The woods and caves outside of the palace, that had always been his home, were different now. They were familiar and foreign all at the same time. Places he’d always known and spent so much time in, were far more elaborate than he’d ever realized. He’d become more accustomed to it, but it felt weird trying to adjust to a world that had always been one way, but wasn’t anymore.
It had been worse in the palace; a place he wasn’t familiar with at all. He felt like a fish out of water when inside it. He didn’t know how Aria handled all the people and the walls; the confinement had been the worst part of it all. There was no way to escape when they were constantly pressing against him and keeping him penned in. After a month inside of the palace, he’d moved back to the woods, unable to take the feeling of imprisonment anymore.
He knew it wasn’t the palace, or the walls he couldn’t take, it was the resentment festering within him he couldn’t escape. His newly acquired vampire strength hadn’t been the only reason he’d been destroying bows, boards, and pretty much anything he could get his hands on for the first three months. It was the rage he felt inside that caused him to destroy things around him whenever he recalled his last moments on earth as a human.
His fangs pricked and slid free at the memory of being stabbed through the back. He poked at the edges of them with his tongue, took a deep breath he didn’t need anymore, but sometimes he still fell back into the habit. He forced himself to rein his pointed canines back in.
Aria grabbed hold of her hood and pulled it over her head. The cool air brushed over his face and hands, but he didn’t feel it as acutely as he had when he’d been human. His fingers didn’t tingle; he could still feel his nose, and though his toes were cold, they didn’t hurt when he curled them within his boots.
Walking toward the deer, he pressed his foot against its chest and pulled the arrow free. Daniel and Max emerged from the trees. Years of living and hiding from vampires within the forest had made them exceptionally silent and agile for humans. He barely heard their footfalls on the snow as they walked toward where William stood. Amongst the trees, he spotted Xavier, Aria’s bodyguard and friend, keeping watch.
“Good-sized deer,” Daniel commented.
“Hannah will be happy with it,” Max said.
“She will,” William agreed.
He bent down, lifted the stag, and easily slung it around his shoulders. They’d all recently returned to Chippman to join Jack and Hannah for their upcoming marriage. Everyone else had come for the wedding; he’d come with the purpose of starting his search for Kane.
He’d waited enough time to begin his hunt for Kane, and he’d gotten good enough with a bow and arrow again, better than he’d ever been as a human and certainly faster. As an older vampire, Kane was stronger than he was, but he’d spent the past five months preparing to take on the man who had killed him.
He ran every day, had learned more hand-to-hand combat moves and practiced with his bow and arrows three hours a day. He’d also improved his knife and stake throwing skills considerably. After Aria had been locked within the dungeon of the palace, he’d begun to teach himself how to pick locks. It was something he’d practiced far more often over these past months. He refused not to be prepared for every instance that could come up while on his hunt.
The crossbow he always wore tied to his waist bounced reassuringly against his thigh, as he walked back through the woods with the others. The bolts were strapped to his waist opposite the crossbow. He may not be able to breathe fresh air anymore, but the woods were where he belonged, and he relished the clean air brushing over his face. The snow crunched beneath his feet and slid midway up his fur-lined boots. The subtle breeze carried with it the scent of the nearby lake, ice, and burning wood from the chimneys within the town.
“How do you stand spending so much time inside of that palace?” he asked Aria.
She glanced at him, her dark eyebrows arching up. “Because I have to.” He stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate as they continued through the snow-covered forest. “I can do good there, I am doing good there, and Braith gets me out often enough that I don’t go insane.” The smile at the mention of her husband made William roll his eyes. “We’re not people who do well inside.”
He shifted his hold on the stag. “We’re uncivilized.”
Aria laughed and Daniel snorted. “Speak for yourself,” his older brother said as he ran a hand through his wheat blond hair. His blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight filtering through the trees. “I actually like it in the palace.”
“You like the artwork,” Max replied.
“I do,” Daniel confirmed. “There’s so much of it, who wouldn’t love it all?”
“Me,” William murmured.
Aria pushed against his arm. “You’re such a cranky vampire.” William shot her a disgruntled look. “You don’t have to live there, but you better visit us, often.”
She tried to hide it, but he heard the uneasiness in her voice. Grabbing the deer’s legs, he balanced it on his shoulders as he squeezed her arm. “All the time.”
She gave him a half-hearted smile but her crystalline blue eyes remained troubled. He released her arm and let his own fall back to his side. The small town of Chippman came into view as they emerged from the woods. His eyes went to the freshly rebuilt tavern Hannah owned with her family. They’d finished the construction on the tavern and reopened it before he’d decided to return to the palace.
Hannah and Jack had originally planned to marry as soon as the tavern was rebuilt, but Braith had been called back to the palace before the build was complete and the ceremony could take place. When Hannah decided she didn’t want to have the wedding without Jack’s brother and sister present, William had made the decision to take some advice and training from Aria; no matter how much he hated to admit, he needed it.
Unexpectedly, even given the fact that Aria had no one to help her with her own transition, his twin had been a far better teacher than he’d believed she could be. He hated to have to rely on anyone, but he didn’t know how he would have made it through all of the changes without her. He took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. She infuriated him, annoyed him, and terrified him with her ability to be as reckless as he was, but she’d always stood by his side no matter what.
He’d been murdered. He had become one of the creatures he’d spent most of his life hating, and he’d been taking his frustration out on everyone around him. Especially his sister because he knew she would take it and love him anyway.
It would take him a while to fully adjust to his new life, but he often questioned if he would ever completely go back to the man he’d been before. He’d always been ruthless and determined, but the continued anger within him was something new. He welcomed it to help drive him through what had to be done with Kane, but he also didn’t know how to deal with it.
He kept telling himself it would get better; he would laugh and smile again with ease when he finally got his revenge and put Kane in the ground. Just the idea of it caused a smile to curve his mouth. He was going to thoroughly enjoy destroying the man, as soon as he found him. He refused to think there might be a chance he wouldn’t find Kane; he would find him if it was the last thing he ever did.
Max opened the backdoor of the tavern and stepped into the kitchen warmed by the wood burning stove and the fire burning beneath a pot of venison stew. The heat of the kitchen slid over him, warming his chilled skin. He clapped his hands together and blew on them as he stomped his feet on the mat. Ellen looked up from the pot of stew she stirred; her brown eyes widened on the deer wrapped around his shoulders. Her pale blonde hair dangled in a braid over her shoulder.
“Brought dinner,” William said and plopped the deer on the counter.
“So you did,” she replied as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel.
Lucas strolled in through the door leading out to the main part of the tavern; he froze when his russet colored eyes landed on the deer. His light brown hair had grown ove
r the last few months; it hung down around his ears to the collar of his faded green shirt. “It’s usually easier if they’re gutted outside,” Lucas told him.
“I was never one for easy,” William replied.
“That’s not what I heard,” Max retorted.
“Ugh,” Aria groaned, she rolled her eyes before kicking him in the shin.
“Ow!” Max yelped. He hopped up and down as he grabbed hold of his shin. His sandy blond hair flopped around his face with his movements. The laughter around him drowned out his cries of pain. Max’s blue eyes narrowed on Aria. “You used vamp strength on me!”
“You deserved it,” Aria replied and threw back her hood. “And I kept myself restrained.”
Max glowered at her when he stopped hopping around the room. “No one should turn a redhead into a vampire,” he muttered. “Temperamental woman.”
Aria smiled sweetly at him in return, William shook his head as he ran a hand through his own dark auburn hair. “I’ll take it outside,” he offered.
He lifted the deer up again and turned toward the door. Large snowflakes had begun to lazily spiral down from the sky when he reemerged into the early February day. The flakes stuck to his lashes as he glanced up at the slate gray sky. It felt like little beads of ice falling against his hypersensitive skin, but it didn’t cause him to shiver. As a human he would have been covered in furs, now he only wore his flaxen shirt and pants beneath his thick wool coat. The fur-lined hood of the coat bounced against his back as he worked to hang the deer from the hooks in the shed outside.
The smell of its blood pricked his hunger, causing his fangs to lengthen. He’d gotten more adept at controlling his cravings, but he’d have to make a trip to the blood bank later. The blood drinking was still his least favorite part about being a vampire; he couldn’t quite get used to the cloying way it felt sliding down his throat. He disliked that he enjoyed the taste of it so much, that he craved the warmth of it, and now had to have it to survive.
He hadn’t become a monster; he now knew all vampires weren’t monsters. However, he couldn’t help but feel like one when he consumed blood, even if it wasn’t from a person, and he hadn’t harmed anyone in order to get it. It didn’t matter he’d never fed from a person before, and most likely never would, he couldn’t shake the feeling it was wrong to use a human in such a way.
Stomping the snow from his boots, he stepped back into the kitchen. Ellen glanced up and smiled at him. He nodded to her before making his way into the main room. Their friend Timber, whose massive frame dwarfed the chair he sat in, had joined Max, Daniel, Xavier and Aria at a table.
To this day, Timber was still the largest man he’d ever seen. His head nearly hit the ceiling when he stood in the tavern; his thighs were the size of most men’s chests. His brown hair fell past his shoulders and his brown eyes shone in the glow of the lanterns filling the room. His nose had been broken so many times over the years it had a perpetual turn to it and a bump in the middle.
William shrugged off his coat as he made his way over to them. He was almost to the table when the front door swung open. A swirl of cold air and snowflakes swept through the room, blowing out some of the candles on the tables closest to the door. Braith and Jack wiped their feet on the mat before they stepped inside. Aria’s face lit up; she rose to her feet when Braith started walking toward her.
Turning away, William slid into his chair and tipped it back to lean against the wall. He stretched his legs out before him and ordered an ale from Millie when she arrived at his side. Jack settled into the chair across from him. His black, brown and gold hair was damp from the snow and curled about his face. The candlelight lit his gray eyes and caused orange flames to flicker within them.
“Wedding plans all done?” William inquired of him as Millie placed his tankard of ale down.
“I think so,” Jack mumbled. “But every time I think they are, something new arises.”
“It could be worse,” Aria said. Braith sat in the chair beside Jack; he pulled Aria into his lap and held her against his chest. “You could be getting married in the palace, with everyone watching you.”
“You’re right, that would be much worse,” Jack agreed. He ran a hand through his hair and took hold of the mug placed beside him.
The weather had kept many of the regular patrons at home; few felt up to braving the elements to come into the tavern for a warm meal. William barely heard what the others said as they talked until the moon was high in the sky. Long after the tavern had closed for the night, and everyone else had gone to bed, William remained sitting at the table in the quiet dining room.
The alcohol seeping into his system did little to ease the fury festering inside him ever since Kane had ended his natural life. He could still feel the warmth of his own blood pooling around him and seeping into the ground. He could vividly recall the feeling of helplessness that filled him as he lay dying.
His hand wrapped around the wooden tankard of ale while he watched the dying flames within the fireplace. As soon as this wedding was over, he’d set out to find Kane. The first place he planned to look for him was the mountains.
Somewhere out there was the vampire who had killed him, and he was going to do everything he could to find him and destroy him.
- CHAPTER 2 -
The shouts resounding down the street pierced the night and pulled her from her sleep. Blinking in confusion, Tempest stared at the wall across from her as she tried to figure out what was going on. More shouts filled the street outside of her window. The last remnants of sleep slid away from her, leaving her troubled as she stared at the shadows the candle cast on the wall.
She’d lived in the town of Badwin her entire life, never once had she been roused from sleep in the middle of the night by yelling. Not even when the new king’s war had been going on had there been such commotion on the road.
Light, from what she assumed were torches, bounced across the wall, drowning out the candle’s flame and chasing away some of the shadows. Rolling over, she tossed aside her blankets and rose to her feet. The worn floor rug muffled her steps, her nightgown brushed against her ankles as she walked.
She didn’t bother to grab the half-burned candle on her nightstand; she didn’t want anyone to know she approached the window. Chilly air had found its way through the multiple cracks around the window; it flowed over her skin as she cautiously approached the old, warped frame. Goosebumps broke out on her flesh, but she ignored them as she peered out.
Beneath her, on the snow-covered street a dozen horses and men had gathered. All of them wore white cloaks and had their hoods pulled up against the wintry air. The animals pranced back and forth restlessly. The breath pluming from their nostrils coiled in thick waves toward the sky. Their hooves kicked up snow around them as the group of riders tried to keep the animals steady.
She frowned at them before glancing around her sleepy town. She hadn’t been the only one awakened by the commotion; candles and lanterns flickered to life in the houses lining the roads. One of the horses spun around completely to face the road leading into town, drawing her attention back to the group gathered in the road.
She watched as a woman rode a horse down the road toward the group. The woman sat in the saddle with more men closely flanking her on both sides. She couldn’t make out any details about the woman; the hood pulled over her head obscured her face and hair. The only reason she knew it was a woman was because of the indigo dress she wore and the sidesaddle she used.
The new arrivals rode beneath her window and continued toward the hotel at the end. They dismounted, then tied their lines to the hitching post outside the building. Before they could enter the hotel, another group of riders, nearly double the original number, pounded down the street toward them.
“What is going on, Tempest?”
“Shh,” she whispered still facing the window with her back to Abbott.
The sound made by the soft pad of his feet walking toward her preceded his arrival at
her side. At fifteen, he was already taller than her five-foot-eight frame. He had started to broaden out this year, his shoulders far larger and wider than her slender frame. In the glass of the window, his green eyes sparkled in the light. His black hair tumbled around his face as he rubbed at his sleep filled eyes. His coloring was a stark contrast to her silvery blonde hair and brown eyes.
His shoulder brushed against hers as more horses emerged from the snowy night to race down the street. “Who are they?” Abbott whispered.
“I don’t know,” she murmured.
The number of riders swelled to well over two hundred in a matter of minutes. Her attention turned in the other direction as more riders materialized at the other end of the road. She couldn’t be certain, but it looked like they were trying to block the road off. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach when she saw more figures emerging through the night. Not all of them rode horses; some of them were on foot. Tempest looked at the hotel again. The building was one of the biggest in town, but it would never be able to hold the numbers of white cloaked figures arriving in their town.
Then the vampires standing directly before the hotel began to fan out, moving down the road toward the houses lining the street. She watched as the men and women moving down the road began to knock on the doors of the homes. Few doors opened immediately, some of them tried to close again, but they were shoved back open.
Her hands began to tremble while she watched the vampires barge their way into the homes. The chill from the drafty window was nothing compared to the chill running down her spine.
“Get the children into the attic,” she hissed to Abbott before spinning away from the window. “I’ll try and stall them when they get here.”
She grabbed hold of her wool pants laying on the trunk where she’d left them and tugged them on as Abbott rushed from the room. Flinging the trunk open, she dug out a sweater and pulled it on over her nightgown as a loud knock echoed through the hall below. Grabbing a ribbon, she hastily tied her hair into a loose ponytail that fell to beneath her shoulders.