Game of Vampires: A Reverse Harem Serial (Part Two)

by Rosette Bolter

  But soon he was gone. And she was able to fall back to the carriage’s cushy surroundings.

  As they reached the keep the horses slowed down to a trot, eventually stopping. The driver got out and opened the door for her. Theresa climbed out.

  A line of guards was standing in front of the keep, the doors closed, lights behind them.

  “I’ll wait here, shall I?” the driver asked.

  “Please, if you would,” Theresa replied.

  Step by step she moved down the blue carpet by herself, alone.

  The guards did not falter as she approached.

  “Hello there,” Theresa began. “May I be permitted entry?”

  “I’m afraid not,” one of the guards replied. “You will need Lord Fane’s accompaniment.”

  “Don’t you know who I am? I was here earlier, if you recall.”

  “Yes, my Lady. We remember,” a second guard answered. “Lord Fane has since given us strict orders preventing anyone from entering without his presence.”

  “But Cyprian and Seraphine are in there! Aren’t they?”

  They looked at each other. “We really can’t say.”

  “Can you go inside and ask if they will allow me in?”

  “We’re not really supposed to –”

  “I am here on behalf of Lord Fane. I don’t care what he told you earlier. He will be absolutely furious with you if you don’t let me through.”

  The whole group looked at one another.

  Theresa crossed her arms.

  “Alright,” one of the guards said finally. “Wait here.”

  He disappeared inside the keep.

  Seconds passed. The guards were careful not to stare at her.

  Theresa kept her ground.

  Eventually the guard came back out. He was shaking his head. “Sorry.”

  “Drat,” Theresa cursed. She stormed away back to the carriage.

  “What did they say?” the driver asked.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Theresa said.

  “Where to?”

  “I don’t know. Not far. I need to clear my head a little.”

  “I can ride you up to the lookout if you want. It’s only little up the road there. It will give you a view of the whole town.”

  “Alright,” Theresa said. “Let’s do that.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The ride was further than the driver implied it was. The window open, Theresa peered out and watched the forest terrain become thicker and thicker. The air colder. The wind breezier.

  She closed the window and leaned back, unsettled. She was way off course now. Poor Lord Fane, counting on her to bring back the Necromancer so they could revive and Princess and prevent a war. And what had she done in that time? Had a romantic walk with Lafayette, shacked up with Harland, and now she was going into the middle of nowhere with the carriage driver. What if he had ideas? It wasn’t out of the question, surely. In fact, he must have those thoughts. Assuming … he wasn’t married of course.

  Theresa sighed. She still had the small bag Lord Fane had given her. With the glowing orb that answered questions. Was it time to ask another? And if so, which question should it be?

  Theresa hated not knowing.

  She reached into the bag, feeling the orb’s aura as her fingers touched it.

  But then the carriage came to a sudden stop. And it was time to get out.

  Theresa pushed open the coach’s door and stepped down to the ground without the driver’s help. Theresa saw he had brought to the lookout as intended. She began ascending the steep hill that forked round, so that it was facing the town.

  The driver hurried along beside her.

  “You don’t mind if I join you, do you?” he asked.

  Theresa glanced at him. “What’s your name?”

  “Samuel Witherstein. A middle child of three sons –”

  “Alright, I don’t need your life story.”

  They continued on, the gravel trudged underneath.

  “I don’t mean to pry,” Samuel the driver said. “But I might wonder what has happened to Lord Fane. It seems one as wise as he would have the answer to these difficulties you’re facing.”

  “Lord Fane has his hands full at the moment,” Theresa answered. “Might I ask you a question?”

  “Certainly, my Lady.”

  “How did you know my name was Theresa? Were you eavesdropping on Lord Fane and I?”

  “No, mam. I’ve merely seen you in the servant quarters back at the Princess’s castle.”

  “Oh.”

  “I’ve been one of her stage drivers for a good five years. I remember when they brought you in. Your whole family butchered to death in battle I was told.”

  “Butchered…”

  “Something graphic no doubt. Didn’t mean to bring it up. It’s just that we all really felt for you when we found out what had happened.”

  “Let me ask you something, Samuel.”

  “Yes?”

  “In all your time at the castle, did you ever see anything like today?”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I mean –” Theresa stopped midsentence as they reached the top. She walked out the wooden barrier. Rested her elbows across it. “I mean, have you ever seen the Princess send out one of the servants like she’d done with me today?”

  “No, nothing like that,” Samuel said standing beside her. “Rumors went around I dare say, shortly after you were summoned to her chambers this morning. The other nurses. The kitchen staff and groundskeepers. We all were hoping you might say something to Lord Fane. So she would treat us a bit better. And not let us starve.”

  Theresa looked over at him. “Surely you’re not starving also.”

  “Aye, I receive food.”

  “I thought so.”

  “Barely enough for my family back home.”

  “Oh.”

  “There’s nine of us. Five of them children too. The pains we go through seeing that they’re fed, let me tell you. She’s a wicked woman that Princess Emberlynn. I know if you were Princess you wouldn’t treat us that way.”

  Theresa laughed softly. “Nor would you, if you were King.”

  Samuel laughed back. “Aye. That will be the day.”

  “Talking about what she did to us, it almost makes me wonder whether I’m doing the right thing.”

  “What thing would that be?”

  “Princess Emberlynn is currently deceased. If you. Wait. Give me your finger.”

  She took the driver’s finger and held it out to the horizon. She pulled it round until it was pointing where she wanted it.

  “If you follow the line there, you’ll see that greenish yellow light illuminating in the west of town. Do you see?”

  “Aye.”

  “Lord Fane is using his magic to keep her soul on this plane. If we find a necromancer then he may be able to bring her back. And prevent the vampires from destroying the blood orchard.”

  “Do we really need her for that?”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I mean, can’t we just convince people you’re the real Princess. Won’t that work?”

  “Well that was the plan originally.”

  “You figure out which of the house lords wishes the orchard ill, and then you use your powers as Princess to make sure whoever the traitor is dealt with. We don’t need Emberlynn for that.”

  “Hmm. Maybe we don’t.”

  “So have you figured it out yet?” Samuel asked.

  “Have I figured what out?”

  “Have you figured out which of them is the enemy?”

  Theresa breathed in the night air.

  Bit down on her lip.

  “I honestly don’t know,” she said. “It was the southern lord who attacked Emberlynn. But who knows what his reasoning was there. I’ve been close to the other vampires tonight. But I have no idea which of them were telling the truth.”

  “Is there a way you can test them?”

  “I don’t know. Mayb
e. I have a truth potion in that bag somewhere. But I’d have to administer it to them.”

  “Well, there’s plenty of ways for that.”

  “I guess there are.”

  “You want my advice?”

  Theresa smiled. “Sure, why not.”

  Samuel rubbed his hands together. “Figure out which of the vampires you trust, and bring them back to Emberlynn’s castle. Have them take out the guards and release all of Emberlynn’s slaves. Then take the materials you need to build another blood garden elsewhere.”

  Theresa stared at him. “That is … the most brilliant idea. Seriously.”

  Samuel beamed.

  “How did you come up with it?”

  “You’d be surprised what us common folk pick up when the rich ones are in the other room. We’re not so daft as they think, are we?”

  “No,” Theresa said. “We certainly aren’t.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  It was just what she needed. A plan outside the box. A plan outside the square. Theresa’s true allegiance wasn’t to Lord Fane or Princess Emberlynn. Nor was it to any one particular vampire. Her heart, her devotion, her whole being was committed to the people. And it didn’t matter if they scolded her. Or threw insults at her. Or meant her harm. Samuel Witherstein had brought the truth back to Theresa back in full force. Just when she’d started to empathize with Emberlynn she lost sight of who really mattered. Who she was.

  The people came first. Nothing else.

  She instructed Samuel to take her immediately back to the harem where Harland would hopefully still be, drowning his sorrows. Next stop would be the Merchant’s district where they’d pick up Lafayette. Yes, it would be awkward sharing the same carriage between two of her strongest suitors. On one hand she’d slept with Harland. On the other Lafayette knew Theresa’s identity. Still despite their differences they’d have to work together. They’d have to see this was the right way. She trusted them both enough that she knew she’d be able to count on them in the crunch.

  Theresa leaned out the window as they ventured away from the forest terrain, beginning to get familiar with the area. Up ahead was the Keep which they were to ride past. Ahead of them though she could see another carriage presently arriving out the front.

  “Samuel!” she called with her head out the window. “Hold up!”

  He brought the horses to a stop.

  Her hand was at the carriage door, wondering if she should push it open. Get out.

  She wanted to wait a minute first.

  A wise call.

  A couple dozen seconds past and the carriage at the other end of the road, off loaded its passenger. Theresa could see it was Harland, but his attire was different. He was dressed all in black, including a cape with a hood. Which he then pulled over his head.

  Harland walked up the carpet towards the keep. Theresa saw him approach the four guards on duty. He exchanged words with them.

  She leaned forward against the window.

  Blinked.

  They were telling him the same thing. He wasn’t allowed in.

  Harland was nodding. Appearing to understand.

  Theresa pushed open her door, about to get out. That’s when it happened.

  She watched in horror as Harland ripped one of the swords away from the guards, and proceed to slice the throats of two more. As the fourth guard advanced he smashed his sword leaving the guard defenseless. He then kicked the guard to his knees and decapitated him.

  “Ooh fuck,” Theresa gasped.

  The original guard had started running for the road. Harland grabbed a second sword and charged along after him, implanted the swords in the ground, and bouncing off them into the air.

  He wound up landing on the guard, ripping his headgear away.

  Biting his neck and devouring his blood.

  Theresa quietly closed the carriage door and sunk down to the floor. She remained there for some time.

  The guard’s screams echoed across the road.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Samuel opened the carriage door to find Theresa quivering below the seat, her arms around herself. “It’s okay. He’s gone. I can drive us out of here.”

  Theresa swung one of her hands onto the seat and hoisted herself up. “No. Wait.”

  “What for?”

  Theresa stepped out of the carriage and stood beside him on the road. She could see the door to the keep was wide open.

  “Just … I want to take a look inside…”

  She scuttled off across the road.

  “Theresa! Don’t go inside…” Samuel pleaded.

  She looked back at him and motioned that everything was okay before turning around again. Of course, nothing was okay. The man who had taken her virginity had just murdered four people right in front of her, the very same night. Years from now she’d still be getting over it. If she somehow made it through of course.

  Theresa walked across the carpet, now showered in blood. She stepped over the guard’s body and walked up to the entrance and around the other three also perished. The door to the keep was still open and brimming with light within.

  She walked forward and stepped inside.

  “Hello?” she called.

  No one in sight.

  “Harland,” she tried again. “I know you’re here. Somewhere.”

  Theresa walked by the long table full of food from earlier. It didn’t look anywhere near as appetizing now. She moved away from it and turned her gazed towards the workshop with the texts and alchemist materials. They seemed undisturbed. As she neared the far end of the main hall, she found a door with steps leading down. She decided to follow them.

  Soon enough she was in the Warlock’s kitchen, and what a grand kitchen it was. The size of it alone could incorporate a couple dozen cooks. She walked by larders and saw they were stacked high with all sorts of things. A cooling area contained meats and dairy products and deserts. She closed the door and looked around. It didn’t seem like anyone was down here.

  Theresa turned away and went for the stairs again.

  He-he-heeeh-heeeh-he–

  Laughter.

  Sick, nasally laughter.

  Theresa walked back into the kitchen, her eyes darting everywhere. She moved a few paces towards a large mat stretched out in between the preparation benches.

  Scampering.

  The scampering of feet.

  Theresa crouched down over the mat. She took it by the edges and lifted it up.

  There was a trapdoor underneath.

  Theresa’s head went back, unsure. Maybe she had gone too far. Maybe it was safer to just go back outside and hop in the carriage and drive away. No one had seen her. They didn’t know what she’d seen.

  She hesitated.

  “Harland, you freakin’ devil,” Theresa whispered. She put her hands to the hatch and pulled it back. “I hope I’m at least half right about you.”

  But she wasn’t half right about Harland.

  She was wrong.

  The whole way.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  There was a ladder. A ladder that went down somewhere dark. Theresa descended one rung at a time, her ears pricked for any more of that sinister laughter. None yet. She hit the concrete below and stepped out through a rectangular archway. There was a wall ahead of her, splitting off into two directions. In front of it was a sign.

  Humans

  (Arrow pointing diagonally right)

  Vampires

  (Arrow pointing diagonally left)

  There was a bloody handprint painted on the part that said Vampires, just beside the arrow. Theresa’s face squished up. She didn’t like the look of this one bit.

  Without really thinking about it, Theresa decided to and walk off to the right. As though perhaps it were the safest option.

  She continued around the wall for a bit until she noticed it separated. In between the gap there was another narrow pathway and wall adjacent. Like she was peeling back the layers of a maze.

  As
she was about to step through the opening, suddenly she heard fierce footsteps racing towards her. A woman squealing. Theresa stepped back and pressed her body on the back of the wall as the woman ran along the other side.

  Then she heard a hissing.

  A snarling.

  A gnashing.

  Someone was chasing her.

  “ARGH-HE-HE-HARCH–”

  The vampire cackled mid pounce, and Theresa heard them both crash to the ground.

  She winced, the fear boiling inside of her.

  But she couldn’t allow it. She just couldn’t.

  No more.

  Theresa forced herself around the corner where she could see the outline of the vampire sitting on top of the writhing woman. He punched her in the face, and her body went still. Then he lowered himself down to her neck.

  “Hey,” Theresa hissed.

  The vampire straightened at attention.

  “Yeah,” she murmured.

  His head turned slowly. It was Cyprian.

  “Lord Fane requires your urgent presence upstairs,” Theresa bluffed.

  Cyprian flashed his fangs at her angrily and stood from the ground. “What matter could be so urgent that it would keep me from my meal?”

  “The necromancer in your dungeon has broken out and is raising terror in the villages surrounding your house.”

  Cyprian’s eyes flared and he hurried towards her. “Where is he?”

  “Upstairs in the main area, like I said,” Theresa murmured.

  They both walked quickly back to the outer layer.

  “This is the way?” he asked.

  “Oh yes,” Theresa answered. “I can see how you might find it confusing.”

  “It’s not a real hunt if we know the area,” Cyprian said.

  They were about halfway down the corridor when the vampiress Seraphine fell down from the ceiling in front of them like a spider. She grabbed Theresa’s throat and forced her up against the wall.

  “What is the meaning of this intrusion?” Seraphine demanded. “Do you wish to be hunted too?”