The Vampire Gift 2: Kingdom of Ash

by E. M. Knight

  A growl rises from my throat. It’s the darkness inside rebelling against the insult.

  “Enough,” the Captain Commander interrupts. “I’m here for you to swap places.” He leads the blonde vampire into a cell and slams the gate shut.

  But there’s a certain deference in the way he treats her that is unlike any I would expect the Captain Commander to show a prisoner.

  It’s unnerving and intriguing. Something is going on between the two of them. Both are Outsiders with uncertain loyalties.

  I’m going to be careful with them both.

  The Captain Commander returns to the entrance and holds the door open for me. “Come on, then. Let’s get you out of here. Your brother is back, as you’ve heard. As is the girl. I’m sure you lot have much to discuss.”

  I start for the exit. The Captain Commander suddenly raises his sword and points it at me.

  “Just you,” he says. “The human stays.”

  It’s a meaning of how much April’s blood has invigorated me that I make no move to obey, despite our difference in strength. “She’s coming up,” I say.

  I expect a rebuttal. Even my position in the family doesn’t protect me from being subject to the hierarchy.

  Yet the monster that’s slowly waking inside me is making me recklessly bold. It thirsts for blood. Even though I’m under no illusion that I could win, I still see myself attacking the Captain Commander if he decides to stay in my way.

  To my surprise, he lowers the sword. “As you command,” he says considerably, “my Prince.”

  Just before we leave the cavern, I notice his eyes flash to the blonde prisoner left behind us. Again, I wonder what that means.

  Chapter Ten

  RAUL

  I walk briskly through the charred remains of the village, my guilt eating away at me for having ruined so many homes.

  I try to justify my actions by telling myself this was essential to getting Eleira away. But now that we’re both back, all the destruction I’ve caused seems to be so… meaningless.

  I look at her walking at my side. She’s kept her arms hugged around herself this whole journey.

  But her eyes take in everything. She is as troubled by the state of the village as I am.

  “Hey. You all right?” I ask.

  She starts in surprise. “What? Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am.”

  “You don’t look it,” I note. I hate the growing distance between us. Eleira has withdrawn more than I would have thought possible after the meeting with my Mother. She hasn’t told me what they discussed.

  “Neither does the village,” she tells me. Her eyes sweep over the charred remains of the buildings. “What happened here? Where are all the humans?”

  “Most are safe,” I say. “They were brought underground for their own protection, once Morgan sensed we were returning. My Mother took precautions…”

  “To keep them away from me,” she interrupts. There’s a sad inflection in her voice.

  “No,” I say. “Eleira—”

  “Don’t lie to me!” She stops and looks right into my eyes. Hers are glowing with determination. “I know what I’ve become. I can feel it. Don’t tell me it’s not me the humans are hiding from when I know it really is.” She blinks, almost in surprise, then says, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “I do,” I say. “It’s the darkness. I’ll help you navigate it. But you need to trust me.”

  “I do trust you,” she murmurs. “And Morgan offered me the same thing.”

  I look at her and ask her for clarification. “What thing?”

  “To help me navigate my new… powers.” She slumps back in on herself. “But I don’t want help. I want to do it on my own.”

  “You’re not on your own,” I tell her firmly. I reach across and take her hand. “Don’t you forget that. You have me.” I touch the large gemstone on her finger. “You have this. It’ll help.”

  “And who will help the villagers?” she asks, her voice a shadow of its former self.

  I look into her eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “Their homes are destroyed,” she says. “They’re the ones you should be concerned with, not me.”

  I frown. “Eleira, you’re speaking madness. The villagers have always managed. They’ll rebuild and resume. Their lives will be back to normal in short order.”

  She shakes her head. “You don’t get it, do you?” She draws her hand away. I feel the loss immediately. “They’re not people to you. They’re just… pawns. Just sources of blood for you and your kind.”

  “What? That’s not true at all!” I feel a flash of anger go through me. “Why would you accuse me of something like that?”

  “Because it’s the way I feel about them now,” she whispers. Even with my enhanced hearing, I can barely make out the words. “I’m fighting it, Raul. I’m fighting it with every bit of strength I possess. But it’s… impossible, in the face of the monster lurking within me.”

  Her eyes take a desperately sad, faraway look. “I thought I would come back and help them. Instead, all I can think about is taking their blood.” She shivers. “It scares me.”

  I step toward her and put an arm around her shoulders. She resists for a moment… and then melts into me.

  I let her put her face into my chest as silent sobs start to rock her body.

  “Hey,” I say softly. I tilt her chin up. “Hey. It’ll all be okay. We’ll get you to the castle. I’ll get you your fill of blood from the banks. Once that’s done, you’ll feel better.

  She clings onto every word like a drowning woman to a life vest. “Do you promise?”

  “I swear it.” I drop my lips and place a kiss on hers. “Now come on. The sooner we get you nourishment, the easier all of this will be.”

  Chapter Eleven

  ELEIRA

  Raul’s assurance takes away some of the guilt I feel as we make our way up through the silent trees toward Morgan’s castle.

  Now that I’m transformed, everything about The Haven feels so much different. My eyes are no longer blind to the beauty of the place.

  The evergreens are wonderful. They infuse the night air with so much life and prosperity. It’s probably from my enhanced sense of smell, but I don’t think I’ve ever breathed in air this pure before.

  When I was here as a human, all I could see was horror, destruction, and death. Now, as a vampire, the night holds new meaning. The very air holds new meaning. This isn’t a graveyard or some place to be reviled.

  It’s a beautiful, verdant sanctuary.

  The silence is so pervasive. But at the same time, it’s amazing. That a place could house so many people and yet be so quiet astounds me…

  Of course it helps when the majority of those people are locked underground.

  A pang of guilt takes me. They are there because of me. Their homes were ruined… because of me.

  “Raul?” I ask softly. “In the fires you set—how many humans perished?”

  He looks around. He takes a long time to reply.

  “Those who died in the actual fires? Maybe a dozen.”

  A dozen. My gut seizes up.

  “And… those who didn’t?” I ask. A bad feeling of apprehension sweeps through me. “What happened to them?”

  Raul clears his throat. “Some of the other vampires took advantage of the mayhem to feed,” he says. “I don’t know what Mother has done to them yet. I assume they’ll be persecuted for their crimes. But…”

  He trails off.

  “But what?” I ask. “Tell me!”

  He shakes his head. “You saw how Mother is.” In a softer voice, he adds, “I’m not sure her head is where it was before.”

  “So they’re just going to walk free?” I insist. “Without being punished?”

  “Not all of them,” Raul says cryptically. “Some have already paid the price.”

  “What do you mean?”

  But Raul keeps his lips sealed the rest of the way.

  We re
ach the castle. Just before we walk through the doors, I stop and take Raul’s arm.

  “Do you think…” I begin. “Do you think your Mother will really make James one of The Convicted?”

  Raul sweeps a hand through his fire-red hair. “Truly? I have no way to tell. But I’m going to do all I can to ensure that it doesn’t happen.”

  I hesitate, then make up my mind, and say, “If there’s anything I can do to help, you tell me. No matter what James did—nobody deserves a fate like those forsaken creatures.” I think back on the way the mindless horde chased after us. I remember the desperate way they fought each other for the bloodied heart that was thrown into their midst.

  I remember the look of utter emptiness in their eyes.

  Raul nods. “Thank you. That means a lot. I know what he put you through. Despite that, he’s still my brother.”

  “I understand,” I say softly. Even though it pains me to admit, James has Raul’s loyalty. I wouldn’t ever doubt that.

  It just proves what type of man Raul is.

  Just then a sound interrupts our conversation. One of the side walls in the entrance lobby starts to shift. A hidden door is revealed.

  Raul takes a protective step in front of me. But I put a hand on his shoulder to let him know I’ll be okay.

  I am a vampire, after all.

  A grizzled vampire carrying a lethal-looking sword comes out first. His shoulders are wide. His cheeks are lined with salt-and-pepper scruff.

  “Smithson,” Raul says flatly. He shifts to make sure I remain behind him.

  The other vampire smiles and sheathes his sword. “Didn’t expect to run into you this soon,” he replies. “I—“

  But he doesn’t get to finish the rest. At that moment, Phillip emerges from the darkness beyond him.

  “Phillip!” I exclaim. I push by Raul and run to him. Smithson steps aside with a grunt.

  Phillip is carrying someone in his arms. A girl. For some reason I don’t place her right away. Her face is cradled against Phillip’s chest. As I come closer, I see that it’s April.

  I stop short. There are two vicious red marks on her neck. They’re crusted with blood.

  Instantly, my hunger flares. I struggle to push it down. I have to; I can’t very well attack the girl who became my best friend.

  But it’s insanely difficult. The beast inside me thrashes, fights to be let free. My vision wavers, flashing from normal to black and back again.

  It takes all I have to push the need to feed on her down. The struggle is real, and it feels eternal. My hands ball into tight fists. I feel the gemstone on my finger and try to focus on that instead, knowing it will help me retain my humanity just as Raul promised…

  “Easy. Easy now.”

  I come to with a start, and realize Raul has his arms wrapped around me. We’ve moved far away from the entrance, closer to one of those horrible framed paintings. Smithson and Phillip are both staring at us with surprised expressions on their faces.

  “Easy, easy. There you go.” Raul eases his grip. “You okay?”

  I swallow and do a quick check of my body… and nod. “I blacked out, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, but only for a moment. And—” pride fills his voice, “—you didn’t attack.”

  I grumble something about that not being much of an accomplishment.

  “No,” Raul shakes his head firmly. “You’re wrong. It’s a huge measure of your growing self-control.”

  Despite myself, I flush a little at his praise.

  Raul lets me go. But before I can take a step forward, he takes hold of my hand. His fingers intertwine with mine.

  “We’ll approach them together,” he tells me.

  “Okay.”

  Smithson watches us come closer with a wary look in his eye. Raul tenses when we get close. The two have some sort of unspoken history, that much is obvious.

  “I don’t need to be here for this reunion,” the older vampire says. He doesn’t acknowledge my presence in any way. For some reason, that makes me feel like I’ve become even more of a target.

  He gives a curt bow to Raul, and strides out of the castle.

  Everyone waits until he’s gone. Once the doors close, it’s like a plug has been pulled to release the tension.

  “You’ve returned!” Phillip says. “You brought Eleira! How is she, she’s—” He stops short. He takes a sharp intake of breath.

  “She’s so strong,” he says as he meets my eyes.

  “She hasn’t yet fed,” Raul explains. “We’ve come here to get her blood.”

  “Mother has plenty in the upper rooms,” Phillip replies. “There’s something about him that’s different from before. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but he seems to be more sure of himself. More in his own element, more confident.

  It’s April I’m most worried about.

  “What happened to her?” I ask. I see how weakly her chest rises and falls with each breath. “Is she—”

  “Just a bit of blood loss,” Phillip says defensively. He cradles her in his arms. “I’m taking her to the infirmary. She can recover there.”

  “She was bitten?” Raul asks. “By whom? Not—” He gasps. “No!”

  Phillip nods. “Mother gave me no choice.”

  “But you—you haven’t tasted blood for centuries!”

  A bit of sadness creeps into Phillip’s eyes. Yet it’s almost immediately replaced by determination. “I did it to save Patricia. Mother accused her and Jacob of the murder of her guards.”

  “That’s ridiculous!” Raul exclaims. “They don’t have the strength—”

  “I know,” Phillip responds. “But she hasn’t been rational. Her grip on the throne is crumbling. She’s scared.”

  “I suspected as much,” Raul murmurs.

  “Wait a minute,” I say. “You said you saved Patricia. What about Jacob?”

  Phillip looks at me and shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Eleira. There was nothing I could do. Morgan held me prisoner.”

  “She killed him?” I ask. “No. No, she wouldn’t do that. She made him a Convicted, didn’t she?”

  Raul and Phillip share a look. “You don’t yet know our Mother,” Phillip says.

  “Then what?”

  “She severed his soul and bound it in a painting,” Phillip says. “She did it right before my eyes.”

  A sick feeling washes over me. “No.”

  Phillip nods. “April was so brave. Mother gave me a choice. Feed, and spare Patricia from the same fate. Or resist, and…” he trails off. “You know what the alternative would have been.”

  “That’s horrible.” I breathe.

  Raul, meanwhile, seems to have withdrawn into himself. “This is my fault,” he whispers softly. “All of this falls on me.”

  Suddenly, April stirs in Phillip’s arms. Her eyelids flutter open. Her head falls to one side, and she looks at me.

  There’s only a second of recognition in her eyes. “Eleira,” she says. “You came back.”

  And then she drifts back into delirium once more.

  “I need to get her somewhere she can heal,” Phillip says. “I’ll find you two later. You’ll need to tell me everything that happened.” He looks at me. “Especially how Eleira became so strong.”

  “We’ll do that, brother,” Raul promises.

  “Then by your leave,” Phillip says, and rushes past us out into the ever-present night.

  After he’s gone, I look at Raul. “What did you mean that this was your fault?” I ask him.

  His eyes darken and he shakes his head. “I wish I could tell you. But some burdens are mine to bear alone.”

  I wish I could disagree, but I’ve had that exact same feeling for the longest time.

  “Come on,” Raul calls, taking my hand again. “I’ll show you to the blood banks. Once you’ve had your fill… then we can discuss what happens next.”

  Chapter Twelve

  PHILLIP

  As soon as April is secure in the infirmary, a
nd being taken care of by our resident vampire doctor, I set about looking for Mother.

  I have a bone to pick with her. The old Phillip, the one who was meek and passive, the one who never stood up for himself, is long gone. With April’s blood flowing through my veins, I feel like a new man. One who won’t take things as they are handed to him lying down. One who will stand up for what he believes in and let all those around him know.

  The first step is to find Patricia and make sure Mother held up her part of the bargain.

  I’ve managed to tame my thirst for now. I thought that tasting April’s blood would open up the floodgates and turn me into a veritable monster, no better than one of The Convicted in my lust for blood.

  But something about the connection I felt with April—imagined or not—tempers that hunger. My body feels invigorated, and strong. Most of all, however, it still feels like my own.

  I’m still in control.

  Did Mother know this would happen? If so, she deserves more credit than I’ve given her.

  I run through the forested paths of The Haven. On a whim I decide to take the route through the village. I want to see what progress has been made—if any—in repairing it while I was locked away.

  When I arrive, I’m left bitterly disappointed. It is in exactly the same state it would have been after the fires died down. No repairs have been made. Nothing’s been fixed or salvaged. It just looks like a charred mess.

  Where are all the humans?

  I run through it quickly, hating the vile smell of ash still lingering in the air. All of this for Eleira… only to have her boomerang right back into our midst.

  Well, now that she’s transformed, I won’t have to worry about the antidote Raul had me searching for.

  I come to the vampire compounds high up on the trees. There’s movement up there—I feel the presence of others like me mingling about.

  I take a deep breath and start to climb. I’ve never been close to many of the other residents—but even so, they’ll all notice a difference when they see me. They’ll know immediately that I’ve fed.