Dark Wolf(35)

Josef sank back on his heels, trying not to sob. He had no idea how  Dimitri thought to save Skyler, but there was no real life in her body.  She lay as if dead, her eyes open and staring, yet they were not her  eyes. Not her spirit. Paul had packed each bullet entry with rich soil  in an effort to stop the bleeding. The bullets were silver, designed to  kill a rogue wolf or the Sange rau. Josef had a mad desire to cut the  silver out of Skyler's body. Even that seemed an abomination to him.

He looked at Paul's grief-stricken face and then down at his body.  "You've been shot," he announced, as if it was news. He realized he was  in shock. Of course he knew Paul had been shot. He had been shot.  Dimitri and Skyler had been shot. The Lycans were out for business. He  looked around him, feeling dazed and a little dizzy. "They've surrounded  us."

"Yeah, I noticed," Paul said. "I think they intend to bring in a nuke."  He took Skyler's limp hand in his and stretched out beside her. "Go to  ground, Josef. You can heal yourself in the ground. Skyler would want  that."

"I'm not going to ground until I fix your wounds as best I can and see if Skyler comes back."

Josef choked several times, clearing his throat repeatedly, determined  not to break down and cry. He wanted Paul to believe there was still a  chance to save Skyler. He didn't believe for a moment that Skyler could  come back from the dead and judging by Dimitri's crazy choices, he  feared the Carpathian would turn from Guardian to Sange rau and everyone  would be in trouble. The thought terrified him. He could never defeat  Dimitri in battle, not even a weak, starved, tortured Dimitri, but he  couldn't leave Paul to face him alone-or face Skyler's death alone.

Skyler's body jerked so unexpectedly both men nearly jumped out of their  skin. Josef caught her hand. It was ice-cold-cold enough to make him  shiver. Wherever she was, she didn't inhabit the body lying between  them.

See to Paul's wounds.

Dimitri's voice in his head made him jump nearly as much as Skyler's  awkward jerk. He sounded far away and strained as if whatever he was  doing was costing him dearly.

What are you doing? Josef demanded. Dimitri, possessing Skyler's body won't bring her back.

I have found her spirit. It is still warm. If her human body undergoes  the conversion, I have a chance to thrust her spirit back into her body.  She has consented, given me her complete trust.

Josef's breath caught in his lungs. Dimitri was going to undergo the  conversion with Skyler's body. He was wounded. Silver burned through his  body. Already weakened and starved, the chances of him dying with  Skyler were enormous.                       
       
           



       

You can't be in two places at one time, holding Skyler to this world and  undergoing the conversion, Josef warned. He took a deep breath,  terrified, but willing. Is there a way I can take your place in either  Skyler's body-the thought of which totally creeped him out-or holding  her spirit to this world?

Skyler's body jerked again. Her eyes went wild, glacier-blue, but  swirling with other colors beneath the blue-a beautiful dove gray Josef  recognized. Skyler's eyes, when she was completely calm and relaxed  often went that amazing shade of gray. When she was happy, her startling  blue shone through. Now, there seemed to be a mixture and for the first  time, Josef felt hope that she hadn't completely departed from their  world.

"Fight, Skyler," he whispered. "I don't have anyone but you and Paul. Fight to come back. You're strong."

Thank you, Josef, for your offer, Dimitri said. This time his voice was  edged with pain. You have always been the brother she has loved. You and  Paul. She's glad you're here with her, both of you. You give her added  courage to see this thing through. You cannot take my place. She is too  far gone from us, and I'm holding her by our connection more than  anything else. You cannot undergo the conversion with her.

Dimitri's voice strained now. Turned hoarse and raspy. Josef could see  ripples beneath Skyler's skin as if her body had come to life, yet only  her eyes showed real signs of life. Her body was icy cold, her skin tone  nearly gray.

I count on you to see to Paul and then open the ground for us. Find some  way to keep Paul as safe and comfortable as possible. Fen and the  others are drawing closer, but they, too, will need to go to ground.  I've told him of this . . . Dimitri broke off abruptly.

Josef felt a flash of blinding pain. Skyler's body convulsed.

Paul gasped and rolled to face her, pulling her hand to his chest. "What should we do? We have to do something."

Josef shook his head. "There isn't anything we can do. She's undergoing  the conversion, her organs reshaping. Her human body must die in a  sense, in order for the conversion to work. All toxins will be removed  from her body and she'll be remade as Carpathian. The process is  extremely difficult."

He made his way around Skyler to kneel beside Paul. "The wound in your leg seems to be the worst. You're bleeding pretty badly."

"Don't put dirt in the wound," Paul said. "I'm not Carpathian or about  to be, and I'd end up with gangrene or something equally as awful." His  gaze kept straying to Skyler's body even though he tried his best not to  look at what was happening to her.

Josef wanted to distract him, knowing the worst was to come. He didn't  want to tell Paul it was Dimitri possessing Skyler's body with her,  because even for their world, that was bizarre-and wrong.

"A little dirt never hurt anyone. Hold still for a moment. You can't  move or distract me, even if Skyler starts convulsing. Be prepared for  anything, Paul. I'm counting on you not to move while I'm trying to heal  you from the inside out."

He shed his own body and entered Paul's. He had deliberately given Paul  the task of concentrating on him, rather than what was happening to  Skyler. Skyler was completely in Dimitri's hands. Josef had never heard  of anyone attempting what Dimitri was trying to do. As much as he wanted  it to work, he feared Skyler could not be recovered and Dimitri would  be pushed over the edge into madness. He was very pleased that Fen was  drawing closer, and he sent up a silent prayer that Dimitri's older  brother-a Guardian himself-would get there in time to destroy Dimitri if  he became the Sange rau.

Dimitri was well aware of Josef's thoughts. He feared those very same  things. He was weak, and right now, his only focus could be on saving  Skyler. Once he had taken possession of her body, he was certain a spark  of light, very faint, but there nonetheless, had appeared in that warm  mass he held to him in that other world.

He felt her, their connection transcending space and time now. In that  other world one could easily get lost. During the worst of the  conversion, Skyler might want to be lost. He feared she might try to  pull away from him once the pain took hold. He did his best to warn her.

Feel me, sívamet. Feel me holding you close to me. This will be pain  unlike any you can imagine. The fire will burn through your body,  cleansing it, preparing it for the full conversion. I will be with you  every step of the way.

He felt the smallest of answers. Warmth in his mind. His heart jerked in  his chest. Stuttered with joy. She was there, clinging to life, relying  on him, trusting him.

The Lycans put me through the very fires of hell, but I am thankful now.  I can guide us through this. You felt the burn of silver twisting  through my body. You were able to withstand that torment. We can do this  together.

He had no idea just how bad a conversion actually was, but even in his  weakened state, he knew with absolute certainty that he could face  anything, take the brunt of it and remain honorable-for her.

Stay with me. Stay, Skyler. I know you're weary and in pain, but I'm  asking you to stay for me. She had said similar words to him when he had  been mortally wounded, eviscerated by the rogue wolves he had fought.  She had come to him, across an impossible distance and she had helped to  heal him. Stay, csitri, I cannot bear to be without you. We're so close  to our life together.

Again there was that small spread of warmth. This time he was certain of  that small light in the midst of the warmth. Skyler had an indomitable  spirit. She would not desert him. She had fought for him, dared to cross  into Lycan lands to rescue him. She would not leave him now. He had to  believe that.

Pain welled up, a wave sharp and terrible, burning through his/her  insides, raking and clawing at their stomach. He turned Skyler's head  just in time as her human stomach rebelled, emptying the contents over  and over, a wretched action he couldn't stop. Something more powerful  than him consumed them. Wave after wave crashed through them, lasting  long minutes that could have been hours. He lost track of time.

Abruptly, the pain faded, and they panted together, desperate to draw  air into their lungs. He felt dizzy and weak. He couldn't leave Skyler's  spirit alone in the other world. She would never make it back to him.  Possessing her body took a tremendous amount of energy. He was still  bleeding from multiple wounds and silver burned through his own body,  yet he didn't dare take the time to try to push it out. Already another  wave of fire rose in Skyler's body, lifting her up and slamming her back  to earth.