Dark Song

You have forgotten I am merged with you, päläfertiilam, there is no hiding your thoughts from me. I am not going to leave you alone until you are strong enough to keep from summoning the vampire. I have woven a shield and that will keep his shadow worms from invading should an accident happen. For now, rise and come to me.

I have never clothed myself. It was humiliating to have to admit such a thing.

It is time for you to practice, sívamet. He sounded very matter-of-fact. Calm. Normal. Not at all judgmental or impatient. You are Carpathian and you are powerful. I want you to feel your power. The vampire could not steal it from you. By taking your control he could make you believe you were helpless. You were young, a child when he took you, but you are no longer that child and you will learn how strong you are with time. Think in terms of small steps. While I enjoy every aspect of caring for you, Elisabeta, to have you do this would please me.

She took a deep breath. She wanted to please Ferro. She had a nature that naturally needed to bring peace and comfort to those around her. She recognized that that was the biggest part of herself. It was a gift she had, and she actually had to control it in order to keep from giving Sergey too much comfort. She had been ashamed that she couldn’t stop herself when his brothers had cruelly taunted and made fun of him, acting as if they were so superior.

She knew Sergey retained some of his emotions because of her. He felt the vicious, derisive insults his brothers heaped on him. They had from the time he was young, even before he had followed them, choosing to give up his soul. Elisabeta knew Ferro would see that she had given Sergey comfort and it shamed her even more. There were so many terrible secrets she had that her lifemate would find out, merged as he was with her. Even the healer and possibly his brethren had already discovered some of her shameful secrets in her memories.

Elisabeta, you will stop this instant. Ferro snapped the command in a fierce, curt tone.

She instantly jerked to attention. She had never heard him sound like that, but it stood to reason when everyone around them seemed to regard him as the most dangerous man in the room that he could command with such a frightening voice.

You will obey me at once and stop this nonsense. I will not have my lifemate ashamed of who she is. Your greatest gift is to bring peace to those of us without solace for centuries. Hunters live in the utter gray of nothingness and yet just your presence relieves that terrible burden. It matters little if you speak. Your voice adds to the length of time your gift lasts, but you were born with a trait few have. I will not have you in any way demeaning what is one of the most highly prized and rare gifts our people have. Do I make myself clear?

She knew he was right in that she couldn’t stop herself from reaching out when someone was distressed. In the room the rising before, when there were so many ancients without lifemates, she had felt their lost emotions when they had not. While they talked to one another, discussing her, she had huddled in Ferro’s lap most of the time, silent, but she had done her best to send out soothing waves to bring as much peace as possible to those in the room who would be receptive.