Page 63 of Across the Sapphire Sea
Elias scowled. “How old are you then?”
“That I’ll keep to myself. An artist must have some secrets, if only to keep the air of mystery we so painstakingly curate about ourselves.”
“All right,” said Elias, switching tactics, “then if the gate hasn’t opened in millennia, as you say, why do they stay to guard it?”
Lajos gave a flippant shrug. “They cannot leave. The gate is their obligation as they are my obligation. If it should open, they must protect it.”
“Protect it from what?”
“You overestimate my knowledge of the subject. I’d say you should ask them yourself except I prefer you living to dead.”
Elias wasn’t ready to give up his line of questioning. “Well, do you know where the gate leads?”
Lajos tutted. “No more teasing bits of information from me. No matter how irresistible I find you.”
“I’m taken.”
“I know. I don’t so much care, but believe me, I know. Your sire has made that abundantly clear.”
“If you won’t answer any more questions, and you’ve said what you came here to say, I’d appreciate it if you left.”
“It won’t go well for you when your master finds out I’ve been here, will it?”
“No,” Elias answered honestly. There would be an argument for certain.
Lajos sighed with more drama than even Valeri could muster.
Vampires,thought Elias. Were they all like this? He hoped The Dozen would be different.
“I’ll intercept.” Lajos stood from the lounge and smoothed his hands over his fitted tunic. “I’ll take all the blame. Don’t say I never did anything for you.”
Elias didn’t know what he meant by ‘intercept,’ and he didn’t care. He just wanted him gone. He stood to show Lajos out.
“You’ll try though?” asked Lajos, his tone serious. “To persuade him to leave.”
Elias opened the door for him. “Yes. I’ll try my best.”
“There’s a good lad.” Lajos leaned in to kiss his cheek. He had to stand on tiptoes to do it.
Elias endured the gesture, but didn’t return it. “Good luck with your debt.”
Before departing, Lajos cast him a shrewd glance. “Smarter than your sire indeed.”
16
Elias, Present, 1432 Common Era
An anxious quivering had settled in Elias’s gut.
Lajos had taken two nights to secure their group an audience with the ancients. Elias had half thought Lajos wouldn’t agree to arrange the meeting, or if he did, that he wouldn’t be successful. When word came the audience would actually happen, the announcement held a note of surprise.
Valeri had been elated.
Elias couldn’t help but wonder if this was a bad omen, that they’d agreed so easily. Before he and Valeri had left Rovaniemi for Bran Vigny nearly a year ago, Lajos had been adamant a meeting was impossible. What had changed? Was a delegate from The Dozen really all it took?
As the least experienced of their group, Elias thought his opinions wouldn’t count for much. Not with Valeri at the helm, a witch of Aella’s caliber, and esteemed vampires like Ash and Laurence. Even Remy, freshly turned, held more sway.
What did Elias know? So he kept his concerns to himself and followed their lead, even though the circumstances sparked suspicion.
