“I can’t imagine what Elisabeta went through for all those centuries at his hands.”
“The thought of a vampire having one of our women for even a few minutes, let alone centuries, is horrifying. Their cruelty knows no limits. They crave seeing the suffering of others. How did you two become friends? I hear in your voice that you care about her.” He made certain to keep any surprise over that to himself. Julija seemed overly sensitive and he didn’t want any more tears when he had no idea how best to deal with them.
She hesitated for just a moment as if she might not tell him, but then she capitulated. “I connected with Elisabeta before Sergey’s vampires captured me and brought me to that horrid room where they were allowing their puppets to bite into children.”
“She was hidden.”
“Yes, but I’ve studied illusions from the time I was young, so I recognize them. I felt her presence. She’s quite strong in spite of what Sergey’s done to her. He’s made her believe she isn’t, but I felt her power. She was trying to get out of the bars that held her in order to save the child. The emotions in her were so intense I locked on her right away and was able to bring the illusion to light. Sergey had made her cage, with her in it, part of the cavern wall. The first time, throwing out power together, we were able to stop the puppet. Sergey was angry, but at the same time he was curious. That saved my life I think.”
He liked her voice. It was soothing and peaceful. Even when she was giving him a hard time and she sounded snippy, he liked her voice. He knew he would be able to listen to it for the rest of his life.
“I worry for her. She says she has a lifemate . . .”
Isai frowned. That didn’t sound right. Ferro had only told the others two nights earlier that he was Elisabeta’s lifemate. “When did you talk to her?”
“Just a little while ago.”
He heard the innocence in her voice. She didn’t realize that the surge of power would not only draw her brothers, but any vampires in the area. Sergey desperately wanted Elisabeta back. If Elisabeta responded to Julija, he would recognize her energy. He’d held her prisoner for too many centuries not to do so.
The two women also had no idea that talking across a long distance could be difficult for even the most powerful of Carpathians. She spoke of conversing with Elisabeta casually, as if it wasn’t in the least an effort.
“Did you contact her first, or did she contact you?” He wanted to know which of the two held the bridge between them.
“The first time I contacted her.” She frowned. “Maybe I did each time.” She shivered and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “I feel her. She’s so afraid.”
“She has reason to be. Sergey refuses to give her up and is calling to her every night, trying to scare her into giving herself up to him. Ferro is with her now. He will make certain, when she rises, that she will be safe.”
“You and I both know that is much easier said than done,” Julija said. “What happens if she never rises?”
“Ferro will not allow that. He is different. He’s always been different. Of all of us, he is the one most to fear. Perhaps he is Elisabeta’s lifemate for a reason. He is the most dangerous, the deadliest hunter, and has experiences many do not. Should he face Sergey and his army of vampires, I have no doubt he would cut a wide path through them.”
“Is he a gentle man?”
He could hear the fearful note in her voice and wished he could reassure her. “He will be whatever she needs, Julija.” The moment the words left his mouth, he was ashamed. Guilty. He should have been what Julija needed. “Perhaps I misspoke. Ferro, like me, was locked away from the world for a couple of centuries. Time passed us by and modern ways elude us.”
“Elisabeta was locked up as well,” Julija pointed out hopefully. “She says if she tried to run, Ferro would just bind her to him with the ritual binding words.”
He permitted himself a smile. There was no doubt in his mind that Ferro would do such a thing. “That is true.”
“How is that different from Sergey caging her? Please don’t get angry with me.