Gabrielle swallowed hard. She nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't be more specific, but maybe Andre can help narrow it down."
The ancients exchanged long looks.
Kessake, they searched the world over several times. You are giving him back hope. You, Teagan and Trixie. Amazing.
I could be wrong. I have no way of knowing it is for certain. I've just always been able to locate things and people this way.
You never told anyone else about this ability? The prince? Gregori?
She shrugged. It seemed more of a parlor trick than actually useful. It never occurred to me there might be a way to find lifemates. I needed Dragomir's song, and only Trixie could give that to me.
"I have given that location to Josef. He is looking up any psychic women who might be in the database right now. Dragomir, that does not mean she will be one of these women. Not all psychic women went to the institute for testing. You will need to search the entire area," Andre said.
Dragomir nodded. He stood up, a fluid ripple of muscle, much like a great jungle cat stretching. He bowed toward the three women, the gesture old-world and courtly. "I cannot repay you. Whether what you have given me to aid me in finding my lifemate actually brings her to me or not, I am indebted to you."
He looked around him at the other ancients who had shared the monastery with him for the last century or more. "Do not hesitate. Arwa-arvo olen isanta, ekamak."
Honor keep you my brothers, Aleksei interpreted for Gabrielle.
Andre clasped his forearms in the traditional way of the Carpathian warriors. "I will send you every location of psychic women in that area as they come in. Teagan and I will be following you soon to the United States. Tomas, Mathias and Lojos have gone ahead of us and I promised them I would join them. We will be there soon should you need aid."
Dragomir looked to Fane and Aleksei. He stepped close to them, reaching toward Fane. Fane caught his forearms in a firm clasp. "Arwa-arvod mane me kodak," Fane said.
May your honor hold back the dark, Aleksei whispered into Gabrielle's mind.
That's so beautiful, she whispered back. And it was. These men, so determined to help one another hold on.
Dragomir turned to Aleksei and clasped his forearms in a strong grip.
Aleksei returned the grip. "Arwa-arvo olen gaeidnod, ekam. Honor guide you, my brother," he repeated in English for Gabrielle.
With one more bow toward the three women, Dragomir was gone, leaving the monastery for the first time in over a hundred years. There was a long silence following his departure. A cool breeze slid through the courtyard. Teagan moved first, pulling out a different stone. This one was the color of indigo. She knelt in front of the ancient called Andor. Waited. Slowly, very slowly, almost as if he were a wild animal being pushed into a corner, the man sank to the ground and fixed his eyes on her.
They worked through most of the night, bringing a little relief to each of the ancients. Shockingly, each of their lifemates seemed to be somewhere in this century. Had Mikhail's father known when he chose the ancients to leave? It was said Vlad had precognition, so it was possible.
Not one of them had any idea how long Teagan's infusion of color into their relentlessly dark auras would last. For some, like Andor and Ferro, the colors refused to penetrate even all the way through the first layer. Still, through Trixie's ability to see their songs, Gabrielle found a pull for each of them. The women were scattered across several continents, but she was able to point them in a direction.
The moment the last of the ancients had gone, the three women collapsed, exhausted. Pale. In need of blood. Aleksei gathered Gabrielle into his arms to hold her close to him, his body sheltering hers.
"Next rising, I will find Denny Jashari and bring a little justice into his life," he told the others.
"Two of Mazur's pawns were disposed of," Andre reported. "The third disappeared."
"He will likely move on," Fane said.
"And the other human hunters?" Aleksei asked.
"They were headed for the nearest airport," Andre said, as he wrapped his arms around a swaying Teagan.
Trixie gave a disgusted snort. "Cowards. Fred and Esmeralda Wilson recruited me. Esmeralda pretended to be my friend, but I heard her talking with her husband and the others that they needed to kill me as soon as I led them to all of you. They were already complaining about having to hike in the cold. Jay Benson was with them. He was with me on the plane, and we had coffee many times back in the States. He wanted me dead as well. I'll bet all of them are already on a plane heading back to the States." She sank to the ground and looked surprised that she was there.
"They will not escape," Fane said softly, reaching for her. "We will be going home as soon as Josef has all of our papers in order. That should be next rising."
Aleksei nodded. "Gabrielle and I will remove the monastery and ensure there is no evidence of it, and then we will go to the prince and let him know that the three women were able to help the ancients."
"He will want to send other ancients to them," Andre said. "Clearly what you three did for the ancients was successful, at least in giving them hope, time and a direction."
"Difficult if Gabrielle is working in her laboratory in the Carpathian Mountains and Trixie and Teagan are in the United States," Aleksei pointed out.
Andre nodded thoughtfully. "Is it necessary to have your lab here, Gabrielle? Could you work out of the United States?"
Gabrielle's heart jumped. She rubbed at her wrist, her fingers tracing the flames on the links of her bracelet absently as she considered Andre's inquiry. She hadn't been home in a very long while, but then her mother and father lived in the States. She stayed a distance from them because her mother still had the power to hurt her. She wasn't afraid of her anymore, but she still despised the tantrums, and age hadn't mellowed her mother's fiery nature.
This is something you would be interested in doing? Living in the United States close to Teagan and Trixie?
She liked Trixie. The woman wasn't just wise, she truly cared about people. Trixie might think she was as tough as nails, but she had a gentle heart, a gentle soul. If the three of them lived close they could support one another when needed.
I hadn't thought of living there, Gabrielle admitted, and I know my research is important, so I wouldn't want to do anything that might jeopardize it. Still, I kind of like the idea now that it might be a possibility. What do you think?
I think I will be happy anywhere that you are, Gabrielle. If we live there, you can have your dream house as long as the soil beneath it is rich in minerals.
Again her heart jerked hard. He had seen her long-ago dream and cared enough to remember. She didn't need it anymore, but still, she was very happy that it mattered to him. She slipped her hand into his. Reality is far better than any dream, Aleksei. If we get the chance to move to the United States near Trixie and Teagan, I will love that, but I will love it just as much wherever we settle.
"Gabrielle?" Andre prompted. "Can you take your work out of the Carpathian Mountains? Teagan and Trixie have family in the United States. They cannot leave. We could set up a state-of-the-art laboratory for you. No one can live as long as we have without accumulating wealth. We can get you anything you need."
Trixie nodded. "It would be nice to have you close, Gabrielle."
She loved the genuine character Trixie had. Clearly she was a woman who called things the way she saw them. She was still eyeing Aleksei with a distinct wariness.
"I don't honestly know. All the samples are here that I've been working on. The soil and the . . ." She trailed off. She'd been studying the biological makeup of the women who had suffered multiple miscarriages, looking for a common anomaly that might explain why they couldn't carry and couldn't breastfeed properly with the necessary nutrients. "Babies used to be able to go to ground with their mothers; now, they can't, not the first few months. In a couple of cases, not for several years. Many of the women can't properly feed their babies without supplements.
There is a reason. It could be environmental, like the parasite that was a contributing factor but . . ." She trailed off again, realizing they probably weren't that interested in what she did. They just wanted to know if she could do it anywhere.
She ducked her head. "I'd be willing to go to the States if Shea agreed to provide me with anything I needed from those living here."
Aleksei's fingers threaded through her hair. "If you would prefer to live in the United States, Gabrielle, I will have a word with the prince and we will make it work. What you are doing, the work you are doing, is too important to have you uncomfortable or unhappy. We will find a way."