Helena saw the jewel and stopped trying to pull him toward her. She held him away from her. No longer attempting to bite him, she quickly grabbed him around the throat while letting go of his hair. He tightly gripped her wrist. She held him at arm's length and looked him in the eyes.
She smiled and pulled him close to her, putting her lips to his ear. "I might not be able to bite you," she whispered, "but there are other ways to deal with you."
His eyes widened as she pushed him back with all her strength and cackled with glee. Over her shoulder, Ethan could see out into the hallway. He thought he saw Victoria appear in the doorway just as Helena threw him backward. He expected to hit the wall, but instead smashed through a large window and felt himself fall to the ground below.
What happened in an instant felt like an eternity. He saw Helena laughing as she watched him fly backward. He heard Calmet launch an attack on the other female. He thought he heard a beautifully familiar voice call his name. He closed his eyes as he braced for impact.
Ethan landed on his back on a large pile of hay.
The landing was hard enough to knock the wind out of him, and he was sure it was his last breath. As he stared up at the stars in disbelief, realizing he was still alive, he took in a deep breath and couldn’t help but laugh at his luck.
Ethan rolled down the pile of hay and brushed himself off. He blinked several times. How could he have survived? He looked back up the side of the castle at the shattered window several stories up. Did they think he was dead? Were they coming after him? He knew he had to get back. Calmet was alone. Ethan was alone. They were both vulnerable.
He walked around the edge of the castle wall and debated how to get back in. He looked at the front door, but decided against going that way because it was too exposed and they most likely would be able to hear him. He wouldn't stand a chance. He surveyed the courtyard. A stone stairway by the entry gate led to the castle's outer wall. He followed the wall and saw that it only provided a barrier for the front and the sides of the castle. As the wall rounded the back of the castle, it joined with the castle itself and one could enter the castle by means of a small door. Where the small door led, Ethan had no idea, but he thought it would be better than waltzing right in the front.
Ethan passed by the tethered horses as he fled up the steps. After a few yards, an enclosed guard tower blocked his path. He tried the door, which was unlocked. In the moonlight, he could see the door on the other side. He ran through, leaving the entry door open. When he opened the other door, he was no longer alone on the parapet.
"Ethan!" Victoria exclaimed. "You resilient fool! Now is your chance. Leave this place. I will tell them you died in the fall and I took care of your body so they couldn't desecrate it. Please, Ethan, leave. Live!" In a burst of emotion, she grabbed his hand without thinking. He recoiled at her touch.
"Leave me be, woman!" he yelled, pushing past her, still heading for the castle door.
"How many more times will you be able to tempt fate?" she asked, following him. "The medallion only gives you so much protection."
"Is that what causes you to continue haunting me?" he asked, turning and staring her in the face. "Is this binding you to me in some supernatural way?" She did not answer; she did not know. "Because if it is," he said, yanking the medallion and chain from his neck and holding it out to her, "I don't want it."
She was completely aghast. "Ethan," she softly said. "It was a gift."
"I don't want it!" he yelled. "Now take it."
"Ethan," she said calmly. "Please, just keep it. I only want to help you." She knew if she took it back, he most certainly would die. She could not bear the thought of him dying so needlessly.
He saw the loving concern that swept across her face. She seemed so sincere. For a moment, his own countenance softened as he looked at her. He wanted to believe her, but how could he? She was one of them. He hardened his gaze and held his hand that was holding the amulet out over the side of the castle wall, over the ravine.
They both stared at each other – she in disbelief, he debating with himself if he was actually going to go through with it. His desire to be rid of her tormenting love won out. He took a deep breath and in one movement opened his hand.
"No!" she screamed as she ran to the edge of the wall. She leaned as far out over the wall as possible without falling. She stretched out her arm and fingers as far as she could. The amulet fell just beyond her grasp.
She watched as the medallion fell, and fell, and fell into the darkness beyond, into a blackness even she could not see into. It took only a moment, but she felt as though time had stopped. She could not hear when it hit the bottom, but she could feel it deep inside when it slammed into the ground below. As she pulled herself back over the wall, she cried out in anguish.
Ethan stepped back and turned his face away from her. He was near to tears himself. He felt sick. The pain he had just caused her was too great. He knew now he had hurt her completely, and it felt horrible. He wished he could take it back. He would rather have felt the pain of being haunted by her for all of eternity rather than live with the pain he had now caused her.
"Victoria," he said as he turned back to her. The sound of his voice called her back and raised her head toward him.
"That was my mother's!" she said as she stood erect and walked toward him. "How could you? How could you?" she screamed.
"I…I…I don't know," he stammered. "I just wanted you to leave me alone."
She took a few deep raspy breaths and felt a rage grow in her. This was not the man she knew, the man she’d spent her whole life loving. This human was just like all the rest. He wanted her dead, he wanted her in pain. She was tired of being in pain. The villagers sacrificing her. Her father controlling her. Sebastian subduing her. And now, even Ethan would destroy the only bit of her mother she had left. He should pay.
For years, Victoria had felt the nosferatu in her growing. Her skin cooling, her increasing speed and strength, her ability to mesmerize humans, her desire for blood. But every day, she had fought to keep the monster from gaining strength, from consuming her. She wanted to save her family, not become one of them. But now, she didn't want to fight it anymore. The beast wanted to come out, and Ethan deserved to pay for what he had done. It would be so easy.
Ethan was suddenly paralyzed with fear. As she stared him in the eye, he was unable to look away. He saw her usually dark eyes lighten and her pale pink skin darken with a bluish tint. He could not tell for sure, but he thought her teeth sharpened to small fangs. He gasped, reminded of the way he saw the other creatures transform in the moonlight.
"You want me to leave you alone?" she finally whispered.
"Yes," he stammered.
The sheer terror in his voice brought her back. What was she doing? What was she becoming? Did she really want to kill him and prove him right? Prove that she was a demon? She stepped away from him and took a low, cautious breath.
"Fine," she said. "Your death will not be on my head."
She reached up to her neck and pulled on the chain that held her own medallion. He held his breath, unsure of what she was doing. She lifted the chain over her head, slid something off it, and placed the item on the wall. She put her necklace back on, sharply turned around, her cape whipping around her, and headed through the guard tower and down the stone staircase to the courtyard.
It was not until she was out of sight that he was able to move. He looked at the small item she had left behind and realized it was the gold ring that belonged to his own mother, the token of his affection and vow he had made to Victoria seven years before. He picked it up and looked at it in the palm of his hand. It was quite warm. He wondered if she had worn it all these years or just when she heard he had returned. He placed it in his pocket and made his way to the door at the end of the wall.
The door was unlocked, so he opened it quietly. Before entering, he glanced around and caught a glimpse over the edge of the wall at the bridge suspending the chasm
. He saw Victoria looking over the edge of the bridge into the darkness below. She had the grappling hook and rope in her hand that Calmet had left with the horses. Ethan could not help but chuckle for a moment in surprise. He had to admire her spirit. Her feelings, her values, her integrity, she was so resolute in all she was.
The urgent need to get back into the castle halted for a moment as he watched her from his distant perch. He pondered over her determination to retrieve the jewel. How could she be so loyal to a piece of metal but not to him? Was her loyalty to the medallion proof that she had not betrayed him? Would she not feel more loyalty to him than a pretty piece of gold? He dropped his head in despair as he realized that his attempt to rid himself of her had failed. He wanted to stay and see what she would do, but the need to get back to Calmet awakened and he once again entered into the dark unknown, closing the door behind him.
20
Victoria could not believe her luck at finding the rope and hook with the horse by the front gate. Gregory whinnied and stomped his feet at seeing her. She paused for a minute and her anger softened at seeing him. But she could not linger for more than a moment. The sun would rise and she did not know how long it would take for her to find the amulet. The night was cold, but the sky was clear. A sky full of stars and a half-moon illuminated the dark. She knew that when the sun rose, it would be too bright even for her to withstand. She petted Gregory's nose and told him she would be back soon.
She exited the gate and walked along the bridge overlooking the edge, down into the darkness. She paced back and forth, wondering the best way to climb down. Getting down would be the easy part, but she doubted she would have the strength to climb back up. She walked down the bridge to the edge of the gorge that surrounded the castle. The descent was not straight down but was at a slight angle and very rocky. She went to a nearby tree and wrapped the rope around it, securing it with the hook. As she walked back to the gorge, she knew she was being watched. She focused her hearing and opened her eyes wide, but she saw nothing. She glanced back up at the castle wall and saw a door at one end close. Ethan must have been watching her, but he was not the one she sensed.
After reassuring herself that the hook was secure, she walked to the edge of the ravine and tossed the rope down. She took hold of it and backed up to the edge. Looking over her shoulder, she took a deep breath and then began the slow descent.
She had to place and replace her footing several times before she took each step to make sure the rocks were secure. Finally, she reached the flat bottom of the crevasse. Her hands throbbed. She breathed hard in the damp air of the cave-like setting. She glanced around and could see her breath in the blue moonlight. After her eyes adjusted, she scanned the ravine floor for the amulet. She took a few steps toward the area below where Ethan would have been standing when he dropped it. She walked carefully on the icy floor. Each light step quietly echoed.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a red twinkle. Taking a step toward it, the twinkling became more intense, almost like a small fire burning. As she approached, the amulet became clearer to her. She bent down and looked at the beautiful jewel. Lying on the dark ground, the amulet's contrast shone so profoundly, she almost thought it belonged there. She reached down and gently ran her fingers over it, soaking up its warmth in the cold, dark cavern. She gently wrapped her fingers around it and picked it up. She stood and held the precious item to her breast and closed her eyes. She lowered her head and felt the heat from the jewel soak through her.
The sound of rock falling made her look up. She walked back toward the rope and was holding the amulet in her still-throbbing hands when something under the great drawbridge caught her eye. She moved her head again and saw a faint glimmer appear and then fade. She felt very uneasy as she inched closer, but something was drawing her onward. Finally, she saw another glint of light. She walked quickly toward it so she wouldn't lose it again. As she approached the object, she saw that it was encased in something. As she inched closer and her eyes adjusted to the dark, a white skeleton formed before her.
She gasped when she realized what it was that lay on the crevasse floor. The skeleton was lying on its back and the shiny object was clutched in its hand. She followed the hand to its arm, still wearing remnants of a blue garment. She looked up the arm to the skeleton's skull. She bent down so she could get a better look. The back of the skull was smashed flat, most likely dashed against the ravine floor. She looked up at the bridge overhead and thought about how terrifying it must have been to have fallen so far. There was something sad about dying alone. She took a breath and felt the need to mourn this forgotten soul, until she remembered that the sun would soon rise and she needed to leave before she too would be counted among the dead.
She returned to the item that caught her attention in the skeleton's hand. She tried to gently move the finger bones, but they would not budge. She applied more force and heard a sickening crack. The hand released its grip, and she pulled out a gold pin in the shape of a sword attached to a piece of black cloth. Her heart sunk as she looked at it. She felt sick as she stared at the familiar cloak pin. She looked at the skeleton again as tears filled her eyes.
"What secrets do you hold?" she asked in a whisper. She did not expect an answer, she was only venting her growing fears, but an answer she received.
"That depends on the answers you want, princess," a low voice answered.
She looked up, and from the darkness below the bridge a shadow moved toward her. Her eyes fixed on the wild yellow eyes staring back at her. As the eyes moved closer, she soon discerned the shape of a wolf. She stood, and as she rose, there was no longer a wolf before her, but a man.
"Xavier?" she finally managed to force out as he entered the light of the moon.
"You remember me," he said with a smile.
"Hard to forget the person who tried to eat me." Where the strength came from for her to speak so forcefully, she did not know, but she felt her fear melt away to anger. She was furious with her father, but he wasn't here right now. Why would Xavier choose to appear at this moment? He knew something and she wanted the truth.
"Now, now. No need to be curt," he replied. "Water under the bridge, so to speak," he said looking up, "is it not?"
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I think the question is what are you doing here? I don't believe you were ever supposed to find that," he said, motioning to the skeleton.
"Who is it?" she asked.
Xavier sighed and looked softly at her. "I cannot tell you," he said, "unless you make me a promise."
She stood aghast and in disbelief. "You dare to presume upon me?" she asked. "You can't hurt me. Even if you could, my father would rip you limb from limb. Am I worth that? Would I really be that good of a last meal? Tell me what I want to know!"
Xavier laughed at her. "Oh, my dear," Xavier said. "Believe me, if it only cost me my life just to know for sure that I had hurt Vincent and laid all his centuries of planning to total waste with only the snap of your neck, yes, it just might be worth it." He laughed again.
For a moment, she wondered if she should be afraid. There was no way she could escape. She squeezed her hand and remembered the pin she was holding. She realized that her father could not save her from the wolf this time. But if Xavier wanted her dead, he would have done it. He was willing to deal; it was her only chance.
"Tell me what I want to know, wolf," she growled.
Xavier stopped smiling. He realized that she would not be intimidated. "Very well," he said. "But I am not here simply to answer your questions. I have a bargain to make."
She cleared her voice and took a calming breath. "What can I do for you?" she asked.
"The hunter who is here to kill your father," he said, "he also hunts lycan. I need you to deliver a message for me. Tell him that we will stay away from the villages if he will allow us to live."
"How am I to do that?" she asked. "He is here to kill me, too."
Xavier thought for
a moment. "I am sorry to hear that," he said. "I know that your condition was not your choice."
She felt great relief at those words. He was the first person ever to understand that she didn't choose this path, it was forced upon her. "Thank you," she muttered.
"I suppose we are all doomed then," he lamented. Whether he was talking to her or himself, neither of them really knew. "Just promise me that if you are given the chance to speak to him, you will tell him my message."
"I will," she promised.
"Very well," he finally said. "I will tell you what I know. Do you know who lies before you?"
She looked back at the bones. "Is it my mother?" she asked.
"Yes," Xavier replied. "I do not know all that happened, but my people and I keep a close eye on your castle. When you were still little, we had heard you were ill, and I had been watching from the seclusion of the woods for days hoping to glean some information. I was about to leave before the coming day when I saw your mother run from the gate, holding you in her arms. You were unconscious.
"Your father leapt from the wall above and landed in front of her to block her escape. I had never seen her so afraid. He demanded that she hand you over. She said that she would not allow you to grow into one of 'them.' He asked if she was going to kill you. She said she was going to see Father James."
Xavier paused, thinking about that moment. "As if he could have helped. Your mother was so foolish." He cleared his throat and continued. "At that, he reached out and grabbed her by the arm. She tried to fight him off. It may seem ridiculous to think that she could fight him, but I suppose fear gave her strength. Had she not been holding on to you, she might have escaped to the woods where I could have helped her.
"He was trying to pull you from her arms. He finally got a hold of you and pushed her away with a great thrust. I don't think he realized how close to the edge of the bridge they were struggling or just how hard he had pushed her. She grabbed on to his cloak to try to stop falling, but it was too late. He rushed to the edge to try to catch her, but she was gone.
The Vampire's Daughter Page 19
