or didn’t do, eventually the explosive would detonate. There was also a way to remote detonate, but seeing as how both mages were dead . . . He broke off his thought as once again, Julija returned to her body.
She looked up at him with shadowed eyes. He despised that look. “Barnabas,” he said aloud and switched his gaze to the male cat. He couldn’t help the unfamiliar surge of anger he felt at the cat. Julija looked so lost, very afraid, and he knew she was feeling as if she would never be free of the dark mage.
Instead of ranting, he remained calm. She needed steady, an anchor, and he had to be that for her. “Is it possible that we are seeing an illusion?”
She shook her head. “There would be little point. He wouldn’t consider that we would find this. He still has a remote detonator.”
“That matters little. It can be dismantled easily.”
“He is very good at protection spells.” There was despair in her voice.
“I have no doubt he needs them,” Isai said. “You are both mage and Carpathian. You are far more intelligent and definitely stronger than he is. More to the point, you do not need his spells. See with the eyes of a Carpathian. You will see the layers of his protection weave. Once you know any strand, you will be able to take it down.”
“He could blow the bomb and kill us all.”
“He could,” Isai agreed. “There are some chances you have to take.” She needed to defeat Barnabas over and over until she believed in herself. For Julija, the mage was her greatest enemy, her terror, that monster that couldn’t be destroyed. It wouldn’t help her if he continually fought off everything Barnabas threw at them—she needed to do so. “Is keeping Sable alive worth the risk?” He had the sinking feeling that this was another test. Barnabas was trying to force Julija to kill the two small cats. He would find a way to shield her, should the bomb detonate.
“Yes, of course.”
“Then remove it from her.” He stated it with complete confidence, as if there was no question that she could do it.
Julija stared straight into his eyes for a long time. She took a deep breath and then once more shed her body and entered the cat. She had to be exhausted by now. Just the act of removing one’s spirit from the body was tiring. She’d done so several times now. Isai turned his attention to Phantom.
“You will settle down. She’s trying to save your mate. No matter what, that bomb would explode, killing her and anyone near. It wouldn’t matter if you obeyed or not. Is there one in you?”
Phantom had been pacing and snarling, swiping his paw toward the larger males, but now he subsided. He shook his head and just stood. Waiting. Knowing even if he attacked and Isai was not telling the truth, it would be too late. Julija was already inside the body of his mate.
Isai left Phantom to Blue and Comet. He had remained merged with Julija to see how she was going to go about removing the bomb from the inside of the cat. She didn’t try to take the device off the spine. Instead, she used what she knew best—her mage spells.
Each word was a command. There was no plea. She didn’t leave anything to chance. She went after the parts, taking the bomb apart from the inside out.
Tick tock, sound of a clock,
Show me your workings so I might stop,
That which is enclosed and intended to harm,
Stop now and separate so I may disarm.
Each piece a puzzle, I surround you with light,
I dissolve you away without a fight.
It was slow work, because she feared at any moment Barnabas would find a way to override her, but she did it. When she came out of the cat and into her own body, she was shaking with weakness. Isai immediately wrapped his arms around her and gave her blood. He was going to need to feed before the night was over.
He rocked Julija gently, rubbing his chin on top of her head. “I am so proud of you. I know that was extremely difficult, but you did it.”
“It was actually easier than I thought it would be. I just went backward from where he ended and took apart everything. There is no chance it will work. The parts disintegrated, and the casing was being eaten away already by the cat’s blood. It