"You're stylin', Sky," Paul said with a laugh. "The next thing we know, Josef is going to go into fashion design."
Josef shrugged. "I always look good. I've considered a career in that field." He looked and sounded very serious.
Skyler punched his arm. "You would do that just to really tweak the powers, wouldn't you?"
Josef sent her a little grin. "Of course. Where's the fun in conforming?"
She followed the two men outside. "You do realize karma is going to catch up with you. You probably really are lifemate to one of Gregori's daughters."
"Or both," Paul said. "As a nonconformist, you could be the first Carpathian to have two lifemates. Twins. Not bad, Josef."
"Ha. Ha. Ha. You two really do want me dead, don't you? Gregori would cut off my head and other very precious parts of my anatomy and feed them to the wolves."
"Slowly. He'd slowly feed them to the wolves while your head sat next to him watching," Paul informed him.
"Eww. That's just gross." Skyler made a face at them. Already the fur coat helped to control the continual shivering. Even the pain in her head seemed to lessen.
"That's why you love us so much," Paul pointed out.
"How long do you think it will take us to get there?" Skyler asked.
"I can't fly as fast as an airplane, but I think I can make it to the outskirts of the Russian forest by dawn," Josef said.
Skyler was surprised. "I thought it could take us a couple of nights."
"So did I," Paul said.
"I felt Dimitri's pain through you, Sky," Josef replied. "I feel a sense of urgency, and that means we need to get there as fast as possible. I'm going to try it. I honestly don't know if I'm that strong. All we can do is try. You'll have to rest as much as possible, Skyler. Sleep if you can. Paul won't let you go flying off, but we need you in shape as soon as possible."
Skyler nodded. "Thanks, Josef. I know tonight isn't going to be easy on you."
"We're in this together," Paul said. "Dimitri is our friend, too, Sky. We want to do this. We're not just going after him for you. Now, more than ever, we have to get to him. If he's suffering the way the two of you say, we might be his only chance."
The thought of that poisonous silver inching its way slowly, torturously, through Dimitri's body sickened her.
"Hang on, my love," she whispered to the night. "I'm coming to you as fast as I can."
Josef moved a distance away, scanning quickly to ensure they were alone. Paul had found the perfect place to spend the night. The little house was tucked back into the woods, a distance from the road. A widowed woman rented out a room for extra money to those traveling. There were no close neighbors and that allowed for Josef to have the privacy needed to shift into the form of a dragon.
He extended his wing, and Paul helped Skyler climb up onto the dragon's back. He'd provided a double saddle to make the night's travel more comfortable. She slipped into the saddle, her feet in the stirrups while Paul climbed up behind her, doing the same. His arms came around her.
"If you need to sleep," Paul said, "just lean back against me."
"Thanks," Skyler said. "I'm certain I'll take you up on that."
She had traveled through the air many times with Carpathians. Gabriel took her flying all the time, using various forms. She'd always enjoyed it. That was the start of her love of flying and her need to get her pilot's license. Flying had become almost an obsession, but Josef was young for a Carpathian and inexperienced in comparison to the ancients. She wasn't certain if he had the strength it took to keep the form of a dragon as long as he'd need to, as well as keeping Paul and her safe.
If you get tired, Josef, don't push it. We can find a place to rest.
Don't worry, Sky. I lectured you about pushing your strength too far. I'm not going to make the same mistake and give you a chance to say I told you so.
The cheery amusement in Josef's voice made her smile as the dragon lurched a couple of times, wings flapping as it stood on two legs. She held on tight as it began hopping along the ground, gaining more air with each hop. The dragon's great wings beat hard as he struggled to get off the ground. When they finally went airborne, Paul cheered and Skyler let out the breath she'd been holding.
Not particularly graceful, Josef commented, but we made it. I think the two of you need to lose a little weight.
Hey, now I'm totally offended. Skyler gave him her haughtiest, snippiest tone. It's all Paul.
Josef snorted.
To her shock, Paul dug his fingers into her rib cage, making her squeal. Thought you were safe, didn't you? Josef hooked me up with this telepathy thing. It's working rather well.
We should have done that a long time ago.
Well, of course my family and I can speak together, Paul admitted. It's weird that we never thought about it. It's just blood.
Skyler laughed. Isn't that funny how we both just say, "It's just blood"? We're human and that's such a taboo in our culture, but we've obviously been around the Carpathians far too long. I actually asked Josef to give me blood this morning, didn't I?
Yes, you did, but it did help you. Paul tightened his hold on her as the dragon's wings beat hard to take them higher over the mountain peak.
Are you cold? Maybe Josef should have provided warmer clothes for you as well.
I've got my jacket. If I get too cold, I'll call a halt and ask him then.
She knew immediately that Paul had deliberately not asked for warmer clothes. If he felt the dragon tiring, he planned to ask Josef to drop down to earth on the pretense that he was cold.
You're a good friend, Paul, Skyler said. Have you checked out this dragon? It's the coolest dragon I've ever seen. She included Josef in that comment.
The dragon was black but every scale was tipped a deep blue, just like Josef's hair. The body of the dragon was good-sized, the tail long and spiked. Each spike was tipped in blue.
Even your dragon is stylin', Paul said.
Your dragon is totally rockin' the look, Skyler added, admiringly.
He is very cool, isn't he? Josef sounded pleased.
Absolutely cool, Skyler agreed.
You should see my owl, Josef said. Feathers look ultra-cool tipped in blue. Sometimes I spike the owl's head with blue feathers as well.
Skyler looked at the wedge-shaped head. Sure enough there were blue tipped spikes protruding from the dragon's head. Laughing, she patted the dragon's neck. You're so wonderful, Josef. I love everything about you.
Josef had such an air of fun about him. In the worst situations--such as this one--he could still make her laugh.
Have you worked out how we're going to find Dimitri? Paul asked. I imagine he's being held in an isolated place surrounded by some very tough Lycans, who, by the way, are pack hunters. Just saying.
They had to take him somewhere they believe they have the upper hand, Josef said. Carpathians must not be too close or they wouldn't be using that forest to hold him. He could send for help.
Skyler shook her head, although seated as she was on the dragon's back, Josef couldn't see the movement. I'm not certain he could. He blocked me, and maybe he has blocked everyone else as well, but our connection is . . . different--stronger. Neither of us knows why, but together we seem to be able to span distances that others can't.
So are you just going to go walking through the woods like Little Red Riding Hood? Paul asked.
Skyler tilted her head back against his shoulder to see him. That's exactly what I'm going to do.
I'm actually going to give her a red cape with a hood, Josef said. We want to make it easy for the big bad wolf to spot her.
Paul was silent for a moment, frowning, clearly not liking the idea. And if they just kill her? You're taking a huge chance with her life, Josef. It might sound funny to give her a red cape and hood and send her off walking alone through that forest, but it won't be so funny if she turns up dead.
Lycans don't kill humans, Skyler said. We researched very carefully. Onl
y the rogues do, and they're treated by Lycans the same way Carpathians treat vampires. Dimitri wasn't taken by the rogues. The Lycans have him.
How does anyone know that? Were they wearing shirts proclaiming the difference? Paul's voice dripped with sarcasm.
There was a brief silence. I never considered that it could be members of a rogue pack who took him, Josef said. Everyone assumed it was members of an elite Lycan special commando-type team, because two of them disappeared at the same time as Dimitri did, but Paul's right, Sky. No one really knows for certain. Maybe we need to rethink our plan.
If they were rogues, Skyler argued, they would have killed him right there. They would have no reason to take him out of the country and then keep him alive just to torture him. Rogues kill and eat their prey. They're werewolves craving raw meat and fresh blood.
Are you willing to bet your life on that? Paul asked.
It wasn't her life she was concerned with. It was Dimitri's. Clearly, if they didn't find him in time, even should she be able to stop every silver tracer bullet crawling through his body, eventually the Lycans would find another way to kill him. They had to find him. She had to find him.
Yes, Paul. I'm going to walk through the forest and pray a Lycan finds me. That's the plan. I wandered away from our campsite and got lost. You and I are part of a student group studying wolves in the wild. The papers are in perfect order, the site is up on the Internet looking extremely legit, and when they find me, the hope is that they will return me to my camp, not eat me for dinner.
I always knew you were a little crazy, Sky, Paul said. You could get killed.
Skyler accepted that she might get killed--but she wasn't going to have much of a life without Dimitri in it. She might not be Carpathian, but she was his lifemate, claimed or unclaimed. She knew her emotions were not the crush of a young girl, or the romantic fantasies she knew her college friends thought she indulged in. Dimitri was a special man. She would never find another man like him, one totally focused on her. She was the only woman he would ever look at. She was his world. His other half. There was no explaining to anyone how that felt. None of her college friends would ever be able to conceive of that kind of devotion.
The thing Paul didn't yet understand--and perhaps Josef didn't either--he was far too young--she was equally as devoted to Dimitri. She would walk through fire to get to him, so a trip through the deep woods might be terrifying, but it would never stop her.
Whoever found her. And she had sent up many prayers that it would be the elite hunter Josef had heard everyone talking about--Zev--to come to her rescue. He sounded like a decent Lycan who definitely could protect her from anyone or anything else threatening her.
Here's the reality of the situation, Paul, Skyler said. I might get killed. If I don't find him, Dimitri will die. He doesn't have much time left. Even if the Carpathians had launched a rescue mission to find him, they won't get there in time. They don't know about the silver hooks.
Unexpectedly her stomach lurched again. They put hooks in his body and strung him up in the trees like a piece of meat. She couldn't help the tears or the horror so stark in her voice. She didn't bother to try.
Paul tightened his arms around her, nudging her shoulder with his chin. We'll find him, little sister, and when we do, we'll get him out of there.
The wind tore the tears from her face. She shrank down into the warmth of the fur, so grateful to have two friends who loved her enough to risk everything for her lifemate. Behind her, she could feel Paul begin to shiver.
Maybe we should find a place for Josef to set down and get you some warmer clothes.
Not yet. He's still flying strong and we're covering kilometers fast. When he tires, I'll get warmer clothes. Go to sleep. Talking this way probably isn't the best thing for you.
She hadn't thought of that. She was so used to communicating telepathically she hadn't considered that it took psychic energy to do so even so close to the one she was speaking with.
She didn't answer him. She was tired. Paul would never let her fall. She closed her eyes and willed herself to fall asleep.
4
Skyler, what are you doing? I can feel you close to me.
The pain in Dimitri's voice tore at her. At least she was on the right track if he could feel her close. The forest was very dark, the trees large and ancient. She could almost hear them whispering to one another.
Skyler followed the psychic footprints directly back to her lifemate. Again, the path was stretched thin and ice-cold, but it wasn't long. Triumph swept through her. She wouldn't have to hold a bridge over a horrendous distance in order to heal him.
You are supposed to be healing.
The pain took her breath as she connected fully with him. She had thought herself prepared--after all, she knew what to expect--but there was no real way to remember the agonizing pain so clearly until one touched on it. She let it burn through her in an effort to acclimatize herself to it.
Josef was totally exhausted. They had made it to the forest in one evening of flight, but it had seriously depleted his energy. Paul had given him a tremendous amount of blood, which in turn had weakened him. She would have to be careful and not take this healing session as far as she had the last one, but she could not be so close to Dimitri and not try to get the worst of those silver threads away from his heart. She'd slept most of the way and felt more energized just because Dimitri was somewhere in the vicinity.
I'll be more careful this time, Dimitri, she promised. I have to do this. You know I have no choice.
The entire time she'd been asleep she'd dreamt of poisonous silver piercing his heart. His beautiful blue eyes had grown ice-cold as they stared lifelessly at her. Accusingly at her.
"You're too late. Why were you late?" he'd asked her.
It was a dream, sivamet. A nightmare only. You eased the pain for me.
There can be no untruths between lifemates, she quoted him. It would be impossible to lessen your pain. The threads of silver remaining are still in your body burning just as severely as the ones I removed.
Perhaps that is so, but it felt less. Your love kept me safe from the Moarta de argint--death by silver.
Is that what they call this torture?
It absolves the Lycan council from all guilt. They didn't kill me. Essentially, I kill myself by moving my body constantly to try to get away from the pain and the silver works its way deeper. They can go to Mikhail with a clear conscience.
That made her furious. How could the Lycan council sentence Dimitri to such a torturous death and then go to a meeting with the Carpathians discussing becoming allies with them?
I'm going to remove more threads, Dimitri, but I won't be able to get them all. I'm going for the ones closest to your heart.
She didn't wait for his reply. She entered his body as pure spirit. The hooks she'd tampered with had remained closed off. No new silver had dripped into his body, but the ones she'd left had made progress. She knew what to do now. Calling on her mage heritage, she again used her gifts to push the silver from his body.
Silver, silver, so deadly, so bright,
I summon earth's power to stay your blight,
As you were created and formed deep within,
I command you, silver, to remove and ascend.
Silver threads that twine and harm,
I release your hold of snaking charm.
I call to you, silver, harken my call,
Retrace the path from which you fall.
Harken to me, silver, hear my command,
Remove yourself doing no further harm.
This time she added a new element in order to lessen the pain of the burn for him. She'd been so exhausted and she'd just left him the night before. She'd been unconscious when she'd returned to her body, but she'd had plenty of time to think about how he was suffering.
Corydalis, Valerian, Meadowsweet all,
Cloak the pain that does now fall.
The silver responded with the same rel
uctance, almost as if it was alive, moving backward, away from his heart, the tiny silver beads burning his skin as they pushed through pores to drop to the ground below him.
Elation swept through her. The silver responded to her commands. She could see it moving backward away from his heart, as on the other end, it pushed through his pores and dropped to the ground in tiny little deadly beads. However, everywhere the silver touched burned him, both inside and out. This time she wouldn't leave him until she was certain she had healed every possible wound on his body that she could reach before her strength gave out.
Aloe sweet aloe, green and bright,
I call to your essence, seeking what is held hidden inside.
That which is sticky and filled with balm,
I seek of your essence to heal what is burned.
Kathalai, ancient name,
I call forth your power to steal away pain.
The elements were removing themselves at her command and the pain was lessened with the herbs. She managed to remove three more threads before exhaustion took hold of her. There were still several others, coming from his calves and his thighs, two from the hooks in his hips, but the silver from those hooks hadn't progressed nearly as close to his heart as it had from the ones she'd removed.
Can you manage this pain a while longer? I would take it from you if I could.
You have kept me alive, csitri, and just touching minds with you has made me stronger. Where are you? This is a dangerous place.
Those holding you, are they rogues?
No. Lycans. You cannot possibly understand the danger they represent. They will not hesitate to fight any Carpathian rescue party. You must relay that message to whoever travels with you. My brother. Any of the other warriors with you.
Skyler had to move away from him, backing down that psychic trail. She needed to rest. I am human, not Carpathian and no such rescue party accompanies me.
There was silence. She found herself back in her own body, lying in the hammock Paul had slung between two trees for her. She stared up at the canopy overhead. The wind gently moved through the branches, setting them swaying. She loved the sound of the breeze as it rustled the leaves and the feel of it on her face. She was ice-cold, but the fur coat lay over her. Somehow, even in his weakened state, Paul had managed to take care of her.
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