Dark Song

The moment she was taken from its line of sight, the creature began to twist and turn in desperation, seemingly not to get away from the ancients but in order to keep looking at Elisabeta. It stretched farther across the floor toward her, its shape thinning, until it looked like a ribbon of gray with nothing but feet and outstretched hands.

“What is it?” Tariq asked. “I have never run across such a thing.”

Sandu and Andor pinned the shadowy shoulders into the hardwood floor so it couldn’t move. Again, the mouth gaped wide but there was no sound. The empty holes where the eyes should have been darted back and forth. More than ever the creature resembled a cross between an insect and a vampire.

Gary crouched beside the shadow, touching it with one of the pegs made from the ancient wood Sandu handed to him. “It was referred to as a kod lewl kuly in ancient times—a shadow spirit worm or demon sent to devour souls or bring messages. It is brought forth from the netherworld, and the conjurer—in this case, Sergey—has to give it something of himself, some part of his own spirit, in order to give it any kind of direction.”

“It is fixated completely on Elisabeta,” Maksim observed. “Not on escaping.”

“Were you able to see how it got in?” Lojos asked. “With all the safeguards, how could it slip in?”

Gary glanced at Ferro and then he calmly took the ancient wood and plunged it into the heart of the creature, careful to avoid touching any part of the gray shadow. The thing wiggled obscenely and then slowly went still. The healer stood and brought the light to bear on the pinned worm. The edges of the shadow began to darken and curl. Flames licked at it and eventually consumed it. When the entire creature was reduced to ash, the door to the house opened and the breeze carried the ashes outside. The light in the room dimmed and then receded completely.

“What did you find?” Tariq asked. “How did the kod lewl kuly slip through our safeguards? The three of you were sharing her brain when he managed to penetrate Elisabeta’s mind.”

Ferro once more went to Elisabeta and lifted her into his arms, surrounding her with his strength. I am here, minan piŋe sarnanak, just as I said I would be. The vampire is gone. He cannot get to you. But you must be very brave and continue to believe and trust in me as you have done.

You know how he did it. Her heart began to beat harder in trepidation.

Ferro’s arms tightened even more around her, as if she would need even more courage to face what the healer was going to disclose to the others.

“Sergey has held Elisabeta prisoner literally for centuries. She knows no other life. No other keeper. He has terrified her all those centuries, and held her away from any other contact, vampire, Carpathian or human,” Gary explained to the ancients in the room. “Ferro is her lifemate. She has a strong connection with him and the belief instilled in her from birth that he will shield her, if necessary, from all harm. Through the centuries, when Sergey tried to force Elisabeta to give up Ferro’s soul to him, she refused, no matter what torture he subjected her to. She knew what strength it took for lifemates to hold out against evil.”

Elisabeta tilted her face up to Ferro’s. Why is he telling them these things? She was very confused. The healer had merged with her several times. He had searched her memories trying to find evidence of Sergey planting spies, so he had been able to see so much of her life in small vignettes, but she didn’t expect him to champion her or to reveal to the others anything about her.

There are things in my memories he found that no one here will ever accept. They will cast me out.

There is no need to be alarmed, Elisabeta. You are with your lifemate. I am keeper of your soul. Your heart. No one will ever harm you again. If those in this room cannot accept us, then we will find our way. Some of our brethren will travel with us, others may stay here. What matters is that we are together and that I can keep you safe.