Bound to Blackwood by Sharon Lipman Page B

his feet as he finished.
    “But?”
    “But we 'aven’t been able to crack the security to the archives. They’re on a completely different system to the main server. When the main security wall was so easy to break, we didn’t stop. We thought we’d be able to crack the archives and give you something solid to work with.”
    Ah. He supposed he couldn’t really blame Mercury for just carrying on. It was a definite breakthrough that the team had located the archives, but the Guardian was right; they were no good if they couldn’t get into them.
    Thorn nodded at the other Vampire and Mercury’s demeanour lightened a little, like a child who’d been forgiven a small indiscretion. “So. Why were you asking about Freemasonry?”
    “It's the code. It kinda looks like it might be based on the Pig-pen Cipher.” At Thorn's questioning look, he explained, “Freemasons were sly old buggers. They developed 'undreds if not thousands of codes to help keep their secrets. The pig-pen cipher is the most common. They called it that 'cause you write the alphabet into a grid of lines, which kinda look like pig-pens.”
    “And that looks like a pig-pen?” Thorn asked, pointing at the screen.  
    Clearly exasperated, Mercury continued, “No! The code doesn’t look like a pig-pen it's the way…”
    Thorn couldn’t help it. A belly laugh erupted from him, interrupting Mercury’s explanation. Codes weren’t his strong point but he knew what Mercury was talking about. He just couldn’t help but rib the younger Vampire.
    “Alright. Alright! No need to take the piss!” Mercury replied, yet his voice held laughter not anger.
    “You deserved it!”
    “Yeah, probably,” Mercury agreed. “Still be 'elpful if we knew if there were any links between Masons and the Fallen.”
    Thorn sighed. He had to admit he was embarrassed at their lack of knowledge. Sure, they knew how to fight Fallen in hand-to-hand combat. They also knew where a lot of their strongholds were — despite Fallen propensity for moving around — but they didn’t really know what made Fallen tick. Well, except for the fact they liked sucking out human souls and killing Vampires.
    “Maybe Lena will know,” Thorn offered hopefully.
    “Maybe Lena will know what?” Lena’s voice announced her arrival. She leant against the doorframe, her arms crossed underneath her firm breasts, head cocked to one side.
    Thorn couldn’t be sure, but he thought she was avoiding his gaze. All her attention was on Mercury and a familiar heat pulsed slowly through his veins.
    He couldn’t help but stare. Somehow, Lena looked changed, yet still the same. Her eyes had regained their intelligent sparkle, but her milky white complexion had a new glow to it. It must be new; surely he would have noticed that before?
    She was wearing her black uniform, the two gunmetal-grey daggers on each epaulette. They caught the light from the monitors, showing her newly elevated status. Her head held high, Thorn could see all of her usual arrogance had returned with vigour and he felt his mouth turning upwards at the thought.
    He inhaled deeply and caught something in the air. Frowning, he couldn’t decipher what it was since it dissipated almost as soon as he sensed it. What he did know was that it had a profound effect on his body. The heat that had gently uncurled just moments before suddenly kicked into overdrive. His nerve endings were all alive and it seemed that each and every one of them connected directly to his groin.
    His fists clenched so hard he was sure he was drawing blood from his palms. He had to fight the urge to adjust his combat trousers. His frown deepened; he was an eight hundred year old Vampire not a lustful youngling with no control over his bodily functions. What in green Faerie was going on?  
    Mercury answered Lena's question, breaking Thorn from his tumbled thoughts. “If Fallen are linked to Freemasonry.”
    Her brow knitted as she considered the question and she still