Her head lifted, she went completely still as she listened to the protests of the children being roused from their beds. It was a good thing they didn’t have any babies in the orphanage right now, there would be no keeping them quiet. Another loud knock rattled the door in its frame as she snatched up her candlestick. The children were all in the hall when she stepped out of her room. The flickering candlelight illuminated their pale faces and shadowed eyes.
At only three, Agnes began to cry in Abbott’s arms. “Shh,” Abbott coaxed. “You must be quiet.”
“Get them upstairs,” Tempest urged.
Abbott nodded and with the help of eleven-year-old Nora, they hurried the children down the hall to the attic door. Tempest waited until the door closed behind them before rushing down the stairs to the front hall. Through the window in the middle of the door, she could see a lantern flame leaping and dancing outside. The tall head of a man on the other side moved before the window, but that was all she could see of whoever was out there.
“Open up!” the man shouted. His fist landing heavily upon the door again, shaking it in its frame.
“I’m coming!” she called back.
She placed the candle on the table beside the door. Taking a moment, she wiped her sweat-dampened hands on her pants and tried to steady the tremor in them before grasping the knob. She opened the door to gaze out at the three men gathered on her stoop. They turned toward her, their faces red from the wind as their eyes ran over her from head to toe. Somehow, she managed to keep her knees from knocking together when their eyes came back to hers.
What is going on? She wondered frantically. Behind the men, white cloaked figures filled the street. Shouts and cries echoed through the air as more homes were invaded. The black sky and twinkling stars were in stark contrast to the numerous torches filling the street with light.
“Do you own this house?” one of them demanded.
“No,” she replied honestly, proud that her voice didn’t waver.
The man standing in the front raked her body with his gaze a second time. The look made her wish she had ten more layers of clothes on. She managed to fight the urge to cover her breasts with her arms, but she did take a step away from him. “Then what are you doing here?”
She glanced at the sign hanging over his head, the one clearly reading Orphanage on it. “I grew up here,” she replied. “I’m watching over the place while Laverne, the woman who runs the home, is away visiting family.”
Tempest had already moved out of the orphanage, but she still helped to care for the remaining children. The couple who had lived here, and run the orphanage before Laverne had taken over, had rarely been here.
After the war, the couple had fled before the new king’s troops could arrive in town to establish order. Tempest and her friend, Pallas, had stepped in to take care of the children after they’d been abandoned. Laverne had come to town as one of the king’s peacekeepers. She’d volunteered to run the orphanage with Tempest to help introduce her to the children, and work with her after she settled in. Tempest would have taken the job on alone, but at the time, she hadn’t stopped aging and was considered too young to take on the position full-time without help.
“We’re coming in,” the man told her.
“I can’t allow that.” She’d barely gotten the words out before his hand smashed against the door and he shoved it open. The force with which he hit the door knocked Tempest off balance. She stumbled back into the hall table and almost toppled the candle over but managed to steady it in time. “Wait, you can’t…”
“We can,” the next man through the door told her. “We’ll be staying in this town for some time. All residents will have to make room for us.”
“What?” she blurted. “Is this for the king?”
He released a disgusted snort and moved aside to let the last man in. Tempest managed to keep her mouth from dropping open when her eyes latched onto the ugly vampire who stepped through the door. A jagged scar started at the edge of his close-cropped hairline; it curved to his right ear before going to his chin and winding back up toward his thin lips. His beady hazel eyes surveyed her with cool disdain. He was only a couple of inches taller than she was, but his stocky frame took up almost the entire doorway. His nose had to have been broken numerous times over the years as it now sat in a permanently crooked position.
“This is for the queen,” he told her brusquely.
Tempest glanced out the window as she recalled the woman on the horse, but what would the queen be doing here without the king? From the stories she’d heard from the local vampires and humans, they were inseparable.
“Will the king be joining her?” she inquired.
The man turned away and slammed the door shut with an air of finality. Tempest couldn’t stop herself from jumping as the rattling crash echoed through the house. Shouts and cries from the street still floated through the air, but the closing door made it feel as if the world outside had ceased to exist. All she wanted was to run as far from here as possible, but she could never leave the children alone with these men. She would never forgive herself if the kids were injured in any way.
“No,” the ugly man answered. “Show us to our rooms.”
“We have no available rooms, the children…”
“Make room!” he snapped. “Or I’ll throw you into the street, along with the children.”
Tempest’s blood ran cold; her gaze darted toward the stairwell. Screams echoed from somewhere down the street; the cries of agony made her hands shake. Without thinking, she stepped to the window and looked out to see a man and woman being dragged down the street toward the stocks outside of the prison. She’d assumed they were about to be locked into the stocks, but they were pulled past the jail and toward the blood bank. Confusion filled her when the couple was led up the stairs and taken inside the building.
They were humans, she knew them as they’d all grown more accustomed to living together after the last war. There had been some distrust on both sides of the species, and there still was a little, but the new laws the king imposed had established clear boundaries and a safer world for both races. Over the year and a half following the fall of the old king, their world had become less turbulent. They’d all learned how to work together and now socialized with each other on many occasions. They’d finally known peace…
Until now.
The ugly vampire grabbed hold of her arm, jerking her back and drawing her attention to him. “Find us rooms,” he commanded.
Her teeth clenched; it took all she had not to tell him to get out, but she had no idea what they would do to her, and more importantly the children, if she did. She didn’t see what other choice she had; there were only about five hundred residents in Badwin. She had a feeling they were about to be outnumbered.
The man gave her arm a brusque shake, “Now.” Snatching the candle up from the table, he tossed her arm away from him. Everything in her screamed to run, adrenaline coursed through her body, but somehow she managed to walk calmly up the stairs. “One room for each of us,” he called up to her. “And no children in them.”
She hesitated with her foot in the air, before continuing onward. Turning the corner, she glanced back to make sure she was out of view before rushing down the hall to the attic door. She gave it three quick raps and stepped back to wait for Abbott to open it up.
“What’s happening?” he whispered.
“Nothing good. Get the children.”
He disappeared back up the stairs. Tempest hurried into the room at the end of the hall. Gathering as much clothing as she could, she shoved it into the small hamper in the closet. The children had gathered in the doorway when she emerged from the closet, all five sets of eyes were on her.
“We must get as many of your things out of these three rooms as we can.” She pointed to the two bedrooms next to the one she stood in. “We’ll have to double up the best we can.”
None of them argued with her, she hadn’t expected them to. Bef
ore things had changed following the war, the children had little of anything and were used to going without. They spent the next ten minutes reorganizing people and rooms before everyone settled into their new places.
“All of you are to stay in your rooms,” she told them as she held the flickering candle up to reveal their wide-eyes and quivering lower lips.
“I’m coming with you,” Abbott said.
She glanced toward the stairs when she caught the sound of voices from below. Outside, the screams and shouts had quieted a little, but wails of suffering continued to pierce the night. Flickering light from the torches spilled into the windows of the orphanage. She didn’t want to look back outside again, and she definitely didn’t want the children to.
“No, stay here with the children,” she whispered before returning downstairs.
The men remained waiting for her by the door. When they lifted their heads to look at her, she knew with unfailing certainty her life had just been completely turned upside down. Things in their tranquil town would never be the same again, and not in a good way.
- CHAPTER 3 -
William stood with his hands folded before him as he watched Hannah walk down the vibrant red petals scattered through the snow. Ellen and Aria had thrown the petals down to create a makeshift aisle for the bride. Braith stood beside him; the white flakes falling around him covered his black hair and the black coat he wore. Standing beside Braith, Jack grinned from ear to ear like a child who’d been told they could have a puppy. Across the aisle from them stood Ellen, Aria, and Jack and Braith’s younger sister, Melinda.
Hannah’s chocolate hair fell down her back, the train of her white dress trailed behind her as she walked. Interwoven into the train of the dress were golden strands that glistened in the light of the fading winter sun. In her hands, she clasped a blood red bouquet of roses. Her Uncle Abe walked by her side, his arm hooked through hers and a bright smile on his lined face. Lucas walked on the other side of her, his arm also wrapped through hers.
Glancing behind him, William watched as the sun dipped beyond the horizon, making it possible for Lucas to be outside right now. The red, orange and yellow colors spreading across the sky reflected in the surface of the serene lake. He turned back as Hannah arrived at the altar they had built at the edge of the lake. Somehow he’d managed to help build the altar without breaking a single board, one more sign he was bringing his abilities under better control. Abe and Lucas released Hannah’s arms. She gave each of them a kiss on the cheek before climbing the steps to join Jack.
William folded his hands before him as they recited the vows given to them by the male officiant at the front of the altar. The officiant turned toward Braith, who handed him two silver wedding bands. The man took the rings and handed one of them to Jack, who slid it onto Hannah’s finger.
“With this ring, we are one,” he murmured.
The man turned to Hannah and handed her the ring. She slid the ring onto his finger. “With this ring, we are one,” she recited.
The small audience burst into loud applause. They rose to their feet when Jack wrapped his arm around Hannah’s waist and dragged her against his chest. Hannah’s laughter trilled through the air when he lifted her up and kissed her. William smiled and clapped with the others, but a part of him felt completely detached.
He didn’t know what was wrong with him. Jack was his best friend; this was probably the happiest day of his life, and all he could think about was slipping away from here. He kept blaming his lack of caring and emotion on his desire to get to Kane and take out the revenge he so desperately sought, but what if it was something more? What if he’d come back wrong? What if the change had altered him forever, and from here on out all he would be capable of feeling was anger and apathy?
It would be a miserable, lonely life, but that was only if he survived the battle with Kane. He glanced back at the now shadowed lake and the mountains beyond. If he still felt this way after Kane was dead, he would deal with it then. For now, he only had one goal in mind, getting out of this town without his family or friends knowing.
Daniel rested his hand on his arm, drawing his attention away from the happy couple walking down the aisle. “Now it’s time for some celebrating!” Max declared.
Lucas stepped forward to offer Ellen his arm, Braith took hold of Aria’s, and Ashby claimed Melinda, but the rest of them walked past the rows of chairs and back toward the tavern on their own. William entered the tavern behind Daniel. Candles placed into stained glass lanterns reflected the colors of pink, orange, yellow, gold and green around the light oak of the newly rebuilt, open room. The timbers running across the white ceiling were the only dark wood remaining in the tavern.
Grabbing her flute, Ellen walked over to the stage and began to play a lively tune. Jack spun a laughing Hannah into the middle of the room for the first dance. The light from the lanterns played over her white dress as they twirled across the floor. The love radiating from the couple caused their skin to glow with warmth.
William walked over to the nearest table and slid onto the chair. His fingers tapped on the table, but no matter how much he would like to escape this town, he had to smile as he watched his best friend dance with the love of his life. His gaze slid to his sister and Braith, sitting in the chair beside him. They both grinned as they watched Jack and Hannah.
It still amazed him that his sister had settled into such a life; he’d never thought she’d be one to get married. Mainly because he’d never believed anyone would be capable of handling her unruly ways. He’d never pictured Jack settling down either, he’d always enjoyed being a bachelor, but they’d both proved him wrong.
He doubted he would ever find a love like theirs and the last thing he wanted was a woman in his life, slowing it down. He had far more important matters to focus on right now.
Lifting the tankard of ale Millie delivered to him, he took a sip of it as he watched the celebrants surrounding him.
***
William swung his leg over the saddle and spurred his horse out of the stable. Stars still blinked in the sky, the moon hung heavily on the horizon as he led Achilles down the empty street. He’d almost made it to the edge of town when a figure slipped from the woods into his path. He knew it was Aria before she pulled back her hood to reveal her features.
“You weren’t going to say goodbye?” Her voice was steady, but he heard the distress and exasperation in it.
“I knew you would argue with me and try to stop me.”
“You were right. You shouldn’t go alone. Kane’s stronger than you, faster…”
“And I’m smarter.”
Her mouth pursed; she folded her arms over her chest. “Daniel, Max and Timber would all go with you if you asked them.”
“I’m not taking the chance of getting anyone hurt, and they’re human. They’ll be far more vulnerable than me.”
“You were once human too.”
“And I was killed. Now I’m a vampire.”
A muscle jumped in her cheek; her chin jutted out. He knew when she was gearing up for an argument. Turning toward the woods, she didn’t make any motion, didn’t gesture in any way, but Xavier emerged from the shadows. His mocha skin and tribal tattoos blended into the night surrounding him. His full mouth compressed into a flat line; the displeased look on his face made William glance around.
“Where’s Braith?” he demanded.
“Some of the king’s men arrived with a report of the goings on at the palace. He’s meeting with them,” Aria answered.
“Is everything ok?”
She waved her hand dismissively through the air. “I’m sure it’s fine. Gideon likes to send updates. Xavier has agreed to go with you on your journey.”
Xavier folded his heavily muscled arms over his chest and eyed William with an air of annoyance.
Not willingly. “This is something I have to do on my own,” he replied.
Aria’s hands fell to her sides; she took a step toward his horse.
“I will come with you.”
“Arianna,” Xavier said in a low, displeased tone.
She didn’t even glance back at him as her sapphire eyes stayed glued to William’s. “Two sets of eyes are always better than one,” she pressed.
William released his reins and leaned forward on his horse’s neck. “You’re the queen, Aria, you cannot come with me.”
“I don’t care who I am; family comes first.”
“Braith will hunt you down, kill me, and drag you back. Or is that what you’re hoping for?”
A small smile quirked the corner of her mouth. “Maybe not the killing you part.”
“That’s good to know.”
Kicking his feet free of the stirrups, he swung his leg over and jumped down. Her head tilted back to look at him when he rested his hands on her shoulders. A couple of years ago they were extremely similar in build. He had always been taller than her, but he’d shot up half a foot over the last few years to stand at six-foot-two. She remained lean in stature, though she’d filled out more now that she was eating better. He had put on a good fifty pounds of muscle and had become broader through his shoulders and back, as he’d gotten older. Neither of them were rail thin rug rats running wild through the forest, evading vampires, and hunting for their food anymore.
“There are some things that have to be done alone; you should be able to understand this,” he told her.
“I do, but…”
“No buts.” Bending, he pressed a kiss against her forehead. Tears shimmered in her eyes when he stepped away from her. “Don’t.” He wiped away the single chilly tear streaking her face. “I’ll come back, Aria, I promise.”
Her hands wrapped around his forearms; he expected her to protest further, but she bowed her head and stepped away. “I can find you,” she whispered. “My blood runs through you. If you don’t send word back at least once every two weeks, I will hunt you down and stab you again.”
He laughed. “I will, I promise.”
He gave her a brief hug and released her. No one was going to deter him from his plans, but he couldn’t stand the sight of his twin in pain. He hated even more he was the one causing it. Turning away, he grabbed hold of his saddle and easily swung his body onto the back of his horse again. He gathered the reins and gave Achilles a nudge in the side.