Dark Lycan (Dark #24)(86)
Author: Christine Feehan

They got through the chamber to the entrance itself. Fen studied that carefully before he streamed through. He nearly ran straight into webs of fire spiders. The thin threads glowed with flames. They were woven tight, layer upon layer, so had he even in his present form touched a strand, he wouldn’t be able to get loose.

He’s using fire spiders.

Fen felt Tatijana’s instant rejection of his assessment. Fire spiders would never allow themselves to be used by Bardolf against a Dragonseeker.

How would they know who follows him? Dimitri asked with a little smirk in his voice.

The insects in this cave know everything. They aren’t mere insects. Each species was mutated to some degree. The fire spiders, in fact most species of spiders, were our allies.

Fen had to believe her. How did Bardolf get through? He studied the glowing web. Bardolf had led them to the fire spiders in the hope that they would be trapped.

He couldn’t have, Tatijana answered. He couldn’t have gotten past that web. It’s too big and thick. The spiders have been here for years, spinning that web. There are no tears in it and they couldn’t have repaired a tear this fast. He didn’t go through this entrance.

I smell him.

Then he went through it, stopped and came back. He had some time to explore this cave. This can’t be the first time he’s been in it. He probably found his lair the first night he was here, she insisted. I’m right about this, Fen. I am. If there’s one thing I do know, it’s fire spiders.

I believe you. We need to figure out where he went.

There were two other ways to leave the cave, each leading into another, larger cavern. One way dropped lower, leading to another level. The floor of the last entrance seemed even with the chamber they were in. Fen wasn’t especially keen on exploring the maze of caves beneath them. The lower they went, the more likely it was that they would run into Xavier’s safeguards.

The moment he neared the entrance to the next chamber, warnings rippled through him, yet he couldn’t see any obvious trap-it just felt wrong to him. He approached cautiously.

I’ve got multiple warning signals going off all over the place, Fen, Dimitri said.

Me, too, Tatijana added. Maybe we should try door number three instead.

Fen waited a moment, thinking it through. Bardolf didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for an attack. He had to have noticed Tatijana’s dragon and had exited his cave into the ice caves for safety. The other alternative would have given him even less time to prepare-if he felt her energy as she’d joined the two hunters at the entrance to his cave.

Wait a minute. He went this way. He’s trying to herd us that way. He didn’t have enough time to set up many traps. He’s using what he knows is already here.

Fen didn’t wait for the others to agree; he knew Bardolf was close. Misdirection was an easy escape if the Sange rau could make it happen. Bardolf didn’t want to fight them. He would if he was cornered, but if he could escape them, that would be his first choice. He was running.

He streamed through the arched opening into the next, cathedral-ceilinged chamber. The walls were covered in ice balls, great glops clinging to the sheets of ice, looking for all the world as if someone had thrown huge popcorn all over the walls to decorate them. Hanging from the ceiling were enormous icicles.

Good God, Fen, Dimitri hissed. This is a massacre waiting to happen.

Tatijana, don’t come through to this chamber yet, Fen cautioned. If he’s using your energy to track us, I don’t want him to know we chose this way. Let me see what I can find before you enter.

But, little sister-kin, Dimitri cautioned, don’t go exploring. Stay right by the entrance where we can see you.

Now I have two of you worried about me. I’m perfectly fine right here. I’m really not all that fragile.

She felt fragile to Fen, but he wasn’t a stupid man and he didn’t say that to her. He wanted to take her out of there and just hold her tight, but there was no turning back. He kept close to the walls of the room, moving slowly to keep from disturbing the air. He matched the temperature of his molecules to the chamber’s so that even that couldn’t give him away.

He’s here, he cautioned Dimitri. In this room. Hiding. Tatijana, move back a little more from the entrance. If he felt you there, he would think you were retreating toward the other chamber.

He’s got a lot of weapons in here, Dimitri reminded, but so do we.

Tatijana moved away from the door and they lost sight of her. Both stilled, waiting. Patience was needed in the hunt. No one moved. Time passed. Water dripped and the continuous creaking of the ice became a strange music. More drops ran down the west-facing wall. Small. Like tiny beads of sweat. Hardly noticeable. Both hunters noticed.

The droplets rolled halfway down the sheet of ice before they froze there. Still, the hunters didn’t take the bait. They waited in absolute stillness. Again time passed. The creaking of the ice gave way to a thunderous roar from a chamber quite close as the pressure pushed a giant-sized chunk out of a wall and flung it hard into the room. The chunk crashed to the floor with a resounding boom, shaking several adjoining caves.

With the strength of the vibrations, a few of the round balls clinging to the walls close to Fen broke free and fell to the floor, crashing and splintering into fragments like glass. A soft chuckle added to the music of the ice.

He believes we fell for his ruse and went to the next chamber, Fen said. He’s going to be fast, Dimitri, he’s fighting for his life and a cornered wolf is a very dangerous one.

His brother knew as much about wolves as he did, but still, he worried. He wasn’t about to get Dimitri killed, and his younger brother always was patient about Fen giving him advice. He was quiet, often shaking his head, but he never seemed offended.

Both hunters focused on the corner, up by the ceiling where the drips had originated.

Don’t reveal yourself to him, even if it looks as if I’ve staked him. He won’t know you’re close by and we’ll get that second chance at him, Fen instructed. Tatijana, if he slips through, conceal yourself, don’t try to take him on alone.

I would never consider taking him on alone.

She had that little snippy voice that told him she might be up to something, but he had to trust her word and know she would put her safety first.

The ice at the corner of the wall began to ripple as if it was coming alive. More water dripped and then ran down the side of the wall in a little stream. Bardolf didn’t bother to keep his body temperature the same as the chamber. He preferred his comfort, and ice caves weren’t for wolves.

Fen had never tried to kill a Sange rau without its body. He didn’t even know if it could be done. At best, he might be able to force Bardolf into another form, giving Dimitri the chance to kill him. Nevertheless, he planned to try. He began drifting up toward the corner of the ceiling, keeping his movements slow, so there was no chance of his disturbing the air.