gaze.
"Behind you!" Jubal warned.
The beat of wings, the thunder of feet, the brush of paws sounded overly loud on the wooden floor as the vampires and their clones attacked. Mikhail dissolved into vapor and streamed over the heads of the creatures. He slipped through the main entryway door, beneath the crack and streamed out into the night toward the forest with bats, birds and wolves rushing after him.
Natalya turned on the nearest wolf, her mind racing. She would have recognized Vikirnoff in any form. The clone wolves still remained behind and she "felt" the presence of evil in the inn, probably stalking those upstairs, but the vampires had charged after Vikirnoff and she was certain there would be more of them. Snarling, she whirled to face the wolves, wanting to dispose of them quickly so she could follow Vikirnoff.
"Cover Natalya, Mirko! I'm going to protect my sister." Jubal picked up two more cans of hairspray and raced out the door.
The few people crowding close to see what was happening, ran when Jubal burst out of the same room where several hideous creatures had just emerged from. No one was in the hall, but the walls seemed to expand and contract as if the building itself was breathing heavily. The door to Natalya's room was ajar and Jubal skidded to a halt wanting the lighter out in case he needed it to defend himself or Gabrielle.
"I'm coming in," he warned just before peeking his head around the door.
His heart stuttered when he looked at his sister. She was white, almost gray, the lite gone from her face, and both Raven and Sara looked pale, their expressions focused as they concentrated on keeping Gabrielle alive. Mikhail, in his Vikirnoff disguise, and Falcon moved carefully around the room, examining the walls and floor.
"We are taking Gabrielle out of here, Jubal," Falcon explained, his voice calm. "Mikhail is leading them away to give us time to get Gabrielle to safety." In the very likely event vampires were near, Falcon wanted to preserve the masquerade as long as possible that Mikhail had left the inn.
"Is she dead?"
"I will not lie to you. We are keeping her alive, but we do not know if what we are doing will work. She is mortally wounded. Vikirnoff holds her spirit to prevent her from passing now. We can keep her body functioning, but we cannot contain her essence. He was the first person here and her spirit is sealed to his until she dies-or completes the conversion."
"We must go now." Mikhail mimicked Vikirnoff's voice perfectly. There was urgency in his tone. "I feel the presence of the vampire, but cannot locate his exact position."
The tigress pushed its way into the room, ignoring the others as she caught up her pack in her teeth and went into the bathroom. Natalya emerged a couple of minutes later, still shoving weapons into the loops on her pants.
"Sorry it took so long, but there were a few of them. You have to go now." Her birthmark was burning painfully. "Another vampire is close."
"Jubal, bring the car around," Vikirnoff/Mikhail instructed as he lifted Gabrielle into his arms. "Hurry, we do not have much time."
Raven and Sara crowded close to him, protective of the woman as the prince started for the balcony.
Without warning, pieces of the ceiling rained down in sharp spears. Raven threw her hands into the air, creating a shield as they raced for the balcony. Jubal tossed the can of hairspray to Natalya and ran out of the room and down the stairs, using the front entrance to get to the car.
Natalya and Falcon separated, each moving to an opposite corner of the room. Natalya lifted her sword in preparation. The ceiling gaped open, and something dark and shadowy dropped into the room. She recognized the vampire immediately. Knowing Falcon had the better chance of killing him quickly, she stepped out of the corner to draw his attention.
"You're too late, Arturo," she greeted. "And you look a little worse for wear. Did you and your master have a bit of trouble with the shadow warriors, because, honestly, you look like you've been sliced and diced."
He snarled, flexing his hands into claws. "You. The hunters deserted and left you to your fate."
"The hunters didn't think you were worth their time. I told them I could handle you no problem. I've already killed you, sheesh, let me think"-she tilted her head to study his face, lined now with hideous scars-"at least four times,