Dorian stepped forward. “I am glad to finally meet you, Gillian. My husband has told me a great deal about you and your friends.” Dorian’s voice was as lovely as she was. Gillian didn’t miss the slight inflection on the word husband.
“It is a pleasure to finally meet you as well. Mirrin spoke of you often and with the highest regard when he served in our company.” Gillian smiled and radiated good will. She couldn’t explain it, but she wanted Dorian to feel secure and welcomed.
“This is my fiancé, Aleksei Rachlav. He met Mirrin previously at Akabat.”
Aleksei took the hint and grasped Dorian’s hand, all the while keeping his other hand on Gillian’s shoulder. He greeted Mirrin much the same.
“I am pleased to see you again, Mirrin, and happy you have brought your wife to meet us as well.”
“It has been a long time since I have been on an adventure with Gillian, Kimber and Trocar. All that is missing is Luis, and of course Jenna.”
Gill laughed. “Well, Luis is involved with a new love. They’re back in England for the moment, sort of cleaning up Oscar’s house after some unsavory occupants vacated.”
Mirrin’s eyebrows shot up. “Oscar?”
“Oscar . . . er . . . Gray. Really nice guy. You’d like him. Plus Luis is happier than I’ve ever seen him.” Gillian was happy for her friend.
“Then I am happy for Luis.” Mirrin smiled back. “And for you and Kimber. It is truly magical to find love.”
Gillian ignored that remark despite Aleksei squeezing her shoulders. “Uncomfortable, piccola?” His rich, deep tones vibrated through her mind.
“Stop that! And no, I am just getting used to the idea myself, while everyone else seems to think it’s fairly obvious that I love you.”
Aleksei laughed, making everyone jump, then kissed her head. He didn’t care how he heard it; it warmed him every time to hear her say it.
They waited until the crack of dusk the following evening to depart. Tanis, Helmut, Cassiopeia, Cezar and the Brownies were at the door to see everyone off.
“Farewell, Aleksei.” Tanis embraced his brother.
“I trust my lands and home will be intact when I return. I do not want to have to stage a coup against my own brother,” Aleksei said sternly, then broke into a smile.
Tanis looked at him incredulously, then grinned at Gillian. “You are a bad influence on the Lord of these lands, little sister. There was a time when he was grim and humor-less. I think I liked him better that way.”
Gillian mirrored his smile. “Well, tough shitsky. He’s funny now and I’m not changing him back.”
Everyone chuckled at the exchange. Aleksei had indeed changed for the better in a number of ways. Gillian didn’t realize yet how much she too had evolved, nor that they were also chortling in appreciation of her own metamorphosis.
She found herself in a group hug, squished between the two brothers. “Hey, hey, hey! Lady with a baby! Don’t squeeze!”
She whacked each of them on the back of the head. “Put me down, dammit!”
Tanis tossed her in the air, then hugged her. “Go with care, my friend. The rest of your family here will miss you.”
“Thanks, Tanis.” Gillian hugged him back.
Good-byes were said all around; final waves were given as Mirrin led them all toward the far end of the glade, away from the castle. He had a little surprise with him besides Dorian. Near the edge of the forest there was a group of Elven steeds milling around.
“Retro travel?” Gillian asked. “I thought we had our travel plans covered, Daed.” She held out a hand to the nearest animal, a brilliant blood bay stallion, approaching him slowly.
“Mirrin?” Daed was confused. “I thought we would go through the woods, then over to the next highway and pick up a convoy there to Brasov.”
Mirrin shook his head. “This will keep you off any travel or communication grid. We will ride East toward the coast where you and Aleksei will be seen at the Eforie Nord resort. It is a well- known spa area known to cater to a number of different health situations, including women with gynecological problems.”
Gillian’s eyes widened. “I don’t have . . . gynecological problems, Mirrin.”
To her surprise, the Elf Prince laughed. “I am aware of that, Captain, but your enemy is not. He does, however, know you are pregnant. If you are visible at that resort, he will speculate that you are having problems related to your pregnancy. It will assuredly bring him out for another speech against you and keep him where he is currently located.”
“Damn, he’s bright. Why did we let him quit the Corps, pumpkin?” Daed was beaming.
Gillian threw a nearby rock at Daed, who ducked it casually. Stupid Shifter reflexes. “Stop calling me that! And I didn’t let him quit; his time was up and he had obligations elsewhere.”
“Too bad. I would have loved to have coerced him to stay.” Daed was teasing about his prior strong-arm techniques with Gillian, Kimber, Trocar and the missing Jenna. The three of them threw rocks that time. He couldn’t dodge three simultaneous projectiles from three different directions.
“Ow!”
“Stop complaining. We might have thrown knives instead,” Trocar said dryly as he moved toward the animal next to Gillian.
The Elven steeds were lovely. They would have resembled normal horses, except for their unnatural beauty, regal bearing and preternatural speed. They also had the ability to port their rider through a Doorway. Elven Doorways were the portals between time and space that all Elves had the ability to manifest. Doorways were seldom used, as Elves generally preferred to remain in their own realms unless they were observing and researching a specific time and place.
“So we make an appearance there, then we go to Prague?” Kimber asked.
“Correct. Dorian and I look enough like Aleksei and Gillian from a distance. We will remain there, allowing the press to have glimpses of us during our stay,” Mirrin informed her.
Kimber pointed to Dorian’s blazing red hair, then back to Gillian’s golden blonde. “Really?”
Dorian pulled a vial out of her pack. “Elven women do not dye their hair; we simply take a temporary potion.”
“Nice!” Kimber was impressed. “Where can I get some of that? Does it come in a lot of different colors? Can you combine potions?”
“Can we discuss Elven beauty implements later?” Gill interrupted. She was patting the horse she had approached and was securing her things in one of the bags on its saddle.
“Mount up,” Mirrin called out.
Everyone but the Elves followed Gillian’s example and approached individual horses. Once the animal sniffed them and established a relationship, they were safe to approach and mount. The Elves already had their own personal steeds tethered away from the rest of the group.
Trocar selected a black mare, her coat so dark that it shimmered with blue highlights. Aleksei’s mount was a golden palomino stallion. The horse’s mane and tail were a frothy fantasy of pure white, while his coat actually shimmered in the moonlight like beaten brass. Kimber took a blood bay mare, a mirror to Gillian’s own mount. Daed selected a pure white giant with massive hooves that stood at least a hand above the rest of the horses.
Hreidmar and Kelda chose matching sorrels whose hair blazed golden red, with shimmering manes and tails. Odin and his lot selected a group of primitively marked buck-skins that ranged in shade from light gold to an almost deep red. All had black manes, tails, socks and a black stripe down their backs. Gillian had to admit, they were an impressive, dangerous-looking group.
Pavel was stroking a liver chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. “I cannot believe these animals stand still for a Shifter.”
Mirrin’s friend Dagr spoke. “Our mounts are well trained and very intelligent. They understand the spoken word very well and have incredible sensibilities as to who is hostile and who is not.”
“In fact, Pavel, these horses are only wearing tack because we are in a mixed party. Elves normally have at leas
t one horse in their individual stables that is so well trained that there is no need for reins or saddle,” Trocar spoke up.
“This one reminds me of a horse I had long ago, at least in coloring.” He stroked the silken neck of his mount gently, sounding almost wistful.
“Tinechor. I remember him well, Trocar,” Dagr said as he mounted his own golden palomino mare.
“I had forgotten that,” Trocar responded, then turned his horse East and started off into the trees.
“You two knew each other?” Gillian asked the other Elf.
“Long ago, yes. I was not certain if Trocar remembered or not,” Dagr replied.
“Curiouser and curiouser, Alice,” Gillian muttered.
“Someday he might tell you.” Dagr smiled.
Dorian, Aisling and Gunner all mounted up on black, gray and white horses respectively, and the party was complete.
“East. And quietly,” Mirrin instructed. He started off after Trocar with the rest of them trailing.
CHAPTER 16
THE trek to the coast was uneventful. There were a few expected details to contend with, such as getting across highways and roads, and around small villages in the Romanian countryside. They moved at an unnerving pace. Once outside of the area around Sacele, Mirrin simply took off at breakneck speed. The other mounts leaped forward, nearly unseating a few of the group. These were magical animals, not normal horses. Their hooves seemed not to touch the ground during the extraordinary ride.
Kimber pulled up next to Gillian, who was dodging the occasional tree limb that would appear in her line of vision a split second before it would have whacked her in the face.
“Didn’t you use to ride back in that backwoods area you grew up in?” She ducked her own branch, but not fast enough, and wound up with leaves in her hair.
“Normal horses, yes. I’ve never been on anything remotely like this.” Gillian gritted her teeth and leaned lower over the horse’s neck. It gave her the advantage of missing most of the foliage.
“Smooth ride, though.”
“That’s true. I’ve never heard of anything going this fast or this smoothly.” Gillian’s horse flicked his ears and nickered.
“I think he’s laughing at us.” Gill grinned and patted his neck.
“At least we won’t be saddle sore. This is like riding a couch.” Kimber laughed.
“Are you all right, Gillian?” Aleksei’s deep voice vibrated from her right. He knew perfectly well she was all right; his hearing was outstanding.
“You know I am.” Gillian risked a glance his direction.
Damn. He looked good on that horse. All noble and aristocratic and . . . mouthwatering. Stop it! she told herself. This was not the time to be drooling over her intended. This was the time to . . . smack.
The branch she hadn’t seen caught her in the shoulder. It would have unseated her, resulting in a nasty fall, considering the speed they were traveling. However, her wonderful horse felt the shift in her weight and compensated, getting himself beneath her before she came off his back.
“Shit!” Gillian was amazed to find herself still on the horse and in one piece.
“Okay, no more distracting me, Aleksei. Just ride over there.” She pointed decisively away from her.
His heart had nearly stopped when she was hit with the branch. Seeing her still on the horse and surly was enough to reassure him.
“As you wish, cara.” He chuckled and pulled away from her. Knowing that her near fall was due to her being enchanted with him was a rare gift, one he did not take lightly. Gillian had lived with him and among his kind for quite a while, but was no more immune to Vampire magic than anyone else. Normally she was more careful, more barricaded, particularly since his transformation. There was too much on her mind and too much at stake for him to distract her.
The amount of ground they covered during the night was astonishing. They made it from the Institute to the outskirts of Eforie Nord just before dawn. Dorian drank her potion, which turned her hair to Gillian’s shade of blonde. Mirrin took his midnight black hair down from its traditional warrior braid and shook it free. A quick change of clothes for both of them: Mirrin into an open-neck silken shirt, boots and very tight laced pants, and Dorian into some khaki cargo pants and a T-shirt. Even close up, with their height difference, they made a fair “Aleksei and Gillian.” From a distance, it would be extremely hard to distinguish.
There was some discussion about who would remain to guard the Elf Prince and his Lady. Aleksei argued that he did not normally travel with bodyguards, nor did he employ them for himself around the castle.
Pavel looked sheepish, prompting a question or two. “I am sorry, Aleksei, but Cezar and Tanis made me promise that you would never be out of earshot from a trusted sentry.”
Aleksei frowned. He was uncharacteristically annoyed. “Am I the appointed Lord of these lands or not?”
“Yes, of course . . .” Pavel stammered.
“Then why has my request been disregarded?” Aleksei was more concerned that someone was guarding him when they ought to be guarding Gillian instead.
“Because if anything happens to you, the rest of us really are dead meat.” Gillian stepped in to rescue Pavel.
“You knew about this?” Aleksei stared at her.
“I had an idea. Nothing definite, but an idea. Tanis, Teo and Cezar wouldn’t be doing their job if you were unprotected, Aleksei. Don’t blame Pavel. He’s just following orders. I think it’s a compliment to you that your people are determined to protect you, whether you want it or not.” She grinned up at him.
“And if someone comes after you while they are looking after me so diligently?” Aleksei felt his irritation draining away. He couldn’t help it. She was just cute.
“There are enough guns, claws and teeth to protect all of us. Just learn to deal with it. I had to. Under your orders, I might add.” Gill poked him in the arm for emphasis. “You made certain I was shadowed day and night when I first came here. Get used to it. You’re too valuable for any of us to lose.”
It was finally determined that Aisling and Gunner, along with some local Fey that Mirrin had contacted ahead of time, would watch over the Prince and Dorian while they were impersonating Aleksei and Gillian. Dagr assured them that there was a group of Elves waiting for them near Prague to help with any situation that might arise.
Their stand-ins strolled down toward the main entrance to the resort, flanked by their bodyguards. Aleksei contacted Teo via Vampire Mind Net and directed him to get in touch with their new allies, the Lynxes, for the purpose of extra security for the pair.
“Aleksei,” Odin spoke softly. “Thor, Freya, Sigundr and Bodvar will stay as well. There needs to be a show of strength here if the Lord of Romania is visiting this resort.”
Aleksei grudgingly agreed. “I thank you for your offer. I am hopeful that they will not be needed, but the gesture is very much appreciated.”
“Thank you, Odin,” Gillian said earnestly. She was concerned about her friend and his wife remaining safe if Father Daily’s threat toward her extended out this far.
“You are welcome.” Odin smiled down her.
“Any chance of a Portal?” Hreidmar spoke up, startling the group. The Dwarves had been quiet companions in the group, and everyone but the Elves had nearly forgotten they were there.
“Did you enjoy the ride?” Dagr asked.
“Indeed. Normally we have our own ponies, but this was an unforeseen pleasure.” Hreidmar patted his horse. It nuzzled him in return.
“Dwarven ponies are bred for a life under and above the ground. They are swift, but not as swift as these.” Kelda stroked her own mount.
“I would like to see your lands sometime,” Dagr said. “Our people have had little communication during this past age. I, for one, would like to remedy that.”
“That can very well be arranged.” Hreidmar nodded. “I believe my folk have been denied the beauty of the Elf lands and your culture. Perhaps after this is done
, we can arrange a détente between our realms.”
“The Portal,” Trocar reminded them. He waved a hand and the forest shimmered in front of them.
“Mount up and let your horse take you through,” Dagr told them.
They all obeyed him, letting the horses choose the moment to step through. Trocar went first, Gillian following him. Aleksei’s heart wrenched as he watched them literally vanish before his eyes.
Gillian felt an almost nauseating, displacing twist, then she was through. Trocar was there, mounted on his horse and looking at her expectantly.
“Over here, Gillyflower,” Trocar beckoned her. “Are you all right?”
She did as he asked and moved to his side. “I’m fine, I think.” She shook her head a moment.
“It takes some getting used to.” Trocar smiled.
“Evidently. That was probably the weirdest thing I’ve ever felt.”
Aleksei, Kimber, the Dwarves and Odin’s people popped through. Trocar directed them all out of the way of the next rider. Pavel was next to last, and finally Dagr. The Elf closed the Portal behind them.
“How far is Prague from where we are?” Gillian asked.
“Follow me to the top of that ridge,” Dagr told her.
They all rode after their blond leader to the designated spot. Beneath them, thousands of bright lights announced the picturesque city of Prague, or Praha, as it was known in the Czech language.
“It’s really beautiful,” Gillian stated. Even with years spent in Eastern Europe, she hadn’t had the time to do any pleasure traveling. She made a mental note that when things eased off a bit, she was going to have to take some leisure time and explore the surrounding Countries. With Aleksei, of course.
“Of course, bellissima. I would be honored to escort you around and see the sights,” Aleksei murmured in her head.
“I really hate it when you eavesdrop,” Gillian snapped back at him. Making an effort to soften her response, she continued: “I would like that too; just please stop randomly monitoring my thoughts, will you? It’s very annoying to have you suddenly pop up inside my mind.”
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