The fight had cost them strength, but that was all, both were intact. He could feel Branislava's sense of triumph. Together they had faced both Xavier and Xaviero and they had triumphed.
Branislava turned over, looking up to his face. "I can't believe you thought of forcing him into a physical form. That was brilliant."
"Don't give him a big head," Fen cautioned. "Both of you need blood. You're in the middle of a protection circle. You might want to let us in."
Zev drew in his breath. "I still need to attend to Arno's body and then inform the council members," he told Branislava. "I suppose we have no choice but to let them give us blood. You're looking a little pale. Did Xaviero's demon shadow hurt you?"
"I feel a little ragged around the edges," she admitted, "but I'm alive and you're alive, and that small piece of him was destroyed. Xavier was sent back down into the depths of hell and he can just stay there."
Ivory crossed herself and gave them a small smile. "You two work very well together, a true alpha pair."
"Don't even think it," Razvan cautioned, his arm sliding around Ivory's waist. "No more wolf pups. Mikhail will not turn a blind eye forever."
"I know." She rested her head against his shoulder briefly. "But they would be perfect, just like Dimitri and Skyler are."
"So would we," Fen said, daring to tease her when no one else but her lifemate did. "Don't listen to Razvan, Ivory."
Branislava waved her hand and the protection circle opened. Zev made an effort and got to his feet. He didn't want to sever Arno's head, but it had to be done. The man needed to be given peace. He drew his sword and waited for Branislava to step back. Fen and Dimitri drew her to them, Dimitri steadying her while Fen offered her his wrist.
"Good journey, old friend," Zev whispered as he swung his sword.
The wrench in his gut was expected. The burning behind his eyes not so much. He looked away from the others, unable for a moment to catch his breath. At once, she was there. Soft. Warm. Pouring into his mind, filling him with her special brand of love. How had he ever done without her?
"Zev," Razvan said softly. "Take what is offered freely." He held out his wrist.
Zev didn't look at him, although he was fairly certain courtesy dictated that he do so. Razvan's voice was too gentle, too understanding. He didn't want sympathy, or even understanding. He let himself consume the hot nutrients, without actually tasting or even thinking about what he was doing. He had to get through the next few hours and do what had to be done. He'd grieve for his friends later.
"We'll need to prepare a pyre for the bodies," Zev said when he had drunk his fill. "The other members of the council will want to be there to send them on their journey. A private place, but big enough for the Lycans to gather."
"Zev," Fen said softly. "It isn't a good time to have a large gathering, not now that we know Xaviero is close by. He'll know the Lycan traditions and he'll be expecting a funeral pyre."
"He'll be angry," Tatijana added. "No one ever defied them, or outsmarted them. He'll be so maddened, he might try to bring the mountain down on top of all us."
"No one move," Branislava said suddenly.
Zev froze in place. Her voice had gone still. A warning. He wasn't the only one who believed her low, incredibly soft voice. He looked down at Arno's body and the severed head. For a moment he could see nothing out of place. He was a man of small details and the only thing different was that the necklace had dropped onto the floor. What had she seen that he hadn't?
"What is it?" Fen asked.
The room had flooded with tension. All of them were well aware of what a High Mage was capable of.
He saw it then. One strand of the cord had dropped into the pool of Arno's blood and was now thoroughly soaked in it. The blood had begun to travel down the cord on one side and up the other so that the red stain spread slowly through the rest of the cords.
"The necklace," Branislava whispered, her voice almost hoarse. "Arno's necklace. Tatijana, it's inside the circle with us."
The cord had remained still under Zev's watchful gaze. As far as he could tell, it was simply a weave of twine now soaked in blood. He believed Branislava's fear, but he couldn't see the why of it. Of course the necklace would get blood on it if it fell into the pool beneath Arno. Still, he waited, touching her mind. She was frightened.
Tatijana moved first. She stepped into the circle of protection that Branislava had made earlier. Ivory and Skyler joined her. The three began to walk together, following the circle, chanting softly. Zev didn't allow himself to get distracted. He kept his gaze on the necklace, now pumped up from the blood. The strands of twine appeared to have swelled, nearly doubling in size. When the three women began to move, one piece near the medallion seemed to break off enough to turn toward the movement.
Fen's breath hissed out. "It's alive. That thing's alive."
Branislava reached out very slowly and touched Fen's arm to quiet him. He was standing closest to the blood-filled creature and at the sound of his voice, it swung its head toward Fen. The movement was fast, as if sound and motion triggered aggression. The organism appeared to be listening again.
Zev could see the head now. It was round like a swollen bulb, but the strands at the top were frayed as if some of the twine was embedded within the head and stuck out like spiked hair. The blood continued to fill the strands so that it doubled, then tripled in size. The three women stepped away from the circle, and again the creature swung its head toward them. They froze halfway to the door.
How do we get rid of it? Zev asked. He used the common Carpathian path of communication, rather than his private one with Branislava.
I'm trying to think. I've seen this before, but only once. The tension in her voice indicated the creature was extremely dangerous. No one talk or make a move. It's lightning fast. You won't be able to outrun it. Tatijana, do you remember?
No. No, I don't. There was terror in Tatijana's voice, so much so that Zev feared Fen wouldn't be able to stop himself from going to her. He must have said something privately to her because some of the fear on her face eased.
It's okay, Branislava said to her sister. I'll figure it out. I just need a minute.
Zev detested the fear in Branislava's voice. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her safe, to keep her from having to deal with mage magic and blood and death. She'd had enough of such things in her childhood and the years that followed, trapped as she was in dragon form watching an endless parade of tortures.
Branka, you can remember. Your fear is a childlike fear. Go back to those days. That is where you will find the memory.
He realized the moment he gave her the information that she already knew it. She didn't want to remember. Whatever memory was associated with the wormlike blood-filled creature, had been traumatizing and she didn't want to recall it.
I'm sorry, mon chaton feroce. I should have known better. I'm with you this time. You won't face it alone.
He might not be able to fight the thing physically, but he could stand in front of her.
Branislava shut herself off from the rest of them, but not Zev. She sank into his mind, merged deeply with him, drawing on his strength. He was a rock, a steady anchor, and she knew she could count on him to keep her just as steady.
Tatijana and Branislava had turned ten. Xavier had let them out of their dragon forms as an unexpected birthday present. Xaviero and Xayvion had arrived with packages wrapped in brown paper and twine.
We both were so happy to be in our natural forms that we ran around, holding hands, just grateful for the opportunity.
They wanted their father to see them as something other than objects to feed on. He understood how they must have latched on to any kindness from him, needing to hope.
Every time he seemed to make an effort, we put blinders on and fell for it. There was a birthday cake. And presents. Xavier had us sit in the center of the room on the floor. He said he wanted to watch us open our presents.
He fe
lt her give a mental shudder. Her body was tense, the memories affecting her physically. She was nauseated and fighting it. Still, she had the control to remain still.
First, he had a special surprise. He brought in our only friend. He was thirteen, a mage and apprentice. He was always kind to us. He sneaked food to us and would talk about the world outside.
Zev's stomach lurched. He feared what would come next. Branislava was pale. She looked lost. Look at me, Branka. Only at me. No one is moving. That thing has no target. Just keep looking into my eyes.
Her gaze jumped to his. He felt the impact of her green eyes. Two jewels pressed into a stark white face. Her red-gold lashes stood out against her pale skin.
His name was Jules and he sat between us, right where Xavier told him to. He brought us a present as well.
There was a hitch in her voice and tears burned in her eyes. He surrounded her with warmth and love, the only thing he could do when he couldn't physically hold her.
We opened his gift first. He gave us bracelets he'd made himself.
Don't! He said it sharply, knowing she was about to rub her wrist where she'd first put the bracelet. He felt her involuntary movement start in her mind.
Branislava drew herself up sharply mentally. She had to keep it together. If Zev hadn't stopped her she would have drawn the attention of the blood worm and it would have attacked. Already it had grown more, feasting on the blood of the dead man.
Tell me, Branka, but you don't have to remember anything but the way to kill this thing.
She wanted that to be the truth. She stayed drowning in his eyes. He had beautiful eyes. Calm. Steady. There was never panic in him. She wondered how such a man had come to be. Still, she had no choice but to remember the sequence of events, because she had to see Xaviero in the background as he cast the spell upon the twine and then later, destroyed his blood worm.
Xavier gave us both a conjuring ball made of fine crystal. We tore through the other wrappings, scattering them on the floor. I remember we were laughing. We'd never had presents or cake. Xavier gave us the cake as we opened Xaviero's present. It was a very ornate dagger. The hilt was covered in jewels and the blade actually had three diamonds going down the center of it. I thought it was fake, just because it was so beautiful.
The tension in her was explosive. Zev tried to hold her to him, using steady calm in his eyes. This memory is from long ago, Branka. You were a child then. He cannot touch you now. I'm standing between you.
His voice would always steady her. And those eyes. She took a breath and let herself fall deeper into his eyes. She could be safe there.
Tatijana lifted the dagger from the wrapping. Xaviero told her to cut her palm and to let the blood drip over the wrapping and twine. I heard the laughter in his voice--that cruel laughter that I'll never forget--and I knew something bad would happen. Tatijana refused. She tried to drop the weapon, but Xayvion was behind her and he forced her to carve an X into her palm. She still has the scar.
Zev didn't glance over toward Tatijana as she assumed he would. He didn't so much as blink. He kept his gaze squarely on hers, holding her to this time and place when she could so easily have slipped back.
Branislava swallowed. They made her drip her blood all over the wrapper. Xaviero took the knife and handed it to me. I didn't want Xayvion to touch me, so I did it myself. I didn't cut nearly as deep as Tatijana because I did it myself. I didn't wait for them to tell me what to do. I just allowed my blood to mingle with Tatijana's on the wrapping paper.
You both must have been so frightened.
We knew something horrible was going to happen. The birthday, presents and cake were long forgotten at that point. At first we stared at the wrapping paper, expecting something there, but then the twine began to absorb the blood and we knew it was alive. The three of them, Xavier, Xaviero and Xayvion, were so gleeful. They rubbed their hands together in anticipation. I remember thinking they did it exactly at the same moment and that their expressions were the same.
Zev sent her another wave of reassurance and she realized deep inside panic was beginning to set in. She didn't want to remember what happened next. She took another calming breath and tried to distance herself.
Tatijana moved when she saw the body doubling in size and the thing swung its head toward her. We could see the teeth, serrated and sharp. Xavier hissed at her to be still or it would eat her alive, starting with her feet. We froze. So did Jules. For a few minutes everyone just sat there on the floor, afraid to breathe, with that horrible creature growing in size. It consumed the blood fast.
Zev frowned at her, but he didn't move a muscle. Could the three mages talk without drawing its attention?
And move. Somehow it seemed the creature was a part of them and wouldn't attack them. They each moved behind one of us. Xaviero chose me. I could feel him there and knew something terrible was about to happen. He whispered to me that we were playing a game, that games were always played at birthday parties. I couldn't move or speak. The one who did lost the game and was eaten by the blood worm.
She knew what it cost Zev not to close his eyes or look away from her. He was a man who always protected those he loved. He'd lost two, one lay on the floor in front of him. Now, he couldn't stop this memory from consuming her once again. But he stayed with her, lived it with her. That moment she felt pain slicing through her.
"Don't you move, Tatijana. If you do, I'll start jumping around. I mean it. Don't you move." I kept calling to her, over and over while they tortured us. All three of us. She knew I would, too. I tried to keep them from ever focusing on her. I didn't think about trying to help Jules.
Branka. Zev's voice held pure love. You were a child fighting to survive. Trying to keep your sister alive. You did nothing wrong and your friend Jules would have been the first to say so.
He screamed and the worm was on him, attaching itself to his leg and eating fast right through his flesh. It wrapped around his leg like a snake would, and each segment and strand seemed to have teeth, biting into him. His screams were horrible. Tatijana and I froze at first, watching as the thing ate him alive, just as they said it would. We couldn't stand it. I grabbed the dagger and began stabbing it over and over. Tatijana hit it with the crystal ball, trying to smash it, but it wouldn't stop and it wouldn't die.
Did it turn on you?
It was so caught up in a feeding frenzy, it didn't even look at us. I could hear the three brothers laughing as they watched us and watched poor Jules. He kicked and fought and nothing stopped that eating machine. Their laughter was maniacal, diabolical and so evil. She choked back a sob. Zev. She whispered his name, needing him.
We're past this. We know Jules dies. But the creature is still alive. How did they get rid of it?
They called it to them. I remember the words. And then they commanded it to die. I think because they made it, they were able to stop it.
You know how. You don't need them. You can use any tone, speak any words of any language. You know Xaviero's tone, his exact pitch. Even if Xayvion is alive, he wouldn't have come with Xaviero. He would stay safe waiting to see if this trap worked to free Xavier. This creature was made by Xaviero, and you can use his spell and his tone to stop the thing.
The blood on the floor was nearly gone and the creature had wrapped its bloated body around Arno's leg. Branislava glanced at her sister, using just her eyes. Tatijana stared at the blood worm, horrified. Fen was the closest to the worm and she had to be terrified that he would be attacked.
Branislava is going to try to kill this thing, Zev informed the others. No one move or speak. Give her the chance to do this.
Branislava didn't dare wait. She closed her eyes and found the voice and intonation of Xaviero. Zev was there with her, perfecting the pitch in her mind before she opened her mouth to speak.
That born of blood and earth,
I call your name.
To me you must crawl,
Hearing no others' claim.
Her vo
ice was commanding, reverberating through the room. Tatijana flinched mentally, but stayed absolutely still, her eyes as round as saucers. Her hand, however, was on the knife strapped to her waist.
The worm stiffened. Shook its head. Let out a high-pitched shriek that hurt her ears. She repeated the command, making certain that every inflection was exactly as it had been when the three mages had called the creature back to them.
That born of blood and earth,
I call your name.
To me you must crawl,
Hearing no others' claim.
Still the creature protested, thrashing, but still sucking at the flesh of the fallen man. Branislava pressed her lips together. Something's wrong. He isn't attacking me so I've got the correct tone and inflection, but he isn't responding.
That's not true. He is listening, but he's confused. Now that I think about it, Xaviero would have prepared that twine somewhere else. He just had to switch it with the cord Arno wore after Arno was dead. Xayvion could very well have been with him. I am able to listen to any tone or accent and speak languages nearly flawlessly. It is a gift I was born with. Share Xayvion's tone and I'll do my best to reproduce it.
Branislava didn't want to take the chance that he might accidentally draw the blood worm's attack, but she had no choice. The confusion wouldn't last long and the worm would be looking to kill. She repeated Xayvion's voice and intonation, nearly a replica of Xaviero's only a tiny bit deeper.
She gave an almost imperceptible nod and together, their voices rang out through the room.
That born of blood and earth,
I call your name.
To me you must crawl,
Hearing no others' claim.
This time the worm reacted immediately, swinging around and slithering toward them like a trained dog might to his master. It stopped directly between them, almost touching Zev's boots. She had no idea if blood called it and if it would detect the difference. She didn't dare take the chance. She pushed the next spell into Zev's mind, repeating it several times.
I'm ready. Let's kill this thing.
He made her feel confident. That was the thing about Zev she loved the most--his belief in her abilities--in their ability when they were together.