the impulse to try to shake them off. The scraping sound continued, growing louder. She risked another look above her. The slug-like creature seemed to have grown even larger with the enormous jaws hanging over the edge and the cold, red eyes glaring at her. The thing opened its mouth wide, displaying teeth and the venomous curved scythes.
Her heart skipped a beat and began to pound. Those hideous snake heads were going to come at her face any moment, no doubt delivering a bite she wouldn’t survive. She was going to have to let go of her lifeline with one hand and reach for her knife. If the thing was really fast, she was going to have one very slim chance.
Swallowing hard, never taking her eyes from the monstrous red eyes peering down at her with so much malevolence, she eased her death grip on the ice axe, transferring her weight to one arm. She’d climbed since she was practically a toddler and had the body strength, but it was cold and she was losing strength. She kept her movements slow, not wanting to trigger an attack. Her fingers closed around the hilt of her knife secured in her belt. She eased it out slowly.
Arms caged her against a hard chest and Traian’s scent filled her lungs. I’ve got you, he whispered in her mind.
Power snapped and crackled as the energy built around her. Relief made her sag against him. There was no controlling the terrible trembling that started. Flames burst from Traian’s hand, a fiery ball that blasted straight down the creature’s throat. It screamed, a loud, long, drawn-out piercing cry that shattered icicles. A volcano of parasites burst from it, on fire, falling like ash around them.
Joie buried her face in Traian’s chest. “They’re in my hair.”
“Ssh, I’ll get them off of you,” he soothed, his voice gentle. “Your helmet prevented them from getting into your scalp.”
She felt the soft warm air he used to rid her of the debris that had rained down on her. The thought of the tiny maggots crawling over her skin was worse than the sensations of the thousands of crickets moving over her in the ice chute. She forced air through her lungs and made herself reach out to retrieve her ice axe.
“Are you hurt? Any bites? Did those parasites get under your skin?”
She shook her head, clinging to his strength, not bothering to pretend the encounter hadn’t shaken her. He moved quickly through the air, so fast the cold air bit at her face, numbed her arms and tore tears from her eyes. Joie buried her face against his chest again and pushed her body tightly against the unnatural warmth of his, allowing herself a few moments to recover before she faced her siblings.
“You are teaching me the meaning of fear,” he said.
“Really? I thought it was the other way around. I don’t think your world is the calm environment a woman like me should be in.” Her voice shook, embarrassing her. “Frankly, Traian, this is a very terrifying place. And I’m not known for finding environments or situations terrifying. I don’t want Gabrielle and Jubal to see me like this. And it’s a little humiliating that you are.”
“Having courage does not mean being unafraid.”
“True, but everyone doesn’t have to know I was shaking in my boots. Literally.”
“I am not everyone. I am your lifemate, the other half of your soul. We do not hide things from one another. I need to know how you are feeling or if you are injured in any way.”
“I have no idea what that means. Nor do I have any idea of this kind of existence. What was that thing?” She shuddered again. “I’ve been in caves all around the world and I’ve never encountered anything like we’re finding here.”
“I have no idea what it was. I have never seen one before either. I was on my way to my homeland when I encountered the packs of vampires. That was unusual enough that I needed to learn more about them. Unfortunately, there were more of them than me and with three master vampires, I ran into Armageddon. Masters are very old and very experienced. They use newer vampires to hunt for them and to weaken prey before they move in for the kill.”
“I don’t like the sound of the word ‘prey.’ ” Another shudder went through her. “We’re going so fast, I would have thought we’d cross over the crevice fast.”