You are reading their actual thoughts?
No, more like their body language and the nuances of their eye movements along with the glimpses of images I’m picking up from their minds. I am more familiar with Gary through you and the others than Tariq, but Gary is very closed off and I cannot penetrate too deep without risk of detection. I hesitate with Tariq because it feels like invasion. Prying. He is a good man. A decent one. He has the good of the people placed before all else. Even confronting us is difficult when he knows we came to their aid.
“Why have you never sworn allegiance to Mikhail?” Tariq asked. “Few of the brethren have done so.”
“It has never been required of us,” Ferro said.
“That is so, but some have done so. Is there a reason you have not?”
“I have never met Mikhail Dubrinsky. I do not blindly follow anyone. His father ultimately betrayed us in order to satisfy his lifemate. She could not stand the idea of losing her firstborn son, even though he was sick with the taint of the bad blood. Vlad had enough precog that he saw the downfall of the Carpathian people. He knew what we would suffer. He knew what his younger son would face, the near extinction of all of us, and yet, to please his woman, he refused to have his second destroy his son.”
“And yet you continued to serve our people with honor.”
“Vlad continued to try to serve our people with honor. He was weak when it came to his family, with the people he loved. I did not have a lifemate. I had no way of judging what I would do if I was in his shoes. Perhaps the fault lay with his second-in-command. I have no idea how that pairing works or if Roman Daratrazanoff could have killed Draven without destroying the bond between the prince and him.”
Gary and Tariq again looked at each other before Tariq nodded his head. That feeling of imminent danger was beginning to fade just a little from Tariq, but Ferro wasn’t any less alert. He still felt Gary was the main threat.
Tariq feels he should share information that he believes I will eventually figure out. Gary is resistant and says it is dangerous to trust anyone with the information, especially one not sworn to follow the prince.
In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Ferro couldn’t help but feel amused. His woman was just a little too intelligent and perceptive for men in powerful positions. She had learned her observation skills out of necessity and honed them over centuries. Like Tariq, he had no doubt that she would eventually uncover whatever secret Tariq was hiding. Somewhere in the past, one of the Malinovs had to have mentioned it, probably more than once in front of her without realizing she was in the same room with them. Something would trigger that memory.
Tariq insists that I already know but just have to remember, and Gary says that would mean the Malinov brothers knew, and it was an impossibility that they knew.
Do you know what they mean? What is it that you might know, Elisabeta? Ferro knew he was pushing her when she really needed time, but Gary was clearly in charge of protecting Tariq as well as something huge, something very few in the Carpathian world knew of. Maybe a secret that could mean the downfall of the prince and therefore the extinction of the Carpathian people.
Tariq says not if their father was one of the members of the council.
The moment she repeated the word council to him she went silent, and Ferro felt her once again withdrawing to the past, searching for more information through those centuries of conversations she’d overheard.
He needed her to sort through those conversations fast. If Ferro and Elisabeta weren’t lifemates, Gary would be able to catch portions of their private communications. He already knew they were speaking telepathically to each other as Tariq and he were. As Tariq’s appointed second-in-command and guardian, he would fulfill those duties with honor whether he wanted to or not. He was uneasy and watchful. He knew engaging in battle with Ferro would start an all-out war with every ancient in the compound, and they would have to take sides.
Elisabeta, I need to know what Gary and Tariq are saying to one another. He detested pulling her away from her memories, but he had to be warned if Gary was going to attack. He had to get his lifemate to safety. Killing her would be the fastest way for Gary to defeat him. He should have had Sandu or one of the other brethren accompany him whether Tariq wanted it or not.
Tariq says the Malinov brothers may have overheard their father talking to Roman. That is always a possibility. Or he broke the rules and talked directly to them, which Tariq doubts. He believes their father was a man of honor, and he would be appalled if he knew what his sons had chosen to do.
Ferro edged back, away from the two men, forcing his lifemate to step back as well. Keep moving very slowly toward the house Dragomir and Emeline used when they lived here. Inch back, piŋe sarnanak.
You believe Gary will attack us.
It is a possibility.
Because I know something they do not want me to reveal to the others. Tariq really does have something the Malinovs want, and it is that important.
I believe so, yes. Keep moving, sívamet. I need fighting room. The brethren will come to our aid. He said it with conviction. He knew he could count on most of them. Others had made a home with Tariq and he was no longer certain if their allegiance held to those sharing centuries in the monastery or had switched to the prince’s representative there in the States. There was irony in the fact that the infection hadn’t divided the compound and turned ancients against one another, but the unknown item the Malinov brothers searched for was close to doing so.
“Ferro.” Tariq sighed. “The Daratrazanoff family have been the guardians of the Dubrinskys for as long as the Carpathian people have existed. The Dubrinskys are the vessels for the collective power of the people. You are aware of that. We exist because they exist. Gary was sent to advise and guard me here at Mikhail’s request. We don’t always agree on everything, but we do try to listen to one another.”
Elisabeta laid her hand very lightly against the small of Ferro’s back, connecting them physically as well as mentally. She was merged with him, that delicate, compassionate mind, quiet within his, waiting to hear Tariq out. Like Ferro, she was patient, waiting for Tariq to find the right words to express himself. Both felt Gary’s disapproval. He didn’t agree with Tariq’s decision to share with the couple.
“You are also aware that when there is power such as the Dubrinskys wield, there can also be weakness. The taint of bad blood.”
Ferro inclined his head. That streak, unfortunately, didn’t just run in the Dubrinsky family. It was in many of the very powerful lineages. Sadly, the Dubrinsky family had been hit the hardest.
“I must have your word of honor that anything I tell the two of you will be held in absolute secrecy no matter what.” Tariq looked Ferro in the eyes. Man to man. Warrior to warrior. “You must close off your mind to all your brethren, including those soul-tied to you.”
Elisabeta? Ferro was not going to commit both of them to something without asking her first. She had to agree. She was intelligent and she had a way of reading others far better than he did. I know you do not like making decisions. They paralyzed her. I am not asking for that. Rather, I value your input. I will make our decision based on what we both think jointly. Hopefully she understood what he meant.
Tariq is a man of absolute honor. He cares deeply for those he leads. Not only the Carpathian people but the humans around him as well. I believe him to be a good man. He is very torn because in telling us, he must break his vow of secrecy, but he believes I will discover the truth anyway.
Do you already know it?
She hesitated.
Elisabeta?
I believe so.
“It is possible Elisabeta already knows what you are going to tell us,” Ferro admitted. He ignored the way Gary stiffened, although he did move subtly to indicate to Elisabeta to step back from him. “We do not want to put you in a position of forcing you to break a vow you have held for centuries if you do not have to.”
“If she know
s, it would be best for me to tell you up front about it so there are no misconceptions. No one is going to harm either of you. I am making that perfectly clear,” Tariq decreed. He glanced at Gary. “You have my word of honor on that. I still need your word, Ferro. From both of you.”
I am willing, Elisabeta said without hesitation.
“We both give you our word of honor that whatever you say to us goes no further.”
Tariq walked over to the bench placed in the garden, the one Genevieve loved to sit on while she watched the children play on the playground. He sank down, suddenly looking as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Ferro waited until Gary had followed and placed himself in a watchful position at Tariq’s right side. Ferro made certain he kept Elisabeta in a position where he could defend her. He believed Tariq meant his decree, that both were safe, but he was taking no chances with his lifemate’s safety. Tariq had given his word, Gary had not.
“It was decided, long before Vlad became prince, that no one could have that much power without someone watching over them, especially when a strain of bad blood could mar the ruling family. A secret board was set up, a council to oversee the prince if there ever is a question of leadership or his state of mind. The council members are not known to one another. It is for their protection. If their identity is known to the prince, or to anyone else for that matter, they could be hunted down and killed for any number of reasons.”
Ferro frowned. He had been alive for more centuries than most and he had never heard the slightest rumor of such a thing. Not one whisper.
“It is my understanding that there are five council members. If the prince’s actions come under question, each member is contacted separately and asked to visit the prince on some pretense. One speaks with him and eventually discusses the matter. Individually, the council member must determine whether they believe there is cause for concern and give an opinion on whether the prince needs to be removed and his heir put in place or a different solution made. Some way to resolve whatever the situation is.”
“Five council members, so if three weigh in the same way, the matter is decisive,” Ferro said. “That makes sense.”
Tariq nodded. “We do not know who the other council members are and we’ve taken a vow of honor never to speak of this so we can’t consult with one another and persuade each other over to one side or the other.”
“What do you have that the Malinov brothers think would allow them to take over the leadership of the Carpathian people? Is there some actual tool that could take the power from the Dubrinsky line?” Ferro asked.
Tariq glanced at Gary and then shook his head. “There is a misconception perhaps. The Dubrinskys are vessels that hold the power of the Carpathian people. The Malinovs do not have that in their lineage.”
That said nothing at all. It was avoiding the question.
Elisabeta?
He is very concerned. There is something he guards. Each member of the council has something. He is worried that the Malinov brothers found their father’s when he died. It should have returned on its own to the Daratrazanoff line but it didn’t.
Ferro flicked his gaze to Gary’s impassive features. “It is impossible to hide things from Elisabeta. You know they have what should have returned when Malinov died. You have known this for some time.”
Tariq’s head jerked up and he glared at his second-in-command.
Gary shrugged unemotionally. “We suspected, but we had no way of knowing until now. We couldn’t do anything about it and there was no reason for anyone to know.”
Tariq stared at him for another long moment, clearly disagreeing. He turned back to Ferro and Elisabeta. “Each council member is given . . .”
“Tariq, this is going beyond what they need to know,” Gary cautioned.
“Is it?” Tariq asked. “If Cornel and Dorin are going to allow Sergey to use Elisabeta as their excuse to turn my club into a bloodbath, Ferro and Elisabeta should know what they are fighting for.” He smiled at Elisabeta. He looked tired. For the first time, the centuries—and his duties— seemed to really weigh heavily on his shoulders. “In any case, no doubt our Elisabeta will be able to find that piece of the puzzle somewhere in her memories as well, won’t you?”
To Ferro’s utter astonishment, she gave Tariq a tentative smile, surrounding him with her fragrance of soothing peace. “Yes.”
A small breeze rustled the leaves on the ground and blew them in small eddies around their feet, bringing with them a sense of comforting atmosphere. It was impossible not to relax in the wake of Elisabeta’s serenity. Ferro could see the darkness in Gary lifting, just being close to her, in spite of the heavy burdens centuries of warriors had instilled in him.
“There are five extremely small pieces of what is believed to be made from a single larger stone from the earliest history of the Carpathian Mountains. The flysch band is the only interconnecting band that runs throughout the entire mountain range. These five pieces should be fragile, as they are from what is essentially shale carved into interlocking pieces. They are of the earth, of the mountains. The piece I have is extraordinarily strong. Still, I have kept it safe and free from harm for centuries. I would imagine that Malinov did his piece as well, if, indeed, he was a member of the council.”
Elisabeta nodded her head. “He was. At least his sons talked as if he was.”
“Do you know where that piece is? Who has it now?” Gary asked.
I would have to think about it. It is not easy to remember all the conversations, but at least I know what I am looking for now.
“Elisabeta will try to remember,” Ferro relayed. He found it interesting that Elisabeta elected not to talk to Gary when she was willing to speak with Tariq.
Gary contemplated starting the war by killing me in order to get you to turn vampire. That would give him ample reason to kill you and force the other ancients to aid him in defeating you.
She wasn’t upset with Gary for considering killing her—that was acceptable because he was protecting the interests of the Carpathian people—but it wasn’t acceptable to her that the healer was putting Ferro at risk to lose his honor after so many centuries of holding on.
“She is not happy with you, Gary,” Ferro couldn’t help but add. “Looking into your mind and seeing your plan did not sit well with her. She didn’t mind that you would kill her, but she did mind that you wanted me to lose my honor and become vampire.”
“Had he carried out his plan, Elisabeta, which would have been despicable, we would have lost the potential to know where the Malinov piece was,” Tariq pointed out. “A little short-sighted.”
“That is why I am not the leader of our people,” Gary said.
“Cornel and Dorin believe that you hold this piece at the night club. Tell me you do not,” Ferro said. “I do not wish to know where it is, only that it is not there.”
“It is not. It is nowhere they could ever get their hands on it.”
19
The cage has collapsed, the prisoner stands tall;
The battle is ours to end, once and for all.
Ferro didn’t know if he sang their song or if Elisabeta did when he first woke that next rising to find them blood. He only knew that much later, when she came to him in the sanctuary of their forest, she surrounded him with love. He felt so much emotion he was drowning, threatening to a centuries-old warrior who fought without a single sentiment for so long. It was beautiful. She made the colors of the forest, already so vibrant now that he could see them, even more vivid.
He had doubts for so long that she would never be able to live with him as he was, but the way she looked into his eyes, holding his body close, her hands pressing into his back, fingers digging into his shoulders and then down to his hips, told him she would stay for eternity. She made the earth move under them while the moon and stars seemed to spin overhead. Sounds of the ocean roared in his ears, a symphony of the greatest music the world could give them.
He threaded his fingers t
hrough hers, there in the forest, their favorite place of complete harmony, his body deep in hers, surrounded by fire, by her tight, silken sheath, knowing what he had been given and yet already her body was claiming his, driving out every sane thought until it was only the two of them going up in flames. Her breathy moans, the way she chanted his name, as if he were her only focus in the world. She made him feel that way.
He loved her with every stroke of his body. Every movement of his surging hips. Of his fingers clamping down so tightly on her hips, urging her to meet his thrusts. He had wanted to be her shelter, and yet she had become his. He found himself lost in her. The way she came so gently into his mind and memories, filling all those tears and cracks that had formed over the centuries from the battles and kills, the wounds he’d sustained. She managed, with her compassion and soothing nature, to find a way to repair every tattered rend in his heart, those terrible black holes that had stripped his humanity from him.
Ferro framed her beloved face with both hands and looked down into her eyes. “I love you, sívamet. You are hän ku vigyáz sívamet és sielamet, keeper of my heart and soul, and you have done so in ways I could never imagine. I am so in love with you, Elisabeta. I will make mistakes, and I will forget to tell you how truly beautiful you are, both inside and out, and if that happens, please remind me that there are very necessary things to say to you each rising.”
He bent his head and brushed kisses over each eye, her nose, the corners of her mouth and then her lips. He loved her mouth. The curve. The definition. The way she tasted when she parted her lips for him. The fire there. The love he found there. The true meaning of lifemate when she gave him everything that she was.
“We could just stay right here, piŋe sarnanak. You could practice your flying, although you have gotten quite good. So much so that I believe that last time you were showing off a bit.”
Dark Song Page 37