Dark Slayer Page 0,78
exact pace with the prince, shielding him as they moved in and out among the snow-laden trees. How can the wolves understand and call to us? How is it they can carry such heavy burdens on their backs and run with such speed?
It appears they are Carpathian. Mikhail had no explanation for how that had come to be, but he knew Ivory had one. If she had converted the wolves, it had been a dangerous venture. Intelligent wolves craving human blood could be the biggest nightmare of all-especially if they bred. He would have to weigh the fate of that pack.
The ice rained down, but the group was at least afforded some shelter from the vicious wind and the stabbing icicles by the twisted branches overhead. Vikirnoff added a protective buffer, weaving the branches tighter so they formed a tunnel.
They carry humans on their backs, Natalya said.
Her heart pounded hard. A part of her was desperate to see her brother, desperate to believe he wasn't the monster she'd come to believe him to be, but the sane half of her whispered that none of the rumors could be true. As she ran with her lifemate and the prince, she found herself praying.
Beneath their feet the ground rolled. The weight of the heavy snow toppled a large tree, the roots springing up from the ground, forming a tangled barrier.
The vampire delays us, Mikhail said. Gregori, swing around to the north. Come in from the other side with Falcon. His goal seems to be to reach the wolf pack before us. He must mean to slay the humans, but for what purpose I have no idea.
I am put on this earth to guard my prince, not save the lives of mortals we do not know.
Mikhail sighed. You grow more stubborn with each passing year, old friend. Vikirnoff is guarding your helpless chick. Come in from the north. Direct the others to come in from the other side. And stop giving me trouble.
Gregori gave the equivalent of a telepathic snort. I would not count on that happening anytime soon. The vampire races to close the pass. You cannot be caught on the ground if that should happen.
It will not happen, because you will be stopping him. There was every confidence in Mikhail's voice.
You do not ask for much.
No. A chance to practice and hone your fading skills.
Gregori's amusement burst over Mikhail as the prince increased his speed. It felt good to be a warrior instead of a ruler, rushing through the forest in answer to a call of distress. His muscles stretched and contracted, and his body rejoiced in the exercise, running tirelessly, weaving in and out of the trees.
Overhead, a thick ice spear burst across the sky, shattering clouds of ice and snow, raining glittering sparks of gold and silver down on the trees as it arced above them and then fell toward earth out of sight. Everywhere the sparks touched, the trees froze, turning a ghastly white, the color spreading like a disease along branches and needles, down the trunks to the ground itself, where the forest floor buckled under the icy pressure.
The heaving ground cracked, jagged fissures opening, so they were forced to leap over the widening cracks as they ran. Sharp ice towers erupted from the ground. Trees cracked and splintered as the spreading cold snapped brittle branches.
Where's it coming from? Mikhail demanded. We have to find the source.
He is trying to slow down the wolf pack, Gregori hissed. I have heard, but never seen, an ice spear that freezes everything in its immediate vicinity. You must be close to it. Break off and deal with it, and I will find the pack.
We're too close to the pack, Gregori, closer than you are. You're better equipped to work your magic against an ice spear capable of freezing a forest. Break off and go after it.
Not on your life. Send Falcon. Nothing is going to stop me from fighting at your side.
For one, I am supposed to command. You do not listen to my orders.
Was that an order? I didn't hear an order in there anywhere. I've sent Falcon to deal with the ice spear.
Mikhail found himself laughing again. It was impossible to be frustrated with Gregori; he'd known him too many years, and Gregori's primary job would always be to see to the safety of the prince. He was still smarting from Razvan shoving a knife to Mikhail's throat. There hadn't been nearly as much danger as it appeared,