Armed with her description of him, Reichen was already in town looking for possible leads. Tegan hoped like hell they located the Minion son of a bitch because he was looking forward to finishing what Elise had started.
As for her, as much as Tegan might have liked to have kept Elise in his arms--or, better still, na**d in his bed--he knew it was a path that would only lead him deeper into complicated territory. Instead, he had turned his attention to the journal they'd intercepted from Marek, and the stash of letters Elise had recovered from Petrov Odolf 's belongings.
Both contained instances of the same peculiar phrases:
castle and croft shall come
together under the crescent moon
to the borderlands east turn
your eye
at the cross lies truth
It was a riddle of some sort, but what it meant--if it meant anything at all--remained to be seen.
Petrov Odolf didn't seem to understand it either, despite the fact that his Breedmate said he'd been scribbling those very words compulsively in the time leading up to his turning Rogue. Like his brother before him had as well.
And like who it was that once owned the old journal with Dragos's dermaglyphic symbol scribbled onto its pages.
Now Tegan stood across the containment cell from Petrov Odolf, eyeing the restrained Rogue with precious little patience. He and Elise had been at the facility for the past hour, getting exactly nowhere in their continued round of questioning with Odolf.
His medication had been reduced, so at least the Rogue was conscious, but he was far from lucid. Strapped into a free-standing, vertical steel- mesh body cage, his muscular arms bound down at his sides, feet shackled together, Petrov Odolf looked every bit the dangerous beast he was. His big head sagged down on his chest, glowing amber eyes shifting back and forth across the cell without focus. He snorted and grunted through his elongated fangs, then began another round of futile struggle against his restraints.
Tell us what it means, Tegan said, talking over the racket of clanging metal and mindless animal snuffling. Why were you and your brother both writing these phrases?
Odolf didn't answer, just kept fighting his bonds.
Castle and croft shall come together under the crescent moon,' Tegan recited. To the borderlands east turn your eye.' Is this a location? What does it mean to you, Odolf? What did it mean to your brother? Does the name Dragos mean anything to you?
The Rogue shook and strained until his face looked like it was going to explode. He tossed his head back and forth, snarling furiously. Tegan blew out a frustrated sigh and turned to face Elise. This is a f**king waste of time. He's not going to be any use to us.
Let me try, she said.
When she moved forward, Tegan didn't miss the fact that Odolf 's feral gaze tracked her across the room. The Rogue's nostrils flared as his blood-addicted body worked to get her scent.
Don't go near him, Tegan warned her, regretting the fact that he'd promised Elise he wouldn't use his weapons on the Rogue except as a last resort. His first line of attack was an emergency syringe of sedative given to him by Director Kuhn. That's far enough, Elise.
She paused several feet away from the Rogue. When she spoke, her voice was soft with patience and compassion.
Hello, Petrov. My name is Elise.
Elliptical pupils narrowed even farther in the center of Odolf 's amber eyes. He was still panting from exertion, but some of his struggling eased as his focus locked on to Elise.
I met Irina. She's very nice. And she loves you very much. She told me how much you mean to her, Petrov.
Odolf went still in his tight cage. Elise took a step closer. Tegan growled a warning, and although she stopped, she didn't acknowledge his concern.
Irina's worried about you.
Not safe, Odolf murmured, almost imperceptibly.
What's not safe? Elise asked gently. Is Irina not safe?
Nobody's safe. The big head shook back and forth as if caught in a seizure. When it passed, Odolf peeled his lips back off his huge fangs and dragged in a deep breath of air. At the cross lies truth, he muttered on the exhale. Turn your eye...turn your eye.
What does it mean, Petrov? Elise read the entire passage back to him. Can you explain it to us? Where did you hear this? Did you read it somewhere?
Castle and croft shall come together,' he repeated. To the borderlands east, turn your eye...'
Elise moved forward another half-pace. We're trying to understand, Petrov. Tell us what you know. It could be very important.
He grunted, his head going back on his shoulders, tendons stretching tight in his neck. Castle and croft shall come together under the crescent moon...To the borderlands east turn your eye...At the cross lies truth.'
Petrov, please, Elise said. We need you to help us. Why isn't it safe? Why do you think nobody is safe?
But the Rogue wasn't hearing her now. With his eyes squeezed shut, head tipped back, he whispered the nonsensical phrases over and over again, a rapid, breathless stream of insanity.
Elise glanced back at Tegan. Maybe you're right. Maybe this is a waste of time.
He was about to agree when Odolf suddenly began to snicker. His mouth spread wide, he dropped his head down and started whispering in a voice so small Tegan could barely hear it. He caught bits and pieces of the riddle, then Odolf blinked and it was as if a crystal clarity settled in his mind.
In a completely rational, coherent voice, he said: That's where he's hiding.
Tegan's blood ran cold. What did you say? That's where who's hiding--Marek? Hiding away. Odolf chuckled, already slipping back into his madness. Hiding, hiding...at the cross lies truth.'
Once again, Tegan considered the glyph they'd found in the journal. The Breed line it belonged to was long extinct. But then again, maybe Marek wasn't the only one to come back from what had been merely a presumed death. Is this about Dragos? Is he alive?