Once more, she slipped her sword out of the scabbard and held it aloft with both hands. This time, the light glowed bright, throwing the dark shadows into relief. The beasts, looking like a cross between wolves and saber-toothed tigers, rushed away from the light, growling aggressively low in their throats but retreating all the same. Above her head, she heard the flutter of wings, and the yellow eyes disappeared.
“Very nice, my dear. You must put away your childish sword, Adalasia, while we talk.”
The voice came out of the trees, seemed to surround her. Sweet. Charming. A hint of male amusement. Not in the least threatened or threatening. Still, goose bumps rose on her skin. That voice was too sweet, too charming. She felt a slight push toward her mind, as if someone were knocking on a door, trying to get in. Adalasia held firmly to her shields, resisting that enticement.
She refused to engage, turning toward the direction she was certain Sandu was in. She didn’t reach out to him, certain if she did, Sandu would suffer for it.
“You came all this way to free your lifemate from the shadow world, Adalasia. See? I know you. I know your name. I have been a great admirer of you for some time and had hoped we could visit and get to know each other.”
That voice was beguiling. She shook her head mentally in an effort to free her from any ensnarements.
Not vampire, Luiz whispered to her. Something else.
She felt the agreement of the others. She didn’t want them to speak. She needed to fully concentrate. Whoever this was, he was moving easily with her, just out of her sight. The pull on her was strong to turn away from the path to Sandu.
She tried to create a breeze to give herself a little reprieve from the unrelenting heat. It was oppressive. Her feet felt leaden, although she forced them to move in the direction she was certain was the correct one. No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t regulate her body temperature. She closed her eyes for a moment and thought of one of the wonderful pools Sandu had conjured up for her. Right now, it would be so perfect to just wade in and feel the relief of cool water against her hot skin.
When she opened her eyes, she realized she could hear the sound of water in the distance and knew that was what must have put the idea in her head. Her heart jumped at the thought of just bathing her neck and wrists to rid herself of the relentless heat. She forced her heartbeat to settle into a steady rhythm as she hurried as fast as she dared in Sandu’s direction.
She smelled the faint scent of sulfur as she rounded the slight bend in the path and found herself looking through the trees toward a little grotto where fresh water spilled from the side of rocks into a beautiful blue pool. After the terrible humidity and heat, the water looked inviting, mesmerizing even.
Adalasia had always loved pools. Any kind of pool, but the more natural, the better. She could stay for hours in a bath. In a hot tub. In natural springs. Her skin felt dirty and salty with sweat, caked with grime. Would it hurt to take a moment to cool off in the refreshing water? It would invigorate her. She would have to detour through the trees away from Sandu, but it didn’t look far. It would only take a few minutes.
Adalasia stood for a moment staring at the inviting water shimmering in the distance. She frowned, shaking her head, trying to remember why she was walking in such a dark area when there was sunshine just through the trees. She was so hot. Sweating. She could barely take a breath. She needed to feel the cool water on her skin. Nothing else was more important.
Abruptly, she dug her fingernails into her palm so that she felt the bite. What was she thinking? Nothing was more important than her comfort? Nothing? As in Sandu? Her lifemate? He had been suffering in agony, protecting her, shielding her from his pain, and she was worried about being too hot? That didn’t make any sense at all.
She turned away from the beckoning water, rubbing her suddenly pounding temples. What was going on? Tiny little needles stabbed at her brain like angry bees. She ignored the sensation and forced her feet to move. To her consternation, the path was no longer there. The vegetation was thick, with moldy leaves covered in a carpet of moving ants.
“I don’t need a path,” she murmured aloud and continued forward in the direction she knew Sandu to be. When she glanced back at the water, it was no longer there. Had it been an illusion? A temptation? A trick to delay her? She didn’t know or care. She had to find Sandu before it was too late for him. There was a sense of urgency beating at her now.
“Why do you persist in thinking he is worthy of you?” the charming, reasonable voice asked her. “Your lifemate woke hungry in this place. Starving for rich, hot blood.”