Dark Nights by Christine Feehan

These microorganisms exist with no light and few nutrients, locked inside the ice, yet still capable of living. There’s such a wealth of information down here.” She gave Joie a quick, excited grin. “No one has probably ever touched this ice. Can you imagine the microbes living down here? This is a scientist’s dream.”
    Joie took a long breath and let it out, looking around at each of the tunnels leading to other chambers. She was so close now, she could almost feel him breathing. Somewhere in this labyrinth of halls he was waiting for her. Smoldering. Angry that she had disobeyed him and put herself and her siblings in danger. He was real, not a voice in her head, not a part of a split personality. He was real and alive and in pain. She could feel his pain, throbbing through her body, beating at her head.
    Tell me. She demanded it. Forced him to deal with who she really was, not who he thought she should be.
    Tell the others to be quiet. They are in danger. I have battled the same enemy three times since you first found me in the cave weeks ago. I am a prisoner and wounded and extremely weak. I cannot aid you much in the battle, and the enemy has powers you cannot possibly comprehend.
    Joie pressed her lips together, her heart suddenly pounding. His tone rang with truth. He believed in what he was saying. Joie tended to keep her cool with humor. She gave him a mental image of rolling her eyes in exasperation.
    Sorry for the fluff in my head, but I’m usually found wrapped in cotton or bubble wrap to protect me from all the evil people in the world.
    “Jubal, Gabby, we have to be quiet. Something’s in here with us and it isn’t good.”
    She took the lead and Jubal dropped back to protect his sisters, neither sibling asking questions. They knew Joie, knew she was good at her job and she had switched easily into hunter/protector mode. She trusted Jubal. He was the steadiest man she knew in a fight, and she worked with a lot of good men.
    “Tell us what’s happening, Joie,” Jubal demanded.
    She shook her head and placed a finger to her lips. “He’s telepathic. I don’t want to chance communication he might overhear until we know what’s really going on.” She mouthed the words to her brother and sister and waited for them to nod in understanding before she continued. She was ready to trust the stranger in her head, but she wouldn’t risk Gabrielle and Jubal without knowing what they were getting into.
    There were several halls and tubes leading away from the open gallery they had descended into. She moved slowly to stand in front of each to feel her way. The pull of Traian was strong and she knew the moment she was at an entrance that he was somewhere in that direction. Using hand signals, she started down the hall, as stealthy as one could in climbing gear. The long hallway continued forward but two other tunnels branched off from it, one leading down and the other appearing to climb upward. The pull to go down was strong.
    Joie, Traian’s voice seemed weaker. I’m asking you one last time to get out of here. You’re risking your life and the lives of your companions.
    She moved through the halls with confidence, recognizing the feel of him now, knowing she was moving toward him. She picked up the pace, although she remained very conscious of the layers of ice surrounding them. The walls appeared thick, but they creaked and cracked, loud popping noises signaling ice falling or shooting out of the walls from the weight above them.
    I doubt very much if I’ll need your aid, Mr. Brawny, but I’ll keep it in mind. How many?
    Traian sighed, obviously unwilling to argue with her anymore. Worse, she felt his strength draining away and had to fight the need to run to him.
    There is one with me now. The others will return well fed and high with a lust for killing.
    Joie didn’t like the sound of that. Lust for killing held very bad implications. Could you be exaggerating just a little? She desperately hoped