Lucian opened the floor of the sleeping chamber and floated down to the deep, beckoning soil with his lifemate. She lay in his arms, her beauty captured in her stillness as he opened the earth and took them to rest.
* * *
Chapter Twelve
A discordant note filled the silence of the earth beneath the sleeping chamber. Beneath the layers of dirt a slow, deadly hiss seeped through the dark, rich soil to permeate the air above it. It traveled around the estate, filling the grounds with menace. Lucian’s black eyes snapped open, and he lay with his leaden body listening to the sounds of the insects and animals. A rat scratched for sustenance somewhere close by. A wolf murmured to its pack brother in annoyance. What was the sound so out of place with the rest of the universe that it would reach into the very bowels of the earth and awaken him?
The crackling of the stone wall told him an intruder was testing the strength of his safeguards. Lucian lay quietly listening. He reached out to the alpha pair of wolves, warning them not to touch any meat or food that was thrown to them by an outsider. He warned them to care for the other members of the pack, the young, silly ones that liked to defy authority. In his mind was the clear warning of poison, the death of the pack. He directed the alpha pair to take their brethren deep within the forest, where guns could not reach them. The male bared his fangs and issued a warning growl, alerting the pack.
Satisfied, Lucian continued to listen. The intruder was persistent. He learned he could not get through stone wall or gates. He was climbing a tree, avoiding the back of the estate because of the wolves. No doubt he could see that his “gift” of tainted meat had not been devoured, and he dared not try to make his assault near the cunning beasts. Lucian closed his eyes and sent himself seeking outside his body. He became as light as the air itself, traveling as pure energy, breaking free of the soil. He moved through the narrow passageway up into the cellar and then the kitchen.
As always the heavy drapes prevented any sunlight from intruding into the interior. As pure energy, he moved easily through the house until he was at the vantage point of the balcony. Francesca’s beautifully detailed stained glass masked the brilliant light so that he had a good view of the intruder making his approach to the house. Finally. The one who had destroyed Jaxon’s family. But was this the man? Lucian waited until the face swam into view through the thick foliage.
Disappointment sent Lucian’s silent snarl shimmering in the air. This intruder could not possibly be Tyler Drake. He was wearing a dark blue suit and a silk tie. Lucian observed the ease with which he climbed the branches of the trees overlooking the stone wall. The man was whispering into a two-way radio. “No one seems to be home, but getting in isn’t going to be easy, not if we don’t want to tip them off they have company.”
Lucian’s mind was working quickly. For several centuries he had been asleep deep within the earth, and many things had happened to his people while he lay locked within the soil. He had heard rumors of a society of human hunters who believed themselves to be scientists.
They claimed to have evidence of the existence of vampires and vowed to destroy them. So far, few humans took them seriously, so they were determined to capture a live vampire. The only problem was, they seemed unable to differentiate between a Carpathian, a vampire, and a human with extraordinary gifts. Could members of that vampire-hunting society have found him?
He decided the best way to get his answers was to allow the intruder or intruders into his home. After all, the sun was beginning to sink. If they wanted to prepare a surprise for him, he was more than willing to oblige. He moved up close to the stained glass and concentrated on his safeguards. He wanted to rid the house of the lethal traps and spells only on the outside to allow the estate to be penetrated. It shouldn’t be so easy that they would become suspicious, but he wouldn’t want them to be discouraged and give up too soon.