“Do you recognize him?” Tiberiu asked.
Sandu’s breath hissed out of him in a slow exhale. “Yes. He came to us on more than one occasion. Many occasions. He saved our father’s life numerous times and hunted with him. He was . . . extraordinary. He also carried darkness in him. A demon that grew with each battle. He was the first ancient I ever encountered that had the oath carved into his back. He forced my father to put it there, over and over, until it stayed.”
“Who was he?” Benedek persisted.
“He had many names. Mostly his name was whispered. He was called H?n ku piwt?—predator; hunter; tracker. Mostly it was whispered he was a predator, but once set on the trail of the undead, like my father, he never stopped.”
“Or like you,” Adalasia whispered, her hand going to her throat. She was beginning to put the pieces of the puzzle together, and she wasn’t altogether certain she liked the answer. She was in Sandu’s mind, and he knew what she was thinking. He caught the impressions before she could hide them. She could tell he didn’t like where her mind was going with her conclusions.
“He was often referred to as H?n ku ka?wa o numamet—Sky-owner—because there was no one faster in the skies. He moved like lightning. Others called him H?n ku pes?—Protector—but most referred to him as Igazág—Justice,” Sandu said. “If you heard the stories, you would have likely heard that name used.”
Petru nodded. “Justice was a legend.”
Nicu agreed. “No one could have done the things attributed to him.”
“The stories were true,” Sandu said. “I witnessed many of his feats. It would be terrifying to have one such as Justice turn vampire or, worse, become fully demon and be let loose on the world. It would not be easy for any to destroy him.”
“He is related to you, isn’t he, Sandu?” Adalasia whispered aloud. It was terrifying to think that this man was his relative. He was more beast than man.
She felt Sandu go still. She had been afraid of him, distrustful. From the beginning of their relationship, she had held back, and he had pushed and pushed, knowing she was holding back. A part of her knew the demon in him was strong. She had caught glimpses of it, and she had known to be afraid.
“Yes,” he admitted, because one never told an untruth to their lifemate, and what was the use? “I do not know how old he was, but he was older than Vlad. He avoided humans other than to feed. He stayed close to Domizio and our family near the end, determined to hold to honor as long as he could, but he believed his time had passed and his lifemate was no longer in the world. Domizio could not provide hope for him.”
“He came up with the safeguards for the cave where Domizio took your family?” Petru asked, indicating the purple light in Adalasia’s hand.
“Yes. Not the trap of the pounding heart beating. That was placed there by something else. Justice showed my father how to safeguard the cave so the family would be safe. We were seeking a portal where demons were slipping through, and we were certain it was somewhere in this region. Justice was aiding us.”
Sandu rubbed his temples and shook his head as the memory faded. “I cannot remember much beyond that at this moment, only that a last safeguard must be removed before you use the key, Adalasia.”
Adalasia could feel Sandu watching her closely as she studied the lock and key. She didn’t look at him, but she didn’t remove herself from his mind, either. They were partners, a team, and they would need each other’s strength to get through this. That persistent drumming noise searching to entrap an unwary heart was still there, still beneath them, reaching out to ensnare her the moment she forgot to be on guard.
The brethren moved around the boulders, looking for hidden traps, but they, too, returned to observe her. She was the demon hunter. A Carpathian had set the safeguard, but he had set it against demons, not the undead, she was positive of that. Her hands came up to move in a graceful pattern, the purple light mingling with the lights from the other keys on the ring. She murmured a counterspell to reveal the hidden weave.
“Do you all feel the way my skin keeps getting white-hot and prickly? Justice must have dealt with demons at some time in his life in order to have known to set these guards. These were not set against the undead. These were set to keep demons from getting in or out of this entrance.”
She knew this. The weave. The enlightenment spell. Adalasia took down the last of the safeguards and inserted the key into the lock and turned it. Bright light spilled between the boulders, revealing six stepping-stones. Two led to the right. Two to the left. Two straight ahead. Each led to a cave entrance. The cave straight in front of them was wide and open, easy to walk into. The one to the left was much smaller and looked as if they would have to stoop or even crawl to get inside. The one to the right was narrow, with a tall, arched dome.