Just before he can drop into the abyss of being a vampire, Vikirnoff encounters his lifemate to be, Natalya, battling vampires. In going to her aid, he is injured, thus obligating the warrior women to help a man whose race she hates, for she has lived a lifetime and more believing the Carpathians killed the last of her family. Discovering she is bound for all eternity to a man she should hate and who seems to want to be bonded to someone more like June Cleaver than Xena is not a happy event.

She can not deny, however, that her feelings are morphing into love, especially as she learns the truth about Carpathians. Even as Natalya battles herself over the change in her life, she and Vik must fight for their race. An evil mage plans to destroy all Carpathians, starting with the Prince.

This is the most complex of the Dark series. Natalya is no shy heroine, but one to be reckoned with. Watching her interplay with Vik is entertaining, and there is constant excitment. A question about whether or not a vampire can be brought back from the greyness is raised, though never answered completely. There are several threads left dangling, but all in all, this is a good addition to the series. For the true fan, there are two appendixes in the end that add depth to the world Ms. Feehan has created.

Synopsis
Christine Feehan has worked magic on a legion of fans with her darkly thrilling Carpathian tales. Now she delivers the provocative story of a female vampire slayer who proves as seductive-and mysterious-as the night dwellers she stalks...

For as long as she can remember, Natalya has been fighting demons: first in the form of childhood nightmares, then later, immortal creatures that kill and prey on the innocent-including her own twin brother. Whether Carpathian or vampire, she slays those who murder by night, and has no equal-until she is seduced by the very thing she considers her enemy...

A Carpathian who has seen nearly everything in his endless existence, Vikirnoff doesn't think he can be surprised anymore-until he faces a woman who rivals him as a vampire hunter. A formidable and gifted warrior in her own right, Natalya has a nature that is strangely familiar-yet alien-to his own. Who is this mysterious female who fears no one-not even him? Natalya could be the key to the survival of the Carpathians, but all Vikirnoff is certain of is that she is the key to his heart and soul...