“It’s so beautiful,” Corinne said honestly. “I didn’t want to give it up. I hope I will have the opportunity to thank her for such a unique gift.”
Desari patted her hand. “I would like to examine you and renew the healing process if it is possible. Do you remember what it felt like? Savannah and Tempest will lend me their strength, and we shall at least make you more comfortable. Lie back and we will begin.”
Dayan, streaking through the air, appeared as a long trail of droplets, much like a comet moving rapidly through the night sky. Gregori and Darius were on either side of him, formidable hunters both, but it was Dayan’s lifemate who was threatened, and he was the one who must save her. He felt the beast rising within him, struggling for supremacy. Gregori, renowned for his storms, generated a fierce squall, and dark clouds rolled in swiftly to cover their flight through the night sky in pursuit of the vampire.
Lightning zigzagged, arcing from cloud to cloud, intense and ominous. Hues of deep purple and black smeared the sky so that the stars were slowly obliterated. Thunder reverberated through the valley, echoed down the canyons, heralding a storm of great magnitude. Far below, as the three hunters streaked across the roiling sky, wild creatures sensing dangerous predators hastily found shelter and remained very still. Domesticated dogs yelped in fear and hid as the dark shadows passed overhead.
‘Dayan.’ Gregori’s voice was compelling, a soft command. ‘The beast is strong in you. Remember, you are in twofold danger. Your lifemate is not locked to you. There is no anchor to hold you to the path. The violence will trigger the rising of the beast. It is a time for care, not rage. Along with your life, your soul is in mortal danger.’
Dayan could hear the purity of Gregori’s voice and it washed through the red haze of anger clouding his mind. For a moment he could see and hear clearly again, but then the thought of the vampire seeking Corinne, threatening her consumed him again, and he continued his swift pursuit toward the enemy.
Darius and Gregori flying on either side of Dayan easily kept pace, senses flaring out to scan for any hidden traps. The vampire wasn’t attempting to conceal his line of retreat. They knew from centuries of experience that if he was seriously attempting to evade them, he would be throwing up more of a blind.
Dayan was well aware of the vampire’s intentions. He didn’t care. He had tremendous confidence in his own strength and skill. Though he did not consider himself a hunter of the undead, he had often accompanied Darius on such hunts. It was his lifemate who was threatened now, and their code of honor dictated it was Dayan’s responsibility as well as his right to remove that threat.
Suddenly an acid shower came from above the storm clouds, assaulting the flying hunters. Thin streaks of silvery light began to rain through the swirling black vapor. Almost impossible to see, the droplets burned with a caustic acid, searing the skin. The threads fell like poisonous darts straight at the hunters. They knew that the deadly shower was a delaying tactic of the fleeing vampire.
Immediately Gregori rose above Dayan, instinctively protecting him. As Gregori took the higher position, Darius sent up a flaming streak of orange-red light, pure energy, vaporizing the slivers of acid before they could reach their targets.
Dayan caught a glimpse of the vampire through the clouds, streaking across the sky. Dayan doubled his speed, moving straight as an arrow toward the fleeing vampire. He was a protégé of Darius, had learned from him. Dayan believed in directness, taking the fight to the enemy. He felt the presence of the evil one, a thick oily substance left behind so that the air reeked with the stench of the undead. Dayan shot out a wave of vibrations, a high-frequency sound that deafened the skies and knocked the fleeing demon from the clouds.
Just ahead they saw the figure struggling to shape-shift, to sprout wings. He was already dangerously close to the ground, and at the last possible moment, the vampire did an amazing athletic feat and spun, landing on his feet like a cat. At once he sought to cloak his presence from the hunters and the mortals occupying the area.