Jacob’s face contorts, and his eyes narrow. “And you are friends?” He releases me and steps back. “Now I am even more decided. I see a woman seeking a brighter future for herself and our people. I want to be a part of that. Please, let me join you.”
I scan the sky and then refocus on him. “I need to ask Will what he thinks.”
“This is the first time I’ve seen you alone.”
“He’s a faithful companion.”
“I’m strong, a good warrior and hunter, and I know everything my father does of our histories. I can help.” His eyes hold mine again.
“I must speak with Will when he finishes his rest. We leave at sunset.”
He bows. “I will be ready.”
The wind from his exit blows strands of hair across my nose. I strip my clothes and swim as long as my muscles allow. Later, Will finds me sitting on the sand, watching the waves.
He lowers himself to the ground beside me. “You need rest.”
The decision seems enormous and I long to be held, cradled and safe in another’s arms. My body twitches with wear, and I move a foot away from him. “Jacob wants to come with us.”
“Figures.” Will shakes his head. “Knew something was brewing with him. He profess his love for you?”
I push his shoulder, and he tips away from me, catching his fall with the other arm. “He didn’t go that far. He did admit affection. But that’s not why he desires to join us.”
“And you believe him? What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. He may be helpful. He knows the eastern territories. He’s strong.”
“I did say we could use another body.”
“Is the answer yes, then?” I jump up and take a few steps to the water, bending to pick up a shell and throw it in.
“I’m not sure I like him.”
“That’s because he likes me.”
“True.”
My face grows warm at his statement, and I stoop, snatch a rock, and lob it into the water. Turning, I approach Will. “Yes, then?”
He rises and strides to me. “I knew I’d have to share you someday.”
Sensing the affection he feels for me, part of my heart melts. The second I register this emotion, anger replaces it. “We’re friends. Nothing more. I shall call Jacob comrade too and whoever else wishes to join us.”
One side of his lips rises, and a smile forms on his face. “So, you’ve decided on your quest?”
“I have.” I place each hand on a hip and broaden my shoulders. “We shall visit all the vampire tribes in the world, make a plea to unite in the aim of preserving our race and peace among ourselves and with other beings.”
“And so it shall be, My Queen.” Hand over his heart, he bows to me.
21 December 1599 - Pamir Mountains, central Asia
“Are you excited?” Will asks as he sets a candle and sheets of parchment on the table in front of me.
I smooth the black silk sash around my waist and secure the arm-length gloves on my biceps. “Nervous. I don’t know if they can agree on anything, and everyone leaves tomorrow.”
“With your leadership, they can.” Will lays his hand atop mine.
A wooden door reaching to the ceiling opens, and Jacob strides in. “They’ve eaten and are heading this way.” His eyes narrow as he reaches us. “Black? Again? At least you’re wearing a dress.” He plops down in the chair to my right.
Will rounds the table and sits on my left. “I think she looks stunning.”
The doors open, and I rise. Some three hundred vampires file into the hall, and I study each of them as they line the stone walls, forming a circle. Originating in Asia, Europe, and Africa, ambassadors of their tribes, light, medium, dark skinned, some with red, some with blond, some with jet black hair, a third of them female, come together to represent their tribes at this first conclave of the vampire species.
A female, Mambi, from Africa speaks first and another from eastern Asia counters. A male from Russian chimes in and then Erik’s ambassador, Gregor. Some wish to create a reigning body, but most oppose. There are many issues, and after a few hours pass, I grow anxious.
Standing, I stride to the center of the circle. “What’s one thing we can agree on?”
Gregor approaches me. “We want freedom and peace.”
My mind cheers. “What’s the first step to this goal?”
“Agreeing on the sanctity of life.” Sambia, also of Mambi’s tribe, joins us in the center.
Mumblings of agreement pass through the crowd, and I bite my cheek, so I don’t smile. “Can we agree on that? A show of hands on that premise?”
Hands begin to rise.
“Are any opposed?” A gale sweeps over me, and an ancient, pallid, wrinkled vampire appears in front of me. I swallow. “Dracula.”
He closes in, rancid breath hot on my face. “The old order will suffice. Werewolves I have no want for. Faeries I will agree to let be, although they smell good. Perhaps even witches”—his eye brows peak—“so as to avoid retribution. I submit that killing each other doesn’t make sense, but humans are my food source.” Spit lands on my forehead. “No conspicuous killing, as it has been through the millennia. That will suffice as law.”
His cape hits my legs as he whirls to face the others. “Do we deny our birthright to follow this olive-branch-waving youngling of a lass?” His eyes cut to me as he finishes the oration with a hiss. Holding my gaze, he circles me. “I have been alive over a thousand years. Do you know why?”
I shake my head.
“Because I consume only human blood. Have you tasted it?” Dracula runs a long-nailed finger down my cheek. “I wonder how long you’ll live only consuming animals.” As he jerks his head towards the others, a hush falls over the crowd. “I’m done here. Let those who stand with me abandon this foolish charade.”
His boots scrape the floor as he glides to the door and swings both panels open, causing a cold blast of air to sweep the room. A rumble of discussion grows, and foot falls on the wood floor echo though the stone hall. One by one others follow Dracula out the door. As a group forms at the exit, it’s hard for me to assess their numbers. When I return my gaze to the remaining vampires, half the space is empty. My heart drops.
Gregor steps to my side. “I count one-hundred seventy-eight of us left,” he whispers. Raising his chin, he motions for those left to draw in. “What do we propose?”
I take a deep breath. “There have been many ideas put forth in these meetings. What if we say murder, the taking of a life—human, vampire, witch, faerie, or any intelligent being walking primarily on two legs—is forbidden? Any accused will be tried by jury of his tribesmen and punished as the jury sees fit. Each tribe may decide the rules of this jury and type of punishment appropriate. Can we agree on that single edict?”
Silence reigns for a few moments, but then chatter spreads through the group. I hold my breath.
“I will support a vote on the edict.” Sambia smiles as she takes a position on my right.
Gregor resumes his stance on my left. “As do I.”
One by one, from different sides of the room, vampires step forward in support of the edict, until those remaining agree.
Walking to the table, I dip a quill in ink and pen the edict on the parchment. Signing underneath, I invite the rest to do the same. My heart thumps in my chest as Gregor, Sambia, then Mambi come to the table and sign the page. I greet each ambassador as they step forward and pledge their tribe’s support, with a name, line, symbol, or cross mark.
When the doors close behind the last conclave member, I slump into my seat, my adrenaline spent. I look to my right and then left at Jacob and Will. “I’m not sure that was a victory.”
Will grabs the page and hops to the tabletop, holding the edict high above his head. “You did it. More than half signed.”
He offers his hand to me. I take it and jump to his side.
“I knew you would, Queen.” Jacob bows and joins us.
My m
ind swirls with the thought of victory for a half second and then lands on the next move. “Call for the witnesses, two from each tribe, now.”
Jacob shoots out the door. Wiping my boot prints from the table, I set the edict document in front of me.
“I can’t believe you stood up to Dracula.” Will leans in so our faces are inches apart.
“It’s a good thing I had these high boots.” I shiver, thinking of his foul breath on my head.
Jacob returns followed by a stream of witnesses. They’re packed for travel, and as they view the document, we bid each farewell and God’s speed on their journeys. Once the last leaves, I stare at the sheet as if it might disappear. Flanked by my champions, I relish the moment.
“We did it.”
“And now we shall eat, drink, and be merry!” Jacob pulls me to the center of the room. We skip and dance to imaginary tunes like children. Eventually, the wear of the day catches up with me, and I recline on the table.
“Time for tea and rest, my lady?” Will offers me his hand.
Rolling the parchment and tying it with a ribbon from my hair, I hook one arm in Will’s and the other through Jacob’s. We make our way through the now quiet halls as the sun rises in the east. In my suite, I lay the parchment roll on the table and hang a kettle of water above the fire.
Will sets cups and saucers in front of us, and he, Jacob, and I stare at the flames in silence. A cloud forms on the horizon, causing the room to go dark. Will finds a match on the hearth and lights the candles in the center of the table. Wind begins to stream through the cracks around the windows and doors, low and howling at first but rising to a shrill whistle. My shoulders shiver in response.
“This is odd.” Jacob walks towards the doors.
The hinges rattle. Both the panels, still held by the lock, bow into the room with the force of the wind. As he reaches the door, the bolts holding it give, and a panel flies inward, slamming him to the floor.
Hands grip my biceps when I start towards Jacob. “Anne, get behind me,” Will yells, shoving me to the wall and holding me against the cold stone behind him.
Scents I’d know anywhere reach my nose—honey and fresh-cut hay. My eyes cut to the opening in the wall. A woman, dressed in a jet-black cloak, flanked by a tall man in a double-breasted black suit, strides towards us. Witches.
I pound on Will’s back with all my might, but he doesn’t budge. I yell at him, desperate to protect myself and my companions. “Let me go!”
“Your wish is my command.” The woman raises a finger, and Will goes flying across the room, hits the far wall, and falls to the floor.
A scream rises from my chest. “No!”
“He’s alive, for now,” the woman coos as the two witches reach the table. “Come, sit, we wish to speak with you.”
My brain ponders the options: run and save myself or stay and protect Will and Jacob. In one quick move, I pull my dagger from my boot, launch myself towards my spear, and land, weapons ready between the witches and my exit.
“Nice parlor trick. Appropriate since we’re in your parlor, of sorts.” She cuts her eyes to the bed and back to me. A chair jerks back. “Please sit.”
I tense my muscles, ready to throw my dagger at the male’s face and jab the spear into the woman’s neck. When I go to make my move, I find my arms frozen.
“I asked you to sit, but really it was more of an order.” She flicks a finger, and my hands jerk back, breaking my wrist bones.
My weapons fall to the floor, and reverberating pains, as if my nerves are being poked with a thousand tiny needles, shoot up through my arms. Fissures form on my skin, exposing vessels and muscles below. Knowing my body will heal, I steel my countenance. Eyes locked on hers, I stride to the chair, chin up and shoulders back. If she means to kill me, I won’t give her the satisfaction of seeing my fear. I realize in a split second that it’s not concern for my own life that causes me panic but the possible loss of Will’s, Jacob’s, the edict. With my elbow, I roll the parchment off the table into my lap.
“Yes, your precious edict.” The woman holds out her hand, and the man dips, picks up my dagger, and hands it to her. She slams the blade into the tabletop, causing the cups to rattle on the saucers. Her gaze lands on me. “Do you know who I am?”
“A witch.”
“Of course, but we’re not all alike. I’m quite important.” She circles behind me, running a finger across my shoulders.
My nose itches at the intensity of the floral scent emanating from her body. I yearn to drain every drop of blood from her veins.
“What is the phrase? Know thy enemies?” She stops and looks down her nose at me. “I know all about you, young vampire queen, herald of peace and unity. Well, I am a real queen, with real power. My name is Osannea Luctisonus Insontis Michaels of the Line of the Arch Angel Michael. As leader of Michael’s coven, I am the High Priestess, the most powerful witch alive.” She looks down her nose and extends her hand to me. “I am called Sonia.”
Lifting my hand, I realize the wrist is healed. I slide my fingers in her palm, finding the skin to be ice cold. My eyes shoot to her face. A smile spreads across her cheeks. “Do you know why your family was burned alive? What prompted us to target those homes?”
The image of the burning structures darts through my mind. The male witch takes a seat across from me, and I refocus on the present.
“This is my son, Thanatos.” Sonia moves behind him and places her hands on his shoulders. “I believe you were there that night, correct?”
“That is true.” Thanatos locks eyes with me.
“What do you want?” I demand.
Sonia tilts her head back and laughs. “How quaint. Straight to the point. But, I believe a little history lesson is warranted.” She circles the table towards me. Placing both her palms on the surface, she leans towards me, hot sugar-laced breath oozing from her mouth. “You see, your families were targeted because of their blatant attempt to live as normal people. Witches are charged with protecting the human race from damned savages like you.”
I push my feet to the floor, meaning to stand, but realize I’m stuck in the chair. “Using parlor tricks to keep me down? I thought I didn’t scare you?”
“Fine.”
A weight lifts off my shoulders, and I rise. In my boots, I reach five-feet-eight inches, but she still towers over me. “One hundred seventy-eight tribes have agreed to leave humans and witches alike alone.” I set the scroll on the table. “This seems like something you would want.”
Sonia’s hand lands on the tabletop, and the stone under us shakes. “I want you creatures to retreat to your caves, to the ends of the earth from where you have come and stay in your places. You are nothing, dust to dust and ashes to ashes. You soulless creatures do not belong in this realm. Crawl back to the hell from which you were formed.”
My skin tingles with the thought of slitting her throat and licking the blood from her neck. I cut my eyes to Thanatos, whose lips form a smile, and then to Sonia. “I don’t care about your Heaven and Hell. We hail from Mother Earth. She created us. I will be a steward of this realm until returning to her.”
Sonia laughs and brings a hand to her mouth, faking covering her amusement, I’m sure. “You don’t know of the prophecy? What this year sets in motion? The potential for your beings to gain souls?”
I’m frustrated with her talk of souls and Hell. They mean nothing to me. My senses dart to Will, then Jacob, hearing their faint beating hearts and slow even breaths, as if in a deep sleep.
Cold fingers wrap around my arm. “It will never happen. And your edict?” The roll of parchment slides across the table and into her other palm. “It’s worthless. These signatures mean nothing now. You will find the bodies of your precious ambassadors, stupid enough to believe their people can live like civilized beings, littered throughout this castle, dead as dead can be, all of them.”
Bile rises in my throat. I snatch my hand from her grip and cover my mouth. Before I can stop the
m, bloody tears spill over my eyelids.
“See,” her frigid thumb rubs across my cheek, “soulless and damned to spend eternity in Hell.” She takes a step back. “You don’t look well, perhaps you should have some tea.”
Lifting the saucer, cackling laughter emits from her throat. My eyes cut to the vessel, now filled and overflowing with a thick dark-red liquid.
“The blood of Sambia.” She sets the cup in front of me as I slump into the chair.
Thanatos rises from his seat and joins Sonia. They start towards the opening in the wall. Sonia turns her head back to me. “Oh, you might want to plan a visit to London. I’m afraid Henry has fallen ill. I don’t believe he will make it through the night.”
Rage grows in my chest and shoots through my veins. I swipe the blood from my face and push to a stand. “The witnesses have already been sent out. The edict is not dead.”
Sonia spins around. “We have no problem killing vampires, as you can see. What vampire will side with you in favor of peace now? Perhaps you haven’t lost enough. Should I make it more clear?”
She points at the door pinned on top of Jacob. It starts to rise and tilts upright, hovering above his neck.
“Jacob,” I yell. Still, he lies motionless.
Thanatos strides to the table. He flips his hand over and a chair shatters. One of the legs rises and is aimed at Will’s chest.
“Are you ready to give up your silly quest or should these friends die too?”
Beams of light cascade in through the windows and doorway. A swirl of warm air permeates the room. The spear before Will drops to the ground. He jumps to his feet and darts to my side, dagger held ready. The door panel above Jacob flies across the room and crashes into the wall, splintering into a thousand pieces. Jacob explodes from the stone floor. With a quick survey of the room, he positions himself between me and Sonia.
A flash of light blinds me, and I raise my arms to shield my eyes.
“What brings you here seraph? This is not your realm. Our business with Miss Scott is of no concern to you.” Sonia’s voice echoes through the room.
The Kingdom Journals Complete Series Box Set Page 84