Of Lords and Commoners: Book 1 (Lords and Commoners Series)

by Lynne Hill-Clark

  I held his torso upright to make sure the blood would trickle down into his stomach. Please, please let this work! I prayed through my tears. It was not long before I heard his heartbeat strengthen. It is working! Relief flooded through me, then apprehension sneaked in. He will despise me for turning him.

  The sun was on the rise at this point. I picked Teller up and walked into the forest, even farther away from the village. I found a north-facing overhang that would shelter us from the sun. I had nothing to do but wait for him to wake. That left plenty of time to think, which I was beginning to see as a bad thing. Perhaps I was prone to thinking too much and it got me into trouble.

  Chapter 47 Ludus 1261 A.D

  The first thing that crept into my mind was an intense hatred for Chastellain. I never had liked him, even when I was a human. My initial hatred had waned a bit over the past year. It had been tempered by his political goals to keep vampires in check. He worked to keep them, or us rather, from running amok and taking over the world. At one point I’d even thought of him as a good leader. I could no longer see any of that. He was a wretched man who desired only power and control. I would not give him either. This renewed hatred was much stronger than before. I would never forgive him.

  Father’s teachings rang like a warning in my head. Not to forgive is a sin. To hold hatred in the heart only destroys one’s soul.

  “Never, you hear me. Never!” I shouted at the voice of wisdom in my head. I hoped Chastellain was still within earshot but I knew he was long gone. He leaves others behind to clean up after him. Coward, I thought.

  Chastellain’s logic — if it could be called logic — is sheer nonsense. Did he think that by killing Teller, I would go running back to his son and fall in love? That made no sense! Did he think I would gladly become an obedient servant in his court because Teller was gone? I will never do either!

  I could all but hear father’s voice. Never say never, my dear.

  Never could be a long time — especially for a vampire.

  After pondering such vengeful thoughts for far too long, I began to see that I would have to learn not to dwell on this hatred, or Chastellain would be controlling me. He would win. I turned my thoughts from my loathing of Chastellain to what I would say to Teller when he woke.

  There was so much he needed to know and he probably would not allow me much time to explain. He would be panicked and angry, as I had been. So what is most important for him to know? I will try to convince him to leave the village. We must run far from here, until he has fed and his transition is complete. That is about all that could be done. Then I will have plenty of time to explain things in more detail. In fact, we will have an eternity together. A faint smile crossed my lips. If he is not too angry with me for turning him.

  I did not know where we would go, it did not matter.

  My thoughts turned toward the physical pain I had felt when Chastellain had broken Teller’s neck. It had been brief but intense. What caused it? It was not as if Chastellain could have hurt me from that far away. Perhaps it was similar to how I felt when Teller touched me. Could I also feel his pain?

  He had the ability to overwhelm my senses with a kiss. No one else had ever done that, not that I had a large frame of reference. Riddick definitely had not. When he had kissed me, my only thoughts had been of getting away. Elijah and I had never kissed but his touch was not shocking like Teller’s. If I were being honest with myself, I would admit that Elijah’s touch was pleasant and comforting. I even missed him at times, yet it was not the same as with Teller.

  Teller was resting peacefully as if in a deep sleep — a sleep from which he could not be awakened. I wrapped my fingers around his. No warmth. He was already as cold as I. The now-familiar tingling sensation spread up my arm until it radiated through my body.

  We must have some kind of connection. Could it be that as a human my senses were strong enough to feel his presence this way? I don’t know. I will have to find out if other vampires have such strong reactions.

  The day wore on. As the sun set, I was filled with dread. He would not be trapped here by the sun. He could run off and I did not know if I could stop him when the new monster inside took control. My stomach twisted at the thought.

  I was beginning to think he might never wake, when a low moan escaped his lips. His head and arm gave a slight jerk.

  I sat still and let him wake gradually, though I wanted to tell him everything he needed to know. Go slowly, I told myself.

  “Vallachia? Is that you?” He sat up slowly.

  “Yes, I’m here. It is only the two of us.” I spoke softly. Give him time to let all the horrible memories come flooding back, I thought.

  He put his head in his hands, as if it hurt. He rubbed the back of his neck. I would have been surprised if it did not hurt. His breathing grew deeper and faster. He looked at me with wide eyes, jumping to his feet he said, “What is going on?”

  “There is so much you need to know. Please give me time to explain. I will tell you everything. No more lies. I swear it!”

  He backed away from me. I could not read his expression at first; it was entirely unfamiliar. It must have been one of fear.

  “I will not hurt you, I promise. In fact, I saved you — in a way.”

  He studied me with intensity. He seemed to decide that I most likely would not hurt him.

  I remained seated with my arms wrapped around my legs. I was perfectly still so I would not startle him.

  He tilted his head to the side. “Well?”

  “You are in transition. After you feed, you will be like me, a vampire.”

  “What does that mean? I have never heard of such a creature!”

  “It means a number of things. It’s most important to understand that you are a danger to humans. You will need to feed on human blood. At first it will be difficult to control your thirst.”

  He raised his hand to his throat and made a slight choking sound.

  “Yes,” I continued. “Please run with me away from the village so you do not hurt anyone in Ludus. We need to get as far away from here as possible!”

  He seemed distracted; I had lost his attention at the end of my little rehearsed speech. He was deep in thought — putting the pieces together, no doubt. His green eyes darkened with anger.

  “Chastellain was here for you. You were with … what’s his name, the lord’s son, the entire time you were gone. You lied to me!” There was no more fear in his eyes, only anger — pure anger.

  Of all the things to worry about, is this what most concerned him? “Not the entire time. I had to lie to everyone. The villagers would have tried to kill me. Also, humans are not meant to know about us. Don’t you understand? I love you, only you! I risked everything to return to you.”

  His tense shoulders relaxed.

  “What is important is that we get you out of here. We need to get far away from the village until you have fed. Then we can discuss this matter. I will tell you everything!”

  “Feed? You mean on a person? And you did this to me, made me into a cannibal?”

  “I had no other choice. You were dying. I could not lose you like that. I have learned to control my thirst. I do not kill people.” Under my breath, I added, “Not anymore.”

  “I don’t believe this. This can’t be happening. It is all a terrible dream. I will wake soon to my perfect life and … He trailed off.

  “I wish it were a dream. Every day I wish for my old life back. I would give anything to be your wife and have your children. That will not happen now.” A tear ran down my cheek. We must leave now! the voice in my head screamed. I slowly stood. “Please run with me, away from our village!”

  He stepped toward me and reached for the tear on my cheek.

  I gently took his hand instead and in a flash we were running. There would be time for tears later. Teller could lose control at any moment. He had no idea how hard it was about to get. Neither did I, for that matter.

  We had not been running long wh
en he pulled his hand out of mine. He stopped and so did I. I did not like what I saw. He was clearly not himself. He had a wild look in his eyes. The demon was taking over.

  “No, not yet. We are not far enough away.” My heart pounded. I reached for his arm but he narrowly evaded my grasp and started running back toward the village. I took flight and landed in front of him.

  “Stop!” I yelled and braced for the impact. With the familiar loud crack, I was thrown to the side and he was gone.

  I made the biggest mistake of my life — I sat on the ground for a moment too long. A feeling of dismay overtook me, as I realized that he was headed for the nearest people and I would not be able to stop him from killing someone in the village. Elijah had not been able to stop me and he'd been well trained in vampire combat.

  My blood turned to ice when it dawned on me that the first house Teller would come to was mine. He was headed back directly from where we entered the forest and that would lead him straight to my house. My family was in grave danger!

  Chapter 48 Ludus 1261 A.D

  I shook my head, No, no. Get up, now! the voice of reason demanded. In a blink I was flying after Teller. I forced my wings to move faster than ever before. Even so, time seemed to slow. It was like a bad dream in which I was running with all my might but couldn’t get anywhere. There was no way to reach home fast enough. In actuality, I arrived at our doorstep quickly but not quickly enough. Father had most likely fallen asleep in the living room chair — waiting up for me. His limp body was in Teller’s arms.

  I grabbed Teller by the back of the neck and threw him against the wall. Father was covered in blood. I listened for a heartbeat but heard none. He was dead, all because I was too late, because I had created the monster who killed him.

  Taking Father in my arms, I screamed, “No! Please, no.”

  The commotion woke my brother and his wife. I hardly noticed the shuffle upstairs.

  Sarah’s screams rang out and my brother was at my side.

  “Dear God, what happened?” Josiah said.

  All I could do was shake my head. The painful knot in my throat would not let any words pass. My most dreaded childhood nightmare had come to fruition. Teller was indeed the death of my father and it was my fault. As a child I could not have imagined such terrible creatures as vampires so I turned us into wolves. Now that I knew the dream had told the future, my thoughts turned to the third mysterious wolf from the nightmare — the one who was the death of Josiah. My brother is in danger! I knew that if I stayed in his life, he too would be killed by one of my kind. I had to get as far away from him as possible. The only way to protect him was to keep my kind away from him.

  A glance around told me that Teller was gone. Good, I thought.

  Not long after, half the village was in our living room.

  I vaguely registered Ivan speaking. He was demanding to know what I knew about this. “Did you see the killer?”

  No response. I simply could not form words.

  “Answer me, girl!” Ivan spat.

  I slowly shook my head no. I wanted to punch him in the face. I wasn’t entirely sure why. Perhaps I thought it would make me feel better.

  “What did you see, then?” Ivan asked.

  “Leave her alone! None of us saw what happened,” Josiah said.

  Ivan turned to the mass of people gathered in our tiny living area. “All able-bodied men, come with me. The sooner we start the hunt, the more likely it is we can catch the culprit.”

  Good luck with that, I secretly scoffed. They will not be able to find Teller.

  Some of the older men from the village carried my father’s body out on a makeshift stretcher. They would clean the body and prepare it for a funeral tomorrow. The women went to work as well. They mopped up the blood and picked up the broken candles from where I had thrown Teller against the wall.

  These people are wonderful. They care for one another and do what must be done without question or complaint. I will miss this place, I thought.

  I do not remember much about the next morning. All was a haze. Mari practically had to dress me for the service. “I did not get to say goodbye,” I whispered.

  Mari put her arm over my shoulder. “Shhh,” was all she said.

  Father’s body was placed on a wooden table in the middle of the meadow outside of town. He had been wrapped in a white blanket. Wooden benches had been placed around the table.

  Uncle Ezekiel sat with his arm around me. I wore the heavy cloak for protection from the sun. He appeared not to be able to feel my coldness through the thick fabric. I had never seen him cry before. In fact, I had never seen him upset. Yet at his brother’s passing, his eyes were filled with pain and his face was wet with tears. This broke my heart twice over; I did not think the pain could get any worse … but it did.

  Father had always been the one to speak at funerals, so I had no idea who would speak at his. It was surprising when Josiah moved to stand by father’s body. He looked solemn yet determined. …

  “Adam was not only a father to Vallachia and me but he was a father to this town as well. He was our spiritual leader. He cared for us all and loved us. It was with love and grace that he led us and guided us. I wish I could thank him for all the things he taught me. I know that I can never be as good, as intelligent, or as selfless as my father but I must do my best to fill his shoes. I hope we can all take a piece of him with us and continue his legacy. He was the standard for which I will strive and hopefully, I can make him proud by being half the man he … was …”

  At this point Josiah choked on unwelcome tears and could not go on. Both Sarah and I went to his side and helped him to sit down. Thankfully, Clamius, the oldest and wisest town leader, stepped up to add a few words about our father. I remember only bits and pieces. My mind was a fog.

  “Our dear Adam was taken from us too soon … He is in a better place, as he now resides with God. Let us all say a prayer for his soul … I beg of you, Lord, please take Adam with open arms into heaven. Amen.”

  I was proud of my brother. I did not like to speak in front of crowds. He was brave and did what had to be done. He said what needed to be said about our amazing father.

  After the service, Ivan pushed through the crowd to get to me. I assumed he wanted to give me his condolences but instead he said, “Have you seen Teller?”

  “No.” I had not seen Teller that day and I did not care where he was. I refrained from adding, What a surprise you did not find him last night with your hunting party.

  Ivan’s eyes narrowed with suspicion, then turned to Ezekiel to offer his condolences. Ivan clearly suspected my involvement. He did not bother with pretend sympathy. I had to give him credit for that; Ivan may be many things but he was not a hypocrite. However, if he suspected my involvement in this tragedy, it meant that I must be leaving soon. I would have to say goodbye and leave at dusk, before Ivan tried to have me burned at the stake for being a witch.

  Back home, our house was abuzz. Neighbors brought food. Mari was cleaning the kitchen. I sat in Father’s chair, surrounding myself with his scent for the last time. I hoped this village would never change and that the people here would always take care of one another like this.

  Eventually people trickled out, heading home to tend to their own families.

  “I should go but I will be back tomorrow,” Mari said.

  “Please wait. I have something to tell you … once everyone has gone,” I said.

  She nodded and went to work folding clothes. Perhaps she was like me in that life was easier if she was busy. Finally, Mari, Sarah and Josiah were all who remained.

  “Gather around,” I said.

  This they did. Kneeling in front of Sarah, I put my ear to her stomach. She started at the odd gesture and tried to back away but could not. My steel arm was secure around her waist. I listened hard. The faintest of sounds could be heard — a tiny little heartbeat, as I had hoped. I chuckled at the concerned expression on Sarah’s face.

  “A n
ew life.” I stood. “You two will soon be parents.”

  Chapter 49 Ludus 1261 A.D

  Sarah’s face lit up.

  “How could you possibly know that?” Josiah asked.

  “Trust me, little brother. I know. It is the perfect gift for Father,” I said.

  Josiah took Sarah’s hands and gave her a warm smile.

  “You will make wonderful parents,” I said.

  Mari gave Sarah a congratulatory embrace.

  I hugged my brother. “You will be an even better father than ours,” I whispered.

  “That is not possible.” He shook his head in sorrow. “What will I do when I need him — when I need his advice?”

  “Father is not gone. He will always look out for us. He is in here.” I placed my hand over his heart. I don’t know where this wisdom came from but as soon as I said it, I knew it was true. “Father will still guide you.”

  “I can always ask you for advice.” Josiah said.

  I frowned and shook my head.

  “What do you mean? You will not be here?” Worry flashed through his eyes.

  “I wanted you all together because I have to say goodbye,” I said.

  “What! You’re leaving … again?” Mari said.

  “Please know that I would not leave you if I did not have to.”

  “For how long? And where will you go?” Mari asked.

  “I am leaving for good this time and I can’t tell you where.”

  “Why not?” Josiah’s voice was stern.

  “Because I do not know where I will go. You must trust me when I say that people are in danger while I am around. I have to leave to keep you and this town safe. Know that I did not do this to Father and I would never hurt any of you. But that is why I must leave — to keep you safe.”