Dark Song

18

Elisabeta can’t keep doing this every rising,” Ferro objected. “Gary, you see the toll it’s taking on her.”

Gary nodded. “There’s no doubt it’s hard on her. I still don’t know what’s causing the infection. I can heal the deep scoring to the brain, the one that results after the infection, as can some of the more skilled ancients, but none of us can actually take away the infection the way she can. I don’t know any other word to call it, although technically, it isn’t an infection. It isn’t bacterial or viral. If it was, I could heal it. I’ve tried to mimic her actions. She has a gift, Ferro. She’s unique.”

Ferro didn’t need to be told that his lifemate was unique or special or gifted. He already knew those things about her. He didn’t want to take out the frustration he was feeling at his failure to protect Elisabeta on Gary at every turn. He had hoped to give her female friends and a home, where she could slowly learn the things that would make her comfortable in their world, but instead, every rising she was called on to repeat the same duties, clearing up repeated infections.

Josef, Danny and Amelia were infected nightly, Tariq nearly nightly, the ancients the least. The numbers were increasing, although because everyone was scanned nightly, the scorching was much lighter and easier for Elisabeta to remove. Still, the number of people she had to help tired her, although she never complained. Sandu, Andor, Dragomir and Gary stayed closer, as concerned as Ferro about her health.

“We’ve been keeping track of what everyone has been doing throughout their days and nights,” Gary said. “Trying to find a pattern, something everyone has in common. Keep in mind, these are human, Carpathian, men, women and children. A huge mix.”

The door to Tariq’s large meeting room crashed open and Josef bounded in. Ferro tightened his arms around Elisabeta and swung her away from the entrance, shielding her with his larger body. Startled, the action took her out of Tariq’s brain, bringing her back into the mix with the various ancients who had come together to try to puzzle out what was spreading the infection.

Josef didn’t seem to notice the frowns or glares of the older Carpathians or the amused looks of the women. “I found it. I know what’s causing the infection. They were so clever. I can’t believe I didn’t figure this out sooner.” There was admiration in his voice. “Seriously. And by the way, Ferro, Cornel saying they were working on some new algorithm to track the hunters was a bunch a bullshit. He knew Sergey wasn’t going to understand whether he could or couldn’t do what he said. He wanted access to the computers. Although they do have a program that they started working on that senses energy if a hunter is moving in the air . . .”

“Josef.” Tariq sounded patient. “What is causing the infection?”

“Oh, yeah. It was a really simple idea actually, and I should have realized it. We all use computers now. Even the kids. They just needed to get someone to bring their program into the main computer and let the virus spread to all the programs. One of the kids downloaded a game that carried the virus and it spread slowly at first and then took off, moving from program to program. You don’t have to have the original game. Danny and Amelia both have the game. At first I couldn’t figure out how the scorching was happening in the brain, but then I had to think outside the box when nothing else added up. So eventually I came up with the idea that they were able to embed magic into the code through the process of elimination, and asked Julija to take a look.”

“Is that even possible?” Maksim asked.

Ferro kept his eyes locked on the kid. He settled back in his chair, Elisabeta beside him. It was no wonder Cornel had his sights on Josef. The boy really was a true genius. It would be such a relief to finally have the mystery solved.

“Not only possible, but they also programmed everyone who was infected to open the gates to the compound on command,” Josef continued. “That way, if one was stopped, a number of others would obey the vampires. The infection would cause chaos, hopefully turning the ancients against one another. It really is a stroke of genius. The code is simple but extremely effective. They covered all the bases.”

“Are you able to get rid of it?” Tariq asked.

Josef shrugged. “It’s eaten through most or all of your programs. Everyone’s personal computers have to be wiped as well. It’s going to take a while to fix this. Your security people, all the kids. It’s a process. I’m going to have to check your computers at the club as well. If you used any of the same programs, you could have infected those computers.”

Ferro winced inwardly. They had to tell the kid that he was being targeted by Cornel and Dorin. Sergey couldn’t think past getting Elisabeta back, but his two cousins were set on bringing Josef into their fold any way they could.

Tariq waved Josef toward a chair. “We have some things we have to go over with you, Josef. As you know, the Morrison Center for psychic research has become a front for the vampires to track possible lifemates for Carpathian males. They wanted to get to them before we could. They also found psychic males. They’re recruiting and using them as pawns. Some of the males have been hired to work in my club. Others are being turned into vampires and used as the first wave of their army against us, as you saw when they attacked the other night.”

Josef sat quietly, a feat Ferro hadn’t thought possible for the kid.

His brain is always assessing every possibility, Gary said. It never stops.

Elisabeta agreed. I do not think it is possible for him to slow his brain down. He tries to. When I was working on him, he tried not to think too much about what was happening to him or to the others, but he could not stop himself. He was especially upset with that first time, when he said things to Tariq. They were very unlike him. He went over and over the things he said in his mind to try to puzzle out why he had said them.

Ferro was gifted at reading others, and a young Carpathian should have been easy, but Josef held himself aloof, away from the others. Ferro could guess why. The boy was different and had been his entire life. He hadn’t lost his ability to feel emotions, and the opinions of others had to be hurtful. He often was the smartest one in the room but was overlooked because of his youth. He had to have been frustrated that no one listened to him. He’d learned to school his features into an expressionless mask when he was in the room with ancient hunters who most likely would look down on him. He wore his spiked colored hair and piercings as armor. All the while, he fought for his people in his own way.

The boy has courage. It was a high compliment coming from Sandu.

Ferro nodded his head. I agree. I do not want him walking into the lion’s den. No doubt he will volunteer to go to the club the moment Tariq informs him that Cornel hopes to lure him there with a woman and acquire him.

Gary, merged with the other ancients, gave the mental equivalent of shaking his head. We can’t take chances with him. He’s far too valuable to the Carpathian people. I gave my word to Mikhail that he would be safe. He gave his word to his adopted parents. They nearly lost him once before, and the prince doesn’t want to have to tell them again that Josef is in danger.

Ferro could well imagine that Josef was in a perpetual state of being in danger. The boy was slender but appearances were deceptive. A rod of steel ran through him. His devotion to the Carpathian people ran as deep as every warrior’s.

“Based on the intelligence Elisabeta has provided for us, we don’t believe Sergey is necessarily the mastermind behind the plot to bring Mikhail down. With his older brothers dead, we think Sergey’s cousins, Cornel and Dorin, are working behind the scenes to carry out the original plans. Both are gifted, as were the older Malinov brothers.” Tariq paused, his gaze sweeping around at the men and women sitting at the table in the room.

Josef followed his gaze and then came back to rest thoughtfully on the leader. “They’re planning a major bloodbath, aren’t they?” There was resignation in his voice. “It has to be a diversion. What are they really after?”

The boy was really too smart.

“Sergey hopes to lure Elisabeta there, and Cornel hopes to lure you.” Tariq was honest.

Traian shook his head. “Josef can’t go near that place.”

Josef frowned. “Excuse me, Tariq, but that doesn’t make sense. We have to break this down. If those psychic males were planted at the club over time and not just since Sergey took over, then there was no way of knowing that he would lose Elisabeta. Cornel would have no way of knowing I would make a trip from the Carpathian Mountains to the United States. If a plan was made by the Malinov brothers for the vampires to create a diversion, then it was for another reason altogether. Elisabeta and I are merely additional reasons now.”

That kid is worth his weight in gold, Petru said. He is right.

There was a stunned silence. Traian inclined his head in a show of respect toward Josef. “You never cease to astound me. Tariq, what do you have that the Malinov brothers would want that they would risk exposure to the world for? Not only exposure to the world, but the retaliation of every Carpathian hunter coming after them?”

“I can’t imagine.”

“You have lived here for a very long time. You have been in the States longer than any other Carpathian and lived among humans the longest,” Traian reminded.

Tariq shook his head. “I’m sorry. That’s all true, but it doesn’t mean anything to me. I have no idea why they would target me, other than I represent the prince here, and that’s recent.”

“Elisabeta?” Traian turned to her. “Do you have any idea what the Malinov brothers were after?”

As usual, when asked a direct question in front of so many people, she shut down, withdrawing into the safety of her mind merge with Ferro. Ferro mentally bared his teeth at her birth brother. He knew better than to put Elisabeta on the spot like that. There were too many people in the room, too many eyes on her. Too many ways for her to be wrong.

There is no wrong answer, piŋe sarnanak. Traian may be your brother, but he is a thoughtless lout and his lifemate will spend centuries teaching him how to be kind before she ever allows him in her bed again.

Not only did he allow his beloved woman to hear him, but Sandu, Andor and Dragomir heard as well. All three of the ancients looked at Traian and Joie. Red flames flickered in the deep black of Sandu’s eyes.

Strangely, Tariq and Gary had gone silent, and once again Ferro got the very uneasy feeling he’d had almost from the moment he’d brought his lifemate from the rich healing soil that first rising when he’d claimed her. He flicked them a quick gaze. There was nothing to be seen on either face, but he hadn’t expected there to be.

I apologize, Elisabeta, Traian said immediately. It was thoughtless of me. I was thinking only of solving the mystery. I know you’re tired and probably frightened by all of us. I have to ask you again, though, do you have any idea what the Malinovs may have wanted from Tariq? Did you overhear them talking? It would have to be something extremely important for them to risk so much. Sergey might not even know or understand what they were talking about.

I do not . . . She trailed off.

Cornel and Dorin would know. Sergey is fixed only on getting you back. That is all he thinks of. Cornel and Dorin would know what their cousins were after. They would know the importance of it and would seek it as well.

Ferro.

Ferro knew his lifemate deliberately addressed him alone.

I need time to think about this. There were so many conversations. So many things said, and this is important, so I have to really give myself time to sort it all out.

“Elisabeta will need time to think about this, Tariq. She does not want to rush an answer. In the meantime, we can discuss the fact that the danger to Elisabeta and Josef is very real and we need to keep a close watch on them. Josef, will you be able to work on the club’s computers remotely?” Ferro asked.

Deliberately, Ferro engaged with Tariq, pushing just a little to see if the leader really wanted answers to the question Traian had proposed.

Josef was slow in answering. He shrugged casually. “I’m not certain. I have to go over the programs here first and wipe everything clean and reinstall them. Julija needs to work with me just to make certain the magic isn’t lingering behind in the computers. In the meantime, everyone, including your security people, has to stay off their computers. If they took laptops or tablets home, they need to wipe them clean and start over. If they have families, they should make certain they do the same with those computers, and someone should check their children or spouses to make certain no one is infected.”

Ferro had the feeling the boy was hedging a bit. He was leaving himself an opening to go to the club. He didn’t think it was because Josef was foolhardy, it was more he thought he needed to serve the Carpathian people in whatever capacity he could.

He does not believe he will ever be a decent hunter of the vampire, does he? he asked Gary, deliberately engaging with him, trying to feel his way. That threat to Elisabeta was definitely back, yet Gary was still the same, still felt calm and matter-of-fact.

No. I’ve seen that in his mind many times. His genius lies with technology, although he is skilled in healing and he does have many skills in fighting already. He’s been in battles with werewolves and vampires and done very well.

He is alive, that is saying a lot about him if he managed to remain so after a fight with either. Ferro regarded the boy, trying to think ahead of him.

Elisabeta’s gentle essence filled his mind, her soothing nature creating that sense of peace she always brought with her. He glanced down at her and found she was looking up at him with her dark, beautiful eyes. His heart clenched hard in his chest. He tightened his fingers around hers and brought their clasped hands over his heart. He loved her with every part of his being. More than he thought possible. More than he knew love existed in the world.

He has been told often that he will never make a great hunter of the vampire. That he is too slow. Too thin. His body type too wrong. There is another who is close to him, one he admires, who says vicious, cutting things to him to make him feel less, and he believes it because he feels different and apart from others. He has been made to feel that way for many years.

Ferro felt a sense of protection well up for the boy. Where are those who should be caring for this boy?

His parents are dead. He did not believe his adopted parents wanted him until they came for him when he went with Skyler to find her lifemate and took him back from the werewolves. Elisabeta had found that information in Josef’s mind.

Why would he think his adopted parents did not want him? Ferro had no idea why he was pursuing the matter. It wasn’t like he was in the market for taking on a boy like Josef. He didn’t know the first thing about young kids—especially modern ones, and Josef was definitely modern. Ferro considered himself a throwback to the old days.

They have a son. He was or is very jealous of Josef— at least it feels that way to me when he says the things to Josef that he does. I have no real way of reading him unless he was here. I feel sad for him as well. The misunderstanding of youth when parents are not paying close attention can be brutal.

Ferro didn’t know about that. His parents were long gone from the world and it was difficult to access any real memory of his childhood. He did know they had instilled a sense of duty and honor in him.

“We have to go to the club and identify those males working for the Malinovs,” Maksim said. “The club is quite large. We’ll need several of our most sensitive to move through the floors as quickly as possible and scan.”

“The Malinov brothers will have provided them with some kind of shield to prevent us from reading them,” Tariq pointed out. “If it was going to be that easy, we would have discovered them already.”

Ferro knew that was true. Elisabeta, these male psychics working in the club, if we go there and are in another form, moving unseen, as we were in the forest, would they be able to detect our presence the way the newly made vampires were able to do?

If they are close together, I think they will, although they will not know you are there for the specific purpose of finding them.

“When we were hunting Sergey and the other master vampires, the newly made vampires could detect us when they were together,” Ferro told the other hunters. “It has something to do with the psychics being close to one another and their gifts specifically blending together. However it works, they can detect our presence, even when we’re unseen. Elisabeta thinks it will occur the same way in the club if the males are close to one another, although they will not know the reason we are there.”

“You have their names, right?” Josef asked.

“Naturally. They applied for the job, interviewed and got it,” Maksim said.

Josef put his laptop on the table and opened it. “This is clean, you don’t have to worry. If you have the names, I can check them against the ones in the database of the Morrison Center. They tried to wipe some of them, but I have all the original data and receive it as it comes in. I might not get all of them, but we can get most of them. That should cut down on a big part of the search.”

Ferro liked the kid more and more. He was also beginning to think there was more to technology than he’d given it credit for.

Tariq pulled up his laptop. “This isn’t clean,” he said. “But I’ve got our secret weapon, Elisabeta, if she doesn’t mind once more helping me out, so I can send these names to you.”

“Just lend me your laptop,” Josef objected. “I can do the work on yours and then wipe it, and if Elisabeta doesn’t mind, she can work on me instead. She’s getting used to the mess inside my brain.” He sent Elisabeta a small smile.

Elisabeta smiled back at him and nodded her head. “There’s no mess, Josef.”

Ferro was shocked that she spoke aloud in the room filled with so many others. Apparently she shocked all of them as well, but no one reacted or brought attention to the fact.

Tariq pushed his laptop across the table to Josef and they all watched as his fingers flashed across the keyboard. Ferro hadn’t thought it possible for anyone to type that fast.

Ferro, what is it that the Malinovs wanted more than anything else? Elisabeta asked.

Ferro frowned. What was it the Malinovs wanted? They were reputed to have had many fiery debates all night and close to the dawn with the De La Cruz brothers, Astors, their cousins and so many others before they turned vampire. They were always riling against the prince and discussing how he didn’t deserve to rule the Carpathian people. They felt they could do a better job. That others could do a better job. They claimed the Dubrinsky lineage had a defect that ran deep and would bring disaster to the Carpathians if they didn’t do something soon. They achieved quite a following with their persuasive arguments and fiery rhetoric.

Power? To rule? They wanted to become the prince. To have what the Dubrinskys had.

Elisabeta was silent. They could all hear the keys clicking as Josef sat hunched in his chair, his fingers flying madly over the keyboard. Ferro had eyes only for his lifemate as her mind turned over the puzzle set before her.

Ferro suddenly felt the stillness in the other ancients so connected to him—to Elisabeta. They were aware she was putting the pieces together. Like Ferro, they knew how astute she was.

The prince of the Carpathian people cannot want power, Ferro. He has to be selfless. He has to be a vessel for his people.

That is true, Elisabeta, but not everyone understands that concept. Many rulers, in fact most rulers, are just the opposite. They do not serve their people; they expect their people to serve them.

Again, there was silence. This time, Ferro realized even Tariq was aware, through Gary, that Elisabeta was considering what the Malinov brothers were after. He didn’t want to influence her thinking one way or the other, and he hoped the others wouldn’t make the mistake of asking her questions. Elisabeta had her own way of getting to the right conclusions. She had spent centuries observing the brothers, more time than anyone else. They hadn’t known she was there, so they hadn’t been guarded.

Was Tariq born around the same time? Or was he older than them?

It was nearly impossible to tell any Carpathian’s age. Tariq was born after we were, but before the Malinov brothers. He knew them. He knew Vlad’s oldest son. He knew many of the Carpathian people. He came to the monastery once.

Again, Elisabeta fell silent. This time, Tariq flicked a quick glance at Gary, and Ferro knew immediately the two men were communicating telepathically and no one else was privy to what they were saying, not even Maksim, Tariq’s partner. Another prickle of unease slid down Ferro’s spine, and this one was fierce. Often it was that first acting on the awareness of danger that saved one’s life.

There was no real reason to think that Elisabeta could be in any kind of jeopardy, but he wasn’t about to take risks with her. All along he had had a vague impression of danger toward her, and now it was definitely defined and emanating from Tariq’s second-in-command. Gary. A man Ferro trusted.

He stood up, all flowing muscle, his arm around Elisabeta’s waist, bringing her up with him and sweeping her casually behind him so he was shielding her body from those at the table but making it seem as if it was an automatic gesture.

“We will return when Josef has finished with his work. It is a little close in here. Elisabeta needs to feed after removing the infection from so many, and she’ll have to work on Josef.”

He took two steps toward the door when Tariq and Gary both rose as well. At once those in the room went on alert.

“I believe Elisabeta still has to work on Tariq,” Gary said smoothly. “She was interrupted. We can follow you outside.”

Tariq shook his head when his guards rose. “You stay.” There was complete authority in the leader’s voice. “I wish to have a quiet word with Ferro and Elisabeta.” He gestured toward the door.

Ferro couldn’t think of a good reason to keep from going out in front of him. He pulled his lifemate around his body. Stay directly in front of me and walk straight out the door and down the hallway to the outside door. Open it and go outside. Don’t stop moving for any reason.

Elisabeta didn’t question him. Alarms were shrieking at him. On their private path he felt the stirring in his mind—his brethren as uneasy as he. Ferro? What is it? Petru asked the question all the brethren wondered.

I have no idea. Has Tariq alerted his guards against you?

No, they are as uneasy as we are. They do not know what he is up to, but they do not like him unprotected. Isai gave the answer.

Ferro made a sound of disbelief in his mind. He has the healer with him. Gary has the knowledge of every battle fought by every Daratrazanoff in the entire lineage. I hardly think Tariq is unprotected.

If you have need, we will come to your aid. That was Sandu, always ready to stand with him. Is Elisabeta in danger?

That was the worst of it. Ferro felt danger, but why would Tariq, or even Gary for that matter, threaten Elisabeta, who had gone out of her way to aid them? That made little sense. All along, from the moment of her first rising, there had been something Gary, at least, had known that Ferro didn’t.

His lifemate followed his instructions to the letter. She walked briskly down the hallway, straight to the door leading to the courtyard.

“I would prefer to talk inside,” Tariq said from behind them.

Ferro didn’t slow down. “Elisabeta is uncomfortable inside. I told you, she needs to be out in the fresh air.” He pushed air at her back, urging her to open the door before either Gary or Tariq held it shut on them and he was trapped in the narrow hallway with little room to fight their way out.

She yanked the door open and stepped outside. Ferro was right on her heels and he whirled around the moment he had room to face the two men emerging from the house. Elisabeta, stay behind me. If necessary, trust only the brethren. I do not know what goes on here, but I feel a threat to you. I am uncertain why. You should be safe here with both these men, but I do not feel as if you are. Can you read either of them without their knowledge?

They would know the moment Ferro touched their minds. He wasn’t going to risk an all-out battle with two experienced ancients like Gary and Tariq when Elisabeta was in such close proximity.

Perhaps. I would have to be very careful. Gary is . . . difficult. He is closed off. Tariq is more open but right now he is watchful and much more like the brethren than I have ever seen him. He is very dangerous right now, Ferro. I do not know why he is upset, but he is very upset.

“Elisabeta is asking you questions. Private questions, Ferro, and those questions are about me.” Tariq made it a statement. “Specifically, about the prince, the past and about me.”

“We asked her whether she could figure out what the Malinov brothers might want from you—want enough that they would be willing to expose themselves and the Carpathian people to the humans in order to get it. Now, because she needs to ask questions to get information pertinent to solving the puzzle, you are all but threatening her.” Ferro pushed back at both of them, daring them to deny it.

Gary and Tariq exchanged another long look and clearly another brief telepathic consultation.

Elisabeta assessed the two Carpathians carefully. They are both very unhappy. Uneasy. They are uncertain whether they can trust you, Ferro, because you have never sworn allegiance to the prince.

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 knows, 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.”