Julija continued to look out over the beautiful scenery, wishing she was walking with him around that lake. She had learned—somewhat—to control her body temperature. It wouldn’t matter that it was cold, only that they were together and doing something other than fighting the mages. She just wanted things to be normal. Even if it was only for a few minutes. She didn’t want to think about dark spells and evil books and monsters. She just wanted normal, so she could breathe.
“I often think of Elisabeta and wonder how she managed to live all those years without going insane. She has to be so strong.”
Isai turned her back into his arms, holding her close to his body. His chin rubbed along the top of her head, so that her hair was caught in the bristles along his jaw, weaving them together. “You are just as strong, Julija. Never think that you’re not. You have endured the murderous relatives you have and yet you have come to me pure of heart and soul. That, in itself, is a miracle.”
She wasn’t going to argue with him. She knew how close she’d been on more than one occasion, wanting to end what appeared to be a hopeless situation. More than once, she’d left and always, Anatolie had found her and brought her back.
She frowned, pushing against his chest with both palms to create space so she could look up at him. “The times I left home to get away from them all, no matter where I went, Anatolie could find me. Blood calls to blood. He knows where I am. He’s waiting for me to find the book.”
“Julija.” His voice was calm. Steady. As soft as velvet stroking over her skin. Her senses. Soothing her. “We knew he was following you. Your brothers made their move too fast. They conspired to get the book for themselves and wanted control of you. Crina made her move, most likely because Barnabas threw her out. She was nothing to him and she had to have known that. Anatolie is wiser. He believes you can find the book. Once you do, he intends to take it from you.”
There was no change of expression on his face. Nothing to indicate that he was worried about the outcome of doing battle with her father. He was a strong, ancient warrior and he’d seen countless battles against any number of foes. This, to him, was just one more.
“I’m glad I have you with me,” she whispered, and went up on her toes to kiss him.
17
Isai had time to find the perfect place to go to ground. It was beautiful beyond comprehension, a lost world. When the earth had exploded, and lava had run in rivers and then earthquakes had followed, the phenomenon had created a deep crater inside one of the tallest mountains. The hole that allowed one to peek into the world was very small, one that could easily be overlooked and so far, no climbers or hikers had discovered the eye that would have shown them the entire little ecosystem existing in that rocky bluff.
The rock itself was quite thick, covered with larger boulders and strange jagged-shaped protrusions, as if the rock were rising toward the skies with fingers. If one looked closely, the outcropping looked like a giant hand. Most tourists took pictures of that and ignored the ground that was under their feet. That ground was riddled with a dozen holes, tiny pinpoints that allowed light to shine into the empty space below.
Over time dirt and seed had fallen into the cavern below. Water trickled in from the southern wall. There was no crack to give the cavern away. Isai wouldn’t have found it if not for Blue and his avid curiosity. The cat kept pawing at the dirt and uncovered one of the larger peepholes. The crack was there, running on top of the rock, rather than on the side. That was unusual. Isai had instantly investigated and discovered the small little paradise beneath.
It wasn’t unusual to find trees and brush in some of the larger caverns, especially the ones with plenty of water and a way to get sun. This was very small on the scale of the ones he’d seen in his lifetime, but he’d take it. Julija needed to feel safe. For just a few hours she needed to have a place to sleep and relax. He wanted time with the cats,