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“It was decided, long before Vlad became prince, that no one could have that much power without someone watching over them, especially when a strain of bad blood could mar the ruling family. A secret board was set up, a council to oversee the prince if there ever is a question of leadership or his state of mind. The council members are not known to one another. It is for their protection. If their identity is known to the prince, or to anyone else for that matter, they could be hunted down and killed for any number of reasons.”

Ferro frowned. He had been alive for more centuries than most and he had never heard the slightest rumor of such a thing. Not one whisper.

“It is my understanding that there are five council members. If the prince’s actions come under question, each member is contacted separately and asked to visit the prince on some pretense. One speaks with him and eventually discusses the matter. Individually, the council member must determine whether they believe there is cause for concern and give an opinion on whether the prince needs to be removed and his heir put in place or a different solution made. Some way to resolve whatever the situation is.”

“Five council members, so if three weigh in the same way, the matter is decisive,” Ferro said. “That makes sense.”

Tariq nodded. “We do not know who the other council members are and we’ve taken a vow of honor never to speak of this so we can’t consult with one another and persuade each other over to one side or the other.”

“What do you have that the Malinov brothers think would allow them to take over the leadership of the Carpathian people? Is there some actual tool that could take the power from the Dubrinsky line?” Ferro asked.

Tariq glanced at Gary and then shook his head. “There is a misconception perhaps. The Dubrinskys are vessels that hold the power of the Carpathian people. The Malinovs do not have that in their lineage.”

That said nothing at all. It was avoiding the question.

Elisabeta?

He is very concerned. There is something he guards. Each member of the council has something. He is worried that the Malinov brothers found their father’s when he died. It should have returned on its own to the Daratrazanoff line but it didn’t.

Ferro flicked his gaze to Gary’s impassive features. “It is impossible to hide things from Elisabeta. You know they have what should have returned when Malinov died. You have known this for some time.”

Tariq’s head jerked up and he glared at his second-in-command.

Gary shrugged unemotionally. “We suspected, but we had no way of knowing until now. We couldn’t do anything about it and there was no reason for anyone to know.”

Tariq stared at him for another long moment, clearly disagreeing. He turned back to Ferro and Elisabeta. “Each council member is given . . .”

“Tariq, this is going beyond what they need to know,” Gary cautioned.

“Is it?” Tariq asked. “If Cornel and Dorin are going to allow Sergey to use Elisabeta as their excuse to turn my club into a bloodbath, Ferro and Elisabeta should know what they are fighting for.” He smiled at Elisabeta. He looked tired. For the first time, the centuries—and his duties— seemed to really weigh heavily on his shoulders. “In any case, no doubt our Elisabeta will be able to find that piece of the puzzle somewhere in her memories as well, won’t you?”

To Ferro’s utter astonishment, she gave Tariq a tentative smile, surrounding him with her fragrance of soothing peace. “Yes.”

A small breeze rustled the leaves on the ground and blew them in small eddies around their feet, bringing with them a sense of comforting atmosphere. It was impossible not to relax in the wake of Elisabeta’s serenity. Ferro could see the darkness in Gary lifting, just being close to her, in spite of the heavy burdens centuries of warriors had instilled in him.

“There are five extremely small pieces of what is believed to be made from a single larger stone from the earliest history of the Carpathian Mountains. The flysch band is the only interconnecting band that runs throughout the entire mountain range. These five pieces should be fragile, as they are from what is essentially shale carved into interlocking pieces. They are of the earth, of the mountains. The piece I have is extraordinarily strong. Still, I have kept it safe and free from harm for centuries. I would imagine that Malinov did his piece as well, if, indeed, he was a member of the council.”

Elisabeta nodded her head. “He was. At least his sons talked as if he was.”

“Do you know where that piece is? Who has it now?” Gary asked.