by Amber Lynn
“He is a Dracul, but less than a week ago he was a human.”
Trilla’s head started darting back and forth from looking at Krinton to looking over at Hunter. The scrutiny of Hunter again made Krinla turn protective and stand even more in front of him. Trilla wasn’t exactly trying to undress him with her eyes, but Krinla got the sense the other woman was hoping to somehow see Hunter on the molecular level.
“You know as well as I do that that’s not possible, Krinton. Humans haven’t existed for over a century and there’s no way to turn one of them into any of our species other than Reborns.”
At least Krinla got some sense of relief that some of the stories she’d been told as a child were true. Krinton had tried to claim there was a time when other Draculs could turn humans, but it was an ability that had been nonexistent for a while.
“You can understand why this is something I’d rather not talk about out here in the open. I trust you have enough control over your people that what has already been said won’t be shared, but anything else I have to say on the subject needs to be said in private.”
Trilla nodded without commenting on the matter. “Ero, I’d like your team to keep post in this general area. Sooner or later the other Draculs will pick up the scent of their leader and come looking for him. You’re to continue to try to keep them at bay nonviolently, but if they show any kind of aggression you have the authority to use force.”
Ero didn’t hesitate to nod his head and wave his hand to the left to indicate the group of four Beasts with him should follow his lead. They quietly stomped off as Krinla tried to figure out how big the threat of a fight was. Things didn’t seem that tense until the subject of Krinla and Hunter were brought up.
“You already know the way, but with some of the unease going on lately because of the Draculs roaming around, it’s best if you let me lead us back.” Trilla wasn’t asking permission, but in a way it felt like she was.
“That’s fine. I’m sure there are going to be a lot of questions, by both you and your people, but I’m hoping you give me a chance to explain everything before anyone makes too many assumptions.”
That should’ve been the first thing out of Krinton’s mouth when they encountered the Beasts. It was a little late for some of the assumptions to go back into the bottle they came from. Krinla liked the idea of talking about things in private, but at the same time, it gave everyone in the group’s minds more time to attempt to fill in any holes they had.
Krinla wasn’t sure what everyone else was thinking about, but she was still focused on the fact that Krinton had paraded Rya around to at least one other faction when he didn’t let his own daughter out of the castle. It reminded her that she was going to have to address that the girl was her sister, and yet another part of her life she had no clue about.
Chapter Thirty
The trip to the Beast stronghold didn’t take long. Their speed was just below a run as they made their way through the woods. Once they left the clearing where they’d originally met, a couple Beasts flowed in behind them. It was uncomfortable being followed, but Krinton didn’t voice any concerns about it.
Within half a click. Krinla began making out a tall stone building in the near distance. The trees often blocked it, but when they didn’t, Krinla was able to see the structure was a parapet much larger than the ones attached to her home. As they got closer, she could make out the walls that surrounded the stronghold, but only the four parapets at the corners of the castle were visible above the walls.
They crossed a drawbridge that quickly lowered when Trilla’s foot touched the thick wood boards leading up to it. It made a squeaking noise that made Krinla want to reach up and cover her ears.
“I’ve been meaning to get that oiled, but we’ve been a little busy figuring out what your people are doing,” Trilla explained.
The group had slowed to a walk as they crossed the bridge. It gave Krinla a chance to get a good look around the fortress they were entering. She was quick to search for any other routes out of the place, but wasn’t extremely successful because of how many buildings were in the way. She couldn’t see the opposite wall amid all the obstructions, which made her tense up.
Hunter squeezed her hand and leaned over to bump his head against hers. Krinla tried to take in a deep breath and calm down a little, but being back in her time meant Hulin was out there. Even though she was careful not to seek him out amidst all the other Draculs she felt, she knew he was there and chances were he could be knocking on the doors of the Beasts’ stronghold within one position of the sun.
“I know you want to wait to explain things, but does she need something?” Trilla glanced over her shoulder to look at Krinla.
Krinla was already trying to calm herself, and having someone pointing out that she was slightly distressed wasn’t helping the situation. She squeezed Hunter’s hand tighter in hopes he could transfer some of his serenity through the connection. The poor guy had abandoned his life and was being thrust into the middle of chaos, yet he didn’t seem stressed at all.
“She’ll feel better once she’s indoors,” Rya provided.
After hearing Rya’s usual need to give more details than necessary, it was surprising that she left it at that. Krinla even waited for the shoe to drop after the few words, but nothing more was forthcoming.
“I’m guessing the way she projects her emotions that strongly is something you’ll be explaining.”
They had made it to the castle, with Krinla doing her best not to make eye contact with any of the Beasts staring at the group. There was a clear drop in conversations in the community as soon as the Draculs stepped foot in the stronghold. Along with not being able to find exit routes, the staring was adding to her anxiety.
No one responded to Trilla’s statement as she led them into the stone structure she called home. Rya was right that Krinla felt a little better being indoors, but the walls around them offered a new issue. In the open of the streets outside, there were places Krinla could run if need be. She didn’t know the layout of the castle, so she didn’t know the ways out.
As they twisted and turned their way through the halls of the castle, the Beasts following them gave them more space. The lack of anything on the walls reminded Krinla of home. Hunter had visions of homes with pictures and paintings on the walls, but Krinla had never been in a building that added personal touches like that to the décor.
Any personalization came from the furniture that filled the rooms. On the way to the room Trilla wanted to speak in, Krinla didn’t see any indications that someone lived there, let alone any of the thirty or so people she felt in the castle.
Trilla held her arm out in a doorway of a room in the center of the vast castle. Along with the taller parapets, the castle itself seemed to be bigger than her home. Krinla hoped that meant the castle had as many tunnels underneath it as hers did.
The Draculs made their way into the room and took a second to look around as their host closed the door behind them. The bridge wasn’t the only creaky hinges within the Beasts’ stronghold. If Krinla lived through the fight she knew was ahead of them, she was going to make sure her father sent a vat of oil over to the Beasts.
“This is as private as I can make things.” Trilla made her way through the group as she spoke, seeming to pause for a second to reach out and run her hand down Krinton’s arm.
The gesture would’ve been odd, so Krinla assumed her anxiety was making her see things. Krinton didn’t react, which helped reiterate her eyes playing a trick on her.
Trilla ended up leaning against a large wooden desk. Along with a bookshelf and a couple of chairs, it was all the furniture in the room. The room was eerily similar to the setup of Krinton’s own office.
“Thanks for being understanding, Trilla. As you know, I’ve always been a private man.” Trilla’s eyes rolled, acknowledging the claim. “You’ve met Rya simply because she has the ability to tell me what I’m missing while I’m busy negotiating deals. There are ve
ry few people, even amongst the Draculs, who have met my daughter, Krinla.”
Krinton held out his hand so Krinla could grab0 it. She knew there had to be a reason for him taking Rya on his trips, but her jealously had blocked out the fact that the girl was an asset when it came to making deals.
“I’ve heard rumors she existed, but actual sightings have been rare.” Trilla pushed away from the desk and stood up straighter as she sized Krinla up.
“From what you’ve already said, you can imagine why I’ve been a protective father.”
“There was once a saying about wearing your heart on your sleeve, and it would seem your daughter is the real-life embodiment of that statement. I’ve met dozens of Draculs over the years, but I’ve never felt anything like the power coming from her.”
Trilla’s eyes narrowed slightly, making Krinla even more uncomfortable. It felt like she’d only just learned she might be different than other Draculs, and standing in front of her was a woman who seemed ready to list off all the differences she could sense. Krinla wasn’t sure she wanted to hear anything else.
“It’s gotten stronger recently, but it’s always been obvious there was something there.”
The pride Krinla picked up in Krinton’s voice made her feel a little better. There were some fathers in the world who would’ve exploited her, but Krinton had always been dedicated to protecting her. It may have been hard to stomach over the years, but it made more sense with some of the secrets around the castle revealed.
“And she made him.”
Trilla pointed a finger over to Hunter, which made Krinla let go of her father’s hand and again take a position in front of Hunter. The corners of Trilla’s lips curled up before she spoke again.
“I can assure you your little project is safe from me. There’s only one Dracul who interests me, and he’s standing on the other side of you.”
Krinla growled at the woman. “He’s not a project.”
Whatever the woman’s deal was with her father was his business, so Krinla didn’t feel it was her right to voice her confusion about that claim. It did make the touch she thought she’d witness take on a whole new meaning.
“I’ll take your word on that. I do have to ask where in the world you found a human. As I stated earlier,” Trilla stopped to chuckle. “Well, I was going to say that humans were all dead before any of us were born, but I assume that’s not true. Unless of course, you were able to reanimate one of the Reborns. He’s in really good shape if that’s the case.”
Trilla was proving she had quite an imagination. Krinla wondered if that would make it easier or harder for her to believe the truth.
“I’m surprised your first question when your group came upon us wasn’t how we appeared without your people being able to detect us. Usually, you’re a lot quicker to pick up on abnormalities.”
Krinton wasn’t jumping into the story of what had happened to them over the last few cycles. Krinla wasn’t sure how much he’d share, but it was clear Trilla was going to learn more than probably any other Beast would ever hear.
“The people traveling with you were a lot more interesting to me, as I believe I’ve already made clear. Even now, how you appeared out of thin air doesn’t get my inquisitive mind going as much as what’s going on between these two.”
Trilla glanced over to Krinton briefly, but it seemed to be difficult for her to look away from Krinla and Hunter. Krinla was still in front of Hunter, but he pulled her back to him, letting go of her hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulder and kiss the top of her head. She felt slightly better with more of his body touching hers. The tenseness in her shoulders wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but it was nice to take it down a notch.
“There have been rumors that the Dracul search parties aren’t actually looking for you, Krinton. In fact, the note that was brought back to me only asked for the return of a young Dracul woman if she was found. I have no idea what’s going on, but it’s pretty clear she’s at the center of some kind of battle you Draculs are having.”
“What does that mean?” Krinla asked, looking over to her father. Hulin couldn’t take over the Draculs without fighting Krinton, so he should’ve been the object of the search.
“He thinks just having you is enough to take over the faction.”
“What does that mean?” Krinla would’ve asked the question again, but Trilla beat her to it.
“It means my daughter will be the leader of our faction once she marries Hunter. Hulin must have found the notes I’ve kept over the years about all the things I’ve noticed about Krinla, and he thinks just having her is enough to give him power over the rest of our kind.”
Krinla didn’t want to sound repetitive, so rather than asking the question that had been asked twice, she moved on to another one that presented itself.
“What notes do you have about me?”
Since Krinla kept a diary of sorts, she couldn’t fault her father for writing things down. That didn’t mean it didn’t come as a shock to hear he had specific notes written about her.
“I guess it’s more books than singular notes. I started writing things down when you were still in your mother’s womb.”
The response didn’t answer the question, and Krinton didn’t seem like he was prepared to offer more. Krinla stared at her father for a second, hoping he’d provide something else. When he didn’t, she looked over to Rya since the girl likely knew what he was talking about, but her face was just as neutral as his.
Movement from Trilla’s direction drew Krinla’s eyes that way. She expected the woman to still be standing, but had to lower her eyes to where she was kneeling on the ground.
“What in the world is she doing?” As if things weren’t already weird enough, seeing someone basically bowing was just bizarre.
Trilla starting answering the question as she raised her head and stared at Krinton. “She is the female in your fabled duo sanguine, correct?” Krinton nodded as everyone else in the room observed the actions of the two leaders. “Then she is the true leader of all factions.”
Chapter Thirty-one
There were a lot of things Krinla didn’t learn locked up in the castle for most of her life. That was becoming clearer during every conversation she’d had since they ran from the castle. She was sure there would be a point when people just started making things up, and she was fairly certain they had reached that point.
To have a leader of another faction bowing to her and calling her some true leader was more than just a surreal moment. It was downright preposterous.
“I think it’s best if you stand back up and we circle back to the fact Hunter was recently human.”
Krinla liked where her father was leading the conversation. They’d gotten off track, and clearly that had led to nothing but chaos. Where the actual discussion about what was going on would undoubtedly turn out just as strange, but it would at least be founded on some truth.
Trilla hesitated before getting up, glancing over in Krinla’s direction before completing the movement. It was like she was waiting for permission from her or expected her to tell her to stay put. Krinla wished Hunter wouldn’t have dismantled all the remotes to travel back in time, because she really wanted to rewind to the point before things had turned bizarre.
“I still don’t know how that’s possible, but knowing who she is makes it slightly less interesting. By the way they’re glued together, I assume he’s her chosen other half of the duo sanguine.”
It was odd that a non-Dracul was talking about a fairy tale told to Draculs when they were kids. Krinton had hinted there was a deeper backstory that no one knew about, which made Krinla wonder exactly what Trilla knew and whether the stories she heard were based on fact or fiction.
“There was no choosing about it,” Rya said, finally joining the conversation. “The second they met they were bonded together in a way I’ve never seen before.”
The sentiment was a little off coming from someone who was ten. If someon
e as old as Krinton had said it, it’d be a little more dramatic, but hearing it from a ten-year-old made it seem like it wasn’t quite a once in a lifetime kind of thing.
Rya looked in Krinla’s direction and rolled her eyes. There seemed to be quite a bit of that going around.
“Anyway, since that clearly doesn’t impress Krinla, why don’t we focus on the fact that your kind also has stories about the duo sanguine, which you’ve neglected to bring up before.”
Krinla didn’t want to stay on that topic when she still felt it was only a matter of time before the Draculs would show up and try to take her away. With the news that Hulin was only looking for her, it meant that everyone else with her was fodder for the other side.
Trilla shrugged. “It hasn’t been something that worked its way into a conversation. It’s not like we’re the only ones who know the stories. Everyone does.”
She hummed as she made her way over to a bookshelf and grabbed three books, seemingly randomly. The books weren’t next to each other and weren’t even in the same rows.
“While you’re fishing out your stories, maybe you could summarize what you know. Since my father made up many of the stories Draculs are told, I’m kind of at a loss for what Beasts would know on the subject.”
The duo sanguine talk wasn’t going away, so Krinla looked to the chair closest to her and Hunter. If she had to listen to crazy stories supposedly about her, she was going to do it sitting down. The chair was made of ornately carved wood and had a plush cushion in a somewhat odd shade of orange.
Hunter knew what she wanted before she said anything, so he pulled her over and sat on the chair, leaving his lap for her to settle in on. She smiled and curled into him as they waited to hear what Trilla had to say. When the woman turned around with the books in hand, her eyes immediately went to the seated couple.
“Sorry, I should have offered you chairs when we first came in. If anyone else wants to sit, please do.”