Page 15 of Dark Hope (Dark Carpathians #38)
Chapter 15
Silke pressed her fingertips to her temples, where the pounding was the worst. She hoped that simple pressure would alleviate some of the pain crashing through her head.
“Benedek warned me that I would be uncomfortable without him,” she admitted to Fenja. “I was so certain I’d be fine, but the worst isn’t physical, and that’s pretty bad. I feel as if I’m grieving for him. I keep wanting to reach out to him to ensure he isn’t dead. It feels as if I’ve lost him.”
Fenja’s facial features softened. “You know he is Carpathian, and like Tora, he is beneath the ground resting. Rejuvenating.”
“Intellectually, yes, I know that’s where he is and what he’s doing. I know better, but that hasn’t stopped my mind from insisting he’s deceased.”
Silke sighed and paced across the room to the window. Staring out at the forest in the distance, she dug her fingers into the material of the shawl she had wrapped herself in for comfort. “I’m supposed to be intelligent, Mama. How can my brain keep trying to convince me Benedek is dead?”
“I have heard the lifemate bond is extremely strong,” Fenja replied. Her gaze followed her daughter’s pacing, and when Silke stopped in front of the window, she joined her. “We think in human terms. They are not the same species. They have different rules for very good reasons. In our society the criminals have certain rights and there is a court process. Sometimes the wrong person might be convicted and the criminal gets away. We’re human. We can’t look into the minds of the accused. Carpathian hunters go after vampires. They are tasked to hunt the Carpathians who have chosen to be outside their very rigid laws. They know absolutely that person is guilty. There is no court of appeals.”
“A hunter is an executioner,” Silke said.
Fenja nodded. “In a sense. From our point of view. A vampire is an abomination of nature and will kill and kill cruelly, night after night. They don’t care if they are murdering a man, woman or child. They will kill families, even entire villages, in a single night, just for the joy of killing. Carpathian law dictates that they must be destroyed.”
“I can’t argue with that. I’ve seen them. There is no redemption for them, as much as I looked for it.”
“Silke.” Fenja showed her shock. “You touched their minds?”
Silke gave a delicate shudder and turned away from the window. “It is my way with any creature I am going to destroy. I have to be certain before I take a life. I’ve been in Benedek’s mind quite often now, and it is impossible to hide much from me. He touches their minds as well. He doesn’t realize he does it to assure himself they are wholly vampire and cannot come back. Many of those he hunted and destroyed were Carpathians he knew.”
“A terrible, lonely, bleak existence,” Fenja said, compassion in her voice. “I believe the lifemate connection must be extremely strong in order for the hunters to survive. They are able to bind their woman to them, and once it is done, my understanding is it cannot be undone.”
“Benedek explained that to me.” Silke threw herself into her favorite chair, pulling her mother’s shawl closer around her. “I just didn’t realize, when he told me I would grieve for him, that I really would. I’m strong, Mama, but I can’t seem to make my mind believe he’s just rejuvenating in the ground.”
“We associate being in the ground with burial. Death. Carpathians associate it with life. You will need to overcome that bias.”
Silke pressed her fingers to her temples again. Her brain felt in chaos. She was having a difficult time thinking rationally, and she despised the feeling of being so out of control. It was unlike her not to remain calm in any situation.
“I am fully committed to becoming Carpathian,” she said. “I know there will be several hurdles to overcome, but I really spent time in his mind. He knew I was there and didn’t look upon that merge as intrusive. He would have allowed me into places he doesn’t go himself. He’s a good man. A really good man. Not only that, but the traits I admire most, he has in abundance.”
“Do you believe he’s capable of love?” Fenja asked.
Silke met her mother’s eyes. “I believe you are a great seer and that you love me. You would never allow me to make a mistake. I should have known from the first time I was told about Benedek that you would know whether or not I should be with him.”
Fenja looked pleased. “As a seer, Silke, I must be careful of telling others what is in store for them. I believe Benedek and you will be very happy together, but life can be harsh. There is always more than one outcome, depending on the choices made.”
“I feel very fortunate that Benedek seems to respect me and is willing to discuss any issues with me,” Silke said. Again, she pressed her fingertips into her pounding temples. “I think I need to make tea. I was able to sleep through most of the day, thankfully.”
“Sunset is in a couple of hours.”
“One hour and seventeen minutes to be exact,” Silke said, sending her mother a faint grin. “I don’t even have a clue how I know that.”
“You have done one blood exchange with him,” Fenja pointed out as she started toward the kitchen.
Silke followed her. The kitchen was one of Silke’s favorite places to share with her mother. The archways were stone, but the walls were gleaming, polished wood. Silke had modernized their kitchen in terms of appliances, but it retained the old-world, fantasy charm she loved so much. She found comfort there immediately.
“Do you think that even though we exchanged blood only once, that could be the reason I’m feeling so out of control of my emotions?” She pulled the jar of tea down from the cabinet. “What I’m asking is, do you think that’s all it would take? One time?”
“You said he warned you it could happen,” Fenja said, putting the kettle on the stove. “That you might feel grief and think he was deceased.”
Silke bit down on her lower lip with her teeth. “He did say that. I thought it was silly. I don’t know why I didn’t take him at his word. I’ve never felt this way when Tora was unavailable for me to reach.”
“You grew up with her, and it was normal for her to be away during daylight hours,” Fenja pointed out.
“She gave me blood many times and took mine.”
“Clearly, it isn’t the same thing.”
“It isn’t like I can find books to study his culture,” Silke said.
The center island was a large rectangle with three sturdy wooden stools covered in leather on either side of it. She pulled out one of the stools and sat. As a child, she’d spent a great deal of time right there on that stool while her mother made tea and scones. She’d learned the art of tea making, of putting love into each cup so when they talked together at the beginning or end of the day, Fenja would feel as loved as her mother had always made her feel.
“Thank you for last night,” she said. “For telling Benedek about his birth parents. I know you had to really consider before you chose to disclose things to him that might have a negative effect.”
“Children often blame themselves when they have nothing to do with a tragedy. There were times when you were a young child and you’d ask me if you killed your mother. Some child at school would have said something unkind.”
“I’d forget I was adopted. You’re the only mother I’ve ever known. I have my mother’s recordings to me, and you’ve told me about her and her family, but you’re the one who is always there for me. I might love my birth family but from a distance. You have been with me when I had nightmares or if I injured myself. You’ve been the one who saw to my very extensive education.”
Fenja poured water from the kettle into the little teapot and placed a cozy over it. “I made many mistakes. I might be a seer. I may have wanted to be a mother. The truth is I had no idea what I was doing.”
“You did just fine,” Silke defended her.
“Did I? What about your childhood? While other children played with each other, had toys and did naughty things, you were learning to defend yourself. To fight demons and vampires. You had no real childhood, Silke. I didn’t realize for a long time that the only two people you consistently were around were Tora and me. And we both saw to your education nearly every waking minute.”
“I loved my education. If you recall, I was always dragging you to the forest to show you my plants. I lived for those days, my hands in the soil, whipping up remedies for those in the village who were ill or injured. That was important to me, so it was important to you and Tora.”
“We influenced you, Silke. Yes, you needed to learn to fight. You needed to learn the uses of medicinal plants and the secrets of our ancient forest, but you also needed to be a child with friends. I should have made certain you were outdoors playing. Everything you did was to further your education. It wasn’t for you to just have fun.”
“I did have fun,” Silke insisted, feeling Fenja’s distress. “I love my life. I’m proud of my abilities. The truth is my brain demands constant new knowledge, and I have to keep learning in order to keep from making myself crazy. It’s the same with physical activities. I need to move. I like learning and perfecting each defense and offense, seeing if I can improve on it. I’ve never been made to feel in competition with anyone or that I’m not working hard enough.”
Fenja laughed softly. “You worked hard enough at anything you wanted or needed to learn, enough for ten children and then some.”
“That should tell you right there I found joy in it. And what about the creatures in the forest? You and Tora introduced me to them. They were my constant companions growing up. I always knew I had them. I chattered so much I’m sure they warned each other when I was coming.”
As long as she talked with her mother, she could keep the wild grief at bay. The familiar tea ritual and the beloved kitchen with all its memories helped to distance the terrible need to call to Benedek. She feared if she did call to him and he didn’t answer, she would dissolve into a puddle of grief on the floor. That would be too humiliating to bear.
Silke needed Benedek to view her as a strong partner. He was an exceptionally strong man. She needed his respect to be able to live with him. She couldn’t imagine, if she succumbed to the feeling of sorrow when he’d warned her it was false, that he would admire and respect her. He’d view her as weak. She would view herself that way.
Fenja poured tea into two cups and added honey. She cut slices of cheese and placed berry jam and a small piece of honeycomb beside the cheese and flat crackers on a tray. Setting the tray on the island in front of Silke, she indicated the food.
Silke’s stomach lurched. She turned her face away from the tray with her favorite type of cheese, crackers and homemade jam. The sight of it made her feel sick. She’d woken with no appetite and barely managed to drink water. She had hoped tea would be soothing, but now the mixture of aromas seemed to cause her stomach to rebel.
“You need to keep up your strength, Silke. Eat something. I know it will be difficult, but I want you to try.”
“I don’t know if I can,” Silke admitted reluctantly. It was one more thing she couldn’t seem to overcome, and it bothered her. “Mama, if becoming a Carpathian makes me weak, it won’t be a good thing. I feel as if I’m much weaker, not stronger, after one blood exchange. If I’m like this now, what will I feel when we have our second exchange? He’ll be expecting my cooperation, and I did give my word.”
“Communication is always vital in any relationship,” Fenja reminded. “In one such as yours, with completely different cultures, it is even more so. Talk to him. Voice your concerns. Allow him to know what you’re thinking and feeling so he can explain precisely what is happening to your body.”
“I’m afraid he’ll view me as too weak to be a full partner if I can’t handle this. We’re just at the beginning.” She cupped both hands around the warmth of the teacup. “It’s appalling to me that I can’t handle a separation from him. I can’t even eat or drink without him. What does that say about me?”
“It says you’re human and courageous enough to enter his world, one you don’t yet understand, but you’re trying to for him. Benedek is man enough to see that and respect you all the more for it,” Fenja assured.
From the time she’d opened her eyes, her hearing, always astounding, was even more acute. Her vision had improved significantly. Her sense of smell had more than doubled. She wanted to attribute her lack of desire for food to that but knew better. Benedek’s blood had enhanced her senses.
As far back as she could remember, she had always been able to see into others. When she was a child attending school, she was able to read the other children. She knew who lied. She knew their emotions. She became adept at it as a teenager. At the time, she didn’t realize she was perfecting the art of slipping in and out of mind merges. It just began to happen. Once she realized what she was doing, she practiced, mostly on animals, insects and birds. Then it was the mythical creatures in the forest. When she knew she could keep her energy low enough that she wouldn’t tip anyone off, she began to practice on humans and even Tora.
Silke studied her mother’s face. As she sipped her tea, she appeared calm. Serene. Sincere. She was none of those things. Fenja was anxious because Silke was unable to eat or drink anything, and that bothered her more than her daughter grieving for a man who wasn’t dead.
Very carefully she brought the teacup to her mouth. She forced herself to remember the taste and aroma and how good it was. The tea had always been calming. Soothing. She made it for clients when they came to her agitated and distressed. Her lips touched the rim, and she tilted the cup gently to sip at the contents. Her stomach lurched, and she feared she would start gagging.
Fenja watched her with the all-seeing eyes of a mother. Her dismay grew, casting shadows in the room. Silke glanced out the window to view the flowers and shrubs surrounding their home. A slight breeze had petals and leaves dipping and swaying as if dancing. She wished she could plunge her hands into the soil and connect with the earth.
“An hour until sunset,” she murmured aloud. She wondered if she could reach him. She had no idea if he could help her while he lay in his paralyzed state, but she had to try for her mother’s sake.
Benedek. She reached out to him. Tentatively, at first. When she sent the call, the shrubs outside reacted as if she’d summoned them. Every bush and flower, even the trees, went on alert, going against the wind to shift their limbs toward the house. Listening. Ready to convey to the underground communication center exactly what she needed.
She tried a second time, this time with much more confidence. The mycelium network running beneath the ground connecting the trees and plants would carry her request to him. Benedek. I’m so sorry to disturb you. I have need of you. She just managed not to choke on the words. She’d never acknowledged needing a man in her life.
There was a brief pause, and then she felt the stirring in her mind. He poured into her with surprising strength.
I am not just any man, sivamet. I am your lifemate. I want you to turn to me when you have any need.
Relief poured into her. Filled her, the way his strength and comfort had. He was alive. He had managed to answer her when he shouldn’t have been able to. How is it you can be alert?
I am ancient and… He hesitated. More. I’ve become more. I have learned ways to safeguard myself and my lifemate from those who would betray our resting place. Tell me what you need.
Silke kept her gaze fixed out the window. She was beginning to become uneasy. The plants continued to be alert, but she noticed a disturbance on the outer perimeter, just outside the gates leading to the inner circles. The plants began to wave in agitation, looking as if the wind were wild and blowing them first one way and then the next.
My mother is very distressed because I’m unable to eat or drink. She feels it is very necessary for me to keep my strength up. I’m trying, but I can’t seem to get anything down. Is it possible for you to aid me?
Yes. Sunset is close and I will be with you soon. For now, I am going to help you eat and drink. It is easiest if you allow me to take over, but I will respect your wishes.
She had no idea how difficult it was for him to maintain their connection even with the underground mycelium network aiding him. She had also bridged that gap between them, but there were barriers surrounding him and she wasn’t that strong.
The plants in the outer circle, inside the gate, were behaving erratically. Her warning system was shrieking at her. Trouble was coming their way. This was why Fenja thought it imperative she eat and drink something. It was why there was honey on the table and in her tea. She had to put her trust in Benedek that he would only aid her to eat.
Yes, you take over, and let’s get it done. She tried not to show him her concern that they were about to be invaded by something from the underworld. That was what it felt like to her. She hoped he would concentrate on her anxiety over eating rather than the coming problem. She wasn’t nearly as anxious over the approach of what she was certain was a demon. She had no problems finding the strength and intelligence to outwit one of Lilith’s creations.
The next thing she knew the teacup was empty. Three crackers and the slices of cheese with jam and honeycomb were nothing but crumbs. She didn’t have the sensation of time passing, but Fenja was at the window staring out, and warning bells were shrieking at Silke.
“Would you mind clearing the table while I deal with the intruders?” Silke asked her mother as she rose. Her pack containing her weapons was never far from her, and she retrieved it and strapped it on. She added a long cloak with loops and pockets containing more weapons and sacred water.
“No problem, Silke. Be careful. This one is different.”
“Must be Castello,” Silke replied.
She felt the earth tremble, a signal that her plants and the stones didn’t like the intruder moving so freely toward the house.
“He isn’t alone. He has Ese Jordan with him and Noah Visser.”
That wasn’t good news. Visser was a policeman. If he had come with Castello, the visit would be made official. Visser had a partner, Gerrit Bakker, who was never far from him. She stretched her senses, looking for him. Bakker was studying the cameras scattered around the yard, along the fence and in the trees. She had already taken care of the cameras, making certain they were in good working order and looked as if they’d never been tampered with.
Someone, she was certain it was Castello, pounded on the door. She felt the fury through the thick wood and weave of safeguards. He was truly angry and determined to have a confrontation.
“There’s a doorbell,” Visser pointed out. “Get control, Castello, or we’re leaving. Two very respected women live here. You’re not going in like some mad dog, upsetting them.”
Silke was happy to hear Visser stand up for them. He was the calmer of the two officers. She’d never heard him raise his voice, not even to teenage pranksters. If anything, he found the children amusing. She knew Noah Visser was very interested in her. He’d asked her out on multiple occasions. He’d gone so far as to suggest they go places as friends, with no pressure, to further their friendship.
You are enhanced from the blood exchange, Benedek reminded. He will find you more alluring than ever.
Silke wanted to smile at the bite in his mind. His tone was mild, but she felt his disapproval of her being in close proximity with Visser.
If I had wanted to be with Noah Visser, I would have already done so, she assured him.
I don’t like other men near you, he confessed.
Tora has explained to me that ancient Carpathians don’t like others around their lifemates. That feeling is left over from centuries ago. This is a much more modern era. I’m not ever going to invite men into my home when I’m alone, but I will maintain my friendships.
More pounding on the door. Visser protested again. “You’re going to be civilized, Castello, or we’re leaving,” he said firmly. “I’ll come back with my partner and ask Silke and Fenja questions without you being present. The way you’re acting will just stir up animosity, and believe me, you don’t want Silke to get protective of her mother or angry with you.”
“What can a woman do?” Castello sneered.
I’m opening the door.
You are alone right now.
She found herself laughing. My mother is here. No worries. I will see you when the sun sets.
Stall them for as long as you can. I have a bad feeling about this. There was no note of teasing in his voice or in his mind. His warning system was on full alert, as was the mycelium network.
Will do. She knew it wouldn’t be easy. Castello wanted a confrontation, and he would be pushing to have one as soon as he could.
She took her time getting to the front door and opening it slowly. Ignoring Castello, she focused on the policeman. “Noah, this is a surprise. It’s good to see you.” She turned her attention to Castello. Little red flames flickered in his eyes as he glared at her. She pretended not to notice, looking as innocent and welcoming as possible. “Mr. Castello. How nice to see you again. And Ese, I haven’t seen you since you needed me to get rid of the fluid buildup in your lungs.” She made a point of reminding him that she’d helped him when the doctor had all but given up. “I’m so pleased that you seem to be doing better. What can I do for you, gentlemen?”
Ese Jordan glanced at Castello and then looked down at the porch floor without replying.
“We’re here on official business, Silke,” Visser said. “May we enter?”
Silke stepped outside and closed the door firmly. “You’re aware my mother’s immune system has failed, Noah. She can’t be around outsiders.” She waved her hand toward the chairs. “Sit down and tell me what you’re here for.”
“That’s not good enough,” Castello snapped. “We need to search the house.”
Silke raised an eyebrow. “Search my home for what? Do you have a search warrant? If so, I’d like to see it. I have no idea what you could be looking for.”
“One of my followers came here to see you, and he never returned,” Castello said.
“I’m sorry, how frightening for you. Who is missing? Noah, have you organized a search party? I didn’t hear of one.”
“Herman Drakos came here,” Castello reiterated. “I know he did, and he never left.”
Again, she raised her eyebrow and turned her attention to the policeman. “Do you think he’s under a lover’s spell and I’ve got him hidden away in my bedroom?”
To her horror, her voice came out sultry. Sensual. Alluring. Noah Visser choked on whatever he was going to say. Ese Jordan coughed, his hand over his mouth, his face red as he stared at her, mesmerized. Castello stepped back from her, a look of cunning mixed with apprehension on his face.
O jel? peje terád, emni, Benedek rasped into her mind.
Silke interpreted. To her amusement, he was once again swearing at her in his Carpathian language. The words meant “Sun scorch you, woman . ”
I warned you that the blood exchange would enhance your beauty. You already know men are attracted to you. You’re ten times as potent as you were. You haven’t learned to tone it down, so it isn’t safe for you to be around so many men without me present.
It was all she could do not to give a mental eye roll. I don’t see that Castello is attracted.
Well, you aren’t seeing him, then. He recognizes you’re different. He’s been around Carpathians during his life cycle playing human. Possibly he was given added power by a vampire from the underworld. Best guess is he thinks you’re already one of us. He’s most likely trying to figure out how powerful you are because the sun hasn’t set and you’re outside. Now, more than ever, he will insist on entering your home. Stall them.
Visser cleared his throat. “Of course not, Silke. I know Drakos isn’t hidden in your home, and we have no search warrant.”
Visser’s partner, Gerrit Bakker, came up the stairs just in time to hear him. “I would like to take a look at the footage on your cameras if you wouldn’t mind, Silke.”
“Of course not. If Drakos has disappeared, I’ll do what I can to aid you in finding him. When was he supposed to have been here?”
“Yesterday,” Castello said, his shrewd eyes fixed on her face. “He wanted to talk to your mother.”
Silke stroked her fingers down her throat in a practiced gesture. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Castello, but I stayed out in the forest transplanting medicinal plants for most of the day. My mother is ill and would not have answered the door if Mr. Drakos rang the bell.” She switched her gaze to Gerrit Bakker. “I hope the cameras help. At least you’ll know if he came by.”
“You have no problems with us viewing them?”
“Of course not. If he came here and then disappeared, it may be that you’ll see something to give you clues to where he went after. Or if he ran into someone.”
“Thank you, Silke,” Visser said and indicated for Castello to sit.
The demon took the seat closest to her, within striking distance. She was fine with that. The closer he was, the easier it was for her to enter his mind. She kept her energy low, extremely so, not wanting to tip off the demon that she was anything but one of the villagers. She appeared to listen attentively to both Visser and Bakker as they spoke about accessing the cameras, but she allowed her mind to expand, stretch, seek for the entrance to the demon’s mind.
Castello was used to getting his way by using his voice on those around him. He was distracted by her enhanced appearance and the allure surrounding her. Because he concentrated on her so intently, it was easier to access his mind, slipping inside with a thin, almost transparent stream of energy. It was necessary to keep all hints of feminism or humanity from that stream, especially when she went still. Her touch had to be delicate as she acclimated herself to her new surroundings.
All the while, the two policemen and occasionally Ese Jordan would ask her a question. They wanted to know if she’d ever spoken to Drakos without anyone else present. When Ese queried her, she knew the question had really come from Castello. The demon wasn’t risking blowing his cover in front of the two law enforcement men.
Ese Jordan was under Castello’s thumb. Once she merged her mind with his, Silke began to sift through his memories. She found Ese and hundreds of encounters between the demon and the villager. Ese first met him because of his continual gambling and losing so much money, and then, once they connected where Castello could use his voice, Ese fell under his spell. Ese would have sold out his own mother for Castello. He had become a fanatic to the demon’s cause.
Silke began to search for what exactly Castello was looking for. What he and his ragged band of worshipers wanted. It took a few more minutes of politely murmuring the answers to questions as she sifted deeper through the demon’s memories.
Castello had orders to build a following. To shape them into weapons to be used against demon slayers and Carpathian hunters. Not just any Carpathian hunter. Lilith wanted more of the ancients.
Benedek, did you get that? That implies Lilith already has at least one ancient with her.
Could she have succeeded in reaching Justice at long last? Perhaps she controls him now. There was a note in Benedek’s voice that warned her that would be a very bad thing.
I don’t see evidence of that yet. I’ll keep looking. He’s planning on killing me to get to my mother. He’s convinced she’s the slayer.
Keep stalling. Only a few more minutes and I will be able to create cloud cover that will seem natural.
Silke continued to examine Castello’s memories. He is tasked with finding the secrets of the forest, or burning it down, she told him. The longer she delved through the demon’s memories, the more she could see how his assignment was vital to Lilith. That would mean he would have extra protections.
Castello shook his head several times and continued to wave his hand toward Ese Jordan so that man would demand the answers the demon wanted. His ultimate goal seemed to be to get Silke to open the door of her home.
“I do believe Ms. Reinders might have important information about Drakos,” Ese said. “She’s most likely the last one to see him, and you know how she can be.”
Silke went on alert. It was important she continue to delve into the demon’s mind. She had to find out how he was made and what protections he had so she could counter them, but Castello and Jordan were carrying out a prearranged plan. She heard it in Ese’s voice and saw it in Castello’s mind.
The demon leaned toward the two police officers, his powerful voice persuasive. “I know you want to find out what happened to my friend and colleague. The answer is inside that house. It wouldn’t hurt for her to at least come to the door and answer your questions. We don’t have to go inside.” He used that compelling voice ruthlessly, pushing his will on the two men.
Like most of the villagers, Visser and Bakker had a barrier in their minds that protected them against compulsions. It wasn’t as if that shield couldn’t become flimsy with age. Tora couldn’t possibly get to every single person in the village to keep the barriers strong. She tried to renew the barrier in the villagers within a year’s time, but it wasn’t easy. Not since something was happening at the gate she guarded. She spent a great deal of her time there, concerned that Justice was somehow testing the gate. She didn’t want to let everyone down at the last moment and have the one they referred to as the beast escape into their world. Especially since they didn’t know if Lilith ruled him.
Clouds drifted across the sky, a solid wall of them building into a potential storm. The air changed subtly as shadows fell across the stones.
Don’t show yourself until I delve deep enough to find out his protections, she cautioned Benedek.
Both policemen shook their heads as if to dislodge the sound of Castello’s voice.
“Am I being so unreasonable?” Castello switched to another tone, one almost angelic.
Silke heard it as if nails scraped across a chalkboard. She pushed deeper into his memories. As she did, she caught his plan of attack. He would kill her first with a slash of his ceremonial knife, just in case she was the slayer. Then he would kill Visser. Jordan was programmed to kill Bakker. The bloodbath would be fast, over in a moment. In the end, Jordan would be blamed for killing them all. Meanwhile, he would be able to get to Fenja, the slayer. He thought of her as cowardly and was certain he could torture her into giving all the secrets of the forest to him.
Silke delved deeper, shuffling fast until she came upon one memory Castello had of being surrounded by several mages, Lilith and two shadowy figures. She felt Benedek’s sudden stillness. That didn’t bode well. The mages and Lilith chanted, the words ugly and dark. They circled Castello in one direction and then switched to counterclockwise as they invoked the spell. Dazzling crystal lights played over Castello the entire time as one of the mages stepped forward, took ahold of the demon by the top of his scalp and none too gently lowered him into a steaming vat of noxious liquid.
Castello screamed and kicked, struggling to get out of the vat while the chant swelled in volume.
They are covering his skin with a protective coating, making him immune to the crystals in the sword, she said, her mind already racing to find solutions.
Castello was jerked from the first vat and then dipped into a second one. This time, the mage spun him in circles, whirling him around as if to coat every part of him.
A second armor, not the same as the first.
To slay Castello, she would have to get past two sets of entirely different armor. She watched as the mage dragged Castello free of the vat and shoved him back into the center of the circle. Immediately, the mages began to chant, casting many dark spells at the demon. Symbols lit up all over his body but never penetrated. The mages stepped back, and the two much larger figures raced forward in a coordinated attack.
Instantly, Silke knew they were vampire. More than vampire, something much more powerful. Even so, no matter what they did to try to rip off the demon’s head or tear at him with ten-inch claws, they couldn’t penetrate the armor. Very slowly the chanting halted, and Lilith beamed at her demon.