"Of course." He gave his nephew a warning glare. Don't do anything crazy around the De La Cruz brothers.
They know me through Paul, Josef assured, recognizing his uncle's gruff caution was more fear for him than embarrassment over something he might do. But I want to get home as fast as possible. Skyler needs to heal and be safe. His uncle knew he loved Skyler and that reassurance was the best that he could give.
"Zev will experience trouble getting through the wall," Fen cautioned. "It's difficult for me. I imagine it is for Dimitri as well. The more Lycan blood we have, the harder it is to get through."
Skyler nodded. "I designed it that way, so no Lycan could follow us inside. I counted on Dimitri's Carpathian blood to get him through, although I'll admit I was worried."
"Do you have any idea how extraordinary this is?" Gabriel asked, genuine admiration in his tone. "I'm so proud of you."
"I'm a little in awe of my sister-kin," Tatijana admitted.
"I can make it out," Zev assured. "I got in."
"But it hurts like hell," Fen pointed out. "And you're not anywhere near one hundred percent."
"I don't have to be one hundred percent to cling to a dragon's back," Zev pointed out with a wry grin.
"What about you, Dimitri?" Fen asked. "Do you think you can get through?"
"The wall is collapsing. I doubt if it's nearly as strong as it was. I'll get through. Like Zev, I don't think hanging onto a dragon is going to be harder than forcing myself through it like I had to earlier."
Gabriel turned to Vlad. "That leaves you with Paul. He has multiple wounds as you know and is still weak, although he refuses to admit it. One arm is nearly useless. I've given him blood along with both of you and Josef, but we didn't catch the fact that he had internal bleeding until this morning."
"That was my fault," Josef said. "I told Tatijana I'd healed his wounds from the inside. She was busy with Dimitri for the most part."
"It was a stupid nick," Paul said. "No big deal, and you were bleeding like from fifty places yourself, Josef."
The walls rippled again and this time part of the ceiling folded over. Along the western wall, the corner sagged.
"We're definitely running out of time," Lucian said. "We need to go now before the Lycans notice and get fired up."
Zacarias signaled to three of his brothers. Rafael nodded and chose the western wall, the fastest collapsing. He walked toward it casually, as if he didn't have a care in the world, or know that the Lycans stared back at him from the safety of the forest--or that the structure might fall in on itself and trap him. Nicolas took the eastern wall, striding toward it confidently. Manolito chose the north, leaving the southern entrance to Zacarias.
The brothers moved in perfect synchronization, slipping through the collapsing wall fast, hands up weaving a pattern in the air.
Gabriel didn't hesitate. He followed Zacarias out, his every sense on alert to the danger of the carriers flying the wounded back to the Carpathian Mountains. Tatijana shifted fast, extending her wing to Skyler. Dimitri helped his lifemate climb onto the blue dragon's back. Skyler took one last look at Dimitri and nodded her head.
Be right behind me. I have to be able to see you, she pleaded, suddenly afraid. She didn't want to be separated from him, not after all they'd gone through.
Fen will stay close to Tatijana to protect her, Dimitri assured. I would never be far from you. Should something happen, I am quite capable of slipping off his back, shifting myself and coming for you. Have no fears. We'll travel far this night and rest at dawn.
Tatijana rose fast, rushing the wall to break through. Skyler leaned low on the blue-spiked neck, looking back, her heart in her throat, watching for Dimitri. Fen was already in the air, crowding his lifemate with his dragon. Dimitri sat upright, no hands, a weapon at the ready.
To Skyler's horror, she saw a line of Lycans rushing from the forest straight at them as the wings of the dragon beat ferociously in order to gain height. She felt the blue dragon gather itself to take another impressive leap into the sky just as two incredibly fast Lycans flung themselves at her. Claws hooked into scales on either side of the dragon, and two more managed to fasten their claws into the softer underbelly in an attempt to drag the dragon from the sky.
15
Shots rang out as the next dragon emerged from the collapsing shelter. Riordan De La Cruz burst through the shelter wall with Josef on his back. Bullets whined through the air, the sounds reverberating through the night, but Zacarias and his brothers had constructed a shield around the materializing dragons. The bullets couldn't penetrate that safeguard. Unfortunately, the buffer was only so large, only keeping the dragons and their passengers safe as they left the collapsing shelter.
Vlad was next to appear, a great golden dragon winging its way clear of the disintegrating refuge with Paul on his back. Lycans poured into the clearing, realizing their long-range weapons did no good. Most were in Lycan form, half wolf, half man, taller and stronger and able to cover great distances in one leap.
The dragons necessarily had to come out low to the ground due to the structure falling in on itself. To gain altitude for such a large creature with the added weight of a passenger on its back, the dragon had to work immensely hard, wings straining to create enough lift for the jump.
Byron followed close behind Vlad, Zev on his back. The sight of the elite hunter with the Carpathians sent the Lycans into a frenzy of madness. Most left Vlad's dragon alone to rush Byron, leaping at his sides, clawing and tearing, ripping at the wings in an effort to disable the creature so it couldn't fly. Several below it tore at the soft underbelly, ripping out chunks to bleed the dragon dry.
Razvan and Ivory stormed out of the shelter, two riders in the sky, shooting arrows simultaneously, aiming for arms and legs, wounding as many as possible, every bit as fast as the Lycans.
Byron's dragon faltered and went down, hitting with its nose first, skidding in the dirt and grass, leaving long, deep furrows behind.
Go, go. The rest of you, go, Zacarias ordered. We'll get them free.
Fen, I can't leave them, Dimitri said, putting his hand on the thick, spiked neck of Fen's dragon in order to leap free.
Neither can I. We're Han ku pesak kaikak. Let's go guard Byron and Zev. Just don't take any more hits. It really doesn't matter if these wolves know what we are at this point. Use your speed, Fen agreed, more because Dimitri was going back than anything else.
There was no stopping his brother when his sense of justice was crossed. Zev had fought battles with him, given him blood, and in spite of recent events, Dimitri regarded him as a friend. Byron was Carpathian. No warrior would leave another down.
Fen spun his dragon around, feeling the fire roaring in his belly, a rage that went deep after what these creatures had done to his brother. He thought he was past it, but seeing them tearing at Byron when the Carpathian hadn't even tried to defend himself, he found himself furious all over again, but in a cold rage, which didn't bode well.
He swore when the Lycans surrounded Byron's downed dragon, hooking their claws into him, preventing shifting. There were so many ripping and tearing at the body of the dragon, the arrows of the defenders seemed to make little difference. As fast as one fell, another took its place.
The Lycans had abandoned attempts at the other dragons and the rest were away safely. The pack concentrated their efforts on mutilating and killing the dragon in their possession. As Zev drew a silver sword in an effort to protect Byron, four large Lycans leapt on the dragon's back and pulled Zev to the ground.
Cursing, Fen redoubled his speed.
Wound them, Razvan insisted on the common Carpathian telepathic communication path. Clearly he was warning the De La Cruz brothers. It isn't necessary to kill them.
Drive them back away from Byron and Zev, Zacarias instructed. Rafael, an arrow close to the heart can kill.
Not these bastards, Rafael returned. I didn't use silver. Although I will the next one.
Fen banked his dragon,
coming in hard, fire pouring from his mouth, engulfing the Lycans closest to the dragon on the ground, driving them away from their fallen comrades. Dimitri stood up on the dragon's back, balancing as Fen swept in low. Just before Fen was forced to pull up to avoid trees, Dimitri leapt from his back, right into the middle of the Lycans who had pulled Zev to the ground.
Dimitri ignored his protesting body, cutting through the crowd with astonishing speed, his silver sword stained and dripping with Lycan blood. He fought his way to Zev, yanking him up with one hand, going back-to-back with him. Zev was covered in blood and wounds, but he didn't hesitate to stand and fight with Dimitri.
Fen materialized beside them, so they formed a triangle of deadly fighters, moving toward the fallen dragon, cutting down everyone in their path.
Zacarias easily saw their plan. Help clear the way, Razvan and Ivory. Make it too dangerous to stay between them and the dragon, Rafael; and Nicolas, take out the Lycans holding Byron to that form. Manolito and I will begin to clear another path to get out of here.
"Are you all right?" Dimitri asked Zev when he sensed the other man falter for a moment.
"I'm alive, and that's all that counts." Zev's breath came in ragged gasps. He'd been injured, but Dimitri couldn't take the time to see how bad the wound or wounds were.
We need to see if we can find the divide between the factions, Fen suggested. I can detect a faint difference in smell at times.
Lycans conceal all odors when hunting, Zev reminded. His sword flashed as he whirled around two aggressive wolves wielding swords. He disarmed one and cut the arm off the other, returning to his position back-to-back with Dimitri.
Nevertheless, I can tell the difference, Fen said. I can feel the energy leaking out of their shields as well.
He drove three particularly large and hairy Lycans back from the fallen dragon. One actually had a chunk of dragon belly between his teeth.
Wait for it, Zev, Dimitri said, allowing his senses, growing so acute and sharp, to flare out, trying to find the differences Fen had detected. He's going to start in any moment with how much more evolved he is than us.
Two Lycans fell at his feet, both sprouting arrows. He nearly slipped in the blood surrounding Byron's dragon. The warriors in the sky were making the job easier, wounding every Lycan that dared to tear at the dragon.
With the addition of three deadly silver swords, the Lycans fell back, trying to drag their wounded with them.
I've got a shield up for you in case they try using guns again, Zacarias said. This time the bullet will bounce off and return to the sender. He sounded as low-key as ever. Nothing seemed to ruffle Zacarias.
We've got a few just below us, pulling out their rifles. Rafael's voice held a hint of satisfaction.
Dimitri, Zev and Fen reached the dragon, moving around it in a circle, making certain no Lycan remained.
You've got to shift, Byron, Dimitri insisted. You can't pass out on us. We can't lug this form into the sky. It's dead weight. Shift and we'll get you out of here.
They didn't have much time. The Lycans would rally and make another attack. A volley of shots rang out, bullets peppering the shield, head shots every one.
Military training for sure, Fen observed.
Screams and howls rose as the bullets found the shooters. Zacarias hadn't taken great care to ensure those firing didn't suffer permanent damage. He didn't much care, not with Byron nearly torn to pieces and three of his other men in harm's way.
Byron stirred inside the great dragon's body, groaning a little as his torn body refused to answer his demands. Give me a minute.
Zacarias was determined to buy him whatever time he needed. Rafael, you and Nicolas take out the shooters, every last one of them. No kills if possible, he tacked on. The Lycan can regenerate limbs, so don't worry about being nice. And if you happen to get an inkling of the ones who shot Skyler, Paul and Josef, well, whatever happens to them, we won't shed any tears.
Unleashing his two brothers on the shooters would most likely not have met with Mikhail's approval, but Zacarias knew them, knew their skill. They would make it so dangerous for any Lycan who dared raise a gun toward the Carpathians that few would try.
Nicolas in particular was adept at reading thoughts of various species. If he managed to find the original shooters, those men were definitely part of the group determined to assassinate the council members and start a war. He hadn't included those who shot Dimitri, mostly because he was a Carpathian warrior and considered fair game, but no one was going to shoot Paul and get away with it.
Zacarias was well aware he'd chosen the two most skilled and dangerous of his brothers to drive those with guns back. They knew to stay high, away from the Lycans. All of them shared the information Fen and Dimitri had provided the Carpathians with about the wolf packs and how they fought. He gave one more order to his brothers.
The moment you know for certain who the shooters are, I want to know.
It will be done, Rafael agreed. He was lifemate to Colby, Paul's sister, and she'd looked at him with tear-filled eyes, pleading with him to find Paul and bring him home. No one made his lifemate cry, or attempted to kill his young brother-in-law, without retaliation.
They had come to find and kill the shooters. They would do their best to follow Mikhail's orders and not start a war. They would avoid killing innocents if they could, wounding those they were unsure of whose side they were on, but once the guns had come out, those shooters had marked themselves.
As Byron managed to shift back into human form, another wave of Lycans erupted out of the ground where they'd dug, hidden, to get to their prey. Two caught at Byron's bloody body, dragging him back away from the three defenders while the other eight rushed the mixed bloods.
Dimitri leapt over the wall of Lycans, landing squarely over the top of Byron's body, straddling him, his sword cutting through one of the wolves trying to pull Byron away. At the same time, Dimitri leaned down, thrusting a silver dagger into Byron's fist, and yanked him up ruthlessly.
"Stay on your feet. No matter what, stay upright," he cautioned Byron, engaging in swordplay with the second, now frantic Lycan.
Byron was bleeding from a dozen or more wounds, some bone deep. He kept one hand over his belly, where the wolves had sought to eviscerate him as they were known to do.
Dimitri sliced through the Lycan's sword arm. The wolf screamed as his forearm, wrist and hand dropped to the ground. Dimitri dismissed him, swinging around to face the onslaught as five of his companions turned back to aid him. They swarmed Dimitri in an attempt to overpower and kill him.
Stay behind me, Byron, and keep an eye on the one-armed wolf. Keep in tight and move when I do.
Byron didn't answer. He'd lost far too much blood and was growing weak fast, but he refused to allow himself to slide into unconsciousness. He gripped the dagger and tried to tune himself to Dimitri's rhythm of fighting.
He was fast. Far faster than Byron had ever conceived of, even when he'd been warned about the mixed blood and their abilities. There was no possible way to keep up. More than anything he wanted to watch the deadly ballet between fighters. He couldn't feel any energy rising from any of the fighters, least of all Dimitri. He found himself anticipating the moves of the enemy, being guided by them rather than his defender as he tried to stay back-to-back with Dimitri. Dimitri's fast moves were entirely unpredictable.
Without warning, two more Lycans erupted almost at his feet. Byron thrust the dagger into the chest of the nearest one, sidestepping the knife coming at him from the Lycan's left hand. The second wolf had a sword and he swung it low, still half in the ground. Dimitri somehow sensed the two as they burst out of the ground, but still Byron heard Dimitri grunt and knew he'd taken a hit.
Dimitri swore softly under his breath as the tip of a sword caught him across the back of his calf. Fire burned through his skin and body as the silver penetrated. You think I'd be used to it by now, he said to his brother.
Get the hell out o
f there. Zacarias has created an opening for us. Razvan and Ivory will do a flyby and pick you and Byron up.
Screw that, Fen. Dimitri was not about to leave the other two on the ground, not with so many Lycans determined to kill them all.
Binding your lifemate hasn't improved your temper much, Fen noted. I wasn't planning on hanging around. I'm not wounded in twenty-seven places, burned all to hell and back and playing the hero for my woman. I can grab Zev and go the moment you and Byron are safe.
Dimitri parried two swords at once, riding them in a circle to the ground and then cutting deep into both Lycans' chests.
Not to mention those De La Cruz brothers are wreaking as much havoc as they dare. I don't think technically they've actually killed anyone, but they're ruthless as hell and definitely riding a thin edge. They plan to shield us as we take off. I can shift in the air. Zev's pretty adept at flight now.
That made more sense. Just this one time, Dimitri considered that it might be fun to be one of the De La Cruz brothers. They were a law unto themselves--or rather, their eldest brother. Every Carpathian alive knew one didn't cross Zacarias and come out of it unscathed.
I'm a little busy right now, Dimitri pointed out. You two get out of here and we'll be behind you as soon as we can fight our way free.
We're heading your way now.
As Fen and Zev began to move steadily toward Byron and Dimitri, there was a shift in their minds, a clear telepathic message of triumph.
We've found them, Nicolas said. Seven shooters. All of them are feeling rather smug that they shot Skyler, Paul and Josef. They're even whispering about how the girl is the one to kill, that if they managed to kill her, the Carpathians would definitely go to war.
They think Skyler is Sange rau because she was able to construct the shelter, Rafael added. A hit has been put out on her and their top assassins have been sent to track and kill her, Dimitri, Fen and Zev.
Dimitri's gut tightened. Razvan, pick up Byron and get him somewhere you can close his wounds and give him blood.
What the hell are you planning to do? Fen demanded. Dimitri, have you lost your mind? You can't see yourself, but your skin is gray and drawn. You have to get out of here now before you collapse. You aren't fully healed and we haven't managed to replace the blood you lost.