Key to Conspiracy

by Talia Gryphon

  A brilliant smile lit his perfect ebony features. “You are learning.”

  “Yeah, that you’re an asshole when you want to be,” she grumbled, folding her arms across her chest in an unconscious defensive gesture. “I mean it, Trocar, don’t make me shoot you.”

  He chuckled as he made arcane symbols in the air in front of them. The incense smoldered, the herbs flared, essence of willow oil and burned landscape filled the small hallway; the stones containing the Ghost trembled then everything went to hell.

  While Gillian and Trocar were headed off to do some Ghost busting, Pavel had shifted back to his six foot three inches of blond, blue-eyed, gorgeous Russian male. He wanted to chat with Kimber online since she was still in Russia handling the orphan situation and Aleksei had promised to show him how to use the computer.

  Happy and energetic in either form, thanks to Gillian’s perceptiveness to his former counseling needs, Pavel walked quickly in long, exuberant strides to Aleksei’s library, where he found the Vampire going over some papers and visiting with his brother and two of the Egyptian Vampires, Anubis and Sekhmet. All eyes lifted at his approach and he blushed.

  “Now, Pavel, you know we are going to look at you when you enter a room,” Sekhmet purred, causing Anubis’s eyebrows to rise at his mate’s tone. She continued, teasing the young Wolf, “You cannot help but look beautiful. Enjoy our admiration.”

  He blushed even more but smiled as the astonishingly beautiful Vampire snuggled closer to her equally beautiful mate. Anubis chided her, “You have been around Gillian too long, Sekhmet. You are picking up her mischievous behavior.” She giggled and kissed him as the others chuckled.

  “Come, Pavel.” Aleksei’s voice was black velvet and sensual to anyone’s hearing, but Pavel was more used to it and it didn’t make him blush. Well, that and the fact that Pavel was straight. Sekhmet and even Maeti when she was there had teased him about his purely physical reaction to the female Vampires’ inherent sensuality. The males just didn’t have the same effect.

  Pavel moved to where Aleksei sat and watched as he flipped open Gillian’s laptop and taught him how to access an instant messenger program that Gillian had shown him the night before. Vampires that had lived any real length of time were intelligent and could pick up new skills with ease. Aleksei remembered how everything worked from one session with Gillian and now passed on his knowledge to Pavel so the Werewolf could contact his lady love as he wished.

  When he had the program up and had demonstrated it, the other Vampires rose to leave to give Pavel some privacy. Aleksei leaned over the back of the chair, showing him the “talk” feature, and handed him a set of headphones, should he be inclined to use them. Aleksei started to leave only to be brought up short by Pavel’s next comment. “I am glad Gillian is getting rid of that creature.”

  The tall Vampire paused and half turned back toward Pavel. “The Dark Elf?” Aleksei asked, puzzled.

  “No, the Elf is fine. It is because of him that creature is bound. I am speaking of that foul Ghost. After what he has done to Gillian, I am surprised that she is asking for him to be released and not destroyed.” Pavel’s tone was of pure disgust.

  “What has he done to Gillian?” Aleksei’s voice was soft but so menacing that the other Vampires turned and waited for Pavel to answer.

  Pavel’s cerulean eyes met Aleksei’s and were confused then frightened, realizing that he had revealed something Gillian may not have wanted shared. “She did not tell you?”

  “You tell me.” It was not a request.

  “He . . . he . . . molested her, Aleksei. I thought you knew.” Pavel couldn’t have looked more terrified if he had molested Gillian himself.

  The Vampire seemed to grow taller than his six foot seven inches, more muscular, more ethereally beautiful before all of their eyes. Aleksei’s eyes went to a shade of glowing platinum that none of them had ever seen before, and within the dark ring of pupil, a red flame flickered.

  Sekhmet gasped and Anubis tucked her under his arm protectively. “It is no problem, my love. Aleksei has come into his full power. He will be fine once he knows Gillian is all right.”

  Carefully to Aleksei, Anubis said, “Go, my friend. Use what has come unto you. Fly to her side and see that she is well.” His voice was soft as if he feared triggering an explosion.

  Aleksei turned at his words, his great body trembling with barely controlled rage. “She will be fine.” His voice, purer and more beautiful than it had ever been, sent shivers down Sekhmet’s spine; even the males longed to hear him speak again. He did. “She has to be all right or I am lost.” There was such a myriad of emotions conveyed in his words that even Tanis couldn’t discern his brother’s state of mind.

  “Aleksei,” Tanis began, his own power beginning to burn in concern for his brother and Gillian.

  “Stay here.” Aleksei left the room, his speed increasing as he sought to close the distance between himself and Gillian’s location.

  “Shit,” Tanis muttered, uncharacteristically swearing, and following him as best he could.

  Once outside, Aleksei didn’t think; his mind was a haze of fury. Gillian had been touched by that noxious spirit. That damn Ghost should be burned out of existence.

  “My friend and ally, hearken to me.”

  Osiris. The voice of his mentor and friend crackled through him like an electric current, warm and empowering. “You have come into your own power, Aleksei. Use it. Shape it. Become what you need to be. You have my gifts, though you are not of my Line. Take the image in your mind, shape it as I hold it for you and go—she is safe but you must see it with your own eyes.”

  Aleksei allowed Osiris’s mental direction to sift through the rage that was engulfing him. Power beat through him, fueled by Osiris’s command. There was a wrenching twist and shift then his vision straightened. The ground dropped away and Aleksei nearly fell out of the sky in surprise. Only the automatic beat of his wings kept him airborne. Wings?!

  Moonlight cast its sheen on his newly changed body, though he didn’t need the illumination to see. Above the skies of Sacele, Romania, for the first time in seven hundred years of memory, a dragon flew.

  There was another voice that splintered through his head, distracting him so much that he almost lost control of his new shape and phased back to his original form. It was a scream of absolute rage from his oldest, deadliest and most hated enemy.

  “Rachlav!” Dracula’s voice didn’t shimmer through his mind like Osiris’s, it rammed in like the force of a freight train. Aleksei didn’t bother with insults or niceties. Barriers he never was able to erect before slammed home, cutting off his former Master and Lord, severing their link, forever.

  He didn’t stop to contemplate the physics or the logic of the shift. His thoughts were on Gillian and that damned Ghost whom he was going to put an end to. In what seemed moments, thanks to his powerful body’s abilities, Boganskaya Castle was in his sight. The great beast circled, leathery wings spread wide to bank downward. The thick neck bent and legs extended for landing. Backdraft from the wings caused a minor dust storm and frightened the Fairies inhabiting the gardens around the castle. Squeaking indignantly, they flitted off to take shelter under the bushes.

  Once again, he heard Osiris through their link. “Well done, my friend. Now . . . you know your own image. Become who you are.”

  “Thank you, Osiris. I owe you much.” Aleksei started toward the Castle, shifting back to his own form.

  “Nonsense. You owe me nothing. A new Lord has arisen, metamorphosed from the chrysalis of a Master. You are now the foundation of your own Line, Aleksei. Examination of your newfound power can wait until a later date.” There was warmth, absolutely no censure and a great deal of pride in Osiris’s voice. “I am proud to have you as an ally, an equal and a friend.”

  “I am honored,” Aleksei sent back, then broke the connection as he reached the entrance to the castle. He had other things on his mind. Things like how to murder a Ghost and
how to handle a certain woman. One thing was certain, Trocar had better be keeping her safe or he was going to be one very dead Elf.

  When Arkady opened the door and found Count Rachlav standing there, he couldn’t have been more shocked.

  “Good evening, Arkady,” Aleksei’s pure, beautiful voice rumbled.

  After stumbling between Romanian and English, Arkady managed to get out, “Please come in.”

  Aleksei swept past him, now unencumbered by the Vampire requirement of invitation, already mounting the stairs as he tossed back, “I must see to the doctor’s safety from your Ghost,” by way of explaining his abrupt entrance into the other man’s home.

  A blood-chilling shriek rocked the walls of the Castle and he blurred with speed to get to Gillian’s side, his heart in his mouth. He skidded into the hallway, drawn unerringly by her light scent. He was unprepared for what he found. Gillian and Trocar were standing practically nose to nose apparently yelling at each other. It was hard to tell since there was a grotesquely bleeding Ghost standing a few yards from them and a demi-Fey flattened up against the wall, screaming her tiny but powerful lungs out.

  “What in the name of all the Realms is that doing here?” Trocar was pointing at Grace, the Ghost in the demi-Fey body.

  “She was in the bag!” Gillian yelled back.

  Trocar slapped his forehead in frustration. “You left a spelled Ghost next to another spelled Ghost that you wanted me to release?” He glared at her, ignoring the bleeding, screaming Ghosts and the Vampire who had just slid into his peripheral view.

  “How the hell was I supposed to know you put extra juice into your magic?”

  “Ever read Magic for Dummies, Gillyflower?” Trocar was digging around in one of his mysterious pouches. With a flourish he tossed something toward the screaming demi-Fey. Suddenly she looked like a Fairy mime. She was still screaming, still plastered back against the wall in horror, only now the noise had stopped.

  “Thank the gods.” Gillian relaxed visibly. “Remember when you put her in that pouch, you arrow-twanging dumbass?”

  “Remember when I used to have superior hearing?” Trocar snapped, rubbing his ears gently upward to the pointed tips. “Besides, I believe you would say, ‘I have slept since then.’ ”

  “How could you forget something like that?”

  “How could you forget that magic spills over anything in the vicinity? Really, Gillian, you must spend more time on your spell studies.” Trocar was clearly annoyed, hands on his hips and staring her down.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Aleksei wanted to know, striding forward purposefully. He took Gillian by the arm and pulled her to him. She was too surprised by his appearance to struggle, letting him tuck her against his side.

  He dipped his head, brushing her hair with a kiss. “We are going to have a talk, later,” he said softly, sending heat curling through Gillian’s soul. She stared up at him, noticing the implacable set to his mouth and the chill in his icy eyes.

  Since Grace was busy being terrified and Dante was loose again but spelled in place, Trocar and Gillian took a moment to fill Aleksei in on what the hell was going on. Aleksei listened but was not amused. “I am furious with you for withholding this information from me, Gillian. You are supposed to tell me when you are in danger, upset or harmed. I am not so much of a fossil that I do not have the first inklings about how contemporary relationships work. You are supposed to share your feelings with me. Not just your body.”

  He had her by both arms and his reproving tone was enough to shift the focus of her anger. “So you could do what, exactly? Hurt Dante? He’s already dead! Get all overprotective on me again? Why, Aleksei? Why should I tell you anything that is going to push you over into Medieval Testosterone Land?” Gillian shook free of his grasp.

  “You don’t get it.” She glared at him, her normally cool green eyes positively shooting sparks. “I didn’t tell you because I knew how you would react. Once and for all, I am not too proud to ask for help when I need it. I do know how to gauge a situation. I can’t do this on my own. That’s why Trocar is here.” She gestured back at the Elf, who was circling Dante. The ghost had stopped bleeding and was alternatively watching the Dark Elf and the newly arrived Vampire warily.

  “If this situation were something you could have helped me with, I would have welcomed your help. As it is, I am now violating confidentiality . . . Hell, I’m violating a lot of things right now. I am trying to help my patient, Aleksei. Just let me do my job. Trust in me for once.” She covered her face with her hands, then looked at him again, exasperated.

  “He molested you.” There was a wealth of fury and tenderness in that statement that Gillian couldn’t fight. Aleksei’s eyes were still silvery but were smoldering as he looked down at her. Her face softened as she looked at her Vampire hero. Poor guy. He meant well and she did take some getting used to.

  “Yes, he did. He’s going to pay for that; Trocar will see to it. Dante didn’t hurt me, Aleksei. He used fantasy and his own powers against me. He is part Grael Elf. That’s why Trocar is the best one to help.”

  “I cannot understand why you would hide this from me.”

  “Because I didn’t want you to worry about it. I’m fine.”

  Puzzlement clearly crossed his breathtaking features. “Gillian, how does a man not worry about the woman he loves?”

  Shit. Shit. Shit. He said the "L” word. Gillian stiffened, “Loves?” she squeaked, hoping she’d heard wrong.

  “Do not talk, Gillyflower,” Trocar interjected from across the hallway. Dante was now flattened up against the wall in front of the Elf, abject horror on his face, but he wasn’t screaming. Trocar continued calmly, “Mellina, if you value my friendship, do as I say, and for once, just shut up.”

  Turning to stare at the Dark Elf, Gill opened her mouth to say something scathing but Trocar cocked an eyebrow at her. “Stop. Talking.”

  She closed her mouth and managed to look indignant. Trocar inclined his head toward Aleksei. “Go to him.”

  Turning back toward Aleksei, she looked into those glorious silvery gray eyes. He looked utterly stunning, powerful and very, very vulnerable. A light smile curved his sensual mouth and he held out his hand toward her—a composition of beauty, elegance and strength. Irritation melted from her and she put her hand in his, almost shyly. Aleksei drew her to him, gently, not for a kiss but to embrace her against his hard chest, feeling her mold her body to his. He lowered his head to inhale the scent of her hair—snow on the meadow and clover—letting it fill his lungs.

  “Gillian.” Trocar’s voice made her turn and Aleksei look up. “You feel safe with him, and yes, it really is that simple. There is no shame in wanting to feel secure. Go. I will finish here.”

  Gratefully, she nodded. She’d have to come back and finish with Dante. Trocar wouldn’t hurt him. Much. Grace was another matter. She looked at the demi-Fey crumpled on the ground, but Trocar was ahead of her. “I will look after her. Take her out of here, Vampire.”

  As they turned to leave, Gillian’s arm slipped around Aleksei’s waist, unbidden. He pulled her tighter against him, holding her close as they went down the stairs together. Gill yelled to Arkady that Trocar was finishing with Dante and walked out into the night with Aleksei.

  CHAPTER 16

  WHEN they left the castle, Gillian paused in the parking area, her hand on his chest. “How did you get down here so quickly?”

  His smile was devastating and a little sheepish. “I have discovered some new abilities.”

  Gillian looked skeptical. “Really? You mean besides the long-distance mental link?”

  Aleksei briefly worried that he would be unable to repeat his earlier performance if he wasn’t consumed with anger, then he rallied, scooping Gillian up in his arms. No, he could do this. He would do this. The power was there; he just had to wield it. Determination flooded his features and Gillian glared up at him.

  “Hey! None of this caveman shit!”

 
; He kissed her to shut her up and formed a clear picture in his mind, then in a running leap, while she gasped from the intensity of the kiss, phased into the dragon form. A powerful thrust of his newly acquired wings and they were airborne.

  “Holy shit! Would you look at this! This is so cool! Did you know you could do that?” Gillian was entranced and not the least bit worried. Trocar was right. She did feel safe with Aleksei. Safe with a Vampire. How far had her standards fallen?

  Since Aleksei couldn’t kiss her in dragon form, he settled for listening to her happy voice and feeling her hands investigating the scales, his neck, his jaw with the daggerlike teeth, his neck again. Better land, she was wreaking hell on his concentration. He took a lazy circle down toward Castle Rachlav. The Wolves barked an alarm and figures appeared on the yard below. Swirling down, he landed, shifting as he did so, and set Gillian on her feet.

  Tanis and Jenna reached them first, “My, my, brother, you seem to have acquired a myriad of powers that we were unaware of. But I wish you had refrained from being a dragon in full view of the castle,” he said reproachfully, his golden eyes twinkling.

  “Why is that?” Aleksei asked.

  “Because now everyone will want a dragon.”

  “That was so cool!” Jenna squeaked. Grabbing Tanis’s arm, she asked, “Can you do that? That would be so cool if you could do that.”

  “See?” Tanis sighed.

  Everyone laughed, thankfully, releasing some of the tension they’d been dealing with. Tanis had tried to follow Aleksei but found that he had vanished when he’d gotten outside. When he detected no distress from his brother other than his concern for Gillian, he’d left him alone but had worried. Now, Tanis, Anubis, Sekhmet and the other Egyptian Vampires congratulated Aleksei on his elevation in status. Aleksei even received a mind touch from Dionysus, also filled with warmth and congratulations. He hoped that their combined abilities would shut down Dracula’s threat at least in his village and his Country.