Dark Promises

Could he be the man targeting the council members for death on our soil? Mikhail asked.

Zev sighed. I would never have believed such a thing of him. He’s always been a good man, but now . . . He trailed off. Gunnolf and Convel were both members of the Sacred Circle, but I never thought they would betray us, or betray our pack.

Rolf shook his head. “We’re all tired. Perhaps we should adjourn until tomorrow night. Dimitri has given us much to think about.”

Lyall glanced at his watch. “It is late,” he agreed.

Arno checked his cell phone. “Later than I thought. I believe it would be best to adjourn also. I need to put things in perspective.”

The council members rose, as did the Carpathians.

“Before you leave,” Zev said, “we need to make absolutely certain all of you are safe.”

19

Fen, Zev and Dimitri stepped outside to scan the area around them. Both still had an uneasy feeling that signaled danger—and it was much stronger in the open air—yet neither could get a direction or a scent.

Fen swore softly. “We seem to go from one bad situation into another,” he said. “I have a really bad feeling.”

Zev took a slow, careful look around. “What do you want to do? Keep them all inside while we scout around?”

Dimitri’s first impulse was to say yes, but something made him hesitate. His gut churned and knots formed in his belly.

“We’re sitting ducks out here if they have sniper rifles,” Zev pointed out.

“Dimitri?” Fen said. His brother knew him and waited for Dimitri’s assessment.

“That’s exactly what they would expect us to do,” Dimitri said. “Every hair on my body is raised. I think we’ve got snipers staring at us through scopes right now, but they’re waiting to pull the trigger. Why?”

“Why haven’t you thrown up a shield?” Zev asked. “I don’t like the idea of being shot in the head.”

“The moment we do something like that, it will tip them off that we’re on to them,” Fen explained.

Even as Fen uttered the words, a voice burst through their minds. Mikhail. Gabriel and Lucian are under attack. Lycans are pouring into the village. All warriors are needed. Every woman who can fight must do so. Defend the humans in the village and keep our children safe.

A chill went down Dimitri’s spine. This was a serious, coordinated attack on both Carpathians and the council. “Fen, put up the shield. If they shoot us, for certain, Mikhail and Gregori will keep the council in that room in order to protect them, but I think the trap is there.”

A bullet whined through the air even as he spoke. It crashed into a transparent wall, so that a crack appeared first and then spiderwebbed out, revealing the shield Fen had raised instantly. Two more bullets were fired in rapid succession, both hitting in the exact spot the first had. A third bullet fired almost simultaneously hit a quarter inch from the hole.

“He’s good,” Fen commented. “And he must have been waiting for the Lycans to attack the village.”

“There’re two of them,” Zev said. “One, for certain, is Hemming. He’s been in the military all his life as a sniper. The council uses him when necessary. No one can shoot like he can. He’s also a member of the Sacred Circle.”

Dimitri swore as a fourth slug hit the small hole precisely where the other two bullets had. This time, the bullet nearly penetrated the shield. “Inside. There has to be a traitor inside, one of the elite guards.” He turned to race back inside.

Fen swore as well. “He’s right, otherwise they would have shot us the moment we stepped outside. The snipers gave him time to get close to the council members as everyone stood up to say their good-byes.” He followed his brother. “They were just waiting for the Lycans to attack as well.”

Zev took off after them, just as another bullet whined past his ear. He ducked as he ran for the shelter of the building.

Dimitri burst into the room, his gaze going to Skyler like a magnet. She was talking to Rolf and Daciana, laughing at something the elite hunter had said. Her eyes jumped to his face, the smile fading immediately as she recognized something was wrong. Daciana did as well, quickly catching Rolf’s arm and thrusting him back against the wall. Her partner, Makoce, was there, using his body as a shield.

Dimitri hastily scanned the room, looking for a betraying “tell” that might give him a hint where the danger would come from. Gregori, get the prince out of here. I don’t care how much he protests, but go to vapor and leave fast. He isn’t safe here. Above all else, their prince had to survive.

Gregori didn’t hesitate or argue with Mikhail. He shifted, his hand on Mikhail’s arm, shoving the image of mist into his mind so that his body began to shift almost before he was aware.

We’re leaving now, Gregori informed his charge.

Mikhail completed the shift, although the look on his face told Dimitri that Gregori was in for a rough ride once they were alone. Gregori could handle it; he’d been the prince’s primary guardian almost from the moment the two of them were born.

Just as Dimitri took to the air to get to Skyler’s side, one of Arno’s elite guards stepped into her so that she stumbled back with a small cry, her hands going up to protect herself from the dagger in his palm. Before the guard could shove the blade deep, something caught his wrist.

The ghost. Andre was there before Dimitri, dropping down out of sight, shifting at the last moment to emerge between Skyler and the guard, his fist circling the guard’s wrist. He turned the silver dagger back on the guard, shoving it deep just below the Lycan’s heart.

Dimitri caught Skyler and yanked her back away from the Lycans. There was nowhere he felt she was safe, not inside that room, or outside of it.

“They have snipers outside,” Zev informed his hunters. “At least two, and one of them is Hemming.”

Fen inhaled sharply. Dimitri followed suit. If it was possible for a mixed blood to go pale, they both did. The distinct odor of C-4 drifted to them.

Fen waved his hand and opened the ground, tearing easily through the floor to the dirt below them. “Get in, all of you.” Zev, there’s a bomb. He used the Carpathian common path, warning all the warriors to get out quickly or use the ground for shelter.

“Daciana, move it,” Zev called. He rushed to Lyall, gripping his arm, dragging him way from his guards. “Get underground now.”

Daciana and Makoce both caught Rolf between them and dove for the opening. Zev managed to shove Lyall down as well. Randall took matters into his own hands while his guards debated whether or not it was a Carpathian trap. He jumped inside the hole as well. Zev went back for Arno.