The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Unhappy Queens

The older vampire shrugged.

"Personally, I think one's mind and how thoughts are handled are determined by behavior. Soldiers are routine-driven and regimented. So it makes sense the way they think and remember are as well."

He looked back at the vault.

"And to answer your question a second time, it's the lack of corruption and edge bleed in the symbol clusters that tells me a psionic provided this scan. Machines made to mimic telepathy always fray the edges and twist the content as they operate."

Again Vulcrum smiled deprecatingly as he looked back at her.

"But I'm only a humble servant of House Lash, not a psychiatrist or psychologist. Not even a psionic, thank the Dark Father. I'd be driven mad having to listen to everybody around me thinking all day!"

As Narcist considered that, the lean vampire looked towards the slowly dissipating crowd. And several vampires, both male and female, broke from the crowd at some silent signal and headed in the direction the legionnaires had taken Anna.

"It would seem the crowd only got Anna van Tallert," he remarked offhandedly. "The young master managed to disembark without being seen."

Vulcrum looked back at her.

"Much to the disappointment of these liliths, no doubt. Any idea why so many would have such an interest in Ingamon?"

Narcist felt her brow lift by itself in surprise.

"Lash didn't tell you? The European Queens' Conclave considers him an alpha prime!"

A look of understanding appeared on Vulcrum's face before he frowned in concern.

"That complicates things," the veteran spymaster said, his frown morphing into something more thoughtful.

"He thinks so as well," Narcist confessed, earning herself a thoughtful look.

"Of course he does." Vulcrum folded his arms. "I need a word with my master. As you are in his confidence, could you tell me where he currently is?"

"The command center?" Dru hissed in not a little dismay. "How did he get there?" she asked, her hard look daring Naryan to step away.

"I cannot divulge that information, honored mistress," Hunter, the base's AI, smoothly answered in its quiet, sexless voice. "The Lord Commander's movements while on base, are not tracked."

"Of course they're not," the Nosferatu lilith growled with not a little irritation.

At least Hunter had been more helpful than the Silver Legion officer. Unfortunately, knowing Lash's location wasn't exactly helpful by this point. Due to a conclave's worth of liliths present, all of which were now aware that Lash was an alpha prime, access to the base core was severely restricted to avoid Lash being incapacitated by a pheromone overload.

It would take an extraordinary need to bypass those restrictions. And while personally she felt her need was extraordinary, in the larger picture, she was fighting with a dozen liliths for a piece of his attention. And he needed to stay focused on bringing the traitorous councilor down, now that they had Anna van Tallert in hand.

A look over at Naryan yielded the legionnaire still waiting to be released, albeit impatiently. So she dismissed her with a gesture and watched as, after respectfully saluting, Naryan moved to join her Force Recon unit Lash had made instead of her Vanguard company. That being said, the two groups were standing together as the Force Recon legionnaires continued sharing their recent experiences with their envious comrades.