Dark Lycan (Carpathian)

“We, the clan of my brother encircle him with care and compassion. Our healing energies, ancient words of magic and healing herbs bless my brother’s body, keep it alive.”


When he was certain he had done enough of the repairs that Dimitri’s body would hold blood, he tore at his own wrist with his teeth and pressed the wound to Dimitri’s mouth. Dimitri made no attempt, even when Fen dripped the blood into his mouth, to take it in. Often times, a warrior so badly wounded, when he’d lived long centuries holding darkness at bay, preferred to slip away, but Dimitri had someone to live for. He’d told Fen of his lifemate, too young to claim, surviving a horrendous childhood. Fen had no compunctions against using the information Dimitri had confided.

Drink for your life and the life of the girl you told me about. Young Skyler who has suffered so much and deserves happiness. Do not let that happiness end here, my brother.

The light had retreated so far Fen feared he was too late. You are strong, my brother. Think only of your unclaimed lifemate. She will live out her days sad and lonely without you. Come back.

The dim light halted. Faltered. Stayed still. He felt the smallest movement at his wrist and instantly aided his brother in swallowing the liquid of life. Even as Dimitri took in blood, Fen knew it wouldn’t be enough. He was weak himself from blood loss. Healing took tremendous energy. He would have to feed quickly and return to draw his brother’s life light back. He gave Dimitri as much blood as he dared before returning to his own body.

The act of being in two places at one time, feeding his brother and healing him, aiding him in sending the blood through his body took a tremendous toll. Normally, with a wound so grievous, there were many Carpathians participating in the healing ritual. Fen had to remain a Lycan in Zev’s eyes. There was no controlling Zev’s mind. Tatijana could shield them using the mist, but at all times, Zev had to believe that Fen was Lycan, not a mixture of wolf and Carpathian.

He rose quickly, staggered, regained his footing and, after making certain the mist remained thick enough to hide his actions, took to the trees where the two drunken humans were cocooned in the shield Tatijana had provided for them. Before using them to replenish the blood he’d given his brother, he drove as much alcohol from their systems as possible through their pores. As a rule, Carpathians rarely touched tainted blood, but this was an emergency and he’d take anything he could get.

He took even more than he needed, knowing Dimitri would need much more. Tatijana, how long before you can aid me?

I put him into a healing sleep with his permission, but he won’t be in it long.

Bring down the lightning and burn the bodies. Make certain you get every last bit of fur and hair. Do not remove the silver spikes from their hearts otherwise they can regenerate. Let the fire burn everything and we’ll recover the stakes after that. Once that’s done, come help me. I need to find my brother in the other world and guide him back. He’s stuck between two places.

He caught Tatijana’s shocked gasp. Both knew it was difficult to bring someone back when they were so close to death. The only thing that had stopped Dimitri was knowing what his unclaimed lifemate would suffer without him.

Fen hurried back to his brother and knelt down, this time mixing his saliva with dirt, rich with Lycan blood, and packing it into the worst of Dimitri’s wounds. He took a deep breath and once more left his body behind to become pure light.

He took up the great healing chant of his people from centuries earlier. He spoke in his native tongue, using his most charismatic, commanding, persuasive voice.

“My brother’s soul is only half. His other half wanders in the netherworld. My great deed is this: I travel to find my brother’s other half.”

Tatijana sank down beside him. “We dance. We chant.” She pulled the words of the mystical song from his mind. “We dream ecstatically.”

“To call my spirit bird and to open the door to the other world,” Fen continued.

He felt the cold of that other place. He’d been there more than once after a battle, but Dimitri had traveled farther than he ever had to the other side.

“I mount my spirit bird and we begin to move. We are underway.” He suited action to words. He was going down that long tree into the dark and cold to find Dimitri and bring him back whole. “Following the trunk of the Great Tree, we fall into the netherworld.”

His very breath felt like ice. “It is very, very cold.” Worse than cold. He’d never been this far into the other world before. He could hear wailing in the dark. Teeth gnashing. He continued, unmoved by what might be stalking him in a place he had no business being in.