impossible for
a vampire to stand the rising of the sun. Although most Carpathians could take
the early morning hours, Riordan was severely injured and the light was already
affecting his body. He rolled over to stare up into the canopy, unable to shake
the sudden alarm coursing through his body. The leaves rustled and swayed with
the mild wind. Every kind of plant climbed the trunks of the trees and twisted
around branches, creating a jungle of foliage. The wind touched the leaves, the
smallest of brushes, but it was enough to reveal turquoise eyes, gleaming like
rare gems, glittering down at them.
The jaguar sprang, its stocky, compact body hurtling through the air, claws
extended, eyes focused on its prey. Riordan shoved Juliette hard enough to send
her sprawling and dissolved into mist, so that the cat hit the ground where he
had been. The cat whirled, using its flexible spine, swiping with large claws at
empty space.
"Solange! No!" Juliette rushed to grab the cat, running her hands through the
soft fur, looking for damage. There were several lacerations, a series of
ragged, gaping wounds where a cat had obviously raked her side. "You're hurt,
these are deep." She turned to look for Riordan, felt his fingertips brush her
cheek.
She meant to kill me, Juliette. I feel it in her mind. I must go to
ground. She is enraged over the taking of her cousin. You stay safe and do your
best to settle her down.
She heard the regret in his voice, the weariness and pain. "Go, Riordan. I'll
see you at sunset."
Clothes floated to earth as he streaked away. The jeans were for someone with
longer legs and a smaller waist. The shirt would cover Solange's well-endowed
body. It had been easy enough to catch her exact proportions from Juliette's
memories.
"He's gone, Solange. Tell me what happened."
Solange shifted to her natural form, remaining crouched on the ground, facing
Juliette. "They already had her before I reached the house. I couldn't stop
them, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She shook back her heavy fall of dark hair. "One
stayed behind to try to give the others a head start. Once he realized I was
female, and capable of shifting fast, with a more pure bloodline, I had a very
real advantage. He didn't want to hurt me." Blood was dripping from the wounds
in her side. "He did this before he realized what I was. I'm afraid it puts
Jasmine in more trouble. They'll guard her much more carefully."
Juliette hugged Solange. "We'll find her and take her back."
"Who was that man?"
"Not one of them. He is Carpathian. Riordan. You heard Mom talk about them
before." She couldn't help the defensive note in her voice.
"He's still a man, and they can't be trusted, Juliette. What does he want us
for? Isn't the Carpathian race in the same trouble as the jaguar race?" Solange
took the clothes from Juliette's hands and knotted them together before tying
them around her neck. "They need babies to keep their race alive."
"They at least respect women and want them to be happy, Solange. All men are
not responsible for what a few have done. And there is some suspicion that the
jaguar males have come into contact with a master vampire. I saw one, and if
that is so, I felt how evil he was. The males may very well have been influenced
by him."
"It matters little to me why they do what they do. They cannot have Jasmine,"
Solange said. "Get rid of the clothes and let's get out of here." She studied
Juliette as her cousin stripped. "You're very pale." There was suspicion in her
voice.
"I don't want to argue with you, Solange. Let's find Jasmine before we do
anything else."
"We don't argue," Solange objected. "At least we didn't before you took up
with a man." She studied her cousin's pale body. "A man who takes blood from
others."
Juliette ignored the implication. "Is the jaguar still on your trail?"
"I doubled back and led him near the laboratory just to see if he would ask
for assistance. A bunch of men are
a vampire to stand the rising of the sun. Although most Carpathians could take
the early morning hours, Riordan was severely injured and the light was already
affecting his body. He rolled over to stare up into the canopy, unable to shake
the sudden alarm coursing through his body. The leaves rustled and swayed with
the mild wind. Every kind of plant climbed the trunks of the trees and twisted
around branches, creating a jungle of foliage. The wind touched the leaves, the
smallest of brushes, but it was enough to reveal turquoise eyes, gleaming like
rare gems, glittering down at them.
The jaguar sprang, its stocky, compact body hurtling through the air, claws
extended, eyes focused on its prey. Riordan shoved Juliette hard enough to send
her sprawling and dissolved into mist, so that the cat hit the ground where he
had been. The cat whirled, using its flexible spine, swiping with large claws at
empty space.
"Solange! No!" Juliette rushed to grab the cat, running her hands through the
soft fur, looking for damage. There were several lacerations, a series of
ragged, gaping wounds where a cat had obviously raked her side. "You're hurt,
these are deep." She turned to look for Riordan, felt his fingertips brush her
cheek.
She meant to kill me, Juliette. I feel it in her mind. I must go to
ground. She is enraged over the taking of her cousin. You stay safe and do your
best to settle her down.
She heard the regret in his voice, the weariness and pain. "Go, Riordan. I'll
see you at sunset."
Clothes floated to earth as he streaked away. The jeans were for someone with
longer legs and a smaller waist. The shirt would cover Solange's well-endowed
body. It had been easy enough to catch her exact proportions from Juliette's
memories.
"He's gone, Solange. Tell me what happened."
Solange shifted to her natural form, remaining crouched on the ground, facing
Juliette. "They already had her before I reached the house. I couldn't stop
them, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She shook back her heavy fall of dark hair. "One
stayed behind to try to give the others a head start. Once he realized I was
female, and capable of shifting fast, with a more pure bloodline, I had a very
real advantage. He didn't want to hurt me." Blood was dripping from the wounds
in her side. "He did this before he realized what I was. I'm afraid it puts
Jasmine in more trouble. They'll guard her much more carefully."
Juliette hugged Solange. "We'll find her and take her back."
"Who was that man?"
"Not one of them. He is Carpathian. Riordan. You heard Mom talk about them
before." She couldn't help the defensive note in her voice.
"He's still a man, and they can't be trusted, Juliette. What does he want us
for? Isn't the Carpathian race in the same trouble as the jaguar race?" Solange
took the clothes from Juliette's hands and knotted them together before tying
them around her neck. "They need babies to keep their race alive."
"They at least respect women and want them to be happy, Solange. All men are
not responsible for what a few have done. And there is some suspicion that the
jaguar males have come into contact with a master vampire. I saw one, and if
that is so, I felt how evil he was. The males may very well have been influenced
by him."
"It matters little to me why they do what they do. They cannot have Jasmine,"
Solange said. "Get rid of the clothes and let's get out of here." She studied
Juliette as her cousin stripped. "You're very pale." There was suspicion in her
voice.
"I don't want to argue with you, Solange. Let's find Jasmine before we do
anything else."
"We don't argue," Solange objected. "At least we didn't before you took up
with a man." She studied her cousin's pale body. "A man who takes blood from
others."
Juliette ignored the implication. "Is the jaguar still on your trail?"
"I doubled back and led him near the laboratory just to see if he would ask
for assistance. A bunch of men are
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