Dark Wolf(58)

The flames leapt high, burning the bodies. Rafael left behind a message  for the other Lycans. Traitors of the council, murderers of children.  Brought to justice.

I'm not leaving you behind and Zev is losing the battle here with his numerous wounds. Get moving.

I'm on my way, Dimitri said placidly.

Fen might be his older brother, but Dimitri was an ancient warrior and  had hunted vampires for centuries, mostly on his own. No matter how much  he loved his brother, he went his own way and made up his own mind.  These Lycans had been killers and they had dared to accost his lifemate.  He wasn't about to let them live. Sooner or later he would have caught  up with them. He was grateful they had been ferreted out by Zacarias and  his brothers. Who knew what more harm they would have done if they  hadn't been destroyed?

He knew Fen was worried about him, but he refused to acknowledge that  Fen had been right all along and his body wasn't yet up to bringing  justice to anyone. He took to the air, heading back toward his brother.  Razvan had made a clean getaway with Byron, yet Fen and Zev had refused  to leave until Dimitri was safely away. Dimitri was fairly certain Zev  was every bit as stubborn as his brother and neither was budging until  they knew he was safe.

Rafael and Nicolas fell in behind him. Zacarias led the way. On some  level Dimitri realized they were protecting him, flying in a formation  that kept his battered body in the center of a triangle.

I'm waiting on you, Fen, he told his brother. If you're having trouble  and need a little help I'll circle back and save you as usual. Just say  the word. I was just giving you a little time to work it out, but  seriously, I can't have you holding everyone up.

Dimitri had to keep the amusement out of his voice, and out of his mind as well. Laughing at Fen was a dangerous proposition.

Very funny. You're turning into a regular comedian. Have one of the De La Cruz brothers carry your sorry butt.

Dimitri knew he wasn't going to get away with laughing at his brother,  but still, it felt good to be heading home, with Fen close by. He was  free, the pain was slowly subsiding and Skyler was his for all eternity.

Moving through the night sky with the wind in his face and the stars  glittering overhead had always been relaxing and peaceful. He didn't  look at the battleground beneath him, strewn with wounded Lycans. He'd  had enough of blood and death and pain-enough to last another lifetime.  He was weary. Exhausted. Done with fighting for a while.

Where are you?

She reached for him immediately with her soothing touch as if she knew  his weariness and exhaustion. She'd done so in the past. He remembered  once when he'd spent months tracking a master vampire and witnessing the  aftermath of the death and destruction the undead left in his wake,  he'd been so sickened by the depravity he couldn't find solace or peace,  even in the ground.

She had come to him then as she did now. Skyler. His miracle. She poured  into his mind gently, with that slow, almost delicate touch he had  grown so familiar with. She filled him, those dark places of death, the  cracks that seemed impossible to mend, so many torn places inside of him  caused by the numerous kills he'd made and the things he'd seen.  Somehow, when she was there, when they merged like this, she managed to  wipe it all out. Everything he'd seen and done was gone, replaced by  warmth and love.

Safe. I'm following close, he assured her.

Dimitri, something's wrong. I feel it.

It's just the distance between us. I'm a little weak. He made the  admission to her that he would never make to his brother. She was there  with him, in his mind, she would know anyway. It was practically  impossible to hide anything from one's lifemate, and his lifemate was  especially sensitive.

It's not the distance. Something else. Something creeping up on you. It's close. Dangerous.

He'd put himself on autopilot, basically allowing Zacarias and his  brothers to direct his flight, shielding them from any eyes that might  see them while he kept his strength for the long way home. He took a  quick look around. Fen, in the form of a dragon with Zev on his back,  flew just to his left.

The De La Cruz brothers, like him, had chosen the form of birds, moving  powerfully through the night sky. They were all on alert, but no one  seemed unduly on edge.

He believed her. He had found, over the years, it paid to believe  Skyler. He was a Guardian, a mixed blood, and he had special gifts. It  was more than time to begin using the special abilities being the Hän ku  pesäk kaikak gave him. The danger was in the feeling of superiority  that crept in. He was stronger. Faster. His brain could solve problems  at a tremendous rate of speed. One had to temper gifts with the  inevitable price one paid for them.

His eyesight was especially keen. He took a long, slow look around, at  the ground below him, to his right, his left, behind him and up ahead.  His hearing was acute. He listened for any sound that might be out of  place, a single note that might warn him of danger. His sense of smell  was extremely sensitive, the combined wolf and Carpathian coming  together to give him tremendous advantages if he just used them.

There was something. The faintest of ripples washed over him, an  uneasiness that set in and held on, yet he couldn't identify the threat.

Fen. Reach out. There's something here. Something coming after us. Or we're heading toward it. Skyler feels it as well.

He knew his brother would take him seriously. They had battled together  on and off for centuries. As much as Fen liked to pull rank as a big  brother, he respected Dimitri's abilities and would never ignore a  warning.                       
       
           



       

I feel it. But what? So subtle. What could be that subtle that none of us were aware of it? Fen asked.

The answer was clear to Dimitri-to both of them. Sange rau. Whoever has  orchestrated this war is using the Sange rau to assassinate those he  wants out of his way.

There were Bardolf and Abel. Fen named the two Sange rau they had  defeated weeks earlier. The two had been sent to kill Mikhail Dubrinsky.  How could he control a mixed blood, a vampire at that. He has to be  pretty powerful to do something like that.

If he was Carpathian before he was Sange rau and we warn the others, he would hear, Dimitri pointed out.

Neither Fen nor Dimitri had ever exchanged blood with Zacarias or his  brothers. They would have to use the common path-which would allow a  Carpathian-born mixed blood to hear.

Skyler, can Paul reach out to his uncles? If so, have him convey the  news that we are being pursued by an assassin. We're certain the  assassin is Sange rau.

There was a brief silence, presumably while she conferred with Paul. He has exchanged blood with Nicolas.

Tell them to keep moving as if nothing has changed, but one will have to  take Zev from Fen. I'm going to start dropping back just a little at a  time, giving the impression I'm hurt and the flight is beginning to tell  on me, Dimitri said.

You are hurt. Dimitri, you can't fight this monster, not in your condition, Skyler objected.

He laughed softly in his mind, reaching for her to surround her with  love. Csitri, I've got no intention of fighting him. I'll leave that to  Fen. He needs to feel needed and I'd never take that away from him.

For a moment he thought Skyler wouldn't catch on, but she did. He's listening, isn't he? You're provoking your brother again.

Of course I am.

Fen gave a little derisive snort. He just can't handle that I'm better in a fight.

Says you. As I recall, the last time, it was me saving your sorry butt, Dimitri pointed out.

You have to take this threat seriously, Skyler insisted, somewhere between laughter and exasperation.

No worries, sívamet. We've got this, Dimitri said with confidence.

He was confident. He'd survived the Lycans' worst torture and he had his  lifemate. It didn't matter that his body was torn and exhausted, his  mind was stronger than ever. His senses were rapidly developing.

You and I both know, the Sange rau will be difficult to kill, Fen  cautioned on their private path of communication. I know you're trying  to keep Skyler from worrying, but don't get overconfident.

In all the centuries we've been traveling, different continents even,  how many times have either of us ever run across the Sange rau? Dimitri  asked his brother.

I've seen four, counting Abel and Bardolf.

I've only come across Abel and Bardolf, and they were specifically sent  to kill Mikhail, Dimitri said, waiting to let the implication sink in.

Dimitri knew the precise moment Paul conveyed the warning to Nicolas and  Nicolas sent it to Zacarias. There was no change in them, but he felt  the difference. He hoped their pursuer didn't as well. He faltered just a  little, looked as if he tried to recover and slipped back, away from  his protectors. Nicolas and Rafael in bird form flew past him, hesitated  a moment and then continued on as if he'd told them to keep going.

Fen got the meaning fast. Someone is creating them, using mixed blood to  enhance them and using them as assassins. They aren't necessarily  vampire.