“No.” Will wraps his hands around mine. He leans over and kisses my forehead. “It’s the most natural thing in the world. You had to do a horrible thing. Every being needs to be loved.”
Leaning over, he kisses my lips. Body pressed to his, I wind my fingers around his neck. “I’ve never done this before. After tonight, we shall never speak of it again. Things will be the same between us, just like they’ve always been. Nothing more. You must promise me.”
“I promise, Queen.” His lips are on mine as he finishes the word.
He picks me up, and I wrap my legs around him. Lowering me to the furs, he plants kisses on my forehead, down my nose to my lips. His tongue runs down my neck to my breasts and stomach. A tingling sensation grows beneath his mouth, spreading down to my toes. I reach for his face, kissing him hard.
His callused fingers squeeze and tug at my butt, my thighs. Placing kisses over every inch of me, he tells me how beautiful I am, how strong, how wonderful, compassionate, fair, loving. As he presses against my body, I let all my emotions charge through me.
“It’s okay. Scream, cry, yell, hit me.” Will rakes hair from my forehead and looks into my eyes.
“Just love me.” I pull him to me.
We roll over and over, intertwined for what seems like hours.
As we tire, I lie snuggled against his chest. “How does one ever stop this?”
“Eventually, you’ll get hungry.”
“Thank you.” Pushing up on one elbow, I kiss his lips.
“Do you need rest now? Shall I keep watch outside or in?”
“Please, lie with me.” I wrap his arm around my waist.
“As you wish.” He kisses my forehead.
As soon as I close my eyes, images of Crow’s sons lilt through my brain. Tears pool in my lids and drop onto the bedding.
“Here.” Will hands me a cloth.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Tonight is for you. Cry as much as you need.”
Resting my head on his arm, I let the bloody tears come. My chest heaves with the weight of my grief, for the villagers lost, for the female babies killed by Crow, for the girl who never wanted to take a human life, but now has.
I stir when I feel the loss of Will’s warmth on my body. Sitting up, I open my eyes to see the women who’d prepared my bath the previous night, carrying urns of water into the teepee. While the water heats, they bring me fruits and a vessel of blood.
Standing, I roll the blankets beneath me and throw them into the fire. I don’t regret a single second of the previous night, but the girl who grieved for her life of innocence lives no more. I do not plan to cry for her again.
Every ounce of me craves to be away from the village, but it won’t do to have Will’s smell so heavy on my skin. What we shared I will cherish forever, but it can’t be known beyond the walls of this structure.
Letting the women help me bathe, I dress in my traveling clothes. The bright sun nearly blinds me as I leave the tent, and I squint in the midday light. Will stands beside the opening and falls in step with me.
“Did you rest well?”
I don’t let my gaze linger on his, fearing I’ll lose my resolve to resume command of my army. “Yes, thank you. How are our people?” My eyes sweep the village, noting the residents stop their work as we approach.
“Good. Ready to move at your word.”
“I wish to speak with the elders before we leave.”
Jacob approaches, and his eyes sweep from my head to my feet and back again. “Are you well? I didn’t see you when I returned to the feast.”
“Yes.” I hold his stare and smile. “I’m rested and ready to talk with our people.” Gripping his bicep, I assess his state. “How are you? How is the wound?”
"I will call the elders.” Will’s voice calls my attention away from Jacob.
“Yes, thank you.” I watch Will stride away, praying I haven’t lied to Jacob about my feelings for Will. I still see the man who killed Alec, but now I also see the man who saved me.
Realizing my hand is still on Jacob’s arm, I snatch it back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to touch you.”
“It’s okay.” Jacob takes my hand. “Yesterday was quite the scare. Taking a life is never easy. I remember my first. How are you truly?”
“It was a hard night. But Will helped me.”
“Will.” Jacob steps back. “The man who took the life of the one you loved?”
“It was his job. He was trained to kill.”
“So, you’ve forgiven him?”
“I don’t know. It’s complicated. We’re friends, as you and I are. I need both of you.” My eyes plead with him. “Please tell me you still call me friend.”
“You know that’s not what I want to call you.”
“But it must be that way.” I place a hand on each of his shoulders. “We are comrades in arms. Let’s finish what we started. Have you forgotten our mission? Our people need us now more than ever. The humans are spreading to every land, there’s nowhere they don’t touch. They invent weapons that we can’t stand against. We must unite our people, keep them safe, help them integrate so we aren’t hunted along with the native peoples.”
“And what of the natives? Will you try to save them from the settlers? Fight with them?”
“I wish we could.” I let my hands fall to my side. “But no.” I rotate my head and see the villagers reconstructing their destroyed meeting place.
“You’re different.” Jacob fits his hand around mine.
“Yes.” I look him in the eye. “I’ve been on both sides of death. Neither of them brings me joy.”
“But you’re strong enough to bear the weight.”
“Only with warriors like you by my side.” Not wanting to taint my relationship with Jacob, I don’t say Will. I won’t think of my night with him again. “Are you still with us? There’s no shame if not.”
“Yes, I’m still with you, and I shall always be.”
“Thank you.” I squeeze his hand.
In a quick move, he wraps his arms around me, squeezing my shoulders. Then, he takes a step back. “It’s good to see you well, Queen. When do we leave?”
“Thank you, and within the hour.” I smile at him, loving the imprint of warmth his arms left on my back.
At the edge of the village, I scan the field, trying to block out images of my people fighting for their lives, spears, arrows whooshing through the air. I bend to pick up a broken shaft. Fist gripping it, I approach my people who have made camp across the grass.
Mambi runs to me and wraps her arms around my waist, burying her head in my chest. Releasing me, she takes my hands. “How are you?”
“Well and ready to head south.” I squeeze her fingers.
“Good sister.” A smile spreads across her face.
We find the elders in the canyon, packing their things on a travois. “Are you moving back to the village?”
“We’re safe there again and are needed to provide leadership until a new chief rises.” Flying Brook drops a blanket on the heap and approaches me. “Thank you for helping our people. Will you stay to help us stand against the settlers?”
“You’re welcome.” I grip his forearm in greeting. “But, no, we can’t stay. Our cause lies elsewhere.”
Convening around the fire, Flying Brook relates all the knowledge of the vampire tribes they’ve acquired. It becomes clear that going south would be a waste of time, and we decide to head back north and across to the Atlantic. Our army hikes back to the village with the elders. As we approach, the villagers line a path to the new center structure, waving branches, feathers, and flowers. I’m greeted with a wreath weaved of leaves and white flowers that a woman fits on my head.
I bite my teeth to keep tears from forming in my eyes as I scan the faces. I lift the flowers from my head. “May Mother Earth bless you.”
The villagers follow our troop out of the village and wave as we make our way across the field. I try to ignore the blood-stain
ed grasses as my boots hit the ground. We walk through the night and for many more days and nights, north and then east, following our noses to the other tribes. These vampires, like the native Americans, have been pushed from their homelands. Two in three tribes wish to join our alliance, and our company grows by twenty-three by the time we reach the sea.
September comes, and the days grow shorter and nights colder. After Mabon, we head west and south around the great lakes. Over the next years, we travel across the North and South Americas visiting every tribe in the New World. On our final trek we follow the Ohio River south to the Tennessee River, cross it, hike over a mountain range, over a coastal plain, and to the Atlantic Ocean.
“I like it,” Jacob comments as we stand at the mouth of the river. It’s remote, not much travel except for trade. The natives live inland, we should settle here.”
We gather our group and mull over the choice. I like being near the sea for travel back to the Old World. Other settlers don’t have permanent residences, and we wouldn’t be taking lands from the natives. Most seem to like the temperate climate, and we agree to build dwellings and farm the land.
March 1621 – South Carolina coast
The smell of a human wafts to my nose as I slide a board through a fence post. I look down the cart path to see a tall male walking my way. With his broad shoulders, fair blue eyes, skin light as milk, Alec’s image jumps through my brain. The stranger’s dark hair reminds me of Jacob’s tribe. Fixing the other end of the slat in the next post, I wait as he approaches.
“Hello, miss.” Stopping three feet from me, he removes his hat. With a smooth forehead, I guess him to be not more than twenty.
“Hello. Please excuse my attire. Dresses make farm work challenging.” I dust my hands on my britches and extend one to him.
“Of course.” Blood rushes to his cheeks. He rubs his hand down his pants and offers it to me. “I’m Emmett. My family wishes to settle here, and my father sent me to invite the landowners to supper. He doesn’t want to make ill neighbors, so he thought it best to meet.”
“I’m Anne. That’s very kind of you.” My brain jumps around as I think up a story. “My family owns the land. My brothers and I are waiting for our parents to join us from Europe.”
“Well, here then.” With a shaking hand and widening eyes, he holds out an envelope.
Sensing a vampire approaching, I turn to see Will loping towards us. “Here’s my brother.”
When I look back at the boy, his face has gone ashen. Weight shifting from foot to foot, he takes a step back as Will reaches us.
“Emmett, did you say? It’s good to meet you.” Will extends his hand.
Taking a deep breath, Emmett shakes hands with Will. “My father would like to invite you to dinner at the inn tonight.” Emmett holds out the envelope again.
I take the card. “Thank you. We would like to meet your family. Right, Will?” I look to my comrade. “His family is thinking to settle near here.”
“Is that right?” Will stuffs his hands in his pockets and rolls on his heels. “Wild country these parts.” Will licks his lips. “Good hunting though.”
“I’ll see you at six then?” Emmett replaces his hat and dips his head.
“We have another brother, Jacob, who will join us,” Will adds.
“Of course.” Emmett backs away. “I’ll let father know.”
“And his wife, Mambi.” Will matches Emmett’s steps as he retreats.
“Oh, okay.” Emmett’s eyes cut to me and back to Will. “We will expect four then.” He trips over his own boot as he starts to jog away. “Sorry, but I must go now. They’re waiting for me to return. My journey has taken longer than we thought already.”
He lifts the hat from his head again and replaces it, breaking into a full-out run. I slap Will on the arm. “You nearly scared him to death, licking your lips, how hard did you squeeze his hand? Did you need to be so aggressive? And couldn’t you have put on a shirt?”
“You weren’t complaining about my chest that night in the Dakotas.”
“You were to never speak of that again,” I whisper, my eyes scanning the meadow to make sure no one else is in ear shot.
“Well, what was that you did? Make up a story about me being your brother?”
“You added Jacob and Mambi!” I press my finger into his breast bone.
“You just can’t stop touching me, can you?” The sides of his lips turn up.
“Why are you making fun of me?”
“Come on. Don’t tell me you didn’t think it too? How luscious his blood would taste? I thought the part about the wild country and hunting was a good touch. We don’t want people too close. We’ve nearly a hundred vampires living on the property. Someone is likely to be eaten.”
“We knew we’d have to have a story sooner or later. Let’s warn Jacob and Mambi. They’ll need to clean up too.” I point at the house, and we start to jog towards it.
Opening the envelope, I read the invitation to dine at the inn that evening signed by Mary and Eugene Schmidt.
“Why didn’t you make us married?” Will asks once I’ve finished reading the letter.
“Because we look too young to be landowners already. I figured this would give us a few years before we had to move.”
He climbs the porch steps and opens the door for me. “What do you think they’ll think of Mambi?”
“I guess we shall see.”
Jacob and I instruct Mambi and Will as to European societal manners through the afternoon. That evening, it takes a lot of coaxing, but the horses finally settle into a rhythm. I’ve been working with them for months, and while they trust me, they’re still skittish with the others.
“I don’t see why we can’t just run or walk to the harbor like usual,” Will complains as we reach the harbor village. “It’s a whole lot of trouble for nothing.”
“Are you happy here, brother? I saw you eyeing that redhead from Ireland.” Jacob slaps Will on the back and offers a hand to Mambi.
“We need last names,” I whisper to them as we approach the inn.
“Scott’s good enough for me. How about you, Will?” Jacob asks.
“Good as any. Not sure we look very Scottish, but if Anne is Queen, it might as well be.”
“Shh, none of that here. Let’s get our story straight. I’m your annoying younger sister. Jacob, you’re the oldest, and Will is the middle.”
“Why do I have to be the middle?” Will kicks the dirt.
“When did you become such a complainer?” Mambi whisks around him as Jacob escorts her to the front of our group.
“Stop feuding,” I demand as we approach the inn.
“Isn’t that what brothers do?” Will takes the steps two at a time up the porch stairs. Lifting my skirt, I follow.
“You must be our guests.” An older gentleman with a woman on his arm approaches with Emmett trailing them.
Will pushes ahead of Jacob. “Eugene and Mary Schmidt, I presume.”
Mary clinches his arm, and Eugene hesitates. “Yes, Eugene Schmidt.” He offers his hand to Will.
Mary blinks. “I’m sorry. Where are my manners? Emmett said you were tall, but I hadn’t expected how tall. And aren’t you just cute as a button.” Mary grabs my hands and kisses my cheek. “Poor thing baking in the sun.” She steps back. “Your hands are like hot coals even through my gloves.”
“Yes, it was warm. I forgot my parasol.” I wriggle out of her grip.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your names.” Eugene’s eyes cut between Will and me.
Everyone is introduced. Eugene inquires to Jacob about the land, and Mary pats her husband’s arm. “Let’s not talk about business now. It will ruin dinner. Mambi, what a wonderful name.” Mary takes Mambi’s hand in hers. “How long have you been married?”
“Just weeks actually.” Jacob wraps his arm around Mambi’s waist and kisses her. “Sorry I was not at the road to meet Emmett earlier. I’m glad he met up with my younger brother and si
ster. The others on the property don’t all speak English. I hope in the future you will send word that you’re visiting.”
Eugene shivers and rights his shoulders. “Of course. We’re sorry to have offended.”
“No offense, just wouldn’t want there to be any misunderstanding.”
“We should sit down for dinner.” Mary motions to the door. “Some drinks would be nice. It’s such a warm night.”
Eugene scrambles to the door and holds it open for us. I trail behind Mambi, Jacob, and Will, with Emmett on my heels. As we enter the room grows quiet. The smell of cooking meat and humans hangs heavy in the air, and I swallow to reset my senses. Most of the eyes in the room follow Will. His size draws attention, and I can sense the zing of apprehension in the air. I wonder what the humans register. I imagine they struggle to make logic of their anxiety and see shoulders relax as they determine the fear is irrational. It’s sad how wrong they are. But this represents how our species will survive, and I smile despite the intensity of the situation.
“So, you have workers on your property?” Eugene pulls out a chair at a large round table for his wife.
“Not workers per se. It’s more of a communal property. We share the land.” Jacob holds a chair out for Mambi. “How many of us are there now, Anne? Almost a hundred?”
“A hundred?” Eugene’s eyes grow wide.
“Miss?” Emmett lifts the chair beside his mother.
“Thank you.” I take the seat, hoping Will swoops in to take the one beside me.
Emmett sits down in it before I can move the napkin to my lap. “How’s your fence coming along?”
“Well, thank you.” I force a smile with my answer. I’m not thrilled with being flanked by the humans and catch Will’s eye as he sits down on the other side of Emmett.
Emmett inches his chair closer to mine. “Your brother is very large,” he whispers. “I’m surprised you’re so petite.”
“My mother is small.”
“You three seem quite young to be on your own. Where are you parents?” Eugene inquires as the waiter arrives with a water pitcher.
Kingdom of the Damned: Provocation (KIngdom Journals) Page 16