Katrina, The Beginning

  ~~~~

  Quinn:

  Entering the courtyard of the Watcher compound, I found three of my brothers - Thomas, Simon, and Avery, seated around the roaring fire. The smell of venison and red cedar firewood made my mouth water and I realized I hadn’t eaten since yesterday. I needed to take my own advice and have a meal.

  The food brought back to mind what had just happened with Katrina. My heart raced. It beat so hard, the blood rushing through my ears pounded loud enough, I felt certain everyone could hear it. I had seen something different in the way she looked at me and I was sure it wasn’t only because I had yelled at her. Was the fact I’d cut myself and let her feed directly from my wrist the reason she’d regarded me that way? After all, I had never had to hand-feed her before. Since she had not awakened until afterwards, I felt confident she couldn’t know I had given her blood from my arm, or that she had actively engaged in a direct feeding.

  I knew, of course, it was strictly forbidden for a Watcher to give blood directly, but when she fainted she was clearly in danger of dormancy, so I acted. My only thought at the time was getting fresh blood into her as quickly as possible. As my knife opened the vein on my wrist, the scent made her nostrils flare and the same instinct which has kept Vampires alive for centuries kicked in. She grabbed my arm and began to feed. The movement was so swift and powerful, I wasn’t sure I could have stopped her even if I’d wanted to.

  The feeling I had while she was feeding could only be described as euphoric, and only the sound of my brother coming up the stairs made me break the bond. I picked her up and rushed her to a side room to recover. “Break the bond.” Why had I thought of it that way? Was that it, the reason for Katrina’s look? Had that short feeding changed everything between us?

  I calmed as I began my meal. My heart rate returned to normal and I began to make a mental list of preparations to be done for the journey. I refilled my plate. The extra protein would help fortify myself as my brothers and I would be called upon for giving and storing blood for our charges. Although Baron Von Dracek would surely hunt along our journey, in the event there was no game available in the high country, the added availability of Crimson would be needed. Nothing gives strength to a Vampire like the human blood found in Crimson.

  As I sat by the fire, my oldest brother, Gunter, approached.

  “We missed you at training today,” Gunter groused at me. “Don’t let it become a habit. You don’t want to become the weak link.”

  I was the youngest of seven brothers, something the other six never let me forget.

  It was exciting to think I would now have a chance to prove myself on this journey. As Katrina’s Watcher, I was bound to protect her no matter what might happen, even if it meant giving my life for hers, something our family had done for generations.

  “Quinn.” Gunter started to pace. “Only four of us will accompany the Baron and Katrina on this trip, and I’ve decided you are too young and untried in battle to be one of the four.”

  Enraged, I jumped to my feet and pulled my sword from its scabbard, gripping it tightly at my side. I looked Gunter in the eye and through clenched teeth declared “I dare any of you to try to keep me from my duty. Katrina is my charge and if she is going, nothing will keep me from this journey, including you, Gunter. If you have any doubts, let us settle them here and now.”

  Gunter’s eyebrow rose. He gave their brothers a surprised look and slowly rose from the seat he had just taken by the fire. Looking around at the others, he shrugged. “All right, little brother, let us see what you’ve learned.”

  As I backed into the open area of the courtyard, Gunter drew his sword and we prepared to fight. The fire reflected off our blades and made them seem to jump in our hands as we circled first right and then left. Gunter lunged, his sword held high. Although tired and weak moments before, I was now invigorated by my anger at the thought my brothers would try to leave me behind.

  I countered Gunter’s move, our swords sparking once, then twice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw servants and my brothers gathering around us while guards yelled encouragement from above.

  “That’s it, lad, don’t let Gunter push you about!”

  Gunter was strong, but I was fast which offset his extra years of training. I had always been a quick study, and as a child, even before I was allowed to train with my brothers, Katrina and I been constant observers and had mirrored their training moves over and over again as they fought their mock battles. Although Gunter had trained each of us, it had been years since we’d sparred and his eyes now reflected surprise at my proficiency and at something in me he hadn’t seen before - pure rage. As adrenalin coursed through my body, I grew stronger, quicker, and more alert with every movement as we fought our way across the compound. Then Gunter made a mistake, and I seized my chance. He lunged, and I easily jumped aside. As he whirled by me, I whacked him soundly on the back of the head with the hilt of my sword.

  Gunter grunted, turned and swung. I ducked his blow. Too late Gunter realized his mistake; his momentum had brought him closer than he wanted. With the newfound power of my anger, I pulled the fingers of my free hand into a tight fist and pounded it into his gut. The strike was hard enough to lift Gunter off his feet and send him with a thud to land on his backside in the dirt.

  He gasped for air and raised his shock-filled eyes to meet mine. I backed away and the now crowded courtyard erupted in cheers and laughter.

  “I guess your little brother showed you a thing or two, Gunter,” a guard shouted from above.

  Gunter had risen but was bent over, his hands on his knees. He raised his head, and yelled, “Don’t you all have work to do? Be gone, morning comes quickly!”

  Still breathing hard, I remained in attack stance, ready to continue if I must. The adrenalin still rushing through me would enable me to take on all of my brothers, one-by-one if needed. I would not be denied. The coming journey was my destiny; I felt this now more than ever.

  Günter groaned as he retrieved his sword and shot me a look as returned it to its scabbard.

  “Well, little brother, you’ve learned well and I have obviously misjudged your skill. You have earned the right to join us. So it will be the two of us, plus Thomas and Simon on this journey. Be ready, we leave before dawn.”