Chapter 78

'You know why I am here.'

'No, I mean really here.'

Igor stared down at me, his cane still in his hand as he says in that monotone that gritted on my nerves, 'I don't understand.'

'I know you say my husband sent you to take care of me. But the more I think about it, you have bigger responsibilities then babysitting a Pureblood's wife.'

Igor stared relentlessly down at me, the tension growing, and I tried to reach out my senses towards him. But like before he was nothing but a blackhole where he stood, a nothingness that even Ki couldn't manage. It was amazing and terrifying at the same time. Nothing bothered him truly, all emotion wiped from him, only slight flickers at moments but that was all. His face was placid, handsome, but placid. His sharp features inscrutable though I tried to search for tells.

'You are a Pureblood's mate, a royal. I am duty bound to protect you.'

'There are other royal Pureblood's that need protecting right now.'

'But not as weak as you.'

We stared at each other for a long moment as I reply with narrowed eyes, 'I remember what you told me during our first meeting. You are watching what I do, why?'

But he didn't answer. His face passive and disintetested. A young voice calls out, 'My lady Dracul.'

I jerk at the voice and look over to the silver jail door and see Wraith. He held three large books, bound in ancient leather and with a clasping lock on each. Standing, I'm about to go to him when Igor says, 'I will get them.'

But I shake my head and put up my hand saying, 'No, I will.'

He doesn't move as I walk over to the seeker and he slides the books through the bars. I look at them and ask, 'Where are the keys?'

'Here,' he says, holding up a key too far for me to reach for.

I stare at him and ask, 'What do you want for the keys?'

'A single hair.'

This made me frown as I stare at this now youthful face. What a strange request, but I shrug, pull out a single strand of hair, and hand it to him. He hands over the key on its thread as he says in a whisper, 'It has been a long time since I have felt such power, not since Fideous visited me many years ago.'

Staring at him, I say dumbly, 'Wh-what?'

But all he does is smile, wraps the long thread that was my hair around his wrist and backs into the pitch blackness. I stare into the void for a moment, shake my head, and turn to see a chest of black tailored button down. Looking up at Igor, he asks, 'What did he say?'

'Nothing, just murmured nonesense.'

Igor just stares down at me for a moment, his hand gripping the head of his cane a little harder, then steps away, allowing me to pass.

Sirting down at the table, I read the vampure words on the front, and find the book with the names that were missing from the library of Alexandria. Taking the key, I unlock the book and send up a plea that what I find is what need and not more blank pages.

The cover cracks in protest as I open it and flip carefully to the pages I needed. A sigh of relief floods me as I murmur, 'The Phantasma hasn't reached this place.'

Igor asks, 'The pages are there.'

'Yes and I will need help to learn these Purebloods heritage.'

Igor nods, and I start reading.

-D-

Igor stared down at the top of my head as I flipped to the next page, slowly reading the name off, 'Coliage Monteque Dracul?'

'Coliage Monteque died childless and was a second cousin to my great great great grandfather. His house is no more.'

I nod, and slide down to the next surname, but then stop. Igor's eyes were on me until I finally ask, 'Igor, Nick said he had cousins that looked a lot like him.'

'Yes.'

'You also have a similar build.'

'Yes.'

My mind whirled suddenly through information, words said, and my mind goes back to the girl. She said the man looked like Nick, same features, very similar to Igor as well. But the distinct difference was black hair and black eyes. However I shake my head rembering the CCTV camera showing the man had short hair.

Igor says without a hint of fear or worry, 'You think Im part of the Silent Phantasma, don't you?

The hair prickled on my neck as I slowly look up at him. But his face was just as still, his eyes black holes devoted of emotion, and body so still he looked like a statue. I couldn't deny it as I say, 'It is a distinct possibility.'

His brow twitched but besides that nothing changed as he says, 'I also know no reassurances will make you believe I am not.'

All I could is stare at him with wide eyes as he continues, 'My actions will have to speak for themselves, as do yours. Just as you believe I may be a member, I too believe you are a member.'

'Why?'

'Nothing has proven me wrong or right, but certain points of innocence have yet been checked off in my list.'

We are at each other for a moment and for just the briefest of instances I see pain in his eyes.

Slowly I turn away from those eyes that seemed to suck me in, and murmur, 'Distan Dracul.'

He replies without a break in tone or pitch, 'Distan Dracul, son of Alexie Dracul, bear of the seal of fae dragon on white foreground. His line is no more.'

I nod, and then stop again. He replies, 'Another question?'

'Your father? Nick never told me about your family. I know him from his bloodsong but nothing else.'

I could see a sudden change in Igor then, a slight cooling, his eyes more steel and the void of nothingness around us a bit stronger as he says in his never changing pitch, 'My father was Vlad the impeller, Nick was not. Our father was a formidable and old vampire. Nicholi spent more time with him than I did as I only knew frlm from my birth to my nineteenth birthday. When I was vowed to the Night Hunter's code. He believed that better bloodlines were important to improve our strength. This is something his father instilled in him. My grandfather's name was Zoran. He was mircaless and enjoyed torturing those below him including my father. Thus my father killed him.'

I stare at Igor with wide eyes and whisper, 'Killed him?'

'Yes.'

'Wh-what happened to your father?'

'He was powerful, but even he wasn't strong enough to fend off three Purebloods of the Romane.'

'He died during the War of the Romane?'

'Yes.'

'This sobered me as I stare at the book, putting my finger were I was I turn to Vlad in the Dracul surname. There he was, felled in August of 353 A.D.'

I nod slowly and whisper, 'That must have been hard for you.'

'Moreso my brother, as he was one closest to him. I was relieved when he was gone, as he made my life difficult even as one of the five.'

'But... that doesn't make sense. Nick should be leader of the Dracul.'

'He is.'

'But they call him prince.'

'Yes.'

'So Kings are not, the five clans leaders are all Princes and Princesses.'

'Yes.'

I was confused and shakey head asking, ''I don't understand. Shouldn't they be the Kings and Queens of their clan.'

'No.'

'Why?'

Igor tilts his head slightly and finally says, 'You truly are oblivious of the vampire world. Therw hasn't beem a king since the second age. He renounced it.'

This shocked me and I stare at him with questioning eyes before asking, 'Who was the King?'

'Fideous the Great.'

Author's Notes: Again thank you for your patience with me. My illness had been very aggressive, but I am feeling better. However I will only be updating this story till its conclusion. Thus you can enjoy more chapters throughout the month and insure proper development of the story line. Thank you again for your long-suffering patience.