She had made certain that Dimitri looked exactly as he had before she'd healed him the night before. She wanted the Lycans to see the evidence of their medieval tortures. She slipped her hand into Dimitri's for comfort. She didn't especially want to see any of these people.
At once she had his undivided attention. What is it, csitri?
One word from her and they would turn and walk away. Dimitri wouldn't care what others thought of him. He never had. He was a man who went his own way. It was tempting to use that power she knew she had, but it was wrong. This meeting was important. She took a deep breath and let it out.
I'm just steeling myself to meet the prince again. Well, because she wasn't going to lie to him, that and seeing these Lycans.
Zev is Lycan and he's a good man.
She gave a little indelicate sniff of disdain. Maybe he is, but he didn't save you when he should have.
Dimitri's amusement filled her mind. Why, Skyler Rose. You carry a grudge.
So true. She stared at the tree nearest the elite hunter.
Above his head, a hive rocked and bees came pouring out.
I believe in revenge, she added complacently.
Fen flung his hands into the air, building a shield fast to keep them all from being stung by the angry bees. It took him a couple of moments to notice not a single bee came near any of them but Zev. He glared at his brother.
"I didn't do it," Dimitri proclaimed.
Skyler put on her most innocent face. "Nature is so unpredictable."
"Isn't it?" Fen said wryly. "Is it safe to let you inside?"
Skyler shrugged, unrepentant. "Only if those inside didn't issue a death by silver order on my lifemate."
Zev burst out laughing. "Lord, Dimitri, you have your hands full."
Dimitri tightened his fingers around Skyler's, bringing her hand to his chest, right over his heart. "I'm well aware of that. She's Dragonseeker. I would expect nothing less."
"Related to Tatijana and Branislava?" Zev asked, interest creeping into his tone.
Fen groaned. "Give it up, Zev. Seriously, you're like a wolf with a bone."
"I just asked if she's related," Zev pointed out. "And if you keep it up, we're going to be crossing swords."
Fen laughed. "I'm not drawing my sword around you. We could use lightning bolts."
Zev's eyebrow shot up. "I haven't quite mastered that yet, but I might ask Skyler for lessons in keeping bees."
"I'm still angry with you," Skyler said. "So any spell I give you could backfire."
"Well, at least you warned me," Zev said. "I understand why you're angry with me. I'm angry with me right now. I don't understand completely yet what is happening with my people. None of us understand. The council members swear they didn't issue the order for Moarta de argint, in fact, they claim just the opposite-that Dimitri was to be kept safe at all times."
"Why weren't you with him?" Skyler asked. "If you're the one trusted by the council, why wouldn't they have you guarding a prisoner so important?"
"I was taken behind his back," Dimitri explained, his voice gentle. "Fen and I were fighting the Sange rau. Zev and his hunters were with the prince, fighting off the rogue pack. The two men who grabbed me were from Zev's pack, but they should have been with those guarding Mikhail."
"Dimitri and I had gone off on our own without letting Zev know what we were doing," Fen clarified. "At the time he wasn't aware we both were of mixed blood, and we wanted to keep it that way for obvious reasons."
"Fen also figured we had the best chance of defeating the Sange rau," Dimitri added. "With our mixed blood we were both faster and better equipped to deal with one. Fen had more experience than anyone else."
"How did those two hunters come to be in the same place?" Skyler asked. "If no one knew where you went, how did they? Was it coincidence?"
"I don't believe in coincidence," Zev said.
For the first time, his voice made Skyler shiver. Her gaze jumped to his face. He was a man who had seen battle often. She could see danger stamped in him, the predator close to the surface, but she'd also experienced his kindness.
"Neither do I," Dimitri agreed. "If there had been time, I would have known something was wrong, but everything happened so fast. Fen was in trouble and the two hunters were as well. I didn't stop to think, I just reacted. Had I asked myself that question, how did they find us, I wouldn't have been knocked over the head and taken prisoner."
Fen lifted an eyebrow. "And then your lady wouldn't have come running to bail your butt out of trouble."
Dimitri pressed her hand tighter against his heart. You are worth every link of those silver chains burning into my flesh night and day, he whispered into her mind, meaning it.
Skyler stepped closer to him, slipping beneath his shoulder. You could be just a little crazy thinking like that, I must ask the healer to take a look at you.
She couldn't help the little flare of excitement at his compliment. He had a way of always making her feel special. "Are Gabriel and Francesca inside?" she asked aloud.
"Not yet," Fen answered. "Gabriel and your uncle Lucian are out with a few others patrolling, making certain we aren't going to get any uninvited guests."
Dimitri's gaze met his brother's over Skyler's head. You know if the assassins come for us, they will most likely go undetected by any patrol.
Fen inclined his head. It's true, but we're still looking. Gabriel and Lucian are very good at sensing the enemy, and they have a better chance than most. Zev and I are taking turns scouting around. He's really adept at finding tracks, much better even than I am. I'm learning quite a bit from him.
It's been six days, nearly a week, plenty of time for an assassin to follow a blood trail, Dimitri pointed out.
Skyler cleared her throat. "Really, it isn't necessary to try to protect me from your fears for me, either of you. All of you are in as much danger as I am."
"Maybe," Dimitri conceded, bringing her fingers to his mouth. "But they considered you a sorceress of some sort, perhaps a female Sange rau capable of populating the earth with your children. I think you and Zev are in the most danger."
Zev grinned at her. "You aren't the only one who despises me."
She sighed, giving him a pained look. "Well that just changes things," she said in mock disgust. "Now I have to be on your side."
"We'd better go in before Gregori comes out here," Fen said. "And if you're wondering where that threat came from, he just sent me a solemn oath that he'd be out here in two seconds if we didn't move it."
Zev and Dimitri both exchanged a long look and shrugged their shoulders as if Gregori's threat mattered little to them-and it most likely didn't. Still, Dimitri placed his hand on Skyler's back lightly, guiding her, maintaining contact with her at all times. They followed Fen inside with Zev bringing up the rear. She realized that with Fen in front of them and Zev behind them, their escort was really protecting them from any unforeseen trouble.
The meeting room was spacious, with plenty of seating and tables set up with food and drink along the walls for the Lycans. Each council member had his own pack and therefore, his own elite guards. Over all of the elite guards were Zev and his pack. He answered to the entire council and when there was trouble within an elite pack, he was the one sent to make it right. If he showed up, the situation was considered dire-and it would get fixed one way or the other.
Skyler hadn't known Zev was so well respected, but even the council members treated him with deference, much like the respect afforded to Gregori. The council members averted their eyes from Dimitri as he walked Skyler straight over to the prince. He didn't look at anyone else in the room, but she did, wanting to see reactions.
Most of the Lycans in the room seemed horrified by the sight of the survivor of the Moarta de argint. She noted two men who seemed fascinated by the scars and more than a little satisfied. Several others nodded, as if they agreed with the torture. But . . .
The council member just to the left of the man in the center, she sent to Dimitri, including Fen in her observation. Check him out.
The man hadn't so much as looked up. He appeared to be looking at text messages on his phone, rather than being interested in the Carpathian prisoner whose treatment at the hands of the Lycans had nearly started a war.
Can you see what he's doing? she asked.
Playing with his phone, Fen said. Some people can't handle scars and burns. It makes them uncomfortable.
Dimitri greeted the prince with a warrior's forearm clasp as Mikhail did the same with him. Except, Fen, he doesn't look uncomfortable. He looks smug. "It is good to see you, Mikhail," he said aloud. "I trust Raven and your son are well."