And he would never stop until he had destroyed his prey.
Corinne felt Desari stronger than ever, tranquil, soothing, comforting, whispering softly in her mind, the words almost indistinguishable, yet Corinne knew she was aiding her to understand what manner of creature Dayan really was. She felt the momentary surge as the intruder reached for her in an attempt to draw her out. She was safe and protected within the walls of the cocoon the others had wrapped her in. There was no chance of the dark horror finding her, yet it touched the three male Carpathians.
She felt that. Felt the shock, the recoil. The thing shrieked, a hideous sound that was in her head, heard through the listening Carpathians, a high-pitched sound of anger and hatred and fear. It took Corinne a few heartbeats to realize the creature could detect only the males. The women were merged so deeply with the men that the beast could detect only the powerful males. The creature instantly withdrew, retreating with furtive swiftness.
Corinne blinked up at Dayan, barely able to comprehend the transformation in him from poet to predator. His hand brushed her face, her hair, incredibly gentle, seemed to linger for a moment, yet his body was shimmering, almost transparent. She watched, her heart in her throat, as he dissolved right before her eyes. In his place were droplets of mist. The mist streamed through the room and right out the door.
Just like that, Dayan was gone. From the room, from her mind. Gregori and Darius had also disappeared from the mind merge, leaving only Desari, who pushed open the door to the room and glided to her side with an encouraging smile. “You are not afraid, are you?” Her voice was rich with beauty.
* * *
Chapter 14
“It all happened too fast to really understand what is going on,” Corinne answered honestly, not certain how to feel. She looked past Desari to the two other women behind her. They were smiling in reassurance but hesitated in the doorway, so Corinne waved to encourage their entry.
“I believe we are under siege.” Desari took Corinne’s hand to comfort her and at the same time to check her pulse. “There is no need to be afraid. My brother Darius and Gregori are two of the most accomplished hunters we have. They are seeking the evil one, along with Dayan, to destroy that which is a threat to humans and immortals alike.” She spoke calmly, as if chasing evil monsters were an everyday occurrence. “Naturally, they will see to it that Dayan does not come to any harm. After all, we are fighting to save you and the child. We will not lose Dayan to an evil one.”
Corinne studied the other woman’s face carefully. She could see only goodness, compassion, a light shining outward from deep within Desari’s soul. She appeared tranquil even in the face of such an evil being. “It felt horrible,” Corinne admitted in a low voice, “and I could tell that Dayan was shielding me somehow from the experience.”
“It was a vampire,” the shorter, ravenhaired woman answered calmly, reaching for a glass of clear water. “Here, drink this. I’m Savannah, Gregori’s lifemate, by the way. I know it sounds absurd and something that cannot be real, but I assure you, vampires exist and they actively seek women who have psychic ability. Especially a woman unclaimed.”
“You’re Savannah Dubrinsky, the magician. I saw your performance in Seattle a few months ago. You were wonderful.” Corinne sipped at the water to give her mind time to comprehend the situation. “That thing was looking for me, wasn’t it?”
Desari shrugged casually. “In a way. You drew it here, although it does not know who you are. When it probed, it found only the male hunters. It will not be a problem, because they will destroy it.”
“If this is all true,” Corinne demanded, “why hasn’t one ever tried to find me before?” As much as it seemed impossible for Desari to lie, Corinne didn’t want her explanation to be true. Maybe it would have been better to live without knowing any of it.
The redhead smiled at her. “I’m Tempest, and believe me, Corinne, I know how confused you must be by all this. I was in your shoes only a few weeks ago. Just remember this,” she continued, revealing that she could read Corinne’s thoughts; “you would be missing a great adventure, which life is, and you would miss knowing Dayan. Most importantly, eventually you would have chosen to use your gift, and the surge of power would have revealed your presence to the undead. They would have found you.”