Giovanni was reeling. “How is this possible?”

“Come with me, and I will tell you.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Svaneti, Republic of Georgia

November 2012

“Pride, my friends, is the deadliest of fires. While other flames burn the surface, pride burns from within. It works its way from the heart until it consumes you. And like any fire, it will eat its prey until it is smothered or quenched.”

They were sitting in Arosh’s private rooms. A low fire burned in an earthen fireplace, and silk-covered couches encircled it. The panels of the ceiling had been drawn back, and the night sky was cold and clear. Smoke drifted up to be carried away by a breeze as Giovanni, Arosh, and Carwyn sat around the fire, drinking the sweet red wine the ancient fire vampire poured.

“My three friends and I were more proud than any other immortals who walked the Earth. We had reason to be. We were kings and queens. Civilizations existed at our pleasure. And in our arrogance, perhaps we forgot…” A smile lifted the corner of Arosh’s mouth. “We were not gods.”

Giovanni stared at him. “How did it happen?”

“I will go back to the beginning. I do not know all that Ziri has told you. He only wrote that I should answer any questions you had about the elixir.”

“How did it come to be? What has it done to my grand-sire?”

Arosh took a sip of wine. “I was the first to reach Kufa at the beginning of the eighth century as the Romans counted, but Kato followed soon after. The city was becoming rich with ideas. Innovation. An interesting atmosphere in a region that hadn’t seen such enlightenment for too long. Years later, I was introduced to the alchemist. Jabir was from Khorasan, a province in Persia where I had kept a home for hundreds of years. I was familiar with his people.”

Arosh’s dark eyes were amused. “Jabir was so bright for a human. Our discussions quickly progressed to the point where I confided in him my true nature. I suspected he was trustworthy. And if he proved not to be?” Arosh shrugged. “He was easily disposed of. Kato joined us in our discussions soon after I revealed myself. Jabir was enthralled with us both.”

Giovanni asked, “What of Ziri and Saba?”

“They arrived years after we did. Ziri already had a home in the area with some distant members of his clan. Saba lived as my wife while we were there. She chafed at the ridiculous restrictions of that culture regarding their women, but tolerated it for us.”

“So…” Carwyn cleared his throat. “You and Saba were…”

Arosh smiled. “Saba takes whatever lover she chooses. The four of us have always been close, but she only tolerates me for brief periods.” His smile widened. “We are too much alike and value our independence too fiercely.”

Giovanni said, “But you were all in Kufa with Geber—Jabir at the end of the eighth century?”

“Yes. The alchemist was doing fascinating experiments regarding the artificial creation of life. Ridiculous premise now, but at the time, it was a serious study. Jabir was the first who saw the possibilities that combining our blood could have.”

Carwyn reached for the bottle of wine. “How did he get the idea to begin with?”

“He saw how we healed each other. Kato and Saba had been fighting with daggers one night—she has always had a fondness for them—and Ziri and I were sharing wine with the alchemist. Kato managed to put a slice in Saba’s face.” Arosh laughed. “She was so irritated with him! Of course, he simply bit his tongue and cleaned the wound for her without a thought. Jabir noticed it and became fascinated.”

“With the healing properties?” Carwyn asked.

“Yes. He began interviewing us. Making many notes about us. Our blood. How we healed. How we fed. He asked so many questions. Jabir noted four unique properties of vampire blood. Our blood healed, sustained life, and sated hunger. But it could not be consumed by humans. He tried, and it made him quite ill.”

Giovanni held his glass out for more wine, and Arosh filled it. “And he combined the blood?”

“Yes, we already knew that blood of the same element did little to heal a serious injury. The four of us had discovered that through the centuries, but we had never made the connection between that fact and our elemental affinity.”

Carwyn’s eyes narrowed on Arosh. “What do you mean?”

“Jabir concluded that the dominant element in immortal blood—fire for me, earth for you—is what gives us our strength. To feed our own strength does little to repair our bodies, but to strengthen the other elements within us? That is what gave further strength and healing.”

Carwyn said, “I’m still not understanding this.”

Arosh leaned toward the fire. “Think, holy man! Blood contains all four elements. My blood has the strongest heat, the fire. Yours has the strongest substance, that is what enables you to control the earth as you do. Samson’s blood connects him to the air. Kato’s to the water. I have no need to feed the fire within my blood—”

“Because you are strongest in fire,” Giovanni said. “As I am. So to strengthen ourselves, the blood of a different element helps more.”

“It is all about balance. As much as it may wound our pride, immortals are stronger together, sharing our strength, than we are in isolation.”

“Four elements together,” Giovanni murmured. “Fire, earth, air, and water. Arosh, Saba, Ziri, and Kato.”