“What else does she talk about? Why has she fixated on this Gary person? Surely you must have asked her.”
“We all did. She just told us that he had once hunted vampires but now he’s in collusion with them. When I asked her if she’d really kill him, she said she didn’t want to kill anyone, but he deserved to die for what he’d done. She’d heard of a monastery in these parts and hoped he was there already asking for forgiveness and then she wouldn’t have to lead justice to him, he’d spend the rest of his life doing penance for his sins. Seriously. That’s how she talks. Penance for his sins.”
Andre’s alarm rose. He’d heard of a few individuals who had a specific psychic gift. If her grandmother were one of those gifted who could follow the path of a Carpathian or vampire, it would answer the question as to how her granddaughter had unraveled his safeguards. She had the same gift. The difference was, Teagan had never been told about vampires. Her grandmother obviously had.
If he had to guess, he would say that Trixie Joanes belonged to the human vampire-hunting society. The same society killed Carpathians and vampires alike, without distinguishing between the two. They also occasionally targeted humans they didn’t like, or had grudges against, such as Gary Jansen.
Andre had run across them a time or two, but they’d never had anyone who could actually follow the trail of a Carpathian or vampire. It was difficult to do. And he was more difficult than most. He had never understood how it was done, but after seeing how Teagan had unraveled his safeguards, he realized it had something to do with the way their bodies “felt” or “sang” when near their quarry.
“Where is your grandmother now, Teagan?”
“She’s at home. In the United States. We live in California. My sisters are watching over her while I try to find the specific stone or crystal that will help me heal her mind.”
“Will they be able to stop her if she tries to get on a plane and follow you here?”
They were back in the chamber where her sleeping bag and backpack were stashed. He waited until she had her back turned and was rummaging through her pack before he waved at the fire. Instantly flames leapt. When she turned, shocked, he was dumping a load of wood next to the ring of rocks.
“Where did you get the wood?” she asked, her eyes wide.
He gestured toward the darker shadows where the cave curved deeply and a small amount of water trickled to the floor and seeped under the dirt. There was a large pile of wood neatly stacked.
“I have used this cave many times,” he said. Again, it was strictly the truth. His statement was misleading, but it wasn’t a lie. He had just acquired the wood for her fire, but he had, in the past, often used the cave for his retreat when he was wounded.
“I didn’t even see it. I guess I was so obsessed with finding the stone I need, I didn’t really look around.”
“Teagan.” He used his most gentle voice, to counteract the tightening of the knots in his belly. “This mountain is not safe. You should not be unaware at any time. There are wild animals as well as poisonous insects and snakes that could harm you. And that is not even mentioning the men who hunt you.”
She shuddered and threw a blanket down over the dirt beside the fire. “When you went out, did you come across Armend’s trail? Did you see him? I was worried he might attack you if he thought you’d spoken to me, or helped me. He told me things he wouldn’t want the world to know.” She frowned. “He’s a dangerous man. I don’t know how I couldn’t have seen that.”
“You were afraid for me?” Andre wasn’t certain how to take that. He’d never had anyone, let alone a beautiful woman, be concerned for his safety. On the other hand, did she think that puny Armend could possibly best him? That might be a bit of an insult.
“Of course I was afraid for you. He admitted killing several women. If it was true, he wouldn’t think twice about killing you as well.”
He was silent. Had it occurred to her, even once, that he could be one of Armend’s unknown friends? She was too friendly by far. Too trusting and open with strangers. He couldn’t tell her that either because he didn’t want her fearing him. She was nervous enough as it was.
“You’re really a nice man, Andre. Very thoughtful and kind. Men like Armend are very dangerous. I wouldn’t want to think of you meeting up with him,” Teagan continued, in a worried tone.
Andre’s heart fluttered. It was a physical reaction to her concern for him. Clearly, Teagan perceived him as nonthreatening for the most part—at least until she remembered she was alone with a stranger, which didn’t seem nearly often enough to him—but she thought Jashari was dangerous. She made him want to laugh out loud. She also conveniently forgot that Andre had warned her that he was a dangerous man.
“I do not think you will have to be afraid that Armend Jashari will ever harm another living soul.”
She went still, her hands freezing around the sweater she was pulling on over her arms. She tilted her head to look up at him. He felt her fear, the sudden jump of her heart. “What do you mean?”
“I came across his trail a few miles down the mountain. He pitched his tent right in the middle of a territory belonging to a wolf pack. There was not much left.”
Her breath hitched. Her long eyelashes fluttered. She sank slowly back on her heels, all the while looking up at him, straight into his eyes. “Are you certain it was him?”