to Nikolai’s grab-and-yank style. She couldn’t help but glare at Nikolai while Stefan examined the skin just below her collarbone. Her captor was behind this somehow—he and his wacked-out Slayer blood. Maybe it would go away like the red in her eyes did… If only he would.
“It’s in the ancient language, just like your markings, Itzov,” Stefan said. “I’ve only ever seen them on you. Other Slayer markings are in Elven.”
Nikolai said nothing.
“Who marked you?” Stefan asked. “Very few speak or read the old tongue anymore. How came you to know the language of the elders?”
“I don’t. I don’t even know what my markings say exactly, but I’ve been told it’s the Prophecy of the Uniter.”
Stefan smiled. “So it seems.”
Nikolai crossed his arms over his wide chest. The T-shirt the tailor had modified hugged his muscles and made him look practically edible. Crap! Elena shook her head to clear out the hornies and replace them with common sense.
“Oh, and I suppose you’re fluent in the ancient language, Darvaak,” Nikolai said.
“I am. That and several hundred others, both human and otherworldly.” When there was no response from Nikolai, Stefan continued. “I’ve been reading your way-too-naked skin since you popped in here unannounced. You’re like a billboard; you can’t blame me. Although I’d never heard of this prophecy before, it’s proclaimed all over your body.”
Nikolai said nothing; he simply stared at Stefan.
“Aren’t you going to ask me what your markings mean exactly?” Stefan asked.
Nikolai’s eyes narrowed. “No.”
No? Elena couldn’t believe it. No way was she was going to be kept in the dark because of some one-upsmanship pissing match between these guys. “I want to know what mine mean.”
Nikolai’s gold eyes narrowed. “We must go now. It’s critical.”
“So is this,” she said. “It’s critical to me, anyway.”
Stefan turned her to face the mirror and pulled the right side of the collar of her blouse down far enough to expose part of the markings. “The ancient language is written similarly to Egyptian hieroglyphics, with images representing items or concepts rather than letters of an alphabet. This”—he trailed his fingers over a shape that looked like a curved talon or blade—“is a symbol for the beings of earth. Humans, if you will.”
In the mirror, she watched Nikolai’s fists ball up.
Stefan then reached across and exposed the marking on the left side. “This is indicative of the creatures not of the earth. Those under the Veil.”
Elena stared at a curved marking similar to the one representing humans. It looked almost the same, except that where the human symbol had serrations on the inside of the curved shape. This one had jagged edges on the outside.
Nikolai shifted foot-to-foot, and for a moment, Elena thought he was going to make Stefan stop. Instead, he took a deep breath and lowered his eyes, “Please hurry.”
“And this last shape in the middle where the two symbols intersect is the glyph for light.” His eyes met Elena’s. “It sounds similar to your name. It’s pronounced E-lee-nee.”
Her father had always called her his little light. Her name even meant light in Romanian, her father’s native tongue.
“So, you see, the light joins the two together.” His eyes met Nikolai’s. “The light unites them, yes?”
“We’re leaving. Now.” Nikolai grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her into the living room. “Grab your suitcase,” he ordered, pointing to where it sat next to the sofa.
Screw him. She’d had enough of his ordering her around. “No.”
“No?”
“No.” She thought for a moment he was going to lose it, but the look in his eyes was fear, not anger. He wasn’t just afraid, he was terrified. He backed away a few steps, studying her, trembling. Oh crap. He was afraid of her .
N ikolai shook his head to clear it. This wasn’t possible. It had to just be another pointer
“It’s in the ancient language, just like your markings, Itzov,” Stefan said. “I’ve only ever seen them on you. Other Slayer markings are in Elven.”
Nikolai said nothing.
“Who marked you?” Stefan asked. “Very few speak or read the old tongue anymore. How came you to know the language of the elders?”
“I don’t. I don’t even know what my markings say exactly, but I’ve been told it’s the Prophecy of the Uniter.”
Stefan smiled. “So it seems.”
Nikolai crossed his arms over his wide chest. The T-shirt the tailor had modified hugged his muscles and made him look practically edible. Crap! Elena shook her head to clear out the hornies and replace them with common sense.
“Oh, and I suppose you’re fluent in the ancient language, Darvaak,” Nikolai said.
“I am. That and several hundred others, both human and otherworldly.” When there was no response from Nikolai, Stefan continued. “I’ve been reading your way-too-naked skin since you popped in here unannounced. You’re like a billboard; you can’t blame me. Although I’d never heard of this prophecy before, it’s proclaimed all over your body.”
Nikolai said nothing; he simply stared at Stefan.
“Aren’t you going to ask me what your markings mean exactly?” Stefan asked.
Nikolai’s eyes narrowed. “No.”
No? Elena couldn’t believe it. No way was she was going to be kept in the dark because of some one-upsmanship pissing match between these guys. “I want to know what mine mean.”
Nikolai’s gold eyes narrowed. “We must go now. It’s critical.”
“So is this,” she said. “It’s critical to me, anyway.”
Stefan turned her to face the mirror and pulled the right side of the collar of her blouse down far enough to expose part of the markings. “The ancient language is written similarly to Egyptian hieroglyphics, with images representing items or concepts rather than letters of an alphabet. This”—he trailed his fingers over a shape that looked like a curved talon or blade—“is a symbol for the beings of earth. Humans, if you will.”
In the mirror, she watched Nikolai’s fists ball up.
Stefan then reached across and exposed the marking on the left side. “This is indicative of the creatures not of the earth. Those under the Veil.”
Elena stared at a curved marking similar to the one representing humans. It looked almost the same, except that where the human symbol had serrations on the inside of the curved shape. This one had jagged edges on the outside.
Nikolai shifted foot-to-foot, and for a moment, Elena thought he was going to make Stefan stop. Instead, he took a deep breath and lowered his eyes, “Please hurry.”
“And this last shape in the middle where the two symbols intersect is the glyph for light.” His eyes met Elena’s. “It sounds similar to your name. It’s pronounced E-lee-nee.”
Her father had always called her his little light. Her name even meant light in Romanian, her father’s native tongue.
“So, you see, the light joins the two together.” His eyes met Nikolai’s. “The light unites them, yes?”
“We’re leaving. Now.” Nikolai grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her into the living room. “Grab your suitcase,” he ordered, pointing to where it sat next to the sofa.
Screw him. She’d had enough of his ordering her around. “No.”
“No?”
“No.” She thought for a moment he was going to lose it, but the look in his eyes was fear, not anger. He wasn’t just afraid, he was terrified. He backed away a few steps, studying her, trembling. Oh crap. He was afraid of her .
N ikolai shook his head to clear it. This wasn’t possible. It had to just be another pointer
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