“You sing beautifully.” She pressed her hand to her heart. “I feel it here. It reminds me of home.”
“I sang only for you, my lady.”
“Not for the queen?”
He took her other hand and held it firmly. “No, for you. I am a clumsy man with words. I thought to apologize in the more forgiving language of song.”
She looked down and didn’t answer. At least she wasn’t running away. He smiled down at her. “Please, Verity. I don’t wish to be at odds with you.”
She sighed. “Of course not. We must work together as allies.”
Rhys stiffened. “Surely, we are more than allies, my lady.”
She disengaged her hand. “Did you find out anything more about the passages beneath the palace?”
It seemed she wasn’t ready to forgive him. He shoved down his disappointment and concentrated on the matter at hand. “I have acquired a map that gives me a far better idea of what lies beneath the queen’s chambers. Do you want to explore the tunnels with me, tonight?”
“Before I guard the queen?”
“Aye.” Rhys stood up and bowed. “I’ll meet you at the chapel at nine. That should give us plenty of time.”
Verity checked her dagger again and glanced around the outside of the deserted chapel. It was so quiet she could hear the hum of grasshoppers and the bullfrogs croaking in the nearby pond. There was no sign of Rhys and she was beginning to worry. She opened the door to the chapel to check the vestibule again, and became aware of a strange draft of air that made the candles flicker. She went inside, closed the door, and leaned against it, her dagger at the ready and her eyes straining to adjust to the sudden gloom. A door creaked and she spun around to face the sound.
“Is that you,
cariad
?”
“Rhys, where are you?”
A light flickered and she suddenly saw his face. “Come toward me and watch out for the other door.”
Verity took an uncertain step forward, her hand outstretched until Rhys took her fingers firmly in his warm grasp. “Where are we going?”
“We’ll make our way almost to our training room and work out a route to the queen’s bedchamber from there.” He squeezed her hand. “You’re not afraid of the dark, are you?”
“No, thank goodness.” Verity allowed him to help her down the narrow spiral steps and then she let go of his hand. “And before you ask, I’m not afraid of small spaces, mice, rats, or spiders either.”
His soft chuckle soothed her. “That is good to know. Rosalind hated these tunnels. I would dislike to have a panicking female on my hands.” He touched her shoulder. “Let’s move on, shall we?”
Verity followed his lead, glad that for once she was braver than her illustrious cousin. But then, Rosalind had succeeded despite her fears, hadn’t she? Verity sighed as the tunnel made a sharp turn to the right and then divided into two.
Rhys pointed to the left fork. “Our training room is down there. We’re going to take the right tunnel, which leads back toward the palace.” He paused. “There used to be some occupied Vampire coffins down here, so keep close to me, won’t you?”
Verity nodded and kept going. The thought of dealing with a Vampire in such close quarters wasn’t exactly appealing. She followed Rhys for what felt like miles, waited while he chose each fork in the tunnel and marked it with the Welsh letter
ch
.
Eventually, she grabbed his jerkin and whispered. “Rhys, I smell something.”
He stopped moving and turned toward her, his voice a mere thread against her ear. “Vampire?”
“Yes, but not fresh, I think.”
“We’ll proceed more slowly. I believe we’re quite close.”
Verity inhaled again and brought her hand to her mouth. She recognized the acrid male scent from the queen’s bedchamber. Below the putrid smell was the fresher scent of pansies.
“It’s the same Vampires. One male and one young female.”
He touched her shoulder. “We’re very close to where I believe the secret panel is. If you are sure the Vampires aren’t present, I’m going to light a candle.”
Verity nodded and waited while Rhys struck a flint and lit the wick. He held the candle aloft and she could see the outline of a door in the rock.
“Is the queen in her bedchamber?”
“She was going to sit with the king in his private apartments. I doubt she is back yet.” Verity squinted at the shadowy outline of the door. “Is there a peephole?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll check.” Rhys took the candle and went closer, leaving Verity bathed in shadows. “Ah, there is something here.”
She went to join him and he showed her where the peephole was. She had to stand on tiptoe to see through it, but it was definitely the queen’s room.
“It seems our Vampires have a way to get at the queen without having to materialize through solid walls.”
Verity frowned. “But why would they need it?”
“Mayhap there are humans involved as well.”
Rhys blew out the candle, plunging them into darkness once more, and Verity tried to steady her breathing. Without the light, the stench of Vampire was almost overwhelming. Or was it simply growing stronger? She grabbed Rhys’s arm.
“Rhys, we need to get out of here.”
He didn’t bother to question her, just took her hand and started to run back the way they had come. Verity let him lead her through the twisting passageways, aware of a nameless terror creeping over her senses, suffocating her, blinding her.
She stumbled and fell to her knees, one hand grasping her throat as the menace crept inside her mind. Laughter was followed by a hint of seduction.
“Verity . . .”
There was something compelling about the voice. She tried to shut her mind to it, to block it out. With Rhys’s help she picked herself up and kept running, her heart thumping, her thoughts reduced to a mindless panicked need to flee like prey.
“Verity!” She gasped and struck out as Rhys grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “It’s all right. We’re safe.”
She gazed at him for a long moment as she struggled to understand what he was saying. His expression grew concerned and he gently shook her again. “What is it?”
She realized they were back in the chapel and breathed in the familiar scents of incense and prayer. “Something called me.”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
“In my mind.” She swallowed hard. “Something evil.”
“A Vampire?” His grip tightened on her shoulders.
“I’m not sure! Whatever it was, it knew my name and for a moment I wanted to turn back and . . . That’s why I stumbled.”
Rhys held her gaze. “Think carefully. Are you sure this thing called you by name?”
She nodded and felt her stomach heave. Black spots swirled before her eyes. Rhys maneuvered her against the chapel wall. “Don’t swoon, my lady. This is important.”
“I know that.” She glared at him. “It was the male, the one who smells like death.” That was the smell; having experienced it in her mind, she would never forget it. “He wanted me to know that he was aware of me.”
“Did he say anything else?”
“No, he just said my name as if I amused him greatly.” She shuddered and Rhys cupped her chin in his hand.
“Do you know how to protect your thoughts from Vampires?”
“Of course I do. Even I learned how to do that.”
His thumb caressed her jawbone. “Then you’ll understand when I tell you that you need to erect even stronger barriers. You cannot allow this creature to control your thoughts.”
She jerked her head away from his touch. “I thought my barriers were quite effective. This is the first Vampire I have ever sensed in my mind—apart from Elias Warner, of course, but that was different, because . . .”
She stopped talking, aware that Rhys’s expression had gone cold.
“You can sense Elias Warner in your mind?”
“Sometimes.”
“You shared your blood with him, didn’t you?” Rhys spun away from her and paced the small space, one hand on the hilt of his sword. “You’re a Llewellyn—
a Llewellyn with the mark of Awen
—and you shared your blood with a master Vampire?”
“You shared your blood with him.”
“That meant nothing! How could you have been so . . .”
“Stupid?” Verity straightened up and glared at him.
He set his jaw. “I did not say that. But you are a Llewellyn. You know that our laws forbid the mingling of our blood with a Vampire’s.”
Verity raised her chin. “As Rosalind did?”
Rhys scowled at her. “We are not talking about Rosalind; we are talking about you.”
Verity started for the door. “I intended to tell you about Elias.”
Rhys followed her out into the night. “When?”
“When I was ready.”
“And when would that have been?” He shoved a hand through his hair. “By all the saints, Verity, you cannot wander around making rash decisions without consulting me.”
The fear and anger inside her coalesced and she rounded on Rhys. “I am not a child,” she snapped. “I am entitled to make my own choices.”
He held up his hands. “Aye, if you truly understand the consequences of your actions.”
“What are you suggesting?”
Rhys glanced around the deserted path and lowered his voice. “Letting one Vampire take your blood can open your mind to all the Vampires in a particular family.”
“Are you saying that this ‘thing’ in my mind might be connected to Elias?” Verity’s anger drained away as quickly as it had arisen. She started to shiver and wrapped her arms around herself. “Oh God.”
Rhys exhaled and moved toward her. “Verity, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Yes, you did.” She stepped back from him. “Perhaps we should call Elias and ask him.”
Even before the thought had fully formed there was a shimmer in the night air and Elias appeared. He frowned at them both.
“What on earth is going on? What hellish creature have you conjured up?”
Rhys regarded him steadily. “You felt it too, then?” Elias flicked a glance at Verity and Rhys carried on. “I know that you took my lady’s blood, and now we are suffering the consequences.”
“Yes, I felt the Vampire.” He glared at them. “It disturbed me so much I had to stop feeding.”
Verity could still smell the fresh blood on him and it made her want to retch. “Do you know this male?”
Elias turned to her. “I do not. But I
assume
he is the powerful new Vampire the Council has been whispering about.”
“But isn’t he of your family?”
Elias raised his eyebrows. “Whatever made you think that?”
“How else would I sense him?”
He frowned. “I know not, but I haven’t any family.”
“Perhaps someone you turned, then?” Rhys asked.
“Someone who has become more powerful than his creator? It is not likely.” His thoughtful expression hardened. “There is another matter we must discuss, Lady Verity, which might also explain why we appear to be so closely linked. You did not tell me that you bear the mark of Awen.”
Rhys stepped in front of Verity. “Almost no one knows that Verity bears the mark of Awen. How in God’s name did the Vampires find out?”
“I’m not sure, but it seems to be common knowledge in the Vampire community.” Elias frowned at Verity. “I only wish you had told
me
before I agreed to take your blood.”
“Why are you complaining, Vampire?” Rhys asked. “Surely she has just added to your power?”
“There are all sorts of power, Sir Rhys, and the repercussions of joining my blood with Lady Verity’s might be more than even
I
seek.”
“What are you suggesting?” Rhys asked.
“All I know is that Lady Verity is no longer considered harmless and that the new Vampire is very interested in her.” Elias bowed toward Verity “You should expect to be challenged more forcefully very soon.”
Elias vanished and Verity brought her hand to her mouth. She couldn’t bear to look at Rhys lest he remind her of the foolishness of her actions. If they failed to save the queen it would be all her fault. She turned away and started walking toward the queen’s apartments.
“Verity, wait . . .”
She heard Rhys’s soft voice, but she didn’t stop and for once he didn’t follow her. And why should he? He was probably ruing the day she had blundered back into his life and wishing anew for the return of the far more competent Rosalind.
Chapter 11
V
erity could hardly bear to open her eyes and acknowledge the cheerful sunlight streaming through the small window above her bed. She huddled back under the covers and groaned. Her dreams had been plagued by the malevolent presence of the Vampire who smelled of death. She’d also woken up several times thinking of what she might have done by joining her blood with Elias.