Nicolae worked for a long time, repairing the damage done by the microbes, checking every organ, every vein, ensuring that there were no infected cells lurking in wait to attack again when she was at her most vulnerable. Despite his painstaking care, he felt uneasy, as if he had missed something.
He knew the moment his brother began to unravel the safeguards to enter the chamber. He heard the musical voice of his brother join with his as he chanted. As always he felt grateful for Vikirnoff with his strength and loyalty, guarding his back and ready to aid him in times of need.
Nicolae pulled out of Destiny’s body, swaying with weakness. He flashed his brother a quick glance, mostly to check that no” harm had come to him while they battled their enemy.
“How is she?” Vikirnoff asked courteously.
“Stubborn. Gutsy. Impossible.” Nicolae’s voice was clipped as he sent Destiny into a deep sleep. Only then did he allow his suppressed rage to swirl dangerously close to the surface. The earth beneath their feet rolled slightly and the water in the pool bubbled ferociously. “She should have called me to her side the instant there was a hint of trouble. If she had, none of this would have happened. Instead, her life was endangered and I nearly lost her.”
Vikirnoff shrugged his shoulders with casual strength. “It makes no sense to get angry with her for not calling you to her. I see no reason for your anger.”
“You were reprimanding me for allowing her to hunt in the first place, Vikirnoff. Now I am not supposed to be upset with her when she throws herself directly into the path of danger?”
“She had no one to raise her, to guide her. She was taken from her family at the age of six. Everything she has ever learned she learned from you. You taught her to hunt, to rely on herself and her own judgment. You would not have thought to call her to you. You did not think to call me to you. She does not fear death, only capture by the undead, and you know she is determined that will never happen again. She is like you. Independent. Courageous. Do not fault her for those traits. They are admirable. You are the one capable of stopping her. Force her back to our homeland.”
Nicolae wanted to argue with his brother. He wanted to point out he was far more experienced, far less vulnerable and much more powerful than Destiny, but none of that changed the truth of Vikirnoff’s words. She was acting just as he had taught her. She hadn’t called him because she was accustomed to relying on herself. She hadn’t sensed the immediate danger because she had been thinking about Nicolae. He knew a good part of his reaction was fear for her, but another part was based on the incorrect assumption that after he made love to her, she would turn to him naturally.
Sighing, Nicolae raked a hand through his hair, leaving it more disheveled than ever. “I am not going to say you are right because I could not take it if you smirked.”
“I do not smirk,” Vikirnoff claimed.
“Yes, you do. And I detest that after all these centuries, you are making sense. Frankly, it is scary.”
“It is only that you are not making sense since you acquired a lifemate. I hope that does not happen to all men. It would be a shame.”
“Your sense of humor is not improving,” Nicolae pointed out dryly.
“I do not have a sense of humor,” Vikirnoff answered.
“I had not noticed,” Nicolae teased. His smile faded quickly. “She did well.”
Vikirnoff nodded. “Yes, she is a worthy lifemate to you. I did not think I would think so with her tainted blood and her wild ways, but she is courageous. A call was put out not long ago. The lifemate of one of our people’ was with child and lay dying. Healers were sent for, and our people were called to join together to help perform the healing ritual, even from afar.”
Nicolae’s heart leapt with hope. “That is so. It was not far from here. The healers must still be with the woman. One of them was Gregori.”