The snake isn’t harmless, Aidan.
Alexandria’s warning was calm.
That’s another one of hisillusions. It is no garden snake. I can sense the vampire’s triumph.
Aidan held his ground calmly, his golden gaze never once shifting from the vampire’s swaying figure. He didn’t so much as glance at the snake gliding toward him or betray in any way that he was aware of the danger it presented to him. The vampire’s actions were hypnotic, a strange series of steps and motions designed to dull the senses and capture the mind.
As the snake coiled itself to strike only a few inches from the hunter, the vampire stopped, his eyes boring into Aidan’s, seeking to mesmerize him. Then, with unbelievable speed, the vampire launched himself forward in an all-out attack. The snake, too, flung itself forward, seeking to bury its fangs in Aidan’s leg. But Aidan was no longer where he had been. Even faster, he had leapt to meet the vampire. His hands caught at the bullet-shaped head and wrenched. There was a sickening crack, and the vampire howled, the razor-sharp claws raking Aidan’s broad chest.
The talons bit deep, leaving four red furrows. Aidan melted away from the illusionist and reappeared beside the trunk of the car. He risked one quick glance at the sleeping child. The sight of the little boy covered with, charred snake carcasses was unnerving. He wanted to fling the repulsive, evil creations as far from Joshua as possible.
Aidan, do not take your attention from the vampire,
Alexandria cautioned.
He is still dangerous. He gathers himself for the kill. Are you all right? I feel your pain. I do not feel anything.
Aidan’s reply was abrupt, clipped, his attention back on the vampire.
Diego’s head listed to one side, his grimace a twisted parody of an ingratiating smile at the hunter. Red flames flickered in his eyes. He was gasping for breath, but Aidan was not deceived. The vampire was more dangerous than ever. Aidan would see that danger in the red haze of his eyes and the nails digging blood from their own palms.
“Let me die in peace, Aidan. You have finished me,” the vampire said softly, persuasively. “Take the child and go. Leave me my dignity. I will meet the dawn and die as our kind should.”
Aidan remained very still, his body appearing relaxed, almost indolent, his shoulders loose, his arms at his sides, his knees slightly bent. The picture of serenity. The golden eyes did not so much as blink. He watched the vampire’s movements like the predator he was.
The vampire erupted into cursing, an obscene, guttural expression of his frustration. “Come and get me then,” he challenged.
Aidan merely stared at him, unmoving. He did not allow pity for the misguided creature into his heart or mind. That way lay disaster. The undead felt no remorse for their actions. Diego would drain Joshua dry, torture him to get to Aidan, to Alexandria, then cast the child aside like so much garbage. There was no bargaining with a vampire, no reasoning. The hunter merely waited patiently.
He didn’t have long to wait. The undead had no such patience. He leapt at Aidan, shape-shifting as he did so, his head, grotesquely askew on his skinny neck, lengthening into a thick, compact muzzle with long, protruding, razor-sharp eyeteeth. In mid-air, the saber-toothed tiger roared as it sprang.
Aidan waited until the last possible moment. Avoiding the long fangs and the massive weight of the animal was easy enough, but it was impossible to get close without those lethal claws tearing at him, trying to gut him. He closed his mind to all pain and cut himself off from Alexandria so that she could not possibly share his suffering. Then his arm was around the creature’s broken neck, and he was astride the animal, where the vicious claws could not reach him. Even with his enormous strength, it was difficult to control the howling, writhing beast tearing to get at him.
Slowly, with great care, Aidan was able to apply enough pressure around the tiger’s neck to cut off the air supply. The animal went crazy, thrashing and bucking, trying to unseat him. Ferociously it bit and screamed, a high-pitched, unearthly yowl. Tenaciously Aidan hung on. His hand slipped lower, seeking the heartbeat.
Even as Aidan nearly reached his goal, the vampire twisted enough to sink one venom-tipped claw deeply into his neck, just missing his jugular. Blood spurted, and he could feel it running down his skin. The beast was so strong and agile that for a moment Aidan was unsure he could defeat the creature. Then something moved in his mind. A quiet certainty filled him with confidence and strength.
Although he had attempted to shut her out, to keep her from the brutality, Alexandria had never left him. She was there, feeding his strength with her own. Aidan’s searching hand found what he was looking for. He plunged his entire fist deep into the maddened tiger, past muscle and into the soft, vulnerable organs.
The vampire raged and screamed, raking at Aidan with his last dying strength, determined to take the hunter with him. As Aidan extracted the pulsating heart, the saber-toothed tiger contorted, shaped-shifting until the withered, gray-skinned vampire lay beneath him, still and silent.
Aidan tossed the decaying matter away from him and hastily put distance between himself and the abomination that had once been a decent Carpathian male. He allowed himself a deep, cleansing breath and sagged against a tree trunk. The wind rustled, picking up strength to carry the putrid scent of the vampire away from him. The night was full upon him, dark and mysterious and beautiful.
Should we come? Do you have need of blood, Aidan?
He could hear the weariness in her, matching his own. It was a difficult task to maintain mental contact when she had just recently learned to do so, especially through so violent a struggle. And she was weak from lack of nourishment. She had allowed him to feed greedily, and she had lent her waning strength to him without hesitation. Even now, her concern was for him.
Stay,
piccola,
I will be home soon, and I will bring Joshua with me. Tell Marie and Stefan all is well
. He struggled to keep his voice even so that she would not be afraid for him.
Her soft laughter warmed his heart.
I’m in your mind, my love. You can’t hide your wounds from me.
There was the merest disturbance in the air, just a flutter, no other warning. A large raptor landed on the branch above Aidan’s head and slowly folded its wings. Aidan should have known another of his kind was close by, yet he hadn’t. As it hopped easily from the perch, the bird’s form changed, and it was Gregori who landed lightly on his feet.
He glided past Aidan to survey the grotesque sight on the ground. “He was good, was he not?” he asked softly. His voice was beautiful, a soothing sound that seemed to seep into Aidan’s tired body and renew his strength. Despite his darkness, Gregori brought purity and light with him; it clung to him like the aura of power. “Diego studied with the most evil of the vampires. They began banding together in our homeland, thinking to defeat Mikhail with their numbers. When that did not work, they enlisted the aid of human butchers. Now they are turning to travel and trickery. They use many methods to try to defeat us, Aidan. You have done well this day.”
“With your aid.” Aidan straightened, one hand pressed hard to the flowing wound at his neck.
Gregori glided over the cockroaches and blackened snakes, his feet never touching the carnage as he approached the open trunk of the car.
Aidan could not prevent himself from giving the healer a warning, just in case. “I used your safeguards to keep the boy free from harm.” He couldn’t believe the healer would ever turn, but he was watchful all the same.