Dark Carousel (Dark #30) - Christine Feehan Page 0,143

the wood. Cursing, they kicked at the door over and over, but all they did was burn the soles of their boots. Finally, one dropped his hand to the doorknob and twisted. The door opened for them because Liv had left it unlocked. The two men rushed inside only to find the building empty. They knocked over furniture, angry that they’d missed their prey.

At the same time, two men rushed into Emeline’s home and the other two into Tariq’s home. They found the buildings empty, too. Furious, they rushed outside. The six men converged in the center of the compound. One turned his head and frowned. Every muscle in Tariq’s body froze as he followed the man’s gaze straight to Emeline lying so still on the ground.

Tariq sent his command to the dragons and instantly they pulled up and flew away from the heavy fighting in an attempt to intercept the six men. Fire rained down. One of the six giants rolled away from the others as five of them took the brunt of the dragon attack. Two caught on fire. One fell to the ground, rolling to try to put the flames out, while the other ran for the lake. Gunfire broke out and two of the giants went down, thrashing, wounded, but not dead. The fifth man tried to follow his partner, but was cut down when Matt, the head of Tariq’s security force, shot him point-blank in the heart.

Tariq turned his attention to the last giant, the one now crouching beside Emeline. He grabbed her hair in his fist and lifted her head. Clearly she was still out. There was blood on the side of her face and on the rock lying on the ground beside her. She’d hit hard enough that it was a huge concern, but now she was in the hands of Vadim’s half human-half puppet.

As he rose, dragging her up with him, the two human males who had rushed to Emeline’s house ran around the porch toward him. At the same time, Liv leapt up, screaming at the giant of a man, determined that he wouldn’t take Emeline.

“No! You can’t have her. I won’t let you.” She shrieked at the man as she got to him, punching and kicking his leg.

The two male psychics Vadim had recruited separated, one yanking at Emeline, dragging her out of the giant’s arms while the other attacked. Snarling, the giant slammed his fist into the blond man’s forehead. The blond man fell over backward as if he’d been hit with a sledgehammer.

Tariq’s soldiers were converging and the dragons circled above them, readying for a pass at the giant. The blond man’s partner stumbled away from the huge, monstrous half puppet, Emeline in his arms. Snarling, the giant reached down, snatched up Liv and turned and ran toward the gates, calling out as he did so. Immediately what was left of Fridrick’s soldiers closed ranks behind him, racing after him, holding off Tariq’s men so the giant could escape with his prize.

Charlotte screamed soundlessly, over and over, struggling to move, to overcome the terrible paralysis of the Carpathian people. Not again. He can’t have her again, Tariq.

Be calm, sielamet. He won’t kill her. He’ll use her as a bargaining chip to get Emeline, Genevieve and you. We will be able to retrieve her this rising. Every hunter is well aware of what has happened and they will go with us to take her back.

But she’ll never recover. The trauma. She wasn’t safe. Even here, she wasn’t safe. She’ll always know she wasn’t and she’ll never feel safe again.

We will do our best with her, Charlotte. It is all we can do. Allow me to send you to sleep again. There is no point in lying here unable to move with your mind in chaos and your heart in agony. He would send her to sleep no matter what. He couldn’t stand Charlotte suffering. With her mind so open to him now, she never thought to raise the barrier to protect herself even though it was so automatic with everyone else.

She took a breath and looked at him, tear tracks little red streaks down her face. She nodded and instantly he sent her back to sleep and then turned to direct his small band of men to cleaning up and seeing to Emeline. He wanted the two men who had aided Emeline held until he could examine them and find out what they knew and why they had changed