Dark Peril Page 0,134

slutty little cock-tease is still alive and there's no fun to be had in this hellhole."

The man with the lower voice murmured very softly, but his tone carried command. "She is of no importance to us now."

"She was important to me. She was my in with the De La Cruz family. I tried to get her alone to compromise her, but she wouldn't even go riding with me."

The man with the low voice sighed. "Her family would have killed you had you done such a stupid thing, and then everything we worked for would be gone. She's nothing, Santiago. There are many women, and we can ensnare any of them once we are in possession of the book and the blood of the royal jaguar. Focus on what's important here. If we get those two things, we have it all. Power. Women. Wealth beyond dreams. And the vampires, Carpathians and the jaguar-men will bow before us. We can rule where we want to rule."

Did you hear them, Solange? Dominic had repeated the conversation in his mind so she could follow along.

"Damn Brodrick. He's so fucking evil his blood is tainted now. He's ruined everything with his sickness," Santiago complained. "His mind is rotted as is everything in his body."

"We will find her," the second voice soothed.

They are mage then, she said. And they have an agenda of their own. What is so darn special about my blood? And why wouldn't Brodrick's blood do? They obviously have to have some kind of connection to him, and they must know he has the same bloodline.

Somehow his depraved lifestyle of murder and rape has ruined the purity of his blood, Dominic answered. He had no idea how, but there could be no other explanation.

The two men inside the house were obviously in on their plot together. One wanted the life of a wealthy rancher and the other wanted power. Santiago was more likely the weaker link, and the one whose body was possessed by the other, although Dominic was certain they were related. The two smelled like siblings.

I will go around to the shed to see who is out there. They would not have anyone here that was not part of their plan.

I can't cover you from this angle, Solange objected. I can see both men in the house through the large windows, but from here I can't see inside the shed.

I will be in another form. He found himself smiling as he moved around the verandah toward the back of the house, a very faint stream of vapor.

As he approached the shed, he slowed into a fine stream, nearly floating around the small wooden building. He could feel the force of energy pulsing from inside. The warped walls could barely contain the pulsing power trapped inside. Do you feel this?

He felt Solange's sharp intake of breath. Get out of there, Dominic. Don't get too close.

Where there had been no breeze, the rain forest floor so still beneath the canopy, without warning, the wind whipped into a frenzy, rushing at the line of trees surrounding the ranch on three sides and right toward Solange. A roar burst from the shed. Inside something blazed white-orange, shining through the cracks of old warped wood.

Something large hit the door of the shed hard enough to shake the entire building. The door splintered halfway up, bulging out.

Get out of there, Solange, Dominic commanded.

Do I have stupid written on my forehead? Half laughter, half exasperation and a dash of very healthy fear edged her voice. She knew whatever was in that shed had scented blood-- her blood--and it was coming for her.

Dominic countered the direction of the wind, pushing it away from Solange so the creature--whatever it was--couldn't find her by scent. The shed shook a second time as the large animal hit the door. This time the wood gave in the middle, breaking and pushing jagged shards outward.

Two men burst from the back of the house, running across the uneven, muddy ground toward the shed. The two looked exactly alike--and neither had silver eyes. Both stopped abruptly about halfway to the shed, spinning around, going back-to-back, hands raised. One spotted the tendrils of fog and immediately hissed something to his twin.

"Alistair!" Santiago yelled as the huge creature in the shed slammed into the door a third time, blasting through it. An enormous black cat leapt out, rushing straight for the forest.

Dominic recognized Santiago's voice, knew he was in trouble and began to streak across the yard. Shoot