Dark Song полностью

That spell is the combined work of several master vampires that you feel. Both Dorin and Cornel wove the base of it and the others layered their weaves over the top.

Ferro took the time to study the spell, although he could feel Elisabeta’s anxiety. She wanted them to leave the forest as quickly as possible. The ancient hunters knew that if they could identify the magic being used by each specific vampire, it would give them further insight into that creature and his fighting ability. Did he pay attention to detail? Was he sloppy? Precise? Was he old-school or modern? Did he use a combination of both? Did he find his own magic?

Will you be able to identify the creator of each strand?

Yes. Elisabeta practically hissed it. Ferro, get out of there. He is coming.

All five of the ancients went still. Ferro felt their silent question to him. How did she know that when they didn’t? There was nothing yet in the forest to herald the arrival of the master vampires. No shuddering or even welcoming. Sergey’s spies, the crows and owls, remained somewhat lethargic within the gloom of the gray mist. He didn’t have an answer, but if she was right and the master vampires were already on their way, the ancients couldn’t be caught in the middle of the forest surrounded by an army of vampires. They had to choose their own battleground.

Which way?

They will expect you to go out by the lake. It is closest, and that is the way you had to have come in. He has already alerted his servants to be waiting for you and to search that entire area for any signs of hunters. He does not want to alert his spies in the forest in case you are still inside. That is a break for us. Go north. Move as quickly as you dare without triggering the guardians. They hang from every tree branch. You cannot disturb them.

North meant deeper into the forest. Can we go above the trees?

No. Anxiety rippled through her voice. Sheer terror. Ferro, please, do not try that way. It is cut off to you. All Carpathian hunters take to the sky or go to the ground.

He had to soothe her before they lost her to a panic attack. The forest had become a labyrinth of traps for the unwary hunter. They would have to return with a large faction and remove all snares so any campers wouldn’t be caught.

We are moving to the north, piŋe sarnanak. There is no need to be upset. It was simply a question. You know Sergey’s traps better than any other, and we are grateful that you do. He kept his voice very steady and calm, soothing her as they made their way carefully, following the direction in her mind.

She was very precise, weaving her way through the trees, and the ancients saw immediately there was a pattern to the “back door” escape route set up by the Malinov brothers. Ferro had never really run across it before, but he still recognized it from Zacarias De La Cruz sharing information. The brothers favored a certain flow they could move quickly through when running from hunters. They wound through trees, moving forward ten feet, and then abruptly veered right two feet and backtracked another two before moving forward ten, veering left and backtracking two to move forward ten. They repeated the pattern for several yards and then changed it, varying the forward movement by six feet and one foot left and then one foot right.

Elisabeta guided the ancients through the forest, careful to keep her soothing fragrance moving gently through their minds so their brains were always sharp and clear, free of the heavy burden the master vampires’ spell had woven over the forest. Long webs dangled like Spanish moss from the trees, looking innocent and even beautiful, when in fact, the deadly tentacles waited for any unsuspecting bird, insect, rodent or man to approach too close. Elisabeta showed them how the vampires moved beneath or through each of the webs without disturbing the deadly predators so they didn’t have to slow down as they moved quickly.