(24) Two vampires, a ghoul and a shifter.

"Get him back up here now, you young fool."

Piers was so startled he almost let go of the rope, just as a strong pair of hands grabbed it, hauling Linden to the surface with inhuman speed.

"Do you two have a death wish?" Helmut growled angrily after he'd set Linden on his feet. "Can't you feel the evil emanating from there?"

"We felt something earlier," Piers admitted.

"And still you continued. Children." Helmut sighed in frustration. "Come, I'll get the two of you home and then we'll talk."

He wrapped his arms around their waists, and seconds later they were in the library at the manor house.

"Get that foolish harness thing off of you," Helmut ordered Linden.

Linden was sorely tempted to say 'Make me', but quickly thought better of it when the shifter glared at him. Once he had, he asked rather petulantly, "Don't you ever sleep?"

"When I get a chance to." Helmut pointed to the two over-stuffed chairs between the desk and the library table. When the young men sat, he leaned back against the desk, looking at both of them with an upraised eyebrow. "Do you want to tell me just what you thought you were doing?"

"No," Linden said at the same time that Piers said, "Maybe, if you promise not to tell Rod."

Helmut pointed to Linden. "You, not a word." Before Linden could protest, Helmut added, "I mean it, and you," he turned to Piers, "Talk."

Piers fought the urge to pull rank because of his real age. He wasn't certain why Helmut was angry but he had the feeling he was going to find out quite soon and he didn't know if he wanted to.

Watching the emotions crossing Piers' face Helmut gave him a slight smile. "I've been alive a lot longer than you, so not only do I look older, I am by a good many years, almost one hundred to be precise. So if nothing else I have life experiences that you don't, especially since you've been fairly coddled by Roderick."

"I haven't," Piers protested.

"You've lived in the lap of luxury, and you," he shot a glance at Linden, "are not any better, boy. You may be his blood-bound servant but, to all intents and purposes, you're just as spoiled. Now, with that said, spill it, Piers."

"Roderick said there is, or was, a dungeon under the castle."

"So of course the two of you just had to go hunting for it. Did it ever occur to you that people suffered and died horribly there; and that they might still be suffering, and dying."

"Yeah, right," Linden spat out. "You're saying there are ghosts down there, bent on what? Revenge?"

"Don't discount the possibility, boy. However that's not what I'm trying to tell you."