worse?"
"Worse than the vampires or the shadow warriors?"
She shook her head. "Worse than whatever is tracking me beneath the ground."
Their gazes locked. Vikirnoff had such compassion in his eyes, Natalya looked away, afraid she would cry. The idea of parasites clinging to her body or even just the hand branded on her skin, sickened her.
"We will get rid of it, ainaak enyem."
The way he said the endearment turned her heart over. "What does that mean exactly?" She tried to interject suspicion into her voice, as if he was still calling her slip of a girl or something equally obnoxious, but she recognized the word ainaak as forever. More than that, it was the way he said it, the look in his eyes.
"Forever mine." His fingers curled around hers. "Which you are."
She gave an inelegant snort of what she hoped would sound like derision. She felt a little foolish walking down the stairs holding his hand, but it was comforting. "How was he able to get into my head, Vikirnoff?"
"Maxim?"
"He was able to crawl inside of me." She shuddered and he felt the revulsion rippling through her mind as well.
"I am not certain," he replied carefully.
"But you have an idea."
"Shields are safeguards. Blocks. We weave them automatically and we expect that no one will come into our minds and tear them down." A muted sound distracted him, divided his attention. It was hushed, stealthy, as if someone or something was nearby. Even with his extraordinary night vision he couldn't see beyond the ice pack of the walls bulging around them and overhead. The staircase wound downward, but now was leveling off and curving toward the south.
Natalya chewed at her lower lip, frowning, concentrating on what he was not saying. "Why would my safeguards be destroyed?"
"I do not know. How did the shadow warrior get into the room at the inn?" He sent his senses seeking around them for any hint of danger. Something was definitely moving in the darkness off to their left. The wall of ice was thick between them, but the unknown stalker kept pace with them. We are not alone. Keep talking, but do not say anything of importance.
Natalya let go of his hand and dropped back two stairs to give both of them room if they should have to fight. The feel of her knife was familiar and even comforting as she laid the blade up along her wrist to conceal it. "It's cold down here. You aren't even shivering." She allowed the tigress to rise toward the surface just enough for her to utilize the superior senses of the cat. At once she scented something peculiar.
It smells like something wild. Not a vampire, but not human. Not Carpathian. I don't recognize the scent... yet I do.
She uttered a small shriek of frustration in her head. I detest having my memories so fragmented.
"I can regulate my body temperature," Vikirnoff responded aloud. "You can, too." Does it smell the same as the creature that caught your ankle and tried to drag you beneath the ground?
At once he heard her heart begin to accelerate wildly, but she was game enough, snorting derisively. "If I could regulate my temperature, Vik," she smirked at him when he threw her a warning glance over his shoulder. "I'd be doing it."
Keep an eye on the walls. He gave her the warning as he searched the wide expanse of ice.
Not the walls! She stared at the steps below her feet frantically. He's below us now.
Vikirnoff, we have to get off the steps.
No, he's pacing along beside us.
I'm telling you he's below us.
Vikirnoff simply turned and dragged her into his arms, taking to the air to get her feet off the stairs. He was certain he was right. The creature was not below them, but instead was stalking alongside them, obviously aware of some break in the wall they had no knowledge of. He moved fast, using preternatural speed, racing through the twisting, narrow hall, staying as far from the left wall as possible. Even using his supernatural speed, the creature kept pace with them and then suddenly it was ahead.
He is moving into position to strike.
My ankles are burning. Which side? She gripped the knife.
Left.
Natalya shifted closer to Vikirnoff's left shoulder, knowing her knee was digging into the wound on his chest and her elbow had to be hitting his neck. He didn't wince, but she felt his pain. Not in her mind, but in her body. I'm sorry.
Vikirnoff heard the soft whisper in