Dark Challenge. Christine Feehan. Dark Series – book 5

Desari sent him waves of warmth and love, surrounding him for a moment in the wealth of emotion before she shimmered into transparency and allowed Dayan to lead her away from the danger zone. In his mind, Julian heard her soft, persuasive voice, a weapon powerful beyond imagining, a soothing, luring spell calling out to the woman who was like a sister to her. It was a call of need, of love, promising unity, sisterhood, and family.

Julian shook his head to rid himself of the powerful tug of Desari’s enchanting magic. He glanced at Darius. “She is unique in my world. I marvel every time I hear her.”

Darius was busy searching the area around them, all senses alert. “As I do,” he replied sincerely. The women had extraordinary powers. Although he had had the privilege of knowing them for centuries, it had not lessened his memories of admiration of and awe at the women’s incredible gifts. Darius remembered his pride and love for them and held tightly to that memory. No one would harm his women.

Julian’s shape was already contorting as he launched himself skyward, wings spread wide so that the sharp eyes of the bird could catch anything unusual on the ground below. He had a much wider range of vision from above. He studied the blackened area, looking for anything that jarred the line of the landscape, no matter how slight it might be. He knew Darius would seek the vampire using the ability they all had to feel faint shifts in the air or land itself. Darius was a very dangerous male, one a Carpathian even as powerful and experienced and confident as Julian was would not want to have to battle. This vampire had not lived as long as he had without knowing it would be tantamount to suicide to go against one such as Darius. They were dealing with a truly powerful ancient.

Julian concentrated on blocking out everything but what he must find. The real threat to Darius would come from another direction. The undead would be wrestling the combined strength of Desari’s voice and Barack’s determination to reclaim Syndil. Julian believed in Desari’s love for Syndil and Barack’s determination that no one would ever harm her again. He was certain they could hold Syndil to them while Darius battled whatever the undead could throw at him.

Julian, within the body of the circling bird, caught a slight movement in a blackened tree a few feet from Darius. The bark, already wracked with pain, dying a slow death, seemed to ripple once. Julian fixed his eyes on it. It rippled again, and the tree trunk itself began to split apart. Darius was moving now, away from the tree toward the middle of the burned landscape. The twisted, blackened ruins of what had once been a beautiful forest looked suddenly sinister, as tree branches reached out-like eerie stick people. Darius was being drawn into the very center of the trap, the vampire deliberately showing a blank space where he wanted Darius to go. High above, the bird circled the blackened land and watched as several charred trees began to ripple like waves, the bark separating from the trunks, long black shadows moving silently to surround the tall, broad-shouldered man.

Darius, Julian whispered in the leader’s mind.

I am aware of them. They are not aware of you. Has Desari anchored Syndil to us yet? Darius continued moving toward the center of the blackened forest. He looked neither right nor left, striding with easy, fluid steps, as if out for a mere walk. No one would have guessed he was communicating with another or that he had a single care in the world.

Julian noticed he had shifted his line of travel slightly so that he was veering toward the west. Desari drew Syndil back toward us enough to give Barack a chance to merge his spirit with Syndil’s. They are together, all three matching their strength against the power of the vampire. He must abandon his minions to their own fate if he wishes to capture her.

He will go for her body if he cannot take possession of her spirit.

Julian knew Darius’s assessment of the situation was correct. Julian would have to keep the undead from Barack and Syndil’s bodies. He could not afford to turn too much attention to Darius’s coming battle. He would have his own soon enough. Barack and Syndil’s flesh-and-blood bodies must be guarded at all costs.