Dark Blood (22 page)

Mikhail nodded his head and sent a small smile Gregori’s way, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Zev could see the visual interchange, but he hadn’t been privy to the private discourse between the two men, he only knew it had taken place. Gregori didn’t look especially happy, and the prince didn’t, either.

“Let’s get this done,” Fen said. “We don’t have all night. We have to make certain Bronnie has enough time to remove the shadow from Damon.”

“One last thing,” Zev said. “What happens if there are a number of Lycans with these mage-shadows? Are you expecting Branka to get rid of them all?”

Gregori shrugged his shoulders. “Zev, we’ve learned to take one thing at a time. If we find more shadows, we’ll discuss what to do before we take any other steps.”

Mikhail shoved his hands through his hair once again. “I understand completely, Zev. If Raven or Savannah were pushed into putting their lives—or sanity—on the line, I would certainly object.”

He sent Gregori a quelling glance when the healer made a move to speak. “We came of age in an era where our women were gone, and there was little possibility of ever finding a lifemate. We forget they are every bit as strong as we are. Our every instinct is to protect them from any possible harm. I make no apologies for that and neither does Gregori, nor should you.”

There was greatness in Mikhail, Zev realized. He was quiet, much like Rolf, the real alpha on the council, but when he spoke his every thought carried weight. He was intelligent and compassionate. He didn’t want others to serve him or fight his battles. His struggle, Zev decided, was fighting his own nature, the fierce predator that preferred action to waiting.

Branislava was Dragonseeker, a born warrior. Just as he was. She had a warrior’s heart, and if he truly was the last descendent in the line of Dark Blood, those famous for their skills in battle, she was a true lifemate for one of that lineage.

I should have been more understanding. You were only answering your calling.
There was regret in his voice.

Sadly, he knew himself. A man at the helm of an elite pack, the alpha who moved from pack to pack as an acknowledged leader dispensing justice and stopping problems before they got out of hand, had to have the fierce nature he had. There was no changing his wolf, nor did he want to.

I may have been answering my calling,
she agreed,
but my first duty is to my lifemate. I made the choice to be bound to you. That was my choice and I stand by our vows. Your needs became mine. I trust that you feel the same toward me.

The knots in his belly settled a bit. He wanted to scoop her up, drag her out of the cave like the men of old, declaring to the world she belonged to him.

Silly wolf. Of course I belong to you. And it just occurred to me. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Our souls are tied together, but so are our spirits. I wove them together when you were so mortally wounded. They remain woven together.

How is that going to help this situation?
He leaned toward her, recognizing her sudden excitement.

All you have to do is let go of your physical body. The moment you do, your spirit will travel with mine. If you allow me to lead, you will be right there with me, inside Damon, while I work on unraveling safeguards and removing the mage-shadow.

Clever girl.
He let his admiration show.

And, Zev . . .

Her voice dropped low, a lyrical tone, one of sheer intimacy, one that penetrated deep into his every cell, wrapping itself around bundles of nerve endings and starting a smoldering fire deep in his belly. He gave her his full attention, focusing wholly on her.

I’m madly in love with your wolf. He can never be too wild for me. He makes me . . .

She broke off her words, but without warning he felt scorching hot silk wrap his cock in a tight, fiery fist, squeezing and gripping erotically. The sensation rushed over him, taking his breath away, leaving him gasping and hungry.

He sent her one warning look, his eyes taking on the glow of the wolf. Her soft laughter teased at him. That was another huge trait he loved in her—the unexpected sense of fun she had. He hadn’t really known laughter until she had come into his life.

You’re such a gift,
he said.

Around them, the others were standing. Stretching. Ready to leave to go check the Lycans. He couldn’t move. Didn’t dare move. She wasn’t finished with him, not by a long shot.

She sat beside him, so close that he knew she wore clothing, but the illusion of skin to skin was perfect. She threaded her fingers through his and gave a little wave toward her sister and Skyler as they went out of the spacious chamber.

You have no idea what a gift I truly am,
she said, her laughter mischievous.

Now he felt the hot, moist lap of her tongue on his shaft, the close of her mouth over him, the dance of her fingers on his heavy sac. She was killing him without actually touching him.

She started to rise to follow the others, but he caught her arm and jerked her back down beside him. At once he saw the flare of heat in her eyes.

“We’re right behind you,” he called to his brother, and waited until he knew all of them were gone. With one hand, he undid his trousers, with the other, he bunched her hair in his hand and forced her head down into his lap. Zev let his head fall back as she enveloped him in the warmth and love of her mouth.

She never failed to astonish him with teasing, with her heat and the way she was ready and willing to meet his every desire.

“Hello, my wolf,” she murmured softly, licking at him like the fierce kitten he named her. “You do look good enough for a dragon to eat.”

A blast of heat accompanied her soft declaration. He eyed her warily.

Her laughter vibrated through his shaft, and he forgot all about that little warning, giving himself up to her clever mouth and hands.

T
he three Dragonseeker women took their time building the circle of protection. Branislava and Gregori had consulted numerous times, choosing and then discarding several locations before settling on this one. The clearing was a good distance from the village and far from the home of the prince. There were no farms nearby and no real landmarks should Xaviero surface unexpectedly or detect her as she attempted to remove the mage-shadow.

Mikhail explained the theory to the Lycan council members and Rolf insisted all of them be inspected, although both Arno and Lyall, influential counsel members, protested adamantly, maintaining they didn’t want a Carpathian invading their minds. An argument had ensued that had eaten into their time. In the end, Gregori had shrugged and given them an ultimatum. He wasn’t going to risk the prince or any of their people. If they didn’t want to be inspected, he told them to pack up and leave immediately.

It had taken a good half of the night, with ten Carpathians working to discover if any of the other Lycans were mage-shadowed. No council member was, but three more of the guards were. Daciana and Makoce were fine, as were the other two members of Zev’s elite hunting pack, Lykaon and Arnau, Arnos’s son.

The three guards, Borya, Pavlo and Igor, reacted as Damon had, horrified that someone else was inside their minds, possibly using them as puppets against their own council members, the members they’d sworn to protect. Zev realized it was possible that the guards who had attacked Rolf and Arno could have been mage-shadowed as well.

The three Dragonseeker women cleansed the meadow, using long wands of sage, cedar, sweet grass, lavender and copal, walking clockwise. White-hot light burst from their fingertips, creating a sacred space in the form of a sphere in the exact center of the meadow. It was important to separate their chosen circle of power from the rest of the space around it. Starting in the eastern corner, they walked counterclockwise, calling forth their four elements to guide and protect them. As they walked together they lifted their voices in unison.

We call to the powers of the East, Air.

We call to the powers of the West, Water.

We call to the powers of the North, Earth.

We call to the powers of the South, Fire
.

Skyler took up her position in the northern corner first. She was of the Earth, close to the mother of all living things. She called on Mother Earth to protect and aid them with their task.

Hear our prayers, Great Mother,

We call upon you to protect us in our hour of need.

Thrice around this circle bound,

All evil sink into the ground.

Branislava took up her position in the southernmost corner. She was of the element of fire. She lived it. Breathed it. Understood it. She called upon her element to aid and protect them during their most difficult task.

I call upon that which is fire.

I bid you to build a wall a spire.

Breathe forth your breath,

Make it burn so that none may enter and away must turn
.

Ivory took up her position in the eastern corner. She was a force to be reckoned with, a woman who lived her life on the outside of their society. She was lifemate to Razvan, Xavier’s grandson and keeper of the wolves who hunted with her. The wind whispered to her at all times, sharing information and protecting her on every hunt. She called to her element of air to protect and aid them with their task.

Current of air that breathes,

Great goddess Hera, let your gales now blow.

Bring forth your winds, let them howl and sing,

Protecting your daughters and all within this ring
.

Tatijana was last, gliding over to the western corner, taking up her position. She embodied the element of water. Cool, fluid, and at home in any form of water, she called out, asking for aid and protection for the coming task.

I call to water, blood of life,

Fix your gaze upon this sight.

Let water drop and lightning strike,

Keep evil out, protecting those inside
.

Gregori stepped into the center of the sphere created by the women, looking more than impressive. Fen, Dimitri, Razvan, Zev and Darius formed a second circle of protection, ringing the first one of power. Inside that circle, the other three mage-shadowed Lycans lay sleeping.

“We’re ready for Damon,” Gregori announced.

Zev stepped inside the circle of protection the women had created, and the earth rippled beneath his feet. He sank down in the place he’d been assigned, knowing his spirit would follow Branislava’s and leave his body unattended. He was still unused to the Carpathian way of shedding one’s body and becoming pure spirit, and he wished he’d practiced some of their gifts more. He needed to be an expert in all things Carpathian as well as those Lycan.

“Zev, stay absolutely quiet and still,” Gregori cautioned. “You have a strong personality and your instinct to protect Branislava is very fierce, but in this instance, you would do her more harm than good if you interfere. Have a word that you use between you. Something only you two would know. If she utters that word, she needs your aid. Feed her every bit of power you possess.”

Zev nodded his understanding. Branislava was his—everything. He certainly would follow instructions to the letter in order to keep her safe. He was much happier knowing Gregori would be close as well. Gregori wanted to join them in order to learn Xaviero’s signature shadow so that he could recognize it in the future. More importantly, he wanted to see the weave of safeguards, the hidden traps Branislava was certain she could uncover so he could aid her in ridding the other three guards of their shadows as well.

“I understand, Gregori. Consider it done.”

“The three women present are a force of nature,” Gregori continued. “They’ll feed Bronnie their energy as she needs it, give her blood when needed. You have to remain absolutely still. You’re her safeguard. Her guardian. Xaviero can’t suspect she’s removing the shadow, so her work will be slow and delicate. You’re her last resort.”

Zev nodded again. He had never been one to stay in the background in a fight, but in this case, it made sense to him. He might have been born with a small strain of Dark Blood, but he was wolf all the way, and he had no experience in this type of battle. Even his mixed blood didn’t prepare him for a war of the mages.

“The men in the second circle will protect us from any outside harm,” Gregori added. “Rely on them to have your back. They will stand in the face of any enemy. Your single job is to guard Bronnie and give her that power if she asks for it. No matter what happens around us, stay with Bronnie.”

Gregori couldn’t have gotten the point across any better. Without a doubt, what they were attempting was extremely dangerous.

Zev let out his breath as Daciana and Makoce led Damon to the sphere. He was blindfolded.

“Go to the edge of the trees and remain there,” Gregori instructed the two elite hunters. “Do not set one foot on the meadow. It will be extremely dangerous to you.”

Both were clearly already uneasy inside the circle of power. Daciana’s hair had risen as an electrical charge had shot through her body. She nodded, squeezed her brother’s arm and both Lycans trotted to the edge of the forest to join with Lykaon and Arnau.

Gregori waited until they were far enough away before turning to Damon. “This is your desire, to have the shadow removed from your brain?” Gregori asked.

Zev noticed the women remained absolutely silent. Should Xaviero pick this precise moment to enter his shadow puppet, there was no evidence to betray the identity of the women. Damon would hear only Gregori’s voice. He couldn’t see anything at all.

“Yes. Thank you. I’d very much appreciate you getting this thing the hell out of my head,” Damon said, his voice coming in low growls.

His wolf was close, desperate to protect him. Branislava glanced fearfully at Zev. Should Damon’s wolf take over, he would be extremely dangerous. They were threading the needle between the mage and the wolf.

“Damon,” Zev said softly. “I am here, watching over you.”

The tension seemed to ease in Damon at once. “If I go mad, Zev, I don’t want to harm anyone, especially a woman.” He inhaled, drawing the scent of each of the women into his lungs. One could blindfold a wolf, but you couldn’t deaden his acute sense of smell very easily.

“I know, Damon,” Zev assured.

“Promise me. You’re my pack leader. It’s your duty.”

Technically, Zev wasn’t really his pack leader. Damon wasn’t a member of his elite hunters, but to Zev he was family, and that meant he was part of Zev’s pack, elite or not. “You have my word. Just relax and let them do their work. Your wolf knows I’ll keep everyone safe.”

“We’re going to put you to sleep, Damon,” Gregori said. “It’s much safer for all of us. Should the one who mage-shadowed you attempt to see through your eyes, he will find you in a deep sleep. It is night, he’ll think nothing of your being asleep and leave again.”

That was their hope. Whether or not their plan worked was something altogether different.

Damon nodded. “One way or another, just please get rid of it. If you can’t, don’t let me wake up. I’m not going to let him use me to assassinate a council member or kill a woman.”

“Your heart is accelerating,” Gregori said soothingly. “Remain calm. We’re going to remove the mage-shadow.”

Zev didn’t want to think about what would happen if they couldn’t. He wished Daciana was back with the council members, but they’d unwisely allowed her to stay near her brother.

Gregori held his arms up to the sky, palms facing the drifting clouds. Zev felt the swift buildup of energy inside the circle. The hairs on his body stood out as an electrical charge built up around them. Gregori chanted in a low carrying voice.

I command thee sky, darken Earth.

Clouds rushed overhead, boiling and churning, great dark cauldrons blotting out every star and bit of moon to be found.

Earth below now quake and tremble.
Gregori’s voice swelled with power.

The ground shifted, rising and falling around the outer circle, but didn’t cross that line of protection. The clearing rippled with waves, as if the field was alive, a guardian keeping those within the circle protected.

Let flood waters take all who would enter.

Water bubbled from below, the hidden river rising at his command. Around the outer circle the ground sank, forming a deep trench. Water filled the ditch, developing a moat.

Gregori, arms raised to the boiling clouds, moved his hands in a graceful, but deadly pattern. The towering dark clouds lit from within, long forks of orange-red flames.

Mage fire, burn forth in rage
, he commanded.

Thunder shook the forest, and lightning slammed from ground to sky and back again, five or six bolts sizzling through the sky to strike the meadow around the circle.

Entrapping shadow within your cage
, he finished.

Gregori stepped up beside Damon and drew him into the middle of the circle. He started to wave his hand to send Damon into a sleep, but Branislava and Tatijana both shook their heads.

Xaviero will sense your presence. Your touch as a Carpathian is too strong, too individual,
Branislava explained, using the common Carpathian path for communication so all of them could hear.
We need a mage spell that will feel like a real sleep.

Wouldn’t Xaviero spot a mage spell before a Carpathian one?
Zev asked.

Carpathians were taught the spells from mages,
Gregori said.

Branislava nodded.
True, and they were slightly different for Carpathians so a mage could always tell who had actually cast the spell or woven a safeguard.

That still means Xaviero would recognize a mage spell,
Zev insisted.

Branislava and Tatijana exchanged a small smile. Branislava shook her head.
Not if we changed the spell yet again. We had little to do behind those walls of ice but learn. We are every bit as adept as the three of them.

Branka, I love your confidence.
Zev had faith in her, but he knew how terrified she was of Xaviero. She hadn’t wanted to face the mage and had only committed to erasing the shadow because she feared no one else could do it without harming themselves.

It’s the simple truth, Zev, but we don’t practice the dark arts like they do. We might know each spell—we felt it necessary to learn in order to reverse them—but we refused to use our gifts for anything other than good.

Or mischief,
he teased, wanting to see her smile. Her complexion was stark white, her eyes enormous, looking like two emeralds pressed into her face.

She turned her head to look at him and gave him a smile that was worth more than all the gold in the world to him. His heart gave a little stutter and he placed his palm over his chest in a small tribute to her.

For a long moment, Branislava’s gaze clung to Zev’s. They stared into each another’s eyes, hers questioning. He nodded slowly and then she answered his nod with one of her own, showing him they were in perfect accord.

Branislava closed her eyes and sent her own prayer to the universe, calling on all things good and right for aid.

Valerian, Lemon Balm, German Chamomile,

I call forth your essence to calm and wile.

Lavender, Catnip, heed my call,

Bring peaceful sleep so evil may not call.

Damon’s eyes closed obediently under the blindfold, his face peaceful, not showing any of the stress that had been stamped there just minutes before.

Gregori unexpectedly reached out and took both of Branislava’s hands. “You have great courage, Dragonseeker courage. This time you are not alone in your fight to save this man. We’re with you and will aid you in every possible way. More, you are tied, spirit and soul to your lifemate. He is Dark Blood—from our strongest line of warriors. I have no doubt that you can do this and triumph.”