Ferro took up the story. She hadn’t yet realized the five ancients weren’t on their way back to her. Ivory was her name. Draven, the prince’s eldest son, was to inherit the mantle of authority, but the rot of the bloodline was in him. The prince didn’t order him destroyed as he should have. Draven wanted Ivory, although she wasn’t his lifemate. He didn’t care. The prince, thinking to protect her, sent her to Xavier, the high mage, to school. He wasn’t aware that Xavier had his own agenda and was plotting to take down the Carpathian people. Draven, the prince’s own son, entered into a conspiracy with the high mage. In exchange for a Dragonseeker woman, Draven would provide the mage, Xavier would turn over Ivory. Rhiannon had a lifemate. He was killed and she was taken prisoner. Ivory did survive the terrible things done to her. Mother Earth accepted her and, over time, centuries, healed her. She hunted the vampire with a wolf pack and eventually found her lifemate, Razvan. That is another story I will tell you some rising.
Below was the lake, the surface shining a dark silver. The clouds drifted in a lazy pattern, allowing the sliver of a moon to peek out and reflect below on the surface. A slight breeze skipped across the top of the water, creating small waves that lapped gently at the shore, creating an idyllic, inviting scene.
What are you doing? Ferro. He is there. Right there. Waiting for you. The newly made vampires are there. He has leashed them. He knows they are his only warning system. You have to leave before they sense you.
Ferro and the other ancients stilled, not moving at all. They had no idea how close they were to Sergey’s newest pawns.
How do they sense us?
A small sob escaped. You have to come back. Just come back.
He poured steel into his voice. Elisabeta. I need you to help me. Tell us how they know when hunters are near. Answer me at once.
There was a moment he didn’t think she could overcome her terror, not even when he fell back on giving her a command. He resisted sending her waves of reassurance, which was what he found he needed to do more than anything else, but it wasn’t what she needed. Gary, Sandu, Petru and Benedek were merged with them, and she would forever view a panic attack as cowardice if they saw.
The psychic males, when they are newly made, pool gifts when they are close to one another. It happens when they first emerge. That allows them to be far more sensitive to any other with energy such as yours. You are using a different form, and that form produces an altered power source no matter how dim. Together, they can feel it.
Are the master vampires aware of this phenomenon? Ferro asked before any of the others could. He used his gentlest voice to make certain she knew he was not accusing her of anything.
There was no way any of the vampires, no matter how intelligent, could have guessed that. Cornel hadn’t known; he’d silenced the whining vampires. It had been Ambrus who had eventually paid attention to the continual moaning of the newly made pawns, and even he had taken time to work out that a possible threat was close. Elisabeta had said Ambrus was like a wild animal, and that went along with the way he had puzzled out the strange communication.
No, they have no idea.
Not even Ambrus?
