Dark Wolf(86)

On the other side of Gregori, a short distance from him, stood two of  the De La Cruz brothers, Zacarias and Manolito, both of whom he knew and  who had joined with him in a battle of some kind. The actual facts were  still a little fuzzy. A third man stood between them.

In the center of the room were several smaller columns made of crystals  forming a circle around a bloodred formation with what looked to be a  razor-sharp tip. Standing beside it was Mikhail Dubrinsky, prince of the  Carpathian people. He spoke very low, but his voice carried through the  chamber with great authority.

Mikhail spoke in an ancient language, the ritual words to call to their long-gone ancestors. "Veri isäakank-veri ekäakank."

To his absolute shock and astonishment, Zev understood the words. Blood  of our fathers-blood of our brothers. He knew that was the literal  translation, but the language was an ancient one, not of the Lycans. He  had been born Lycan. He had heard the language spoken by Carpathians  down through the centuries but he shouldn't have understood the words so  clearly.

"Veri olen elid."

Blood is life. Zev's breath caught in his throat. He understood. He  spoke many languages, but this was so ancient he couldn't have ever  learned it. Why was he understanding it now? Nothing made sense,  although his mind wasn't quite as foggy as it had been.

Branislava tightened her fingers around his. He turned his head and  looked at her. She was so beautiful she took his breath away. Her eyes  were on his face and he felt her gaze penetrating deep. Too deep. She  was already branded in his mind. She was coming far too close to his  heart.

"Andak veri-elidet Karpatiiakank, és wäke-sarna ku meke arwa-arvo,  irgalom, hän ku agba, és wäke kutni, ku manaak verival," Mikhail  continued. The power of his voice rang through the chamber, raw and  elemental, bringing Zev's attention back to him.

Zev interpreted the words. "We offer that life to our people with a blood sworn vow of honor, mercy, integrity and endurance."

What did that mean? This was a ritual-a ceremony that he felt part  of-even though he didn't know what exactly was going on. The appearance  of Fen and Dimitri was reassuring to him. The longer he was awake, the  more his mind cleared. The two were of mixed blood, although both had  been born Carpathian.

Mikhail dropped his palm over the very sharp tip of the dark red column.  At once the crystals went from dark red to crimson, as if Mikhail's  blood had brought them to life.

"Verink sokta; verink terád." Mikhail's voice swelled with power.

Zev saw sparks light up the room. He frowned over the words Mikhail had  uttered. "Our blood mingles and calls to you." He was mingling his blood  with someone of power, that much was obvious from the way the columns  throughout the room began to come alive. Several gave off glowing  colors, although still very muted.

"Akasz énak ku és juttasz kuntatak it."

Zev interpreted again as the columns began to hum. "Heed our summons and  join with us now." The columns throughout the room rocked, the  multicolored crystals illuminating, throwing vivid, bright colors across  the ceiling and over the walls of the chamber. The colors were so  dazzling, Zev had to shade his sensitive eyes.

Crimson, emerald, a beautiful sapphire, the colors took on the strange  phenomenon of the northern lights. The humming grew louder and he  realized each took on a different note, a different pitch, the tone  perfect to his ear. He hadn't noticed that the columns appeared to be  totems with faces of warriors carved into the mineral, but now they came  to life, the color adding expression and character.

Zev let out his breath slowly. These warriors were long dead. He was in a  cave of the dead and Mikhail had summoned the ancient warriors to him  for some purpose. Zev had a very bad feeling that he was part of that  purpose.

"Ete tekaik, saγeak ekäakanket. med, kutenken hank ekäakank tasa."

Zev swallowed hard when he translated. "We have brought before you our brothers, not born to us, but brothers just the same."

Zev had been born Lycan and he'd served his people for many long years  as an elite hunter who traveled the world seeking out and destroying  rogue wolves who preyed on mankind. He was one of the few Lycans who  could hunt alone and be comfortable and confident doing so. Still, he  was Lycan and he would always have the need to be part of a pack.

His own kind despised those of mixed blood. It mattered little that he  became mixed blood giving service to his people. He'd been wounded in  hundreds of battles and had lost far too much blood. Carpathian warriors  had more than once come to his aid as they had done this last time.

Zev looked up to find Fen on one side of him and Dimitri on the other.  The two De La Cruz brothers stood with the stranger between them.

Gregori and his brother stood on either side Gary, who now was getting  to his feet with Gregori's help. Zev took a breath. He would not be the  only man sitting on his ass while the others stood. He was getting up or  would die trying.

Zev let go of his lifeline, and the moment he did nearly  panicked-another thing men like him didn't do. He didn't want her to  disappear. His eyes met hers. Don't you leave me.

She gave him a smile that could allow a man to live for the rest of his  existence on fantasies. We are tied together, Zev. Where you go, I go.  Only the ancients can undo a weave of the spirits.

Is that what this is about? He wasn't certain he wanted to continue if it was.

Not even the prince can ask for such a release. Only me. Or you.

She gave him the information, but he had the feeling she was a little  reluctant. That suited him just fine. He wasn't willing to relinquish  his bond with her just yet.

Fen, I don't have a stitch on and I want to stand up. I'm not going to  lie in this grave like a baby. For the first time he realized he was  absolutely naked and Branislava had been beside him the entire time  holding his hand; even when his body had stirred to life she hadn't run  from him.                       
       
           



       

At once he was clean, and clothed in soft trousers and an immaculate  white shirt. He struggled to get to his feet. Fen and Dimitri both  reached for him at the same time, preventing him from falling on his  face and making a fool of himself. His legs were rubber, refusing to  work properly. For a Lycan that was embarrassing, but for an elite  hunter it was absolutely humiliating.

Mikhail looked over at him and nodded his approval, or maybe it was  relief at him being alive. Zev wasn't certain yet if he was relieved or  not.

"Aka sarnamad, en Karpatiiakak. Saγeak kontaket tekaiked. Tajnak aka-arvonk és arwa-arvonk."

"Hear me, great ones. We bring these men to you, warriors all, deserving  of our respect and honor." Zev translated the words carefully twice,  just to make certain he was correctly interpreting the prince's  discourse with the ancient warriors.

Gary, standing between the two Daratrazanoff brothers, straightened his  shoulders as if feeling eyes on him. Zev was fairly certain that  somehow, those spirits of the dead were watching all of them, perhaps  judging their worth. Colors swirled into various hues and the notes  blended together as if the ancient warriors questioned the prince.

"Gregori, és Darius katak Daratrazanoffak. Kontak sarnanak hän agba  nókunta ekäankal, Gary Jansen, hän ku olenot küm, kutenken olen it  Karpatii. Hän pohoopa kuš Karpatiikuntanak, partiolenaka és kontaka.  Saγeak hänet ete tekaik."

"Gregori and Darius of the great house of Daratrazanoff claim kinship  with our brother, Gary Jansen, once human, now one of us. He has served  our people tirelessly both in research and in battle. We bring him  before you."

Zev knew that aside from actually fighting alongside the Carpathians,  Gary had done a tremendous amount of work for the Carpathians, and had  lived among them for several years. It was obvious that every Carpathian  in the chamber afforded him great respect, as did Zev. Gary had fought  both valiantly and selflessly.

"Zacarias és Manolito katak De La Cruzak, käktä enä wäkeva kontak.  Kontak sarnanak hän agba nókunta ekäankal, Luiz Silva, hän ku olenot  jaquár, kutenken olen it Karpatii. Luiz mänet en elidaket, kor3nat  elidaket avio päläfertiilakjakak. Saγeak hänet ete tekaik."

"Zacarias and Manolito from the house of De La Cruz, two of our  mightiest warriors claim kinship with our brother, Luiz Silva, once  jaguar, now Carpathian. Luiz saved the lives of two of their lifemates.  We bring him before you."

Zev knew nothing of Luiz, but he had to admire anyone who could stand  with Zacarias De La Cruz claiming kinship. Zacarias was not known for  his kindness. Luiz had to be a great warrior to run with that family of  Carpathians.