The Lost Duke

by Kristen Gupton

  The redhead wasn’t too keen on their group arriving in the town with a dead woman in tow, but he’d not pressed the issue. It was clear Garhan was completely distraught and knowing how Keiran’s temper could swing, the young guard wasn’t about to take any chances toying with another vampire’s feelings.

  Garhan lagged behind the rest of the group. Mari’s horse was tied to his, walking alongside with the courier’s body lashed to the saddle. She’d been wrapped in a cloak they’d gotten from one of the Tordanian guards. Though it wasn’t obvious what was being carried on the horse’s back, eventually, the heat would draw the stench of death from her corpse.

  Keiran could only imagine how he’d feel if Thana had been killed in a similar manner. The idea of ordering his brother to leave her behind brought up a profoundly uncomfortable emotion.

  “Perhaps tonight he’ll be willing to say goodbye. He’s in agony right now,” Keiran said.

  Jerris, finally in love with a woman, gave passing thought to Magretha and conceded the point. “I suppose. Do you think we’ll find Stepan in town?”

  “I don’t see why he wouldn’t have waited for us.” Keiran shook his head, his eyes moving back to the road ahead. “I don’t think he’ll handle her death very well, either.”

  “Aye,” Jerris agreed, nodding. “She was brave to help us out. I doubt she would have done it if it weren’t for Garhan, but still.”

  The Tordanian king gave Jerris a sidelong glance. “Finding Garhan was her only purpose. She was very devoted.”

  Jerris looked back again at Garhan, seeing the vampire staring forward, his shoulders slumped. He’d taken quite a liking to Mari in the short time he’d known her, and the threat of tears started to burn in his eyes, making him turn away.

  Keiran’s senses were dulled, but he still picked up Garhan’s emotions. There was abject sorrow but also other layers to what Garhan felt that Keiran couldn’t put into words. He decided trying to explain it to Jerris was pointless, and he fell silent.

  * * *

  Stepan had waited on the edge of the town for hours, nervously awaiting the arrival of the others. He’d wanted to stay closer to the gates, but his distrust toward Adira had driven him to disappear into the nearby town.

  He’d taken up a position near a food-vendor’s cart along the road to wait. He sat there, picking apart the remains of a roasted quail he’d traded his knife for. Stepan didn’t dare think the others had escaped as easily as he’d managed, and a sense of dread lingered with him. He’d thought eating something would help push it aside, but it hadn’t worked.

  When the sound of a large group of horses broke through the town’s noises, he rose up from where he sat, abandoning a small pile of quail bones on the ground. Upon seeing the first Tordanian soldiers rounding the bend, he started to run toward them.

  Keiran spotted Stepan as the road straightened out, immediately dreading the reaction the guard was going to have to Mari’s death. “He’s here.”

  Jerris nodded and pulled his horse to a stop as the rest of the group halted. He looked back to see Garhan dismounting from his horse and walking toward the Alerian guard.

  Stepan carried on directly to Garhan as he emerged from the group. Seeing the expression Garhan wore caused the guard to break into a cold sweat. He came to a stop before the vampire, trying to look around him. “Where is Mari?”

  Garhan’s eyes were red, though his tears had stopped. He reached out and placed a hand on Stepan’s shoulder, starting to walk with him back toward the horse carrying Mari’s body. “Adira didn’t let us go as easily as we’d hoped. She had her archers fire upon us as we went under the gate. They got Mari.”

  Stepan stopped in his tracks upon seeing the bundle tied onto Mari’s most-prized horse. Immediately, his knees grew weak and a wave of guilt knocked him to the ground. He struggled to find any words, but nothing came to him. He felt the heat of tears cutting through the dust on his face, his arms hanging at his sides as he knelt in the middle of the road.

  Garhan stood beside him, feeling his own composure faltering again. He put a hand back on Stepan’s shoulder, slowly kneeling down beside him.

  Stepan finally tore his gaze away from her body and looked at Garhan. His brows were knit together, his lower lip quivering. “I should have stayed with the group. I would have gladly taken her place.”

  “As would I,” Garhan said quietly. He brought up his free hand and wiped away his own tears.

  “Damn it,” Stepan hung his head and brought his hands up to his face. Mari had been his first love, and while those feelings had changed over the years, they’d never completely vanished. The guilt of withholding Garhan’s fate from her crushed in on him.

  Garhan slowly rose back up and went to the horse carrying her body. He pushed aside the cloak to look at her face, and he heard Stepan come closer.

  Stepan stared at her lifeless expression, her half-lidded eyes fixed in his direction. He was unable to think of anything to say, more tears breaking loose.

  Garhan’s attention shifted from Mari to Keiran as he approached. The Tordanian vampire knew he was intruding on something personal for Garhan and Stepan, but he couldn’t stay away.

  Keiran stopped a few paces off, locking gazes with his brother. “What do you want us to do, Garhan?”

  Slowly, Garhan turned his gaze back toward Mari, his hand reaching out to gently stroke her cheek. “It’s our tradition to stay with the dead until the following morning when they are buried.”

  “I’d like to stay with her, too,” Stepan added.

  Nodding, Keiran looked toward Mari’s body. “Then we’ll spend the night here. The men could all use a good night’s sleep after running for the past several days, and God knows the horses need the rest and proper feed.”

  “It is appreciated,” Garhan said quietly, moving to hide Mari away again. “I’ll camp in the forest outside of town. I’m not worried about Adira’s soldiers coming into Ibia to look for us. She’s done all the damage she can.”

  Stepan wiped his eyes. “Aleria may have one of the strongest militaries in the known world, but Ibia has the power to choke off trade to Adira’s kingdom if they so desired.”

  “She’s clearly not the most rational person in the world,” Keiran said. “I’ll have you two brought out some supplies for the night. I want you both to get some rest and to eat. I know it’s difficult under the painful circumstances, but we still have a good distance to cover before we get to Tordania. I really won’t feel completely safe until we’re there.”

  Garhan nodded. “Thank you. If we don’t see you sooner, we’ll see you in the morning, then.”

  * * *

  The group of Tordanians settled into a modest inn for the night, not far from where they’d left Garhan and Stepan. Kanan’s injuries were proving a little more troublesome than he’d initially played off, so Keiran and Jerris had agreed to stay with him to offer their help.

  It had taken both Keiran and Jerris to get the older man undressed and cleaned up. Afterward, they were better able to assess his injuries.

  Massive purple bruises from the three arrow impacts to his back had spread wide and converged. The wounds themselves were red and angry, seeping blood and serous fluid. The other injury to his arm was looking a little better, but there was still a good amount of redness around it, and Kanan’s strength and sensation in that arm had been left severely compromised.

  They tended to him as best they could, and they wrapped his torso to stave off anymore bleeding. Keiran and Jerris borrowed a good amount of an antiseptic ointment they’d purchased, and they’d doused Kanan’s punctures with it. The old man had reacted more to the sting of the medicine than he had the initial arrows. They got him to finally lie down on his stomach after he’d downed several bottles of sweet Ibianese alcohol.

  Once the old man fell asleep, Keiran and Jerris sat on the edge of the second bed in the room, watching as Kanan began snoring.

  “He’s tough, but even for him that’s got
to hurt,” Keiran said, swirling the remnants of the bottle he and Jerris were sharing.

  “He’ll be all right. He’ll be nastier to deal with for a few days, but he’ll recover. I think he’ll outlive all of us, Keiran, even you.” Jerris reached over and plucked the bottle from Keiran’s hands before taking a drink.

  Keiran nodded and looked toward the single window of the room. “I suppose that’s entirely possible. This is nothing compared to some of the things he’s suffered in the past.”

  The redhead set the bottle down on the floor and looked at Keiran, noticing where his attention had drifted. “You want to go out there to check on Garhan and Stepan?”

  “Aye,” Keiran said, “but they’re going through something personal. We just met them, really, and while I’m terribly sad about Mari, what they’re feeling…”

  “That poor woman.” Jerris frowned and looked away. “If you wanted to go out there to check on Garhan, I’d let you. I’d need to stay here with the old man in case he wakes up. However, I’m fairly certain you’re safe enough here and capable of taking care of yourself.”

  Keiran’s eyes narrowed and he tried to feel into Jerris’ mind, but he didn’t come up with anything particularly notable. “You know, the Jerris just last winter would have been insanely upset about Garhan coming into my life and afraid he’d usurp you as my closest confidant.”

  The redhead’s mouth quirked up into a tired smirk. “The Jerris from six months ago would have been pissed off you even said that. I fought growing up as best I could, Keiran, but it seems to have won out. I was worried you becoming king would kill our friendship, but it didn’t. I worried you marrying Thana would do the same, but it hasn’t. Why would I worry about a family member now doing so? I like Garhan myself. I’m not feeling threatened, or I’m simply too tired after all of this to care. Why don’t we quit leaving Tordania? It doesn’t seem to go well for us.”

  Keiran broke into a wide smile and slowly stood up, patting Jerris on the shoulder. “You were my brother, blood or not, before Garhan came onto the scene. You’re a good man, Jerris, and I don’t have any real desire to leave Tordania again for a long, long while. Thana had it right.”

  Jerris laughed and watched as Keiran went over to pick up his sword before heading to the door. “Don’t be gone too long, all right? I will come out and hunt you down if I need to.”

  “I won’t be long. I’m actually looking forward to sleeping in a proper bed after being in the dirt this last week.” Keiran gave one last grin before disappearing out the door.

  * * *

  Garhan sat before the campfire he and Stepan had made, Mari’s shrouded body beside him. Stepan sat directly across from him, staring into the flames. They’d eaten the meal Keiran’s soldiers had delivered to them several hours before, but neither of them honestly had an appetite.

  There had been little conversation between them, both too deep in their own emotions and thoughts about the day to talk much. On several occasions, they each had wandered away from the fire to hide the tears they fought. It was a painful and tense vigil for them, but for Mari’s sake, neither would leave.

  Garhan’s head snapped up when he heard someone approaching across the leaf-littered ground. The breeze shifted and brought him immediate relief as he picked up Keiran’s scent.

  He forced himself up to his feet, looking over at Stepan. “It’s just Keiran.”

  Stepan nodded but didn’t get up, content to remain where he was.

  Keiran emerged into the ring of light being thrown by the campfire. He offered Garhan a sympathetic smile. “How are you two faring? Did my men bring you food?”

  “Yes, we ate, thank you,” Garhan said. “How is Kanan? I can’t believe he was so casual about having all those arrows sticking out of him.”

  Keiran shrugged. “He’s an incredibly tough old man. Jerris and I finally got him to sleep a while ago, though it took a few bottles of drink to get it done.”

  “Impressive.” The Alerian vampire’s eyes were exhausted and red, the fact he’d been crying frequently obvious even in the dim light. He lowered his voice and stepped a little closer to Keiran, not sure he wanted Stepan in on the conversation. “I wish I was like you. She would have been infected long ago, and she’d be alive now.”

  One of Keiran’s brows quirked up and his head cocked to the side. “Would living like we must honestly be in her best interest?”

  Garhan closed his eyes and bowed his head. He let out a long breath and fought back another bout of tears. “It’s selfish, I know. It hurts so much to have lost her like this. All I did while trapped was think about the day I might see her again.”

  “I can’t fault you for that,” Keiran replied, meeting his brother’s gaze.

  “Perhaps death is a kinder fate compared to this existence,” Garhan said, his brows knitting together. “I look at how I’ve lived for the past several years. I’d imagine you’ve had some rough times of your own. I suppose I wouldn’t really wish to inflict that on someone I loved as much as I loved Mari.”

  Keiran gave passing thought to how he’d feel if Thana were to be afflicted with the curse he and Garhan shared. “It’s a difficult existence, to be sure.”

  Garhan was about to say something else, but Keiran quickly spun to look out into the forest, his hand flying to the hilt of the rapier he wore. The other vampire had picked up on something Garhan’s senses weren’t attuned to.

  “What is it?” Garhan asked, motioning for Stepan to get up.

  Keiran looked over his shoulder at his brother, locking eyes with him. When he spoke, his fangs were already visible, his posture tensing up. “I’m afraid you’re about to meet your father.”

  Garhan looked confused and went over to pick up his sword. “Athan? Athan’s here?”

  “Aye,” Keiran replied, turning to look out into the trees. Though he couldn’t see the elder vampire, he could most certainly smell him in the wind; the familiar dusty copper scent lacing the air. “Where are you?”

  There was a faint sound as something drifted down from the tree branches above them, followed by footsteps. Athan appeared out of the darkness several yards before Keiran, his expression almost bored.

  “This isn’t about you, boy,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. “I came here to meet my son. It is long, long overdue.”

  Garhan stepped up beside Keiran, his eyes wide. The back of his neck tingled, the fear deep enough to cause a horrible, crawling tension in his groin. His mother had left no doubt in his mind that Athan was anything but evil. “Why now? Why do you care now?”

  Athan moved closer, keeping his hands laced calmly together before his stomach. He fixed his gaze on Garhan, studying him closely. It was obvious Garhan was his son. The younger man looked all too much like he had at a similar age. The teal eyes staring back at him elicited a smile.

  “I must admit, I didn’t do right by you, Garhan,” Athan said, his voice still quiet. “When it was obvious you weren’t going to ascend to power in Aleria, I should have come to take you with me. I would have given you a much better life, but I was foolish and allowed myself to become all too distracted with other affairs at the time. I sincerely apologize for what you’ve had to endure.”

  “I’ve lived nearly forty years.” Garhan tried to shove back the instinctual fear he possessed. “Surely, you weren’t distracted the entire time. However, I’m better off for not being raised by you.”

  Athan let a smile flash before shaking his head and looking at Keiran. “He’s got his mother’s nerve, just like you, doesn’t he? A complicating factor but not insurmountable.”

  Keiran gave a small shrug, not knowing what to say and not wanting to run his mouth to the point either Stepan or Garhan had to suffer the consequences.

  “I can’t go back in time and change the past, Garhan,” Athan said, refocusing on his son. “I’m not entirely the monster everyone makes me out to be. Keiran will have to admit that I’ve saved his life before, and that I have a
cted in his best interests multiple times.”

  That forced Keiran to speak up, his mouth pulling down into a frown. “I never asked for your help, though, and the evil you’ve done has far, far outweighed the good. You don’t do good deeds out of some moral obligation. You do them because they somehow further your agenda.”

  Athan’s head tipped to the side and he raised his hands before him slightly. “I still saved your life, and Corina’s, recently.”

  “I’ve learned a lot more about you and my mother,” Keiran went on, his anger starting to stir up. He took another step forward, his hand tightening around the hilt of his rapier, though he knew it would be of no use against the vampire. “If you thought my opinion of you before was unjustly negative, I assure you, it’s gotten much worse.”

  “I don’t expect you to understand what I’m trying to do, Keiran,” Athan replied, narrowing his eyes. He began trying to pry into the other’s mind to see exactly what he had learned since they’d last met. “And, I’ve resigned to the fact you’d eventually find out about Ilana’s family and past. I wasn’t ready for you to do so at this point, but again, I cannot change the past.”

  “All of your attempts to overrun countries with vampires keep failing.” Keiran looked back at Garhan. “Aleria defeated your first revolt, and your attempt with Garhan—our mother was wise enough to see what you were doing.”

  Athan’s expression began to darken. He was picking up bits of what was in Keiran’s mind, but there was something changing within the young vampire making it increasingly difficult to read him. It was as though pieces of armor were slowly being laid over his brain, cutting off various sections of it from his view.

  The Tordanian vampire’s words struck a chord, however, and Athan licked his lips, trying to keep his outward calm. “My first organization and rebellion of vampires in Aleria failed because they were nothing more than feral mongrels. They fought amongst themselves, making them easy for a hunter of any particular skill to eventually overtake. I learned my lesson there, and that is why you and Garhan are both standing here, alive, today. If I couldn’t do it outside of the royal families of the known world, then I would simply do it from within.”