“No, I think they meant to remove it from your body so your blood and sacrifice lifted the spell that Kateryna cast.” Cord stood abruptly. “You were supposed to die, and your true death would have opened the mountain to the Drakhyn.” Cord stalked angrily to the room Lucas was in, snatching the papers up from the table. “This, what is this?” he demanded harshly as he pointed at a marking on the paper.
Lucas reached up and looked and consulted his notes. “Ash.”
“The ash of my body?” Leonid asked in confusion. “No one would have been there to burn it.”
“No,” Cord said distractedly. “This line is sloppy, which I thought was the Dark Prime’s handwriting, but it is not the wayward stroke of a quill, it is the slope of a mountain.”
“Mountain Ash grows on the other side of the mountain,” Leonid told them as he tried to quash the rising hope.
“Mountain Ash, a true death and a bearer of the Mark.” Cord tossed the papers down. “Everything else in there is smoke and mirrors.”
“And who do you plan on giving the true death to?” Lucas asked with a worried look to Leonid.
“Why, a Vampyre of course,” Cord told him with a wink.
Tegan woke to the sounds of quiet voices, and turning her head slightly, she saw Tove talking to a Pure Castor. She wasn’t sure which one, as they had their back to her, but from the stiff set of their shoulders, her guess was Rorik. Tove caught her gaze and smiled in relief.
“Little one,” she murmured as she pushed past the Castor and rushed to Tegan’s side. “You scared me,” Tove said as she bent down and kissed Tegan’s cheek.
“Hey,” Tegan croaked, and the Castor, who was indeed Rorik, gave her a glass of water with a straw. “How long?” she asked when she had taken enough water.
“Five days,” Tove told her as she stroked her hair from her face. “Your father is with the Mark of Velvore at the Court, and Salem is at House Ivanov aiding Sloane.”
“And Michael?” Tegan asked fearfully.
“Finally beat you at something,” his voice sounded from the bed beside her. “I woke up first.”
Tegan smiled tiredly as she turned her head and looked over at her brother. “I feel so tired,” she said as she struggled to sit.
“It took too long for your companions to call aid,” Rorik said stiffly. “He may bear the Mark of Velvore, but he cannot cast healing, not on the level you both needed.”
“Thank you for your aid, Pure Prime Castor,” Tegan said formally. She noticed the older Akrhyn seemed to lose some of his stiffness, and he nodded in acknowledgement. “Jasper?” Tegan asked Michael.
“He is mended,” Tove answered instead. “Michael may have woken first but not by much time,” she added with a wink to the male Heir.
“Still a win,” Michael said happily as he lay back on his pillows. “I cannot believe we got out of there in one piece,” he said as he turned his head to look at Tegan.
“I thought it was clear you and your sister were to remain in the Headquarters?” Marcus asked as he came into the room. He looked Tegan over quickly, checking her, and Tegan saw the disapproval clear in his eyes.
“What is the point of hiding when we are needed?” Michael asked boldly. “We discovered that there are free Lycan fighting with the Drakhyn in more than packs, we discovered the extent of the main Drakhyn’s ability to cast with his illusions, and Tegan saw something before it vanished.”
“What did you see?” Marcus asked curiously.
“A male. A Castor, I think? Old, very old,” Tegan said as she thought back on the figure that appeared beside the Drakhyn. “Evil.”
“How could you tell it was evil?” Marcus asked curiously.
“I saw his eyes.” Tegan’s voice was low, and she shifted uncomfortably in the bed.
“It scared you?” Rorik asked her gently. Tegan looked at the Pure Prime Castor and nodded quickly. “At least you know its face,” Rorik said as he awkwardly patted her hand. “The face of true evil is often disguised,” he said thoughtfully.
“Is it possible for you to send word to my father that we are awake?” Michael asked Marcus.
“Already done,” Marcus answered as he took a seat. “I knew Tegan wouldn’t be far behind you in coming to, as you had the worse injuries.”
“Worse injuries and still beat you to consciousness,” Michael joked lightly.
“I would prefer that this is a contest you don’t take part in often,” Marcus commented dryly as Tove helped Tegan with more water.