«I'm sorry about what they did to Angelina,» Jubal replied. «I hate that we all have to worry every minute of every day that some psycho is going to try to kill us because Mikhail and Raven are our friends and Joie and Traian are family.»
«We accepted the risk when Mikhail gave us a choice to know him for what he is,» Mirko said. «I still cannot believe they threatened my daughter.» His fingers curled tightly into fists. «They threatened my family.»
«Well, they're dead now,» Natalya said cheerfully. She gestured toward the few people wandering through the downstairs room and lowered her voice, keeping a smile firmly in place. «Slavica, thanks for the warning earlier. If you hadn't mentioned nightly chocolate, I might have opened the door without being prepared.»
«I was about to take the hairspray to your room and just as I opened the door to go into the hall, they shoved me back inside. Fortunately they didn't realize the package was for you and I could tell them I was about to go to the kitchen for your chocolate.»
«You got my hairspray for me? Thank you! I hope you got as many cans as you could find.»
«I bought out the store, just as you instructed.»
«You can't wait to play with that stuff, can you?» Jubal laughed.
She grinned at him. «Well, okay, maybe that's true. I want to see if it really works. It isn't like I'm going to go looking for trouble.»
«That's exactly what you're going to do,» Jubal objected.
«What are you planning to use the hairspray for, Natalya?» Mirko asked.
«She's developing flamethrowers to use on vampires,» Jubal said. «Can you believe that?»
Natalya abruptly moved passed Slavica and Angelina to touch Jubal's arm, the smile fading from her face. «I need to make certain there aren't any nasty surprises waiting for us. Why don't you take them to the kitchen and let Slavica tend to Mirko's face?»
«I don't want you to go into their quarters alone. Vikirnoff will kill me. Literally.»
She snorted. «He won't do any such thing, Jubal. Take them to the kitchen now.»
Jubal's brows rose in sudden comprehension. «Because you think someone's in there.»
«Slavica, take Angelina to the kitchen,» Mirko ordered, his voice hard. «We are going with Natalya.»
Natalya snapped her teeth together, irritated at the men's manly egos. She couldn't very well tell them they were going to be in the way. She preferred to fight by herself. Besides, something was in that residence, not some-one. The birthmark of the dragon burned hot on her body and she knew nosferatu waited inside.
«Please explain to me what you think is in my home,» Mirko said.
Natalya exchanged a glance with Jubal and shrugged. «I believe the undead, the vampire is waiting inside for you and your family to return.»
He stared at her face for a long moment. «And you were planning to go in alone, unaided to fight this thing?»
«I've fought them before.» She patted her weapons and the single can of hairspray she had left in her bag. «I'm prepared.»
«And this is what you use the flamethrower for? To kill the vampire?»
Jubal groaned and shook his head. «Do you have any idea how crazy this sounds? Have you seen a vampire? You're not going to kill one with a can of hairspray.»
«I plan on bringing them down and then incinerating their hearts with the can of hairspray,» she explained.
Jubal shook his head. «No vampire would dare come to the inn with so many hunters here. That's crazy.»
Natalya shrugged. She was not about to argue when she was totally sure of herself. Something was in that residence. And she was beginning to think vampire weren't only in the Ostojic home, but perhaps in other parts of the inn as well.
She touched Vikirnoff's mind. The battle for Gabrielle's life raged on, but it wasn't going well. Vikirnoff was literally forcing her heart to beat while Mikhail breathed for her. She could hear the ancient healing chant, the voices swelling as Carpathians joined from a distance. She could hear a woman, most likely Joie, Gabrielle's sister, weeping as she tried to join the others in the chant.
For a moment Natalya was there with Vikirnoff, seeing the overwhelming task, the terrible damage done to Gabrielle, her body torn and drained of blood. Vikirnoff never faltered, never gave up. She could feel his determination, the endless strength and power he poured into Gabrielle's failing body.
Vikirnoff was a man of steel and compassion. There was something in him that drew her in spite of her every determination to hold him at bay, to be angry with him for binding them together, for making her so aware of him as a man and herself as a woman.
The task she'd asked of him was enormous and required every ounce of his will to keep Gabrielle alive, but he was doing it for her. And she was going into that room filled with vampires for him. She didn't exactly believe in putting herself in danger unless it was for a great cause. Keeping vampires off of Vikirnoff was an excellent cause. She blew a kiss toward the stairs.
«Natalya!» Jubal demanded. «Let's get this over with. I'm getting nervous thinking about going in there. Let's just do it.»
«That's a vampire in there, Jubal,» Natalya said. «You'd better be very sure you want to do this.»
«I said I was going in.»
«I just said, be sure.» She didn't wait for his comment, but pushed open the door with caution. The lights were out. A lamp was overturned and lay on the floor, the bulb broken. Cans of hairspray were strewn across the floor and over by the window, a vase with wildflowers lay on its side, water forming a small puddle. Natalya drew her sword and stepped into the room, gliding in silence, her senses flaring out to «feel» the room. She signaled the two humans to stay back as she went farther into the residence.
She knew something was there. She couldn't find the telltale «blank» spots that might indicate the presence of the vampire, but she knew it was there.
Vikirnoff. It was a terrible thing to disturb him when he was working so hard to save a life, but she was beginning to feel a trap had been sprung. Real fear was intruding. Why had Brent Barstow attacked Gabrielle? It made no sense. Not even a fanatic would think she was in any way a threat to him. There was only one reason. Barstow had to be under compulsion. There are vampires here and they must be after the prince.
She felt the jolt of awareness that sent him back into his own body. Natalya, get out of there. He didn't question her judgment, although he scanned the building and surrounding areas and found nothing to indicate the presence of the undead. They could be after you.
It is the prince. They drew him to the inn and with all of the hunters are wounded, I'm betting they think this is the perfect time to strike. Get the prince out of there.
He will not go.
Natalya kept to the edges of the room, moving in a circle, calling the tigress to the surface enough to use its superior senses of sight and smell. The room appeared to be empty, but the tigress went on alert, stilling inside of Natalya. Her muscles locked into freeze-frame stalk. They are here, Vikirnoff.
I am coming to you.
No! You would never forgive yourself or me if something happened to Mikhail and you have not prevented Gabrielle's death. I can do this. Trust me as I'll be trusting you to keep everyone there alive.
Vikirnoff swore in three languages. She could feel his frantic need to get to her, to see to her protection. In truth, she was frightened. The adrenaline was already pumping through her body with her heightened alertness, but she could deal with fear.
Vikirnoff, I know what I am asking of you.
Do you? He bit the words out. If anything should happen to you… One scratch, Natalya, I will be most angry with you. You do not want to see me angry.