Dark Melody (Dark 12)

"It all happened too fast to really understand what is going on," Corinne answered honestly, not certain how to feel. She looked past Desari to the two other women behind her. They were smiling in reassurance but hesitated in the doorway, so Corinne waved to encourage their entry.

"I believe we are under siege." Desari took Corinne's hand to comfort her and at the same time to check her pulse. "There is no need to be afraid. My brother Darius and Gregori are two of the most accomplished hunters we have. They are seeking the evil one, along with Dayan, to destroy that which is a threat to humans and immortals alike." She spoke calmly, as if chasing evil monsters were an everyday occurrence. "Naturally, they will see to it that Dayan does not come to any harm. After all, we are fighting to save you and the child. We will not lose Dayan to an evil one."

Corinne studied the other woman's face carefully. She could see only goodness, compassion, a light shining outward from deep within Desari's soul. She appeared tranquil even in the face of such an evil being. "It felt horrible," Corinne admitted in a low voice, "and I could tell that Dayan was shielding me somehow from the experience."

"It was a vampire," the shorter, raven-haired woman answered calmly, reaching for a glass of clear water. "Here, drink this. I'm Savannah, Gregori's lifemate, by the way. I know it sounds absurd and something that cannot be real, but I assure you, vampires exist and they actively seek women who have psychic ability. Especially a woman unclaimed."

"You're Savannah Dubrinsky, the magician. I saw your performance in Seattle a few months ago. You were wonderful." Corinne sipped at the water to give her mind time to comprehend the situation. "That thing was looking for me, wasn't it?"

Desari shrugged casually. "In a way. You drew it here, although it does not know who you are. When it probed, it found only the male hunters. It will not be a problem, because they will destroy it."

"If this is all true," Corinne demanded, "why hasn't one ever tried to find me before?" As much as it seemed impossible for Desari to lie, Corinne didn't want her explanation to be true. Maybe it would have been better to live without knowing any of it.

The redhead smiled at her. "I'm Tempest, and believe me, Corinne, I know how confused you must be by all this. I was in your shoes only a few weeks ago. Just remember this," she continued, revealing that she could read Corinne's thoughts; "you would be missing a great adventure, which life is, and you would miss knowing Dayan. Most importantly, eventually you would have chosen to use your gift, and the surge of power would have revealed your presence to the undead. They would have found you."

"I have used my talent before," Corinne asserted.

"Perhaps, but in small things - little surges of power that would not call to the undead unless you were already in close proximity to them. More and more you are becoming at ease with your talents. Any surge of power leaves traces. We can find one another through those surges, and so can the undead." Desari spoke matter-of-factly, calmly, as if she were speaking of the weather.

"On the other hand, this all might be some weird nightmare I haven't managed to extract myself from," Corinne suggested with a slight smile. "Dayan is worth it, though. I love to listen to him. He says the most beautiful things to me. He has such a beautiful voice, and a beautiful soul. He always makes me feel as if I'm the only woman in his world."

"To him you are the only woman," Desari said. "And truly, Corinne, how could he not fall in love with you? Look at you - the way you've accepted your physical problems and still held your family together, the way you've accepted the information that Dayan has given you. It cannot be easy for you, but you work at listening and believing and comprehending what he tells you. Who else would give him that kind of acceptance? After centuries of being alone, without an other half, he finally has a home, and he appreciates it. You are his home. No other. You."

"I don't think he has accepted my physical problems," Corinne said, embarrassed by the woman's words.

"Because he fights for you?" Tempest laughed softly. "You'll find that that is one thing the males of this species are exceptionally good at."

Savannah nodded. "Dayan is fighting for your life and the life of your child. In truth he fights for his life also. Without you he has nothing. Dayan has existed in a bleak, barren world - he will not choose to continue without you. Should you travel to the next world, he will accompany you, as is his right as a Carpathian male."

"I'm very tired," Corinne confessed, her hand going protectively over her gently rolling baby. "I try to hide it from him, but he always seems to know."

Desari smoothed back Corinne's hair with gentle fingers. "He is your lifemate. Of course he knows. I have known Dayan my entire life. I am so happy he has found you. He tells us you are C. J. Wentworth, the songwriter. I am so pleased to welcome you into our family."

Corinne sank back among the pillows. "I'm glad he has you all." She wanted Dayan. Wanted to spend every moment she had left with him. She could feel her strength ebbing away, slowly but surely. "What about my baby?" She looked at Savannah and then Tempest. "I know they must have told you the truth."

It was Savannah who answered. "Your heart will not hold up forever. In one more rising we will conduct another healing ritual. Our goal now is to give your daughter a few more hours, or days, whatever time we can. Gregori says her will is strong, and that is half the battle. She is like you, a true psychic, and therefore very important to our race."

"You use the term rising because it is night, not morning, when you wake," Corinne guessed. "Do they think they can save her?"

"We are waiting for Shea to arrive. Jacques, her life-mate, insisted they rest before completing the journey. Shea is with child, and he is protective of her," Savannah reported. "My mother sent word ahead. Shea has done much research into the problems of keeping our infants alive. She is a tremendous resource to us all."

"I cannot believe she traveled all this way when she is with child," Desari said, slightly shocked. "Corinne, we have trouble bearing children; our race is bordering on extinction. Julian is hoping we can provide a child for our people soon."

"The interesting thing is," Savannah said, "Gary Jansen, a human friend of ours, a researcher, has been tracing the lineages of families in which children are born closer than fifty to one hundred years apart. There are only a couple of them. Sarantha, Mikhail's mother, comes from such a line, as does Gregori. Gary and Shea think the infrequency of conception is a form of natural birth control. Desari, you are a descendant of one of the lines. As far as we know, I'm the only other."

Tempest exchanged a long look with Desari. "Have you tried to get pregnant?" Tempest asked. "Darius and I only just found each other. I haven't thought of children yet."

Savannah laughed. "In truth, Gregori and I have only been together a few weeks. I would love to give him twins. Total trouble for him to frantically chase around and guard instead of me. As soon as we are finished here, we intend to return to the Carpathian Mountains, where we will make our home. Once settled, I'm certain we'll try to have a child. Jacques and Shea will travel home with us. All of us intend to fly to Paris first to visit with Gregori's older brothers, Gabriel and Lucian. Lucian was just married, but unfortunately, Gregori and I missed the wedding due to unforeseen circumstances."

"Is it dangerous for Shea to travel?" Corinne didn't want to think another woman had put her child in jeopardy for her sake.

"Jacques would never allow Shea to do anything dangerous," Savannah pointed out. "He's Mister Protective where she's concerned."

Tempest and Desari burst out laughing. "And Gregori isn't with you?"

Corinne frowned. "Where are Lisa and Cullen? Are they okay? Lisa must be so frightened."

The smile faded from Desari's face. She was silent for a moment before answering, obviously conferring with someone else. "Lisa and Cullen are relatively safe where they are. Barack and Syndil are with them. Julian, my lifemate, has gone to their aid and has removed all immediate threats to them. They are under his protection. He has something of a reputation in matters of security." Desari phrased it as delicately as possible so as not to disturb Corinne's careful balance.

Corinne paled even more. "I thought those people were trying to kill me. Is Lisa still in danger?"

"The society targets anyone with paranormal abilities, but its members do not seem to be able to distinguish those traits very well. Because Lisa is a member of your family, she was also put on their list. Cullen was already on it and had been for some time. After Dayan brought you here, another attempt was made on Cullen's life at the hospital. Of course, Barack and Syndil were there, so Lisa and Cullen were unharmed. We removed them to a more easily guarded place."

"Why didn't you bring them here? Lisa is easily frightened. This must be terrible for her. I need to go to her," Corinne said immediately, catching hold of the quilt as if to throw it off.

Desari laid a gentle hand over Corinne's. "You're not thinking clearly. Your first duty is to your daughter and your own health. You may be feeling better, but the improvement is definitely temporary. You cannot be moving around and making your heart work any harder than necessary. It would not do Lisa, Cullen or anyone else any good if you were to die." She leaned close so that her dark eyes could look directly into Corinne's. "You do know that, don't you, Corinne?"

Corinne blinked away the illusion that she was freefalling into space. "I know I love Lisa and she must be very frightened. Is Cullen going to live?"

Desari nodded. Corinne had extremely strong mind protection for a human. Dayan had told them it took more than usual strength to shield her mind or to persuade her. Desari didn't want to put any pressure on her that might alarm her. "Cullen sustained tremendous injuries, and the truth is, Barack donated blood to him, which is something we do not do lightly. Cullen cannot be fully brought over. He and Barack will be connected to one another for the rest of Cullen's lifetime. We have great affection for Cullen, and Darius would not allow him to die when it was in our power to save him. Lisa is with him and is helping to care for him. I believe it will be good for her to take responsibility for Cullen's health."

Corinne was watching Desari's face. "Because you think I'm going to die."

Desari shook her head decisively. "Because Dayan has no choice but to bring you fully into our world, and Lisa cannot follow you here. You will remain good friends, but you can no longer be the one to manage her life for her." Desari spoke as gently as possible, but her seriousness showed in her dark, expressive eyes.

Corinne bunched the quilt in her hand, her fingers rubbing nervously over the strange symbol sewn into the edge of the comforter. "Fully into your world." She repeated the phrase softly, under her breath.

"Dayan's world," Desari reminded her gently. "Just keep that uppermost in your mind. You will be in his world."

"What about my baby?" Corinne finally voiced the question she had been unable even to consider. She was terrified for her baby.

Desari smiled encouragingly at her. "Are you strong enough for the truth, Corinne? Because you have to know you want the truth when you ask for it."

Corinne found that tracing the strange symbol over and over on the quilt was soothing. It helped to keep her mind from shutting down with fear. "Is my baby going to live and be healthy?"

"We are doing everything in our power to make that happen. Dayan's blood, which we believe will save your life and will convert you, will also convert the baby if you are given the blood while you are pregnant. That presents us with a few problems and new territory we have never dealt with before." Desari's voice was hauntingly beautiful and tranquil. "I am being completely honest with you. We do not have the answers you seek. This has never happened before, at least not that I know of. Certainly, it has not happened to Gregori, and he is the acknowledged healer of our people."

Corinne's fingers found the next symbol in the quilt and traced the character. "I'm trying to understand what you're telling me. If Dayan doesn't give me his blood, I will die for certain. You're saying that's a fact."

Desari nodded solemnly. "We are only delaying the inevitable. He would have completed the conversion already if you were not carrying this child."

Corinne heard her heart racing and took a moment to slow it. "How does he do it? How does he complete the conversion?"

Desari's gaze held hers captive, almost as if she were sharing her courage. "There must be three blood exchanges. Each blood exchange will bring you a step further into our world. And of course, because you are his lifemate, Dayan will complete the ritual and make you wholly his."

"And you think this will save my life?" Corinne asked doubtfully, watching Desari's face carefully. Dayan believed it because he had to believe it - he had no other choice or he would go crazy - but Desari had no ties to her. "Do you really believe it, Desari?"

Desari sighed softly. "I believe the odds are in your favor if everything goes right and we time it all perfectly. You know as well as I do that your heart is in bad shape. Even with Dayan's strong blood reshaping your internal organs, you will have to have the necessary strength to go through the actual conversion. Gregori thinks we can get you through it, and I have heard he is capable of great miracles."

"He is capable of miracles, Corinne," Savannah affirmed.

Corinne smiled sadly. "Still, for the baby's sake, I must be near Lisa. If something happens to me, she is the one who must raise her. She'll be the baby's only living relative."

Desari was shaking her head. "When Dayan gives you his blood, the blood will pass through the placenta to the baby. The child will have his blood, his genetic code, not your former husband's. The child will eventually be one of us."

Corinne was silent, listening to the sounds of the house, the wind outside the window, the branches swaying and dancing. She could hear her own breathing and the heartbeat of the child growing within her. "He gave me his blood already. What did it do to the baby?" She was struggling desperately to understand.

"Corinne - " Desari began gently.

Corinne shook her head. "No, I don't want you to treat me like a child. Just tell me straight. What happened to my baby?"

"Your daughter would never have survived the birth," Desari said. "Your heart was barely able to provide for you, let alone for both of you. Without Dayan's blood, both of you would have died, and that is the truth. She already carries his genetic code, but she is not fully in our world. Darius monitored her along with Gregori during the exchange. When it became too much for the baby, the transfusion was stopped to allow her body to adjust." Deliberately she used the human term transfusion to soothe Corinne.

"I thought a human couldn't be converted unless he or she has a lifemate." Corinne felt numb, trapped, suddenly panicked by the repercussions of her decision. It was one thing to make such a decision for herself, to choose Dayan's world, but something altogether different for her child. Where was Dayan? Her lifeline, her sanity.

Where are you?

She reached across time and space to him. Her fingers clutched the quilt, a strange thing to find so comforting.

I am here, my love, always with you, a shadow in your mind. I hunt the evil one to make our world safe, but I am never far from you or our child. I will return unharmed to you as soon as we accomplish what is necessary. We will face what is frightening to you together, as it is meant to be. Uniting our two worlds is not so difficult when we feel as we do. Our love for our daughter will aid us in our choices.

His voice was a blend of heat and light, music and melody, so beautiful it took her breath away. He felt strong and real and a part of her.

"Your daughter has a strong psychic talent, perhaps even stronger than yours," Desari said. "She can be converted without danger to her sanity, but there are other complications. It is not something we do lightly, Corinne."

Corinne could feel unexpected tears welling up out of nowhere. "I feel like I'm being given little pieces of a jigsaw puzzle one or two at a time, and the picture is so overwhelming I can't comprehend it. What other complications?"

"Our species has problems having babies, particularly females. Few of us conceive females, and those that do rarely carry them to full term. Even after they are born, our babies often do not survive the first year of life. It is a terrible tragedy and has contributed to the decline of our race. Because you must be given blood to save your life, the baby will be given the same blood - "

"No!" Corinne was adamant. "Her life is more important than mine. She has to come first in every decision. I know Dayan doesn't want that, but it is my decision to make, not his. I don't want to give her life only to have her lose it because I selfishly wanted to live myself. It would be better to chance giving birth to her now and allowing the doctors to do their best. They are performing miracles with premature babies. You said yourself she was strong."

Desari shook her head. "She would not have survived had you given birth the night Dayan removed you from the hospital. It took all of Gregori's strength and power to keep her alive. It is too late to turn back now. She has Dayan's blood in her system. She needs us now to help her survive. A human doctor could never save her life."

Corinne twisted her fingers into the quilt in agitation. "I feel helpless," she confessed to the women. "I've always been the one to handle the problems in our lives, and now I can't help my own child when she needs it the most."

Desari shook her head. "You are so wrong, Corinne. Now more than ever it is you who will have to have the strength of will to carry her. You are already monitoring your own heart and attempting to regulate it."

"I feel Dayan with me when I have trouble. He's the one regulating my heartbeat and pushing the air through my lungs," Corinne corrected. "I know he's there."

"Of course - he is your lifemate," Desari said complacently. "But he cannot save you if you are not willing to be saved. You are using your will, and it is considerable." She patted the quilt. "I see you like this quilt. Francesca, lifemate to Gabriel, made it for you. She is a great healer who lives in Paris. When she received word that you were carrying a baby and you needed aid, she made this specifically for you. It is a healing quilt. Along with the healing symbols, she used other symbols to aid in your protection should there be enemies that - find you."

"It's so beautiful," Corinne said honestly. "I didn't want to give it up. I hope I will have the opportunity to thank her for such a unique gift."

Desari patted her hand. "I would like to examine you and renew the healing process if it is possible. Do you remember what it felt like? Savannah and Tempest will lend me their strength, and we shall at least make you more comfortable. Lie back and we will begin."

Dayan, streaking through the air, appeared as a long trail of droplets, much like a comet moving rapidly through the night sky. Gregori and Darius were on either side of him, formidable hunters both, but it was Dayan's lifemate who was threatened, and he was the one who must save her. He felt the beast rising within him, struggling for supremacy. Gregori, renowned for his storms, generated a fierce squall, and dark clouds rolled in swiftly to cover their flight through the night sky in pursuit of the vampire.

Lightning zigzagged, arcing from cloud to cloud, intense and ominous. Hues of deep purple and black smeared the sky so that the stars were slowly obliterated. Thunder reverberated through the valley, echoed down the canyons, heralding a storm of great magnitude. Far below, as the three hunters streaked across the roiling sky, wild creatures sensing dangerous predators hastily found shelter and remained very still. Domesticated dogs yelped in fear and hid as the dark shadows passed overhead.

Dayan.

Gregori's voice was compelling, a soft command.

The beast is strong in you. Remember, you are in twofold danger. Your lifemate is not locked to you. There is no anchor to hold you to the path. The violence will trigger the rising of the beast. It is a time for care, not rage. Along with your life, your soul is in mortal danger.

Dayan could hear the purity of Gregori's voice and it washed through the red haze of anger clouding his mind. For a moment he could see and hear clearly again, but then the thought of the vampire seeking Corinne, threatening her consumed him again, and he continued his swift pursuit toward the enemy.

Darius and Gregori flying on either side of Dayan easily kept pace, senses flaring out to scan for any hidden traps. The vampire wasn't attempting to conceal his line of retreat. They knew from centuries of experience that if he was seriously attempting to evade them, he would be throwing up more of a blind.

Dayan was well aware of the vampire's intentions. He didn't care. He had tremendous confidence in his own strength and skill. Though he did not consider himself a hunter of the undead, he had often accompanied Darius on such hunts. It was his lifemate who was threatened now, and their code of honor dictated it was Dayan's responsibility as well as his right to remove that threat.

Suddenly an acid shower came from above the storm clouds, assaulting the flying hunters. Thin streaks of silvery light began to rain through the swirling black vapor. Almost impossible to see, the droplets burned with a caustic acid, searing the skin. The threads fell like poisonous darts straight at the hunters. They knew that the deadly shower was a delaying tactic of the fleeing vampire.

Immediately Gregori rose above Dayan, instinctively protecting him. As Gregori took the higher position, Darius sent up a flaming streak of orange-red light, pure energy, vaporizing the slivers of acid before they could reach their targets.

Dayan caught a glimpse of the vampire through the clouds, streaking across the sky. Dayan doubled his speed, moving straight as an arrow toward the fleeing vampire. He was a prot§ڧ§٠of Darius, had learned from him. Dayan believed in directness, taking the fight to the enemy. He felt the presence of the evil one, a thick oily substance left behind so that the air reeked with the stench of the undead. Dayan shot out a wave of vibrations, a high-frequency sound that deafened the skies and knocked the fleeing demon from the clouds.

Just ahead they saw the figure struggling to shape-shift, to sprout wings. He was already dangerously close to the ground, and at the last possible moment, the vampire did an amazing athletic feat and spun, landing on his feet like a cat. At once he sought to cloak his presence from the hunters and the mortals occupying the area.

Dayan!

Darius's imperious warning was sharp.

It is a trap. Scan.

Dayan had automatically done so as he streaked in behind the vampire. There were four humans in a small cabin, all males. All fanatical. The stench of the society clung to them. Dayan knew they were not in league with the undead; The vampire was simply using them as another delaying tactic. Dayan was supremely confident in Darius and Gregori. Their reputations were legend. He didn't have to look to see that they were gliding in behind him. He knew they were there and trusted them to take care of the humans.

"I believe you wanted to introduce yourself," Dayan said softly to the vampire, his voice pure and melodious, the sound filling every atom of space around them though he hadn't raised his voice. "You will turn and face me, vampire. I am quite willing to accept your challenge."

The vampire shuddered with the effort to break free from the sound of that voice. It was made for golden tunes, truth and honesty. It was hideous to the creature, so that he pressed his hands hard against his ears in an attempt to block out the sound. He turned slowly, hands clamped to his head, his body swaying slightly. As he turned he opened his mouth as if to speak. A black swarm of insects erupted all around him, the air thick with them, so many they appeared as a solid wall, for one brief second obscuring Dayan's vision of the undead.

He was striding forward, easily blocking the stinging, poisonous bugs by deflecting them away from his body with a powerful current of moving air he produced with a casual wave of his hand. He continued moving rapidly, a blur as he whipped through the cloud of living shields. Dayan realized immediately that the vampire had used the insects to flee once again. He had disappeared as if he had never been, leaving behind an empty space in the air. Blankness.

Behind him, Dayan heard the shouts of the humans, the loud discharge of a weapon. The air vibrated with power, the storm raged, yet nothing mattered but that he pursue his quarry - the vampire who had sought his lifemate. He used the blankness to track the undead. The vampire was concealing his form, but Dayan wasn't fooled. The stench of his prey was overpowering, and he followed unerringly. He didn't glance behind him; he knew Darius and Gregori would be taking care of the enemy and would follow him as soon as possible.

The storm was fierce, a boiling, spinning mass of heavy black clouds. Lightning arced from cloud to cloud and there was a fast buildup of electrical charge along the ground. Bolts slammed from sky to earth, the sound deafening. The land shook. Nearby a large tree exploded in a fiery conflagration. Sparks rained onto vegetation. A wall of flames leapt at Dayan, solid, orange-red, a brilliant living, mindless antagonist roaring straight for him. At once he whirled quickly, a cloak of wet mist enveloping him as he raced through the fire with preternatural speed. He heard the sizzle of the mist as it heated and evaporated, but he was through and on the other side.

A dark shadow was just ahead, fleeing toward the darkened interior of a thicket of trees. Dayan took to the air, shape-shifting as he did so, a streamlined raptor racing through the canopy of branches to reach the undead before it managed to get to its lair. He came in from high above, dropping down out of the turbulent sky so fast the vampire had no warning. The large body of the bird knocked the night creature off balance, sharp talons raking viciously so that tainted blood splattered to the carpet of vegetation, withering it on contact.

Snarling, the vampire staggered, tearing blindly at the sky around him in an attempt to destroy his enemy, his head undulating back and forth like a reptile. He was a hideous, depraved being determined to live at all costs. Desperately he tried to regain his balance, his bearings, searching the sky and ground for his attacker.

Dayan was moving so fast he was a blur, a chameleon blending in with the trees, once more in human form. He struck straight at the abomination, the fury of the kill rising with the heat of battle. Flames leapt in the depths of his coal black eyes, and every vestige of the poet was gone, leaving behind the beast with the lust of battle on him. His fist plunged through the wall of the vampire's chest, a flimsy barrier, straight for the withered, blackened heart. The age-old lure of the beast was on him. Bloodlust was a red haze clouding judgment and honor, beckoning relentlessly. More, always more, it demanded, never sated, never satisfied.

Corinne heard the soft voice of the Dark Troubadours' acknowledged leader, Darius. A whisper of purity, soft and perfect, cleansing and healing like a fresh cool rain.

Corinne. You are needed. You must summon him back to you. No other can save him now. I will feed your strength with my own. Call him to your side. You must do so now.

The voice was calm, tranquil even, yet she knew immediately there was a terrible urgency. She didn't stop to question. She was so tuned to Dayan, the moment she reached out for his mind, she felt the killing frenzy, the implacable grip of the beast.

Corinne lay very still, instinctively taking a deep breath and letting it out to relax. She focused her thoughts on Dayan, blocking out everything else around her. The room fell away, the constraints of her physical condition fell away, even her awareness of Darius, until there was only Dayan in her mind. Her Dayan. Tall and sweet and loving. Generous. Giving. She closed her eyes until she could almost smell his clean woodsy scent.

Dayan.

Deliberately she used his name. Calling the man. Reaching for the intellect.

Dayan, come back to me.

At once he was there with her, merged deeply so that she was in the heat of his battle with the smell of blood and the lust for the kill dominating his brain. She was quiet a moment, faintly shocked at actually witnessing the violent side of him she had always sensed. Corinne lay very quietly, stayed completely focused. Unknowingly she used her own talent, creating a surge of power. This was simply another side of Dayan. Her Dayan.

Come back to me. Leave that place and return to where you are needed.

She put all her energy into her call, but that didn't matter. Dayan was all that mattered.

She sensed the terrible struggle. Something else was fighting for him. Something shadowy, not tangible, but nevertheless, very powerful. She felt the dark stain spreading like a disease through him, the triumph of the beast as it threatened to consume him. At first Corinne believed he was locked in mortal combat with the vampire. Whatever it was, his adversary was evil and greedy and it wanted Dayan. Then she realized the vampire was dying. This other force struggling with her wanted Dayan's soul, wanted to turn him into the very thing he hunted and destroyed. She understood little of it, but instinctively she latched on to the mental strength flowing from Darius into her. She regulated her breathing, worked at regulating Dayan's. Adrenaline was pumping through his body, mixing with the frenzied savagery of the predator until he was more animal than man. Cunning, feral, a creature of the night.

You are Dayan, a musician without equal, a poet with words that take my breath away. You are my lifemate, my heart and soul. Come back to me, Dayan. Leave that place. Leave that poor unfortunate aberration. Pray God will find him a better place. You can do nothing more for him. Come home to me.

She spoke from her deepest core, meaning every word, feeling every word. He was so deeply entrenched in her heart, buried so deeply in her soul, she didn't know where he left off and she began.

For a moment, reason and judgment shimmered in his brain, a whirling silver mist breaking through the red killing haze.

Corinne?

His voice was distant, a faraway thread of sound, drowned out quickly by a bellow of rage.

Corinne remained very calm, sending waves of love and tranquility to Dayan. Darius was with her, guiding her from a great distance. On some level she was aware of his direction, but most of her actions were instinctive. This was Dayan, her other half, and he was out in the dark night somewhere with lightning and thunder crashing to earth around him, a fitting backdrop for the turbulence in his mind. They were merged so closely, she could feel the wild winds, the terrible vortex of violence, whirling like a tornado, strong and destructive, determined to sweep aside the man and leave the aroused beast.

Dayan, come back to me. Leave that place and come to me. The baby is resting quietly and I'm very tired. I need you here where you belong.

She was tired. The mind link was difficult for her even with Darius's strength infusing her. Her body was worn and tired. A sound was beginning to impose itself into the violence of Dayan's mind. It was weak, irregular, a soft thumping like a distant drum. The code was strange and erratic. A beat. A miss.

Corinne felt Dayan move within her mind. A soft hiss, a groan of despair.

Corinne!'

Her name was whispered in that velvet soft voice. She closed her eyes, certain he would come. The beast could never hold him when she needed him. Nothing would stop him from coming to her. She felt the strength of his determination, knew he was wrestling for supremacy, to cage the beast within him. Corinne left him to it. Breathing was an effort now, her lungs laboring.

She felt Desari at her side, holding her hand, whispering a chant. She felt the healing energy of the three women. It was a warm tingling moving through her body, Desari was tranquil, she was always serene, yet Corinne sensed an alarm. It didn't matter, none of it did. Dayan was on his way, and she knew he would somehow make things right. She wanted to hear the sound of his voice.

Corinne drifted in a dream world. She heard his music, the beautiful poetic words that emerged from his soul as he expressed his need for love. His need for Corinne. Only Corinne. She believed him at last. He could do things others could not, and he would come back to her from the dark terrible struggle for his soul. She had faith. "Complete faith." She murmured the words aloud, but her voice was too soft even for the acute hearing she had acquired recently.

Dayan.

His name was her strength, her anchor so that she wouldn't drift too far from the real world.

Corinne.

His voice whispered through her mind, filled her heart and lungs, so for a moment it was easier to breathe. Her long lashes fluttered as she tried to reassure the women she was still alive. Her lashes were far heavier than she remembered them being. In the end, it was too much of an effort to raise them, so she made herself smile instead.

I knew you would come. Hurry, Dayan. I don't know why I'm so tired.

Corinne was certain she thought the words clearly in her mind, but they seemed to be slurred, running together like fine grains of sand. Her free hand moved slowly over the thick quilt, seeking something she needed.

Desari bunched up the comforter so that one particular symbol was under Corinne's moving fingers. At once Corinne's hand closed around it, tranquil once more.

Dayan streaked through the sky, faster than he had ever moved in his life. Corinne was fading away. He could feel her sliding away from him, moving in a direction he dared not allow her to go. Dark vapor parted as he burst through the clouds, a streak of blue-green against the roiling black of the heavens. Mist swirled in long tails along the ground and began to build up around the trees and houses.

Darius kept pace with him, concentrating on the child, whose hold on life was so fragile he was uncharacteristically worried. Gregori was attempting to hold Corinne to earth, focusing on her fading heart. The amount of energy she'd used to keep Dayan from succumbing to the lure of the kill had been more than her weak heart could stand. Corinne was fighting it, wasn't afraid - she simply trusted in Dayan, knew that he would be there for her as she had been for him.

Dayan could find no recrimination in her mind, no shock at the knowledge of his darker side. She was as accepting of him as ever, and her acceptance humbled him. As he moved across the night sky with the raging storm reflecting his inner turbulence, he gathered himself, preparing for the ceremony to come. He had no choice. He had to bind her to him for both of their sakes. He had to give her his healing blood. The baby was at risk, and Dayan, more than any other, knew the loss of her child was the one thing Corinne would never accept. She would trade her life for that of the baby.

Dayan shimmered into a solid frame, bending over Corinne as he did so, his large hand engulfing hers as he brought it to his mouth. Her lashes didn't lift, but her soft mouth curved.

'I knew you would come.