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because the villagers don't seem to be infected."

"We will find it now that we know what we are looking for," Nicolas said with confidence. "But in the meantime, destroy that creature."

Lara looked back at the ice monster with its bloodstained teeth and dripping venom. Xavier had created the perfect mother for his parasites.

Lara needed fire, and air to feed the fire. She lifted her arms and faced the monster, while the others stood back, knowing Nicolas had given her a perfect opportunity to thwart Xavier. Destroying his parasite factory would set him back a great deal.

"This is for Razvan and Gerald and Terry," she whispered softly and held up her arms, hands sketching a pattern in the air.

I call on the power of the west, air hears my call I draw on the power of the east, fire come to me.

A rushing of wind could be heard as small, flickering particles began to gather, swirling round and round, creating a wind tunnel. The faster it turned, the higher the flames leaped, gathering more and more particles until it became one large tube of fire. Lara gave a flick of her hand and shot the fire funnel straight and hard at the monster breeding the horrific parasitic worms, enveloping it entirely.

That which is mother and bound by deed, let fire consume the parasites that feed.

The great jaws gaped open in a silent scream and the fire hissed and fought against the ice, blazing white-hot, incinerating and melting the creature fast.

Nicolas blew Lara a kiss. "That ismy woman," he said. "Let's get out of here."

They used their blurring speed to move through the passageways. Xavier's ice caves were well aware of their presence and were beginning to fight back in earnest. The sun would be rising soon and they had to leave. They needed to find the bodies of the aunts and get out before they were trapped by their own weaknesses.

They used blurring speed, not touching the ground, moving fast through the twisting, sometimes very narrow tunnels, always going to the left and up.

Lara's heart began to pound.This is it. This is the chamber where I last saw them and they helped me to escape .

Immediately, Nicolas halted. Natalya and Vikirnoff stopped as well, looking around.

Lara recognized the cathedral ceilings and the two rows of tall, intricate crystal-and-ice-carved pillars running the length of the room. Globes of various colors sat in niches built into the columns. Life-sized ice sculptures of various mythical creatures were scattered around the room, looking like fierce guards. The sculptures had frightened her as a child, especially when she'd seen them come alive at Xavier's whim and stalk her across the floor. Set inside chiseled archways were bloodred pyramids that gave off an unholy glow.

"Don't look into the globes, especially the cloudy ones. They come alive and can trap you." Lara reached for Nicolas's hand, needing the contact.

"Natalya and I have been here before. I pushed the ice through the opening to close it in order to prevent the prince from coming down here to aid us," Vikirnoff said. "Xavier had set a trap for Mikhail using vampires to help him. We were forced to close the opening to protect him, and Natalya and I

barely made it out alive."

"We went through the floor," Natalya said. "He has trapdoors built in to escape."

Beneath the ice floor was a starburst, squares and pyramid pattern that ran through the floor. In the center of each shape were hieroglyphics, each symbol carved deep into the various shapes.

"And I saw the dragons encased in ice," Natalya said. "The ice around them was several feet thick. They looked like water paintings. At first we didn't realize there were two of them."

Lara nodded to her right. "There's an alcove just through there." Now she could barely breathe. Would the bodies still be there? And if so, where had the blood come from? They couldn't still be alive, could they?

"Do you want me to look for you?" Nicolas asked.

She shook her head. This was her quest-her promise. She would do this herself. She squeezed his hand and let go, straightening her spine and forcing her body to put one foot in front of the other. Vikirnoff, Natalya and Nicolas fanned out to protect her, watching the room closely for an attack-certain one was imminent.

Lara crossed over the ice squares, ignoring the horrific memories pouring into her mind. Deliberately she reached for the good-and there had been good-all because of two women. She'd never seen them