Will towers over John. “We say that you show some respect or leave this tribe.”
I’m surprised to hear Will defend the humans. He hasn’t said much about them before, but Will tends to be one of few words.
“Sorry.” John looks to the ground. “I’ve been cooped up inside for too long.”
“Go run the perimeter and take two others with you.” Will waves him off and starts up the steps.
I tie up the team and join him in the front room. “How did it go?”
“Well. I let them make all the decisions. Just listened. I figure we just need to blend.”
Gregor slaps Will on the back. “Plus, no one would dare get near this giant. They like me, though.”
Gregor and Will outline the skills of the families and which crops will be grown on each property. We volunteer our expertise in security to the group but don’t promise bodies to survey each property, as that would spread us too thin.
“The first church service will be held mid-morning Sunday at the Schmidt’s barn and rotate every week. We are last in the rotation,” Gregor announces.
A hush falls over the group when I call for volunteers to attend the church service with Will, Gregor, and myself. As none step forward, I assign John to join us. Maria pledges her attendance as does her sister, Sarita. I like that we have three men and three women, and we discuss explaining our relationship as distant cousins.
“I’m not going to any sewing groups with you though.” Maria prances away with her sister as I adjourn our meeting.
Again, I take to the sea, wondering if it’s time to find another home. Still, most seem happy with our plantation, and I decide against suggesting it. We’ve made progress with the humans and learned much. I count our time here as an accomplishment, even if our days along the coast are numbered.
Saturday, Emmett catches me alone in the kitchen, preparing dinner. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
“No.” I lift a rabbit carcass by the feet and fling it on the table. “Your mother has been distracting me with tea, sewing, jam making, and Bible study.”
“Oh, that sounds painful.”
“It is.” I slam the cleaver down on the hare’s neck, sending the head across the room.
Emmett rests his hand on his stomach. “You’re angry with me. You don’t think I’m a hero like the rest of your tribe. Why can’t you see I did it for you?”
I rest the knife on the wood-cutting table. “You know what we are, that we’re capable of defending ourselves, can heal from almost any wound, and yet you threw yourself in their path. Why would you do that?”
“So, you’re angry because I could have died. You feared for my safety.” He edges closer to me.
Taking a step back, I place my hands on my hips. “Every life is sacred to me.”
A smile forms on his face. He points to the hare. “Not that rabbit.”
I roll my eyes. “You know what I mean. We would’ve been fine. I could survive almost anything. You can’t. Your parents deserve to see their son grow into adulthood.”
“On the topic of becoming an adult.” He lifts his boot and moves towards me. “You never answered my question.”
In one swift move, I scoop the cleaver from the counter and hold it near his face. “I’m in mourning for my friend. I’ve told you we cannot marry. Please, do not speak to me of this again.”
Emmett’s eyes grow huge. He blinks and diverts his gaze to the floor. “As you say, My Queen.” He bows his head.
I regret the outburst and curse myself. “Emmett don’t be angry.”
“You held a knife at my neck.”
“There has been much to think about in the past week. Please, accept my apology.”
“Of course.” He smiles, but his eyes hold steady. “I’ll see you tomorrow at church.”
As he exits, I slam the knife onto the table and run out the back door, my emotions streaming through me like a gale-force wind. Anger, fear, rage, regret, loneliness, sorrow for the love I lost so many years past, for fallen comrades, for Mambi, for the life I will never have unless I abandon my quest, pulse through me as I pound my feet to the ground. Feeling the vibration of someone trailing me, I sniff the air. Smelling Will behind me, I strip my clothes and jump into the sea.
As I surface for a breath, Will’s head pops up beside me. “Feeling a bit out of sorts? You’ve been swimming every day.”
“It’s good exercise.”
“Dueling keeps you in shape too.”
“I don’t feel like lifting my blade.”
“Really? Because you had no problem doing it a few seconds ago.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“You’re dealing with too much. You need some time away. Before, when there was a lot going on, we had travel time to sort things out. Here, things keep coming at you without breaks. Perhaps a trip will calm your mind. You and I could take a few days away. It would be like in the beginning, just two comrades living off Mother Earth, nothing to think about but the next meal.”
“I like that idea.” I smile, thinking of the first time I swam in the sea. “Is Gregor up to the task?”
“With John and Maria, they can handle the land for a few days.”
“Good, we leave tomorrow after the church service then.”
Dressing in our best garments, we attend the church service, speaking of recipes and sewing with the women, and fields and crops with the men.
As I say goodbye to Mary, her eyes tear up. “It’s been so nice having you here this week. I shall miss you. I never knew what it would be like to have a daughter.”
I swallow hard, realizing her company has helped me too, even if it did come with sewing and cooking. My thoughts jump to Elizabeth and how it’d be nice to have her near. I squeeze Mary’s hands, but turn away before tears form in my eyes.
It’s three hours before I finish my chores and instructions for the few days we will be away. I pray the trip isn’t a mistake. But, I remind myself that we were away for months before, and we aren’t straying farther than a two-hour run. My satchel holds one change of clothes and a water bladder. I fix a dagger in my boot and sling a spear over my shoulder.
Heading south and east, Will and I wait until there’s an hour’s hike between us and the nearest European settlement to start to run. Then, I increase my speed to it full capacity. I can only keep this up for an hour or so, and with burning legs, I slow to a walk.
Creeks and bogs are dotted with small patches of wet land. It reminds me of Finland, and I hop from island to island.
“This feels wonderful,” Will remarks, stopping to let me catch up.
“It does.” I lean over, panting.
I snag a rabbit, as does he, and we sit in a tree and skin the animals, sucking the blood from their vessels and tearing the meat from the bones with our teeth. When I’ve had my fill, I give the rest to him.
“I could live this way forever,” Will notes, looking up at the stars.
“Why don’t you?”
“I follow you. You know that.”
“Why do some want to settle and some not?”
“Some of us are more human. We feel the need for community, family. I guess it may be part of our nature. Don’t you enjoy it?” He turns to face me.
“Yes and no.”
“You don’t need to think of anything right now.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders. “Rest, and I will watch.”
“Then you may rest, just as we did before.” I smile at him.
“I pray it will always be.”
Reclining on a bed of leaves, my eyes wander to the sky. The stars sparkle like a blanket of tiny lights. I let the warm humid air lull me into a trance. Hearing commotion, I jump up to see Will wrestling an alligator.
“What are you doing?”
“It came at me.”
“Do you want help?”
“Are you kidding? I haven’t had this much fun in decades.” He slams the animal’s body to the ground.
&
nbsp; Stunned for a second, it jumps up and whips around, the tail catching Will’s ankles and knocking him to the ground.
I chuckle. “It’s a worthy foe.”
Will bounds up and grabs the animal by the snout. It thrashes its head forward, sending Will rolling over the ground. Will lunges at the animal, but it opens its mouth wide.
“You don’t want to lose an arm in that,” I yell at him.
He circles the animal. Mouth agape, the alligator follows Will, never letting him get around back. Will jumps over the gator, but it can’t spin fast. It bobs its head back and forth, chomping at air.
“Leave it be,” I tell Will as he tires.
“Do you think the meat tastes good?” Will hops over the animal to stand in front of me.
“Too much work. Are you ready to rest?”
“I think we should pick another spot.” Will offers me his hand.
“Higher in the trees, maybe?”
He chuckles. “Yes.”
We spend the next two days the same way, pushing our muscles to their limits, and studying the landscape, animals, turkeys, herons, beavers, snakes, and fauna, huge trees with moss hanging from each branch, plants growing from lake bottoms with leaves that rest on the water top.
“Do you dread going back?” Will asks as we approach our property with the setting sun.
“No, I feel rested, refreshed.”
“You still miss Mambi.”
“I will always miss her. And I miss Jacob.”
“He does tend to be funnier than I am.”
I stop and tug at his arm. “Thank you for this.”
“Of course, Queen.” He winks and swats the dirt off my pant leg.
Coming up the path, I catch Eugene Schmidt’s scent. “Why is Eugene here? I can’t see him like this.”
“Sneak in the back and clean up. I’ll run up to my quarters and do the same.”
Tiptoeing in the back door and up the back staircase, I hear Gregor speaking with Eugene on the porch. “I thought they told you they’d be away. They’re due back tonight.”
“Sorry, my wife must have been confused about their plans. She thought they would just be gone two days. When Anne didn’t come to call, she got worried. And I had a matter I wanted to discuss with Jacob if he has returned.”
Gregor clears his throat. “We don’t expect Jacob for a long time.”
“Then Will maybe.”
“Yes, I’ll send someone to his quarters to check and see if they are back. John”—Gregor snaps his fingers—“can you go see if Anne and Will have arrived yet. Mr. Schmidt is anxious to talk with them.”
I slip into my wash closet, shed my clothes, and jump in the bath. The water is cold, but there isn’t time to heat it. I scrub with soap and rinse. Then, I dry and slide on my house dress. Catching sight of my hair in the mirror, I sigh. I douse it with water and form a braid, winding it atop my head, and pinning it. Last, I twist small strands around my fingers forming ringlets next to my face. Exiting my room, I hear Will greeting Eugene.
“Mr. Schmidt, what a pleasant surprise. It’s good to see you.”
Jogging down the stairs, I chuckle at Will’s tense voice as I imagine him grimacing as he shakes Eugene’s hand. Will isn’t a social person, and humans are hard for him to be around without thinking of draining their vessels dry.
“Yes, I hoped to speak with you or your brother.”
“Of course.” I hear Will open the door and footsteps entering the front room.
Slowing my pace, I meet them in the parlor.
“Anne, look, Mr. Schmidt, has come to pay us a visit.” Gregor rises from his seat.
Eugene stands as well. “Anne, it’s good to see you. If you don’t mind, and I hope you don’t think this rude of me, but I have matters to discuss with your brother.”
“Of course.” I curtsey to him, and walk from the room, hiding on the other side of the wall.
“What concerns you?” I hear Will ask Mr. Schmidt as their feet shuffle across the floor.
“No concern,” Eugene begins, “just a request. As you probably realize, my son favors Anne very much. He believes it may be time to ask for her hand.”
I suck in my breath and clench the doorframe for support. What has Emmett done? Why would he put me in this position?
“I see.” I imagine Will’s face tensing.
“So, you would be amenable to the union? He, of course, will come to ask your permission.”
Will clears his throat. “Forgive me, I was not expecting to be in this position. But, I think my elder brother would also give you this answer. We only want Anne to be happy. It will be her choice.”
“Of course, their happiness is paramount. My wife is very taken with Anne, and I think our families fit well together.”
A laugh almost escapes my lips, and I fear I’ve become delirious.
“We have a great amount of gratitude for your hospitality these past months. Anne appreciates it especially.”
“So, Emmett may call on you to get your blessing? On the morrow perhaps?”
I scream no in my head.
“Yes,” comes Will’s reply.
Waiting till I hear Eugene mount his horse and canter away, I zip outside, and catching Will off guard, shove him to the dirt. “Why did you say that? What were you thinking?”
Will jumps to his feet. “Why did you attack me?”
“Are you mad? You know I don’t favor Emmett.” I push Will’s shoulders.
“You favor him as much as you’ve favored anyone since I’ve known you.”
I will not marry him, I want to yell at him. Hearing others drawing near, I keep my voice even.
Will locks eyes with me. “I told Eugene it would be your decision.”
Maria, Sarita, Gregor, and John as well as a few more gather round us.
“Emmett must have his reasons. Let’s hear him out tomorrow,” Will suggests.
I address those gathered. “Has Emmett been here while we were gone? Did he say anything to you?”
“He sparred with me yesterday. Said something about the church service being tense, that the new human settlers are wary of us. That’s all,” Gregor reports.
“He said the same to me the day before,” John adds.
I want to storm into the house and up to my room. But, I dig my nails into my palms. “We’ll speak with Emmett tomorrow then. I’ll see you all in the morning.”
As the vampires disperse, Will whispers to me. “You’re getting better at reining in your emotions.”
“Not good enough, I fear. It doesn’t do to have a spoiled brat for a leader.”
“You’re young. They know that.”
“Sometimes I wonder why they follow me.”
“That passion that so often hinders you also draws followers.”
Wanting some space, I suggest he rest in his own quarters.
“You know I don’t rest well apart from you.”
“Good night then.” I lift my skirt and stomp up the stairs. In my room, marking pen on paper in hurried strokes, I write to Elizabeth. Most of the time I never send these emotion-fed ramblings, and tonight is no different. I rip the pages to shreds.
It’s hard to rest, wondering why Emmett makes such a bold move. Why would he try to force me into the marriage? When the sun rises, I gather the eggs, milk the cows, feed the goats, and check on the crops. I’m too wound up to call on Mary, although I’d promised. Instead, I take a swim at midday, hear reports, and then spar with Will and Gregor under the shade of the trees.
As dusk descends, I hear hoofs beating on the dirt path and catch Emmett’s scent drifting on the wind. I gather Will and Gregor, and we wait for Emmett on the front porch. As he slides off the horse, he bows, one knee to the ground. My breath catches in my throat, thinking he means to propose right then.
“Queen.” Looking up, he lays a hand over his heart. “Please, you must be very confused by my actions. But know that I have the interest of the tribe in mind. Workers on our propert
y as well as the new settlers have many questions about the odd group that lives here. You look nothing alike, save that you’re all young and strong. If you want to stay, blend in, you need to appear more traditional. What better way to solidify your place in the community than marrying me?”
I hate to admit his strategy makes sense. Still, the girl in me yells no, not only grieving for the marriage with Alec I will never have, but for Emmett, as I will not lie with him as a wife would. “Let us walk.”
Walking through the marshes, I think of my people. Many are mated, and several are with child. All seem content, happy to have land to call our own. The track spans several miles with shoreline to the east, wide forest ringing it, a small pond, and enough room for fields. Save the issue with the invading tribe, proximity to humans, and Emmett, I too am happy here.
I stop when we reach the beach. “I’ve made my opinions about a marriage between us clear.”
“For all the reasons I said before, this is a good idea. My mother already loves you like a daughter, and this would make her so happy.”
I pace in front of him. “So, you’re doing this for your parents and our tribe?”
“I won’t say that it won’t make me happy too. Do I repulse you that much?”
Looking over the water, I force myself to speak the truth aloud. “No, you’re quite nice to look at and good company. But, we could not be together as man and wife. There would be no children. Halflings are forbidden.”
I feel the sand move as he approaches. “Gregor told me that and the story of Black Crow. I’ve already committed myself to your tribe. You know that. I’ve never met another like you. I can’t imagine I will. You’re who I want for my wife.”
“This isn’t the only way to make the settlers more comfortable with us. We’ll host the church service in a couple of weeks. They’ll see that we can be trusted.”
“And they’ll see further just how different you are from them. This is the best way.”
“What happens when we have no children?”
“Others in the tribe will have children. The settlers will see them.” His large eyes plead with me. I know he wants this for himself, for his parents.
“Youngling vampires can’t be trusted around humans till age two at the earliest.”
Kingdom of the Damned: Provocation (KIngdom Journals) Page 21