“We can’t stay here.” Henri’s eyes glittered as emotions poured from him. “And if they catch us, we fight.” He patted Nathan’s shoulder again, handing him a handkerchief. “Hold this around your nose. It will help. I will protect you, Nathan.”
He pressed the cloth against his face. It helped only slightly. For the first time since he’d awakened, fear left him. Henri would protect him. And with the rage coming from the man, God help the villagers.
* * * * *
Henri burst through the window, rolling to a crouch, retaking his feet within seconds. Nathan jumped out behind him.
The man who’d stood sentry ran at Henri with a scythe clutched in his outstretched hands.
“To the forest, Nathan.” Henri turned to meet his foe.
Nathan’s voice rose. “I won’t leave you.” He stepped closer to Henri.
Henri huffed as the man wielded the scythe, striking at him. Damn stubborn fool. Nathan would get himself killed among these people. Henri could handle himself. He grabbed the pole of the tool, surprising the farmer. Yanking it completely out of his hands, Henri now brandished the farming implement in front of him as the farmer once had.
These people were agriculturists and simple folk, not fighters. Not like Henri.
It would be easy to take them all out.
His beast roared up. Take his head off. Take his head off. Blood.
Laughing maniacally, Henri took two steps toward the man, who fell, trying to get away. The man scrambled on hands and knees away from him. Henri raised the scythe. The blood lust roamed freely about his veins and head.
They’d tried to hurt Nathan, and for this, they would pay. With their lives. With their blood. All of them.
Henri’s chest heaved.
A touch on his elbow turned him away from his prey. “Don’t.” Nathan’s blue earnest eyes captured him. Even as much as they’d hurt him by betraying him -- Henri had seen and sensed the hurt inside -- Nathan still protected them. He didn’t want Henri to hurt them, and knew he could. The person they’d come to kill was the only thing standing in the way of the mob’s deaths, because Henri was ready to kill them all.
No.
Henri turned to face the second sentry, who approached them with a raised hoe. “Don’t.” He snarled the words, jutting up his lip into a sneer.
The beast cried, Do, urging the man to tempt Henri to kill him. If he started killing, he wouldn’t stop. Not for a long while.
The man stopped, swallowing, looking at Henri with panic on his face.
Nathan pulling at his elbow, Henri backed up until they reached the thicket of the woods.
His beast wrapped around Henri’s heart and ribs, pounding the muscle, compressing the bones until it hurt. You could have a feast on these. Don’t leave them to hurt the boy again. You must protect him.
“Come on, Henri. They aren’t worth it.” Nathan tugged harder on him, pulling him even farther backward.
Emotion flipped off the surface as Nathan moaned, stumbling. There had been a slight suck of current. Nathan had again taken a little bit off the top of his feelings. It wasn’t enough, but he had tried to help Henri bring about control.
Henri pushed his beast down with everything he had within him, though he hesitated a moment before he turned to follow Nathan. The blood of all these sheep-like people called to him. He could hear it flooding their bodies like rivers, pooling where their bodies needed it. And he wanted it. He wanted them dead for what they’d tried to do.
No.
He would not kill these people. No matter what they’d done. They’d been manipulated. As much as they’d hurt Nathan, killing them would hurt him further. As well as making lots of questions for Henri to answer.
The battle with his beast cost him. As he turned to follow Nathan, more people converged around the back of the house, figuring out something was going on back there. They came to stop them from escaping.
Jacques shouted, “No!”
The popping sound registered as Henri stumbled. Someone had a pistol. Several more shots rang out. He wasn’t sure if it was the same weapon. A fire exploded across his back in several spots. He didn’t miss a step, keeping pace with Nathan.
Footfalls started out behind them, fast and furious, along with calls of “Get them.” They set a quick pace, trying to get far enough ahead of the mob.
When they reached a small farm nearby, a horse nickered at them from behind a wooden fence.
“Ever ride bareback?” Nathan whistled to the large bay. The horse’s ears cocked back as he surveyed them before heading their way.
“It’s been a long time.” Henri straightened his back, pushing on it, wiping any blood on the back of his breeches. His blood loss had weakened him, especially because he’d not had a full stomach. He didn’t know how much longer he would have been able to keep up with Nathan if they hadn’t found the ride. He had to keep his wounds hidden from Nathan. Somehow, he’d find a meal to replenish the blood. In a few hours, they should have healed completely.
The bay sauntered over to the fence near where they stood. “The couple who lives here sometimes let me ride him for giving them shoes for him, so he knows me.” Nathan swung aboard, offering his arm to Henri. Henri took it, pulling himself up. A deep moan escaped his lips. A wound had reopened. His healing must be going slowly, probably due to his lack of sustenance. Either that or he’d been shot more than he’d thought. The two vampires had helped, but their blood had been secondhand.
“Are you okay? You’re looking a little pale for you.” Nathan glanced back with a look of concern.
He wrapped his arms around the taller man. “I’m fine. We best be off before they catch up.”
Even riding double with plenty of breaks for the big-boned gelding, they would be able to get away from the mob, who traveled on foot. They’d be miles away in no time.
The horse cantered off.
Nathan found a streambed at Henri’s request. They traveled it to camouflage their tracks.
It was almost nightfall before they stopped for longer than a few minutes. Henri sat on the ground after getting off the horse, breathing deeply. Yes, there were more wounds than he’d thought. He’d known of two. There must be more than that. He hadn’t finished healing, though it was close, probably needing another hour for completion.
Nathan swung down, letting the horse go. The bay trotted a few feet away to graze. “Are you all right?” Nathan’s worried eyes probed his. “You don’t look so good.”
Henri’s hand crept around to his back before whipping it back to his front. He couldn’t investigate the damage now, or how far it had healed. He’d have to get some strength to go off alone. “I’m fine. Need to rest a moment.” He’d used his psyche to block his pain from Nathan. It had taken considerable effort, but he didn’t want to Nathan to know he was hurt. Luckily, his beast had been settled down for the ride. He never would have been able to block on both fronts.
“You keep reaching for your back. I noticed it earlier. Let me see.” Nathan attempted to go around him.
Henri pushed Nathan away, keeping his back from view. “I’m fine, dammit. Leave me alone.”
Nathan walked a step away. “Fine. If that’s the way you want it.” But instead of moving away, he dashed behind Henri.
Shit. Henri closed his eyes as he heard Nathan’s curse.
“You’re wounded. You should have said something.”
“It’s nothing. And we had to get away.” He opened his eyes as Nathan’s hand touched his shirt.
“It’s not nothing. But...” Nathan’s voice sounded puzzled. “What’s wrong with your blood? It’s all pink.” He lifted Henri’s shirt before quickly dropping it.
Mentally, Henri cursed again. He’d suspected the truth would have to come out, but had been trying to follow Madeleine’s wishes.
He turned to face Nathan, who was backing away from him. “Those wounds. They’re almost healed. What the hell are you?”
Chapter Eight
Nathan stared at the man before him. No, not a man. Five wounds lay open on his back. They had to have been bullet wounds, but now they were mere scrapes. His shirt was covered in blood, but not any blood that Nathan had ever seen before. No man could heal that fast, bleed that color. What was he?
Henri took a step toward him. “Nathan, listen to me.”
“No. You tell me what you are right now. There’s no way those wounds could have healed that much.” Nathan quelled his shaking hands. What a night this had been. He’d been betrayed by those he’d thought were friends and lovers. Now, he’d encountered...he didn’t even know what to call Henri anymore.
“Sit down.” Henri’s voice was gruff. Authoritative.
“No.” Nathan wasn’t going to sit and be a duck ready for the taking.
Henri grunted before he spoke. “I saved your ass this morning. If I’d wanted you dead, I could have let your people take you. Sit down so we can talk.”
Henri probably needed to sit. He still looked weak, though he was better than he’d looked on the rest breaks they’d taken. Nathan had thought it was worry about the mob that had made him look that way, but it must have been the wounds he’d suffered. Keeping his eyes on Henri, he settled down on the ground.
Henri lowered himself with effort. He winced, making Nathan do the same. He must have been in considerable pain all day, too. Yet, he’d never said a word, running, then riding with Nathan until they were far enough away to have a measure of safety. “Are you going to be all right?”
“I’ll be fine. I need to heal.” Henri stretched out before speaking again. “Nathan, this is going to sound unbelievable. I need you to keep your mind open.”
Nathan nodded. “I’ll try.” What the man would tell him, he had no idea.
“I’m a vampire.”
Nathan stared into the earnest man’s face, waiting for the rest of the joke. Then, he laughed. Of all the things he had imagined Henri would say, this was completely unexpected. “A what?”
“A vampire.” Henri listed off several terms in what sounded as if they were other languages. “A creature of the night. Of the dead, according to the tales.”
“I know the term. They’re myths.” Nathan would check Henri for head injuries after seeing to his wounds. He and his mother had discussed folklore as well as travel, so he did know what Henri spoke of. She’d never told him how she knew so much about such creatures.
Henri leaned back with a satisfied smile as if he knew a secret. “No. Most of the folklore about us is myth. But we do exist.”
Nathan eyed Henri’s head, looking for dents. But that wouldn’t explain the blood or the wounds’ healing. Could he be telling the truth? Or was he nuts? “You’re serious.”
“Yes.”
Nathan lifted his head to stare back into Henri’s eyes. He met them head on. The man believed what he said. This was ludicrous. It couldn’t be. “You’re crazy.”
“How do you think I healed? I was shot, Nathan. How else could the wounds be almost gone? In another hour, you’ll never know they were there. Why does my blood look so different than yours?”
More silence reigned, except for the night sounds. Insects chirped nearby, along with an occasional hoot of an owl. The horse nickered and stamped a hoof.
Nathan swallowed, his throat moving along the spittle. “Do you drink blood?” Somehow, he was processing this insane declaration, which led to questions.
Henri had never eaten anything in Nathan’s presence. And they’d been together a while now. His own stomach rumbled, reminding him he’d had nothing to eat all day, save a few berries at one of their stops to rest the horse.
“I do. But only from willing donors.”
And the man had to have plenty of volunteers. “So you don’t kill people as the myths say you do?”
A split second hesitation, but Nathan saw it. “Most of the time, no.”
Most. That didn’t mean all. He’d have to find out more there. “How long do you live?”
“I can only be killed by another vampire.”
“Humans can’t kill you?” Nathan moved a rock from under his ass.
“No.”
“Well, that’s good. The villagers couldn’t have hurt you then.” Henri had had nothing to worry about back at the house. He could have run, leaving Nathan behind. Nathan had been the one in danger. He could die. But Henri had been there to protect him.
“They hurt me.” Henri pointed to his back. “But they couldn’t kill me. I heal faster than humans do. I would have already healed by now, but I...haven’t been taking meals as I should since I came to stay with you.”
No. No, it couldn’t be. “Did Maman know? What you are?”
“Yes. Yes, she did.”
A light breeze gust ambled up, bringing with it smells of the wildflowers that must be growing nearby. She’d always liked wildflowers. Why hadn’t she told him? “How? How did she find out?” His mother could never have been knowingly involved with a vampire, could she?
“It’s a long story, Nathan. But she knew. Your father knew me and what I am, too.”
“Maman always said a man brought them together. Were it not for him, they never would have met. That was you.”
“It was me. They worked for me, which is how they met. They fell in love while in my employ. But, they were also my friends.”
Nathan kicked out a leg, digesting new concepts about his mother and father. The sun’s dying rays cast lights and shadows on the ground. It wouldn’t be long before darkness fell. “I’d better start a fire. It’s going to be dark soon. Unless we aren’t staying here for the night.”
Henri struggled to his feet. “I think we’ll be all right here for a few hours. We’ve traveled many kilometers and covered our tracks. The horse needs to rest.” He took a wobbly step.
“You stay here. Heal yourself. We can talk more after the fire is going.”
After collecting the necessary wood, Nathan started a small fire. The tiny glow it put out was hardly a glimmer. But it gave off some light, making it better than nothing at all. “Can you see in the dark?”
Henri had stayed put while Nathan had foraged, telling Nathan he was more weak than he tried to let on. “I can.”
So Henri hadn’t needed the fire. “That’s why you go out in the night?” Henri had gone out every evening since he’d been at Nathan’s house. The breeze changed directions, blowing the smoke toward them rather than away. The heavy scent swamped them before dispersing.
His house. It was gone. Nathan shook it off. He wouldn’t think of it tonight.
“Well, sunlight doesn’t agree with me. It won’t kill me. But it makes me uncomfortable. So I prefer the night.”
All the scratching that Nathan had noticed. That was the cause. “That’s not part of the lore, or at least what I’ve heard. About the sunshine doing anything to you.”
Henri chuckled. “No, it’s not. Maybe one day it will be. The tales change down through the years. But the only two constants that are real for my kind are blood and immortality.”
“How were you made? Who made you into a vampire?”
Henri’s eyes glittered in the weak light. Even so, Nathan could see them get a far away look. His memories had taken him to a place where Nathan wasn’t. “It happened long ago in Egypt. A Pharaoh, which was the name for a king in those days, had me in his service. His daughter’s handmaiden took a fancy to me. She made me what I am.”
Nathan swallowed. Henri had liked women in the past. Did becoming a vampire change you that much? “You liked women?”
“Becoming a vampire made me open to sex with men and women.”
Oh. Nathan poked at the fire. “So you’re Egyptian? Not French? Henri Baptiste is a French name.”
One day, he would have to hear the whole detailed story of how Henri had been made. He shook his head. Here he was talking to a vampire and believing him. Why wasn’t he having more trouble with this? Because of the way his day had started out, and that this man
had saved his life. He trusted him more than he had anyone beyond his parents. And it explained a lot of the things he knew and couldn’t reconcile.
“My Egyptian name is hard to pronounce. And it didn’t fit in. I came to France years ago. I love this country. I adore Paris.” Henri’s smile was soft, wistful looking. “I needed to fit in if I were going to live there for any time as I wanted to. So I found a French name and adopted it.”
“It suits you.” The fire popped out an ember from its orange glow.
Henri’s smile grew wider. They sat in silence a few more minutes. “Nathan?”
“Yes?”
“How are you doing? It’s been quite a day.”
Focusing on Henri’s vampirism had taken his mind off the whole hellish morning and trip. His excitement had been so great in escaping the horde, he hadn’t had time to think about it. “I...I don’t know.”
“Jacques turned your townspeople. They aren’t bad. He used them. For his own means.”
“They wanted to believe him. Or they wouldn’t have.” Nathan rubbed his arms, a sudden chill popping up the goose pimples on them. “They burned the house.” His parents’ labor of love. Gone. It had been steadily on fire when he’d last looked back. Not only had they burned his last connection to his parents along with any memories he’d have kept of them, they’d wanted to burn him alive. “They were going to kill me.”
Henri’s arms were suddenly there, wrapping around him, pulling him into his warm body. He rubbed Nathan’s arms, warding off the chill that progressed from the inside out “They can’t take away your memories of your parents.” He tapped Nathan’s head. “Those will always be with you.” His grip tightened to almost painful levels. “I would never let them kill you.”
“Why? Two...two of my lovers were with the mob. I...they wanted me dead even after what we shared. Why are you helping me?” Nathan closed his eyes, his body shaking. He lashed out at the only person who was there. “Why the hell are you doing this?”
Henri stroked his back in silence.
Nathan broke his hold, pushing away from the stronger man. “No. It’s only because of Maman. That’s why you saved me. That’s why you’re doing all of this. Because of a promise to her.” Somehow all the hurts of the day had boiled up into one giant pot, and this one sent it bubbling over. It wasn’t fair. He wasn’t truly angry with Henri. But he needed to let something out, or he’d explode.
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