Dark Challenge. Christine Feehan. Dark Series – book 5

He glanced down at Desari. She was looking up at him with unmistakable love shining in her eyes. His heart seemed to stop. His breath caught in his lungs. She was beautiful beyond anything he had ever witnessed in his centuries of living. When she looked at him like that, he felt something close to terror, something he had never experienced before. He had faced experienced vampires numerous times, had fought in wars, had suffered grave wounds that he had somehow survived, yet he had never felt fear or actual terror. Now it never seemed to leave him.

Last dawn it had been so; this rising it was even more so. There was a price to be paid for happiness: the terror of losing it. “Women should be locked up and kept far out of sight,” he growled, half meaning it.

Desari rubbed his arm in a soothing gesture. “I have survived many centuries, Julian, and I intend to survive many more. I cannot think why I would be in more danger now that you have joined with my brother in the guardianship of Syndil and me. I will be even more protected than before.”

He stiffened, his face suddenly expressionless but his eyes filled with pain. He had endangered her; he was marked, and they both knew it. “It does not change the fact that I would prefer you to be perfectly safe at all times,” Julian said gruffly. He was shifting position subtly, automatically, without thought, his body crowding Desari’s, shielding her. His eyes turned skyward.

Darius. He sent the call on the mental path he was becoming familiar with.

I am aware of it. Darius’s answer was calm and unruffled, as if they had all the time in the world and would not be under attack at any moment. Take Desari and get her to safety.

I will return as soon as I know she is far from harm. You will stay with her and protect her should I fail. Dayan and Barack will perform the same duty for Syndil.

Julian took Desari’s arm. “Come on, cara, we must leave now.”

Desari glanced from his harshly etched features to her brother’s expressionless face. “The undead is coming,” she said.

Julian nodded. He was watching Barack, now moving into position to protect Syndil. Dayan moved to flank her. It shocked him that they didn’t just scoop her up and carry her off. Syndil seemed oblivious, her concentration total.

“They should get her out of here,” he said aloud, his disapproval apparent in his voice. He found, as important as it was to him to guard his lifemate, he was torn, for the first time part of a family, unwilling to leave off protecting the others.

“She is no longer within her body, Julian,” Desari said softly. “She is soaring free, moving through the earth to heal that which has been destroyed. Where there are blackened ruins she will coax small buds to life. They will grow lush and tall and spread quickly throughout this area. Trees will sprout and be strong. Wild creatures will aid in the recovery, flocking to this place the moment it will support life. The men cannot disturb her while she is out of her body.”

Julian let his breath out slowly in a long hiss of irritation. His first thought was to get Desari to safety as Darius had commanded, but it went against his every instinct to leave Syndil so exposed. “This was a trap, Desari, purposely set to ensnare her. A lure meant only to draw her in. He is trying to use her skills against her.”

“How do you know this?”

“I have seen similar traps, ones designed to snare a particular individual. He will try to take her without her body so that we must give it up to him to prevent her death. We cannot leave her.” Julian sent the warning to her brother on their private path. Darius, this trap is for Syndil alone. I have seen such things before.

There can be no other explanation. I have tried to pull Syndil back to us, but she is too far spread across this land. He is drawing her away from us more quickly than I would have thought possible. There was no fear in his voice or mind, no expression whatsoever. “Julian,” Darius continued aloud, “I have never encountered such a trap, but Syndil is slipping away from us far too fast.”