“We would not have known what anyone was talking about,” she finished.
Traian and Joie burst out laughing.
Ferro tightened his arms around his lifemate. Just that small little effort was difficult for her, but he could feel her happiness. Elisabeta was glad she’d made the effort because her brother and Joie were extremely happy that she’d spoken to them, even joked with them.
“Several of the ancients went out to the forest by the lake hunting Cornel and Dorin, but they were long gone,” Ferro informed them, to take pressure off his woman. “They cleaned up the traps and put the forest, meadow and lake to rights again so any campers or hikers would not get caught. There were creatures beneath the ground that had to be burned out, and those venomous guardians in the trees were difficult to fully purge, but without guidance from their creators, the brethren were able to destroy them.”
Traian nodded. “Tariq feared it would be extremely difficult. He has said he wants that lair as well as the one beneath the city to be watched all the time. Josef is setting up remote cameras, but even that will not be enough. Tariq wants both lairs to be regularly patrolled.”
“Will you be taking Josef back with you when you return to the Carpathian Mountains?” Ferro asked.
“I have agreed to escort him once he has completely updated Tariq’s system and made certain there are no traces of the infection or any other virus the vampires might have planted.”
“You allowed him to kill the vampire with you. He used himself as bait and then the two of you worked together to dispatch the creature,” Ferro said. He kept his tone strictly neutral. “The boy has clearly had some experience, but do you think it is a good idea for him to be facing vampires when he does not have the physical strength required? He obviously has the mental strength. And he follows instructions.”
“I agree he shouldn’t be involved in battles,” Traian said. “Josef is . . .” He glanced at Joie, a little at a loss for words. “He never seems settled. He travels extensively. He lives for a short period of time with his adopted parents but he never stays long. He seems restless. They think of him as difficult. His best friend, Skyler, says he’s lonely and lost at times.”
Ferro nodded. “I would agree with her. I would like him to stay here, even for a short while. The brethren would work with him on his skills. He could work with us on catching up with technology, minus the infection.”
Traian narrowed his gaze suspiciously. “Is there something you know that I do not in regard to Josef?” He looked from Elisabeta to Ferro. “I like the kid and I feel responsible for him. If there’s a problem, I’d like to know about it.”
Elisabeta took a breath. Her hand came up to her throat, her fingers stroking for a minute, as if she were coaxing words to come forth. “There are memories in him that are disturbing. Things that have made him think less of himself.”
“There is no place in our world for jealousy.” Ferro gestured toward the children flying the dragons. The sounds of laughter drifted down from the sky, blending with music and the conversation of the adults. His gaze followed the rainbow dragon little Jennifer sat on with Josef’s arms tight around her, sparkles falling all around them. The little girl clung to him, laughing so hard she looked as if she might fall right off the back of the dragon. Josef didn’t look in the least uncomfortable with glitter adorning his hair as the child scattered more of it into the air.
“That is so,” Traian agreed. He didn’t push Ferro to get on with it. He simply waited to see where the ancient was going with his observations.
“When jealousy is continually displayed to the point that it undermines the confidence of a sibling or adopted sibling, it could be a potential problem later on. The Malinov brothers were very jealous of the Dubrinsky family. They were also jealous of the Dragonseeker lineage. Xavier was jealous of the Carpathian people’s longevity. Jealousy leads to darkness, Traian.”
Ferro kept his eyes on Josef. The boy whispered in Jennifer’s ear and then the rainbow dragon swung its head around and dove over the brown dragon. The little girl giggled hysterically and tossed handfuls of glitter into the air over Danny and Andor. Danny laughed and pointed, covering Andor as best he could. Andor laughed with him and indicated they needed to try to get away because his twin was coming at them from the other direction and there was no doubt she had just as much glitter as Jennifer. The orange dragon was trailing sparkles like a rainbow.
There was no jealousy there. The children played and laughed together. Another dragon, this one green, leapt into the air from the ground. There was a young girl of about twelve or thirteen, with a wild mane of hair, on its back, ducking under the trails of glitter to follow after Josef and Jennifer.
Bella and Lourdes, now adept at flying their dragons in spite of their young ages, also rose, although seated behind them were Tomas and Lojos. Already both Carpathian hunters were doused in glitter. Neither seemed to mind as they rose into the air on the backs of the red and blue dragons. Emeline flew a golden dragon with brilliant emerald eyes, her daughter, Carisma, in her lap as they took to the sky with the other dragons. Dragomir flew protectively beside his wife and child in the form of a black dragon.
Laughter, music and glitter swirled in the air along with the powerful sweep of dragon wings. It was such a different sight than Ferro had ever seen, and sharing it with Elisabeta was particularly enjoyable. He could feel her happiness spilling into his mind. I love this, Ferro.
I do, too, Elisabeta. There are a few things to like about this modern century after all.
I didn’t realize dragons were part of the modern century.
He shared her laughter, although his face was an expressionless mask. His joy was for his woman alone.
Traian sat for a long time in silence, watching the aerial show above them, as did many of the other adults. Joie held his hand, her head tipped back, but her gaze was on Ferro’s face, and then it shifted to Elisabeta.
“Elisabeta, is Josef at risk? Has someone deliberately put him in harm’s way?” She asked the question very softly.
Ferro felt his lifemate go very still inside. She shifted her entire being into him, allowing him to shield her.
“That calls for a conclusion Elisabeta cannot possibly give you. Perhaps if you word your question another way, she will be able to answer you directly. Otherwise, you will have to be satisfied with my interpretation.”
“Yes. Of course. Josef seems very lost to me. Have you discovered a reason for this, Elisabeta, when you were working to rid him of this infection? Did you come across information that might aid us in helping him gain self-esteem?”
Elisabeta moistened her lips. She glanced uneasily up at Ferro.
You do not have to answer, piŋe sarnanak. I can do it for you. She was very uncomfortable.
This is invading Josef’s privacy. He would not want these things exposed. He did not even say this to his best friends, Skyler or Paul.
“She is reluctant to reveal anything she found in his mind that he has chosen not to tell anyone himself. She regards that as an invasion of privacy, which it is.”
Joie nodded. “That is true. I would not want you to reveal anything in my mind, so I perfectly understand. I have to ask one more thing. Do you believe he is at risk because of what you found in his mind?”
Elisabeta bit her lower lip and once more glanced up at Ferro. He takes chances. Too many, Ferro.
“You already know the answer to that, Joie,” Ferro said gently, not putting pressure on his lifemate. “You and Traian would not be watching him so closely. Traian was not happy that he insisted on setting himself up as bait, yet he couldn’t deter him. You both are already worried about Josef.”
“But we don’t know why he’s the way he is. No one knows with perhaps the exception of Elisabeta,” Joie said. “And you, Ferro.”
“You cannot ask us to reveal his secrets when you
would not want us to reveal yours,” Ferro said.
Traian nodded his head. “He is right, Joie. As much as we would prefer to know, we have no right to invade his privacy. I do wish you could come to the Carpathian Mountains, even if it was for a little while, Elisabeta, and see home. You might not remember it, but it truly is beautiful. I want to show you all of our old haunts, the places you used to love to go.” He sent a quick smile to Ferro. “She loved the forest.”
“She still does,” Ferro said.
“I loved the memories you shared with me,” Elisabeta said. “I will treasure them, Traian, and take them out often and examine them.”
Her brother smiled at her. “I’m grateful you’re alive and I could give you back some of home. Showing them to you in my mind isn’t the same as walking trails with you in the mountains or forest.”
“I do love being in the forest,” Elisabeta admitted.
“As far as Josef is concerned,” Traian continued, “it might be best to leave him here.”
“Mikhail wanted him escorted home,” Joie pointed out.
Traian sighed. “That is so, although leaving him gives us an excuse to return to see Elisabeta.”
Elisabeta turned her head to look at her brother. “You never need an excuse to come to see me, Traian.”
“Or perhaps Elisabeta and I will escort Josef back to the Carpathian Mountains,” Ferro said. “We can bring him to you. That would give her a chance to see these places you speak of, Traian.”
I think it would be a good thing to go there, Ferro, Elisabeta said. I would love to see the Carpathian Mountains again, and perhaps even the monastery, but that is where the Malinov piece for the council is hidden. Cornel is aware of it, although he does not know exactly where it is located. He will try to recover it. I am uncertain exactly where it is, either, only that it is not here in the United States.
When did you remember this bit of information? Ferro tried to keep the challenge out of his voice. Knowing where the Malinov membership piece was was huge. She should have told him immediately.
Just now. When Traian talked about going home. I caught a flicker of it in Ruslan’s mind. I could not catch the exact place, but if I am there, it is possible I would be able to find it.
“I would very much like to show Elisabeta the place she was born,” Traian said. “It would be a fair exchange to lend you Josef for a short while and then you bring him back to us. I can get word to Mikhail and ask him if this is permissible.”
“I think that would be more than fair,” Ferro agreed, resting his chin on the top of Elisabeta’s head. “It will also give me a chance to meet the prince. Perhaps some of the brethren will travel with me as well so they can meet him, too.” He could make up his mind about swearing his allegiance. It seemed that many ancients believed in the prince.
The Dark Troubadours began to play another song, this one slow and haunting, a love song, and Elisabeta turned her head up quickly to look at Ferro.
That is our song. Yours and mine.
He smiled at her. “Yes, it is our song. I gave them the music and lyrics. Come dance with me.” He took her hand. “If you’ll excuse us, I would very much like to dance with my lifemate.”
Ferro took Elisabeta into his arms. Her soft, feminine body molded to his. Fit perfectly. Joy was present. Alive in him. Love surrounded him. Lived in him. All because of her . . . Elisabeta.
APPENDIX 1
Carpathian Healing Chants
To rightly understand Carpathian healing chants, background is required in several areas:
1. The Carpathian view on healing
2. The Lesser Healing Chant of the Carpathians
3. The Great Healing Chant of the Carpathians
4. Carpathian musical aesthetics
5. Lullaby
6. Song to Heal the Earth
7. Carpathian chanting technique
1. THE CARPATHIAN VIEW ON HEALING
The Carpathians are a nomadic people whose geographic origins can be traced at least as far as the Southern Ural Mountains (near the steppes of modern-day Kazakhstan), on the border between Europe and Asia. (For this reason, modern-day linguists call their language “proto-Uralic,” without knowing that this is the language of the Carpathians.) Unlike most nomadic peoples, the Carpathians did not wander due to the need to find new grazing lands as the seasons and climate shifted, or to search for better trade. Instead, the Carpathians’ movements were driven by a great purpose: to find a land that would have the right earth, a soil with the kind of richness that would greatly enhance their rejuvenative powers.
Over the centuries, they migrated westward (some six thousand years ago), until they at last found their perfect homeland—their susu—in the Carpathian Mountains, whose long arc cradled the lush plains of the kingdom of Hungary. (The kingdom of Hungary flourished for over a millennium—making Hungarian the dominant language of the Carpathian Basin—until the kingdom’s lands were split among several countries after World War I: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia and modern Hungary.)
Other peoples from the Southern Urals (who shared the Carpathian language, but were not Carpathians) migrated in different directions. Some ended up in Finland, which explains why the modern Hungarian and Finnish languages are among the contemporary descendants of the ancient Carpathian language. Even though they are tied forever to their chosen Carpathian homeland, the Carpathians continue to wander as they search the world for the answers that will enable them to bear and raise their offspring without difficulty.
Because of their geographic origins, the Carpathian views on healing share much with the larger Eurasian shamanistic tradition. Probably the closest modern representative of that tradition is based in Tuva (and is referred to as “Tuvinian Shamanism”)—see the map on the previous page.
The Eurasian shamanistic tradition—from the Carpathians to the Siberian shamans—held that illness originated in the human soul, and only later manifested as various physical conditions. Therefore, shamanistic healing, while not neglecting the body, focused on the soul and its healing. The most profound illnesses were understood to be caused by “soul departure,” where all or some part of the sick person’s soul has wandered away from the body (into the nether realms), or has been captured or possessed by an evil spirit, or both.
The Carpathians belong to this greater Eurasian shamanistic tradition and share its viewpoints. While the Carpathians themselves did not succumb to illness, Carpathian healers understood that the most profound wounds were also accompanied by a similar “soul departure.”
Upon reaching the diagnosis of “soul departure,” the healer-shaman is then required to make a spiritual journey into the netherworlds to recover the soul. The shaman may have to overcome tremendous challenges along the way, particularly fighting the demon or vampire who has possessed his friend’s soul.
“Soul departure” doesn’t require a person to be unconscious (although that certainly can be the case as well). It was understood that a person could still appear to be conscious, even talk and interact with others, and yet be missing a part of their soul. The experienced healer or shaman would instantly see the problem nonetheless, in subtle signs that others might miss: the person’s attention wandering every now and then, a lessening in their enthusiasm about life, chronic depression, a diminishment in the brightness of their “aura” and the like.
2. THE LESSER HEALING CHANT OF THE CARPATHIANS
Kepä Sarna Pus (The Lesser Healing Chant) is used for wounds that are merely physical in nature. The Carpathian healer leaves his body and enters the wounded Carpathian’s body to heal great mortal wounds from the inside out using pure energy. He proclaims, “I offer freely my life for your life,” as he gives his blood to the injured Carpathian. Because the Carpathians are of the earth and bound to the soil, they are healed by the soil of their homeland. Their saliva is also often used for its re
juvenative powers.
It is also very common for the Carpathian chants (both the Lesser and the Great) to be accompanied by the use of healing herbs, aromas from Carpathian candles and crystals. The crystals (when combined with the Carpathians’ empathic, psychic connection to the entire universe) are used to gather positive energy from their surroundings, which then is used to accelerate the healing. Caves are sometimes used as the setting for the healing.
The Lesser Healing Chant was used by Vikirnoff Von Shrieder and Colby Jansen to heal Rafael De La Cruz, whose heart had been ripped out by a vampire as described in Dark Secret.
Kepä Sarna Pus (The Lesser Healing Chant)
The same chant is used for all physical wounds. “Sívadaba” (“into your heart”) would be changed to refer to whatever part of the body is wounded.
Kuńasz, nélkül sívdobbanás, nélkül fesztelen löyly.
You lie as if asleep, without beat of heart, without airy breath.
Ot élidamet andam szabadon élidadért.
I offer freely my life for your life.
O jelä sielam jǒrem ot ainamet és soŋe ot élidadet.
My spirit of light forgets my body and enters your body.
O jelä sielam pukta kinn minden szelemeket belső.
My spirit of light sends all the dark spirits within fleeing without.
Pajńak o susu hanyet és o nyelv nyálamet sívadaba.
I press the earth of our homeland and the spit of my tongue into your heart.
Vii, o verim soŋe o verid andam.
At last, I give you my blood for your blood.
To hear this chant, visit: http://www.christinefeehan.com/members/.
3. THE GREAT HEALING CHANT OF THE CARPATHIANS
The most well-known—and most dramatic—of the Carpathian healing chants is En Sarna Pus (The Great Healing Chant). This chant is reserved for recovering the wounded or unconscious Carpathian’s soul.
Dark Song Page 44