Dark Challenge (Dark Series - book 5)

by Christine Feehan

  There was a short silence, then Darius sighed softly.

  Do not worry, little sister. I will think on what you have said and not move too quickly. Perhaps we need to learn more of this creature.

  Huddling on the bed, Desari cut herself off from the others. With each mile that took her farther from the bar, the oppressive dread seemed to increase. She could feel perspiration beading on her forehead. Her breath came in short, uncomfortable gasps. She had to find him.

  She had to be close to him. He had somehow stolen the other half of her soul.

  Desari bit down hard on her lower lip, welcoming the stinging pain that helped her to center herself. She closed her eyes and sought inside her own body. She could not find the stench of evil. She found her heart whole and strong. She found her soul complete. But she was no longer simply Desari. A stranger dwelled within her. A stranger who was somehow very familiar, more familiar than even her family.

  After the first shock, she studied the evidence of his work. He was strong and powerful. Self-confident. Even arrogant. Very, very knowledgeable. And he meant to have her. She could feel his deep resolve. No one would stand in his way. Nothing would stop him. He would never give her up. And deep within him dwelled... a dark shadow.

  Desari swallowed the fear choking her. Why was she so afraid of this unknown man? She was not without her own power. No one could force her to do what she did not want to do. Nor would Darius ever allow it. And she had Barack and Dayan to support her as well. Even Syndil would fight for her if the need arose. Why was she so afraid?

  Because there was an excitement in her that she didn’t want to admit even to herself. She was intrigued by the stranger, drawn to him. Her body wanted his, and she had never even laid eyes on him. How could he have wrought such a thing? Was he so powerful?

  She didn’t want Darius to harm him. The thought came unbidden and was, she felt, on the verge of disloyalty. She should not even think such things. Desari rubbed her forehead with the heels of her hands. Whoever he was, he would come for her, and she had to decide what to do. She could never leave her family.

  Especially not now, when Darius was having such a hard time with his own darkness. “Oh, God,” she murmured aloud. “What am I thinking?”

  You are in pain?

  Desari’s head snapped up, and she looked around the bus cautiously. The voice was clear, arrogant, a velvet purr. Not Darius. Her throat closed convulsively, making it nearly impossible to breathe. She felt a strength, a male’s touch, his heart beating steadily, his lungs working easily, in and out, regulating her breathing as if they were one being. His voice was beautiful, and reached something deep in her soul. Yet he was using a mental path unfamiliar to her. The experience unnerved her.

  Go away.

  She tried the path he was using.

  She heard soft laughter, taunting male amusement.

  I do not think so,

  piccola.

  Answer me. Are you in pain?

  Desari glanced around guiltily. Syndil was busy maneuvering the large motor home down a winding ribbon of highway leading deep into a wooded area. Desari felt as if she were talking to the devil himself, allowing him access to her family and their whereabouts through her. But she couldn’t stop herself from feeling the sweeping excitement.

  Of course I am in pain. I was shot. Who are you? You know who I am.

  She shook her head, her long mass of blue-black hair flying in all directions, catching Syndil’s attention. “Are you all right, Desari?” Syndil asked, a worried catch in her voice.

  “Yes, do not worry,” Desari managed to respond.

  She felt his touch, his palm brushing her cheek.

  You fear me. I fear no one.

  There was that laughter again. Male amusement that made her want to strangle him.

  What is the Dark One to you?

  he asked. There was no amusement in the question. It was an imperious command to answer him. He even pushed at her with a compulsion.

  Furious, Desari cut off the contact. He thought her a mere mortal he could so easily command? How dare he? She was of ancient and powerful Carpathian blood. She deserved respect. No one, not even her brother, the leader of their family, would treat her with such disdain. Taking a deep breath, Desari calmed herself. Two could play at his game. She could track him as well. His blood was in her veins. If he could find her and try to “push” her, she could do the same. Desari went very quiet, allowing her mind to become a tranquil pool. She took her time searching each path until she found the one that would lead her to the stranger.

  Who are you?

  She pushed him, gave a good, hard compulsion.

  There was a silence. Then his infuriating laughter.

  So, you are like your guard. Carpathian, not mortal after all. We have much to find out about one another. You are Carpathian, yet different. You did not take my blood. How is it you can track me?

  In spite of herself, Desari was impressed. She knew Darius could do such a thing, but Barack and Dayan could not. Nor could she. Yet. But she was always learning things from her brother.

  Know this,

  cara,

  you belong to me. Only if I wish it,

  she corrected him, angry all over again. His arrogance was astounding to her.

  The bus shuddered to a stop, and Syndil turned in her seat. “This is a good place for us to hide, Desari. Can you help me get Darius to earth?”

  Color swept up Desari’s neck and into her face, and she avoided Syndil’s gaze. She did not want anyone to know what she was doing. “Yes. I am feeling much stronger now, thanks to you, Syndil,” she answered.

  What a little liar you are,

  the taunting male voice informed her.

  Stay away from me. You want me.

  His voice was a drawling caress.

  You wish.

  Desari forced herself to her feet and staggered down the aisle to her brother’s side.

  Desari and Syndil focused their attention on Darius and lifted him between them, using only the power of their minds. The cats pushed close, trying to see for themselves that Darius was fine. Without warning, Desari’s strength increased. Startled, she looked at Syndil. But she knew it was the stranger lending her his power.

  Go away. Just go away.

  Desari stumbled on the bottom step but recovered. Darius’s body didn’t so much as waver.

  “You are practically carrying him by yourself,” Syndil said admiringly.

  I injured him.

  The words were said with a deep satisfaction, but the stranger continued to provide Desari with the necessary strength to keep from dropping Darius to the ground.

  She refused to acknowledge his statement. Angry with herself for her disloyalty, for even wanting to converse with the stranger, Desari waved a hand to open the ground for her brother’s body. She knew the stranger was dwelling in her, but she was fully aware of her own power. He could not read what she did not want him to know as long as she remained on the alert for his invasion.

  Darius floated into the earth. Healing soil poured over his body. Sasha, the female leopard, lay on top of the spot. Desari opened the earth beside her brother and entered, grateful for the soothing tranquility nature offered as it healed her body and mind.

  “Sleep well, little sister,” Syndil whispered. “Do not fear. I will take care of all the details and loose ends before I seek rest this night. Heal, Desari, and be safe.”

  “Watch yourself, Syndil. There may be other assassins,” Desari cautioned. She closed her eyes and let the earth surround her.

  The last thing she felt as she shut down her body was a male hand brushing her face in a slow, heart-melting caress. The last thing she heard before her heart ceased to beat was his voice.

  I will come to you,

  piccola.

  I will always be near should you have need of me.

  Chapter Three

  Security was tight at the singing troupe’s next sold-out concert. Policem
en and security personnel were visible everywhere. No one was taking any chances this time, treating Desari as if she were a national treasure. Every entrance was heavily guarded and each person checked with a metal detector before being admitted. Dogs roamed the aisles with their handlers, and Darius oversaw it all. He was not about to allow assassins a second chance at his sister.

  The police had searched for the suspects in the attempted murders during the past week, but they could not find a trace of them. A good amount of blood had been discovered leading from the tavern, but no bodies. The police were certain that at least one suspect had died and his companions had removed the corpse, but Darius knew better. He had killed every one of the assailants and left them in plain sight for whoever had sent them to discover. Someone had interfered, and he suspected just who it was.

  Darius continually scanned the crowd, his black eyes moving unceasingly over the people pushing to enter the building. Besides the assassins he had to worry about, he knew the creature would come tonight. Desari hadn’t said anything of the sort to him, but she was restless and emotional, completely unlike herself. Several times he had reached to touch her mind with his, only to find it closed to him. He could have pushed past the barrier with some effort, but he respected her right to privacy.

  Julian, dressed in faded blue jeans and a sleeveless black T-shirt, moved with the crowd toward the doors. He spotted Desari’s security guard instantly and took a few minutes to study him. More than ever the man reminded him of Gregori. He was tall, as Carpathians tended to be, but he carried more muscle than most males of their race. Gregori was muscular also. The security guard’s face was a chiseled mask of harsh beauty, very reminiscent of the healer, but his eyes were black ice, where Gregori’s were silver.

  The guard’s eyes glinted with menace and seemed to miss nothing as they moved over the crowd. Julian did not want to call attention to his own presence by using any kind of power. Already the security guard had spotted him, those soulless black eyes resting thoughtfully on him as the line he was in moved closer to the entrance. Julian made certain his brain patterns were the same as a mortal’s. A grim smile of amusement touched his mouth. It was like a game of chess. The thoughts he presented to a mind probe were those of any human male about to see an impossibly beautiful, sexy singer performing in person.

  He felt the presence in his mind, the sharp thrusting, the quick scan, then the release. Julian nearly laughed aloud, but he kept his face a blank mask. Even the light, decisive touch was reminiscent of Gregori. Whoever this guard was, Julian was certain he was related to the healer, the one all Carpathians referred to as the Dark One. The guard had to be of the same bloodline. The puzzle intrigued him. The man’s presence irritated him. He didn’t want any Carpathian male near Desari until the ritual mating cycle was complete.

  The probe came again, a direct, powerful thrust into his mind. The attitude was so like the Dark One’s, Julian was astonished. The guard was not swallowing his innocent act. Julian kept his mind in the human pattern, evincing only anticipation and harmless if somewhat erotic wishing. It was irritating to allow someone into his mind, but he reminded himself that the intruder was picking up only what he was deliberately broadcasting.

  Julian carefully avoided looking at the guard. The male was far too sharp. Even after two mind probes to assure himself, he sensed power. Julian was suspect, and the guard was intuitive enough to keep coming back to him. Julian felt the weight of those burning eyes. This man held real power. He had to be one of the ancients, with the blood and strength of centuries of learning. Julian wished he were in a position to probe the guard, but it was imperative to appear human until he knew more. He had once spent centuries searching, accepting his solitary existence even as he scanned the earth for remnants of their kind. Now, when he had nearly ended his life, he had found a band of his people. The mythical lost ones? They must be.

  But Desari belonged to him. And if the other male thought differently, he was in for a hard lesson. Julian moved into the building and away from those black, prying eyes. Only then did he realize he was excited. He liked challenges. He had always craved knowledge. And he could feel the power and strength he had accrued pursuing information and skills of every kind. A contest with this other powerful male could prove quite interesting.

  He moved easily, maneuvering through the crowd down toward the front. Instead of seating himself, he took up a position along the wall near an exit. Inhaling, he scented the presence of two jungle cats, the same two that had worked in conjunction with the huge black panther. Julian was now certain that the guard had shape-shifted into the form of the large predator. Although the guard showed no evidence of the wounds Julian knew he had inflicted, he was still certain the man had been the panther directing the others in their attack on him.

  Desari. He found himself smiling. Their brief mental exchange had been a revelation. She was Carpathian! How she had managed to run around the world undetected was still a mystery. There were remnants of their race, and he had found them! He had always wondered if some of the children had escaped the Turk invasion and scattered. On behalf of their race, at Gregori and Mikhail’s urging, Julian had sought them, particularly the females, in hopes of finding a way to save his people.

  And he had found Desari, his own lifemate, when he had been seeking lifemates for others. And she had a temper, this woman. He found himself laughing aloud, remembering her “push” at his mind. She was much stronger than he had anticipated. He had gone from a stark, barren existence to one filled with excitement in the blink of an eye.

  The mood of the crowd was almost electric, the air thick with anticipation. Desari’s performances were always sold out. It didn’t matter where she played, whether a small tavern or a huge stadium. And with the publicity following the recent attempt on her life, she was even more of an celebrity. Reporters, too, were out in numbers.

  Julian listened to the conversations in the arena, sifting through them, looking for a whisper of conspiracy. He knew the fanatical nature of the human vampire-hunting society. Desari was a marked woman now. They would not stop with one attack. But Julian was fairly certain the society would need time to recover from the huge blow they had so recently received. He was more concerned now with the threat from vampires. The presence of a Carpathian woman nearby was sure to draw the creatures. And her safety was now of paramount personal importance to him.

  Without warning it struck. An intense need to leave the dome, to get out. The feeling, a dark, oppressive dread, beat at him, swamped him, and for a moment he could barely breathe. Furious that he had left himself open for such an assault from the guard, he allowed himself to slump against the wall, the heel of one palm pressed to his forehead in a manner of distress while he carefully sought out the position of the guard.

  Only then did it hit him. The touch was feminine, not masculine. Desari. He countered the compulsion to leave with a search of his own. He gathered his strength and waited. She was in a dressing room, seated on a stool. Julian inhaled her scent, taking it into his body. She was nervous. Not about her performance, but because she knew he was there. She was afraid of what he might do.

  Julian smiled, his white teeth gleaming like a predator’s. He fed her fear a bit. Not sharply, but with a simple, gentle flow of information. He was there. He was strong. Invincible. Nothing, no one could stop him. She could not possibly send him away.

  Desari’s right hand went to her slim throat in a gesture of protection. She knew the stranger was close by. Waiting. Watching. She could feel the weight of his presence. She could feel Darius’s uneasiness. She was afraid. What was the stranger going to do? She couldn’t bear it if Darius and he got into another fight. Someone would die. The stranger was so strong, he might kill Darius.

  Her head jerked up, fury washing through her. No one could defeat Darius! That cad. He was amplifying her fears, her agitation.

  Stop it, you!

  That irritating, mocking, male laughter echoed in her mind.<
br />
  You started it. If you want to play games,

  cara mia,

  I am more than willing. I do not want you here. Yes, you do,

  Julian countered calmly.

  I am in you. I feel your excitement at my presence. The same excitement is in me. You feel my agitation. I have a job to do. Your presence is unsettling. Only because you are afraid of your future. You know it lies with me. A major change in life can be frightening. But I can do nothing other than to make you happy.

  Desari pounced on that.

  It would make me happy if you left this place. I do not want you and Darius to fight. The first is a lie,

  cara.

  You seem to be able to tell untruths easily. But I will respect the second. I will avoid a confrontation with your guard if it is at all possible. You do not understand.

  Desari was beginning to feel desperate. She had to find a way to make him leave. She didn’t dare risk his presence, even if what he said was true, that she secretly wanted him there. She had never felt so alive. Every cell in her body was like her music, wild, free, soaring. She didn’t understand it, but it was exhilarating. And he knew it.

  I understand,

  piccola. His voice was tender, almost caressing. It slipped under her skin, producing an unexpected curl of heat in her bloodstream.

  Trust me.

  Desari was battling unfamiliar emotions. In all the centuries of her existence, she had never felt such a sizzling chemistry. She had actually feared that nothing would ever make her feel the erotic longings she had heard and read of for so many centuries. Her body had been cold and unresponsive until now. She had never laid eyes on this stranger, yet he easily evoked this reaction.

  I do not know you. How can I trust you? You know me.

  He said it in that same soft, arrogant voice. A statement of fact. Simple. Easy.

  A loud knock on the door of her dressing room set her nerves jangling. She should have known someone was right outside. She had never before failed to be aware of the presence of the others. She rose and smoothed the silken sheath that fit her every curve. The slit up one side was nearly to her hip. The fabric was white with a garden of red roses. Her hair fell in a cascade of ebony silk past her hips and moved with a life of its own. For the first time in her life, it mattered that she looked good.