill. She knew Lucian was in grave danger from the malicious monster, that it was bending its mind and powers, its will toward destroying Lucian. The closer she got to its lair, the more fouled the air became. It was thick with poisonous, noxious gas, a toxic combination of evil and hatred that threatened to choke her. It was directed at Lucian, the cloud even thicker where he stood, so that no air could displace it despite the wildness of the wind.

She could feel how calm Lucian was, with no panic, no sense of haste, just his tranquil mind working at a steady pace to unlock the opening to the lair of the hideous abomination that waited within with dripping fangs and murder on its mind. Even trained as she had been to work through pain and discomfort, Jaxon knew she never would have been able to force herself to enter the realm of the undead had it not been for Lucian.

Nothing seemed to bother him. He acted as if he didn't notice the noxious odor, the thick, poisonous gas creeping around him. He simply worked quietly and efficiently. Jaxon made a concentrated effort to do the same, using Lucian as an anchor while she moved within the field of evil gas.

Approach from the south, angel. He will sense your presence, and you will feel his triumph. He will perceive you as the weak link he can escape through.

He knows I cannot possibly reach him in time to confront him in his lair, so he will come after you, thinking to delay me with his traps. You must be ready for him. Once he is in your vision, you cannot lose sight of him. Do you understand me? If you are to do this thing, you must do exactly as I tell you.

This monster scares me to death. So, believe me, whatever you say goes.

He will try to capture you. If he cannot and he sees he cannot escape, he will be very dangerous and will certainly attempt to destroy you.

I trust you, Lucian, Just tell me what to do to delay him long enough for you to get to him. Jaxon's heart was pounding now, and she deliberately took a few calming breaths to steady herself. She had successfully opened her earthen grave on her own. She had to believe that. She had moved through the mountain with incredible speed, following the mental path Lucian had left behind to guide her. She was streaking through the sky in the form of insubstantial mist, again holding the image in her own mind, even as she spoke with Lucian. She could do whatever he needed her to do. This was no different than police work. She had to look at it that way. Her partner needed back up.

You could remain safe, as you should. Lucian made the suggestion gently, almost absently, as he unraveled the second lock. At once huge scorpions boiled out of a tiny crack that was just beginning to form in the rock. It was a thin gap, but great sheets of the poisonous insects welled out of the opening, spilling over one another, extending their tails at Lucian in an effort to reach him.

Jaxon choked back a cry of alarm as she caught the impression of the creatures from Lucian's mind. They moved much faster than she had thought possible. And they were very ugly and frightening. It was Lucian's soft laughter that relaxed her, allowing her to continue to her appointed spot. He never changed, never appeared disturbed by anything the vampire threw at him. It had all been done before, all been seen before. Lucian reacted to the swarm of insects with his lightning-fast reflexes, rising into the air, breathing fire as if he were a dragon, destroying the swarm in a smoking pile of ashes.

It is merely a ploy to slow me down, he sent the a.s.surance to Jaxon.

It could be a fairly deadly ploy. Jaxon shimmered into solid form on the south side of the mountain, taking deep breaths to remain calm. At once she was sorry. The air was so thick and noxious, she felt sick. It was better than insects, though. If a swarm of giant scorpions had spilled out of the mountain to greet her, she would have gone running for cover instantly.

You are much braver than you think.

I hope you're right. She knew exactly what he was doing now. He was the one holding the merge, not she. She touched his mind occasionally, but Lucian was the one to stay linked, a shadow in her mind. He was unraveling the next lock, reversing the vampire's intricate pattern, his eye on the setting sun.

She felt the vampire reaching for her, trying to swamp her with fear, with terror. Jaxon remained immune, able to block out the waves of fear in the same way she had the poisonous gas the creature was excreting into the air. Jaxon simply held fast to Lucian, wishing desperately that she had a gun or two, even though she knew bullets wouldn't do much good against the undead. A weapon would still give her a sense of security, and she needed that right now. The sun was sinking fast.

At once the wind picked up, the storm increasing in strength, becoming violent, hurtling branches and foliage in all directions. Now the mountain erupted, spewing hot lava at Lucian, the mixture shooting into the sky, seeking its target.

The molten, spewing, fiery rocks forced Lucian to take cover. Jaxon held her ground, scanning the skies, waiting quietly for the fiend to show himself.

The creature burst from the ground only a few feet from her, with no real warning, flying straight at her with outstretched talons. With dirt raining down on her, Jaxon had only a split second to react, saw only jagged brown teeth and red-rimmed eyes and razor-sharp claws coming at her. She hurtled herself to one side, rolling away, careful to keep her eyes on the hideous creature. It wasn't easy, moving so fast and keeping her gaze fixed on the monster. He was grotesque, the most loathsome thing she had ever seen. The vampire's breath nearly knocked her out. He reeked of decay.

The undead whirled around, his arm extended toward her, lengthening, growing before her horrified stare, thin and misshapen, reaching to grab her. She forced herself to remain completely still, trusting in Lucian. At once she felt incredible power flowing within her, through her. The vampire nearly reached her with one long fingernail. It was grotesquely twisted, long and ugly, a dull yellowish gray. It came within an inch of her skin. Smoke curled up black and strong, and the nail withered black, hissing in the cold night air. The charred blackness spread like wildfire, racing over the gray hand and up the gnarled arm.

The vampire screamed, the high-pitched sound hurting her ears.

Jaxon stood her ground, not moving an inch, staring at the monster. His eyes were black empty holes, his nose gone, flesh sloughing off his bones. He hissed at her, an ugly sound of hatred and defiance, a promise of retaliation. Flames erupted on the creature's body, breaking out all over as it rose, screaming, into the sky. The rains pouring forth from the clouds seemed only to add fuel to the flames.

The vampire raced away from Jaxon, moving across the night sky in a fiery streak of orange and red. Jaxon sagged against a thin tree trunk, her legs rubbery. The monster was fleeing, terrified of Lucian's power. Even as she allowed her breath to escape, she felt the next ripple of evil in the air.

Chapter Fifteen

Lucian! Do you feel that? The others, his friends, have come to aid him.

Jaxon cried out the warning, her eyes anxiously searching the sky in an attempt to spot the fleeing vampire. If the others had arrived to aid him, the master vampire would certainly return to fight.

The undead do not have friends. Each is out for his own gain. The master vampire will use the others to wear me down. The others can be used by us.

How? What do we do?

They are seeking you, my love. They wish to find a woman to remove their sins and recover their souls. It is impossible, but they will not accept that.

What should I do?

There was warmth filling her mind, strength pouring into her. Lucian was close by; she could feel him.

Just look beautiful and s.e.xy. Choose one to be flirtatious with, but do not allow either to touch you, not even a slight scratch. Keep both of them in sight at all times.

And my big he-man will come and rescue me? She was annoyed, and it showed in her sarcastic tone.

His laughter was soft and s.e.xy in her mind, brushing at her skin like gentle fingers. They will most likely fight each other and save me the trouble. I will be waiting for the strong one.

Then you think the ancient one will return.

Three against one? He will like the odds and come immediately.

Two. There are two of us. She was even more annoyed with him than ever.

A vampire would never expect a woman to partic.i.p.ate in a battle, angel. It is not done. Our women are filled with compa.s.sion, not with a penchant for violence.

She wanted to stay irritated but found herself laughing instead. Then he's in for a surprise, huh? But you think I have a penchant for violence? I've been incredibly sweetnatured, while you've been arrogant and impossible.

You do not understand the difference between arrogance and confidence, but I will teach it to you.

I can't wait for the lesson. Jaxon's alarm system was working overtime now, the air becoming thick with waves of malevolence.

She searched the skies above her as she moved away from the trees so she had plenty of open s.p.a.ce for maneuvering. It was strange to be facing an enemy as depraved as a vampire without so much as a weapon. For a moment her confidence wavered, but instantly she felt Lucian moving within her, strong and a.s.sured. He was very close by; his presence was too strong for him not to be near. That made her feel better, and she had his memories of many battles to draw on. While she waited out in the open under the drizzling sky, she examined as many of his encounters with the vampires as possible, paying close attention to the strategies Lucian had used with his brother. One of them often lay in wait while the other drew their enemy to them. Lucian was basically employing the same strategy.

A chilling wind blew through the very middle of the storm, settling close to earth only yards from where Jaxon stood. A tall, gaunt man shimmered into view. He was remarkably elegant and courtly-looking, his clothes impeccable, not at all what she had expected. He was rather pale, and his teeth gleamed at her when he smiled. He was handsome and compelling, much different from the others of his kind she had encountered. Watching his every movement closely, Jaxon searched his features for hidden signs of depravity.

He has only recently turned, angel, Lucian informed her softly. Do not listen to his voice with a human ear, he added as a caution.

The vampire bowed from his waist. "Good evening, ma'am. This is an unseemly place for a woman to be alone." His voice seemed soft and musical.

You are hearing him as he wishes you to do so. He can manipulate with his voice alone.

It was Lucian's voice that allowed her to unmask the undead and his illusion of soft gentleness. Lucian's voice was purity itself, the sound so perfect it was almost not of the world. Now, in contrast, the vampire's tone grated like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Jaxon tilted her head a bit coquettishly. "I happen to like the peace of the mountains. Even in the storm, it is beautiful up here. Where did you come from?

Is there a town nearby?"

The vampire moved slightly, a stirring of strength, his eyes glittering and red- rimmed. "Where is the one who would protect you?"

Jaxon shrugged. "He often leaves for long absences. One of power challenged him, and Lucian doesn't like to be challenged."

An elegant eyebrow shot up. "Lucian? You have named one long thought dead. This cannot be. Lucian is vampire. All Carpathians know this."

"I know only that he calls himself Lucian and says I am to stay with him always. He doesn't treat me the way I thought he would."

"Tell me what your name is."

"Jaxon." She moved away from him, shifting to one side and back to maintain distance as he glided forward. She moved with grace, with feminine, sensuous gestures that kept the vampire's attention centered directly on her. Her stomach was knotting, clenching and unclenching. She made a concentrated effort to keep her hands at her sides. She felt Lucian in her mind, strong and powerful and completely confident. There was no way she could be anything but confident herself. They were one being, one mind, and one heart and soul.

"Who are you?" Jaxon sounded excessively flirty. She felt Lucian wince and stopped herself from smiling.

The vampire bowed again, his manner as courtly as ever. "I am Sir Robert Townsend."

Jaxon widened her eyes to stare up at him in feigned awe. "You're a knight?

For real?" Overhead, the tree branches shook and trembled. From the top of the trees a second male descended. This one was as tall and thin and pasty as the legendary Dracula had been described. When he smiled, his teeth appeared jagged and stained. His eyes were flat and cold yet glowed a fiery red. His gaze was on the other vampire. "Good evening, Robbie. I hope you are not regaling the young lady with your lies, trying to impress her with false t.i.tles."

A slow hiss escaped Townsend's throat. Red flames began to dance in the depths of his eyes. "Leave this place, Phillipe. You are not wanted here. The lady and I are talking. Go and find yourself your own woman."

The newcomer smiled, a grim challenge, very clearly a warning. "I have tolerated your presence, Robbie, only because you could be of use. But now I have what I have searched for, and you are more trouble than you are worth. I say to you, be gone."

Townsend hissed again, a growl rumbling deep within his throat. He took a step closer to Jaxon. She was careful not to be caught between them. It would be difficult to defend herself against two of them; she would much rather face one at a time. Her insides were trembling with the realization of the monsters she was facing. Not human. They were evil, two of them stalking her and a third somewhere unseen. Close. She could feel he was close.

"The woman has come here to be with me, Phillipe, not with you. I have put up with your ridiculous ego for far too long."

Jaxon sent Sir Robert Townsend a dynamite smile, lashes sweeping down.

The tip of her tongue came out to moisten her bottom lip, calling attention to its lush fullness.

Phillipe snarled and leaped at the younger vampire, flying through the air with incredible speed, faster than Jaxon expected. She had seen the memories in Lucian's mind, but the real thing was terrifying. The two vampires came together in a clash of fangs and claws. The sight was horrifying. As they fought each other, they continually shifted shape, one animal after another, hideous growls issuing from their throats.

Jaxon stayed very still, unable to look away from the two writhing bodies covered with fur and rippling with everything from barbs to horns. It was something out of a horror film. Blood sprayed in wide arcs. Instinctively she leaped back out of range of the poisonous liquid. She bit her lip hard, focusing on the pain to keep herself from being mesmerized by the scene.

The only warning she received was the sudden slamming of a vise around both her ankles, and abruptly she was being sucked beneath the ground. Without conscious thought Jaxon dissolved into droplets of water. Afterward neither of them knew who had done it, Lucian or Jaxon, only that evaporation had been uppermost in her mind, in their mind. Jaxon shot into the sky, streaming upward into the bank of thick mist and fog Lucian had immediately provided for her to merge with. From her vantage point she watched the battle unfold, watched as Lucian materialized for a brief second only to dive beneath the soil and move like lightning through the earth toward the fleeing master vampire.

The two lesser vampires were raking each other with teeth and claws.

Crimson blood was spraying in all directions. Overhead, lightning arced from dark cloud to dark cloud and then slammed to earth in jagged bolts At once Jaxon smelled charred flesh and saw sparks erupting all around the two vampires. One screamed, a high-pitched cry of terrible pain, and when the smoke and sparks cleared, Jaxon could see the creature dragging itself across the ground, a huge gaping hole through its chest where its heart had been The searing heat from the lightning bolt had cauterized the monster's flesh, so there was no poisonous blood, but she sensed it was still dangerous.

The second vampire, Sir Robert Townsend, lay motionless, smoke still rising from his chest, where an identical hole had incinerated his heart. Jaxon studied Phillipe as he crawled across the ground moaning and hissing. The sound hurt her ears. Being mist, she had no way to m.u.f.fle the noise until it occurred to her to turn down the volume. Part of her was still locked with Lucian, monitoring his progress as he hurtled through the earth after the undead. She tried not to be distracted, concentrating on what to do about Phillipe. He should have been dead, lying motionless along with Townsend.

Perhaps the lightning bolt didn't hit his heart straight on. If any part of it is still functional, he can repair himself. Do not allow him to burrow into the soil.

She recognized Lucian's confidence in her, and it gave her the sense of partnership she needed with him. Jaxon focused on the vampire. He was indeed, reaching for handfuls of mineral-rich soil and packing his gaping wound. Using Lucian's memory as a guide, she centered her energy on the sky above her, felt the power moving within her. Even as she did so, a part of her found the beat of the vampire's heart. It was unlike that of a human being. It seemed cold, dead, with no real rhythm, rather a sluggish, irregular flow of fluid through the chamber. She gathered together the electrical particles in the air, moving them with her mind, shaping them into a fiery orange and red ball. When it was large enough for its purpose, she focused on Phillipe. At her silent command he turned his body toward the sky, far too weak from his hideous wounds to fight the compulsion. The ball hurtled from above and struck him, searing easily through his chest and incinerating his heart in one blow.