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When he returned to the house and told Lucas and Garrick that Council Elder Alexander was gone, they hadn’t reacted well to the news. Quickly they started to speculate about the Vampyre’s whereabouts, and when they didn’t readily accept Cornelius’s involvement, Cord had left them to dissect the information between them before his frustration exploded out of him.
Cornelius Ivanov was a dangerous man. He played his role well, the role that he himself cast himself to play. That of the Elder with limited intelligence and plenty of ambition. The only flaw was that he had a vast intelligence, and he was more than just single-minded in his determination to succeed.
Cornelius hated Salem with an intensity that was almost palpable. Cornelius’s sister, Celeste, was his world, he had adored her and shielded her from any attention from Akrhyn males. The revelation that not only had she defied her beloved brother by secretly allowing a male to court her, but she had also let that maledefileher and subsequently ruin her for another, had enraged him as much as it had disappointed him. Her reputation had been in tatters because she had fallen in love with a man who was to be wed to another. Celeste’s father had set her out of the family when he learned she was with child. He never told another of the babe, and when Celeste was ambushed and killed, he believed her child died with her.
Cord’s mind wandered to Tegan and Cornelius. When he first learned of her, his stepfather had asked for her to go to House Ivanov and she had refused. He had never pushed for it to happen. Had he known she would refuse? Had hehopedshe would? Why would he ask for her, throw a ball for her, and then leave her where she was? Was it merely for show? Salem was her father, the Great Council had appointed Tegan in the Principal Elder’s Elite Sentinel Guard, but Cornelius could have petitioned for her to be put in his House, and although he had allegedly carried out this threat, Cord doubted that he actually had.
Tegan in his House would have caused him embarrassment, a reminder that his sister had been tarnished and brought shame to his House. Tegan was also raised by a Vampyre, lesser Akrhyn in Cornelius’s opinion, and her teachings from Leonid were bound to be vastly different from Cornelius’s beliefs.
Cord hesitated mid-stride and turned slowly in a circle. Something wasn’t adding up. He needed to think.
Tegan to be in House Ivanov would have highlighted to her the way his stepfather treated the Sentinels in his service. Tegan would never stand for it. The last thing Cornelius would want is attention brought to his Houseorhis beliefs, and mentioning Tegan to him at Council Elder Alexander’s home was…reckless?
His stepfather was never reckless. He was plotting. He wanted Cord to suspect him, he wanted Cord to tell Tegan, he wanted the attention onhim.
Which meant Cornelius Ivanov knewexactlywhere the Vampyre was, and now Cord knew exactly where Council Elder Alexander wasnot. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he yanked the bedroom door open and hastened down the stairs to where the Prime Castors still debated.
“It’s a trick,” Cord bit out angrily. “He’s trying to throw me off,” he admitted bitterly.
“I can’t keep up,” Lucas muttered darkly. “Okay, tell me your recent revelation on the conspiracy theory of your stepfather.”
When Cord was finished, both Prime Castors regarded him solemnly for a long moment before turning to each other.
“It’s plausible,” Garrick said begrudgingly.
Lucas was nodding. “It irks me that itfeelsright.”
“I’ve tasked Tegan with finding Alexander, but I need someone to tell Salem about Cornelius and make it seem like it’s their idea.”
“You don’t want the credit?” Lucas asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
“If my little tiger has listened to me, she will have already relayed everything I told her to Salem, who will be furious I have assigned her the task without taking it to another, more senior Akrhyn.” Cord ran his hands through his hair, pushing the longer strands out of his eyes. “If I now go back and tell him I misread the situation, he will possibly implode. Or doubt my intent. Either way, we may lose the advantage.”
“Misread the situation.” Garrick’s eyes twinkled with humour. “Did the phrasemade a mistakechoke you?”
“The word is alien to my tongue,” Cord snarked back at him, “as much as the experience is to my being.”
Lucas barked out a laugh. “You aresoarrogant.” He shook his head in wonder and amusement. “I will go to the northern territory and talk with the Principal. And in return, can I ask that you turn your attention away from your family obsessions and concentrate on what the Mark is telling you in regards to the Drakhyn army mere meters from us?”
Cord huffed out a sigh. “I’m working on it.”
“Work harder,” Garrick said quietly. “We need this, Cord. The Three said you needed to lift the spell.”
“I know. Iknow.” Cord’s frustration leaked into his voice, and with a shake of his head, he turned to leave. “I will take Reflection, and maybe the Ancient who paints his picture on my back willdeemit necessary to actuallytellme something.”
The two Prime Castors heard him climb the stairs quickly, and then both winced when the door to the bedroom slammed shut. Lucas turned to Garrick. “You will manage here while I go to Salem?”
“Yes, even if the Drakhyn turn their attention to us and our band of Elite Guard, we can defend ourselves.”
“Why would Cornelius reveal his hand now?” Lucas mused.
“Akrhyn attention is focused on the snow-covered land and mountain ahead of us, now is the perfect time for him to move without much interest in his movements.”
Lucas nodded thoughtfully. “And he misdirects his son for what gain?”
“To distract him?” Garrick asked sceptically. “To what purpose? Although it looks like it is working,” Garrick added thoughtfully.
Lucas considered everything he knew and then walked purposefully over to the kitchen door, closing it firmly. With a muttered incantation and an indistinct blue powder, he sealed the room. “He’s working with the Drakhyn?”
