Carpathian 14 - Dark Hunger

to blend into the forest and remain unseen. Juliette had complete faith in her cousin.
    She moved into position, a distance from the small encampment.
    The jaguars were using a small cave, man-made, dug into the side of the embankment.
    The opening was a mere slit between two boulders. Solange worked her way in a circle around the area, knowing there had to be a back entrance. The jaguars would never risk being trapped in the cave. The wind shifted as she moved, always in front of her, giving her the exact location of the sentries. A jaguar male, obviously trusting in the forest warning system, rested in the tree branches to the left of the cave, sleeping in the late afternoon, tired from the two-day rush through the forest. The second guard crouched in human form near a large group of ferns. Solange was certain it was the bolt-hole for emergencies. She made her way back to Juliette to confer.
    The two lay side by side in the grasses. Solange pressed her mouth to Juliette's ear. "I couldn't hear anything in the cave. I think they're resting. I'm fairly certain I can get close enough to the guard in his human form to kill him, but neither of us is going to be able to do much with the jaguar. He's big and he's a fighter." She touched her side. "He's fast too."
    "We don't stand much of a chance inside," Juliette pointed out. "With the one up in the tree, I counted five. We're not going to win against five fully grown jaguars."
    "Four," Solange said firmly. "After I take out the guard. You're right though, we have to draw the others out of the cave to have any chance at all."
    "I can do that," Juliette said with confidence.
    No ! Riordan's harsh command was sharp. She heard the echo of Zacarias's protest. Wait as long as possible.
    "Riordan wants us to wait, Solange," Juliette reported uneasily. She had no idea how her cousin would react. "He will try to rise before sunset to help us."
    Solange nodded slowly. "I guess it makes sense, Juliette. We don't have to like it, but we don't have much chance against five males."
    "I want to get closer, just to make certain they aren't touching her," Juliette said.
    "I'll go. I can be invisible." A small, humorless smile tugged at Solange's mouth. "Well, not like your Carpathian, but I manage."
    "You have a gift," Juliette acknowledged.
    Solange began to circle back around toward the rear entrance, presuming Jasmine was being held as deep in the cave as possible. Once the jaguar in the tree stirred, yawned, his mouth gaping open to show sharp teeth. Solange sank into the bushes, going completely still. Juliette slid a knife into her palm. The jaguar stretched, looked around and sniffed the air, testing with his tongue and sensitive whiskers. The wind carried the scent of the women away from him. The jaguar dropped his head back onto his leg and closed his eyes.
    Juliette let her breath out slowly. Solange waited a few more minutes before continuing to creep forward again. Juliette strained to watch her cousin's process. The fronds of a fern swayed slightly, in time with the wind. Juliette couldn't understand how Riordan and Zacarias had the strength to guide the wind and follow Solange's progress. She could almost feel Riordan moving through her, attempting to get the layout of the battlefield through her eyes. He was waiting, much like a coiled snake, waiting for that moment when he could explode into the sky and come to her. Riordan's concern was comforting, and she sent him her appreciation.
    Juliette's first warning was the way the human guard at the back entrance suddenly turned his head toward the cave with an evil smile. He walked a few steps and peered into the collection of shrubbery, his hand absently rubbing his crotch. She saw Solange move in behind him. A scream, a mixture of anger, terror and pain came from the interior of the cave. It was choked off abruptly. I have no choice, Riordan. It was her only apology for whatever might happen. Using higher ground, she ran to the entrance of the cave, catching a brief glimpse of Solange and the guard, the man falling to the ground, the bloodstained knife in Solange's hand.
    Riordan was calm. He didn't protest, he simply waited, watching the events unfold through her eyes. Juliette could feel the presence of his elder brother. They coiled in her waiting their moment.
    Stay to the side, hold the blade edge up. Riordan instructed as she neared the cave's entrance. Juliette didn't argue; she already knew his plan, catching the