Dragon's Oath: A Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Romance (House of Quercus Book 1)

by Eve Laird

  “I am grateful to you and humbled that you deign to consider my miserable self as your humble servant. I can only hope my meager efforts can live up to your high expectations, and submit to your desires.” he concluded.

  She smiled, politely, offering her hand.

  Lucian positioned his lips over her dainty hand with such elegance and precision, before bowing slightly, and then bringing it his lips and kissing it, that I had to make the conscious effort not to vomit.

  Had he have tried that charade with me, I would have staked out his miserable hide in the sun.

  “Lucian…” Constance chided him.

  “You are far too kind, noble Vampire.” she said.

  “It is with revered gratitude to the Goddess Danu one of our kind still maintains the civility of the Old World. I'm afraid we are very much in the minority now, Lucian. The youngsters do not abide by tradition and courtesy,” she said, sadly.

  She looked shyly at him, but I suspected that it was just an act.

  I'd learned that the Old-World vampires prized the pantomime of court. The younger vampires did not care for such posturing, being far more direct in their disdain for non-Vampire folk.

  Lucian released her hand, bowing deeply, and she bowed in return.

  “I will offer a prayer of thanksgiving to Danu before my slumber,” he promised, then returned to his place, rigidly standing at attention.

  I saw Asher grit his teeth at Lucian's performance, while Oliver rolled his eyes, smirking.

  “It is always good to welcome new friends, and new comrades in our battle,” Constance continued.

  She walked directly to Oliver, extending her hand formally to shake his.

  “You are most welcome here, Angel. It is my hope that we both have much we can teach one another,” she said, sternly, raising an eyebrow.

  “That would be my hope also, Constance,” Oliver replied, formally.

  Then, Constance approached me.

  She warily extended a hand, but then smiled sweetly, taking my hand into both of hers.

  “Vita, I am so very pleased to make your acquaintance,” she said, and it sounded formal yet rehearsed.

  I shook her hand, the cold flesh pressing into mine, feeling like I grasped a dead fish.

  I suppressed an involuntary shudder.

  “I can see you are a strong female, with great character, I am sure. We are all blessed by your presence,” she said carefully.

  “Thank you, Vampire,” I managed to say.

  I tried not to spit the word.

  My recent change in status was still too fresh for me not automatically revert to my long and intense training.

  I had to consciously repress my instinctive reactions, honed from my years with the Angelic Guard.

  Killing Vampires had been my passion.

  As a soldier in the civil war between the Vampires and the Angels, I took great pleasure in destroying these foul vermin.

  I grit my teeth, suppressing my feelings and acting civilly.

  I supposed now that I was no longer a soldier, under the protection of the Angelic Realm, I would have to find peace with the new order.

  Now, all of the Other-Natured were banding together in the Human Realm.

  It was the only method to assure our mutual safety.

  But I didn’t have to like it…

  “I appreciate your hospitality, yet I must be honest: I am unsure whether I shall remain here for long,” I said, trying not to sound surly or brusque.

  I don’t think I succeeded.

  Asher stared at me pointedly.

  Clearly, my forthrightness was not as impressive as I had thought.

  “I would rather speak freely now as to not raise confusion or misunderstandings later,” I said, trying to explain my feelings on the matter.

  I dared to glance at Oliver, but he chose to stare ahead.

  Coward.

  I knew he was upset with me, but he could have had enough conviction to at least frown in my direction.

  “The Human Realm is so much the better to have warriors such as you, Vita,” Constance said diplomatically.

  Suddenly, and very much against my will, I felt a genuine warmth, despite knowing that Constance would respond with charm regardless of her true feelings.

  “The value of your honesty is to your credit,” she added.

  She reached towards me, and I shook her hand, again.

  Still felt like a dead fish…

  “We will not stop you from leaving, you are free, as are you all, to come and go how you please,” she said as she looked at the others.

  “We are already facing a fearsome foe without fighting amongst ourselves. The Demons do not pose a threat to us presently,” she said.

  She looked dour.

  “However, the most immediate threat is the Incorrupti Knights. They simply cannot be allowed victory.” she cried.

  “There is too much at risk, too many lives that must be protected.” she said firmly.

  She paused.

  The largest of the three shifters ambled over to her side.

  “This is Bruce. He has been chosen by the canine shifters in our community as their Alpha. Within the lands owned by the House of Quercus, you can be assured of the safety provided by both the Vampires and all the Shifters in our community.”

  I could see why.

  From what I'd learned about shifters, they would submit to another who was more powerful, or they would fight to the death for control of their pack.

  I doubted any shifter of sound mind would voluntarily decide to fight this magnificent beast.

  He was awesome, both in size and ferocity.

  In wolf form, Bruce towered over Constance, his shoulders above her eye level.

  Despite his thick mane, I could see his powerful frame, built from pure muscle.

  The wolf looked at each of us directly, before lowering his mighty head to the ground.

  Constance rubbed his huge head, gently, and murmured something in a language I didn’t know.

  The wolf’s tongue lolled out, and he appeared to grin at her.

  She stopped as if suddenly caught in an intimate moment.

  Shrugging, she spoke to us, a bemused smile on her face.

  “That's not to say that there aren't different beings here, as well,” Constance said.

  “We have some Magick Folk. Fae, witches, sorceresses…” she recited.

  Suddenly, she brightened up.

  That was actually a remarkable sight.

  I had not ever seen a Vampire do that.

  She spoke rapidly.

  “Recently, one of our mages had a vision of a dragon being tortured by the Incorrupti Knights. After a short search, we found him amongst the woodland a hundred leagues away and brought him here. He is still unconscious. Thanks to our Fae Healers, his wounds are healing well,” she said.

  A dragon?

  They had been believed to be extinct for centuries.

  Could the dragon they rescued be the last of his kind?

  “We are grateful for your hospitality and generosity, Lady Constance,” Asher said, trying to emulate Lucian’s manner of speaking.

  I rolled my eyes and hoped no one saw.

  Constance clapped her hands together.

  The shifters started walking back to their lair.

  “Excellent. Now, I'm sure you're all exhausted from your travels. Let’s find an acceptable place for you all to sleep, and then I'll show you to our canteen. Viola will happily serve you,” she said.

  She approached Lucian, and he went down on one knee.

  “Friend Lucian, the Vampire chambers are situated in a different area. It would be my personal pleasure to escort you to them, as wretched as they are after the Angels are settled,” she told him.

  I thought I saw some bit of flame in her eyes, and at first thought I was mistaken.

  Then, Lucian’s eyes also lit up, and while I knew it was not possible, I would have sworn I saw him blush.

 
; “In fact, why don’t I show them to you myself? The others are in most capable hands, don’t you agree,” she said breathlessly.

  I felt my gorge rising again, but this time for a completely different reason.

  Asher gave me a stern look, and then we took our leave from Constance and Lucian.

  The rest of the night went quickly.

  Asher, Oliver and I ate in silence in the canteen, the other folk watching us warily.

  We were subjected to many discrete stares, but it meant nothing.

  After eating, they went to the male quarters, and I finally had some time alone.

  I took a leisurely stroll towards the barracks for the females.

  I entered as quietly as possible.

  The rest of the females were sleeping deeply.

  An errant thought passed, a memory of my first years in the Guard, when I had to sleep in barracks such as these.

  When I'd earned the honor of sleeping in a private room, I found it hard to sleep for the first few weeks I was there.

  It was almost too quiet.

  I sighed, listening to some pretty loud snores and farts.

  Quiet would not be a problem in here, I thought.

  I was virtually dozing where I stood.

  The moment my head hit the thin pillow, I fell into deep sleep.

  Chapter 7

  The Human Realm, 1714

  The next morning came quickly.

  I heard several other females discussing their plans for today.

  My senses didn’t detect any Angels in the barracks, but I noted a half a dozen shifters, a Mage, two Sorceresses, a Vampire and a Fae.

  I heard the light footsteps of a shifter approaching.

  They didn't know me, and although Constance had reassured us last night that we were welcome, I prepared myself for flight if the situation arose.

  The footsteps tip-toed away again, and I heard voices speaking quietly.

  “She's still sleeping. Let's just leave her to rest,” one said.

  The others made noises of agreement.

  “I don’t know about you, but I know that when I first came here, it was the first time in decades that I'd been able to sleep for a full night. I heard Constance show her to these barracks a few hours ago so let us leave her to her slumber. We'll say hello later,” said the first voice.

  Then, I could hear as the group collectively moved out into the hall.

  “But what is she?” another voice asked.

  “I can tell she's Other-Natured, but she’s like nothing I've crossed paths with before,” a third voice responded.

  “That, my young shifter, is an Angel,” said the first one.

  “You jest.” the young shifter replied.

  “Oh, no, not at all. I would never jest about such a being!” it exclaimed.

  “Many of her kind have fought against the coven that had turned me,” another voice added.

  I heard the undertones of emotions I didn’t exactly appreciate.

  “I'm sorry,” the shifter whispered.

  “Why would Constance allow her to come here, then?” it asked.

  The first speaker answered that one.

  “That's because the coven was probably one of the ones that wanted to kill and eat all the humans. Am I right Elouise?” she said.

  “They turned me when I was twelve, and the males used me as their entertainment,” Elouise responded, dryly.

  “They were monsters. I honestly don't know how I managed to escape the bloodbath.

  I still smile at the thought of their screams,” she added, darkly.

  They continued their conversation into the distance, eventually, far enough away I no longer heard them.

  I didn't know how Elouise survived either.

  The command would have been to kill all of them, regardless of their age, but my heart was sad at how matter-of-fact the female was about how her humanity was stolen, and how she was so evilly abused by the coven.

  Even by Vampire standards, turning one before their maturity was forbidden.

  I rose quickly, padding off to find the bathrooms.

  I was still wearing the human's clothes even though the back of the blouse was, as I'd expected, ripped.

  Two long tears were down the back, where my wings had ripped the fabric.

  My exposed skin showed the symbols that marked where I had been blessed with wings.

  Still, the outfit was more appropriate than my full Angelic Guard uniform.

  I decided that was a good thing, mainly since this place was ridden with Vampires.

  I made my way to the kitchens, finding Oliver and Asher had already finished breakfast.

  They sat at a table in the corner.

  I gathered some fruit, a piece of bread and a few slices of meat, before sitting beside them.

  “Did you both sleep well?” I asked.

  “Mostly,” Asher grunted.

  He looked pointedly at Oliver.

  “At first, it was noisome, but I've grown used to the sound of his snores,” he said, sarcastically.

  “I do not snore,” Oliver huffed.

  “I'll not argue with you about this again. I've heard quieter trolls,” Asher groused.

  Oliver smirked at him.

  Asher turned to me.

  “I have important things to which I must attend, my friends. Vita, perhaps I shall see you later?” he said, nodding to me, and then lifted his plate and left.

  Oliver picked at the scraps of food on his plate morosely.

  “I really don't snore,” he insisted.

  “I believe you,” I lied.

  I was trying to be polite.

  Oliver gave me a glance, and then picked the plate up, slurping the remnants off with his tongue.

  “Anyway, it doesn't matter,” I said.

  His grey eyes found mine.

  “Really? It wouldn't matter to you?” he asked, as he set down the sparkling clean plate.

  He burped.

  “Of course, not. Before I earned a private room, I slept in a room of forty Angels. More than a few of the females from my legion snored. It never bothered me,” I said.

  “Your table manners, on the other hand, Oliver, are atrocious.” I said, sharply.

  He looked at me in disbelief.

  I decided to change the subject.

  “What would Constance have us do to help today, do you suppose?” I asked him.

  His mood brightened.

  “You're staying? I thought you would be leaving soon,” he replied.

  “I have been granted a night's safe lodging and food to eat. I always repay my debts,” I said, seriously.

  I looked around.

  “I believe that there are many duties where I can be of service, don’t you?” I asked him.

  A lithe female pranced into the canteen.

  “Alright everyone, we have much to accomplish today.” she began, her voice squeaky, but loud.

  “One of the mages believes that the weather is due to decline rapidly over the next few days.” she said.

  Everyone started to gather their plates together and filed over to the sinks.

  “Oh, I forgot,” she said.

  She turned to Oliver and me.

  “We have some new members to our community,” she pointed.

  It felt like everyone in the room turned to look at Oliver and me.

  “Three Angels joined our community, as has a vampire!” she said, squeaking excitedly.

  A few of the folk clapped.

  It didn’t sound all that enthusiastic, to be honest.

  I don’t suppose I would have done any better, though.

  “And, I can see two of them are here.” she said.

  She smiled at us, but she had a predatory look, her irises appearing wild and feline.

  A lion shifter, perhaps?

  “You are most welcome here. I am Maeve, the Alpha for the feline shifters in our community,” she announced.

  I tried to hide my shock at realizing the fe
line shifters had appointed a female as their Alpha.

  Then again, she would have had to earn the right of Leadership, through combat.

  Curiosity rose within me.

  I decided, irrationally, that I'd love to see how she fought.

  “Thank you for a warm welcome, Maeve,” Oliver responded.

  He looked at me, to allow me to add my own greetings.

  When I had not, he frowned, and then smoothly continued.

  “We are honored to be accepted into this community, and are keen to be of service.” he added, maybe a bit too enthusiastically for my tastes.

  I did notice a funny thing.

  Without Asher's usual commandeering of control, Oliver came across as a strong leader.

  Impressive, even.

  “I know, Asher, the other Angel, and Lucian, the vampire who arrived with us, both share this sentiment,” Oliver said to the crowd.

  As if summoned by his name, Asher rounded the corner into the room.

  Sensing he had missed something, Asher's gaze fixed on Oliver - an unspoken conversation took place between them, and then Asher bowed to Maeve and took his place beside us.

  More Other-Natured folk came into the room too, all seeming to know that they were expected here at this time.

  Perhaps this was their formal meeting place?

  “Thank you all for coming, we will have no trouble in finding tasks where your skills can help,” Maeve told us.

  She addressed the now full eating area.

  “Now, everyone, many duties today. As usual, I will read from the list. Then, I will ask for volunteers for each job. Hopefully, you will all find chores for the day. If by the end of the list, you have not volunteered, your duties will be assigned depending on where there is the most need.” she recited.

  That seemed fair, to my way of thinking.

  By the time she'd finished the lengthy list, there were several places that I felt I could be of use, but I wanted to be certain to give the most value for my time.

  A task came up for which I felt suitably capable.

  I volunteered to carry timber to the carpenters working on the roof of one of the buildings.

  Oliver volunteered alongside.

  “If we work together, we can lift their beams into place. I bet the shifters are jealous of that ability,” he smiled.

  I heard a nearby shifter mutter.