Liam looked at Mary with a faint crease on his forehead, his voice carrying a hint of disbelief even though he had felt it himself.
"It worked?"
Mary nodded slowly.
"It worked."
Irina frowned immediately, her confusion clear as she looked between the two of them.
"What worked?" she asked. "You know where who is?"
Mary took a breath before answering. She looked calm now, no longer drained, but there was something heavier behind her eyes.
"When we were inside the hive," she said carefully, "we used the open window. Not to see the vampires themselves but to search beyond them. Through them. I followed the trail back to the source."
Irina crossed her arms.
"And?"
"And I saw him," Mary said. "The ancient one."
For a moment Irina just stared.
Then she laughed.
At first it was short and sharp, almost reflexive. Then it grew louder as she shook her head and looked away.
"No," she said. "No way. That has to be a mistake."
