Alarm spiked in him as she grabbed his arm, and the same invisible vacuum effect happened. They landed again. Saren took a breath, then grabbed his arm again. They kept doing this until they landed outside their own encampment. She was doing it to save her power, only using it in short bursts. Once they were done, she closed her eyes and bent forward, resting her hands on her legs. She was the one panting for breath now, much how the wolves had before.
Roane knew they were safe so he started, “Was Jacith there with them?”
She nodded and opened her eyes. They were strained as she answered, “Yes. I watched their army before and his body wasn’t with them, but he was there. Or he was in close proximity.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“He’s powerful enough to project his magic, but he can only go so far. And it’s only so powerful. The closer his body is to where he is projecting, the more power he has, and back there, his magic was very, very powerful. It was too much. The magic alone would’ve killed me. I knew he had spelled the wolves so they were unnaturally strong and faster, but that was him. That wasn’t the power he had already given them.”
Roane was reeling. Jacith was here . . . He had come for Davy.
Saren felt his urgency and panic rise and she held a hand up, stopping him. “Davy will have enough power to beat him. That is why I’m here after all.”
“But if he can get to her—”
“He can’t. The protection spell the Mori put up isn’t for us or the other army. It’s against Jacith. They feel his magic, too. They don’t want him within their lands either.”
“Can they defeat him?”
Saren lifted up a shoulder. “I don’t know. The Mori have ancient magic, but I’m unsure about how powerful they are or if they even want to war against him. They’re already with Lucan.”
Roane stifled a groan. He clipped out. “My brother is with them, not the other way around.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Mori are relatively peaceful. They don’t leave their lands, but they did with him. I can’t help to wonder if they’ve been told the full truth of why they held Davy in captivity.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You think they don’t know?”
“I don’t know. Talia said not everything is as it seems. I’m wondering if that’s what she meant.”
“Maybe.”
“Roane!”
Wren was coming down the path toward them.
Roane said under his breath, before the other vampire could reach them, “Don’t tell the others about Jacith. They don’t think he’s here.”
Saren glanced at him, a question lurking deep in her depths, but she didn’t respond.
SAREN
As the female vampire got to their side, Saren stepped back and tucked her head down. The Christane wolves should be aware of what they are going against, but this vampire that Davy loved had proven his intelligence. She must have a reason for her silence. However, she was uneasy. She needed to move ahead and find her Immortal sister. The sooner she could merge her power to Davy, the better for her sister, but as the days had been progressing Saren found herself more and more reluctant to leave these group of warriors.
They were simpletons. They were weak, but spending time in their presence was like a sickness. An infatuation grew for them. She found herself wanting to protect them, to aid in their survival. It was because of Davy. Her sister would want her to make sure this vampire lived. Saren tried to reassure herself it was because of the true Immortal—that was why she hadn’t left them to enter the Mori land.
Roane and his comrades weren’t aware, but the protection spell wasn’t cast to keep Saren out. She had already crossed the water and explored a day’s trek inwards before she realized the others were kept outside.
As Roane moved forward to intercept the female vampire, Saren felt it was time to pull herself away from this group and so, as she thought it, she vanished from their sight.
Sireenia felt her presence and greeted her. “I have missed you, sister.”
They were on their plane, though Saren kept a window open. She could watch Davy’s vampire and materialize if her presence was needed. She said to her other sister now, “Jacith is near them.”
“Yes. He didn’t travel with his army. He went somewhere first.”
Saren heard the fear in her voice. “We aren’t aware where he went?”
“He cloaked himself, even to us.”
“How is that possible?”
Sireenia didn’t respond, not at first. It was a beat later when she said, “We don’t know.”