Blood Ties (Noble of Blood Series Book 2)

by Wright, A L

  “I have you, no worries. We'll get you lying down and resting now.” Victor's voice sounded far away, and she realized her vision was going dark as she felt him begin to move.

  Nikka woke just a short time later, in her own bed, with Victor next to her. His head was propped on his hand, and was staring intently at her.

  “How long have you been staring at me?”

  Victor smiled at her voice. “Only a few moments, really. You were asleep just a short time.”

  “I already feel much better. Maybe I just tried too much for being so new to magic.”

  “Well, you should continue to rest a bit. Just in case.”

  Nikka felt herself flush a bit underneath his stare. Victor was always intense, in everything he did. Fighting, hunting, speaking. And that wasn't all. The time they had shared in the Palace began playing through her mind. He was a different kind of intense then. Yet, he hadn't pushed her to do it again. Of course, they hadn't had much privacy since then, either.

  Nikka reached out and placed her hand on his chest, running her fingers lightly and slowly downward. Once she reached his waist she paused, and looked at him with one eyebrow raised as if in question.

  Victor's eyes widened just a bit at the questioning look on her face, then he smiled and reached over with his free hand, gathering her up against him. Nikka stretched her body along his, wanting to touch as much of him as possible at once. Just his hands had made their way from her shoulders to her hips, a knock sounded at her door.

  Exasperated, she fell backwards onto the bed behind her.

  “Yes?” She called.

  “Just checking in on you.” Came her father's voice through the door.

  Victor swiftly sat up and scooted to the end of the bed, then ran his hands through his hair to smooth it down.

  “Come on in.” Nikka called, smiling at Victor's nervous reaction.

  Dartein slowly opened the door, as if he was waiting until the last possible second to spot what may be going on in his daughter's room.

  “I'm glad you are awake,” her father said as he finally opened the door fully. “Your grandfather told me what happened.”

  “Yeah” Nikka said as she sat up. “I guess I just tried too hard too soon, without knowing my limits.”

  “I am definitely not surprised that you have magic, but I have to admit to feeling properly guilty for not exposing you to your grandfather before, so that you may have had a better chance to develop those talents sooner than now.”

  “Now is better than never. And I am truly sorry for running off and worrying you. But I will not lie and say that I am sorry I did it. So many things have come about because of it.” Nikka glanced at Victor, smiling.

  Her father didn't miss her action. He heaved a huge sigh before speaking again.

  “I will have you both know that I am glad you two finally gave your feelings a chance. You may think that I am bothered by it, but I am truly not. Of course I will always be your over-protective father. But I could not think of anyone better to help take on that role of protector than my old guard and greatest friend.”

  Nikka rose from the bed and rushed over to hug her father.

  “Thank you. I will take good care of him, too.”

  Pulling away she walked back over to the bed and sat next to Victor. He pulled her up against him and she lay her head on his shoulder.

  “We've settled a few things on our next moves, and I wanted to inform you of them,” Dartein said. “Yosan will be riding north to excavate his Chamber, and our rangers will be escorting him. He insisted we not waste our time, but I've seen the hordes in the Lothnau Forest before, and would not want to miss the chance to take some of them out. Also, I know where the entrance to one of their underground dens is located.”

  “Are you sure that making a first strike against the Enemy is a good idea?” Victor spoke up.

  “I think it is better than waiting for them to finally rally and come at us in swarms. If we hit them hard with two warlocks in our ranks, we may just wipe out that colony and none of the others would find out for some time.”

  “That is a pretty large if, my friend,” Victor said.

  “I realize that, as does my father and Yosan. I honestly think they are itching for a good scrap. Seems tonight's small battle only whetted their appetite. I think we are in for a real surprise about my father, Victor. I think we are about to see the real things that were created all those years ago, and what they are truly capable of.”

  Chapter 26

  Just two nights later, after Dartein made sure Matten was healed enough to stand watch over the Keep during their absence, he and his rangers and fighters assembled in the yard to begin the trek west then north into the Lothnau Forest. He had everyone counted up and was turning to wave farewell to Matten when he spotted Nikka and Victor leading their horses towards him.

  “Nikka, I wish you would not come for this. I would be a poor father indeed leading you into battles.”

  “Well if Mordred is to be believed, your daughter is the key to our survival and chances of winning.” Yosan spoke up from next to him. The warlock was checking the saddle cinches on his enormous mount.

  “Mordred? Isn’t she just some village fortune teller?” Victor asked.

  Yosan looked up at him and barked a short laugh. “Mordred is many things, and I guess fortune teller could be one of them. She is a Seer, and as far as I know, the only one of her kind.”

  “Indeed she is the only one, which is why she bargained with me for eternal life when I set her as the watcher of the village in the Northern Reaches.” His father walked up behind Nikka and Victor, leading his horse to the front of the assembly near Dartein.

  “Aye, I had wondered how she was still haunting us these days,” Yosan said, turning away from his horse to look at Mortul. “Her having been turned seems to have enhanced her powers of obscurity as well.”

  “It did have some interesting side effects on her powers. I am not completely sure of all the changes, but her omens have always been accurate. When she chooses to actually tell us of them, anyway.” Mortul added.

  “I wonder if she would have said anything about Nikka to any of us had myself and Hudreia not travelled to the vault.” Yosan mounted as he spoke.

  “I was there when she spoke of it to Nikka's mother.” Victor stated.

  Dartein's attention snapped to Victor, as did everyone else’s.

  “I forget that you were there for that. That visit to the Seer was what spurred me to rush north.” And miss the pain of his beloved’s death. Maybe it had been a blessing in disguise, considering he could not have saved her.

  He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, and looking up he saw that Victor had come over to give what little comfort he could. Dartein gave his friend a lopsided smile and patted him on the back.

  “Let's get mounted and moving. I think I am starting to feel the need to kill something, myself.”

  At his signal, all the men mounted and moved their horses into a double file formation. He spurred his horse to the front, where his father joined him, Yosan directly behind them. Nikka and Victor decided to ride in the rear, and would be one of the points of contact for the scouts after they rode out to gather the lay of the land.

  The scouts had been ordered that as soon as they spotted goblins, to ride straight back to the group and not try to fight any of them on their own. Dartein was sure that after the small battle the other night, they were sure to understand the greater fighting power rode alongside him. Yosan volunteered to scout once they came into the heavier woods, since his mount could move cat-like through the forest.

  And so they rode, quickly and quietly through the tall grass plains, scouts darting in and out of their group, falling into an easy rhythm of information fetching and relaying. The fighters riding in line had muffled their equipment so their swords and daggers didn't clink. Their mail was light and padded as well, noiseless and easy to move in. They had traded bits and snaffles for leather braided br
idles. The only sounds that were made were the clop-clop of horses’ hoofs falling softly in the grass and small creaks from leather saddles.

  Seen from afar, their group looked like a squadron of pale riders, death's troops out riding to meet their enemy in the Otherlands. From a distance the only thing to give them away would be the reverberations through the ground, to animals sensitive enough to feel it.

  When a few hours had passed and their mounts grew tired, Dartein ordered a stop. As the group came in, they dismounted and tethered their horses out to graze. They settled down in the long grass and stretched their legs. No need for a fire, as the weather was plenty warm and they had nothing which needed to be cooked.

  Coming over from staking out their horses, Nikka and Victor took a seat near him. He expected to see his daughter full of excitement on her first ride out to possible battle, but she looked thoughtful and somewhat grim.

  “What plays on your mind tonight, Nikka?” Dartein asked her.

  Nikka looked over at her father and then over to Victor, clearly unsure of what she was about to say. Finally, his daughter took a deep breath and began talking.

  Chapter 27

  “I think there are a couple of things I need to air out, and ask, before we potentially have a battle on our hands.” Nikka looked straight at her father. “First, I need to know what the blood is being stockpiled for.”

  Nikka watched her father's eyes grow bigger for a split second, then relax as he realized his secret was important to share now.

  “Well, I guess this will be a good discussion, then. But one that should be discussed with your grandfather and Yosan present.” Her father turned and waved at a ranger a few feet away. “Clyd bring me a couple casks from the pack horses, will you?”

  “Sir?” Clyd was obviously unsure, hovering between following an order and keeping his leader’s secret.

  “Yes, it is time to bring this little secret of ours into the open,” Dartein said.

  “As you wish.” Clyd nodded his head and disappeared into the dark towards the horses.

  “There is a secret among the Nobles, and only a few of us know of it, about the effects that fresh blood has upon us. It was written in the history of the Ancient War that the Warlocks had stored blood to drink before battle. It amplified everything about them; their speed, their strength and most of all, their magic. My father had told me of this secret before I ran off to find the Chambers in an effort to save your mother.”

  Nikka glanced over at Victor, wondering why he had never told her about this. Victor met her gaze and gave a small shrug, as if to say he was sorry. But she understood, really. He was her father's friend before he was her lover. She couldn't fault him for his loyalty.

  She snapped her attention back to her father as Clyd walked back from the horses, with three small casks in his arms. Handing them over to her father, he turned and walked back out to the horses without a word.

  Handing her and Victor each a cask, he began to speak again.

  “In the history, and from what my father told me, there is a large difference between drinking properly stored blood and drinking it straight from a main vein. Properly stored blood maintains quite a bit of its enhancing properties, but has a much milder effect. It is also not nearly as addictive.”

  “Addictive? What does that mean?” Nikka asked, confused. She had drank blood since she was small and had never felt addicted to it.

  “Taken straight from the source you not only take in the strengthening properties of the blood, you take in the creature’s life force as well. It is overwhelming, as it opens up every sense you possess and amplifies it twenty fold. Then later, after a bit, a haze overcomes you. It overtakes your ability to think, to rationalize. It makes you thirsty, angry, and if not controlled, will make you plain murderous.” Dartein paused in his speech to let his words soak in.

  “Which is why I never passed on this secret to anyone else,” her grandfather chimed in as he walked over to the small group. “I had created a balance between the Nobles and the humans. If Nobles had been given this secret, the ones who lust after power would have fallen prey to it. And preservation of human life was why we were created all those years ago. This secret is lethal, and necessary to keep amongst only those who are trustworthy.”

  “Which is why we store it. Victor, Clyd and Tynen are the only ones who know the full secret.” Dartein scooted over to make room for his father to join their circle.

  “Okay” Nikka said slowly. “So explain to me this. Why was I fed blood since infancy? And does that have anything to do with this?” She held up her hand and let her nails grow out into claws, then quickly retracted them. When she looked back, up her father was not looking at her hand, but at her face. He seemed stunned into silence, and her grandfather spoke up instead.

  “Indeed, that would definitely be the reason. You see when a Noble goes feral, lusting for blood, his canine teeth elongate and sharpen. And sometimes, though I've only seen it happen with myself and the other warlocks, claws will spring forth from the fingertips.” Her grandfather, The Patriarch, master warlock, held up his hands and his nails turned into claws. Just like hers did.

  Looking up at his face, she watched as he opened his mouth and tapped on one of the now long and sharp teeth there. Total of four, two from the top and two from the bottom, and it made him look vicious.

  “But how come I don't have those?”

  “Oh, but you did. I think since you have been raised on the blood, your mouth had adjusted to allow for those teeth, and it feels quite normal to you. Have you ever looked in a mirror while growing your claws?” Her grandfather asked.

  “No.” Nikka was shocked. She hadn't ever thought of looking at herself for that reason. Never had felt anything different.

  “And, as for why I fed you blood, I was half crazed when I fled the Palace with you and Victor. I had no idea how to take care of a child, let alone one born to Nobles. I tried different milks; goat, cow. None of them satisfied you. You were weak and blood was the only thing I knew of that had the possibility to strengthen you. And it did. After drinking the blood, you were healthy, strong and grew quickly both in body and mind. It took some time to wean you from the fresh blood to the stored kind, and later it was another difficult transition to go from blood to fresh meats.” Her father stared down at the cask in his hands. “I did the best I could without your mother here to help me. And I was too heartsick to return to the Palace where she died to ask my father for his advice.”

  A silence grew around them as they all considered what had just been discussed. Her father's grief was still as fresh as it ever was. She looked over at Victor and decided she could understand his grief over losing someone who meant so much to him. Victor smiled at her and pulled her close, laying his cheek on top of her head. At least revealing her secret hadn't freaked him out. She hadn't been sure how he would react to her being able to grow claws. And fangs? She was going to have to consult a mirror when she got back home to the Keep.

  “Well, let us mount back up and make a bit more time before camping for the day. By midday tomorrow we should reach the border of the Lothnau, and we can spend some time scouting before we head in.” Her father got to his feet and moved away towards his horse.

  Victor squeezed her shoulder then stood up. “I will get our mounts ready,” he stated before walking away in the same direction as her father.

  “Do not worry too much about these things which make you different. You have the potential to be greater than all of us, truly. I just wish we had more time to make you ready, but I fear this war will pull us all in before we know it.” Her grandfather's sincere smile made her feel a bit better.

  However, she couldn't shake the feeling something big was looming in the distance ahead. Something none of them were ready for.

  Chapter 28

  It was slow moving through the dense forest, following only rough deer trails. Since the goblins had been growing bolder and more numerous, humans had been avoiding
the forest, which meant the old trails had been completely grown over by scrubby bushes and saplings. In single file, the main group moved through the thick trees, while the scouts rode off to each side, trying to stay in sight as best they could.

  Yosan led the group, moving along silently a few hundred feet in front of them. His mount made hardly any noise, making him the perfect forward scout.

  Two miles into the forest, the normal noises made by creatures of the night went completely silent. With no more hooting owls, chirping crickets or squeaking bats, the forest was eerily silent. Still the group continued to move forward, but now in a tighter formation. They didn't want to be spread out in case of an attack. There was no sign or smell of their enemy, but they were prepared just in case.

  The horses grew nervous in the quiet but continued moving forward, mainly because the trail was so narrow it would be difficult for them to turn around. It seemed as if everyone was holding their breath, trying to make as little noise as possible.

  Another mile in, they came to what had once been a clearing with a ring of stones in the middle that had once been used for a fire pit. Recognizing the area, Dartein signaled for the group to halt. His father reined up alongside him.

  “I passed through here, last time.” Dartein whispered to him. “We fought goblins here, and their cave is just to the west and north.”

  His father nodded and dismounted. Dartein signaled Clyd to do the same and the rest of the group followed suit. Quietly they erected a light pen around the horses consisting of small poles and bailing twine. It would keep their mounts contained, but just in case they didn't return, the animals could easily break free of the enclosure and escape the area.

  Dartein divided his pack into three groups, plus one smaller group of scouts led by Clyd. He kept Victor and Nikka in his group, and his father and Yosan led the other two. Clyd and his three scouts slid away into the night. They were to have a two minute head start before the rest followed.