“Of course,” Julian replied, as if he were going off to a banking job. He touched her chin with a gentle fingertip, the gesture so tender, Desari found herself blinking back tears as he moved away from her.
As Julian started out of the chamber, Barack materialized almost in front of him, blocking the way. “It is my right to do this thing. I will hunt.”
Syndil, kneeling in the rich soil near Darius, swung around so fast she nearly fell over their leader’s resting place. “What in the world are you saying? Have you completely lost your mind, Barack? What has gotten into you these last months? You have no business chasing monsters around.” Her voice was the strongest Julian had ever heard it, a husky blend of sounds that made one think of bedrooms and satin sheets. That voice could easily stop a man in his tracks, and Barack was not immune to its magic.
The Carpathian male turned to look at her, his dark eyes cool and calm. “You will stay out of this business, Syndil, and behave as a woman should.”
“I would think one kill on your hands would be enough,” Syndil went on. “It is not your calling, or have you acquired a taste for such things?”
“The undead cannot be allowed to follow us or make another try for you or Desari,” Barack replied without anger. “You will be protected.”
For one moment Syndil’s beautiful eyes came alive with a flash of brilliance quite close to anger. “You are taking far too much on yourself, Barack. You have no claim to make on my behavior. Our leader can chastise me if he so desires—not that it would do any good if I did not choose to follow him. I tire of these tantrums. Whatever I did to cause Savon to turn on me, I have paid for, many times over. You can quit punishing me for my sins. I refuse to tolerate it any longer.”
“Is that what you think, Syndil? That I blame you for Savon’s behavior?” Barack rubbed his forehead thoughtfully. “What am I saying? Of course you think that. I have been in your mind and have read the guilt you feel. But do not reflect such thoughts back on me, Syndil. I live to protect you, that is all. And I will do so despite your harsh judgments of my capabilities. It is my duty and my right.”
Syndil stood up, her slender figure fragile and beautiful. Her chin was up, her eyes alive with pain and pride. “You wish me to be responsible for another death? I will not have such a thing happen to you. I will leave,
Barack, and when you come home there will be emptiness in my place.”
A slow smile curved Barack’s mouth. He crossed the distance between them, ignoring Desari and Julian as if they weren’t witnessing the strange conversation. His hand caught Syndil’s chin and held her so that she was forced to meet his steady gaze. “Do you not hear your own words, Syndil?” His thumb rubbed gently, almost tenderly over her skin. “You said when I return. You know I will defeat this enemy, just as I defeated the other. Do not fear for my life. I am not nearly so careless as I pretend to be.”
Her large eyes shimmered with tears. “Everything is so out of kilter, Barack. I cannot find myself. I cannot imagine existing if something were to happen to you.” She swallowed, then jerked her head away to shake it as if denying her own words. “Any of you. We have lived so long together, and now it is all coming apart.”
Desari slipped an arm around Syndil. Barack’s teeth flashed again. “It is merely changing, Syndil, not coming apart. We will weather this crisis as we have so many others.”
“We must go,” Julian said. “The undead will rise any moment now, and he knows we will be hunting him.” He turned abruptly and took the passage leading to the chimney entrance, certain Barack would be with him. Barack was correct—he had the right to hunt this demon threatening his family—but Julian was a solitary hunter. He had no real idea of Barack’s abilities and felt responsible for the man’s safety. Silently he cursed the Carpathian male’s sense of duty when it came to their women. Even as he did, however, he knew he was counting on Dayan to guard the women and Darius. Should Dayan fail, he was counting on Darius to protect them all, even wounded as he was.
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