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As the Darkness seemed to consider the absurdity of the notion, Leonid capitalised on the nanosecond of surprise and, spinning, ran to his left. He ran straight ahead. With a sharp turn, he threw himself against the banked snow. Regaining his feet, he threw himself again, and the snow covering a hidden entrance gave way to his strength. Leonid plunged downwards, ending up in an icy pool of water. Rushing through the water, he fled the howls of the Drakhyn, and searching fervently, he banged desperately on the wooden door that was behind an iron portcullis.
He felt the Darkness enter the small cave and hesitate. It was as if it were testing the air. Leonid bitterly cursed Vampyres for their natural aversion to spells. If the place had been spelled, the Darkness would not get in. Pressing up against the iron bars, Leonid hoped it would not sense him as it slowly trickled down to the water. He heard a Drakhyn enter the cave, and within moments, a splash announced the Drakhyn had found its way to the bottom.
Leonid placed his hands through the iron openings and onto the wooden door. He could not bang on the door. The Drakhyn was blinded by the unnatural brightness of the water in the low-lit cave, but should he make any noise, it would know where he was. Leonid was not one to give thanks to the Ancients, but if he wanted out of this predicament, he would need their aid. Saying a quick plea for assistance, Leonid tried to call his wife. They had mind linked once, centuries ago, but now their pull for each other was in the sensing of their blood only.
Leonid realised he was desperate. He needed aid, and he knew no one was going to come. He looked upwards as he thought again of the Ancients. He almost laughed out loud with delighted relief. The ladder hung high, too high for most, but not for a Vampyre. Leonid crouched and sprang up with all his might, catching the rungs of the ladder easily. He heard the futile splashing of the Drakhyn below him, and with a grim smile, he quickly began to climb.
The hatch was covered, but he knew what he was looking for now, and as he pulled himself through to the other side, he hastily shut the hatch behind him. As he rolled over in exhaustion, he looked up into the face of several Elite Sentinels, all pointing swords at his throat.
“Drakhyn in the cave below,” Leonid told them with a heavy sigh. He slowly got to his feet. “Tell me that this leads to the Court and not back outside?”
“Who are you?” one of the Sentinels asked as he prodded Leonid with his sword.
“My husband.”
The Elite Sentinel lowered his sword immediately as Leonid turned to regard his wife. She was exquisite as always. A bright red skirt suit should look out of place in a poorly lit tunnel; however, Kateryna’s regal bearing was so imposing that she could have been in a potato sack and no one would notice.
“You took your time.” A perfectly arched eyebrow considered him coolly.
“I was attacked and captured,” Leonid explained quietly. His eyes searched those staring around his wife, and he felt the tension in the air. “Why are there Elite Sentinels here?”
“Where have you been?” Kateryna asked him. He noticed she never moved forward, and none of the Elite Sentinels took their gazes off of him.
“Can we talk about this as we walk?” Leonid suggested. “I have left Drakhyn below and behind me. Not to mention...other things.”
“Whatotherthings?” Kateryna demanded.
“I will discuss with you when we are alone, my love,” Leonid said softly.
“You will not enter the Court until we are sure you are not compromised,” an Elder Vampyre said. He stood beside Kateryna, close, but not close enough to touch her.
Leonid knew his eyes narrowed. “Viktor,” he regarded the older Vampyre grimly. “I thought you may have passed by now.”
Had blood still run through their veins, he knew his wife would be flushed with anger; however, even though her skin colour remained the same, her eyes narrowed a warning to her husband.
“Your time in the West has caused you to become more insolent,” Viktor told Leonid dryly.
“I wonder how you can comment on the West, or anything for that matter, when you have not left this Court for almost a thousand years. Do you even know whatWestis?” Leonid snorted with contempt as he stepped forward. He stopped when the swords were once again levelled at his chest. “Wife?”
“Let him through,” Kateryna commanded as she waited for her husband to walk to her side. “You have been missing for weeks, months even,” Kateryna said firmly. “You cannot expect to come in here through a hidden passage and not arouse suspicion.”
“I was being held captive,” Leonid explained patiently. “And as I said, there are Drakhyn below.”
“They are being dealt with.” Kateryna turned and began to walk up the tunnel. “We saw them crossing the wasteland.”
“You saw me running for my life and thought not to send aid?” Leonid muttered grimly.
“You were fine,” Kateryna said offhandedly. “Although why you stopped halfway and started dancing, I am unclear.”
“You did not see it?” Leonid clutched her arm. “The Dark—” He cut himself off carefully. “The cloud?”
“I saw you, running. Then I saw you wasting time before you made an erratic dash to the entrance. Which you have now shown to the Drakhyn.” Her look was disapproving.
Leonid spun and looked at the Sentinels behind him. He even considered Viktor for a moment. “None of you saw it?”
A few Vampyres shook their heads, but most did not respond. Leonid wanted to hurt them for their disobedience, and as he was about to turn away, he saw one Sentinel he knew.
“Travyr?” Leonid rushed past the other Sentinels. “Why are you here? Why are you not at Prince George? Is Tegan alright?”
