Davina (Davy Harwood #3)(57)

“I’m okay.” Lucas touched her hand and raked his other hand over his face. He could feel her. He could see through her eyes as she soared over the trees now. He needed a block to her. He couldn’t let her know what he sensed when she had been accosting him with visions of time with Talia and Davy. Sensing that Wren was about to question him, he held a hand up. “Don’t ask me questions. She’s in my head still. I can’t tell you anything.

Wren pulled her hand free and hastily retreated a step. The vampiress’s eyebrows were arched high. The others heard his words and followed her lead. They all looked in fear at their leader now.

He needed . . . he couldn’t think.

The Immortal was moving farther away. Their link was lessening, but it was still there. He could feel The Immortal’s essence in him. It was pure power and he drew in a sharp breath, feeling his body acclimate to the sudden surge in him. It was overwhelming, but he couldn’t do a thing to stop The Immortal right now. Turning to the battle, he could do something there instead.

“Lucas!”

Christian Christane had arrived. He pushed his way through Roane’s vampires and stopped next to his sister. Glancing at Pippa, he paused a moment. Their heads bent together. She was filling him in on what happened. When she was done, a different expression crossed the Alpha Werewolf’s features. It was close to sympathy, but there was caution as well. His eyes held to Roane’s with a wariness Lucas felt in his bones.

Christian was gazing at him as if he were an enemy.

He was so far from that, or he hoped to be. Before Christian could speak, Lucas shook his head. “She gave me power. A lot of it. We can use that and launch another attack.”

“They’re retreating below. We can follow to where their camp is.”

Roane nodded. He signaled for Wren to come to him. She did, so did Pippa and her brother. He spoke, already feeling a grave distance starting between him and them. He would be their enemy soon. The Immortal was in his head, and she just proved that she couldn’t be trusted.

He said, “She’s in my head. She can feel me, but she’s distracted right now. Her power is immense and I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold onto my own will. Right now, I’m your ally. You can use me against our enemies, but don’t trust me.”

Pippa’s bottom lip trembled. “Davy’s gone?”

She wasn’t. He felt her inside of The Immortal, but he said, “There’s little hope of getting her back.”

“Your brother.”

They all turned to Wren. She raised her chin up and squared her shoulders back. Her hands went behind her back and her legs stood apart. She took on a soldier’s pose. “He used witches to separate the thread from Davy. He could help, perhaps, in weakening her now.”

Christian’s nostrils flared. Anger pitted deep inside of him. “Are you joking? He’s the reason this entire war is happening.”

Wren stiffened, but she didn’t back down. “He wants the thread. Now that she’s loose, he’ll be scared of her. He caused her pain. I heard the screams. I’ve no doubt that he’ll be more fearful of The Immortal than he will be of us.”

“It’s a shot.”

Christian’s head jerked back to Lucas. “You can’t be serious?”

He was, so very much so, but there was more Roane needed to say. He couldn’t. She would sense his intentions. As it was, he was trying to keep his thoughts clear. The Immortal couldn’t know what he was planning, but while she was in his head, he was in hers. He was there. Davy was there too. It was something, at least.

“Roane.”

His name was being called and Lucas looked over. What he saw had him closing his eyes as a surge of hope filled him. He shoved it down, almost as soon as it appeared. Bastion pointed behind him, to Gavin, Tracey, and Gregory. There were two others and he could smell the humanity on them. Before going over to greet them, he turned away. The less The Immortal knew, the better.

He said to Wren, “Fill them in. I will lead a charge to where the Romah and Benshire wolves are holed up. That was their first wave. I know there’s more farther in the forest.”

“After that?”

After that . . . Lucas hesitated. “After that, I will venture to my brother, but you must head there yourself. Without me.”

“Why?”

“The less all of you have to do with me, the better.” He could feel The Immortal still flying. She was nearing wherever she wanted to go. She was intent on her target, and he was taking advantage of his distraction, but he knew there were limits. He couldn’t risk too much. He held onto Wren’s hand and whispered urgently to her, “I will fight. We can win now. The Immortal is seeking The Mother Wolf. After that, I will seek out my brother. He’s our only hope in getting Davy back.”

Wren went still. Her eyes sought and held onto his.

He saw the fear appear and he swallowed hard. Wren was never scared. She was only angry or hurt, seeing that vulnerability in one of his most loyal now caused his anger to flicker alive. He had it contained, along with all of his emotions, but as it broke free, that was one emotion he wanted to feel. It would blanket the rest. If he was furious, The Immortal would accept that. She wouldn’t search for what else was in his mind.

He started to step away. His head lowered, and he was going to leave without speaking to his friends. He didn’t want to, but The Immortal couldn’t know they were alive. The less she knew, the safer everyone was.