chapter 9
Spectacular wasn’t a powerful enough word to describe the library that was housed, in pristine condition, in the Château. Its beauty was unmarred by the attack of the dark vampires. Rich mahogany woodwork, opulent woven rugs fashioned with deep reds and vibrant golden hues, and plush armchairs decorated the space. Ornate carvings covered every shelf and table, but the attention to detail didn’t stop there. The ceiling was covered in a wood carved pattern of octagons and stars, separated only by small ornamental lanterns that hung delicately above our heads.
“Holy shooting star!” Robin exclaimed, stepping into the library behind me. “This is amazing.” She rushed past me, a skip in her step as she stopped before a shelf to run her fingers along the historic spines. Her fiery red hair reflected the warm glow of the lighting, making it look like it really was on fire.
“Very impressive,” Dmitry added. “You have quite the collection.” He walked past one of the several desks in the room, eyeing the open volumes. His eyebrows rose in surprise at one particular book whose cover was a faded royal blue. “You have a copy of Hinrik Leif’s theory of vampire evolution?”
“Not a copy,” Leona said, floating into the room beside me. “That is the original. The only one in existence.”
“I thought he destroyed all the copies before he died?”
“All, except one.” She approached him, her evergreen gown trailing behind her. Opening the book, she pointed to something inside before flipping through the pages one by one. “It is in his own handwriting. See his signature here?”
“Wow. How did you find this?” Dmitry asked, completely awestruck.
“That’s a tale for another time, young one,” she smiled, amused by his captivation.
“I’d love to hear it,” Robin chimed in.
“As would I,” Dmitry added.
“And you shall, but as I have been instructed, you have other information that you seek?” Leona directed her gaze toward me for confirmation.
“We do.” I nodded, stepping farther into the room. “We need to find a vampire burial ground.”
Shock painted itself boldly on her face before she quickly masked it. “There are countless burial sites. Is there something specific you are looking for?”
I couldn’t help but notice the hint of apprehension in her tone. “Not something, but someone.” I shifted nervously under her scrutiny.
“I see,” she replied flatly, walking to a shelf that stood beside a tall, paned window.
“It’s Luka,” Robin clarified, looking over to me with encouragement. The thought of finding Luka’s grave not only frightened me because of the chance of finding Ana, but also because I knew I was the one that had put him there. I had felt satisfaction when I killed Baal’s dark vampires, but I still regretted killing Luka. It couldn’t have been avoided; it was kill or be killed. Still, seeing the pained expression on Dmitry’s face made it agonizingly obvious that the mere mention of his brother would never dull in its sting.
“The vampire who tried to kill you?” Leona asked.
I swallowed hard as I caught sight of Dmitry stepping away from the conversation, pretending that a small book he held in his hands was incredibly interesting.
“Yes. He wasn’t buried at the family tomb in Noire. If someone had wanted to lay him to rest, where else could they have taken him?”
“Well…” Leona sighed and headed toward a far shelf across the room. I eyed her for a moment till my eyes wandered over to Robin. A thick book standing open on a pedestal had drawn her attention. And, for a moment, I envied her. I wished I could lose myself in these books and forget the world around me, but I had never been one for reading. I could never quiet my thoughts enough to focus on the words without distracting myself.
“That is going to make it considerably more difficult,” she said, as she began pulling books down from the shelves and depositing them on the nearby desk.
“I should have known it wouldn’t be easy,” I groaned, making my way toward one of her towering stacks.
“Why is it going to be so hard? Don’t you keep records of burial sites here?” Robin asked, curiously.
“Of course we do, dear, but…” she ran her index finger along the spines of nearly a dozen books before pulling three volumes off the top shelf. “What you are looking for won’t be in any records.” Leona dropped an armful of books onto a desk and gestured for me to take a seat. I did so, and Robin took a seat across from me, separating the teetering stack into two.
“Then how are we supposed to find it?” Dmitry asked, sounding agitated as he plucked a book from Robin’s stack.
“During the dark ages, battles raged all over our realm. Back then, there wasn’t time to build tombs and honor the dead as they deserved.” Her voice saddened at her words, emanating from her like a cold breeze. I didn’t dare ask, but I knew that Leona must have had to bury someone in such a way.
“So, you just buried them in the battlefield?” Robin asked, looking completely shocked.
“It was all we could do,” Leona answered as she hugged a thick book in her arms. “There were several sites where the graves were left unmarked; their loved ones would never be able to return and say goodbye.”
“That’s horrible,” I said, feeling a deep sadness for all the lives that had been lost.
“More than you can even imagine,” Leona said, turning toward the window. Her silver hair mimicked the luminosity of the moon as it cascaded down her back in a mass of roped braids.
“We’re going to need to read through every battle report in these books to find any mention of burials,” Dmitry said.
“Yes,” Leona answered without looking away from the window.
“These are all the battle reports?” Robin inquired, her eyes bulging at the piles of books before us.
“We better get started,” Dmitry said with a heavy breath. It couldn’t have been easy looking for where your brother might be buried, but he seemed to be happy the conversation was over. He didn’t appear to be much of a talker anymore.
I pulled a red bound book from the top of my stack and dropped it in front of me, causing a cloud of dust to puff out. I waved it away with my hand, fighting back the urge to cough. All the while, I couldn’t pull my attention away from Leona and back onto the task at hand. I had thought it was hard dealing with the horrors of Baal now, but to have gone through it more than once… now that was something I didn’t ever want to do.
The hours crept by at an utterly slow pace. In all that time we’d only managed to get through less than a handful of books, resulting in zero information. Maybe my idea to track down Ana wasn’t as good as I thought it was, but we had to keep trying. It wasn’t just about me wanting to prevent her from getting the upper hand; it was also about getting information out of her. She was the only vampire that we knew, without a doubt, was working with Baal. She had to know some information, no matter how small, that might give us an advantage.
I gently turned the decaying pages one by one, trying my best to decipher the handwriting of the person who had transcribed it. The volume I was skimming through was a collection of several journals from vampire warriors of the dark ages. Most of their notes were about how much they missed their loved ones whom they’d left behind, or how hopeless they felt that the war would never end. My eyes fixated on the wavering penmanship as the author poured their heart out.
~
2nd Blood Battalion – Night One-Hundred Sixty Four
The enemy is recruiting humans and beasts to do his dirty work. They attack us during the day when we are weak, and cannot defend ourselves. The soldiers and I are beginning to wonder if we made the right choice. Was fighting against our nature the best decision? We embraced our Goddess because we were fearful of the destruction and bloodshed, but in doing so we have only caused that which we feared. I worry that we are no worse than our enemy, and I pray for the world we are leaving behind. The world that will be left behind if this massacre is ever over.
~
2nd Blood Battalion – Night Two-Hundred Five
Captain Jengo found us shelter in an abandoned mine and we hope they do not find us here. Our numbers have been slaughtered to less than half. Reinforcements should have arrived twenty nights ago. If they do not get here soon, I do not believe we will survive another day. We cannot withstand another attack, if we even live long enough for that to happen. Blood is scarce, and everyone is going hungry. I can see it in their eyes; it’s a hunger like a raging fire burning through our flesh, only to be quenched by feeding. It will not be long before we turn on each other. I am doing my best to stay strong, but I don’t know how much longer I will last.
~
2nd Blood Battalion – Night Two-Hundred Twenty
I awoke to the screams of my comrades. They could not face the horrors of our world any longer, and launched themselves into the light of day. I watched, peering out of the shadows, as their cries faded away and their bodies turned to ash. I must admit, I considered it myself, but the face of my beautiful mate kept flashing in my mind. I promised I would come home to her. She is the only beautiful light left in this world of evil.
~
2nd Blood Battalion – Night Three-Hundred
Eleven of our own died during the day, but not by enemy hands. No, the enemy never came for us again, feeling no need to waste their resources when they knew they had already infected us. Our battalion is afflicted with hunger, and it is spreading like a plague. Many are afraid to leave out of fear of facing the enemy. We are already so weak, we wouldn’t stand a chance. I’ve even witnessed some feeding on themselves out of shear desperation. They latch onto their arms and drain themselves. It’s sickening, but the scent of their blood makes my body convulse. I’ve thought about crawling out of the cave and waiting under the stars until the sun swallows me, but I do not have the strength to do so. I believe my time is nigh.
~
2nd Blood Battalion – Night Three-Hundred Nine
I love you Celeste. I know I promised to come home to you, but the Goddess has not willed it to be so. I pray that you will find it in your heart to forgive me. Our bodies may be parted, but our souls will forever be joined, my love. Stay strong, my love, my heart, as I have stayed strong for you. Thy face has been my only comfort, and I will go in peace knowing you are alive and safe.
~
I turned the next page, but it was blank. As was the next, and the one after that. What happened? Did the reinforcements ever arrive, or did Captain Jengo and his battalion get slain by the enemy? Or… could it have been worse? Did they turn on each other out of sheer starvation; no longer able to control the raging hunger that was burning inside them? Did Celeste ever read this journal? Did she know how much her soldier missed her, or even what happened to him? My heart lurched in my chest. This had been what Baal had hoped to do to us. This was the pain he had wanted to inflict by destroying our blood banks. I had been hungry before, starving even, but I couldn’t imagine needing to feed so bad that I would kill one of my own. I could never do that… could I? I guess, inside, you think you are brave and strong but you never really know for sure until something happens. Something that makes you choose between humanity and the beast.
My fingers instinctively flew to my neck, only to find the stones were no longer there. Their determination for revenge and thirst for victory helped ease my fears and I felt naked without them; vulnerable.
The creaking sound of the library door made me jump in my seat; my nerves shooting through me like lightening. The entries in the book had strengthened the fear within me. Dmitry groaned beside me as I lifted my gaze to find Arrick strolling into the room. My heart instantly reached out to him, latching on for that immediate sense of tranquility whenever he was near. A sexy smirk played on his face, each of us enjoying the connection we shared.
“You okay?” he asked, detecting the lingering tendrils of fear that had woven around me.
I nodded. His strong hand rested on my shoulder as he leaned over me to catch a glance at what I had been reading. I caught a hint of his woodsy, masculine aroma and breathed deeply.
“What are you reading?” he inquired, surveying the mass of books scattered before us.
“It’s a long story,” I answered, shutting the book that rested in front of me. I didn’t think I could handle reading another entry, at least not right now.
“Well, I’ve got time. Want to go on a walk with me?”
“Um…” I looked to Robin and Dmitry, feeling guilty about the idea of leaving them behind to do all the work. Dmitry avoided my gaze, raising his book higher to cover his face. Robin glanced up, a suggestive smile pulling at her lips.
“Go,” she said, winking at me.
“Are you sure? This was my idea. I shouldn’t leave you two to do all the work.”
“We’re fine, right, Dmitry?” He didn’t reply, but she didn’t seem to notice at all as she turned her attention back toward me. “I really don’t mind, Claire. It’s actually nice to have something to keep my mind off things.”
“Let me know if you find anything?”
“Of course.” She smiled before burying her nose back in a book.
Arrick pulled me close to him, circling his arm around me as we walked out of the library and into the open hallway. “I’ve been worried about you,” he whispered, planting a kiss on top of my head. “Tell me what’s troubling you so much.”
I sighed, both enjoying his closeness and thinking about everything that was stressing me out. “The question is; what isn’t troubling me. I feel like I’ve been caught in a whirlwind. There are moments when I think everything is going to be okay, and then moments when I feel like all hope is lost.”
“How do you feel right now?” he asked, opening a door that exited toward the gardens.
“I don’t know. A little bit of both I guess.”
“It’s all right to be scared. You don’t have to be brave all the time. That’s what I’m here for. I’m here so you don’t have to be afraid of anything.”
“I know.” I leaned closer against him, lifting my hand to my shoulder to lock our fingers together. I let him lead me past the gardens and down the twisting path that led to the beach.
“Your father tells me you’ve locked up the stones?” he said, trying to sound casual but I could feel how badly he wanted to know the answer.
“Yes,” I replied, contritely.
“And if I know you as well, as I think I do, you aren’t too happy about that.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Not at all. But I understood the point he was trying to make. I don’t want to be the one to make anyone more afraid then they already are. I will admit that the stones are dangerous, but only in the wrong hands,” I said, as if I were pleading my case to him.
“You’re very right, but there’s also a stigma here. Those stones represent everything these people fear and it will be hard for them to accept any other viewpoint.”
“If they could just feel what I do, then they’d know the truth.”
“And maybe someday they will.” He steadied my hand as he guided me further down the rocky embankment.
“Do you believe me?” I questioned, hopefully. If there were anyone in this world who should know I was telling the truth, it was him.
“Claire…” he released my hand, brushing the stray strands of hair from my face. “I believe that you believe.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” I steadied my feet as the path gave way to soft sand.
“It means that I believe you have a connection with those stones that no one else could ever understand, but…”
“But?” I bit my lip, staring into his eyes, praying he wouldn’t tell me I was bat-shit crazy.
“But, I still believe they’re dangerous.” I moaned angrily at his words. “Listen to me, Claire,” he ordered, latching onto my chin and forcing my face toward his. “I believe they are dangerous, not you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, but…” I forced my chin out of his grip.
“But, nothing, Claire! It’s my duty to protect you, and I don’t want anything that can harm you anywhere near you. Don’t you get it?”
“Get what?” I cried out. Didn’t anybody trust that I knew what I was doing? The stones wouldn’t harm anyone as long as they were with me. They were just as much a victim as everyone else, if not more so. There were souls trapped inside them, being tortured for all eternity. I refused to turn my back on them. Not for anyone, or anything.
“If something ever happened to you… it would kill me, Claire.” A fiery mix of rage and fear flooded his eyes. “You’ve come so close…” his hands cupped my face, pulling me to his waiting lips. His kisses were frantic and filled with passion as his hands dipped down my back, squeezing me closer toward him.
“Nothing is going to happen to me,” I breathed into his neck as he held me. I didn’t entirely believe my words, but no matter what, I had to stay optimistic. With Arrick by my side, my loved ones safe, and vampires banding together we stood a chance. A good chance.
“Come on!” Arrick pulled away from me and began bounding his way toward the crashing waves.
“What are you doing?” I called after him before following his footsteps through the sand. I stopped just as the icy water lapped at my feet, soaking straight through my shoes and freezing my toes.
Arrick stood just steps in front of me, the waves crashing against his legs as he pulled his shirt off over his head. “You coming?” he turned to face me, a wicked smile gleaming across his face.
“Are you crazy? It’s freezing!” Just because I was a vampire didn’t mean I liked cold water. I may run at a lower temperature than when I was human, but because of my heightened senses I felt the icy tingle of the ocean with much more intensity.
“I’m sure we can warm it up,” he said, winking at me as the rest of his clothes washed ashore. He stood in all his naked glory, the moonlight reflecting off his chiseled body as he stepped backward, further into the ocean.
My cheeks blushed at the sight of him. He was the first naked man I’d ever seen that wasn’t a stone statue… and let me tell you, there is no comparison. The chilly grasp of the water faded away to a warm heat that began to burn in my heart.
His eyes watched my every move as I undressed and tossed my clothes behind me. The expression on his face caught me by surprise. Though there was a definite burning passion boiling between us, there was another emotion gaining power. Love. It latched onto me like a lasso pulling me toward him, every fiber of my being obeying with pleasure.
I squealed as the water crashed against my naked body, seaweed wrapping around my legs and sand squishing between my toes as they sank into the water. Arrick swam toward me, grasping my hands so he could tow me farther into the ocean’s embrace. Just as the shore bottom was about to leave my reach we stopped. Not too far to be pulled out to sea, but still deep enough to be fully immersed.
We splashed and laughed, tackling each other and taking turns dunking each other under the water. When we finally made our way back to shore we were fully engulfed in an in-depth discussion about what our plans were after the war. Arrick wanted a place on the beach, and I thought that sounded good to me. It felt natural to plan a future together. We didn’t get into anything serious, of course. The M word never came up or anything close to it.
“So, you want a place on the beach, but what else? What do you want to do?” His first answer was to surf all day, and hang out with me all night, which made me laugh; but then I realized how boring that sounded. Once the war was over he wouldn’t have to be my Blood Guard anymore. He could do whatever he wanted to.
“I don’t know. I’m not really good at anything. At least nothing that doesn’t have to do with fighting.”
“That’s not true,” I said, pulling my sweater over my head. “What about what you did before you became my guard?”
“Nah,” he replied, wrinkling his nose as he wrung out his sopping wet jeans. “What about you? You’re going to have a lot of royal duties once it’s all over. Everyone will want to see the vampire princess who saved us all.” His tone revealed that he was half joking and half serious.
“Goddess, I hope not.” I tugged on my jeans, glad that I had thrown them up the beach so they could stay dry. I caught him giving me a quizzical look, so I shrugged my shoulders. “I like being a princess, but it’s not at all what I thought it would be… obviously.”
“No, but it will be different when this is over. It will be how it should be.” Arrick flung his wet shirt over his shoulder, opting to go for the shirtless look, and I didn’t mind at all.
“And how should it be?” I smirked at him, eyeing his sculpted chest.
“Well, you shouldn’t be freezing on a beach for starters,” he said, pulling me into his arms. His chest was cold against my cheek at first, but then it quickly warmed up, traveling across my skin and calming my goose bumps.
“What else?” I ventured further, hoping he would reveal more of my future even though what I was truly fishing for was our future together.
“There should be dancing.” He lifted his arm, twirling me around in a circle beside him making me giggle wildly. “There should lots of laughter and lots of…” I cut him off as I jumped into his arms, latching our lips together in a powerful make-out session. What had I been thinking all this time? Arrick was incredible. How could I have never truly appreciated that before?
Not anymore.
I took charge of our kiss, slipping my tongue into his mouth. He met my fervor head on, matching my intensity with a moan as our tongues danced together and our bodies molded perfectly like two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly.
Just at the height of our kiss I pulled away, a familiar frightening ripple creeping up my spine. I could feel someone watching us. Arrick hadn’t sensed it yet; his eyes still hazy from our passionate embrace, but the look on my face brought him back to reality.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, suddenly alert as he took a protective stance around me.
“Someone is here,” I growled, my eyes searching every inch of the beach. I scanned the cliff side, a small part of me hoping I would find Ana there. If she were, I could end this once and for all, but she wasn’t. I pushed my senses outward like a giant energy bubble surrounding everything around me, but found nothing. Not even a lingering sensation that anything had been anywhere.
“I don’t sense anything,” Arrick said, all passion gone from his voice. He sounded fierce, ready to kill whoever, or whatever came his way.
“I don’t either, but there was… something….” Had I just imagined it? No, I had definitely felt something, but what? I wished I had the stones, and cursed myself under my breath.
“Hey, it’s okay. There’s nothing out there,” Arrick tried calming me, grasping my hands in his to keep me from trembling. At least, he thought I was trembling. I was really vibrating with anger. If I had had the stones with me I could have used their power to amplify mine. I could have discovered who had been watching us.
“Claire!” I jumped, startled at his tone until I saw his face and realized he’d been calling my name for a while trying to get my attention. “Calm down, love,” he said, caressing my face.
Love… he’d never called me that before, and I kind of liked it. His touch eased the rage that had been building within. Whatever had been watching us was gone. Maybe it had been nothing. Maybe it was a guard just checking up on me. Maybe they saw us naked and thought they should give us privacy. Oh, Goddess! My lingering anger was immediately replaced with embarrassment. I didn’t want anyone from the Château to see me naked! Perhaps Ana spying on me was the better scenario.
“You and your temper,” Arrick said, chuckling lightly.
“I don’t have a temper.” I grimaced at his handsome face before a smile broke through my façade.
“Oh, no?” he tugged at a tendril of my hair before planting a kiss on my forehead. “You’re quite the firecracker. No wonder you sent Baal running through a portal. I wouldn’t want you mad at me like that,” he said.
“You better watch it, mister, or you will!” I teased him right back, poking his firm pec muscle. “You step out of line even once, and you’ll pay.”
“I wouldn’t think of it.” He raised his hands up in surrender, a laugh rumbling through him.
“Good,” I said, smiling.
Our stroll back to my room went by way too quickly. I loved talking to him. He had a knack for keeping my mind off my worries, and making me feel like I didn’t have a care in the world. We were arguing what the worst movie ever made was when I realized we were standing at my door.
“Sleep well,” Arrick said, planting a quick peck on my lips. Icy droplets fell from his hair and onto my face, making a tiny snigger escape me. But, my laughter died when I opened my eyes to see Arrick turning to walk down the hallway.
“Where are you going?” I asked, somewhat surprised at my words and the emotions that were bubbling inside me. I didn’t want him to leave.
“I was…” He turned to face me, pointing his thumb to the hall behind him. “Going to catch some sleep.”
“Stay with me,” spilled from my lips. My eyes widened in shock at my own words, but my heart yearned for him to say yes, not out of passion but out of need. I needed him to stay near me to make me feel safe. I didn’t want this carefree, happy feeling to end.
Arrick looked just as surprised as I did. He froze for a moment before talking the few short strides between us. “Are you sure?” I nodded.
“I don’t want to sleep alone,” I admitted. Even though it was probably royal staff who had seen Arrick and me, I couldn’t shake the feeling of that initial fear that had trickled through me.
His smile tugged at my heart, as he laced his fingers in mine and opened my bedroom door. There was no hint of seduction, but only warming admiration; and as we crawled into bed, he pulled me into his waiting arms. I rested my head on his chest, the sound of his heart and the warmth of his skin lulling me to sleep.