Kingdom of the Damned: Provocation (KIngdom Journals)

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Kingdom of the Damned: Provocation (KIngdom Journals) Page 5

by Tricia Copeland


  We walk through the forest, as I imagine a human couple would. Except I hop over boulders, and he jumps the stream. When asked about my food source preferences, I admit to my dove rule.

  Facing me as we near Henry’s property, he holds my gaze. “One day, we’ll hunt together.”

  “Perhaps.” I smile at him.

  He reaches out, and I take his hand. “Thank you for coming.” He kisses my fingers, and my heart races at the touch of his lips.

  “You’re welcome. I’ve enjoyed our time together.” I slip my hand from his grasp. “I’ll see you at dinner Friday.”

  “Or tomorrow night? Same spot?” His eyes hold mine.

  “Maybe.” I smile and dart away before I’m caught up in the bliss of being with him again.

  The next night, I hunt before I meet him. After our conversation, I’m torn between a rabbit and a fox. I tend to choose herbaceous feeders, rabbits, turkeys, thinking there are more of them to be had. If I eat the fox, then the rabbit population will swell and they may take the farmers crops, but if I take the fox, then chickens in the coops may be spared. In the end, I snatch up two rabbits.

  We run farther than I’ve ventured on my own, talking of art, culture, society. He describes his trek from the North Sea through Russia and Germany, the jobs he took and cultures he witnessed from the Vikings to the Germanic tribes, the Druids, the Scots.

  It is just before sunrise when he escorts me to Henry’s property line. “Till this evening, my lady.” He bows.

  “None of that.”

  “Yes.” A smile spreads across his face. “I will save the etiquette for our proper meetings.” Before I can blink, he darts away.

  That evening, the dinner with Lady and Sir Thomas starts out tense. Henry questions Sir Thomas and Alec about everything from the farm business to Alec’s past. Alec tells a story of how he lived in a rural Scottish village until the plague took his family.

  “I believed a larger city would offer me more opportunity, so I came to London,” he finishes.

  Sir Thomas grips Alec’s shoulder, beaming at him as if he were his own son. “I’m quite impressed with his knowledge of the soil, crop rotation, growing strategy, animal husbandry, even accounting. He’s quite learned despite his past. It takes an intelligent, hard-working fellow to come from nothing and make something of himself.”

  “Has he told you how came to know Alec?” Lady Thomas sets her goblet beside her plate. “I was out in the carriage and the wheel broke. Bernard, you know how he has those attacks, well, it came on just as he was trying to fix the wheel, so there I am with the two small ones crying and hungry, and trying to care for Bernard, but he’s so large I couldn’t even lift him. Alec, Mr. Alexander”—she smiles at Alec—“had an elixir that calmed Bernard’s breathing. Alec fixed the carriage and had us on our way in no time. Bernard hasn’t had an attack since.”

  We tour their farm and meet the children. The boy of five runs straight to Alec. “Mr. Alec, look what I’ve made, just the way you showed me.”

  Alec studies the boy’s handiwork and returns the cross to him. “What a fine job you’ve done.”

  The two-year-old girl snuggles into his chest as he kneels in front of her. He lifts her up and tosses her into the air, her giggles caroling throughout the room.

  “Alec seems to be a very hard worker,” Henry notes on our ride home. “Sir Thomas’s farm looks better than it ever has. Alec asked me if he may call on you. I told him he could if you were interested.”

  I try to keep my elation in check. I take a deep breath before answering, hoping it looks like I’m considering the prospect. “He seems like a good man. It’d be nice to get to know him better.”

  “I don’t want you to limit your prospects, make sure to speak with some of the other gentleman at the party tomorrow.”

  “I will.” When I cut my eyes to Elizabeth, she winks and smiles.

  At the dance the next night, Henry spends a lot of time introducing me to families and talking with their sons. I endure dancing with a couple of them, but all the while my eyes are fixed on Alec. My friends, and seemingly every girl at the party, also favor him, and they circle like vultures. He dances with twice as many partners as I do. When Henry finally releases me to speak with my friends, it’s not half a minute before I see Alec approach Henry. Finishing their conversation, Alec rings the dance floor towards me.

  My heart races as I take his hand. As we dance, all my senses awaken. His smell, gestures, face, eyes, lips, all combine in such a way as to mesmerize me. At the end of our third dance, Henry appears behind me.

  “It’s getting late.”

  “Yes.” My eyes cut from Henry to Alec. “Thank you, Alec.”

  “I will see you tomorrow afternoon.” Alec extends his hand to me and bows.

  I take his palm and curtsey. Wishing I could say more, my eyes stay trained on Alec as Elizabeth and Henry lead me to the door. Alec holds my gaze till I’m required to thank the hosts and bid them good night. He’s in the same spot, and I wave as I exit the house. He smiles and winks, and I pray no one else has seen.

  “Hunting again?” Elizabeth asks as I switch to my traveling dress in our room.

  “All the people packed into the small space make it difficult. It seems to help when I feed every night.”

  A smile forms on her face. “You’re not quite full grown and require extra nutrition. I remember being young.”

  I stop mid-lace. “You’re not so old.”

  Elizabeth cups her hands around my face. “Be careful, we love harder than most beings; passion can be an intense thing.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  Her words cause me to think about Alec’s lips, his broad shoulders, and bulging arms, as I run through the forest to our meeting spot. I catch sight of his blond hair through the trees and quicken my pace.

  “I thought you’d never come. It seems like an eternity since I’ve seen you.” He holds out his hand, and I slide mine into it without a second thought.

  “It’s only been an hour. I left early tonight.” I step over a branch as we walk between the trees.

  “You didn’t stop to feed?”

  My cheeks flush. “How can you tell?”

  “Well, before you blushed, you looked pale.” He runs a finger down my cheek. My skin tingles under his touch. His finger lingers on my jaw bone. “How do you feel about me?”

  Swallowing, I meet his gaze. “I’m quite taken with you.”

  “Good.” He lowers his head, and his lips press to mine.

  His lips are soft and warm, and we kiss until I can’t breathe. When he pulls away, his smile seems to echo my elation. His arms are tight around my waist, and I realize our actions are improper. We aren’t supposed to kiss until we’re engaged. But a part of me wants to kiss him forever.

  “Was that okay? Did I overstep again?”

  I stand on my toes and kiss him again. “No, it’s amazing.”

  His eyes light up. Backing me to a tree, his lips press against my mouth and then move to my jaw bone and my neck. Trembling, I slide from his embrace. When he frowns, I take his hand and kiss his palm. “I like kissing you. But I can’t go further. I won’t do anything to disappoint Henry.”

  “I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

  I circle around him. “That’s a lie. You’ve been making me edgy since the first time I laid eyes on you.”

  “That isn’t my fault. You’re nervous because you know you want to kiss me.”

  My cheeks flame, and I push him away. “That’s not true. Let’s hunt.” I grab his hand and pull him along as I break into a sprint. A hundred yards out, he forces me to stop. His arms wind around me.

  “You just wanted to get out of that conversation.”

  “What if I do? I’m hungry. You don’t want to be around me when I’m hungry. I’m very grumpy.” I laugh.

  “Okay then, my lady, pick your game.”

  We roam the woods, stopping to kiss periodically until I s
pot a deer. Positioning ourselves some fifty feet from the animal, one on each side, we inch towards her. Some twenty feet from the doe, Alec motions that I should make the kill. I run and jump the last few feet, catching the animal by its hind leg. Alec is beside me in a second.

  “Beautiful form.” He pins the front two legs of the doe to the ground.

  Allowing me the first feed, he lowers his head beside mine and sucks from the doe’s neck. When we’ve had our fill, we stroll back towards our homes, hand in hand.

  “You healed Bernard with your blood, didn’t you?”

  “I carry a vial with me just in case. He’s healthier than he’s ever been. I think I added ten years to his life.”

  “You’re a good man.”

  Alec pulls me into his chest. When I look up to his face, his lips meet mine.

  “I want to see you every day.” Alec’s hands wrap around my waist.

  “And so, you will.” I smile, kiss him quickly, and dash away.

  We see each other each night, spending hours in the woods, hunting, talking, and kissing. He calls on me, at first once a week and then twice. Henry decides three times a week to be enough, and I don’t fight him on it. By September we become engaged, and I’ve never been happier. To know that I’ll have Alec as my mate for centuries brings me more joy than I could ever imagine. My only regret is that my parents didn’t meet him. They would have loved him as much as I do.

  Our wedding is set for December twenty-first the next year. I love the thought of a winter solstice wedding as it helps me feel closer to the life I would have had but for my parents’ death. I vow to create that life for my children, a home where they honor the seasons, mother Earth, and her bounty. I repeat the date over and over to myself, 21 December 1572, my life with my true love will begin 21 December 1572.

  For Henry, my age and Alec’s status hold the most importance. By then, I’ll be eighteen, and Alec will have earned enough to buy a proper home for us. Once the final wedding agreement is set, Henry allows Alec to visit every evening. We spend every moment we can steal together, taking walks through the town, shopping in the market, and meeting in the forest at night.

  A Saturday in early June, we arrange to meet beside the creek on Sir Thomas’s property for a picnic lunch. I pack a basket with meats and wine and walk the half mile to the estate. Finding the spot, I wade in the brook, waiting for Alec. I watch the sun, thinking he should be along any minute. A half hour passes, then an hour, and I decide to look for him on the farm. I circle the grounds but don’t find him. Not wanting to stroll through the property without permission, I knock at the main house.

  Lady Thomas greets me. I should exchange pleasantries, but the knot growing in my stomach won’t be ignored. “Have you seen Alec? We were supposed to meet for the noon meal.”

  “No. Sir Thomas said he wasn’t in the field today. We thought he was visiting you. Let’s check the barn.” She calls to her maid to watch the children.

  Following Lady Thomas towards the structure, the smell of metal grows stronger, and my mind whirs with the implications of the scent of blood, vampire blood. Lady Thomas doesn’t notice the stench till we enter the barn. She covers her nose with her apron. “I believe we have a dead animal.”

  I point to the loft. “Does Alec sleep up there?”

  Handkerchief to her nose, she nods and backs away. I hold my breath and ascend the ladder. My heart feels like it may beat out of my chest, as my feet find each rung. I freeze at the top. Covered in blood, Alec lies motionless. A pointed wood stake lays on his chest, his heart halfway up the weapon. I swing my legs past the ladder and land beside him. There’s a hole in his chest the size of his fist, and his skewered heart rests atop it. A horrific shriek rises from my throat.

  “Anne!” Lady Thomas yells. “What is it?” The fabric of her skirt swishes as she approaches the ladder. “I’m going to get Sir Thomas.”

  I hear her feet beat upon the ground. Then, a whirring sound rises in my ears, like the roll of thunder or waves crashing on the shore, and the world around me dims. The next second, I spring into action, lifting the stake and pulling his heart from it. I fit the organ back in his chest and throw the piece of wood to the wall. Covering his body with a jacket, I scan the space, looking for any clues. It had to be another vampire or a witch. My stomach turns as I think of the creatures who killed my family so many years ago.

  Crawling around the loft, I sniff the hay, memorizing every inch, every molecule of scent. I jump to the open window and lick the blood from the sill. Returning to Alec, I taste the blood from his chest. They are the same, and I realize I have no clues as to who did this.

  Hearing footsteps, two pair I note, I refocus on his body. I fit a shirt over his head and button it. Then, I stuff his arms through his jacket, buttoning it to his clavicle. Finally, I must look at his face. There is no grimace, no sign of pain. His blue eyes stare at the ceiling as if in deep thought. Blood pools in my eyes as I shut his lids. My head drops to his chest, and my torso heaves with pain.

  “She’s up there,” Lady Thomas whispers.

  “Anne,” Sir Thomas calls. “What’s happened?” His shoes contact a rung of the ladder. “I’m coming up.”

  I cling to Alec’s frame as if somehow he could be pulled back from the brink of death. It feels as if my heart has cracked in two as huge sobs rumble through my body.

  “Oh, God.” Hands grip my shoulders. “Anne, you must come away. Let me help you.”

  “No,” I cry into Alec’s ribs. “I’m never leaving him. You can’t make me.”

  “Anne, you must let go.” Sir Thomas’s attempts at loosening my grip on Alec prove useless. “Lady Thomas, send for Elizabeth and Henry.”

  Unable to process anything else, I sob into Alec’s stomach. Who could do this? And why him? He can’t be gone! I pound my fists into his abdomen. “Come back. You can’t leave me.”

  New hands wrap around my shoulders. “Anne, you have to come away. You have to let them move the body.” Elizabeth’s voice breaks through my delirium.

  I listen and sniff the air. She is alone. Lady and Sir Thomas, Faye, and Henry are below. Lifting my head, I meet Elizabeth’s stare as I hug his chest to mine. “Something killed him. His heart was run through with that stake.” I tip my head to the corner where I threw it. “Can you get it? I want to keep it.”

  “No, child, we don’t know who did this. It is not our fight. Let it go. You must let them take him away. It’s better that way.”

  Wiping my bloody tears, I look into her eyes. “You don’t understand. I need to take his body home to his family and find who did this to him.”

  “It’s too dangerous and you have no idea where his family is, if they’re still alive.” Elizabeth blots my face with her skirt.

  “I can track them. I know I can. Alec taught me. He would want me to return him home.” I pat his chest.

  I hear steps on the ladder and wipe my eyes on my sleeves. Henry’s head appears just above the hay. “Oh God, I’m so sorry, child. But you must let the coroner take him now.”

  “No.” I push to my knees and then stand up. “I will take him. He’s mine. No one else is going to touch him.”

  Finding a blanket in the corner, I snap it open and let it fall to the ground. I lift his legs atop the cover and move to his head. Elizabeth leans over to help, and I growl at her.

  “Anne.” Henry snaps. He looks to Elizabeth. “This isn’t healthy. She needs to leave him be. Come down from here, both of you.”

  Elizabeth walks towards him as Henry steps onto the loft floor. “She’s in shock. Give her a bit.”

  I glance their way and watch them back down the rungs. Then, I lift Alec to the blanket. Crossing the space, I find the stake and lay it on his chest. With one last kiss to his lips, I cover his face. I tie the cloth tight around him using a rope. Even with his mass twice mine, I lift him to my shoulder. Our nightly hunts have made me strong. His lessons in tracking and stealth will prove invaluable in my quest.


  Climbing onto the ladder, I descend the rungs. Lady Thomas gasps and runs from the barn as I reach the ground.

  “Oh, child.” Faye approaches. “Please let us help you.”

  “He’s mine,” I hiss.

  With Alec secure on one shoulder, I stride from the barn. Checking my direction, I start out towards my home.

  Elizabeth runs to my side. “What do you intend to do? You have to stop, let them take him to be readied for burial.”

  “Vampires do not bury their dead.” My eyes cut to her and back to the road ahead. “I’ll take him to his family, and we’ll burn him.”

  “How will you explain your strength? They’ll know you’re not human.”

  “I don’t care what you tell them. I’m in shock, my strength fueled by grief. It won’t matter anyway. I’m taking my savings and leaving tonight.”

  “Dear.” Elizabeth touches my empty shoulder. “Let me help you carry him. We’ll talk about it when we get home. You need to be around family right now. What is this talk of leaving me?”

  “Faye and Henry are your family. Alec is mine. I need to take care of him.”

  We reach the main road, and I head south towards Henry’s property. I want to run but keep to my pace. In my head, I plan my next moves. For June, one change of clothes and a coat should do me. My savings will get me across the channel to Germany. From there I can make my way north across the sea to Norway. It’s five months till winter, so I should have time to make it to there before the cold sets in.

  At Henry’s estate, I march in the front door and to my room. I will not risk leaving Alec alone for a single second and lay him on the mattress. Snatching a satchel from my chest of drawers, I stuff my coin purse in the bottom and a dress and some stockings on top. Flinging the bag to my shoulder, I lean over and heave Alec onto the other.

  Elizabeth blocks my path. “Let me take you to the ship.”

  “Henry will think you’re crazy for letting me take his body. We have to make this look like I lost it, went crazy with grief.”

  “I believe you have.”

  “Mother.” Tears threaten to fill my eyes as I realize I do think of her as my mother although I’d never used the term that way before. “I will write to you, and when Henry is gone, you can join me. I must find his family. They should know.”

 

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