She knew Zev would want the job of protecting Borya. He felt passionate about protecting Lycans, but he wasn’t as experienced in battling mages. Gregori was powerful in magic and he’d studied spells, both black and white, far more than most Carpathians ever had. She couldn’t open her mind to Gregori’s or that would give Xaviero access as well, but she trusted the healer to fight the mage off his patient.

Try not to let him see who you are. He suspects his brother is thwarting his efforts in a power play to take over the ruling of all species. If he continues to believe that, it could give us a small advantage. She was already wielding the lightning laser, using the same striping technique she’d used on Pavlo. Unfortunately, mages adapted fast and Xaviero would already expect his brother to close the portal in a similar fashion.

Good point, Gregori said, and built up his energy to block whatever the mage chose to throw at Borya.

Zev, start from the bottom and create strips as I’m doing, so we form a waffle pattern. Make your lines as close together as possible and we’ll go back and fill them in when we’re done with this.

She contemplated using a broader tip for the laser to take in more area, but the work was too delicate and the lightning difficult to control. She felt that wrenching sickness when Xaviero’s foul stench poured into the skull.

Did you really think you could save these pitiful creatures from me? They are enslaved, mine to command. I refuse to allow you to use them for yourself, Xaviero exclaimed.

He’s baiting again, Zev cautioned. He wants you to taunt him with the fact that you saved one of them.

It would have been easy enough to fall into that trap, but Branislava’s confidence was growing with each encounter. She’d lost Igor, yes, but she had nearly trapped Xaviero in that shrinking shadow, and she and Tatijana had prevented his entrance into Pavlo, essentially saving his life. She didn’t rise to the bait.

Once more, she felt black rage fill the skull, so powerful and strong it nearly pushed the skull bones apart. Gregori was there instantly, holding the skull in place. Xaviero shrieked, the sound reverberating through Borya’s entire body. He sounded hideous, enraged, maddened with his inability to draw out his enemy. The sounds he made felt as if he was raking the inside of her head and ears apart, tearing off long strips of skin and turning her organs to jelly.

Your body is not here, Zev reminded her gently, calmly.

She was proud of him. He had not stopped working, even for a moment, while she had given a microsecond’s pause. Xaviero would catch that mistake when he replayed the battle, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Will Borya’s body turn to mush when it processes that sound? Branislava couldn’t help but be anxious. She continued to work as quickly as possible and wanted to command Zev to pick up his pace.

In anticipation I had already plugged his ears, making him essentially deaf for the time being. There is a shield around his heart, Gregori assured her. Xaviero will know it is Carpathian in structure, but certainly not who—although he might recognize my handiwork, you never know. Either way, it won’t matter because he’ll know there are at least two of us working against him.

Branislava let out a brief sigh of relief, at least she felt as though she did. It was strange not to have a body, yet still feel the reactions of one.

Xaviero struck a second time, shooting electrical charges throughout the body, over and over, the neurons firing like crazy, the filaments nearly dancing at the surges racing through them to every nerve ending delivering the commands of the High Mage to his servant’s body.

Gregori deflected each command, sometimes anticipating where Xaviero attacked next and other times rushing to get ahead of the electricity as it threatened to fry internal organs. The third attack was directed at the Lycan’s lungs, so that every bit of fluid tore from the extremities to pool in a central location.

Terád keje—get scorched, you mage from hell, Gregori muttered under his breath, the curse finding its way into Branislava’s head.

She knew what the healer was going to do, but there was no way to stop him, and in truth, it mattered little. Xaviero already was aware someone was in the Carpathian camp freeing or killing his puppets. It stood to reason that Gregori would be aiding Xaviero’s enemy.

Thunder roar bring forth chains of light,

Cloud to ground let lightning strike.

Arch to channel magnetic field,

Current run so shadowed flesh does feel.

Xaviero shrieked and bolted. Branislava swore using very unladylike words to express her disappointment. She’d been so close to trapping him. A few more seconds and she and Zev would have closed the portal, shutting a part of Xaviero inside the burn. She could have killed it, diminishing the High Mage’s power just a little.

She couldn’t blame Gregori for retaliating, not when Xaviero was trying every way possible to kill the Lycan. She finished closing the portal, and both she and Zev sank down the moment they let loose of the lightning, their spirits in tatters. Both had been wounded by the ice spears and the teeth of the tiny white wormlike creatures Xaviero had sent to kill Damon.

I can finish up here, Gregori assured. You both need to rest.

Branislava knew it was the truth, but she wasn’t certain she could comply with her mind racing and fear making her teeth chatter. Exhaustion had set in, far beyond anything she’d ever known. She did feel triumphant. In the end, Xaviero hadn’t identified her. He had found Gregori. Who could possibly mistake the power of the Carpathian healer? But he hadn’t identified Tatijana or Branislava, and that was a victory in itself.

Come on, mon chaton féroce, Zev said gently, his tone turning her inside out. It’s time to rest. You’ve done your part and there’s nothing more to do but relax, take a little sustenance and lay in my arms.

It sounded good to her. Branislava slipped from Borya’s head and back into her own body. She slumped over, too tired to maneuver such an unwieldy heavy load with her spirit so tattered. Dimitri was there instantly, kneeling beside her, gathering her up and pressing his wrist to her mouth.

“Little sister, take what is freely offered,” he said formally. “And be quick about it. You look so pale I think you’re translucent.”

“It’s the red hair,” Fen commented, helping Zev. “It makes her look like a ghost when she’s not fed.”

I’d retaliate with something brilliant but I’m just too tired, Branislava said truthfully.

She wanted to close her eyes and just go to sleep, maybe sink her body deep beneath the earth right where she was.