Chapter 37

'It's simple, Dante made it clear that we are looking for an ancient being, one who holds great wealth.'

Nick cocks an eyebrow and says blandly, 'That is a majority of these names.'

'Yes but how ancient? Dante said he was the oldest living vampire, but not of our time.'

'Thus the reason you said between these years, but what does that have to do with my date of birth?'

I look at this Pureblood and am reminded again of how deeply different we are. I was born prey, he a predator, I was young, and he ancient. Blinking, I say, 'He mentioned you just as I was leaving.'

'That doesn't mean anything, it has nothing to do with me unless it was wrapped smartly in the same few sentences.'

Looking at Nick, I realize he might be right, but then I had spent nearly every moment for ten years with Dante and knew his words often had a double meaning, not only that, but he never used words carelessly. Looking down at the death records of the Alpha, I murmur, 'You don't know Dante as well as I do. Everything he says has worth, he never used words thoughtlessly,' looking up at Nick, I say firmly, 'And everything he says has a double meaning.'

Nick's passive face starts to form into a scowl, his pheremones taking on a dangerous note and out of the corner of my eyes the two vampire at the end of the table shudder and then leave with books under their arms. He asks slowly, 'What exactly did Dante say to you?'

So I tell him. All to the point of the trading of the kiss, feeling a need to hold onto that small memory to myself, finding it far to embarrassing. He nods, frowns and says, 'Alright, give me your logic behind his words.'

Nodding, I open the books, looking down at the row of names and their prospective clans and insignias saying, 'Like I have said before, we are looking for a powerful vampire, likely an A rank or Pureblood, though I believe more likely a Pureblood. He wouldn't mention you unless that was so. Not ony that he said it was before our time, and since I'm very young in comparison to Purebloods, the last one was born...what 400 years ago, I believe we are looking for someone who died around the time you were born. He was to be ancient and of good breeding, no way someone without could control a hoard as we saw at your home.'

'And of ancient wealth...'

I nod, continuing, 'I find it unlikely he will be from a clan that died in this war. So most likely he still has some form of family beyond this time.'

'What makes you say that?'

Shrugging, I say, looking at the name Althera, 'Because you need family connections to remain anonymous. What better way to hide your movements then to still lurk within the shadow of your family. You can cut ties with blood, but you still need the influence of it's name.'

'Seems far fetched,' Nick says with a sardonic smirk.

Brushing my hand over the ancient paper, I murmur, 'Believe me... I know from personal experience.'

Nick was quiet then, and finally says, 'The Althera name is no more.'

'Huh?'

He taps the name I had been looking at and murmurs, 'Althera, the clan of Coldsbain, second tier of the Dracul Royal Clan, bearing of arms and shield of the bloodied bear on white foreground. They died on the great plains of the Egyptian Sahara during the second wave of the Romane War, 75 clansmen of A rank in total. The clan is no more.'

My eyes slowly raise to his and I realize for a certainty, he is really going to help, and that he might actually believe me. Our eyes remain locked for a moment more and then I turn away reaching for a slip of paper and pen in the center of the large table, allowing my heart a moment to stop slamming jn my chest, saying, 'We will only mark down the names that match up to our guidelines. Then do a study of those people, there are certain characteristics I am certain will be common with the Phantom we seek.'

...D...

'Breker, the clan of Won'de'so, Fourth Clan of Won Royal Clan, this name specifically you will want to write down, Dijo.'

I take the name down, my back cramping from the long hours in front of these books of death and I ask, 'Why Dijo Won'de'so?'

Nick looks over at me with irritation and says, 'He eat his son to gain power during the war, his clansmen still live, though they dropped the So and now go by Won'deh after finding out their leader killed his own child. He was killed during the battle of Clovis in 400BCE by his own men. He fits ancient as he was about two millennia older than I am now at the time of his death. The Won'deh have a great influence in the Hong Kong market now and are of ancient wealth.'

My mind was full of all the history I was learned, as if this was the Who's Who of the Phantom world and I had a narrator with a smoke and silk voice telling me all. Shaking my head, I sigh and murmur, 'Its going to take weeks to go through this all. And there are still other lines we can follow besides this.'

Nick looks up with a frown, his hand having stilled from going down the page, picking out names he felt best fit my criteria and growls, 'What do you mean?'

'Do you remembering how I mentioned about a week and a half ago about there being a catalyst that started all of this?'

'How could I forget?' Nick asks in bland sarcasm.

'Well, we need more information to follow that line. Jerry is still out there and can find news on the human front, I can ask it of him in the safety he is sheltered in right now. If we need him, we can send him to Budapest.'

'Another neutral zone.'

'Yes, I figure the Phantasma is more interested in vampires than the human counterparts they consider food. So while Jerry is looking up the news, no matter how small, we can use bait in the vampire world.'

Frowning, Nick asks, 'What do you mean?

'Nick you know as well as I do that the Night Hunters are seeking this Silent Phantasma as much as we are. If we can give them a timeline to base their information on, though I believe they have likely started their own thread, they can follow it. These names for instance, if we give them these names to follow, the Phantasma will be busy looking at them, shoring that up and not looking at Jerry.'

'Your talking about my brother... aren't you?'

There was a deadly glint in his eyes and I felt a sudden surge of his power seeming to press me deeper into the chair I already am in, as I whisper, 'Yes...and your cousin you mentioned.'

Nick's eyes narrow and I quickly go on, 'I know it's asking alot. Your brother has a higher profile among the Night Hunters and if we give him these names the Phantasma will be looking at him. Warn him of this. While he is doing that, have your cousin search for when bitten beggers started going missing, that is where the truly big answer will likely be.'

'Why bitten beggers?'

'Because they are the lowest tier in the vampiric higheraecy and won't ever be noticed missing. If you start there, you will likely find a starting point for the Phantasma.'

Nick just stares at me with those icy blue eyes narrowed. His power didn't let up and I felt pinned, unable to move once again. A tick started in his jaw before he said with a twitch of a smile in the corner of his lip, 'You seem to be a marvelous tactician, I truly am amazed that your maker let you disappear among the clanless.'

With that he stood and said with determination threading his words, 'I will call Igor and Viktor and explain to them the situation.'

'Call them separately.'

He stops with his cell phone half way out of his pocket, and pins me with a frowning stare as I explain, 'It has been nearly six months since the Phantasma started its attack on the Pureblood Royal Clans, don't you find it strange they have found so little?'

'The Silent Phantasma hides its tracks well, I know that for a fact.'

'And so do Night Hunters.'

Nick seemed to sober at that, but finally nods in silence and continues, 'Call Jerry, I know that irritating imp will have missed his mistress.'

With that he walks away, already making a call, leaving me to think about all of this. Looking down at the page of names and my hand written notes, I see only five so far that match with still many more to search through. This would take weeks and I found it likely we didn't have that much time. With four threads going, we might make it in time, but something deep inside me said that my days were numbered.

Pulling my phone out, I'm chuckling. It had been less than forty-eight hours and I was already needing my assistant again. I didn't want to pull him any further into this world and if I could keep him at a safe distance he might survive. All I wanted was for him to survive, but unfortunately the lion needed the help of the mouse once again. Tapping his name, I listen to the ringing on the other end, finally a voice answers, 'Hello?'