Hello,
I hope you all had a great Easter holiday? Here is the next part of my New Adult Gothic Victorian Vampire Romance. Lord Valancourt rescues a helpless young woman bound for sacrifice as he hurries to save his Queen!
I hope you are enjoying the last chapters of the story. Please let me know! :)
Happy Reading!
Sara
Knight of Swords
The demons finished
their chant. Their forms seemed to shimmer as the room filled with the
loud hissing of snakes. The black silk cloaks fell away to the floor
revealing four giant, red Cobras. They slithered closer to the table
towards a sobbing Juliet. Their forked tongues slid out at her as though
she were a delicious meal they could not wait to consume. She
watched to see which of them would strike first. But their onslaught of
vicious biting was a unified act.
One bit into her
throat, another to the top of her breast. One made his entry close to the
wound Sebastian had inflicted in her stomach, the last in her thigh. Her
whole body arched into the air, and she screamed, just as I had seen her do in
her mind. Her agony and distress were too much to bear. I lost
consciousness and fell from my horse, whispering her name.
I woke with a
start. I found myself face down in the snow. Gabriel and Jason had
dismounted their horses, rushing to my aid. I lifted my face from its
cold prison. Immediately, I remembered Juliet’s torture and quickly sat
up. I put my hand to my spinning head, attempting to access the vision
once more. Nothing. Juliet’s mind was closed tight. She was
trying to shield me again. My anguish at the pain she was suffering was
unbearable. I looked up at Gabriel and Jason. My temper rose when
my gaze made contact with Gabriel’s eyes.
‘I saw what they
did to her.’ I felt my eyes narrow suspiciously at him as I narrated my
vision. ‘You didn’t tell me they were snakes. They are
monsters. The pain and terror she is suffering . . . they will all die
for it. Did you already know that Sebastian was really a female
hybrid? Or about her relationship to Juliet?’
‘Sebastian’s
psychic gifts were too vast for a male, but I couldn’t be sure.’
‘Until Juliet found
out for you,’ I snapped at him, jumping to my feet to brush the snow from my
coat. ‘Is that another reason you wanted to possess Juliet, so you could
use her as bait for Sebastian? She would have made his capture easy for
you.’
Gabriel was
uncomfortable, angrily so. He looked me in the eye and spoke eloquently,
but I could see the flicker of wariness in his eyes. ‘That’s a
falsehood. I would never endanger our Queen like that. It would
have served no purpose to tell you about the demons other than to further fire
your anger and cause you to lose your focus.’
I moved closer to
him until we were almost touching. I ignored his comment about the
demons, sensing guilt in his mind. ‘That’s why you riled Juliet in her
dreamscape. You already knew her nature. You knew Juliet would go
to Sebastian to rescue the women, just to prove her strength and
independence. In time she would confirm Sebastian’s identity. You
believed her strong enough to endure the pain he would put her through.
It was a calculated risk. What was next in the plan? Riding to her
rescue to take her for yourself?’
‘That’s a damned
lie, Nathan.’
‘You’ve been
watching her since she was born, since her name and royal lineage appeared in
the Book of Talus. The book Sebastian stole from you. I can read
your thoughts now, your guard has dropped with the heavy weight of the guilt
praying on your mind. You have endangered the life of our Queen.
You should be executed for your treason.’
‘Someone had to do
something to stop Sebastian from enslaving and murdering the female
hybrids. Our race is dying at his hands . . . We are desperate for
mates. It is not in our nature to live alone.’ Gabriel shouted
angrily at me as though I should understand his motives. It only served
to fuel my temper.
‘Draw your
sword. I would rather kill you in combat than execution. I want you
to suffer . . .’
‘We haven’t got
time for this, Nathan.’ Gabriel had recovered his composure. ‘We
can quarrel later,’ he said firmly, putting out his hand to halt my movement.
‘We will make the
time.’
I pushed him
backwards, hard. But he kept his balance as I reached for my sword.
His eyes flashed black indicating his readiness for a fight. I started
towards him, but I felt two heavy hands thud against my chest drawing me to an
abrupt halt. Dylan Lysander was obstructing my path.
‘Gabriel is
right. We haven’t got time for this. Our Queen needs us.
Gabriel will pay for his misconduct when she is safe.’
‘Out of my way.’
The amber in
Dylan’s eyes implored me to see sense. But my anger and frustration were
acute. I could not erase the image of Juliet’s screaming body as it was
bitten by the snakes. It was imprinted on my mind. She suffered
because of Gabriel. I needed to fight, but reason condemned it. My
will warred with reason.
Dylan’s voice was
calm, yet there was a nervousness in his eyes. He glanced at Gabriel with
marked contempt, then back to me. A friend of Gabriel’s, his eyes were
suddenly laden with betrayal.
‘I know you want to
hit something. We all do, but for you it is worse. Your emotions
are running high because you are not yet joined to Juliet. Challengers
threaten you at every turn. She has been abducted and tortured on account
of someone whom you entrusted with her life. You feel betrayed, we all
do.’
I pushed against
him in my struggle to reach Gabriel. He caught the tops of my arms in a
firm grip to stop me. It was a struggle for him to hold me in position,
but he did not give up. He shouted at me as the others watched from their
horses.
‘You must see a
fight with Gabriel is futile. You must conserve your energy for our
Queen’s rescue. Do not lose control of your sanity now. You are the
Knight of Swords, our leader, compose yourself. Lead us, or someone else
will do it for you. You will have let down Juliet, just as Gabriel has
done.’
Jason called out,
‘He is right, Nathan. The Queen must come first. Gabriel should be
dealt with later.’
The rest of my men
murmured their approval, calling for me to lead them on.
My eyes narrowed
sharply at Dylan as he glared back at me, courageously defiant. His words
filtered through my burning anger. I stopped pushing against his
hands. Taking a step back, I issued a command.
‘Mount your
horses. We will continue this at a later date, Gabriel. I have not
finished with you.’
He nodded
respectfully and turned to his horse.
I moved away to my
own horse. Once astride the animal I leaned over to Jason. ‘Watch
him. Do not let him out of your sight.’ Jason obeyed my order,
dropping back in our group. He pulled up beside Gabriel who now rode at
the rear, away from the angry stares of my men. At my request, Dylan took
his place alongside me at the front.
We were an army of
thirty men, including myself. As we rode on towards the sand dunes that
led to Tristone Bay, I felt we would soon be engaged in combat. We were
too close now. Sebastian’s men would surely attempt to prevent us
reaching the site of the Druid altar in the caves at any cost.
I felt adrenaline surge
through my blood. My appetite for a fight was overwhelming, heightened by
Gabriel’s treachery. I needed to strike out at the enemy. Without
any further delay, I had to begin our confrontation.
We travelled up and
over the dunes and down onto the long sands of the bay, emerging from the mist
like dark, ethereal phantoms. The tide was out a fair distance, visible
through the blue and grey tinged haze that haunted the pale surface of the
beach. Our horses thundered along. I felt sand spray against my
face as the horses kicked up the fine grains between their hooves. My
exhilaration was at its height. I felt sure of glory.
Up ahead, I saw a
hearse descend a wooden ramp leading onto the beach from a small gulley between
the dunes. The coachman wore funeral garb and served as a frightening
spectacle as he cracked his whip high. He cracked it again with brutal
force at the sleek, black horses, and the carriage raced along the beach
towards the caves. It was being driven at a dangerous pace, almost tipping
over as a wheel caught momentarily in the sand. There was a coffin
inside. Juliet. I prayed it was her, but my sensitive
hearing picked up a frantic heartbeat.
I reached out to
the mind of the individual trapped in the coffin. It was a terrified
young woman. She was bound, gagged, and semi-naked. She was to be
part of the ritual, offered as a human sacrifice to the gods for the joining of
Sebastian and Juliet. Disappointment threatened to crush me.
No doubt the young
woman was meant as a distraction, a way to slow me down while Sebastian took
Juliet to the cliffs at the far end of the beach. Gabriel had told us of
a hidden maze of caves, extending deep within the rock face. But he did
not know to which cave Juliet would be taken. By the time I found her, I
feared the ritual would be complete.
Despite my urgency,
I would not let another woman be murdered by Sebastian. I would not
forgive myself if this young woman died. Neither would Juliet if I did
not try to help. I needed to move fast.
I had just
indicated to Dylan my intention to free the girl from the coffin when a large
group of men appeared on the ramp. They turned towards us clearly intent
on violence. I sensed they were hybrids, determined to prevent us from
reaching the carriage and the caves. I rode hard and fast towards them
with my knights, unsheathing my sword. I brandished my weapon elegantly
in my hand, amazed how it felt so natural to hold and use. I held it
aloft as I approached the traitor hybrids rushing towards, their own weapons
ready.
As our two armies
met, I swung my sword in a perfect arc. The blade cut down against the
vulnerable neck of one of the hybrids, severing his head from his
shoulders. It rolled down to be kicked underfoot by his horse that
journeyed on, its rider now a headless corpse.
I felt the
blackness in my eyes, felt the feral beast rejoice in command of my soul as I
took on my next opponent. I defended myself as he aimed a slash of his
blade at my throat. We clashed, each pushing our sword against the
other. Another hybrid rode at me, his weapon raised high. My teeth
clenched as I increased my pressure against the man, conscious that I needed to
remove his threat so I may deal with the other that approached me.
Had my heart still
lived it would surely have burst with the surge of adrenaline pulsing around my
veins. My eyes flicked back and forth from one opponent to the
other. With a more concerted effort, I pushed back at the man seated on
his horse, but he was a large man with much weight behind him. He refused
to yield. I stole a glance ahead at the hearse as it moved further away,
and another back at the onrushing rider with his sword ready to strike. I
had to make a move before my head was taken. But what to do?
The solution was
given to me. Byron Lysander appeared from nowhere, cleanly beheading the
approaching hybrid.
I nodded at him,
still struggling with the heavy man. Byron laughed, ‘My pleasure. I
love a good fight. So glad I could join the party.’ He lifted his
sword to engage another hybrid.
I needed to get to
the carriage. I kicked at my horse’s flank, then twisted my left knee
into its shoulder. The horse responded, turning sharply to the right,
giving me the leverage I needed to unbalance my opponent. He reeled backwards.
With a final sharp shove, he fell sideways from his horse. I slapped the
animal’s rump. The horse ran off leaving the man unshielded from
me.
He was attempting
to stand, dazed. He saw me circling towards him on my horse and reached
for his sword that lay on the ground beside him. I quickly leaned to
place my blade at his throat. He froze still, then dropped his
weapon. He put his shaking hand out, begging me to stop.
‘No, please.
I don’t want to
die.’
There was real fear
in his eyes. But I could feel no sympathy for his plight.
‘Why should I spare
the life of a traitor to our Queen and our people? The penalty is
death. I do not bestow mercy upon those guilty of treason.’
His eyes widened
with horror as I raised my sword. I brought it crashing down upon the
side of his neck, severing his meaty head from his shoulders. It left me
with a surge of satisfaction.
Byron was close by
my side once more.
‘I need to get to
the hearse,’ I told him.
Byron
grinned. ‘Understood. Dylan and I will clear a path for you.’
The brothers took
great glee in fending off the hybrids that came in my direction so I could
concentrate on the business at hand; rescuing the girl. It seemed to be
effortless to them. I couldn’t help wondering in what past encounters
they had gained such effective skill.
I sheathed my sword
and lowered my head so that I could ride more effectively. I left the
battle behind to pursue the hearse. It was nearing the end of the long
beach, close to reaching the caves. I was running out of time.
My horse did not
let me down. We caught up and pulled alongside the front of the
carriage. The coachman’s nose and mouth were covered by a black scarf to
hide his identity. His eyes glared at me as I made to reach for
him. He cracked his whip at the horses. The hearse lurched forward
in a futile attempt to escape. I caught hold of the seat and pulled
myself across. For a brief moment my body dangled precariously over the
side as the carriage swayed under my weight. I thought I may drop to
become trampled under the wheels. Using my strength, I managed to pull
myself up before the coachman could attack me.
The man aimed the
whip at me, but I ducked to avoid its lash. I stood up on the seat to
tackle him. He was human, easy to overcome. I dug my sharp incisors
swiftly into his throat, ripping it away. I tossed his dead body over the
side and picked up the reins, forcing the horses to slow. We came to a
hurried stop just before we hit the rocks at the end of the bay.
I wiped the blood
from my mouth, wishing I had more time to savour it. I was hungry after
the fight. Jumping down, I hurried to the back of the hearse to free the
girl from the coffin. Byron, Dylan, and the others raced towards me on
horseback, the hybrid army successfully dealt with. I pulled the coffin
out to rest it on the sand and levered the lid off the mahogany casket to
reveal the sobbing, hysterical girl inside.
I slipped one hand
under her head of golden curls and the other under her back, gently lifting her
up. At first she railed against me for her life, but I could only feel
relief that I had saved her from Sebastian’s repulsive touch and murder.
I quickly undid her bonds to pull her into my arms, holding her tightly in the
hope of giving her comfort. Her fists beat against me as she cried into
my shoulder. I hushed her with gentle words of reassurance that she was
now safe as I guided her out of the coffin. Barely clothed, she was
shivering in the chilly air. I removed my coat to place it around
her. It swamped her slight body, serving to heighten her
vulnerability. She slumped against me, the fright of her ordeal taking
its toll. I swept the half fainting girl up into my arms as I waited for
Dylan to bring his horse to a halt in front of me.
I looked down at
the girl who could not have been more than twenty. Her countenance was
pretty and alluring. She was just the sort of young woman I would have
chased and taken to bed once upon a time back in London. Now the
only woman I wanted in my bed and by my side was my beautiful Juliet.
I found my eyes
drawn to the girl’s slender, pale throat. Her head was thrown back over
my arm in her fainting spell, displaying its fragility to full affect. I
moistened my lips with my tongue watching her tiny pulse beat as her blood
called to me like a siren. It was a while since I had last taken a
satisfying amount of blood, and the hearse driver had whetted my
appetite. I needed to feed. I fought the craving hard, but could
not tear my eyes from her throat. I would be damned if I would use her in
so bad a fashion. I was not Sebastian. I would not cause her any
further distress.
‘Hungry?’ Dylan
said to me. I turned, startled to find him on his horse in front of
me. He was grinning, raising his eyebrows with amusement at the guilty
look on my face that betrayed my thoughts. ‘What a tasty morsel you have
there. I fed already. Why don’t I take her from you before you do
something you will regret?’
I nodded with
relief as he dismounted. I handed the girl to him.
‘I will give her to
one of the men. He will take her to safety. I want to be in this
battle with Sebastian,’ he informed me.
‘Good. I
would like to have you at my side.’
He appeared
surprised at my compliment, but pleased. He nodded, handing the girl to
his man.
I turned towards
the rocks. The entrance to the caves loomed just beyond them, dark and
foreboding. The cliffs towered above. Dylan, Jason, and Gabriel
came to stand beside me.
