“I did not kill you,” Broderick stated instead. “What you see are your ancestors. The blonde witch was supposed to be the last of your line, but a child survived her. You are a descendant of her child. Magic is in your blood, and that is why you see these things. Your powers were tapped out long ago and must have recently built the energy to come back to your line. The life force of your ancestry had to wait for an opening, a trauma if you will. I imagine seeing a vampire was your trauma.”
Tatiana paled. No, seeing what Henry had done to Alice’s body was her trauma. That is when it had come to her.
“Your blood is trying to reunite you with your power and your past,” Broderick continued. “So, my lady, you see, I didn’t kill you. Just a few of your ancestors.”
“That makes me feel so much better,” she stated wryly. She hated that he seemed to know more about her gifts than she did. Tatiana frowned. Could she call them gifts? They were more like a curse.
“Not all witches are good,” Broderick stated in defense. “Just as all lycans and vampires are not purely evil, just as humans. Have you not heard of your Jack the Ripper, slicing through London only a decade ago? You would do well to remember that he was human and he killed for pleasure, not survival. And you would also do well to remember that, though you see us as demons and monsters, so do others see you as such. Do you consider yourself to be evil, witch?”
“No,” Tatiana whispered.
“Ah,” Broderick stated as if he’d made his point.
“But, I don’t kill humans for blood,” she said weakly. “I don’t kill to live.”
“And neither do many of our kind,” Leandro put forth with a growl. “Honestly, could you imagine the kingdom of corpses that would result if every vampire, every night, killed one or two humans? We could wipe out Paris in a year’s time. Don’t you think notice would be drawn?”
Tatiana’s thoughts turned to Marcello, and her breath became heavier. She’d not actually seen him kill anyone, only assumed he did so. He’d never corrected the assumption.
Broderick chuckled as if at a private joke. “And you do kill for food, or rather have animals killed for you. Is it not the same thing?”
“No,” Tatiana said weakly. She studied the piece of dried meat in her lap with a newfound respect. She pushed it away. Broderick and Leandro both began to laugh at her. It wasn’t a joyous sound, but embittered and mocking. “So we are no more than sheep to you?”
“If you prefer to look at it in such a way,” Broderick said, still chuckling.
“Where are we going?” she asked to change the conversation.
“Away from Paris,” Leandro answered, his cool voice nonchalant.
“Why?” Tatiana persisted.
“Because there are too many distractions in Paris,” Broderick said.
Tatiana wondered why they bothered to reveal so much to her. These didn’t appear to be typical kidnappers. But, what was she thinking? She was in a coach with a vampire and a lycan. Nothing in her life was typical anymore.
“Shouldn’t we stop soon?” Tatiana put forth, eyeing Leandro with a forced smirk. “Before the vampire here alights into flames?”
“Your concern, bella donna, is overwhelming,” Leandro mocked. Their voices stayed pleasant, but the tension in the small space was palpable. “Don’t live on the false hope that Marcello will find you. This way is well hidden from him by some of the oldest of magic. He’ll not be able to sense you this far from Paris.”
Tatiana frowned. He was right. She’d hoped Marcello would find her. Were her feelings for him that transparent?
“Careful, my lady,” Broderick murmured. “Your thoughts betray you.”
Tatiana turned her eyes to her lap and forced herself to eat the bread. It wouldn’t do for her to starve. She’d need her wits about her if she were to escape. Then, frowning, she wondered where she’d go if she did escape her captors. Back home? She thought of Marcello first and then her father. When had that happened? When had Marcello become home to her? She shivered.
To England, she resolved. I will go home to England.
Tatiana refused to listen to the little voice that ridiculed her from within. It told her that, though she might not go back to him, she knew Marcello would come for her at Eastwich.
Chapter Forty-Two
Tatiana tried to escape her kidnappers every chance she found, until it became a twisted game between them. Once, she’d nearly made it a mile down an abandoned country road, only to be accosted by Broderick in full wolfen form. Thinking at first that he was a large, rabid dog, she’d screamed in fear.
Broderick’s paws were massive as he lunged at her on all fours. His body was covered with a gray fur that stood on end as he snarled and snapped at her. Only when she saw the vivid blue of his eyes, gleaming with their strange yellow, did she realize what the creature was. He looked truly vicious with his sharp teeth brandished in his elongated mouth like razors.
Tatiana never expected him to change fully into an animal. In amazement, she’d almost tried to pet him. He shook off her hand and nipped at her. He then forced her to walk the entire mile back by his wolfen side.
Another time, under Leandro’s guard, she’d nearly made good her escape. It had been easy to slip away. They were at a roadside tavern and the vampire was too busy seducing a young dairymaid to pay her any mind. He’d been so enraptured by the girl’s creamy flesh and feminine giggles that Tatiana had walked right past him and out of the door. If not for the stupid girl’s interference, she would’ve made it too. The dairymaid pointed her out to Leandro, causing him to whip out the door after her. She’d only made it two steps before finding herself tied up in the carriage for the rest of the night.
They traveled nearly continuously, only stopping for brief periods for supplies and to change horses. Leandro and Broderick made a point of emotionally distancing themselves from her, though they sat next to her each night. They did not again speak of things like they had that first night.
During the day, Leandro slept in a coffin tied to the back of the carriage. Tatiana wondered how he was able to sleep while bouncing around. But, having witnessed the deathlike state that came to Marcello during the day, she could well guess he didn’t notice it at all. Her nightmarish visions had all but faded until they were gone completely. Her dreams were dark voids that pulled her into their mindless depths. She didn’t like having the visions, but without them she felt as if a piece of herself was missing, as if she were dying inside.
She missed Marcello terribly, though she never once mentioned him to her captors. She tried to communicate with him using her mind, but could never hear if he answered back. To occupy her time, she would think of clues along the way to help him find her. She tried to memorize names of places they passed, so that if she did escape, she may find her way back to him.
After a little over a week by carriage, they stopped in Strasbourg, on the eastern border of France. Tatiana had always wanted to see the world and, although this wasn’t how she envisioned doing so, she couldn’t contain her excitement as she saw the Cathédrale Notre-Dame. Her captors let her wander the narrow streets of the charming city at will and she did so gladly, happy to be able to stretch her legs. The narrow streets led past newer bourgeois buildings, parks, older timbered houses, shopping districts, hôtels particuliers, until finally they reached the banks of the River Ill.
Tatiana looked over the waters, so silent and peaceful beneath the stars. It was a calm night. The sky was clear and perfect. Only a small breeze filtered up from the shore.
“Where are we going?” Tatiana asked softly. Both men turned to her, looking down from their taller heights. She hadn’t dared to ask it since that first night in the carriage. But, she was dying to know what they planned for her. Whatever it was, she knew it wasn’t good. She waited, but they didn’t answer. In irritation, she persisted, “If you want me dead, wouldn’t it be easier to just kill me? What sick game do you play?”
As her anger rose, so did the power inside h
er. Broderick glanced at Leandro as the water along the banks began to churn. Dark clouds pulled over the sky. Tatiana’s jade eyes looked at Leandro. Every time she saw him, her heart ached for his brother. Her arms ached to hold him. Her eyes ached to see him. Her body ached to make love to him. She missed Marcello and she hated her traveling companions for taking her away from him. The feelings inside her surfaced, overwhelming her, fierce and sudden.
Leandro glanced over his head and nodded. Tatiana frowned. She turned only to see Broderick grabbing a leather pouch from his waist. By instinct, she lifted her hands. A surge of energy came forth from her limbs, knocking the lycan in the chest and pushing him back. He flew several yards before landing on his back in a roll. Instantly, he sprang to all fours, crouching.
Tatiana lifted her hand to Leandro and sent him flying as well. Only this time she flicked her wrist toward the water. Leandro landed in the cold river with a loud splash. A grin curled Tatiana’s features and she began to laugh. Then, detecting Broderick coming for her, she again turned. Only, she hesitated too long.
Broderick blew dust into her face. It smelled like the flowers that had lured her from Marcello’s home. Her hands dropped to her side. A slight smile found her as she blinked, in a daze. Through the fog of her mind, she heard Leandro climbing out of the water, cursing bitterly in Italian. She didn’t care. Her body was calm. Her heart beat so slow and steady she couldn’t feel it working. It was as if she were caught in a gentle dream.
Broderick grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. Tatiana followed quietly and with no protest. She felt someone take up her hand. It was Alice. Alice smiled at her. Tatiana smiled back.
“What did you do to her?” Leandro asked in irritation. “Why is she smiling like that?”
Broderick turned to see Tatiana indeed smiling, looking aimlessly at nothing. “I blew the enthrallment into her face to keep her powers calm. It could be causing her to hallucinate. I’ve never used it up close before.”
Leandro chuckled. He waved his hand through the air before her eyes. She only blinked. Tatiana’s lips moved and she seemed to whisper. Leandro shook his head.
“Let’s just get going,” the vampire said. “We need to get to the train.”
Broderick nodded, pulling Tatiana along faster. Both men ignored her.
Tatiana didn’t hear them speak. She smiled again at Alice. How good the maid looked, with her clear complexion and bright blue eyes. So much better than the corpse she’d envisioned as of late.
Alice’s lips parted, but no words came out. Tatiana leaned to her and mouthed, “Find Marcello. Tell him to come for me. Stay by his side and protect him.”
Alice frowned considerably, moving to shake her head in denial.
“Please, Alice,” Tatiana begged.
Alice nodded, silently agreeing, though her eyes seemed to doubt her task.
“I love him, Alice,” Tatiana whispered in a moment of complete clarity. Suddenly, her smile fell. She knew it was true. She’d fallen madly in love with a vampire. The thought did not give her pleasure, for she didn’t know if he could ever love her in return. In fact, she tended to doubt he was capable of loving anyone. He was a demon. All she knew was that without him, her soul faded, and her blood did not quicken. Being with him might be torment, but she knew that not having him at all was slowly going to kill her.
Alice nodded again, sadly, and faded into nothingness. It was as if the spirit hadn’t been there at all.
Chapter Forty-Three
To reach German soil, they boarded a train heading east. Tatiana no longer saw Alice. The spirit had faded and did not come back. As her mind slowly cleared from the numbing effects of the enthrallment, she began to think straight and doubted she’d seen the girl at all.
Every day became a stagnant routine. Broderick would goad her into eating. Leandro would tell her where to sleep. None of them spoke much beyond that, but her two captors kept a steady eye on her at all times. There was no need for their watchfulness. She had no idea where her power to defy them had come from and she didn’t know how to call it back. In fact, after using it, she only felt weaker and more drained.
With each mile the train moved over the countryside, her heart beat became weaker and weaker. Germany’s landscape was much like France, from what Tatiana could see looking out into the dark skies as they passed. A few times she thought she detected mountains in the dusk laden sky, but she wasn’t sure.
It didn’t matter. The landscape couldn’t capture her interest. Wherever she looked, Marcello wasn’t there. The feelings of loneliness were made worse by Leandro’s face, which was a reminder of him. She missed him terribly. And she was beginning to suspect she might never see him again.
Chapter Forty-Four
Carpathian Mountains, Slovakia, Austro-Hungarian Empire
Tatiana looked around the rugged landscape. She’d never felt so far from reality as she did now, looking over the beautiful mountains devoid of cities and other signs of human life. The nearly full moon shone bright over the peaks and valleys of the mountains. They’d traveled for what seemed like a lifetime, until time itself no longer had meaning. Each day and night blended in Tatiana’s mind until it was all but an endless journey. From train they went back to carriage, from carriage they went to horseback, and finally from horseback they went to hiking on foot.
She wore a sturdy dress of light wool that Leandro had stolen off a train. They stopped in boarding houses along the way, paid for with stolen money and vampiric charm, so that they could rest and bathe. None of the peasants appeared to pay any mind to the three strangers passing through.
Tatiana’s legs were tired. They had been climbing up a steep incline for nearly an hour. She was sure Broderick and Leandro could’ve moved over the rough terrain a lot faster if she were not along. She didn’t care that she slowed them down. It wasn’t her choice to come with them.
Suddenly, Broderick stopped and let loose a long howl. Tatiana stiffened in shock. The mountains had been so quiet until then. The call was answered as the baying of wolves sounded over the distance.
Turning, Broderick said, “They are expecting us.”
Tatiana stared dumbly at his back as he moved further up the mountain. She felt Leandro take up her arm and turned to look at him. He smiled slightly and nodded that she was to follow. Tatiana wasn’t comforted by his smile. He wore them too freely to hide whatever it was he thought.
Without warning, Broderick’s back disappeared into the shadowy side of the mountain. Tatiana stopped, glancing at Leandro. “Where did he go?”
As if to answer her, Broderick’s hand struck up from the ground and he waved them forward.
Looking into a narrow entryway in the side of the mountain, Tatiana frowned. She shook her head. “I can’t go in there.”
“It is all right, bella donna,” Leandro soothed from behind her. His lips whispered past her ear and she shivered to feel his cool breath on her skin. His mouth was close to her neck and she wondered if he had yet to feed. She had not seen him with anyone. His hand pressed firmly on her back and he gently pushed her forward.
Past the narrow cave opening was a larger room of dark brown earth. Even the taller Broderick could stand easily within it. A slight whistle came from the narrow opening as a breeze drifted past the sharp rocks. Other than that, the cave was unmoving and silent. It reminded her of the catacombs, only now she didn’t feel so safe. She again thought of Marcello.
Feeling the desire to run, she made a dash for the opening. Leandro sensed her hesitance and caught her against his chest. He hugged her as she trembled violently in his arms. Tatiana let him hold her. She pretended he was his brother. The feeling couldn’t last. He had the same rigid feel to his chest that she remembered in Marcello. He had the same strong arms. But her body wouldn’t be fooled again by him. Her nerves did not sting at his nearness. Her stomach didn’t lurch. Her heart didn’t speed.
Tatiana roughly pushed away from him. Glaring, she demanded, “Kil
l me and be done with it. I have had enough.”
“Kill you?” a voice she didn’t recognize asked. It was soft, rolling gently like a babbling stream. “We have no wish to kill you, child. We only wish to harness you.”
Tatiana was too afraid to move. She felt a cold chill sweeping her body. Leandro’s eyes were boring into her, searching her to the depths of her soul. Her will slipped and for a brief second, he was inside her head, her heart. He gasped, pulling back from her as if she burned him. His arms lifted as if to protect himself from her.
“What did you see?” the rolling voice asked.
“Nothing,” Leandro said, obviously lying. “I saw nothing of importance.”
Tatiana felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and was forced to turn. Her gaze met with the light gray eyes of the stranger. Broderick stood proudly in the background, unmoving.
“I am Domin,” the stranger said. He had hair as white as the purest snow. It fell long and straight to his waist, like gossamer cobwebs, so fine and thin. His mid-length gray beard rested against his chest. He looked older, fifties perhaps. But, seeing him, Tatiana knew he was like Broderick. She detected the same sensation from his body. It was as if she could read him. So very like the vampires, yet just different enough that she could tell them apart.
“Are you trying to read me?” the old lycan asked, as if amused by the thought. His words stayed gentle, but Tatiana knew she would have to be careful around him. This one saw too much.
“No, I was just sensing that you were a lycan.” Tatiana tried to keep her tone light.
Broderick and Leandro exchanged brief looks. Domin studied her for a long moment, trying to detect if she lied. Slowly, he smiled and Tatiana wondered how much he saw.
“I am sorry that we have to meet again under such dire circumstances,” Domin said, stroking her cheek with this soft wrinkled hand. His large knuckles glanced over her skin. He was very warm. “But you see there is no time for pleasantries. Your powers grow and are uncertain.”
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