Zoltan took a deep breath. “I understand you’re accustomed to protecting children like Tino and Sofia, but let me explain something. I’m on my third term as Coven Master of Eastern Europe. I’m CEO of one of the largest businesses in Hungary and Romania. And I’m almost eight hundred years old. I don’t report to anyone.”
Howard stared at him, unfazed. “You do now.”
Zoltan frowned. He should have never agreed to this. Howard and his wife were acting like nursemaids. Even now, Elsa was circling him and shaking her head like he’d been caught with his hand in a cookie jar.
“Look at your clothes!” Elsa fussed. “Your jacket is torn, and you’re covered with dirt and leaves.”
“Milan can take the suit to the cleaners.” Zoltan moved toward the grand staircase. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to—”
“I’m not done.” Howard stepped in front of Zoltan to block him. “Where did you go?”
“It’s Friday night. You’re not the only one who had a date.”
Howard scoffed. “You said earlier you didn’t have a girlfriend. And what kind of date leaves you with a bloody wound on your head? If you have an enemy stalking you, I need to know about it. Where the hell were you?”
Zoltan tamped down on his growing frustration. These people weren’t going to leave him alone till he answered. “Fine. I was . . . fighting an Amazon warrior in Tibet.”
Elsa’s eyes widened.
Howard stared at him blankly for a few seconds, then snorted. “No, really. Where were you?”
“Is he all right?” Angus called out as he zoomed through the front door at vampire speed.
“I’m perfectly fine,” Zoltan announced. “There was no need to make such a fuss—”
“Ye were missing for over three hours.” Angus’s kilt swished as he came to an abrupt stop in front of Zoltan. “And ye have enemies. We had every right to be concerned.” His green eyes narrowed. “Ye took a blow to the head?”
Zoltan waved a dismissive hand. “It’ll heal during my death-sleep.”
“Why did ye no’ answer yer phone?” Angus asked.
“I was out of range. If I go back, I’ll take a sat phone with me.”
Angus nodded. “If ye go back where?”
Zoltan frowned. For some reason, he was reluctant to let anyone else know. Neona was keeping him secret, and he wanted to do the same for her.
“He said Tibet earlier,” Howard muttered. “But I don’t know if he was kidding.”
“Tibet?” Angus arched an eyebrow. “Does this have anything to do with Master Han? Or Russell? I heard ye’ve been supplying him.”
“It’s not related to either of them. It’s personal. Now if you’ll excuse me . . .” Zoltan reached for the banister and started up the grand staircase. If he could just get away from all these people, he would enjoy some time alone to think about Neona. And strategize his next move.
“Is he all right?” Mikhail asked.
Here we go again. Zoltan turned and saw that Mikhail had just teleported into the Great Hall with Milan.
“Sir!” Milan rushed toward him. “We’ve been looking all over Budapest. We were worried about you.”
“I am perfectly fine, as you can see.” Zoltan cast an annoyed look at Angus. “I didn’t realize I would need anyone’s permission to leave my own house.”
Mikhail snorted. “Yeah, he’s fine. If you don’t mind, I’ll get back to Moscow. Pam’s working tonight, and I don’t like to leave her alone.”
Zoltan lifted a hand. “Good night, old friend.”
Mikhail smirked. “I hope she was worth it.” He teleported away.
“She?” Milan repeated.
Zoltan shrugged. “Mikhail was making an assumption.”
Angus eyed the wound on Zoltan’s temple. “If ye were seeing a lass, she’s no’ verra happy with you.”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” Zoltan muttered.
Angus grinned. “I’ll be going, then. Emma’s waiting for me in London. I havena seen the lass in three weeks.” He teleported away to be with his wife.
“So is the Amazon warrior real?” Howard asked. “Is she the one who attacked you?”
Zoltan ignored the questions. “Milan, I’ll be ready to go to Budapest in thirty minutes. See if you can reschedule the meetings I missed. And call the tour agency.”
“Yes, sir.” Milan whipped out a small pad and pencil from his jacket and took notes. “Is there a problem with the tour?”
“Tour?” Howard asked. “What tour?”
“There are tours in the castle every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon,” Elsa explained.
Howard grimaced. “A bunch of strangers roaming about the castle?”
“It’s a guided tour,” Zoltan muttered. “They never leave the guide.”
“How can you be sure?” Howard demanded. “Is the guide trained for crowd management? Is he armed?”
Zoltan snorted. “That wouldn’t seem very welcoming, would it? We have two elderly women from the village who earn extra money by conducting the tours.”
“It’s very popular with the tourists,” Milan added, smiling. “They all want to see a real vampire castle.”
“What?” Howard stiffened. “You publicize this place as a vampire castle? Holy shit. This is a security nightmare!”
Zoltan waved a dismissive hand. “It’s all in fun. The tourists don’t really believe it.”
Howard gave him an incredulous look. “It only takes one wacko, armed with a wooden stake, and determined to scour the castle till he finds you. And you’ll be completely defenseless in your death-sleep—”
“In my house in Budapest,” Zoltan interrupted him. “I don’t sleep here on the days of the tour, Howard. I didn’t get to be this old by being an idiot.”
Howard’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of security do you have in Budapest?”
Zoltan groaned. “I didn’t know you would be so relentless.”
“I didn’t know you would be so lax when it comes to your own safety.” Howard crossed his arms. “But don’t worry. I’ll fix everything.”
Zoltan wondered what it would take to send the were-bear into hibernation. “Milan, tell the guides that the east wing and tower will be off the tour while renovations are being done. Construction will begin on Monday, so this will affect the next tour on Tuesday.”
“Will do.” Milan made a note, then adjusted his glasses. “If I might say so, the tourists will be very disappointed to miss the main attraction in the tower.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” Elsa turned to Zoltan. “Alastair is worried that the wooden box we built around the mummy won’t be enough protection if a stone wall collapses. He thinks we should move it to a safer location like the chapel. Then it can remain on the tour.”
Zoltan nodded. “All right, but be careful—”
“Wait a minute.” Howard lifted a hand to stop him. With a stunned look, he looked at his wife and then Zoltan. “There’s a mummy?”
“Oh yes.” Milan nodded as he made notes. “A very old mummy. Very popular with the tourists.”
Howard ran a hand through his hair. “This place is crazy.”
Zoltan gave him a wry smile. “Welcome to Transylvania.” He zoomed up the stairs, leaving the were-bear behind, finally speechless.
Chapter Five
The boy was near death, his body bleeding and bruised, an angry red burn seared across his back. Neona moved her hands over the gashes and bruises, taking in as much of his pain as she could endure. In the distance, where the village and castle were located, smoke billowed into the sky. The stench of burning bodies made her choke. Gathering up her courage, she placed a hand on the boy’s burned back. Fire sizzled up her arm.
With a cry, Neona sat up in bed. Gasping for air, she looked around her dark one-room house. She was home in Beyul-La. Far, far away from that terrible memory. She hadn’t dreamed about it in many years.
Moonlight filtered through an open window, lending just enough light to make out the shape of two chairs and a small table in front of the hearth. A trunk containing her clothes rested at the foot of her bed. Another trunk sat at the foot of Minerva’s bed across the room. Her empty bed.