Would Drake see it that way? As Master of the Carpathian Fortress, he was responsible for making sure the laws of the coven were upheld. But then, hadn’t he changed the laws of his people in order to marry her?
“Mom?”
“Sorry, sweetie, did you ask me something?”
“I asked if you thought Dad would . . . oh, never mind. I know he wouldn’t. He thinks of the Others as our enemy. I’ve never heard him say anything positive about any of them. I just don’t understand it. They drink blood. We drink blood. They kill humans . . .” Remembering who she was talking to, Kaitlyn murmured, “Sorry, Mom.”
“It’s all right, dear. I know what you mean. And I know some of your father’s people have killed humans to survive. But that’s rare.” Elena sighed again. She had lived with Drake and his people for over twenty years, and even though they accepted her and treated her with respect, there were times when she felt like an outsider. She didn’t want Kaitlyn to ever feel like that.
“Well, it doesn’t matter, anyway,” Kaitlyn said, her voice melancholy. “I told Zack I couldn’t see him anymore, and I haven’t seen him since.” She paused. “Mom, have you ever heard of Daryn Korzha?”
Elena’s heart skipped a beat. “Did you say Korzha?”
“Yes, do you know him?”
“No. No, I don’t.”
“But you’ve heard of him?”
“I’m not sure. There are a lot of Korzhas in the world,” Elena said, her mind racing. “Where did you meet him?”
“He bumped into me at the grocery store in town. He told me his name was Eddie Harrington and that he was a businessman, but his driver’s license says his name is Daryn Korzha.”
“How did you see his driver’s license?”
“Someone left it where I’d find it.” As Kaitlyn said the words, she knew it must have been Zack and that he had been in her house without her knowledge. The thought gave her pause. “Eddie, or whoever he is, told me he was on his way to L.A., but he’s still here. I saw him the other day, when I was driving home from the drugstore.”
“Listen, Kaitlyn, promise me you’ll stay away from this man until we know who he really is, all right? I need to talk to your father about this.”
“I promise.” Kaitlyn didn’t even have to think about it. She’d be happy if she never saw Harrington, or Korzha, again.
“I’ll talk to you soon,” Elena said.
“All right. Bye, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you more. And remember what I said. Stay away from Korzha.”
After telling Kaitlyn good-bye, Elena went looking for Drake. She found her husband in the council chamber with his brother, Andrei.
Drake smiled and waved her forward when he saw her standing in the doorway. “Come in, wife. We are through here.”
“Hi, Andrei,” she said, moving toward the table where the two men sat.
“Hello, Elena.” Andrei looked at Drake. “I will take care of the matter we discussed right away.”
Drake nodded.
“What matter?” Elena asked when Andrei left the chamber.
Drake blew out a breath. “Northa wants a new TV for the playroom. She says there are new ones now, with something called scent-o-vision.”
Elena grinned. “Did you buy one yet?”
“Andrei will take care of it.” He grinned back at her. “Sometimes I am not sure freeing the sheep was a good idea. So,” he said, drawing her onto his lap, “what troubles you?”
“How do you know something’s bothering me? Maybe I just came in for a hug.”
“Elena, we have been together over twenty years. I do not have to read your mind to know you are worried. I can see it in your eyes. So?”
“Who’s Daryn Korzha?”
Drake’s expression turned grim; his arm tensed around her. “What did you say?”
“Kaitlyn met him. Do you know him?”
“Yes. I know him. His mother is Nadiya, my father’s fourth wife.”
“Nadiya, as in Florin’s mother?” Elena swallowed hard. Florin had killed Drake’s sire, and Drake had killed Florin.
“The very same. Why do you ask?”
“Kaitlyn said she met a man named Korzha the other day. He accidentally bumped into her.”
Drake snorted.
“You don’t believe that?”
“I do not believe in accidents, or coincidence.” Setting Elena on her feet, he began to pace the floor. “If there is mischief afoot, you can be sure Nadiya is behind it.”
Nadiya had not spoken to anyone in the Carpathian Fortress since Drake had killed Florin, and no one here had seen her since then. Elena assumed Nadiya had gone to her own house in Bucharest to grieve for her son, but what if, instead of being in mourning, she was plotting treachery against Drake?
Elena pressed a hand to her breast. It was suddenly hard to breathe. What better way to hurt Drake than to hurt his daughter? “What are you going to do?” she asked.
“For now, I am going to make some inquiries.” Seeing her worried expression, he drew her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “Do not worry, wife. I will get to the bottom of this.”
Elena gazed blankly at the cards in her hand. Hoping to distract herself, she had met Northa, Marta, and Elnora for their weekly card game. Northa was the oldest of the three other women. She had curly brown hair and slanted brown eyes. Marta was a pretty brunette with hazel eyes. Elnora was a petite redhead with a slender, perfect figure. Elena considered the three women her closest friends. When Drake had offered the sheep their freedom, Marta and Elnora had stayed because they had feelings for two of the vampires. Northa had elected to stay because she enjoyed being bitten, and because the Fortress was the only home she had ever known.
Elena looked up when Marta called her name.
“It’s your bid.”
“Oh, sorry,” Elena said. It was nearly impossible to concentrate on her cards. Kaitlyn was her only child. If anything happened to her . . . She forced the thought from her mind. Drake wouldn’t let anything happen to Kaitlyn. She had to believe that. And yet, Drake was here and Kaitlyn was in another country, alone among strangers.
“Elena, are you all right?” Northa asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
“Fine, just a little preoccupied tonight.”
Elnora laid her cards aside and leaned forward. “Anything we can do to help?”