The Highwayman's Bite

by Brooklyn Ann

  Madame Renarde shook her head and accepted her glass. “I know it is not my place, being a servant, but I would advise you to pay the ransom so that Vivian may be returned as soon as possible.”

  Her grave tone gave him pause. “Do you think she’s truly in danger?

  Renarde nodded. “I do, but not in the way you think.”

  Aldric suddenly suspected he’d missed an impending threat. “What do you mean?”

  “My profession depends on the ability to closely observe things, such as the way two people interact with each other.” Renarde’s intense eyes implored him to listen. “I’ve seen the way Rhys looks at Vivian, but that was of little concern as I also observed his efforts at restraint.”

  “Well I most certainly see it as a concern!” Aldric tossed back a hearty swallow of brandy, even knowing it would give him a devil of a bellyache later. “Especially now that he has been alone with my niece for the past two nights and days. You yourself said she is in danger.”

  “Yes, but from her own heart and desires.” Madame Renarde sipped her brandy with more delicacy than he had. “I also observed the way she looks at him. How she smiled when they conversed and the sparks between them when they practiced fencing.”

  Aldric blinked in disbelief. “He is fencing with her?”

  “Yes. He sparred with me as well. Something to bide the time, I suppose. However, with them, it was like a dance. Both share a deep passion for swordplay.” Madame Renarde sighed and took another drink. “They also read together. They’re utterly captivated with a serial story in the papers and discuss it as if they are trying to decipher the chapter of Revelations.” Renarde sighed and took a deeper drink. “The point I am trying to make is that Rhys did not act the villain with us. He has been very kind. Furthermore, while I was treated as an honored guest, he treated Vivian as if they were the best of friends, something she’s never experienced from a man in her entire life. And from what I’ve learned about her life before I came along, she’d been very lonely and never had a friend until I came into her father’s employment.”

  Horror twisted Aldric’s gut as he grasped her meaning. “You think she is falling in love with him?”

  “I do,” Renarde said levelly. “There is a tangible spark between them. There is something else you must know. Rhys was the highwayman who robbed us on our way to your estate. The reason he did not steal her necklace was because he stole a kiss instead. She’s fancied him since that night, but now that they’ve had time to become acquainted, I’m afraid her fancy has developed to something more than girlish infatuation.”

  “Good God!” Aldric nearly choked on his brandy. Renarde’s tale was worsening every moment. “He was the highwayman?”

  When Vivian had told him about their carriage being robbed that first night, he’d reported the theft to the constable, who had told him that there’d been other robberies, but assured him that his officers were closing in on the thief. Aldric hadn’t thought much of Vivian’s robbery since very little had been stolen and Vivian herself hadn’t been particularly alarmed.

  Because the whoreson wooed her with a kiss, he raged inwardly.

  The incident had been forgotten in the wake of her being abducted and Aldric had been an utter fool not to make the connection. And Vivian had been infatuated with the thief. Madame Renarde was right. His niece was in far worse danger than he’d previously contemplated. If Vivian fell in love with a rogue vampire, she would be tempted to allow him to Change her. “You do not believe he will Change her into a vampire?” he asked.

  Renarde shook her head emphatically and sneezed. “From the way he described his life as a rogue vampire, I would say no. He cares for her too much to subject her to a possible death sentence.”

  “That is a measure of relief at least.” But what if Vivian convinced him to go through with it? During the short time she’d spent under his roof, Aldric had discovered that she could be very charming. Which of course, led him to another concern, one that he’d already had before he’d learned of Vivian’s feeling towards her captor. He struggled for a delicate way of phrasing his worry. “You think they will act upon their mutual attraction, don’t you?”

  “If they haven’t already.” Madame Renarde’s lips thinned into a grim line. “Which is why you should abandon your pride and pay the ransom. Many women form deep emotional attachments to men after they’ve been intimate. The longer you delay, the more attached Vivian will become. Rhys as well. A most untenable situation for the both of them.”

  “You sound as if you’re sympathetic to Rhys as well,” Aldric noted with disapproval.

  Madame Renarde shrugged. “I am a human with a human’s sense of compassion and empathy. I have not had the benefit of centuries of feeding on the blood of innocents to harden my heart.”

  “I do not believe I deserve such talk. After all, my heart is why you remain alive.” Aldric softened his tone even as he writhed with frustration. “But I do not wish to quarrel. Removing my niece from this rogue vampire’s clutches is my utmost concern.” His hands tightened on his empty glass until it cracked. “Why does Rhys want money from me anyway? If he was already making a career as a highwayman, why make the fatal mistake of abducting a Lord Vampire’s niece for a pithy two hundred pounds?”

  “Such a sum may be pithy to you, but not to others. That is ten times my yearly allowance.” Madame Renarde eyed him with scorn of the likes Aldric had never been subjected to. “But it can be salvation for others. My understanding is that Rhys wishes to give the money to his mortal relations so that they may pay off a mortgage. Much like Robin Hood.”

  “Blast it, no wonder Vivian has romanticized him,” Aldric growled.

  Then the companion’s words sank in. Aldric held a few mortgages in Blackpool, but only one that was going to be foreclosed in a week. He had been on the right path to begin with. If he’d only probed further...

  His lips curved in a bitter smirk as the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place. “Very well, Madame. I will heed your advice and pay off the scoundrel.”

  “Thank God,” Renarde murmured, and quaffed the last of her drink. “I pray that Vivian is safely returned and undamaged from this ordeal. Will you Change her into a vampire when we have her back?”

  Aldric’s triumph at coming to a decision deflated as the other dilemma was once more thrust upon him. “I will deal with that matter when she is back under my care. As for you...” He gathered his powers and fixed her with his gaze. “You will forget that the highwayman is a vampire. You will forget that I am a vampire.”

  At first, Renarde frowned at him in puzzlement, but then her eyes glazed just like those of the mortals he fed upon. “Forget...” she echoed.

  “Yes.” Aldric focused his will on her mind. “Only remember that you and Vivian were taken by a highwayman. Remember that you are concerned that Vivian is infatuated with him. When she returns, your duty will be to convince her to put that cad out of her mind.”

  “Yes,” Madame Renarde’s eyelids drooped. “The cad.”

  Aldric released his hold on her mind and tried to fight back worry. The longer a human spent in a vampire’s company, and the more they knew of the secrets of his kind, the more difficult it was to banish their memories.

  Renarde blinked and rubbed her head. “I apologize. I must have dozed off. What were we speaking about?”

  Aldric’s shoulders relaxed slightly. So far, this was the usual reaction. “I’ve agreed to pay the ransom as you’ve advised.”

  “Splendid.” Madame Renarde yawned. “I cannot wait until my dear Vivian is home. Poor, sweet girl. I vow to do everything I can to help her forget about the highwayman who abducted her. Such a dreadful affair.”

  “Indeed.” Aldric bit back a satisfied smile at her lack of mention of vampires. One problem appeared to be solved. “Now you should take your tonic and rest so that you may be of help to Vivian when I bring her home.”

  “Oui. I am terribly exhausted.” When Aldric took the bott
le of tonic from the bedside table, she favored him with a weak smile. “I am sorry to have been so much trouble to you. Doubtless you’ve never had to play nursemaid in your life.”

  “You are correct in that assumption.” Aldric grinned as he held the medicine spoon to her lips. “But I regard it as a new experience. Something an old curmudgeon like me could benefit from time to time.”

  Renarde chuckled as she fell back against the pillows. “Pish-tosh. You are still a young man. Perhaps instead of finding a husband for Vivian, we should seek a match for you.”

  “I am a confirmed bachelor, I’m afraid.” Some Lord Vampires took female vampires as wives, either out of love, or simply an arrangement to keep Society from pestering them. Aldric preferred to avoid that sort of complication. “Now get some rest and I shall look in on you tomorrow evening.”

  “Promise me you will not treat Vivian too harshly if she has been seduced by Rhys,” Madame Renarde said sleepily.

  “I promise.” Aldric extinguished the lamps and left the room.

  His mental exertions on banishing Renarde’s memories had drained him. He needed to feed again. After ordering his valet to fetch his coat, Aldric went out to the seedier part of the village.

  A woman’s scream boiled his already heated blood and he bolted down the alley to find a man with a barmaid pinned against the wall, a bucket of slops overturned on the cracked stone cobbles. For a moment, he envisioned the besieged maid to be Vivian, and a red haze of rage distorted his vision.

  With a roar, he seized the assailant by the scruff of the neck and yanked him off the barmaid. The woman squeaked in terror at Aldric’s blazing eyes and fled back to the safety of the tavern.

  Aldric slammed the man against the grimy brick wall and tore into his throat in a fury. Hot blood gushed in Aldric’s mouth and he drank deeper than he had in decades, glutting himself on the last dregs of a wastrel’s life.

  When the body went limp in his grip, Aldric hefted the corpse over his shoulder and wove through the alleys until he reached the wharfs. Technically, it was illegal to kill a human, except in cases of self-preservation, but if a killing was not discovered or proven, the Elders tended to look away.

  Still, shame flooded Aldric. While he felt no remorse for killing a man who would force himself on a woman, his loss of control revolted him to the core.

  The idea of Vivian being deflowered by a rogue vampire infuriated him more than he’d thought. But Madame Renarde’s words about Vivian falling in love with one alarmed him even more. The companion had urged him to hurry before it was too late, but there were two more nights before the ransom was due. If the situation was as ominous as Renarde perceived before she left Rhys’s lair, surely things had escalated further now that Vivian no longer had a chaperone. In fact, Aldric had the sinking feeling that the die had been cast.

  Many centuries ago, in the glow of his mortal youth, Aldric had fallen under the potent, cruel spell of love. It was not a malady easy to recover from.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Vivian and Rhys spent the day in each other’s arms, kissing and touching and laughing together, treasuring each bittersweet moment. At dusk, he took her with him when he went out to hunt, showing her that a vampire’s bite did not harm a person. That relieved Vivian more than any verbal assurances he’d given her. If she were to become a vampire, she never wanted to hurt anyone.

  Rhys also took her to a restaurant, where she dined on roast beef and buttered potatoes. She felt a slight twinge of guilt when he used his preternatural powers to convince the proprietor that they’d paid. Did all vampires do this, or was it only rogues who were forced to steal?

  When they returned to the cave, she asked him.

  “Legitimate vampires are usually set up for some manner of employment by their Lord. I imagine the less wealthy ones don’t hesitate to filch money and things from time to time, but that is generally frowned upon.” Rhys built up the fire and then came to sit beside her. “Are you afraid of what life will be like if your uncle Changes you into a vampire?”

  “Yes.” Vivian had to pry the word out. She’d tried to conceal her trepidation at the prospect of becoming a blood-drinking immortal, but the realization that she and Rhys would soon be parted compelled her to confess. “Could you tell me how the process works? I mean, will it hurt?”

  “Some,” he admitted. The sympathy in his eyes made her wish she could take back the question. She did not want him to pity her. “When your fangs grow and the magic spreads through your body, it hurts a great deal. The first hunger for blood is painful as well, but not as bad as the teeth growing. That was the worst, from what I remember. Thankfully, it doesn’t last long, and your uncle will have a fresh source of blood on hand for your first feeding.” He grasped her hand and squeezed it. “I wish I could be there for you during the transformation. Teach you to wield your powers, the joy of the hunt, and show you the beauty of the night.”

  “I wish you could be with me as well.” Vivian threaded her fingers through his. “But you still have not fully answered my question. How is the magic done?”

  “Your uncle will drink as much of your blood as he can, then he will cut his wrist and feed it back to you,” Rhys looked down at his boots, as if avoiding her censure.

  Vivian cringed at such a macabre process. However, at least it was straightforward, and did not sound like a long, ceremonial affair. “If it is so simple, why isn’t the world full of vampires?”

  “Because it takes a century or thereabouts for a vampire to build the power to make another. And they can only make one at a time, for the most part. Although I did hear of an ancient vampire Changing mortal twin boys on the same night, hundreds of years ago.” Rhys filled the kettle for tea. “Also, one must petition their Lord Vampire before they are permitted to Change a mortal.”

  Vivian blinked. If her uncle was already a Lord Vampire, then... “Who is my uncle’s lord?”

  Something flickered in Rhys’s eyes that looked like fear. “I’ll let your uncle tell you.”

  “Why?” Curiosity bubbled within her at his sudden reluctance to divulge information.

  “Because there are some aspects of our world that even I won’t risk discussing. Certain parties whose attention I do not wish to attract.” His voice quaked with definite terror.

  Vivian dropped the subject with Rhys, but she would most definitely discuss it with her uncle. Vampires must have a higher authority than lords. A king, perhaps? Or maybe some sort of parliament? Whoever they were, they frightened Rhys like a boggart from children’s tales. “You said that the first craving for blood is painful. Does it always hurt?”

  Rhys shook his head. “It is only painful for the first few weeks, as you learn to control it. Because of that, a new vampire must always be accompanied by an older mentor, to ensure that they do not accidentally harm a mortal during feeding. Since you are such a quick learner, you should master the hunt in no time.”

  “Your confidence in me is reassuring.” She poured the tea when the kettle whistled. “I pray it is not misplaced. What can kill a vampire?”

  Again, his expression shuttered. “You’ve already observed that the sun is one method, but I will leave the rest to your uncle to explain.”

  “You’re not giving me much reason to be optimistic.” She frowned into her teacup. “Can you share any positive aspects of your existence?”

  “Oh yes.” Rhys favored her with his first genuine smile of the night. “You will be able to move faster than the blink of an eye. You’ll never sicken or grow old. If you are wounded, you will heal rapidly. You’ll be able to see and hear things that humans cannot perceive. And you will have the strength of ten men. Some vampires can read people’s thoughts. Others can make objects move with their minds. A few can even fly.”

  “Fly?” she echoed in awe. “Can you?”

  He shook his head. “Thus far, I am not so blessed. Some say it is an ability gained with age, others say it depends on the bloodline of who Change
d you.”

  For the rest of the night, he regaled her with tales of him reveling in his powers, the knowledge he’d gained, and the benefit of having time at one’s disposal. Vivian could tell that he was skirting around the less pleasant facts about being a vampire, and only doing his best to reassure her.

  However, she was grateful for everything he could tell her. She drank an entire pot of tea as she listened to him. They then went out to the beach to fence for their last time before dawn. After Rhys shut them inside for the day, he made love to her with such fervent devotion that tears sprung to her eyes.

  She tried to stay awake as she held him, savoring her last minutes in his arms. Tonight, Rhys would visit the human he’d instructed to collect the ransom. If the money was there, that meant that Rhys would take her to an inn tonight and her uncle would collect her tomorrow.

  But sleep was relentless and sucked her down into a world of fractured dreams and incessant fears.

  When Rhys kissed her awake, she clung to him, not wanting to let him go. “What if my uncle has laid a trap?”

  “Then it will be him who returns here instead of me.” Despite his attempt at dismissing her worry, she detected a note of trepidation in his tone.

  “Take me with you to meet with your contact then.” If Uncle Aldric tried to capture Rhys, maybe Vivian could persuade him to see reason.

  “No. It is far too dangerous. If any vampires see a rogue in company with a mortal woman, it won’t take long to reach the ears of your uncle. I’m fortunate that the rogues who tried to take shelter with me haven’t spread the gossip.” He kissed her somewhat roughly before leaving the bed to dress. “With luck, I’ll be back shortly.”

  After he departed, Vivian paced the cave, wringing her hands with worry that Rhys would be caught. Between praying that he would receive the ransom money and return safely, a selfish part of her hoped that her uncle would again refuse to pay. If that proved to be the case, then perhaps she could convince Rhys to let her stay with him. Maybe they could both go to the Americas and build a life together and Rhys would be safe.