by Sela Croft
But the trail faded rapidly. It had recently rained, so the roads were muddy. The only way to pursue was to rely on Quin’s perceptions. He’d been around Mirela enough to recognize her scent. His sense of smell far exceeded mine.
The route wound through the hills, over bumpy terrain. The way was long and uneventful. There was no sight of Mirela.
“Why would a human take her?” Jon said. “That race isn’t usually brave enough for that, for fear of the consequences.”
“That puzzles me too,” Spence said. “The humans haven’t been a threat to us, especially not those who are in our service.”
“War changes things,” I said. “And Mirela has become a target for all who wish to get to me. If I have any weakness, then it’s my love for her. Her connection with me places her in jeopardy.”
Quin motioned toward the right, so we took that path. Anger flooded my veins. Whoever was responsible for this dastardly deed would pay. My love was not a pawn in the game, to be whisked away on a whim and used against me.
The road followed a narrow stream. Quin seemed intent on the riverbank. “She’s close,” he said.
I was on the alert, not knowing what we’d find. As we approached, Quin held up his hand. We slowed, not wanting to walk into an ambush. He turned and said, “It’s only Mirela. I don’t sense any other presence.”
I guided my horse around a couple of boulders that were blocking the path. Then, a few feet ahead, I saw Mirela. I levitated, and in an instant, I was by her side. She leaned against a flat rock, but her eyes were open. She reached for me. “I knew you’d come.”
Quin and the others searched the area for any enemy who might be lurking.
I took Mirela’s hands. “My love…are you okay? What happened?”
“I am safe and unharmed,” Mirela said. “The last of the poison has worked its way through my body. I’m grateful for your ancient blood in my veins, as the recovery was likely faster than my captors anticipated.” She breathed deeply. “That’s what saved me. That…and my lovely winged stallion.”
Mirela proceeded to tell me the amazing story. The reason for her kidnapping was clear, and her remarkable escape miraculous. It seemed I had Selene to thank for the unexpected magic.
“Pegasus flew me to safety, then turned back into his inanimate state.” Mirela cupped the ivory pendant in her hand. “I daresay my captors will have a lot to talk about, and it’s unlikely that anyone will believe them.”
Much to my relief, I returned to the castle with Mirela. But I heeded the warning. She wasn’t safe, even behind the fortified walls of the city. And she wouldn’t be until I ended the strife in my kingdom.
I took measures to ensure that the recent tragedy didn’t reoccur. I mandated a lockdown on entry to the city. Only staff who had been with us for a long period were permitted to enter. No new hires were authorized. It was a wartime measure, and I didn’t intend to relax security until I was confident the threats had passed.
Whenever Mirela wasn’t with me, she would be in my sister’s company, or guarded by one of my comrades. Trust was at a premium. I wouldn’t place Mirela’s care in the hands of anyone whose loyalty hadn’t been tested.
My security force embarked on a strategy to weed out any other traitors among us. There was one traitor who wouldn’t be back. It was certain that Thomas would hide like an outlaw among his vampire-hunting friends, because his life was worth nothing in the hands of the Guardians.
Mirela and I retreated to my chamber. She needed time alone with me, and I with her. After feeding, she’d been refreshed, with no lingering effects from the poison. My rooms provided seclusion and an intimate setting where we could be together.
The quarters were elaborate, with a granite fireplace, murals on the ceiling, leather furniture, and paintings in heavy golden frames. The marble floors were covered with thickly woven rugs, and the tables were ornately carved from red oak.
Mirela wore a gown of royal-blue satin, laced up the back. Her dark hair was loose and wavy. When she looked at me with her lovely emerald eyes, she captured my heart once again. “You live in style,” she said with a coy smile. “You may have refused your royal status, but you are every bit a prince.”
“Lumea is rich with the metals of the earth. I have enough to be comfortable.”
Mirela glided across the floor, then sat in a velvet chair. “More than that, I’d say. You’ve decorated your chambers to suit you.”
“Is it too masculine for you?”
“Not at all. I quite like it.”
“When there is peace in the realm, then I’ll be truly wealthy,” I said. “To know that my people are safe, that war is no longer a daily event, and that all the riches of my kingdom can be shared and enjoyed—that is the wealth I seek.”
I sat on the sofa across from Mirela, cherishing the moments with her. “When you were taken from me, my heart went with you.”
“I was so scared,” Mirela said. “I should be strong and invincible. Yet I seem to be easy prey.”
“I dislike that I’ve put you in that position.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” Mirela looked at the fireplace, quiet for a moment. “I felt so…lost. I wasn’t sure I’d get free, that I’d be with you again. That was the worst part.”
I went over to Mirela and lifted her into my arms. Holding her in a warm embrace, I looked into her eyes. “Do not fear that,” I said. “I searched for you for centuries.” I kissed her soft lips. “You must know that I will always find you.”
Sadness clouded Mirela’s expression. “I’ve known all along that we were meant to be together.” She hesitated. “But if that is true, then why am I your weakness?”
“You are my strength.”
“Yet at every turn, I’m vulnerable,” Mirela said. “If we are to walk surefooted toward destiny, then I must turn from temptation and cease to be an easy mark for the enemy.”
“Temptation?”
Mirela slipped from my arms and paced the carpet. “It was my fault. It wasn’t like a human could just carry me away kicking and screaming.” She shook her head. “Thomas guided me into a dark alley, where he could perpetrate the deed. And do you want to know how?”
I remained silent, knowing Mirela would tell me.
“There was a lovely white rosebush in bloom. I could not resist smelling its fragrance,” Mirela said. “I was aware that a lonely alley was unsafe, but I wasn’t cautious. The flowers drew me. I thought only of their enticement, their beauty. I gave in to…temptation.”
“You were tricked, my love.”
“It’s not that simple,” Mirela said. “I find that I’m more cynical now. I see that evil lurks where it’s least expected.” She looked at me. “You can depend on me. I’ve failed you, but I am wiser now. The enemy will have a difficult time deceiving me again.”
“Although I might argue the point, I cannot deny that one must be alert to the wiles of others.” I stepped closer to her. “I’ve learned the hard way, too.”
I opened my arms and Mirela came to me. She wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed her cheek against my chest. “We must depend on each other,” she said. “That is the only way.”
Mirela’s scent wafted around me, and I closed my eyes to breathe it in. As a human, she’d been irresistible. As a vampire, it seemed that she was even more so. Her sweetness and goodness captivated me, her very essence a lure that I had no intention of turning away from.
We’d been separated too often, and for too long. I wanted her with my body and soul. I lifted her into my arms and carried her to the bed. The lustful look in her eyes told me that she wanted it too. We’d had so few opportunities to satisfy our desire.
I lowered Mirela to my bed, so that she reclined against the satin pillows. Her long hair flowed over the bed, and her beauty mesmerized me. “Mirela…my love. We will not part. I know in my heart that we were meant to be together. It’s your love, the promise of our future together, that sustains me.”
A
doration radiated between us, but before Mirela could reply, she was in my arms. What had begun as a sensual interlude exploded into vampire love. She was strong, and I feared not. Clothes were an encumbrance we quickly shed.
I needed to be close to her, feel her skin against mine. Mirela met my passionate kisses with her own. She nipped at me and raked her nails over my skin. I made love to her, feeling her soft femininity wrap around me.
While deep within her, as though we were one, craving overpowered me. My fangs extended, and I looked into her eyes before biting her neck and sucking her delicious blood. I sucked with fervor, and Mirela responded by sucking from my wrist.
We were lost in our world, reaching for each other, fervently passionate. Drinking from each other was not life sustaining as feeding was. The blood share was soul sustaining, as it fueled our love and united us—for eternity. The hours in each other’s arms were stolen moments in the heat of the storm. I cherished my love more than my life, so I vowed to make things right…and secure our destiny.
Chapter 6 - Selene
In my forest, I’d been talking with the animals and gathering my strength. It was a strain to know about things before they happened. That wasn’t always the way. Often I didn’t know more than others did. But the tension in the kingdom was unmistakable, and I predicted what was to come.
Each faction vied for control, and battles had recently escalated. It was time to see for myself what transpired. Yet before I tended to war business, there was another matter that drew my attention. A recent incident flashed in my mind, alerting me to Mirela’s trauma.
I teleported to the castle city and found Mirela in the estate gardens with Calina. The two were pruning roses as if peace was at hand, and they required leisure activities to relieve boredom. That was only an illusion, since their mental state was quite different from that.
Calina turned and motioned for me to join them. “I do enjoy tending my rose garden. It’s a nice distraction.”
My sense of Calina was that she was stressed and suffered guilt over a recent event. I thought I knew which one but was anxious to hear all the details.
When Mirela saw me, she was exuberant. “Selene…I’m so glad you are here.” I thought she might hug me, but a look at my face held her back. I supposed that I wasn’t really the hugging type.
Mirela’s essence enveloped me. Since I was able to divine inner feelings, and a person’s true nature, I took the opportunity to learn more about her. I’d already witnessed her empathy with nature, which was evident once again as she stood near the roses.
I perceived that Mirela could control weather and had telepathic abilities. That was in addition to her vampiric powers. Yet her real strength went deeper. Her feminine qualities of gentleness, kindness, and compassion were more potent than she realized.
It didn’t escape my notice that Mirela looked vibrant, but I didn’t peek into her interlude with Draven. Some things were meant to be private. “Mirela…you’re looking well.”
Mirela held a red rose and sat on a wooden bench. “That is because of you.”
Being in a playful mood, I said, “Whatever do you mean?”
“Your necklace saved me, that’s what.” Mirela grasped the chain and let the pendant dangle before my eyes. “You knew very well what you were doing when you gave this to me.”
“I take it that you’ve used it?”
“I most certainly did,” Mirela said, then proceeded to tell me the tale in exquisite detail. “But I have a question.”
I sat on a bench across from her. “Certainly. What is it?”
Calina seemed interested now, so brushed the dirt off her hands and came to sit with us.
“Pegasus flew me to safety but immediately turned back into my necklace,” Mirela said. “Why is that?”
“The stallion is not a pet, you know.” I smiled at the very idea. “I created him to protect you, but his magic is limited. He will offer aid in an immediate crisis, but that is he extent of his power. Even then, it wasn’t easy for me to fashion him for you, and I don’t know of anyone else who could have.”
Mirela frowned. “You might have told me how to activate him. As it was, I cut it very close.”
“I assumed you’d figure it out,” I said.
“It shouldn’t have happened at all,” Calina said. “I hired the human, oblivious to his intentions. And that’s unlike me. I can read human thoughts, so it was a grievous error.”
“Before you languish too long with your guilt,” I said, “I can assure you that your servant knew of your telepathy. His co-conspirators surely coached him to conceal his thoughts.”
“Not with me, though.” Mirela smiled. “I read him like a book. That’s how I discovered what his plan was…although a bit late.”
“I’ve come on another matter,” I said, noting that I had their attention. “That wasn’t the first time you’ve been the center of attention, was it, Mirela?”
“Definitely not, and I’m tired of being fought over like I’m some sort of prize.”
I glanced at Calina, then looked back at Mirela. “You should realize your role in this kingdom, and I’m not sure you do. But I feel that certain things will ring true with you.”
Mirela’s eyes widened. “Such as?”
“An ancient prophecy foretold of your arrival,” I said. “Are you aware of that?”
Mirela stared at me. “As I child, I knew it by heart. It came to me in a dream. But…my mother dissuaded me from believing it.”
“The first lines of the prophecy leave no doubt that it’s about you,” I said, then recited the first line: “A woman with a lyrical name will unite with a king beneath the ocean, a god of wealth and immortality.”
“Yes, I remember it all,” Mirela said.
“The origin of your name is lyrical,” I said. “It is made up from the notes in the musical scale: MI RE LA. It’s a girl’s name that means peace and prosperity.”
“Draven knows of the line: She will see him as her other half, as he will see her as his,” Mirela said. “It’s very romantic, and deep in my heart, it’s how I feel. But that doesn’t mean the prophecy is true.”
“Long ago, your arrival in our kingdom and your union with Draven was predicted,” I said. “You’d be wise not to brush that aside, but to acknowledge the significance of your role.”
“She’s right,” Calina said. “Draven has known of the prophecy since his youth.”
“But it predicts that I will unite with a king beneath the ocean,” Mirela said. “Since I’ve met Draven, one thing after the other has gone wrong. It seems that destiny may not lead us to rule as king and queen. He won’t even accept his title as prince.”
“You must not wait to be swept toward destiny,” I said. “It’s up to you to guide your path…and that of the kingdom.” I’d placed duty at Mirela’s feet. The future would reveal how she dealt with it. Destiny wasn’t a solo affair. Her actions would alter fate, mine as well as that of the others.
War was not a pretty sight. I left Mirela to ponder her future, while I ventured out to view the present. The Royal Army fought beyond the boundaries of their mountainous region. The battles were aimed at weakening the Guardians, to more easily conquer when the final battle came.
I teleported beyond the coastal border and witnessed the bloodshed. Vampires weren’t easy to kill, especially the Guardians. But the royals had size and soullessness on their side. Each soldier’s enormity made it necessary for two of Draven’s men to attack at once.
And the brutality with which the monster vampires killed revealed their emptiness inside. Mercy and conscience weren’t concepts they knew. Ripping off the head of an enemy vampire was as thoughtless a task as yanking a tree from its roots when it was in the way.
Death and destruction were their watchwords. The Guardians fought valiantly and had some success. At least the royals were kept from overrunning the coastal region, then the palace city. When the Royal Army attacked in greater numbers, the odds might
shift in their favor.
I must have been so enthralled with the ravages of battle that I wasn’t paying attention to my own safety. I’d materialized on the edge of the action, without using my shielding ability. It was ill-advised to stand so close to the scene, gawking at the fighting.
A vampire in royal uniform loomed over me, a second before he wrapped his arm around my waist. I must have appeared defenseless, for surely a woman alone was not to be feared. Just because the king granted me liberties, it didn’t mean that his soldier recognized me—or would have cared if he had.
The breath went out of my lungs, as his iron arm held me to his massive chest. I sensed that he was out for blood, meaning that he meant to drink from my neck. The vampire was about to find out that he wasn’t holding a woman to be drained then crushed for satisfaction.
It wasn’t only ghosts or spirits that I had the ability to summon. I could also bring forth demons. An inky-blue creature rose from beneath the earth, with rocks and sand cascading off its form as it achieved full height. Its scales were sharp, and its tail was a poison-tipped razor.
The demon was over ten feet tall, with wide shoulders and clawed hands. Its face was reptilian, with sharp spikes coming out of its head. Its forearms were short but strong, and its legs were like tree trunks. The creature bared its fangs and glared at the royal soldier.
Alban’s monster vampires feared little, but this one recognized a demon when he saw one. Superstition played no part in it. Death was one thing the soldier understood. He released me to face the greater presence. I gasped for air then teleported to a safer locale.
I left the soldier to fend for himself against the demon I’d summoned. I didn’t need to stay and watch. The odds were in favor of the demon, and I was certain the dark vampire was about to draw his last breath. I’d need to be more careful roaming the battlefields. I’d let that encounter be a reminder.