Lucian materialized almost right in front of him, and still, after all the years of power and command weighing on his shoulders, Mikhail felt awed by the man. His black hair flowed down his back, his shoulders were ramrod straight and his eyes blazed with the dark promise of death.
Lucian and Gabriel Daratrazanoff were twins, legends unsurpassed in Carpathian history,
and it showed in the set of Lucian's shoulders and his stern face. Mikhail found Gabriel much more approachable. He always found it humorous that other Carpathians feared Gregori, Mikhail's second in command, best friend and son-in-law, but found his older brothers so approachable when they were at least as dangerous, if not more so.
Lucian gripped his forearms in a warrior's greeting. Gregori's older brother looked fit and strong, his eyes gleaming, piercing through Mikhail straight to his soul as if he could read inside any man.
«It is good to see you again after all this time, Mikhail. You have grown into a powerful leader since I last saw you. Your father would have been proud.»
Mikhail clasped the man's arms, feeling the solid strength there. «You may tell your woman she can put away her weapon now.»
A slow smile warmed the bleak, cold eyes. «She will not be pleased that you spotted her. She is a cop and definitely prides herself on her abilities. Being Carpathian has only added to her skills.»
«I do not actually know where she is,» Mikhail admitted. «Only that she is close by and pointing a weapon at me. I have heard she does not stay home where she belongs.»
A choking sound came from above him and a young woman materialized, a gun in her hand, glaring daggers at Mikhail. «Where she belongs?»
Her hair was the color of platinum and gold, a shorter length than most of the women wore, but attractive, framing her pixie face. Her eyes were dark, a startling contrast to her pale skin and hair.
Lucian casually removed the gun from her hand and leaned over to shove the weapon in her boot. «You cannot shoot the prince, Jaxon. It simply is not done.»
«I wasn't going to shoot him,» she objected, and sent Mikhail a quick, mischievous grin. «At least, not unless he was going to insist that women stay home while the men have all the fun.»
«You call slaying the undead fun?» Mikhail asked.
She shrugged. «If it isn't housework, it's fun. I like action, not sitting at home waiting for my hero.»
«You like to stir up trouble,» Lucian replied, amusement in his velvet voice. «But at least you admit I am your hero.»
Mikhail had forgotten how mesmerizing and powerful a weapon Lucian's voice was. Everything about Lucian seemed to be a combination of «compelling» and «weapon.» The man's face could have been carved from stone, yet his eyes were more alive, more intense
and more lethal than Mikhail had remembered. «It is good to see you again, Lucian. And good that you have found your lifemate.» He sketched a slight bow toward Jaxon. «I could not resist teasing you as I have heard you are fiercely protective of Lucian,» he told her. «We are grateful to you. He is a legend among us.»
«She insists on guarding me,» Lucian said.
«Well, of course I do. Any Carpathian hunter shot by a human after being warned repeatedly to be careful needs a babysitter-um-bodyguard.»
Lucian bent to brush a kiss on top of her head. «No respect.» The deep love on Lucian's face was mirrored on Jaxon's as she teased him.
«I can see that,» Mikhail acknowledged. Somewhere deep inside he felt happiness for this couple-for all the couples-but this one in particular. Lucian had been alone for so long and he'd fought too many battles, sacrificed too much. This small pixie seemed fragile until Mikhail looked into her dark eyes. She had seen too much, was wise beyond her age and had that same strength of will her lifemate possessed.
She flashed a warm smile at Mikhail, even as her fingers tangled with Lucian's. «Thank you for allowing us to use one of your homes. Lucian's home was so far into the mountains we would have spent all of our time flying back and forth and wouldn't have been able to visit.»
«Please come in.» Lucian held open the door, stepping back to allow Mikhail to precede him. «We have much to discuss. I thought, at first, when I heard of the celebration, that it was a foolish indulgence and far too risky, but now I see I was wrong. It has been good to see everyone and to be home once again. I have stayed away far too long and there is a sense of community here once again.»
«I hope we are doing the right thing,» Mikhail agreed as he stepped inside the snug little cabin.
It had been years since he had entered the old house. The walls had been repaired where gaping chinks between the wood had allowed the wind to sweep in. Lucian and Jaxon had fixed the cabin up so that the interior was bright and welcoming. A fire crackled in the old stone fireplace and the furniture was inviting. Lucian waved him toward the couch, and Mikhail seated himself opposite Lucian's chair.
Jaxon hesitated briefly, glancing at the windows, wariness creeping into her expression as she assessed whether anyone could look in and easily see them through the glass.
«I do not actually bite,» Mikhail said, and gestured toward the empty end of the couch he occupied.
Jaxon perched on the arm of Lucian's chair, one foot swinging free. «I'm perfectly comfortable right here, but thank you.»
«She insists on guarding me,» Lucian explained. «Or at least she pretends so. The real reason is she cannot bear to be apart from me.»
The foot swinging free arced just a little more and she drove her toe into his calf.
«I can see that,» Mikhail said dryly. «I am certain Raven is the same way-hating to be apart from me.» He shared the conversation with his lifemate. Immediately, he felt the warmth of her laughter brushing at the walls of his mind. «Before I forget, I thought you might like to know, we need someone to play the part of Santa Claus for the children.»
The smile faded from Lucian's face, leaving his eyes shadowed and wary. He stiffened slightly. Beside him, Jaxon stirred, and he put his hand on her thigh to prevent her from speaking aloud. Do not dare to volunteer me.
You are such a chicken. They are just children.
It is a red suit and beard.
And you'd look so cute and cuddly.
Mikhail put him out of his misery. He sat back in his chair with a little half smile. «I thought my son-in-law would be the best man for the role. As he is your younger brother, tell me what you think.»
Jaxon choked back a squeak that could have been between laughter and horror. She nearly fell off the arm of the chair, only Lucian's steadying hand preventing her from landing on the floor. «You're kidding, right? Gregori would be every bit as bad a choice as Lucian would be. One look at him and the children are going to either run like rabbits or burst into tears.»
Lucian's thumb swept over the back of her hand in a small caress. «Never underestimate a Daratrazanoff, little one. We can rise to any necessary occasion and I am certain Gregori will enjoy the role.» He sent Mikhail a wolfish smile. «Let me know when you are going to tell him what honor is in store for him and I will be happy to accompany you.»
«Oh, you two are just plain bad,» Jaxon said. «You like stirring the pot. Gregori is bound to get you both back, you know.»
A glimmer of a smirk flitted across Mikhail's features and was gone. «It will be well worth it.»
Lucian nodded and reached for his twin, automatically sharing the information. Gabriel responded on their private mental path. Mikhail was here earlier and I could not resist allowing him to give you the news. There was laughter in his voice. I certainly plan on being present when our prince makes his first demand as a father-in-law.
Lucian's fingers tightened around Jaxon's. That small shared moment of amusement, of
love and laughter, was due to his lifemate. He had been without emotion for so long– loving his twin, yet never actually feeling the emotion. Over the centuries the memory had begun to fade and it had been alarming. He had walked in darkness without hope, until she came into his l
ife.
Jaxon leaned down to brush a kiss on the top of his head in a rare public gesture of affection. Even with her stepfather dead, she still couldn't get over the reticence she had developed to protect those she cared about. Lucian was always the one to make the first move, to take her hand, put his arm around her, and her first instinct was always to look around her with wary eyes-stiffen-and pull away. He was slowly getting her over it, and every small demonstration of affection when others were around was a huge step forward.
Lucian rubbed his chin. «I think we should commemorate this event with pictures. It would serve us well in the coming years if we had such a thing documented.»
Mikhail leaned forward slightly, his small smile softening the hard lines in his face. «Surely you are not considering-blackmail.»
«Well, yes, as a matter of fact. We could hold this over his head for centuries.»
«Poor Gregori. It isn't fair to conspire against him this way,» Jaxon objected. She frowned. «Although come to think about it, maybe he does deserve it for being such a male chauvinist.»
Mikhail's eyebrow shot up. «And Lucian isn't?»
Her mischievous smile lit up her eyes again. «He tries desperately, but fortunately he has me to straighten him out.»
«Lucky me,» Lucian said dryly.
She sent her foot swinging against his leg a second time. «You are lucky. I keep telling you, but you keep forgetting.»
Lucian laughed softly. Mikhail had never pictured the warrior laughing and relaxed, and for some reason the sound lifted the burden on his shoulders just a little more. Good things were happening with their species. Maybe it wasn't happening as fast as Mikhail liked, but change was taking place.
«I wanted to ask you about something I barely recall centuries ago. I was just a boy and remember very little.»
«I cannot promise to remember, but I will try.»
«In the old days, there was a woman who lived in the village. I do not even remember her lifemate or if she had one. I was too young to really care about such things. She healed the earth. Do you remember her?»
Lucian frowned. «I did not stay in the villages much, even when you were a boy, Mikhail. To remember one person-a woman…» He shook his head. «The villagers, especially the women, avoided Gabriel and me, often fleeing when we were sighted.»
«Try, Lucian,» Mikhail urged. «She would not have fled in fear from you. She was powerful in her own right. She would walk and flowers and grass would grow beneath her feet. It could be very important to us.»
Lucian nodded slowly, his frown deepening as he tried to pull up the ancient memory. The village busy with people living life-a life he never thought he could ever have. Families. Laughter. He had avoided it all as much as possible.
Jaxon's hand slid into his hair, teased the strands of hair along the back of his neck, sending a shiver of awareness down his spine, spreading warmth through his body and into his heart.
He forced his mind back to the old days, searching through bittersweet memories until he found the village where Dubrinsky had lived. Children ran together in small groups. So many nameless faces he had tried not to notice turning away from him. A serene face smiling at him, nodding, acknowledging him even as the children trailed after her. Life sprang up from nothing beneath her feet, green stalks, bright colored flowers, a rich tapestry forming on the ground while the little ones stared in awe.
«She came from a rare and much respected lineage. There were few with her talent. She was beautiful, her hair long and dark, and she always stood tall and straight and looked men in the eye.»
Jaxon smacked him on the back of the head. «I doubt he needs those precise details,» she said. «And just why would she need to be looking you in the eye?»
Mikhail tried to hide his shock. Every Carpathian alive was in awe of this man, but his lifemate treated him-exactly in the way Raven treated the prince of the Carpathian people. He swallowed his smile and glanced away as Lucian reached up to circle her waist and drag her from the arm of the chair onto his lap. She struggled for a minute and then subsided, allowing him to hold her.
«I remember watching her walk into a barren field. Within minutes foliage sprang up everywhere around her.»
«Did she attend births? Or treat the soil before a child was to be born-or even conceived?» It was a long shot, but Mikhail was ready to grasp at the smallest of chances.
Lucian's dark eyebrows shot up. «What are you thinking, Mikhail?»
«Shea said something about the soil being riddled with toxins earlier this evening. As I was flying over the battleground scarred and poisoned by the undead, I noticed one section had been healed. The soil was the darkest, richest soil I have seen in centuries. And then
Raven mentioned that she and several other women got together last night in mineral pools and the soil and water were different. This evening she is able to conceive. I have heard whispers that other women have experienced the same.»
Both men looked at Jaxon. She held up both hands, palms out, shaking her head adamantly. «Not me. Don't even think about it either. I'm just getting used to this lifemate thing. And in case you think I can heal the earth, think again. I've killed every potted plant I've ever tried to grow both before and after the conversion. I'm not your earth healer.»
«Have you heard anything about this, Jaxon?» Lucian asked. His fingers curled around the nape of her neck in a slow massage. «Have any of the women mentioned it to you?»
«No, but I can ask Francesca. She seems to always be in the know about everything. I don't know how she does it all with a baby and a teenager.»
Mikhail scrubbed a hand over his face suddenly looking tired. «It was a long shot anyway. I cannot remember who the woman was or her lineage, nor do I remember if she aided with birthing.»
«I will ask my brother and the other ancients if they remember more of this woman, but truly, Mikhail, if there is such a woman in our midst, we have only to ask her to step forward.»
«The answer cannot be so simple.»
«Maybe it is one piece of a puzzle we must work out-a very important piece.»
«If we find this woman and she is as important as I hope she is, this celebration will be the best thing we have ever done.»
«You are worried. The attack on Skyler and Alexandria?»
Of course Gabriel would have kept Lucian informed. Mikhail nodded. «I have been uneasy for a couple of evenings now. It has definitely put me on edge.»
«We went out there and looked around,» Jaxon said. «Someone had come from the direction of the inn on a sled and was in a snow blind-a very clever one, manmade-about half a mile from where Skyler and Alexandria were hurt. The feeling of power lingered, but it didn't feel Carpathian.» Jaxon bit at her lower lip, puzzling it out. «I've been really trying to get a feel for the different energy fields. That's all Carpathian magic really is, a manipulation of energy, and this felt off to me.»
A small smile lit Lucian's eyes briefly at the flare of surprise on Mikhail's face. «Did I mention Jaxon is a great cop? She tracks nearly as well as I do now.»
«You said something felt 'off to you,» Mikhail prodded. «Off like vampire?»
«There was an evil taint to it,» Jaxon admitted. «Lucian felt it through me, but couldn't on his own, and that really bothered me. If they've found a way to block their identities from the hunters, all of you could be in real trouble.»
«They have been doing that for some time,» Lucian reminded her, his hand sliding down her thigh in a small gesture of assurance.
«Not like this, Lucian,» she objected. «You felt the difference. It wasn't completely vampire-but still stank of evil.» There was worry in her tone.
«It has occurred to me that if our enemies strike against the women and children,» Mikhail confided, «then they would have the best chance for eradicating our species altogether. I do not know how much you know about the group of humans dedicated to wiping out our species. We always refer to them as the society. The vamp
ires have tricked them, infiltrated their ranks and used them as puppets. The dark mage Xavier may be alive as well as his grandson. If that is so, Razvan is the first Dragonseeker to ever turn, and he is something we have never faced. His sister, Natalya, tells me he is a brilliant strategist when it comes to planning a war. No doubt he's already come to the same conclusions I have regarding the best way to strike the most devastating blow to our race.»
Lucian nodded. «I have believed for some time it is inevitable they will begin to strike against our women.»
«And still you allow your lifemate to hunt and destroy the vampire.»
Lucian's fingers tightened around Jaxon's in warning when she would have protested. «What better way to keep her safe than to teach her how to survive when she is attacked? Jaxon has remarkable skills and natural instincts. It would be a crime to stop her from learning how to kill the undead. And before you object, I do not think all our women should be out hunting vampires. But Jaxon is a special case, as are Natalya and Destiny. You cannot suppress their instincts, and let their abilities go to waste, so I have done all I can to prepare her for the hunt.»