Dark Peril Page 0,154
the strong lines of his jaw and the gleaming, flowing hair. He looked exactly like what he was--a dangerous predator--and everyone and everything moved out of his way. She had seen him many ways: as the warrior prepared to go into battle; as a man, helping her learn to appreciate being a woman; and as a lover, fiercely passionate and infinitely tender. But she had never seen the legend in action.
Everyone gave him a wide berth, especially the vampires who recognized the legend striding into their midst. They scattered as he deliberately walked through their circle. No one spoke to him, but they didn't take their eyes off him, even as he walked straight up to the door. The guards actually held it open. He disappeared inside and the vampires closed ranks and began to whisper.
I don't like this, Solange protested. Couldn't you have gone in unseen?
Dominic had the blueprint of the laboratory in his head from the drawings Solange had made for him. She had spent hours hiding inside the facility and she paid attention to detail. He had to get inside the area housing the computers, and they had security codes for that.
This is what I do best, kessake . I will be fine. Just be ready and keep alert. They cannot spot you or our plan fails.
She hissed at him, and deep inside he smiled at his spitting little cat. I love you, too.
She subsided and he moved through the first entryway into the hall leading to the experiment rooms. She had said there were at least five scientists working on various experiments. They were human and involved with the society to stop vampires. Unfortunately for them, they were in league with the very ones they sought to stamp out. The vampires pointed them at Carpathians, and the human society members did their best to kill as many as possible.
He opened the door and the scent of blood assailed his senses. He had fed from Zacarias's workers, building his strength for the long night to come. He was going to be in two places at one time, a difficult feat for anyone. He was adept at it, but still, cloning oneself drained strength fast and he would need to be at the top of his game to do battle.
No one looked up when he entered. There were four men in lab coats surrounding a fifth man who was not human. He was dressed in combat clothes and his face was handsome, the dark eyes compelling, every hair in place in spite of the humidity and heat. He was having a difficult time maintaining, with the scent of blood so heavy in the room.
Dominic paid little attention to any of them, his attention caught by the sixth man in the room. This was the one who kept the vampire in line, kept him from falling on the lab techs and devouring their blood. He was the one in charge, the one who made certain the vampire in the chair allowed the humans to take the blood from his veins. Twice this one had narrowly missed being killed by Dominic. His name was Flaviu, and they had detested one another as youths. Flaviu had shown a proclivity toward harming animals even before he lost his emotions. Dominic had not been surprised to see him choose to betray the Carpathian way of honor very early.
Flaviu stood up abruptly, exposing his fangs in a threat, yet backing away slightly to give himself more room. His gaze shifted surreptitiously toward the door. "You are-- unexpected."
Dominic ignored him, treating him as he might a lesser vampire--with contempt, as if he were beneath Dominic's notice.
The fangs slipped again, betraying the egotistical characteristic so prevalent in vampires. When he spoke, Flaviu's voice was raspy, as if he couldn't get his voice to work around his fangs. The vampire in the chair moved restlessly, earning him a reprimand from one of the surly lab techs. "What are you doing here, Dragonseeker?" Flaviu demanded, his tone high-pitched. "No one is supposed to be in here. You have to leave."
Dominic stopped moving around the room, examining each of the experiments and checking the slides under the lens of the microscope. The silence stretched and lengthened. He let the vampire squirm under his piercing gaze. Several more heartbeats went by and even the techs looked up from their work.
"Do you really think I will obey a worm like you? I have come at the call, but I will not