Page 137 of Master of My Heart

“No, Sabrina. Only a select group of people in the world know of their existence,” Richard said. He glanced at Tom.

“The Immortals, also known as Ilfirin, help guide the leaders of this group. Officially, our name is Nauragar. It means ‘fireblood,’ but we refer to ourselves as Elders. We guide the world on the proper path of balance.”

“Oh.” It sounded so bizarre that if he hadn’t had such a serious look on his face, she might have thought him joking. “That sort of thing really happens?”

Richard nodded. “Yes. And has for thousands of years.”

“How?”

“Richard and I are Elders,” Tom explained. “In each of the major countries of the world, we gather together and form what is called the Brotherhood. We seek to influence for the good, although sometimes a Brother steps out to seek his own power. We try our best to fix that and undo the harm he did.” His eyes squeezed shut with pain, and she wondered what he wasn’t telling her. “Each major country has seven Elders, usually chosen by their bloodline, who work to guide their country in the best possible direction. Although, with the advent of social networking, the task grows more difficult by the day.” He frowned. “There may come a day when we can no longer influence the people as we’d like, but we will continue to try until the task becomes utterly fruitless.”

“So... ,” she began slowly. “You’re saying there are seven men who control each country?”

Richard nodded. “The major countries, yes.”

She sighed and leaned back into the couch. “Those conspiracy TV shows are right? About the Vanderbilts and Kennedys and stuff?”

Tom and Richard laughed. “Not quite,” Richard said. “That’s what we let people think to keep them from finding out the truth.”

“So you’re all Elders?”

“Tom and I are Elders. Tommy and Chase are our heirs. They are called Elder-Sons.”

“But Chase isn’t your son,” Sabrina protested slowly, glancing at Chase.

Richard nodded. “Being an Elder is usually passed from father to son. I have four daughters and no sons, so when I became an Elder ten years ago, I chose Chase to be my heir.”

“Your dad wasn’t an Elder?”

Richard shook his head. “I became an Elder when there was a... um...” He looked at Tom.

“There was a man who sought his own power, putting his desires over the needs of the people,” Tom continued, eyes sad. “He was forcefully removed, as were his conspirators. Well, those who didn’t try and stop him.”

She studied him, sensing the pain in his heart. “You were close to him?”

Tom frowned and nodded. “Yes. I...” He sighed. “He was my best friend. But when I realized what he was doing, what he really wanted, I worked to stop him. Four US Elders were replaced. Richard is one of the new ones.”

Tommy patted his dad on his back. “It turned out okay, Dad.”

She could see the grief on Tom’s face and wondered what happened, but he smoothed away his troubled expression and smiled at his son. “Yes, it did.”

“Okay,” Sabrina said softly. “So, Immortals work with you guys to keep the world going the way it’s supposed to go.” She nodded thoughtfully. “What did Theo mean by... everything he said before he disappeared?”

Richard and Tom glanced at each other. “Honestly?” Richard said. “We’re not exactly sure. All we know is that you need to be protected.”

“From what?”

“From your Master.”

She shivered at the word. “How can I have a Master? I mean, I know that I do somehow, but how is that possible and what does it mean?”

“Our world is a world of strict hierarchy,” Richard explained. “The rules of the Brotherhood are absolute with very little wiggle room to exploit. When an Elder tells you to do something, you either do it or there are consequences. Sometimes very severe.”

Sabrina blinked and shivered. “Oh.”

“The Brothers are not slaves, but there are slaves associated with us,” Tom said. “We are their Masters and they obey us.”

“They’re not evil, Sabrina,” Chase added. “They treat their slaves very well and they are happy.”

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