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.
Nikolai shook his head to clear it. This wasn’t possible. It had to just be another pointer or manifestation of the prophecy. She could not possibly be…
No.
The Uniter would be a man, a strong one, capable of great deeds. According to the prophecy, the Uniter would dethrone tyrants and anoint kings. This woman couldn’t even sufficiently feed herself, much less defeat a tyrant.
“There’s more,” Darvaak said.
“There’s not.” Nikolai needed to gain control of the situation. He had to get away from here and find Aleksandra.
“What?” Elena said. “What more?”
Fuck. He needed to make sure of things, lots of things before she heard any more of this craziness. First, though, he needed to talk to Aleksandra. “Nothing more. I have something urgent to do right now.”
She ripped her hand from his and pulled as far away as the cord would allow. “So do I.”
She defied him? No one defied a Slayer. Reflexively, he placed his hand on the handle the sword.
Her eyes didn’t even widen. No flinch. No fear. “Do it. Go ahead. I’ve got a death wish and a damned good reason to have one. Do you?”
After at least ten solid, lung-filling breaths, he relaxed. Reaching for his sword had only been instinct resulting from centuries of training. He couldn’t kill her. Not a chance. Not even if he were free of the cord.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I thought not.”
He didn’t dare look at the Time Folder. If he had a smug smirk on his face, Nikolai would be obliged to pound it off him, and then it would take even longer to get to Aleksi. “Tell her whatever you know so we can go.” He turned his gaze out the window. If Darvaak touched her again, he might lose control.
“There are symbols underneath the larger glyphs. They, like the ones I described, are similar to those on the Slayer. Not identical, though.”
Nikolai ground his teeth so hard he thought they might crack. So, she had the symbol for the Uniter on her. So what? She probably had part of the prophecy as well, just like he did. Most likely cast by the same conjurer to proclaim the coming of the man who would save both worlds and build a bridge between them. It meant nothing other than she truly wasn’t of the human world and he had been sorely remiss in thinking she was. Aleksi might die because he had not carried out the orders.
“The writing says, ‘From a warrior’s blood, I rise.’”
That’s not what his markings said. Not at all. His said that from a warrior’s blood, the Uniter shall rise. Not “I.” Nikolai met Darvaak’s eyes.
The Time Folder lifted an eyebrow. “I believe that answers why your uncle has such extreme interest in her, does it not?”
“No. It does not.” He reached out and pulled Elena to him. So close her body touched all the way down. “I appreciate your help, Darvaak. I will compensate you, of course.”
“Of course you will.” The Time Folder walked behind the sofa and around to the suitcase. “Are you going to your home?”
“Yes.”