Dark Storm (Dark #23)(56)
Author: Christine Feehan

"They were not. Though I doubt you will find them alive. Mitro’s stench is very thick in this part of the jungle."

"So how do we go about finding them?" Riley asked. "Even if you think they’re dead, we can’t be sure. And we can’t just leave them out here alone. Who knows what sort of traps Mitro has set."

"I have to go to the village where these people came from." He indicated the blackened battleground.

"The remaining villagers have fled," Jubal said. "They melted into the rain forest, and Miguel said they wouldn’t go back to their village."

Gary nodded. "We told him to take the others away from here, deeper into the forest as well, and to wait for us there. They think another more aggressive tribe attacked us."

Riley tightened her fingers around Dax’s. "Why go there? Haven’t you sacrificed enough? You don’t have to see what else he’s done."

Dax brought her hand to the warmth of his mouth. "Mitro had to have spent at least one night in that village to have corrupted so many. He would have left dangers behind, as well as his personal signature of evil. I have to clean that up. From there, I should be able to find in which directions he traveled. It’s possible you might be able to help me in that regard, Riley, although I’m not certain I want you to see any more death, but with Arabejila’s connection to him and your gifts, you might be able to pick up his trail. In that lies our best chance of discovering what happened to the two missing men. And finding them might help me anticipate Mitro’s next move."

The thought of seeing more innocent dead people twisted her insides, but Riley took a breath and agreed. If he had to endure the aftermath of the vampire’s destructive path, she wanted to share it with him. She was just as responsible. "I’ll do whatever I can to help. But how can finding Marty and Pedro help lead you to Mitro?"

"It’s just a guess. The only thing that ever changed his course besides a hunter getting too close was information he could turn to his advantage. If he took your friends and didn’t kill them immediately, then he was likely using them for information."

"What information could he possibly get from an archaeology student and a local guide?" Riley answered her own question. "The local area. Pedro would know all the roads, all the villages and cities. He’d be like a walking map of this part of Peru."

Jubal continued the line of thought. "The kid would have buckets of information the vampire could use. Internet, English, how electricity works, biology, explosives. Hell, cameras, police, world trade. Marty’s college education would definitely be of interest."

"We should get moving. The more time that goes by the fainter Mitro’s trail will be, and it is a very big world out there for him to hide in," Dax said.

"Let me take a minute and see if I can …" Riley trailed off looking toward the blackened ruins of the battleground. "It will only take a moment." She felt guilty for holding everyone up, especially since she knew they were on a limited time schedule, but the compulsion was growing strong in her. She couldn’t bear to leave that scarred piece of ground when she knew she could aid the healing process.

She didn’t wait for permission, her feet already taking her toward the blackened soil. She was vaguely aware of Dax pacing protectively alongside of her, but her mind was already tuning itself to the earth. Everything else faded into insignificance. She knelt beside the terrible blackened soil and sank her hands deep. Closing her eyes she sent out energy, the seeds of plants, trees and flowers moving through her mind. She could see them sprout, wind their way up through the dirt to burst toward the sky. The soil was rich with minerals, fuel for the plants to aid them in recovery.

She had no real idea of time passing until she found herself swaying a little and blinking at the sight of the circle of dense foliage growing in front of her. Dax put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Behind him, Gary and Jubal were looking at the amazing growth of plants. There was no feeling of evil thanks to Dax, and the ground was more fertile and thick with an abundance of young trees, ferns and plants.

"I should probably get my pack-we will need supplies," she said, with a small, shaky smile. She felt as if she was coming back from a long distance. She allowed Dax to help her to her feet. "What about them?" She pointed back toward the wall. "Are we leaving any weapons with them or anything? The professor didn’t look like he should be moved much."

"I was thinking just the two of us. Gary and Jubal can stay and protect the others and your things. We won’t leave them for long." He gestured toward the wide circle of plants. "That’s amazing. You’re amazing." And mine.

Her gaze jumped to his. She heard him so clearly, that firm, soft and warm and so sexy voice pouring into her mind so intimately. Her hand fluttered to her throat. "You’re not going to turn into a giant red dragon right now are you?"

"Do you want me to shift into a dragon?" His voice sounded different, causing her to think more closely on the conversation: something in what they were saying mattered to Dax but Riley wasn’t sure what.

"I was thinking we could hike if it’s not too far."

"I was thinking something a little different." Dax sent a picture of him lifting her off the ground and taking to the sky with her in his arms.

"No. No way. Don’t even think about-" She squealed as the man swept her off her feet and began to run.

"I can’t believe you’re carrying me again."

He glanced down at her in genuine surprise. "I can turn into a dragon, stop an explosion with ‘magic,’ and do all manner of incredible feats, but you can’t believe I’m carrying you?"

"That was a figure of speech. Now put me down. I will not be carried through the jungle by Tarzan."

"I do not know this Tarzan, but if he makes a habit of carrying off his woman, I think I would like him." His laughter rumbled through her. "Wrap your arms around my neck and hold on tight."

He launched into the sky, spearing up through a hole in the canopy. The moment they broke through the canopy, Dax caught her around the waist and turned her so she could see the ground below them and the direction they were flying. "Oh my …" From this height she could see the volcano clearly as it was billowing ash from one side. The rivers of magma spilling down its sides looked like ribbons of orange light in the dusk sky. The sight was humbling and beautiful on such an elemental level Riley found all she could do was watch in awed silence.

"I had hoped you would like this."

"Dax, I don’t know how anyone could not like this. It’s beyond words."