Everliving Kings (the Heroes of Darkness Saga) (8 page)

Tarik
’s mind raced with images of blood and war forcing him to shake his head to focus on what he was doing. It had been nearly four months since he had shared his mistress’s blood and now her dire warnings rang loud in his ears. “Do not stray too far from me my children, your creation is a delicate thing that must be monitored closely. Should either of you go too long without my blood you may slip into the madness…I would not wish that upon an enemy.”

Tarik
’s body shivered with cold chills even through the perspiration that covered his brow and soaked through his shirt. Pain shot through his head and chest doubling him over. He bit down on his lip to keep from shouting out in pain, knowing if the shifters found him he would suffer much worse before his death, but worse than that he would have failed the lady Anya. Tarik could taste the metallic tang of his own blood in his mouth realizing that he had bit down harder than he had expected to. To his surprise the pain in his limbs began to subside.

“That’s it!” He thought to himself, “I need to feed the disease, if I do not the madness will take me and I will fail my lady.”

The small amount of blood did ease the pain and clear his mind just a bit but he knew it was far from enough. “Perhaps I should hunt something?
Perhaps that will help until I can reach the lady Anya.” He thought and then could hear a chorus of voices in his head shouting and pleading at him at once. “Hunt! Hunt! Yes! Hunt! Feed, we must feed! Blood! Must have Blood! Yes hunt!”

Tarik
squeezed his eyes shut and clamped his hands over his ears in a vain attempt to stop the shouting. “NO!” he silently bellowed to the voices, “You must be silent!” the shouting in his head subsided to a layered buzzing whisper forcing him to shake his head again to clear it. When he finally regained control and opened up his eyes he saw to his horror the shifters looking and pointing in his direction.

“There it is again! The scent of blood on the wind, did you get it that time?” Scarlet shouted as he scanned he head back and forth and sniffed at the night air with his mouth open.

Tarik cursed his luck and wondered how he was going to be able to move without them seeing him, but he also knew if he did not move soon, they would find him. As he sat frozen in thought and indecision the shifter bound to the oak tree started screaming in pain.

“Awe shite and begora! Lads get to the chains!” O’Connor shouted as he turned his atte
ntion back to Shawn little as the large man doubled over in pain.

Somewhere deep in
Tarik’s mind he knew this distraction was just the thing he needed to escape the shifters unseen, but he could not tear his eyes from the sight of the large Irishman’s transformation.

Shawn fell to his knees screaming as a thick layer of red-brown fur forced its way out of his skin. Loud snaps and wet pops accompanied the shouting as the man’s hands, feet and legs stretched and grew. Blood dripped from his hands and feet as long claws pushed off his finger and toenails. Shawn’s grunts of pain grew deeper as his ribcage expanded with booming cracks.
Tarik watched in horror as the man spit out most of his own teeth as larger sharper wolf teeth replaced them. With a long drawn-out yell Shawn’s face stretched and contorted to form a long fur-covered snout, finally ending in a shout that drifted into a hair-raising howl. The other shifters, still in human form, joined in the haunting song. The final result of this maddening ordeal was a huge creature not quite a wolf and not quite a man but somewhere in-between the two.

Once done with the change the man-wolf r
emained on his hands and knees as he panted to catch his breath.

Lord
Rathbone, who had approached at the first sounds of shouting, stood behind Shamus and shook his head in shock. “That is what you go through every time?” he whispered passed is suddenly dry throat.

O’Connor nodded his head as he turned to face the noble, “Aye it is. An’ erey’ bit as painful as it looks
. Dats why most of us choose a form to stay in most o’ the time; changin’ it back an’ fore just ain’t no fun a’tall. It’s easier for the ones born with it than the infected, but it still hurts.”

Lord
Rathbone frowned, “So can you control this change or not? That man changed because of the moon you said, and yet you are all still men. How do you explain that?”

O’Connor shook he head and laughed, “I just look like a man, but like Scarlet ere’ I were born a wolf pup. We are what we call true-born or wolf-born, we can change at ana’ time we like cus’ it’s how we was born. We can change from a wolf to a man or even the half and half form ya see Shawn in now. We call that one a ‘wen’, kina’ short for wolf-men an
’ easier ta pronounce with a snout.

We
are descendants of the first spirit-wolves that helped you with your little undead problem. Shawn little an’ the others are infected born so they are descended from the wolves that were wounded by the Risen but survived. They became carriers of the shifting disease and like yer daughter, they can pass the taint along to humans. Dat is how they became what they are, but ya see during the full or the new moon the pull is too strong. They can’t stop the change at those times but after some time and practice they can slow it down and put it off for a time.

Even now the lads can feel the pull to change, its instinct, a primitive urge they can’t fight.”

Tarik shook his head again to clear it before deciding to end his eavesdropping. With what O’Connor had said it was clear at least three of the shifters would be distracted enough for him to make his break, but only if he went now. The infected Risen turned his back on the shifter encampment and leaped for the ground, hitting the forest floor on the run. His movements, however silent, did not go unnoticed by the newly altered Shawn. The scent of a nearby Risen sent the shifter into a frenzy.

“Hey now big feller! Tak it easy will ya! Ya might hurt yerself with dem chains an all!” O’Connor shouted as the large wen strained to free himself.

With an ear-splitting howl the hybrid Shawn snapped through the chains and backhanded Shamus to the ground before tearing off into the woods after the Risen.

A terrified
Lord Rathbone practically jumped up and down at the top of his lungs. “I knew it! I knew this would happen! This is all your fault O’Connor!”

The Irish pack leader jumped back to his feet and grabbed the
Lord by the collar. “Shut yer bloody hole you idiot!” he screamed before shoving the Lord back a step and turning back to his men. “Thomas! Allan! Get after him! Scarlet we’ll be needin’ yer man too!” he yelled as the newly transformed brothers emerged from the bushes and darted off after their pack-mate.

“No!”
Lord Rathbone shouted as the wolf-men disappeared from view. “I forbid this! You have wasted enough of our time with this nonsense!”

Shamus grabbed the
Lord with two handfuls of tunic and growled into his face with his golden eyes flashing in rage. “You don’t give me orders ya hear! An’ ya sure as hell don’ understand the situation! We have to find him and get him bound again right fast! If he is found by a local tribe runnin loose on their land they will take it as an aggressive act o’ war an’ kill us all! We ain’t got the numbers ta stand up against a whole tribe on the warpath an’ dat’ll end yer little expedition right here an’ now, ya understand! Not ta mention the fact he could create more wildlings if he attacks anyone, so we need ta find him right now! So you can either help us or ya can stay the hell out o’ the way!” The shifter king screamed as he could feel the Lord trembling under his grip.

As if to emphasize his dire words of warning a chorus of distant howls rolled over the camp from at least four different directions. 

9

              Edward Brewer reached his brothers citadel with far less enthusiasm than usual. It was not the ride through the rapidly darkening forest from his manor home, or the rooms his brother would lend him for the night. Nor was it the meals provided by one of the finest of kitchen staffs outside of Londontowne that had him so on edge. It was her, that little Vampire.

             
The very thought of the Vampire queen being under the same roof sent cold chills up and down his spine. True she was the most attractive dead person he had ever met, but he had not ever met another nor did he wish too. There was no denying it, or getting around the fact that she was still in fact dead. This devil in a pleasing shell regarded him and the rest of humanity as they did chickens or pigs, food, no more no less, just food. The sooner their dealings with the accursed creature were over the better the bishop thought as he made his way into the gloomy great hall of Nottingham castle.

             
Truth be told he had never before noticed how dreary and oppressive the dark stone walls of the keep actually were. Thinking it had much to do with the living-dead girl now occupying the castles finest of guest quarters, the Bishop felt he could now understand how a commoner would feel when summoned to such a place. “Perhaps that’s it.” He thought to himself, “Perhaps I am given this experience to temper my pride. Oh heaven forgive me.”

             
The Bishop was so lost in his own thoughts; he didn’t even notice his brother approach until the Sheriff tugged at the sleeve of his robes. Thinking damnation and hellfire had finally come to pay a visit the Bishop screamed and jumped back wide-eyed in terror.

             
“Oh William it’s you!” he stammered with his right hand on his chest. “I thought the Devil had grabbed me by the sleeve!”

             
The Sheriff frowned at his brother’s confusion. “Don’t flatter yourself Edward, you’re not that big a fish he will come for you himself! What are you on about? Have you been getting enough sleep lately?”

             
The Bishop’s eyebrows shot upward, “Yes! Of course! Quite fine why do you ask?” he blurted out before looking all around him with a quick scan and then grabbing his brother by the chin with his left hand. With his right hand he pulled the Sheriffs high collared tunic down inspecting William’s neck for any puncture wounds.

             
William flailed about a bit before managing to push his overly excited sibling off of him. “Get off of me you fool! What the devil do you think you’re doing?!” he grumbled.

             
“Yes! Yes that’s it! The devils mark, that’s what I was looking for! Did she mark you? Did she try to manipulate your mind? Or perhaps tempt you with her devil made harlots body? How do I know you are not her slave!?” the excited bishop spat.

             
“Oh keep your voice down Edward; she can probably hear you already.” The Sheriff said in a hard whisper causing the Bishop to cover his mouth with both hands. “Now calm yourself Edward you are in no danger here, the lady Anya means you no harm. Unless of course you mean on betraying her? Going back on your word and turning her over to Lord Rathbone is that your plan?” William teased.

             
The holy man jumped up and down in a panic that his brother would even declare such words with the chance that the Vampire girl may overhear them. “No! No no no no no!” the Bishop protested. “I just wasn’t sure if anything happened to you all alone here with her all week. Well what do you expect, how am I supposed to know what kind of horrors she is capable of, or what she truly intendeds to do for that matter?” He whispered as loud as he dare. “Did she tempt you or try to bite you then?”

             
William had to smile at the panic in his brother’s voice, “Actually no. I have hardly seen Lady First all week. She was in her quarters for the most part…with a guest.”

             
“You let prisoners have guests now?” the Bishop asked wide eyed.

             
“No, but this could not be helped, it was a…. family matter the Lady needed to attend to. She will explain it all when we meet her for dinner tonight, now get hold of yourself brother. I have made contact with our French friends and sent them an advance payment, the rest of which I plan on getting from Lord Rathbone once we have dealt with him.”

The Bishop frowned in concern again, “And what of the Prince Regent? I hear he will do anything
Lord Rathbone tells him to, I doubt he will sit by idle while one of his wealthiest supporters is branded an anathema by the church.”

             
William smiled another of his reassuring smiles; the same one his brother knew always led them to getting into trouble as boys. “Now you just let me worry about that part. I am working on something that will make…” before he could finish that thought the large double doors of the great hall opened in to the feast hall, as one of the servants propped the doors to allow the dinner guests access. The brothers exchanged a silent nod just as the Sheriff’s dinner guests began to arrive.

             
“Ah your eminence, I did not know we would be graced by your presence this evening.” Brother James said with a bow as he kissed the holy ring of the Bishop’s hand.

             
Anya was the last of the dinner guests to arrive causing the room to rise from their chairs at her appearance.

             
“Gentlemen,” she said with a smile, “please; there is no need to stand on ceremony with me, but I do have a few words of caution before I introduce you all to Julnar.”

             
The Sheriff, let just the hint of a frown cross his features at her warning that did not go unnoticed.

             
Catching his look Anya smiled her most reassuring smile, “You are in no danger my Lord Sheriff, that is not what I meant by caution. You need to understand the young lady I am about to introduce you all to, is an infected. She is not yet a fully Risen Vampire meaning she is also not yet dead. She has been given small amounts of my blood to ingest over the last year. You may recall we talked about this kind of thing the last time? Well she is dying the slow death; she has gained some of my…abilities but also my curse.” 

             
Anya cleared her throat before continuing, “She is fully in control of her hunger and so is no threat to any of you, however…the woman you are about to see is the most attractive woman you have ever seen, most likely the most gorgeous woman you ever will see. She has an effect on all of those who see her, both male and female alike; she makes them…obsessed. Truth be told she usually wears a veil to avoid any…arguments or violence, but tonight you will see her without one. Please keep in mind I do this out of a state of respect for your local customs and for truth in our…dealings. You should also know this power she has is nothing to do with my blood or me, it is a natural gift…or curse. The Assim who gave her to me believed she is not of this earth, they believe her to be descended from an angel or a succubus. I cannot say for certain if there is any truth to those rumors, as least her blood tastes human to me.” she said with a shrug drawing a horrified look from Brother James.

             
“That Gentlemen, is my warning to you all. When you see Julnar please keep all of your lusts and thoughts of pledging your undying love to yourself. She is my creation, my daughter if you will and she is not available for human longings, wishes or relationships, understand?” the Vampire finished with her eyebrows up and waited for the comments.

The men around the table looked to one a
nother dumbfounded. “My Lady.” The Sheriff began at last, “are you…joking? You already told me the difference…er, ah, you have made it clear that humans and Vampires are…um, different when it comes to…ah relationships? But now you are telling us this is a normal girl with some kind of supernatural beauty? That seems rather hard to believe.”

“Hard to believe?” the
Risen repeated. “Hard to believe because I said she is only human or because I am a talking dead person? No you’re Grace I am not joking. I have seen men kill one another for the honor of greeting her first. Please understand she is a normal girl, barely nineteen and still very insecure about her looks as any teenage girl is apt to be. All I ask is that you all behave yourselves in front of her, fair enough?”

Once more the men around the table e
xchanged confused glances before agreeing to meet this mysterious infected.

Anya, once satisfied nodded and said, “Ju
lnar.” If she continued to speak none of the men heard her as they all stared slack jawed at the stunning young woman who entered the room.

“Gentlemen may I present to you Julnar Bint Huniya Al Faiyeze.”

The young infected smiled a shy smile and nodded to each of them in turn before sitting next to her creator. A few moments of awkward silence were finally broken by the High Sheriff who cleared his suddenly parched throat and said, “Well my dear, um as your host it is my great honor to say welcome to Nottinghamshire.”

Julnar’s eyes went wide and she turned to A
nya speaking in her native tongue. “Is it permitted for me to speak directly to this man? Is he not the…leader of this…tribe?”

Anya smiled and nodded before answering her, “Yes my pet, you will find the customs here far less formal, but use their language in front of them, I do not want them to fear we are plotting against them.”

Julnar nodded and turned to the Sheriff to answer in perfect English, “Thank you for your kind words of welcome my Lord, and all of you for allowing me to join you this evening.”

Almost immediately that was followed by a chorus of ‘our pleasure’s and ‘not at all’s’ drawing a stern look from Anya.

“Now my Lord High Sheriff,” the Vampire said as she leaned to one side, as a servant removed the empty platter in front of her and replaced it with one filled with the evening’s meal. “I trust you have a plan to deal with the approaching danger?”

Julnar next to her covered her nose with her napkin as her dinner plate arrived in front of her, causing her to close her eyes and mumble softly. The young infected had to fight hard to control herself as the overwhelming smells of the food continued to wash over her. With a deep breath she managed to steady herself and open her eyes to inspect the co
ntents of the dinner plate. There before her was a meal she could not easily identify. She assumed the brightly colored and green things to be some kind of vegetables, the white things some kind of starch and the rest obviously the flesh of animals. For most of her life she had been a vegetarian, and would have probably been offended at the sight of meat on a dish in front of her, but since becoming infected the thought of anything that at one time contained blood cells was far more desirable than any kind of plant matter.

Looking up with a smile the girl realized the Bishop next to her had been speaking to her. “Oh I’m sorry you Grace, I was…lost in thought, what was that you said?”

The Bishop simply beamed at her words and said, “I was hoping the pork did not offend you my dear. I know that Jews and Muslims do not normally eat the meat of pigs, I had assumed, with your name you would be a Muslim.”

Julnar looked down at the plate again and realized the slabs of meat covered in some kind of thick brown sauce must be the pork the Bishop was referring too. The truth be told she had never had pork before but the smell of the roast made her fangs ache to try it. “Oh no, not at all you’re Grace, although I have never tried it before it smells wonderful. Now that I am becoming a Risen many things have changed for me, including my relationship with the almighty.”

The Bishop nodded his head in agreement, “Yes I suppose your curse will block your salvation even with Allah.”

Julnar frowned in thought before answering him, “That is one way to look at it you’re Grace, and no doubt my old cleric would agree with you, but perhaps my new life has given me a new way to view things.

You and most holy men would say we are dammed, cursed even and cut off from the will of A
llah, and perhaps there was I time I would have agreed. Now however, I can see colors and textures I never knew existed before. I can…taste a beautiful song and hear the grass growing with my bare feet! It is as if only now can I truly appreciate all of the wonder and splendor God has created. I truly feel sorry for all of you going around half blind to the amazing things all around you. It as if it is all of you who are cursed and we are chosen to experience all of that heavenly glory.

True there is a price to pay for not waiting, but I have always been impatient and I do still think I got the better end of this arrangement
.” She said with a shrug and a smile.

Upon tasting her first bite of the roast pork she closed her eyes and let out a moan of ecstasy that had all of the men blushing and shifting in their seats. In order to cover his embarrassment Bishop Brewer cleared his throat and said to the
Vampire, “My lady you were also born in the holy lands were you not? Have you also avoided pork meat?”

Anya smiled and shook her head, “No
you’re Grace, I was born long before both the Jewish and Muslim faiths and wild boar was a regular on the feast tables. It is my belief however that those particular traditions owe more to geography than to theology.”