Branka, look at him. Every time I mention anything to do with why he’s here or the Sacred Circle or code, he gets a violent headache. I saw a small trickle of blood come from his nose earlier when he was trying to tell me who sent him here. He couldn’t remember and became very confused.
Branislava sat up a little straighter, her attention centering on Damon. The wolf in Zev didn’t like it, but he understood and it was far easier for Zev to control that dangerous streak of jealousy knowing why she was so focused on the Lycan.
“Damon?” Daciana prompted. “If you understand the difference between a Carpathian and a vampire, it isn’t that big of a leap to understand the difference between the Sange rau and the Hän ku pesäk kaikak. The Hän ku pesäk kaikak translates to ‘guardian of all,’ which is what Dimitri is.”
“And me,” Fen said. “I hunted the Sange rau with Vakasin, and we shared blood when wounded. Vakasin became Carpathian and Lycan and I became Lycan and Carpathian. Neither of us were vampire or rogue. We were stronger, yes, and faster, and in the end that is what enabled us to defeat the Sange rau.”
Damon nodded his head several times but he pressed his fingers to his eyes. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on his face.
Out of the mist, Dimitri and Skyler came, walking hand in hand up the stone steps to the verandah. Dimitri looked—lethal. Zev couldn’t blame him. Skyler had been targeted more than once by members of the Sacred Circle and they were relentless in the pursuit to kill her. Dimitri still bore the scars of the silver chains they’d wrapped him in from his forehead to his ankles.
Clearly, Dimitri gave off an aura of danger. Both Makoce and Daciana moved closer to Damon as if they might protect him from the Hän ku pesäk kaikak.
Dimitri ignored them and went straight to Branislava to drop a kiss on the top of her head. “Little sister, you were wonderful tonight. Thank you.”
She touched him with gentle fingers in reply. Skyler exchanged a kiss on the cheek with Branislava and then Tatijana.
“I’m sorry we’re late,” Dimitri said. “We were attending the wound on the wolf.” Again he didn’t look at Damon, but his low tone carried easily and deliberately.
Damon ducked his head, shame creeping into his expression. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing else I can say, other than I really mean it—I don’t know what’s happening to me.”
“You’re shadowed,” Branislava said, her voice so low it was merely a thread of sound. “Mage-shadowed.”
Tatijana’s gasp was loud. She reached out to Fen, who took her hand instantly.
“I don’t know what that means,” Damon said.
Daciana and Makoce moved even closer to Damon, closing ranks on either side of him. “Please explain, Branislava,” Daciana said. “None of us understand.”
“He’s showing all the signs. Look at him, Tatijana. He’s confused when asked direct questions about who sent him here. If he tries too hard to remember he gets a severe headache. You do, don’t you, Damon?” she asked.
He nodded. “The headache is so bad I can barely breathe, let alone think.”
“When he pushes past the pain in an attempt to get answers to why he would go against his beliefs to murder a young woman or shoot and wound a wolf to use as bait, his brain reacts with an actual bleed. If you keep questioning him, trying to force him to remember, you’ll kill him,” Branislava stated with absolute conviction. “He is definitely mage-shadowed.”
Tatijana nodded. “We’ve seen it many, many times.”
There was a small silence. Fen whistled. Dimitri sank onto the porch swing, pulling Skyler with him. Daciana gripped her brother’s arm and just held on tight.
Damon shook his head. “I don’t know what that is, but there’s nothing wrong with me except a nasty headache.” He looked around at the somber faces. “There can’t be.”
His gaze dropped to his sister’s face. “There isn’t.”
Daciana slipped her arm around him as if she could brace him. “What is it, Bronnie?”
“How do you get rid of it?” Damon asked. “There must be a way. I want it out of my head.” He shuddered.
“Only a highly skilled mage can shadow a person without his consent or knowledge,” Branislava said. “By that I mean someone of Xavier’s caliber.”
“Xavier’s dead,” Tatijana declared quickly. “There’s no way he survived.”
Fen wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close. “Obviously this couldn’t be Xavier, my lady,” he assured softly. “Whoever has done this infiltrated the ranks of the Lycans long ago or Damon would have noticed a stranger immediately. Lycans don’t bring outsiders into their meetings.”