The werewolf attacking Blaze was missing half its head and bleeding from numerous bullets wounds. It extended its neck and opened its jaws wide to rip into Blaze. Cadence pierced the creature, sinking the knife deep. Chameleon and beast fell to the ground beside Blaze.
An entire pack of glowing eyes appeared in the doorway. As the wolf-pack pushed through the door, even more crashed through the church windows. The teenagers smashed through the stained glass window, trying to shield their faces, and fell to the ground below. Jumping up, they raced across the field toward a castle on a hill. Cadence and Blaze were faster than the pursuing werewolves; however, pale, ghostly figures soon joined the chase, and they were faster.
“I thought you said no zombies!” cried Blaze.
Cadence shook her head as she ran. “I don’t think those are zombies.”
They ran harder and were out of the creatures’ sight when they reached the hill. They scrambled up the hill and then scaled the side of a tower. Reaching the top, they saw a battle was already in progress on the other side of the castle.
The guards on the battlements across from them poured boiling pitch on an invading horde, and the tumult of battle mixed with otherworldly sounds of the monsters attacking the castle. Fiery arrows arched into the sky and dropped on their targets, and the werewolves and ghouls erupted in fire. The lines of the monsters were crushed and set on fire in other places as catapults launched enormous fireballs over the walls.
The guards didn’t notice Cadence and Blaze as they crossed the courtyard and took cover behind a cart. Twenty leather-clad guards rushed down a cobblestone path in front of them. Nearby, a company of mounted knights, in colorful regalia, gathered beside yeomen wielding longbows and staffs.
“Sir Thomas,” a loud voice called out. “We cannot open the gate and send out forces unless you want those demons to get inside.”
A rotund knight in bronze armor and a servant walking two mastiffs on thick chains passed by the cart where Blaze and Cadence were hiding. The dogs noticed the scents of the girls and pulled toward the wagon, alerting the men. The large knight let out a cry of alarm and drew his sword as he walked around the wagon, but lowered his sword when he saw the young women.
“Stand fast, Sir Wallace,” a knight in silver shouted. “It is merely two servants you have frightened unto death. Come here, girls. Why are you not in the kitchen?”
The knight was broad-shouldered and draped in a red tunic bearing the crest of a unicorn. As he approached, Cadence was unsure if she should run or hold her ground. She still held the jeweled dagger and noticed the knight was staring at it with recognition. Cadence impulsively threw the dagger at his feet.
“Sir, they are thieves in the night,” Sir Wallace said. “That’s your brother’s knife. I would recognize it anywhere, for it matches the one you wear.” He picked up the knife, examined it, and handed it to his noble companion. “But I don’t know these servant girls, and I know every female in this castle quite well.”
“I am Sir Thomas Mallory, captain of Lord Montagu’s guards, and brother to Sir Richard Mallory,” the knight in silver said. “Do not be afraid. We will not harm you. Are you from the village? How long have you been here stealing our food and how did you come by my brother’s dagger?”
“We’re not thieves,” Blaze said, hotly. “Sir Richard gave us that dagger!”
The dogs growled and tested the slack in their chains. Blaze stood, keeping her weapon covered and her hood low to hide her purple hair.
Stepping in front of Blaze, Cadence spread out her hands as she addressed the knight. “What my servant says is true. Richard Mallory left it in my care. He also presented me with his medallion to show you, lest you doubt we come in good faith.” She reached in her dress and pulled out the Celtic cross on its long, gold chain.
A gasp swept through all that were watching. Sir Wallace’s one good eye opened wider. Sir Thomas motioned his men back. He approached Cadence and took the medallion from her hand, scrutinizing and releasing it.
“Sir Thomas, your brother said you are an honorable man,” Cadence said. “We had nowhere else to go. He led us to believe you offer sanctuary to those in need, and we are in need.”
The howling reached its zenith outside the wall. Sir Thomas whispered to a squire and sent him to the warriors waiting at the gates. Instead of opening the gate and riding out, the company divided and joined the guards on the battlements.
“Send a man to fetch Sir Lachlan,” Thomas said. “I believe these may be the companions he spoke of. We’ll know soon enough if they are friends or foes.”
A squire enlisted the servant with the dogs and they both left to find Sir Lachlan.
“Sir Lachlan?” Blaze nudged Cadence. “Your Lachlan. That means Whisper is here, too. We’re in luck. Tell him about the silver.”
“You have more treasure?” Sir Thomas eyed Cadence. “What does your servant speak of?”
“Your brother discovered if you use silver against the Old Ones, and don’t remove it from their bodies, they will die. Werewolves can regenerate, so fire only wounds them, and they quickly heal from their injuries. Even if you think you’ve killed them, they will rise again.”
“Fire can kill the wraiths,” Sir Thomas said. “These ghouls rise each night from their graves and have troubled these lands for many months. They work with the Old Ones, trying to reach where we hide. If my brother did send you, then you know of what I speak.”
Sir Wallace laughed. “With that silver dagger, the little lass saved herself from being eaten by big, bad wolves. She doesn’t know that I bite twice as hard.”
“Your lechery is well known to me, old friend,” Sir Thomas said. He gave Cadence a meaningful look. “Go to the blacksmith, Sir Wallace, and order the old fool to make me a silver tipped arrow. I will see if silver kills the Old Ones. Be quick about it. I wish my brother had shared this with me.”
Leaving two squires with Sir Thomas, the large knight hurried off with another squire to do his captain’s bidding. Sir Thomas looked at her thoughtfully.
“I don’t think your brother knew at the time he was here, Sir Thomas,” Cadence said. “It was in his journal, written after he left Pevensey Castle. He also mentioned a Roman spear; the one used to pierce Christ. I believe it’s important.”
“Longinus was the Roman’s name. I know where this spear can be found, my lady. Those creatures beyond the walls guard the Roman fort Anderida, and the holy spear. Men have attempted and failed to retrieve it, including my brother William.”
Cadence glanced at Blaze, struggling to contain her excitement. So much more made sense and she again felt as if a higher power was looking over her.
“Come with me, ladies,” Thomas said. He led the way past a fountain and into an enclosed garden where nothing grew; overhead torches from the battlements provided the only light. The squires remained at watch beside the wooden door, while Thomas led them to a bench and motioned for them to sit. “It’s far safer to talk here. Fear not. Sir Lachlan is my friend. We have shared many stories. I know how he came to be here, and that others were to follow. Would you be Lady Cadence?”
“Cadence Sinclair. My friend is called Blaze.”
“Some find my interest in genealogy ridiculous, but I speak truth when I say my knowledge of Latin and the origins of words far exceed any man here. The name Sinclair is Latin. ‘Clarus’ means ‘pure’ or ‘illustrious.’ It might interest you to know the Sinclair Clan fought beside William the Conqueror against King Harold, before settling in the land of Roslin in Scotland.”
Cadence didn’t know anything of her heritage. Now stuck eight-hundred years in the past, she encountered someone who knew of her distant relatives. “What does the name Mallory mean?”
“It means ‘unfortunate man,’ which I am in many ways.” Sir Thomas turned toward the gate. “Ah, my squire returns with your friends.”
The vampire, Lachlan, looking handsome in a coat of armor and a light-green tunic, strode into the ga
rden ahead of two squires. One was the messenger, and the other was a familiar figure—Whisper. Both were at ease in the castle, giving Cadence the impression they had been there for some time.
“Did I not say that my lady was fair, Sir Thomas? Her companion is a gypsy, so take care you do not incite her wrath. ‘Blaze’ is a name chosen to fit her temperament.” Lachlan laughed with gusto as he winked at a fuming Blaze. “Have you missed me, Lady Cadence?”
“Lachlan!” Without regard, Cadence ran to Lachlan and threw her arms around his neck. She planted a kiss on his scruffy cheek. When she stepped back, the Irishman’s eyes were dancing. “I have been worried sick about you and, um, Squire Clay. Are you okay?”
“We are both fine,” Lachlan said, reaching out to touch her face. “Had I known we would end up here, I would have left a note. You understand. But I’ve the luck of the Irish. Sir Thomas has proven to be a good man and a good friend. We are safe here.”
Blaze and Whisper walked off to a corner, holding hands and talking in soft voices.
Cadence reached through a slit in her dress and into her coat pocket. She pulled out the journal and handed it to Lachlan. He flipped through it and glanced at Thomas, handing it to him. Sir Thomas’ eyes lit up.
“I never believed I would see my brother’s journal again. I would recognize his hand writing anywhere. Richard kept his secrets inside this journal. He came here three years ago to study the Roman Stone and vanished through it with his friend. I never gave up searching for him and hoped one day he would return. This can only mean one thing. My brother is dead.”
“It’s true,” Cadence said. “I’m sorry.”
Sir Thomas sat down on the bench, overcome with grief. “I suspected as much when you showed me his medallion. I would like to know how he died. Were you with him, Lady Cadence?”
“No, but I buried him. Your brother found another monolith and brought it to my people to study. I fear Richard may have also brought the Black Plague to our world. Everyone in the mountain fort where I found him fell ill and died, only to rise again as the living dead. We were told the disease came from a place called Afghanistan, but it was a lie. Your brother died before he became one of them. I believe Richard was trying to help my people and yours, but he ran out of time.”
Cadence avoided giving too many details. His brother’s suicide was not something Thomas needed to hear, nor that he was cremated and buried in a common grave.
“You were brought here for a reason, Lady Cadence,” Sir Thomas said. “I do not know of the Kaiser that Sir Lachlan spoke of, but there are twelve monoliths scattered throughout the world. He may very well have stepped through one and entered your time.”
“Why is yours called the Roman Stone?” Cadence asked.
“At one time, a Roman fort encircled the castle and village. The second fort I mentioned was built not far from here. It was an outpost. If this place had another name, there are no records of it. The Romans guarded the stone and spear, and they kept them in separate locations. For centuries both have been forgotten. The stone was found on its side in the graveyard, and when righted, the cloaked figures appeared and began carrying out their vile ceremonies before it. After Lord Montagu ordered the Roman Stone brought inside the castle, servants started vanishing. He wrote to the royal court and requested my brother and his colleague, Dr. Jarvis Leopold, come here. It didn’t take long for them to discover the Roman Stone had mystical properties. Leopold claimed the ancient gods used it to travel to other dimensions. They also believed the spear had great power, but despite their efforts, it hasn’t been retrieved.”
“I know who Leopold is,” Cadence said. “He wasn’t with your brother when I found him. Leopold abandoned Richard and now works for the Kaiser, our enemy. If this man was once good, he is no longer.”
“Too much has transpired to be mere coincidence,” Lachlan said. “We fight a common foe, Sir Thomas. There is someone here, like the Kaiser, who is controlling them. It would be someone with great charisma and strength of purpose to be able to influence these monsters to do his bidding. You mention the Roman outpost is guarded. Who commands these creatures?”
“It would be a vampire lord,” Cadence said. “One who rules all of the others.”
“For a long time, I have suspected who is behind the attacks,” Sir Thomas said, in a grave voice. “He is called Lord Darkmoore, and he was once a great knight. He was the first man killed by a wraith and buried in the village graveyard. Two nights later, I saw him again, standing outside the castle gates with an army of demons.”
He shifted, looking uncomfortable, and Cadence wondered what else he knew.
“I thought the wraiths to be mindless creatures,” the knight continued, looking at the ground, “yet Lord Darkmoore is intelligent. He resides at the Roman outpost with his minions. But I dare not go there, not even in the daylight. The Old Ones stand guard in human form protecting the Spear of Destiny. They are as fierce as men as they are when wolves.”
Lachlan glanced at Cadence. “I know the spear you’re both talking about,” he said. “I assume Richard wrote about it in his journal. I also know what you’re thinking, Cadence, but you heard Thomas. We don’t know anything about Lord Darkmoore and going to the outpost will be dangerous.”
Cadence nodded and sat next to Thomas, sensing he was troubled by what they discussed. “First things first. None of this matters if we can’t get back home. May we see the Roman Stone? I need to make sure it’s the same type of monolith we went through.”
“Lord Montagu forbids any to come near it,” Thomas said, gazing up at a lit window in the castle keep. “The priests are the only ones allowed near the Roman Stone. They came from Rome following my brother’s disappearance, intent on labeling him and Leopold as dark sorcerers. Since then, they say a demonic force threatens this castle. The pope denies this and will not send help, nor will the king; I dare not arouse their suspicions. Let me think on this, and I will find a way to take you to the stone, unseen.”
Whisper approached and bowed. “Sir Thomas, might I be allowed to take Blaze to the battlements? She wants to watch me fire the silver arrow at a werewolf. I assume I’m to be given this task?”
“Go on, Squire Clay. You are the finest archer here, and I would have no other but you loose the first silver arrow,” Sir Thomas said. “Find Sir Wallace, and after you pierce a wolf’s black heart, come tell me the outcome.” He smiled as the couple left the garden, hand in hand. “Squire Clay never misses. Why Sir Lachlan has not already knighted his squire is a mystery. If your sweetheart does not do so, I will knight Clay myself and ask him to stay. We need more fighters like him.”
“Oh, Lachlan’s not my…,” Cadence fell silent when she heard Lachlan laugh. “My sweetheart has an odd sense of humor, Sir Thomas. You must be an understanding man to overlook an Irishman’s shortcomings. I am the commander in my world, and I assure you, Squire Clay ranks high on the list with my best warriors, which includes Sir Lachlan.”
“A woman warrior like the Viking shield maidens of old.” Sir Thomas took her hand and lifted her from the bench. “There is time before Lord Montagu rises for you to change into more suitable apparel, my lady. Conversation during meals is lacking with so few of us left. I am sure his Lordship will take heart to find a fair maiden gracing our dining hall.”
“How long have you been here, Lachlan?” Cadence asked, as they walked through the garden gate. She held onto his arm, taking comfort in his presence.
“Sir Lachlan has been here a fortnight,” Thomas said, answering for him. “We must be cautious. Word has surely reached Lord Montagu of you and Blaze. Tell him your coach was attacked on the road, and by God’s grace, you found this castle and seek his protection. Let that be your story, my lady, and nothing else. If we are fortunate, the priests will not be joining us this night.”
Entering a side door from the garden into the keep, Thomas led them through a long hallway into a large, organized kitchen. The servants were preparing a
meal, cutting vegetables and tossing them into a giant kettle over a roaring fire, and garnishing a roasted boar on a silver platter. A formidable older woman in a white apron and cap was giving instructions to the servants and stopped to present herself before Sir Thomas.
“What is this? A wet kitten?” asked the woman.
“Mrs. Fulbright,” Sir Thomas said, “this is a special guest. Take Lady Cadence and make her presentable. A dress of Lord Montagu’s late wife should fit her. Let no one see you with her until Lady Cadence is ready. Nor do I want any gossip among the servants. Lady Cadence is from Clan Sinclair and has brought word from my brother, but that is for you to know, Mrs. Fulbright, and no one else.”
“You can put your faith in me, sir. I know just what to do.” Mrs. Fulbright took Cadence by the arm and led her through the kitchen. “Don’t be frightened, dear girl. We’ve seen many strange things since Sir Richard left, and I do not question Sir Thomas. He’s the only reason the night creatures haven’t found their way inside this castle. If he wants you to look the part of a lady, then that is what he shall have.”
They went through a secret passage, and Cadence emerged in a small chamber with many chests and trundles filled with clothing. Mrs. Fulbright was patient and waited as Cadence removed her wet clothes, choosing a dark green gown hemmed with gold and gold slippers to compliment. The older woman was curious about the blue jeans and military boots, but asked no questions.
Cadence placed her clothes inside a trunk and covered them with another layer of clothing. She washed up in a basin before the woman had her sit for grooming. Her hair was brushed and braided into coils, then pinned on top of her head. Mrs. Fulbright led Cadence to stand before a full-length mirror, and she was amazed at her own transformation.
Dead Hearts (Book 3): Vengeful Hearts Page 14