Ignis (Book 2, Pure Series) (59 page)

           
William made a derisive sound, and Innokenti glanced at him sharply.

           
"You think vampires have no honor?" Innokenti asked.
 
"You may discover someday that you are wrong."

           
After a long look at William, Innokenti went on.
 
"Though the Sìdh were victorious, they had suffered losses and were weary.
 
The humans saw their chance and attacked.
 
A tribe known as the Milesians launched an assault on the Sìdh.
 
The Sìdh, were surprised by their strength—and pushed to a degree that frightened even them.
 
Rather than prolong the fighting, the Sìdh agreed to a treaty—they would divide the world in half with the Milesians.
 
But the Sìdh underestimated the craftiness of the humans, for when the Milesians chose their half of the world—they chose the upper half.
 
The Sìdh were bound by the force of their own word to take the lower half.
 
They were forced to retreat underground.
 
The Sìdh vanished from the face of the earth.

           
"In addition, the treaty established the authority of the Little Sun.
 
There are, in fact, a number of Little Suns in the world.
 
Each region has one.
 
As you well know, the Little Sun wields the clear fire to control evil spirits.
 
The Sìdh were forced to send one of their number every so many generations to protect the humans in each region of the world from the dark spirits and creatures that threaten them.
 
Creatures that humans cannot handle, but the Sìdh can."

           
Innokenti's eyes flicked to me again, and once more he continued without comment.

           
"And so the Sìdh remain in their hills underground to this day, harboring great hatred for the vampires.
 
They were defeated by the human Milesians, yes, but they believe that they would have defeated the humans easily, if it hadn't been for the vampires.
 
The Sìdh view the humans with some indulgence—sort of like precocious children, but they resent the vampires bitterly."

           
"So it's over then," William said.

           
Innokenti spread out his hands resignedly.
 
"That
should
have been an end to it—the Werdulac consigned to his icy tomb, the Sìdh trapped under their hills, and the humans masters of the surface.
 
But over the long centuries, the Werdulac, through sheer force of will, began to knit his body back together, to reconstitute himself.
 
The Werdulac cannot yet leave his prison, but he exerts his will over vampires and humans alike."

           
William hugged me closer.
 
"What does the Werdulac want?"

           
"He wants revenge.
 
He wants war with the Sìdh."

           
"That's impossible," William said.
 
"He can't get to the Sìdh—you said yourself they were banished."

           
"Unfortunately, it's entirely possible.
 
The Werdulac grows stronger every day, and more people and more creatures fall under his influence.
 
He is, as you know, creating an army of vampire-kost hybrids.
 
They have the strengths of both and few of the weaknesses.
 
And they have one further advantage—the kost cannot enter Zamochit Village—they cannot pass the supernatural barrier.
 
But the hybrid with its vampire blood can pass the barrier.
 
Eventually, they will grow to sufficient numbers and they will attack us here."

           
Innokenti glanced at me then.
 
"Little one, you should tell your grandmother to be wary of her old friends.
 
Some of them may have allegiances she knows nothing about."

           
Fear seized me as he said the words.
 
"Do you mean Maksim Neverov?"

           
Innokenti smiled.

           
"That doesn't answer my question," William interjected sharply.
 
"They can attack us if they want—and we are already working to be ready for them.
 
How does the Werdulac propose to get to the Sìdh?"

           
Innokenti nodded his head in my direction.
 
"Through her.
 
The Sìdh are not dead, as you well know.
 
But they are shackled, restrained.
 
But they are still bound to honor their treaty—they must send one of their number to create the Little Sun.
 
And if the Little Sun is killed by their ancient enemy, the vampire—they can be unleashed in full force to combat the vampire.
 
That's why there is a price on young Katie's head.
 
That's why the vampires have been after her.
 
The Werdulac wants her killed—and he wants her killed by a vampire."

           
Innokenti suddenly moved with blinding speed to stand directly in front of William.

           
"William, when I came to you and Katie in your charming New World town," he said angrily.
 
"I told you there were two groups that were after her.
 
One group, the Sìdh, wants to protect her from all vampires, including you—they will never allow the two of you to be together."

           
Innokenti leaned close.
 
"And the other group—the Werdulac and his followers—they want to end her life."

Chapter 22.

Innokenti stopped abruptly, as if he had said more than he had intended to say.

           
A tiny sound that might have been a breathy laugh drew my attention to the king and queen.
 
The queen was sitting forward on her throne, her eyes bright, her full red lips curved into a voluptuous smile.
 
The king, though less open in his reaction, was also riveted.
 
They were both enjoying Innokenti's anger—and William's.

           
"This is what you didn't think I needed to know," William said furiously, "that the Werdulac intends to kill Katie?"

           
"No, William, you do not need to know," Innokenti replied angrily.
 
"The Werdulac does not intend to kill Katie right away—he only intends to capture her and hold her.
 
He will not kill her until he is fully whole and free again.
 
And Katie is not the main issue here—she is just one human girl.
 
The main issue is the Werdulac himself.
 
The main issue is the fact that he grows stronger every hour and will eventually break free of his icy prison.
 
The main issue is that he will start a war between the Sìdh and the vampires.
 
The main issue is that this community is in danger."

           
"So that's what you're worried about," William said.
 
"You're worried that the Sìdh will attack Zamochit Village."

           
"No, William.
 
You're not paying attention.
 
I said that one of the advantages of the hybrids is that the hybrids can get past the barrier.
 
The Werdulac intends to attack us—not the Sìdh."

           
"Why would the Werdulac attack vampires?" William asked.

           
"Because he knows that we protect the people of Krov.
 
He knows that we are honor-bound not to oppose the Sìdh—that was the price the vampires paid for their survival.
 
He knows that we will fight with the Sìdh—not against them."

           
"You will fight against the Werdulac?"

           
"Yes, William.
 
We will."

           
"How could the Werdulac know what you will or won't do?"

           
"His life force is powerful—he has survived the destruction of his body.
 
He is even now breaking the bonds of his imprisonment.
 
And the Werdulac has unprecedented abilities—powers that are awe-inspiring even by the standards of vampires.
 
It is said that his senses alone would make him a wonder—he can see what is invisible even to eyes as keen as ours, and he can hear what is being said over thousands of miles.
 
And, of course, he has spies everywhere.
 
The Werdulac knows what the vampires of Krov have become, and by all reports, he is not pleased."

           
"So what do we do against such a powerful enemy?" William said.

           
"You, William, will go back to your work.
 
You will build us new and better weapons.
 
The leaders of Krov—his majesty, the king, her majesty, the queen, and to a lesser extent, their humble servant Innokenti," Innokenti paused to bow, "will take care of the important decisions.
 
We need you to work.
 
We do not need you to meddle in our affairs."

           
Perhaps Innokenti did not want interference from William or from me, but I suddenly remembered that I had information I needed to give him.

           
"I have a message for you," I said.
 
"From a vampire named Odette.
 
She said that the hybrid army will attack the human village at the Firebird Festival."

           
Once again, everyone in the room seemed to be surprised that I had spoken.

           
Innokenti broke into a smile that displayed his gleaming teeth.
 
"Ah, yes, Odette.
 
The most winsome and charming of double agents."

           
Something in Innokenti's tone rankled.
 
"What do you mean?" I asked sharply.

           
Innokenti spread out his hands.
 
"Odette appears to be friendly with all sides lately.
 
She has been here with us in Zamochit Village, and she has also been seen in the company of vampires who are known servants of the Werdulac.
 
It is true that Odette has given us information that has been useful, but I do have to wonder—has Odette also given information to the Werdulac's camp that has been useful to them?
 
You, of all people, little one, should have cause to be suspicious of Odette's motives.
 
As I recall, she is the one who turned you over to Gleb and Timofei Mstislav.
 
Surely, she must have known that taking you to them could not be good for your health.
 
Her presence in Krov was even an argument that William here advanced against your return."

           
What Innokenti said was true, but I was still oddly offended.
 
"Odette did turn me over to the Mstislavs.
 
But she later changed her mind and helped me escape."

           
Innokenti raised an eyebrow.
 
"She changed her mind, did she?
 
That was gracious of her."

           
"Odette is my cousin," I said angrily.

           
"Tragically, being betrayed by one's own flesh and blood is not so uncommon."

           
"But Odette helped me again last night when I was in the Pure Woods," I said.
 
"I was in a trance—I thought I'd seen the Werdulac.
 
And then I thought I was falling.
 
I was actually running right into some kind of ritual.
 
I saw Timofei Mstislav—he was being revived.
 
They turned him into a hybrid.
 
Odette stopped me before I ran into the middle of the whole thing."

           
William looked at me, stunned.
 
"Did you say Timofei Mstislav?"

           
"Yes."

           
"He's been reborn as a hybrid?"

           
"Yes, I saw him wake up myself.
 
And he saw me."

           
William turned on Innokenti.
 
"Did you know about this?"

           
"Yes, William, I did.
 
I knew the Werdulac's people had stolen his body.
 
I knew that they had been successful in reviving him.
 
From what I understand, after an initial, brief period of obedience, he has proved to be rather rebellious.
 
Apparently he imagines himself as the leader, and he tried to kill several of his fellows.
 
They now have him on a tight leash.
 
As far as Odette saving anyone—"

           
Innokenti's eyes flicked to me.
 
"Well, her presence was convenient, was it not?
 
She simply happened to be lurking near the ritual and intervened just in time to save you, to earn your trust and—"