Dark Melody (21 page)

Darius's eyebrows shot up and Julian snorted, a blatant smirk on his face. "I would like to see that, Savannah. The dark one losing his mind is an image I will savor for some time." Julian exchanged a grin with Darius. "I seem to recall, Darius, he often lectured Mikhail on how a lifemate should obey her master."

Savannah swung around to pin Gregori with a glare worthy of her heritage. "Master? Obey her master?"

The silver eyes slid over Julian, deadly, gleaming with a promise of retaliation. "I am certain I never used the word 'master.' "

"I believe, Savannah, Gregori was rather severe with your father at times for the amount of freedom he allowed Raven," Julian informed her. "And actually, I am certain the word 'master' was used more than once. I know 'obey' was." He tilted his head to one side. "You might speak with your sister – she has not yet grasped the concept of obedience."

Desari made a face. "Do not allow him to fool you, Savannah. Julian and I have a true partnership. He likes to grumble, but it works out quite well."

Savannah smiled up at Gregori. "That does give me hope, then. I just have to grow into my powers a bit."

"And what then?" Gregori caught her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake. "The very idea of you with any more power than you already have terrifies me. I cannot imagine what you are thinking of doing."

"Why, helping you, of course." Savannah patted his muscular shoulder.

"We have much to talk about," Darius said, "and little time to visit. I feel Dayan's anxiety even now, across the distance. I had thought we might continue our journey through the dawn to draw closer to them, although this is a safe area to spend the day deep in the ground."

"Link with Dayan, Darius, and I will link with you. I wish to examine her myself and see what we are up against," Gregori decided. "With all of us holding, we should be strong enough to permit an examination."

Darius nodded and reached at once across time and space.
'Dayan. The dark one has arrived. He is strong and capable and wishes to "see" what he is up against. I feel your anxiety. Has something more happened to cause your fear?'

Dayan glanced down at Corinne. She was half awake, half asleep, floating somewhere in a dreamlike state in between.
She is restless tonight, even after our healing session, Darius. And her body is unable to regulate her temperature properly. I feel that she is moving
away from this world and approaching the next.'

'Link with her and allow him to see what is happening. '
Darius kept his voice calm and sure. More than anything, Dayan had to believe they could keep Corinne alive.

There was a slight hesitation.
'You trust this man?'

'He is my brother, lifemate to Savannah, daughter of the Prince.'
Darius sent reassurance. ‘I
stand with you, Dayan. Gregori has traveled far to aid us.'
Deliberately Darius used the plural, reminding Dayan they were a family, together in all things. Dayan had all the instincts of a Carpathian male protecting his lifemate. Gregori was a stranger to him and therefore suspect.

'Then l can do no other than thank him.'
Dayan's arm encompassed Corinne. There were tiny white lines near her mouth, marks he found alarming. Dayan conveyed the worrisome detail to Darius as he freed himself from his body. He became light and energy, a healing spirit wanting only to perform a selfless act, giving himself up completely in that moment to be anything Corinne should need.

Dayan felt Darius with him. Familiar. Strong. Enduring. Darius had a way of providing complete confidence. It had always been so, as long as Dayan could remember. Darius had been mother and father to him, elder brother, best friend, leader. Dayan was grateful he was there now. Darius didn't seem to question that they would save Corinne. Her salvation was necessary, so it was already a fact. Dayan took hope from Darius's pragmatism.

The strength pouring in from the combined Carpathians was vast. Dayan felt the power as they merged with him. He felt the dark one moving through him, seeing what he saw, the enormity of their task.

'The heart is deteriorating rapidly. It is necessary to slow it down until we can reach your side.'
The calm voice reminded Dayan of Darius. It exuded the same confidence.
'I am going to do what repairs I can. She must be brought fully into our world soon. The child is in surprisingly good health. Most of the oxygen and nutrients are going to her little body. She is, indeed, a strong psychic. We must not lose either of them.'

Dayan felt the heat and power as the healer began working, moving carefully around the heart. Working to get blood to flow more strongly, carrying precious oxygen throughout the body.

"That is as much as I can do for her from this distance. Send her to sleep. Even while you travel, try to keep her asleep, but be careful not to overtax her heart with any compulsion she may fight. She has strong barriers. I will meet you soon, Dayan, and we will see to it that your lifemate survives, if there is any way to do so.'

'I thank you.'
Dayan replied formally as he returned to his own body and felt the withdrawal of the others. Using such energy over a long distance was not easy. He knew his family and the healer would seek the rejuvenating soil, as he must too. Beside him, Corrine stirred, drawing his attention.

"Why am I feeling so different?" Corinne asked, looking up at Dayan. Her eyes were clear, and she was breathing much more easily. The tiny white lines of strain around her mouth had disappeared.

The relief Dayan felt was overwhelming. He lay beside her trembling with hope, with joy. "The healer is near. He linked with Darius and the others to provide you with more strength. He was the one who worked on your heart."

Corinne was silent a moment, surprised at how much she believed in him. In the strange ways of his family. She did feel better each time Dayan used his telepathic abilities to aid her. She couldn't deny that whatever he was doing worked.

"I want you to sleep now, Corinne," Dayan said. "The dawn is here and you need rest. I will sleep soon too. Rest will allow your body to heal even more."

"I am tired," she agreed, then smiled sleepily at him. "Although I suspect you are using your gift to give me a push in that direction."

"If I am doing so," Dayan said noncommittally, "it is a small one." He pulled her more tightly into the strength of his arms. "I love holding you, Corinne, and lying beside you. The baby is peaceful now – have you noticed? She was kicking before, but she has drifted off now, safe in her little world."

"I love your voice when you talk about her." Corinne's voice was soft, drowsy, as her consciousness faded into sleep.

"You love my voice all the time," Dayan replied smugly, brushing a kiss onto her temple. "Sleep now, my love. Wake when I call to you."

Chapter
9

"Corinne – " The voice penetrated deep layers of sleep, dragging her back from a shadowy world of dreams. Someone was shaking her shoulder and demanding she wake immediately. It took a few moments before the desperation in the voice penetrated the shadows. Alarm spread, and she forced her eyelashes to lift. "Cullen, what is it? What's wrong?" Her heart was pounding and there was a hard pressure in her chest. "Is it Lisa?"

"She's gone. I woke up and she was gone. She left you a note." Cullen was shoving a piece of paper in her face.

Corinne took the letter, her fingers, slightly shaking, curling around the edges of the pale lavender paper. She didn't need the note to tell her where Lisa had gone. She knew Lisa, knew the way she thought. Lisa was programmed to wake up early, and she must have thought about the contract she had signed and talked herself into believing there was no danger. Lisa didn't want there to be danger, so it was simple enough for her to dismiss it. That was Lisa. The world was a place where she changed what she didn't like. People were supposed to be polite and kind, so Lisa simply imagined them that way. When other women didn't like her because of her looks, Lisa was very hurt and did everything in her power to change their opinion of her.

Angry with herself for not having foreseen such a possibility, Corinne threw back the covers and reached out toward her robe. It moved on its own, jumping from the hook on the back of the door to dance across the room to her hand. Corinne didn't seem to notice as she slipped into the terrycloth folds and paced restlessly across the room.

"What was that?" Cullen asked suspiciously.

Corinne glanced up to see him staring at her in shock. "What?" The word slipped out before she realized what she'd done. Of course Lisa wouldn't have explained about her; Lisa didn't want Corinne to different from others. She shrugged with feigned casualness. "Just this little thing I can do, no big deal. Get out of here so I can get dressed. I know where she's gone and I'll get her back."

"The photo shoot," Cullen guessed in disgust. "She didn't want to give that up. I thought she called and canceled it." He raked a hand through his hair. "She's such a defenseless little thing, why wouldn't she tell me? She knew I thought she was in danger. She should have listened to me."

"She listened to you, Cullen, she just didn't
hear you.
You'll find Lisa says things to appease you because she doesn't like arguments, but in the end she does exactly what she wants," Corinne said. She was pulling her clothes out of the suitcase and rushing for the bathroom.

"She knew how dangerous it was," Cullen said, trying to convince himself. "Maybe she didn't really go; maybe she started to and changed her mind."

Corinne yanked on her jeans, calling out to him through the bathroom door. "No, she didn't, Cullen. She pretended to believe us because it was what we all wanted to hear and Lisa doesn't believe in upsetting people. I'm telling you, Lisa doesn't argue. This is my fault. I should have known she would do this. Don't worry, I'll bring her back." She was buttoning the small pearl buttons of her blouse as fast as she was able, smoothing the material, her hand lingering for one small moment over her baby. She glanced at her watch. It was four thirty in the afternoon. How had she slept the day away again? Using cold water, Corinne splashed her face in an attempt to clear the fog from her brain. It was strange how tired she was. Was her heart giving out so soon? Abruptly she pulled her thoughts away from her mortality and concentrated on the problem at hand. Lisa was in danger, and nothing else mattered at that moment.

Running barefoot back into the bedroom, Corinne swept up her hair haphazardly and fastened it into a semblance of a ponytail. "Where are my shoes?" Even as she asked the question aloud, she focused on the missing items and drew them to her. The shoes found their own way out from under the bed and presented themselves to her open palms. Cullen stared at her in amazement. Ignoring him, Corinne sat back on the bed and pulled on the sandals. "Stop staring at me, Cullen," she commanded. "I didn't know where the dam things were. Lisa must have taken a cab. We'll have to use your car; mine is still at the house. Where is it?"

"Right outside on the street. Don't bring it in here," he responded dryly.

Corinne's vivid green eyes flickered over him, then began to dance in spite of the gravity of the situation. "I wonder if I could. Where's Dayan?" He had been with her when she fell asleep. She remembered that quite distinctly.

Cullen cleared his throat. "It's a little early for him, but he'll know where we've gone when he wakes up. He always knows." He tried to sound reassuring.

Corinne's hands stilled around the strap of her purse. "Why don't you wake him up?" There was something in Cullen's demeanor that made her suspicious, but of what, she didn't know.

"He didn't stay here last night. After you went to sleep, he left. He likes his privacy," Cullen added a little lamely.

"Isn't that strange, when he's so quick to invade mine," Corinne murmured. She snatched up her purse and headed determinedly for the door. "Come on if you're coming. I want to make sure Lisa is safe."

"I'm coming, all right, and I'll have a few things to say to Lisa when I see her," Cullen added, holding open the door for Corinne.

"It doesn't do any good to get mad at Lisa," Corinne counseled as she slipped into the passenger seat. "She doesn't view things like other people. Yelling doesn't work with her, it only distresses her. I don't want her hurt, Cullen."

"Isn't that what we're trying to prevent?" he asked between his teeth.

"That isn't what I'm talking about. She's very vulnerable. I'm sure she told you about her brother's death."

"Which is exactly why she should be taking this seriously," he pointed out. "She's too trusting."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Cullen," Corinne said gently. "That's what makes Lisa Lisa. She is trusting and genuinely sweet and good." She glanced at his set features. "I've never seen her with a man the way she is with you. She talks a great deal, but she doesn't really fall for anyone. Don't do anything to hurt her."

Cullen laughed unexpectedly. "I believe she was planning to have this exact talk with Dayan about you."

Corinne tossed her head, her hair swinging against the window with an independent little swish. "I am perfectly capable of looking out for myself. Lisa, on the other hand, is not." Her eyes flashed at him in warning.

"I hear you, Corinne," Cullen admitted with a small grin. "I'm not the playboy type. I can't believe she even looked at me. And these same people who murdered your husband are after me. I know what they're like. I would never have acted on my feelings if she hadn't already been in danger. The minute I met her, I was attracted to her. I had no idea she would be at all interested in someone like me." He drove fast but expertly. After Lisa's wild driving, Corinne was appreciative of his skill. "I could easily fall in love with Lisa if I allowed myself to spend any time with her. In the last few years, I've never looked at a woman in that way." There was a heartbeat of silence. "I never thought I could – not again."