Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 165649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 663(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 165649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 663(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
There was chaos in Sandu’s mind. A red haze that burned like a terrible fire. Ferro tried to reach him through the bond they’d established in the monastery. Andor tried through their soul bond. Gary reached out as a healer. Nothing seemed to penetrate that ugly churning mass, that need for violence.
Sandu stepped closer to the boy and Ferro’s heart sank. He would have no choice but to destroy the man he thought of as brother. Sandu had suffered too long and finally was turning. Around them, women and children were being hastily taken to safe rooms. The Carpathian males pressed closer, but this was Ferro’s task. No one else would touch his brother.
“Do not tell me what I should do. I have been alive centuries. I need only to take this from your mind. Why should I waste one moment of my precious time on pressing buttons and staring at a screen? You wish only to look superior.”
Ferro willed the boy not to respond. There were deep red flames in the middle of Sandu’s black eyes, burning out of control, reflecting the wildfire blazing through his body, raging through his mind.
“Sandu,” Josef began, his tone placating.
Ferro inched closer, knowing he had to insert himself between Sandu and the boy, and the moment he did, Sandu would defend himself. That was when he felt her. They all felt her. Gary. Andor. Lorraine. And most of all Sandu. Peace and tranquility surrounded all of them but encompassed Sandu, as if enfolding him in a cocoon of sheer serenity. Elisabeta flowed gently into Sandu’s mind through Ferro, using his path, her touch so gentle it was barely felt, and yet so powerful, she was breathtaking.
Each of those connected to Sandu felt Elisabeta’s compassionate, selfless giving. Her spirit was like a cool summer breeze, moving through the red haze in the ancient’s mind, clearing away the vampire-turning tendencies in the ancient and replacing them with peace. Somehow, in a short time, she managed to restore Sandu’s normal balance. His mind was once again free of all rage and chaos and he was able to think clearly.
Ferro looked down at his lifemate. She stood very still in the middle of the extremely wide-open yard, surrounded by houses, warriors, mostly strangers, but her entire focus was on Sandu. She didn’t see the night sky or the huge area that would have frightened her beyond measure. She saw only a Carpathian hunter in need and she reacted the way her gift demanded. He was extremely proud of and humbled by her.
Thank you, piŋe sarnanak. Sandu matters to me very much. He knew she would have aided any of the Carpathian hunters, but his brethren, Sandu in particular, he held in great affection, although he was only beginning to acknowledge that. He wrapped his arm carefully around her and pulled her under the shelter of his shoulder. It wouldn’t be long before she would realize where she was and how many others, including her birth brother, were staring at her.
“So, Sandu, I take it you are far too old to learn technology,” Dragomir said, his grin taunting. “I always knew your brain was a bit addled. Apparently, it matters little what songs are sung around the campfire in honor of a great warrior if one’s brain can no longer learn.”
Sandu narrowed his dark eyes at Dragomir. “O jelä peje terád. You try this demon tablet and see how you fare with it.”
The other hunters laughed, smiled or smirked as Sandu told Dragomir sun scorch you, swearing in their ancient language. Mostly, the humor was from relief that Sandu had been spared from turning, but now the doubt had been planted and he would be watched closely. Ferro knew he would have to monitor his friend at all times.
“We all have to learn it,” Gary said. “We can’t just know how it works and take the information from one another. We have to be able to use it if we need to. The Malinov brothers have been light-years ahead of us in the use of technology and we have to catch up with them fast if we are going to survive. They are attacking us on every front and they will win if we don’t get out ahead of them. Josef is our best hope to do that and we need to pay attention to him.”
“Who is brave enough to be next?” Sandu asked. “You, Dragomir? Or you, Petru? I see you, Isai, slinking away into the shadows.”
Josef held up his hands. “I will work with one of you next rising. I need to go through the rest of the system, or at least get through as much as I can before dawn comes.”
He does not show it, but he was very shaken by Sandu’s reaction, Elisabeta reported to Ferro.