She smiled directly at him. No one knew he was there, but she turned her eyes to the seemingly empty space between Castello and her and she smiled. That got him right in the gut. Considering the circumstances and the coming violence, he found his woman to be extraordinary. That she could sit there looking the picture of serenity and give him that intimate smile because he’d contributed to her growing ideas on how to defeat the demon made him realize she was exactly what he needed.
You are teaching me how to live life. I have been existing, not living. I didn’t realize that until you showed me what life is all about.
Her smile widened. Castello made an ugly sound, an impatient rumbling in his throat.
I cheat. I’m in his mind and will know when he is ready to launch his attack,Silke explained.The longer I’m in his mind, the more control I have over him. I can assess his prior killings. He’s very determined to do me in.
I’m very determined that he doesn’t touch you.Benedek would take the ceremonial knife himself before he would allow that blade near Silke.
The blade is tipped with poison and small parasites that will cling, like the demons planted in you and your friends, should either of us get cut,Silke warned.He’s feeling very smug about it.
Benedek’s friends were close. Waiting to see if they were needed. They’d been in the meadow just outside the forest, constructing dragons. Tomas, Lojos and Mataias had made dragons from rocks for children they’d rescued when they’d been in the States. Those dragonscame to life and flew when the children whispered a secret phrase to release them from the rock. Otherwise, they stayed in the yard as rock sculptures. The three men flew dragons, or would become phantom dragons, difficult to see against the night sky, although they were vibrant colors of red, green and violet. When in shadows, the dragons, as large as they were, disappeared.
Carpathians could shift easily into a dragon and wreak havoc when they chose, but often they preferred to fly a dragon. Benedek had watched others with dragons and found that several of the Carpathians seemed to communicate easily with them. The more they were in and around a dragon, the better they worked together, adding one more weapon to their arsenal against vampires. Tomas, Lojos and Mataias were very adept with their dragons.
Benedek had been in the forest of myths several times discovering the creatures who would be allies in any battle the slayer and Tora were engaged in. His big discovery had been a dragon he had met before. The dragon was old and wise, not given to allowing others to see or hear him. He lay on the ground looking for all the world like a large downed tree trunk with small plants and mushrooms growing on him. He didn’t move if an adventurer sat or even stood on him, not realizing he was a living entity.
Benedek had an affinity with ancient forests and trees. The woods whispered secrets to him and aided him when he needed it. Over the centuries, he had learned a great deal about dragons. Real dragons, the old ones, were wise and lethal. They had seen countless battles and lost loved ones and most of their kind. Their knowledge of the earth, the creatures and people coming and going, was vast. When Benedek had been accepted by Mother Earth, the mycelium network was at his disposal. At first, he hadn’t realized dragons were a part of that network. It had taken some time before he realized the advice he received was often from one of the old guard cautioning him not to use certain places to sleep or to weave safeguards in a different manner. They spoke to him of battle strategies when he lay under the soil healing.They kept him company on the long road to recovery after Marius, Fawn and Boian betrayed him.
He had been heeding those warnings for so many centuries he had begun to take them for granted. He was old, an ancient like the legendary creatures who were dying out or already extinct. Some of those creatures had already become real myths. Modern-day society didn’t believe they ever existed. It wouldn’t occur to people that Carpathians, werewolves, jaguars and dragons would incinerate bodies, so there was never proof of existence.
Will provoke him now. You’ll have to shield Visser and Bakker.
I see you didn’t include Ese Jordan.
Ese is beyond help. He’s programmed to kill us, and even though he thinks he’s safe, he’s not. Castello will command him to kill, and he’ll follow those orders.
Are you certain?Benedek didn’t kill innocents.
He willingly sold everyone here to Castello for his gambling debts. Castello may be using him, but he opened himself up to evil for money.
Benedek had seen addiction over and over throughout the centuries. There were many things one could be addicted to. He had the feeling he was becoming addicted to the laughter, compassion and light he saw in Silke.
He examined Ese Jordan’s mind. The betrayal of his family and friends, those in the village who had done their best to aid him, including the two men he’d plotted to kill with Castello. Both had gone out of their way to be there for the man. And Silke’s mother…Fenja. Time and again she had gone to Ese’s rescue. She had sat with him through illnesses, made certain he always had food, tried to counsel him when he went to her, fearful of his debts. He had come to their home to murder a woman who had over and over been nothing but kind to him.
Betrayal is such an ugly thing.He hoped Silke understood what he was telling her. Betrayal was unforgivable as far as he was concerned. Over the centuries betrayal had become a trigger for him. He was at his most lethal when that particular behavior was involved.
The look in Castello’s eyes had turned sly. Benedek was concerned that there was more to the demon than Silke had discovered. No matter what, it appeared that they were out of time.
Silke shifted slightly in her chair, her feet sliding under her easily. If Castello were paying attention at all, he would have recognized that Silke had to be the slayer, not Fenja. He was so certain he was right in his judgment that he dismissed her as a young human woman with a few gifts. He had decided she couldn’t be Carpathian because she had been in the sun. She was standing in his way, but to Castello she wasn’t relevant.
Everything about Silke screamed her identity. Her confidence. The graceful way she moved. Her voice should have been a warning to the demon. That low, compelling voice that made anyone listening want to do whatever she asked. Castello was far too used to living with humans and feeling superior. With all that, Benedek’s warning system was blaring loudly.
Silke, I have a bad feeling. My gut is generally reliable.
I have the same feeling, but he’s going to attack. Better to provoke him and catch him off guard.
Benedek didn’t have to like it.The moment he makes his move, I’ll shield Visser and Bakker. I’ve called the others in. They’re close.
Tora is close as well.
He knew her friend gave her far more confidence and comfort than knowing there were four other ancient hunters close by ready to aid them. His sense of humor must have been growing because he found that amusing.
I’m looping everyone into the communication,Benedek said.
We’re ready,Nicu said.
Benedek felt Silke reach for Tora to include her. The ancients rarely used the common Carpathian pathway to speak to one another because any vampire in the vicinity would hear and know what was said.
