“I understand,” Neona murmured.
“I fear Lord Liao will continue to search for our valley. He may have sent spies.” Nima turned to look at her daughter. “If any man discovers our valley or our secrets, he must be executed.”
Neona nodded. “Yes.”
Her mother arched a brow. “The correct response is ‘yes, your majesty.’ Did you think I wouldn’t notice that you have neglected to use my title for the past two weeks?”
Neona tamped down on a sudden surge of anger. “I have had other things on my mind.”
“The death of your sister.” Nima nodded. “I understand that you’re hurting. That is why I have not reprimanded you for the lack of respect.”
Neona scoffed. “And you are not hurting? Minerva was stabbed to death right in front of us!”
“We all risk death when we engage in battle. You know that. Now let us return to our homes.” Nima started down the path to the base of the valley.
Neona’s hands fisted. How dare her mother dismiss Minerva’s death that easily. “We shouldn’t have given away her baby!”
Nima halted and looked back, her eyes narrowing into slits. “That was seven years ago. What is done is done.”
“It was never done for Minerva.” Neona walked toward her mother. “She never recovered. If we had kept her baby, she would have fought harder. She would still be alive!”
Nima’s eyes flashed with anger. “Do not make such ridiculous claims. Besides, there was no way her son could remain. Men are not allowed here.”
“He was a baby! What harm could he have done?”
“He would still grow to be a man.”
Neona motioned toward the neighboring valley. “You let Frederic live close by.”
“And he was never allowed into this valley.” Nima made a sound of disgust. “He had two daughters with Calliope and still abandoned her. I should have killed him when I had the chance.”
“That would have gone over well with his wife and daughters.”
“Drop the sarcasm,” Nima hissed. “We all know the rules and why we have them. Your insolence is appalling, but I will tolerate it this one time since you are in mourning.”
How good of you, Neona bit back the words. Her anger grew as she watched her mother turn her back and walk away. “What happened to my father?”
Nima halted, her spine stiffening. “You go too far. I told you never to speak of him.”
Neona approached her. “Did you kill him?”
Her mother turned to face her. “Hypocrisy does not suit you. We are warriors.” She stepped closer. “How many men have you killed, Neona?”
“In the heat of battle, it is self-defense. We must kill in order to survive.”
Nima’s mouth twisted with a wry smile. “And what makes you think your father didn’t fight back?”
Neona’s gut churned. Killing men in battle was one thing, but killing a man after mating with him?
The queen patted Neona on the cheek. “Pull yourself together. Nothing matters except fulfilling our sacred duty.”
“Minerva mattered.”
Nima closed her eyes briefly with a pained look. “In the end, she was weak. Don’t let that happen to you.” She turned and walked down the path into the valley.
Neona remained behind with tears stinging her eyes. Zhan butted his head against her leg, and she crouched down beside him.
“Sacred duty,” she muttered. All her life, she’d heard that nothing mattered except keeping the valley and its secrets safe. “Minerva mattered. Her son mattered.”
And Zoltan mattered. Even though it hurt like hell, she could not see him again. He was venturing far too close to Beyul-La. Not only was her heart at risk. His life would be over if he was caught.
She hugged Zhan. “Love matters.”
Chapter Eight
When Zoltan teleported into the kitchen, he found Russell seated at the table with Howard. There was a tense silence between the ex-Marine and were-bear. A large box of donuts rested on the table, and Howard was working his way through them. In front of Russell, there was an open bottle of Blissky, a mixture of synthetic blood and whisky.
“Oh, there you are. I hope you don’t mind, but I helped myself.” Russell filled his glass and poured another one for Zoltan.
“What’s going on?” Zoltan sat across from Russell.
“Do you want him to hear this?” Russell tilted his head toward Howard.
“I’m not leaving.” Howard reached for a donut.
“Hear what?” Zoltan asked. “I was in the middle of something, so this had better—”
“It’s important,” Russell said. “Howard told me you were meeting an Amazon warrior tonight. So you found the women who made the arrow you took from me?”
“Yes.” Zoltan leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “What can you tell me about them?”
“Not much. They’re a secretive bunch.” Russell downed his glass of Blissky. “They’re in danger from Master Han.”
“Why?” Zoltan and Howard asked at the same time.
“I don’t know.” Russell poured himself another glass. “I’ve been spying on Lord Liao for a while now. I can learn more from his camp because he and his soldiers complain to each other. At Master Han’s camp, I can’t get near him. He’s too heavily guarded, and no one says anything there for fear that Han will kill them.”
“Great guy,” Howard muttered.
Russell nodded. “I overheard Lord Liao talking to his minions, and he’s getting frantic. Apparently, Master Han said he doesn’t miss the two vampire lords who were killed. And he bragged that he doesn’t need the demon Darafer in order to take over the world. He says he can do it all by himself. So Liao is worried that his days are numbered if he can’t prove his worth to Master Han.”
“And he can prove his worth by attacking the women of Beyul-La?” Zoltan asked.
Russell’s eyes widened. “Is that who they are? They wouldn’t even tell me that much.”
“Beyul-La?” Howard asked as he retrieved a cell phone from his pocket. “How do you spell it?”
“You won’t find it online,” Zoltan told him. “I already looked. It’s a hidden valley in the Himalayas. I don’t know why, but no men are allowed there. When I first approached the place, one of the women tried to kill me.”
“Sheesh,” Howard breathed. “What are they hiding there?”
Zoltan shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Whatever it is,” Russell said, “Master Han wants it. And Liao is determined to get it for him.”
Zoltan winced. “There are only six of them now. They can’t fight off an army of supersoldiers.”
Russell nodded. “That’s why I’m here. To see what we can do.” He gave Howard an annoyed look. “I guess you’d better let Angus know about it.”
“We could send a group to make first contact with them,” Howard suggested. “Angus would go with—”
“They’ll try to kill any man who approaches,” Zoltan interrupted. “They don’t believe men can be trusted.”
Howard sat back, frowning. “But you’ve been meeting one of them?”
Zoltan nodded. “Neona.”
“The healer?” Russell asked.
A spurt of anger jabbed at Zoltan, surprising him with its intensity. Damn. He was jealous that Russell had met her first. “How do you know her?”
“I hardly know her at all, so you can relax.” Russell gave him a wry look.
Was he that obvious? Zoltan sat back, affecting a nonchalant look. “How did you meet her?”
“I spent a few months following Lord Liao around Tibet. He was asking villagers where he could find the hidden valley of warrior women. I guess the news got back to the women, because they attacked. They were outnumbered but were fighting so fiercely that I joined in to help
.” Russell downed his glass of Blissky and slammed it on the table. “I was so close to killing Liao, but the bastard teleported away. Then the rest of his army fled. I was wounded and lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was in a cabin. Frederic’s cabin, they called it.”
Zoltan nodded. “I know the place.”
“I found out later that I had saved their queen’s life, so they felt honor-bound to nurse me back to health,” Russell continued. “They had borrowed some horses from a nearby village, and they used them to carry me and their dead back. I was unconscious in the cabin when the sun rose, so I started sizzling. They realized I was a vampire and shuttered all the windows.”
Zoltan winced. “How did they feel about you being a Vamp?”
“When I woke up, they were staring at me like I was some kind of monster. Then they gave me a bowl of blood to drink.” Russell grimaced. “It tasted awful. They’d gotten it from a donkey.”
Howard chuckled.
Zoltan smiled to himself. The damned donkey was good for something.
Russell poured himself another glass. “They were amazed that my body had healed itself. The wounds from the battle and the burns from the sunlight had all disappeared, and their healer hadn’t needed to do anything.”
Zoltan nodded, relieved that Neona hadn’t been forced to feel Russell’s pain.
“They were shocked that I had taken their side in the battle.” Russell swallowed some Blissky. “They know about vampires, but they thought we were all evil. I tried to explain that there’s a group of good Vamps in the world who make it their goal to protect mortals. And I told them I was determined to kill Master Han myself. They liked that idea and thought I would be better suited for the task than them, since I’m also undead. So after I promised not to tell anyone about them, they let me go. I would have kept my word, but I’m worried about them being in danger.”
“You did right by telling us,” Zoltan assured him. “I’m worried about them, too.”
“That arrow you wanted to know about—” Russell poured the last of the Blissky into his glass. “The healer gave it to me. Lord Liao killed her sister, so she asked me to use her arrow to kill him.” He sipped from his glass. “If you still have the arrow, I’d like it back.”
“I’ll get it for you.” As far as Zoltan knew, it was still stuck in the tree branch where he’d pinned the note.
Howard reached for a donut. “I think the warrior women will make good allies against Master Han.”
Zoltan nodded. “I’ll keep seeing Neona so I can gain her trust. And I’ll convince the women that we’re on their side. They’re so outnumbered that they’re going to need our help to defeat Lord Liao and Master Han.”
“Sounds good.” Howard bit into his donut. “And Russell needs to find out more information. We’ve got to know what Han and Liao want from these women.”
“Will do.” Russell finished his drink.
“Take a sat phone so we can call you,” Howard added.
Russell scoffed. “No, thanks.” He vanished.
“Dammit,” Howard muttered and stuffed the rest of the donut in his mouth.
Zoltan pushed back his chair and stood. “I’ll be going, too.”
Howard jumped to his feet. “Where?”
“Upstairs to the library. Do I need permission?”
“No. But I want to talk to you about the tours. They’re a huge security risk, so I’m wondering why you allow it to go on. From what I can tell, you don’t need the money.”
“I don’t.” Zoltan carried the empty glasses to the sink. “But the villagers do. The restaurant, hotel, and shops stay in business because of the tourists. And the ladies giving the tour make a nice salary. The guy who drives the bus makes a living for his family. The women who make the shawls and jewelry that are sold in the shops—”
“Okay, I get it.” Howard raised his hands in surrender. “And you trust all those people to keep you safe?”
Zoltan tossed the empty Blissky bottle into the recycle bin. “It’s worked for centuries. I keep them safe, and they return the favor.”
“It only takes one unhappy villager to offer your story to the media for a tidy sum of money.”
“And the other villagers will tell the media that he’s crazy.” Zoltan sighed. “Look. There will always be folktales about vampires, especially in this part of the world. If you tried to hush it up completely, it would only look suspicious. It’s better to play along with it, like a joke no one really believes.”
“I guess so.” With a frown, Howard closed the box of donuts. “But it’s still my job to keep you safe. How is your security in Budapest? Do you have bodyguards?”
“I have a butler and housekeeper who live there. They’re husband and wife, and they’re the only ones who know where the secret door to my bedroom is hidden. I keep the door locked and barred from the inside, so no one can enter unless I teleport inside and open the door.”
“Another vampire could teleport inside.”
Zoltan snorted. “They would have to know where the room is. And they’re not going to teleport during the day because they’re as dead as I am. Trust me, Howard. My security system isn’t high tech, but it works.”
“I’ll want to check it out personally.”
Zoltan waved a hand dismissively. “Not tonight. Go see your poor neglected wife.”
“She’s not neglected!”
“Good night, Howard.” Zoltan strode upstairs to the library off the Great Hall. He gave the bellpull a tug to let his steward, Milan’s grandfather, know he was back in the castle. Then he paced about the room, thinking about everything Neona had told him.
Her mother, the queen, could communicate with birds. Neona’s deceased sister had been able to, also, and another woman, Winifred, could. It seemed too big a coincidence that his own mother had possessed the same gift as three other women in Beyul-La. His mother had come from the East, so he suspected she had lived in Beyul-La. If so, how had his father managed to find her? How had he convinced her to come to Transylvania?
And then Neona had wanted Lord Liao killed with her arrow. Did the women have a long history of seeking revenge against those who had killed one of them? According to the few survivors in 1241, a group of fierce warriors and monsters had killed his father and most of the villagers before setting the buildings ablaze. Had those warriors been the women of Beyul-La? Were they the monsters, or had there been something else with them? How had they traveled such a long distance? How had they disappeared afterward with no trace other than the one arrow embedded in his father’s chest?
“My lord.” Domokos knocked on the door.
“Come.” Zoltan had tried years ago to convince Milan’s grandfather not to address him so formally. But as far as Domokos was concerned, Zoltan was a count from an ancient line of counts, so all the servants had to give him the respect he was due.
Domokos entered with a tray laden with a warm bottle of blood and a wineglass, which he set on the table in front of the hearth. “Would you like a fire, my lord?”
“No. I’m fine, thank you.”
Domokos opened the bottle and poured until the wineglass was half full. When his hand shook, Zoltan moved forward to help him.
“Allow me, my lord.” Domokos set the bottle down and regarded Zoltan with tear-filled eyes. “May I say how honored we are over Milan’s promotion. His success wouldn’t have been possible if you hadn’t paid for his education and taken him under your wing. He will do his best to make you proud.”
“I’m sure he will. Thank you, Domokos. That will be all for this evening.”
“Yes, my lord.” Domokos bowed his head and hobbled to the door.
When had he started to walk like that? And when had his hair turned silver? “Domokos.”
“Yes, my lord?”
Zoltan hesitated. How long had Domokos been his steward
? Thirty or forty years? “Are you watching out for your health? You can retire whenever you like at full pay. Just let me know.”
He smiled. “I know, my lord. There are enough servants here that all I really do is supervise. I choose to do this one chore every evening, since it is my pleasure to serve you in person.”
Even after eight hundred years, Zoltan could get caught off guard by the loyalty of those mortals who surrounded him. True, he took care of them the best he could, but they seemed more of a blessing to him than he deserved. “I am the grateful one, Domokos. You’ve taken care of me for . . . years.”
Domokos’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Sixty years, my lord.”
Zoltan blinked. “That long?”
Domokos grinned. “Yes, my lord. Good night.”
“Good night, Domokos.” Zoltan watched him close the door. Sixty years? How did time pass by so quickly? Working five years with Milan had felt like five months. Apparently he’d become such a workaholic that years were zooming by him unnoticed.
Something nagged in the back of his mind. The six women of Beyul-La. He’d seen them from a distance while they’d sat around the fire, eating. They had all appeared young, most probably in their twenties, but that couldn’t be right. One of them was the queen and Neona’s mother.
He strode to his desk and turned on the computer. He needed more information. Something concrete that he could investigate. Maybe Frederic?
He sat down and typed Frederic Chesterton in the search box. To his surprise, there were several articles. Frederic Chesterton had been one of the members of a doomed British expedition to the Himalayas. They’d planned to map a northern approach to Mount Everest, but the team had gotten lost in a sudden snowstorm in Tibet. In 1922.
Zoltan’s mouth dropped open. This couldn’t be right. He kept reading. A surprising development had occurred in 1933 when a man calling himself Frederic Chesterton arrived in England with a six-year-old boy. His surviving family accepted him back, claiming he truly was Frederic Chesterton. He’d aged eleven years but had no memory of that time. When newspaper reporters tried to interview him, he told them he had suffered from amnesia and couldn’t tell anyone where he had been or who had given birth to his son.