Wanderlust (9 page)

Chapter 9 - Bedtime Stories

Eli and I looked at each other with wide eyes, confusion clear on both of our faces. Neither one of us knew what to do--make a break for it, or hear him out.

“We should really get going,” I tried again to make my exit, grabbing Eli by the arm and turning toward the door. My effort was in vain, because before we could even take a step, Balthazar was once again blocking the door with his brawny chest, shaking his head from side-to-side to indicate his displeasure at our gesture.

“Let’s go inside,” he said, taking my free arm and ushering me through the door. His calm demeanor suddenly changed to one of a brewing storm.

The loud buzz of music that had been muffled by the sound-proof exterior of the building was brought back to life the minute we stepped inside. Never letting go of my arm to be certain that I could not escape, Balthazar pulled back a beaded curtain and ducked through the narrow entryway, tugging me hastily behind. I maintained my grip on Eli. I could tell by the look on his face that he felt like he should be doing more to protect me from what seemed like a harmless situation gone bad. Fear. That was the look he had, though he was trying hard to hide it. I was fairly certain that the look on my face mirrored his.

We walked at a rapid pace for a long while down a dimly lit corridor, all the time, Balthazar pulling roughly on my arm. In my effort to keep up, I stumbled over a rough patch in the stone floor, and Eli sidestepped quickly top avoid tripping over me. Tears stung my eyes as Balthazar tugged me back to my feet. I was in pain from the bruising he was causing to my arm, and now there were scrapes on my knees as well.

The ground was sloping downward, and the lighting changed from electric bulbs to candlelit sconces. We were moving underground. The space between my shoulders and the rock-like walls became narrower and narrower the longer we walked. It, quite literally, felt like the walls were closing in around me, and, although I had never experienced a fear of enclosed spaces before, I suddenly felt claustrophobic. How had things turned from cordial to creepy in a matter of minutes?

I could sense the minutes ticking by on my watch, and I thought of Addie. Surely, at least three minutes had passed, leaving only 19 more before she would be left standing alone out front of the club wondering what on earth had become of Eli and myself. What would come of her, I wondered. Surely, they would leave her be, considering she was clueless. I couldn’t keep the countless other alternatives from running through my head, and I didn’t like how any of them ended--not for Addie or us.

Eventually, Balthazar slowed his pace and came to a stop in front of a wooden door that was laced with wrought-iron hinges, latches, and locks. He released his grip on my arm, and I massaged the spot where his fingers had been wrapped so tightly. I examined the area, which was red from the return of circulation. It would be riddled with dark blue bruises by morning. With fast fingers, he worked at lightning speed to undo each bolt. He stepped inside and gave me and Eli a glare that demanded we follow.

Looking at the dimly lit room, it was obvious what Balthazar was planning. He was going to keep us prisoner, but what I didn’t know was why. The last thing I wanted to do was follow his command and enter the room, but I wasn’t sure what other option we had. Luckily, Eli found a way to do what I couldn’t, and he voiced his concern.

“I demand to know what you want with us,” Eli said, puffing up his chest and refusing to take another step until he got the answer he was looking for.

“I don’t want anything from you,” Balthazar replied, sitting down at one of four wooden chairs set around a massive wooden table in the center of the room. He pointed to two of the other chairs, and I started to walk toward one, before Eli pulled me back.

“Don’t, Lia,” he commanded in a rough tone that I didn’t think he was capable of. “You don’t have to do everything he says.”

The look on Balthazar’s face suggested otherwise, and I ripped my arm free from Eli’s grasp. I shot him a look that said I felt otherwise as well and took my place at the table. Sitting across from Balthazar, staring out at Eli in the hallway, I could see that we weren’t alone. Two “guards” who were twice Balthazar’s massive size stood behind Eli with their arms folded across their broad chests. Eli had no idea they were there. I hadn’t either until then, and I wondered how long they had been following us.

“Come in, Eli. We’re losing time,” Balthazar said, and I nodded in agreement.

If there was any chance that we were getting out of here alive and reuniting with Addie, we needed to go along with whatever Balthazar had in mind. I pleaded with Eli with my eyes, lips pursed tight, and he finally took a step inside. Balthazar gave an almost imperceptible nod to the guards, and they retreated, leaving the door ajar--a good sign, I thought. Eli took a quick glimpse behind him and almost appeared to jump at the shock of seeing the enormous men who had been silently flanking his shoulders.

“I’m sorry about that. I tend to forget how fragile you humans are,” he said smiling. “It’s just that we have so little time, and I really need to talk to you.”

“What about the goons?” Eli asked, nodding his head to the location where the guards had once stood. “If you just want to talk, why are you taking so many measures to make sure we can’t escape?”

“There are things you need to know, and plans that need to go into action before you can leave here tonight,” he said casually. “Did Chaseyn ever tell you about the Soldiers of Solace?”

We both shook our heads “no” in reply--the confused look on my face urging him to continue.

“They’re a secret society of sorts. At least, they were, but they haven’t been active in more than 60 years. So we thought anyway,” Balthazar explained, his brow furrowed. “Turns out they have been operating an underground faction and recruiting new members in earnest for the past few months.”

Balthazar went on to tell us how the Soldiers of Solace had, at one time, been a force to be reckoned with in the vampire world. Originally, it consisted of a group of seven very ancient, very wise vampires who would provide a sort of mentoring service to newborns or wayward souls. Over time, they began to institute laws and policies that all vampires were expected to follow. Though they were not an official governing authority, for the most part, their rules consisted of solid logic that made good common sense to heed. For example, all vampires were expected to keep their true identity well veiled. Anyone revealing their ungodly nature to a human would be severely punished, even killed, if just cause could not be found for their actions. As well, all vampires were expected to drink only from blood banks, overpopulated wild animal species, and willing participants, which were hard to ascertain without revealing a vampire’s true nature. If someone were to “accidentally” take the life of a hardened criminal, the Soldiers would look the other way, but all other offences were met with severe sentences.

“Who enforced the ‘laws?’ Did the Soldiers do it themselves or did they hire others to do it?” Eli asked. I had been wondering the same thing.

“It was more of a group effort,” Balthazar said. “They didn’t do the dirty work themselves, but they didn’t designate anyone in particular to do it either. Instead, it was sort of an understanding amongst all vampires that if they came into information that could incriminate another vampire, they needed to take matters into their own hands and dole out the suitable punishment.”

After a few centuries in “power,” the Soldiers of Solace began abusing their leadership. They instituted laws that threatened the secrecy of their race and brought harm to vampires who had done no wrong.

“How so?” I asked.

“Well, there were factions that tried to rise up against them and put their own policies in place. Others, though they didn’t necessarily disobey the rules, they didn’t bow down to the Soldiers. The Soldiers wanted to ‘eliminate’ these vampires, and so they started asking their most faithful followers to hunt them down and destroy them.”

Eventually, the society disbanded. Each member went their separate ways, vowing never to meet again, knowing that if they did, it would be hard to resist rekindling the flame of their former governance into a hotbed of restored power. Eli and I were slack jawed with all we had learned, and we were trying to absorb the implications when Balthazar took it upon himself to connect the dots for us.

“Which brings us to the present. It’s believed that two of the founding members, Antonius and Bartholomew, recently reunited. For months, they have actively been seeking out the former members of the society in an effort to bring about a new world order.”

“But, why?” I asked.

“Because of vampires like Alexei who have been instituting their own rules for far too long. In some ways, it would be good to once again have a governing authority that could restore balance and unity to
our
kind.”

“And, on the other hand?” Eli asked.

“It could inspire a revolution, which I think is more likely the case,” Balthazar responded, reluctant to say the words out loud for fear of making them real. “For decades now, we have lived without rule--most of us in accord with the old ways, but there are some who quickly abandoned the laws and practices of the Soldiers that they would like revolt in response to a new regime forcing them to restore their old ways.”

“So, how does this affect us?” I asked.

“Alexei will need to make his move sooner rather than later,” Balthazar said coolly. “If he can turn you before the Soldiers return to power, there will be no price to pay, but turning you after the fact…let’s just say that the most severe punishments are doled out to those who force a human to become one of us against their will.”

Enlightenment glowed bright in Eli’s eyes, and I was certain mine shared the same knowing expression.

“What time is it?” I asked anxiously, knowing Addie must have returned long ago and was likely breaking into a bought of frantic hysterics. Balthazar seemed to read my mind.

“She’s fine,” he said, taking my hand in his, calming my nerves and reassuring me. “She’s all but forgotten you even exist.”

Balthazar had left strict instructions with the bar staff to keep her occupied in our absence. He had sent an inhumanly beautiful vampire boy to pay her a great deal of attention and dote of her every whim. The
boy
was using his special
charms
to keep her thoughts from lingering on us while we finished our “meeting” with Balthazar.

I breathed a sigh of relief knowing she was in good hands, but I still wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. The night had taken a bizarre turn of events, and I was anxious to get back to the hotel where I could get some rest and process all that I had learned.

“Why didn’t Chaseyn warn us?”

Eli had said the words I hadn’t wanted to think about, let alone say out loud. Why would he allow me to walk into the middle of a vampire revolution, especially one in which my life was on the line?

“He didn’t know.”

Eli and I looked to one another. How could he not know?

“It’s not common knowledge, and in fact, I would appreciate if you kept what you have learned here tonight to yourselves. I only know because I have been approached by some of the elders to help recruit new members. Of course, I have no desire to take part in such a scheme, but it is important that I appear to be in favor of the reunion. It is the only way for me to continue receiving inside information so that I can help keep you safe. You need to know so that you can be on high alert and also so that you will be more receptive to my plan.”

“Your plan,” Eli and I said in unison.

“Remember, don’t say a word to anyone outside of these walls…starting now.”

At the exact moment that he finished saying the words, another person entered the room, a girl about our age, with a sandy brown pixie cut and eyes so wide they looked like they had been propped open by toothpicks.

“Oh, my, goodness! I am so excited to finally meet you,” the girl shouted out, sheer excitement ringing in every word. “When Balty told me that I would be acting as your tour guide throughout Europe, I was just so ecstatic. You can’t even imagine!”

“No. No, I can’t,” I said sarcastically as the girl threw her arms around me in greeting.

“Oh, my,” she said, turning her attention to Eli. “Who is this tall drink of water? Balty never told me we would have such a dashing escort.”

She winked at Eli, causing a fiery blush to rise in his cheeks. Despite her boyish haircut, she was extremely feminine, and I could see how boys might find her very intriguing.

“My name’s Chip, by the way. I’ve got my bags all packed, and I’m ready to go!”

I looked at Balthazar with puzzlement. Eli simply looked…pleased.

“Well, now that you all have had a chance to meet, you should be getting on your way,” Balthazar stood up and walked toward the door, pushing Chip gently ahead of him. “Chip, I’ll just wrap things up with Lia and Eli, if you don’t mind. You can join them at the train station on Tuesday morning. If memory serves, you’ll be heading to Paris.”

I nodded my silent agreement, still too confused to find my voice. Eli was tongue-tied, as well, but for entirely different reasons. He watched with his mouth agape, enjoying the view as Chip, clad in barely there denim cut-offs and a mid-riff-bearing, tight, white tank top, exited the room.

“All I can say, boy, is if that’s what you’re into, you’re barking up the wrong tree setting your sights on me,” I said, breaking his trance.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, a crooked smile inching up one side of his mouth. “I’m a southern gentleman after all.”