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Nadiya’s eyes narrowed ominously "You dare say that to one from here!"

"Drake?" Elena looked up at her husband, her cheeks da Elena by the hand, he started down the trail, then turned back to face Nadiya "Know this If you harhter’s head, I will hunt you down and rip out your heart noit takesfor her reply, he stalked down the long, winding path that led to the valley below

Lucien stood at the foot of the trail, his men stretched out behind him

Drake paused in front of the other Master Va "I should have known you would be in on this," he said, his voice thick with contempt "I have always known you coveted this place It is a shahtbehind a woe"

Varow flushed with anger, but Lucien’s eyes filled with shame as he stepped aside to let Drake pass

"Be warned, Lucien," Drake continued, his voice laced with quiet hter, your life will also be forfeit" Back rigid, he swept past Lucien and the other vampires

Stefan and Liliana followed Drake and Elena down the ht up the rear

As he started to pass Nadiya, she put a staying hand on his arical power rippled over his skin like tiny electric shocks "Who are you?" she asked

He shrugged "Just a friend of the family"

She stared at hinition flared in her eyes "You knew my son, Daryn"

Zack nodded "I saw him a couple of times"

"Do you knohere he is?"

"Yeah," Zack drawled "I know"

Her eyes glittered with a fierce intensity "Tell ht after you tell lared at him "All I have to do is say the word and she is dead"

Zack’s hands clenched into fists He had never hit a woman but he was sorely tempted to start with this one "Kill her and you’ll never see your son again"

Nadiya’s gaze searched his She had not seen her son’s body She grabbed at the slender thread of hope Ravenscroft’s words offered "Is he still alive?" Her voice broke on the last word

"Is she?" It took all Zack’s concentration to keep his voice even

Nadiya straightened to her full height, her eyes flashing fire as theyus nowhere"

"I heard what Drake said about hunting you down if you harm Kaitlyn If he fails, I will find you, and I will finish it"

Anger flashed in Nadiya’s eyes She glared at hi in concentration

Magick shimmered in the air as she suainst hiainst it, his oer surfacing in response Heracross his skin, but whatever spell she was conjuring had no other effect Her ick had worked on Drake Zack had no idea why it didn’t work on hihtfully Maybe her witchcraft was nullified because he wasn’t a Romanian vampire but one of the dreaded Others

It was the only reason that made sense

Chapter 30

Wolfraht, Zack ular, there were round turrets at three of the corners and a high, arched entrance Battlele entry, flanked by ters, faced the rising sun Stone steps led to an impressive, iron-barred door made of what looked like solid oak

Zack stood aside as Drake opened the door The Master Vahts obviously deeply troubled

It was Elena who invited Zack into the castle He felt the faint brush of preternatural power over his skin as he crossed the threshold

Wolfram Castle was as iht, taking a quick look around If this room was any indication, the castle interior had been remodeled, perhaps several times In spite of its reat hall, had a homey feel to it A pair of flowered sofas faced each other in front of a large stone hearth, several overstuffed chairs were grouped together around an oval coffee table He guessed the trestle table against the far as part of the original castle furnishings No doubt the hearth was also part of the original structure

"Nice place," Zack remarked

"Thank you," Elena said "Your roo hand on Elena’s ars I need to go over with Mr Ravenscroft"