Gregori sighed. His silver eyes met Branislava’s in understanding. “A mage this powerful would have equally powerful safeguards to protect his shadow. Tripping one would alert him, and he would immediately strike at us through his puppet. Failing that, to protect his identity, he would kill Damon.”
Mikhail’s gaze was steady on his son-in-law. “If we do nothing and allow this mage to have a window through Damon, what then?”
“His hold on Damon will strengthen with each use. Eventually, we won’t be able to have the chance to save him. Anyone near the man is in danger at this point. Anything he sees or hears could get back to Xaviero.”
Branislava nodded. “Gregori’s right, Mikhail. That shadow can’t be left inside of him. It should be removed as soon as possible.”
“Can you do it, Gregori?” Mikhail asked. “And how high is the risk to you?”
Gregori closed his eyes briefly and shook his head without answering. Branislava’s heartbeat accelerated. She clutched Zev’s hand, every cell in her body rebelling. Every single fear she ever felt in those long years of captivity welled up to choke her—to choke back what had to be said.
Zev leaned down, his mouth brushing down her cheek, leaving a trail of fire in a chamber of pure, scorching heat. She was safe here. Xaviero couldn’t find her there in the sacred cavern surrounded by the people she loved and who loved her.
“I’ve removed splinters in the past, Mikhail,” Gregori said, “But never a shadow. Until I see what I’m facing, I can’t say for certain. If Xaviero is capable of mass-producing shadows in groups of unsuspecting people as indicated, he’s had centuries of practice and knows far more than I do on the subject.”
“Gregori would have little chance to remove the shadow, not without knowing Xaviero’s work,” Branislava said. Once again her eyes met Tatijana’s. Her sister shook her head, her fist jammed in her mouth to prevent a protest.
She took a breath and forced herself to say the one thing she feared above all others—the one thing she’d known when she saw the shadow and knew who had made it. “I’ll have to do it.”
10
Silence took hold in the sacred chamber of ancient warriors. Water trickled from the walls down to the pools, drops hissing as they hit the hot water. Steam rose as curling vapor and drifted around the stalagmites. The flickering light from all the candles cast expressions on the faces of the ancient warriors in the giant totems of minerals. It seemed as though the world held its breath.
Zev heard his own heart like thunder roaring overhead. His first reaction was visceral. Absolutely not. He wouldn’t allow it. He didn’t care what she said, or whether or not Damon would die, she wasn’t going to put herself in that kind of danger. He hadn’t known what looking at the shadow entailed or the jeopardy she had been in or he never would have allowed that. Gregori’s reaction when she’d admitted she had done so was enough for him. She was not going to go near Damon ever again.
Branislava moved, a small flexing of her fingers, and he looked down to see his hand clamped around her thigh, his knuckles white. Immediately he relaxed his grip on her, certain she would have bruises, silently cursing himself for not being more careful. But damn it all . . .
“It’s the only way,” she said aloud, looking at him, looking straight into his eyes—into his soul.
She knew his primal reaction. She knew everything he was, Lycan and Carpathian, protested. She knew him, his instincts and his need to keep her safe. He could see her fear, so stark in her eyes, yet she was going to attempt to remove the shadow from Damon.
He couldn’t contain the fury rising sharp and fast and terrible. His wolf leapt to protect her, to force obedience. Zev rose and stalked out of the chamber, leaving her there where she was safe from the madness gripping him. He wanted to shake her until she saw reason. He wanted to put her across his knee like she was an unruly child. He wanted to wrap her up in his love and keep her hidden away where nothing could ever touch her.
He kept moving, going from chamber to chamber, winding his way through the maze, uncaring if he was going up toward the ground level or farther down from the warrior cave. The where mattered little to him. Just the why.
Why wasn’t her love for him strong enough to keep her from putting her life in danger? His fingers curled into two tight fists. Sharp claws cut into his palms. His skin itched and his eyes and jaw ached with the effort to hold back the wolf that would snatch her from the meeting and run off into the night with her.
“Zev.”
Her voice was cool, like a gentle breeze. Rather than soothe him, it fanned the anger pouring through him. He swung around and caught her shoulders in a hard grip. “You shouldn’t have followed me.”
“Do you think I’m afraid of you?” she asked, her tone a low, musical melody his ear immediately tuned to.
“You damn well should be,” he snarled. He kept himself rigidly under control, not shaking her when he needed to, but holding her so she couldn’t move.
“Well, I’m not. I know you’re upset with me . . .”
“Upset? Is this what you call upset? What an insipid word that is, and it in no way describes what I’m feeling. Fury might come closer. You have no right to make a decision to risk your life without even discussing it with me. Last night you didn’t tell me what the real danger of looking into Damon’s mind might be.”
When she attempted to speak he held up his hand for silence. “You sugarcoated it for me. I’ve always done you the courtesy of telling you exactly what is going on. I’ve treated you with respect and I expected the same from you.”
“That’s not fair, Zev,” she said, her tone low, her long lashes sweeping down to hide her expression.
He caught her chin in hard fingers and yanked her head up, forcing her to look into his eyes. “I don’t particularly give a damn about fair right now. This isn’t a good time for us to have this discussion.”
He had to draw in deep breaths to keep his wolf at bay. Every few words a low, warning growl escaped. Heat imaging banded his vision in yellows and reds. He was alpha and no one, least of all his mate, disobeyed or defied an alpha in his pack, not without consequences. And they sure as hell didn’t make independent decisions, not after the betrayal of Gunnolf and Convel.
For a moment her eyes glittered with pure fire. He saw flames burning behind the glittering gems. That she could be angry as well just took his temper up another notch. He caught the nape of her neck and drew her to him, his mouth coming down hard on hers. He kissed her, pouring his fury and terror at her courage into his domination.