Dark Song

“We observed it happening within her mind,” Gary said. “Ferro suspected. She is so terrified of Sergey yet he was her only contact throughout the centuries. She expects him to come after her. She knows nothing but his threats. It is natural for her to believe he will do exactly what he told her he would. When she is not with Ferro, she believes she is wide open for Sergey’s assault. And she aided us in uncovering yet another hole in our defenses.”

“That is insane,” Maksim said. “She actually summoned the vampire? Could he resist her call?”

“I doubt it,” Gary said. “As he was the constant in her life, she was the constant in his. More, he needed her to provide emotions and keep his body from decomposing. Right at this moment, he is deteriorating at a rapid pace. That has to be very shocking for him when he is used to getting his way in all things. He may have acted as if he was going after other women to take her place, but no other woman will do for him. There is only Elisabeta for him. He had to have put something of himself in the worm in order to direct it to her specifically. His hope was to intimidate her into coming back to him.”

“You believe Elisabeta can actually summon Sergey at will?” Tariq asked.

“Yes,” Gary said.

“I believe we are done here, gentlemen,” Ferro said. “My lifemate is exhausted.”

Immediately Tariq stood. “I appreciate you allowing us into your home, Elisabeta. I know this was difficult for you.”

Elisabeta didn’t look at him. Ferro had told her to look only at him. See only him. She took in what they were saying, but only from a distance, and that allowed her to process the information without reacting to it. She would do that later, when she was alone or with just her lifemate.

“Will she summon Sergey into this compound again?” Tomas inquired. “If he was able to slip the worm in, could he do so with some other creature once she calls for him?”

Ferro’s cold gaze moved over Tomas. It was a legitimate question, and one that all the warriors would be asking and preparing for, but he didn’t want it asked aloud in front of his lifemate. He had no choice but to answer honestly.

“It is my hope that she will summon him,” Ferro said. “When I am ready, we will make certain she does, in a place of my choosing.”

“She will summon him if Ferro isn’t with her unless he can convince her that Sandu, Andor or I can protect her the way he can in his absence,” Gary said. “And that means, Tomas, that every ancient in this compound had better do exactly what I told you to do when I first arrived, find every point of weakness and fix it. This is not her failing, it is yours, mine and all of ours in this compound. We have not safeguarded against the netherworld well and we must do so immediately.”

Tariq walked to the door, followed closely by the healer. Immediately, the others filed out, leaving only the brethren.

“If you have need of us, Ferro, call. We will come. Should you have to leave this place, we will accompany you,” Sandu said.

Ferro inclined his head. “Thank you.”

Elisabeta found it interesting that Ferro felt deep affection for those who had stayed to protect them but didn’t seem to acknowledge it to himself. None of the ancients recognized their emotions or admitted to those feelings.

The moment they were gone and the door shut behind them, Ferro waved his hand toward it and murmured a few words, sealing the thick oak closed. He bent his head and brushed his lips over hers.

“You did very well, Elisabeta. You were in this enormous room, surrounded by strangers, and you allowed yourself to be examined by the healer in order to keep young children from having to undergo another inspection. I am very proud of you.”

The moment he spoke, that barrier that had provided a distance between her and everyone in the room was gone and she understood exactly what had occurred. “I summoned the vampire? I did that? Is that really possible? Why would I do that?” She was horrified. More than shocked. Sickened. She pressed a hand to her churning stomach. “I really did endanger the compound and everyone in it. I not only allowed him in, I invited him in.”

“That is not what the healer said, piŋe sarnanak,” he said gently. “You did not listen properly. You summoned the vampire with your fear. That is not the same thing as inviting him in. He could only send the kod lewl kuly from the netherworld and with it some tiny part of his own spirit, which we destroyed. He cannot get that back. That worm couldn’t live in this realm so it would not do him any good as a spy. He could only plague you with it. In truth, you summoned your own tormentor.”

“The healer says I will do so again if you are not with me.” Her nervous fingers plucked at his shirt.