Dark Lycan (Carpathian)

His superior vision was what saved them. The hole in the side where the tube had crumbled away had to be the entrance to the chamber. He drifted through and immediately the sounds of ice creaking could be heard. Now and then there was a tremendous roar as a great chunk shot out, driven from the ice wall from the tremendous pressure. The chunk hit the opposite wall and dropped to the floor below.

In the distance, from the opposite side of the chamber, near a door, a torch had been lit and soft light spilled into the cavernous room, turning the ice a deep blue. It was beautiful. He had forgotten that Xavier’s school had also been a place of beauty with ice sculptures, fountains and intriguing formations.

You’re coming up on the entrance now, Tatijana, he said, guiding her through.

He waited until his brother followed and then he set out after Bardolf. He moved much more quickly now that they had actual chambers large enough that they didn’t have to worry about touching the walls or floors. He followed the trail of torches Bardolf had so conveniently lit . . .

Conveniently lit, Fen repeated for the others. He knows we’re following him.

How? Tatijana asked. We haven’t made any mistakes.

No, that was true, but they were dealing with a Sange rau. Bardolf couldn’t feel energy from Dimitri or Fen, but he could from a Carpathian. As sensitive as a mixed blood was, Bardolf had felt Tatijana’s energy, perhaps even when they had returned and she was in dragon form.

Me. I’ve endangered you.

That’s what he thinks, Fen agreed, but you’re our ace in the hole. You might despise the fact that you were here for centuries, but that’s what’s going to save us all, Tatijana. He doesn’t know mage spells or any of the dangers here like you do. We don’t know them either. He’ll come at us, but it’s you that’s going to bring him down.

Fen could feel her turning what he’d said over and over in her mind. If she wanted to go back, he would have Dimitri . . .

No. No way am I deserting you. Her voice turned strong. You’re right. I do know these caves. I do know spells. Bardolf was Lycan and he never studied at Xavier’s school. I can trap him even if he doesn’t trigger one of the older snares left behind by Xavier.

Let’s do this then, Dimitri said into their minds.

It was Dimitri’s mantra—get it done no matter how repulsive the task. Fen proceeded, allowing his senses to flare out to explore every aspect of the chamber as they moved through it toward the torch. Dimitri, he knew, was doing the same. Tatijana looked for any hidden tricks the high mage may have left behind.

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.