by Cege Smith
The man knocked and Elvry stepped out of the line of sight. Connor saw what was coming and wanted to say something but it was too late. A few moments later, an old man opened the door in his night robe looking sleepily at the servant outside his door.
“What is it?” the nobleman said.
Elvry was through the door and on the man before he even had a chance to cry out. The servant stood there watching with no expression and then Connor heard the door on the other side start to open. He grabbed the front of the servant’s shirt and yanked him inside, shutting the door behind them.
Elvry was on top of the nobleman’s chest and her fangs were buried deep into his neck. Her head whipped up and Connor saw blood dripping down her chin. “You need your strength, Connor.” She gestured toward the servant. “He won’t mind. Will you, uh, what’s your name?”
“Walter,” the man said.
“Walter won’t mind. It’s for a good cause.”
Connor’s back was against the door. He could smell the blood of the old man on the floor and he could hear it roaring through Walter’s veins. He didn’t want to give in. He wanted to resist, but in such close quarters and with the taste of it so recently in his mouth, he felt his fangs extend without even thinking about it.
Elvry winked at him. Then her head lowered and he could hear the sucking as she continued to drink. Walter turned to him. “I won’t mind,” he said, repeating Elvry’s words.
It made Connor sick, but his instinct was winning out, just as Monroe had assured him it would. When Walter cocked his head to the side, exposing the skin at the crook of his neck and the shoulder, Connor moaned. It was too much. He pushed Walter further into the room and then against the wall that was next to the fireplace. He grabbed the man’s hair and yanked his head to the side again and then bit deep into his neck.
Connor lost himself in the colors that erupted behind his closed eyes and sank into the sensations of electricity and life that hummed through him. With each draw of blood he felt stronger and more alive than he had felt in years. His body was drawing in every drop and he felt it race to his extremities. When he felt a hand on his arm he growled.
Then Elvry forcibly pulled his head back. “Down, boy. Leave some for later,” she said.
Walter’s still body slid to the floor, but Connor could see that his chest still rose and fell. He hadn’t killed him. On one hand Connor was grateful, but the other part of him wanted to continue and suck the servant dry.
Connor forced himself to look at Elvry’s prey. He was surprised to see the man lying in the bed with his sheet cover over him as if he was still sleeping. Elvry turned Connor’s head toward her and tried to kiss him but Connor shook her off. He felt disgusted enough with himself and had no wish to add to his pile of guilt.
Elvry look annoyed. “A little blood should be making you feel very friendly,” she said suggestively. She turned her head so that he could see her neck. “I’ll let you drink mine if I can drink yours.”
Connor knew exactly what she was asking him to do, and he wasn’t going to play her game again. He turned away with a shuddering breath. Even though he was refusing, it wasn’t without a struggle. “What are we doing here, Elvry? I thought you said that we were going to someplace quiet and out of the way.”
Elvry lifted up her hands and gestured all around them. “What do you think this is? No one is going to bother us, especially when we send Walter here down with a missive that poor Lord Redley is feeling under the weather. He must have eaten something at the feast that disagreed with him.”
Connor realized then that Elvry had known where she was going all along. He looked at the bed. “Lord Redley?”
A sly grin crossed her face. “Astute, Connor. Yes, I have plans for Lord Redley specifically. Another reason I can’t kill him quite yet.” She licked her lips and looked at Redley wistfully.
Monroe’s plans were always complex and intricate, with many things depending on others falling into place. Connor shouldn’t have been surprised, and yet he was.
“So are you going to tell me the plan?”
Elvry pouted. “I will...for a kiss.”
“Why do you insist on this game?” Connor scowled. “I am not a toy for you to play with nor am I interested in being one.”
Elvry pressed against him. “Once upon a time you couldn’t get enough of me.”
It was a time that Connor wished he could forget. Being Elvry’s lover had been both delicious and traumatic. Which he suspected was exactly the way that she preferred it. He stepped away from her. “That was a long time ago.”
“Has someone else caught your eye?” she said suspiciously. “No man denies me unless there’s a very good reason.”
Once again he was left wondering if she could somehow read his thoughts. “I simply want to get my part of this ploy done so that Monroe will speak on my behalf to the Master and I am able to claim what is mine. Nothing else. There is no one else.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure that I believe you.”
Connor stepped away and dropped into a wingback chair setting in front of the fireplace. “I don’t care what you believe.”
Elvry sighed dramatically. “Well, if you do want to know what’s about to happen and change your mind, I’ll be right over here,” she said with a wink. Then she went to the window and pulled the shades closed. Even though Redley’s window was deep under an overhang from the floor above, the absence of light in the room made it more comfortable. She sat down on the ledge and leaned back against the sill, closing her eyes.
Connor knew that she wasn’t going to go to sleep. She was going to listen for him to do something that she could call him out on. Connor sighed and sat back. It was going to be a long day.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Angeline’s dreams were dark and drenched in blood. She was fighting for something, trying to survive, but each time she felt like she was gaining traction she was pushed back, almost to the brink of death. But she didn’t give up. With everything inside of her she fought back, desperate to not let go and not give in.
When the hand on her shoulder shook her awake, she leapt out of the chair with a cry, the book in her lap falling to the floor. A wide-eyed Clarissa looked at her, terrified.
“Majesty! I’m so sorry to have startled you,” Clarissa said.
Angeline’s heart was beating rapidly in her chest. She brought a hand to her throat and tried to take several deep breaths. She was completely disoriented. “What is it, Clarissa?”
“The Chief Advisor and General are waiting for you in the breakfast atrium, Majesty. They said it is urgent that you join them as soon as you are ready.”
Angeline glanced out the window. The sun was low on the horizon. It was still early. She had probably only been asleep for an hour, two at the most. Her body felt bruised and battered, which she attributed to sleeping in the chair. The images from her dream were already fading from her mind. She sensed that these weren’t things that she wanted to remember. Shaking the remnants away, she nodded.
“Of course,” she said. “Help me, Clarissa”
She quickly bathed and got dressed. It felt strange when Clarissa set her crown on her head. The gold filigree was brilliantly offset in the black strands of her hair, and as she looked at herself in the mirror, she was still startled that the Ascension ceremony the day before had happened at all. Today she awoke as queen.
Angeline had almost forgotten that there were still more ceremonies and festivities to be done that were expected as part of her Ascension. That very evening would be the Ascension Ball. Everything culminated in the wedding ceremony on the third day after she was declared queen. The thought filled Angeline with dread. She felt like there were so many other things to be focused on, but her people expected to spend these next days in celebration. It was tradition, and so Angeline had certain appearances that she would have to uphold.
As she made her way to the breakfast atrium she felt something tugging at her. At first she tho
ught it was the wraith, but there was nothing malevolent or evil about it. It was simply a feeling that she should be going somewhere other than the breakfast atrium. She couldn’t explain it, so she tried to ignore it, but as she passed the hallway leading to the men’s quarters, Angeline had to forcibly make her feet continue on to the stairwell that would take her to the ground level. She was confused, and felt like the last thing she needed was another mysterious feeling distracting her. She pressed on, and found as she went down the stairs that the feeling became less intense.
Angeline passed several servants scurrying throughout the hallways and she nodded absently to each of them as they bowed and curtsied to her. She finally reached the door to the atrium and stepped through.
The atrium was a large, glass-enclosed room that was settled on the edge of the gardens. It was the perfect size to allow for a small gathering of people and was usable year round no matter the weather outside. Angeline found Malin and Rhone sitting at the breakfast table. Even though there was a large spread of fruit and pastries in front of them, neither man appeared to be eating.
They both stood as she entered the room and bowed to her. Rhone’s face was ashen and the lines there looked more deeply engraved than usual. Malin wore a perplexed expression, as if he was trying to unravel some complex puzzle. That gave her no comfort.
“Your Majesty,” Malin said. “I hope you were able to get some sleep.” His eyes searched her face.
“A bit, thank you for asking, Malin,” Angeline said evasively. She was still trying to decide what she should do about Malin. While he proclaimed that he would help her control the wraith, she wasn’t sure what that entailed now, and she didn’t like knowing there was some other mysterious person within the palace that also was doing the Clan’s work. “Needless to say, seeing a man kill himself in front of me was distressing.”
“Everything has been taken care of with that, Majesty,” Rhone said. “We’ll be able to use the war room again later today.”
Angeline sat down at the table and the men followed. She poured herself some tea, and realized that there was definite tension in the air. Something was amiss. “What’s wrong?”
“Several families in the city reported their children missing this morning,” Rhone said. “They said they put the children to bed just like always, and this morning when they went to wake them, they were gone.”
Angeline stiffened. Alair’s words echoed in her mind. “They sneak over the walls at night and steal our very children from their beds, never to be heard from again.”
“Do you have any idea what’s happened to them?” Angeline said.
“The legends say that vampires prefer young blood,” Rhone said in a harsh tone. “This is further confirmation that we have a vampire infestation in the city.”
Swinging her eyes to Malin, she could see that her Chief Advisor wore a frown. “What do you think, Malin?”
“I think that we are dealing with unseen forces that are attempting to disrupt your Ascension,” Malin said. “I’ve advised Rhone to have his soldiers do a sweep of the city to see if the children have just wandered off. With all of the excitement going on, we shouldn’t rule out that this is something very innocent.”
Rhone slammed his fist down on the table. “One child, perhaps, but five? No, this isn’t some random occurrence. This is deliberate.”
“I think Malin is right,” Angeline said. “We don’t want the parents to spread panic. Tell them we will find them.” She was angry. It was like she was being tested, and she wanted to know by whom. “Bolster the guard around the palace as well. I don’t want anyone interfering with the Ball tonight. We will plan to reconvene around noon and you can tell me what you’ve turned up.” Her head was starting to hurt. “What else?”
“Speaking of the Ball, I’ve received word that Lord Redley has taken ill and will be unable to attend,” Malin said.
This was another annoying surprise, but of a lesser degree. The Redleys were the oldest intact bloodline in Altera, just slightly older than the Robarts. But over the years the Redleys had fallen on bad times, and their land was parceled and sold off to other nobles to pay for their debts. Now the current Lord Redley had little more than an old family home and a few servants. But nonetheless, as recognition of their long lineage, a Redley led the first dance of the Ascension Ball, dancing with the queen. For Angeline’s Ascension, as Altera’s first blood-born queen, this duty was an even greater honor for the House of Redley.
Angeline found herself slightly relieved to hear he wouldn’t be attending; Lord Redley was old enough to be her grandfather, but he had always looked at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. “We’ll have to come up with something else then,” Angeline said, ready to move on. She had greater things to worry about.
“His note did say that his daughter had arrived late last evening and would be willing to stand in his stead,” Malin said.
“I didn’t know Redley had a daughter,” Angeline said. It was difficult to keep track of all of the noble families.
“She’d be about your age,” Malin said. “He never brought her to court. I had heard rumors that she is quite...plain.”
“Well, I won’t be dancing with her, so I guess you’ll have to do it,” Angeline said. She waved her hand. “Enough talk of trivial things. The most important thing is to find these children and find out what we can about these supposed vampires who are squatting in the city.”
Rhone stood and bowed. “I will go advise the men now.” He strode from the room.
As soon as he was out of the room, Malin turned to her. “How are you feeling this morning?”
His intimate tone made Angeline want to jump out of her skin. “I am fine, Malin.”
“I have made the request of the Clan to redo the binding spell. I am sure that they will accommodate it,” Malin said.
Based on the conversation she heard between Malin and his contact, Angeline wasn’t quite so sure. “Do I have any other options?” she asked lightly. She hated being in the position to be beholden to this man and his mysterious Clan. “Have they done any more checking into a cure?”
Malin frowned again. “I know you are worried about this, Angeline, but I am here to help you do whatever is necessary to remain in control. I’ve been doing my own research, and I believe that this can help you as we wait for the Clan to respond to my request.” He pulled a small bag out of his coat pocket and set it next to her plate.
Skeptical, she took the bag and gently tugged the cord so that she could see inside. A strong waft of pungent herb smell assaulted her nostrils. She wrinkled her nose. “What is it?”
“Veatred root,” Malin said. “It’s from the Amaron Forest. It’s very rare, but there was a small note in one of the chronicles that made reference to a man who had been bitten by a vampire but didn’t die. When he recovered from his injuries, he had abnormal strength and speed and appeared to suffer from mental hysteria.”
Angeline was surprised. “You believe this man was turned into a wraith?”
“As you know, wraiths have existed since the beginning; it’s just their existence was hidden,” Malin said. “You just need to know what to look for when reviewing the histories in order to draw some logical conclusions.”
“This root helped the man?” Angeline asked.
“The healer tried many different herbs and potions to try to relive the man’s malady. This one seemed to have worked the best. You can steep it in your tea.” Malin said, pointing at her teacup. “That should make it easier to swallow.”
“I’ve never heard of Veatred root,” Angeline said. Part of her studies had included learning an exhaustive list of native Alteran herbs and general poultices and potions and their uses.
“Well, until recently you had never heard of wraiths either,” Malin said with a raised eyebrow.
Angeline sighed. He was right, and she couldn’t risk not trying anything that would help her ensure that she maintained control. She shook a few leaves into her c
up and poured hot water over them. Gently she set her napkin on top of her cup to allow the full intensity of the herb to steep into the water.
“What happened to the man?” she asked as she waited.
“He died,” Malin said with a grimace.
“How?” Angeline tried to keep her voice steady.
“The healer was naturally suspicious of the man’s countenance. Remember, this was a time when everyone openly acknowledged that vampires existed. I believe that when the healer ascertained the man’s true nature, she brought the matter to the village council.”
“What happened, Malin?”
“The man was strung up in the village square and burned alive,” Malin said quietly.
Angeline sat back in her seat. No matter what steps she tried to take, she felt almost certain that she was on a path to a similar fate as the man in Malin’s story.
Malin reached over and took her hand, leaning across the table. “You are different. You are a Robart. Your blood is strong. If anyone can find a way to survive what has happened, it would be you.”
“I wish I shared your confidence, Malin,” she said before she could bite her tongue. She hated showing any sign of uncertainty in front of him, sure that at some point it would come back to be thrown in her face.
“Keep your focus on the matters at hand. You have to keep up appearances for the people. Let Rhone dig out whatever evil forces have settled in Brebackerin intent on mischief and malice. I will help you with your wraith. You just have to stay calm. There shouldn’t be any cause for you to be around blood. I fear that would be the one thing that would bring your...weakness to light.”
Angeline gently untangled her hand from his and removed her napkin from the teacup. As she brought the cup to her mouth, her nostrils flared. It smelled like swamp water. Gingerly she sipped the liquid and almost choked. It tasted even worse than it smelled, but determined, she took another large swallow and forced it down her throat.