'As Lycan leader I made your Knight of Swords a promise when you took refuge with us that I would keep you safe. I will not go back on my word and cross swords with the most powerful Taleian hybrid male vampire in your race. I would cause a war between our people. You can do nothing to save the humans,' he told me with impatience glancing back along the corridor to make sure we were not followed. 'They were doomed the moment Galen and his Shadow army stepped on board this ship. This is a man who defeated Satan and took his throne in hell. Even you with your mighty power as Queen of Talus can do nothing. We must get away and hide like the others until we can get off this ship. Now let us waste no more time.'
I looked at Marcus confused.
‘You know who he is?’
‘Oh yes. Everyone knows the stories. My people and your own. He betrayed Satan and took his throne in Hell. But we haven’t got time to tell it. Galen is playing with us. Our flight amuses him. He can take you anytime he wants. We must continue the game and summon help from the Angelic realms when we find a safe haven to keep you hidden. He can’t kill anyone but the humans so we are the only ones able to keep you safe. I insist that you take my direction without further procrastination, ’ Marcus told me fiercely leaving me in no doubt that he would remonstrate with me severely if I did not obey him.
I became angry.
'We cannot afford to wait for help,’ I protested. ‘I will not hide while others die. I must help them . . . Your children, Marcus, I will not allow any harm to come to them . . .'
I began to move back up the corridor away from them and the stairs with purpose ready to face my fate alone but Richard caught hold of my arm and swung me back around to face him.
'You aren't going anywhere,' he told me firmly. 'Now let's get moving before Galen comes around the corner and attempts to take you from us.'
But I was to struggle. The weight of all those deaths preyed upon my conscience more strongly than reason and I would not be stopped.
'Let me go. I will not be told what to do . . .'
Richard's dark gold eyes burned with heated determination as he pushed me forcefully back against the wall of the corridor and held me there with a strong grip upon my arms. To my shock Marcus did nothing to stop Richard and his temper but watched with stern approval.
'I am not letting you go to him there is no knowing what he will do to you. We . . . I won't take that chance with your life,' he blurted out in his thick Scottish accent, his own eyes widening with surprise at his words.
I stared at him. He vainly tried to avoid my gaze clearly afraid of what I would read in his eyes. Richard had never shown me any care. In fact I would go so far as to say he detested my presence amongst the lycans. He did all he could to make me feel uncomfortable when Marcus's was engaged elsewhere. His rude intolerable behaviour had become worse since the night Nathan accused him of being attracted to me in London. He had so distastefully and vehemently denied it. I confess I had done my best to avoid him. Yet now he admitted to caring for my safety. He was not the only one to feel surprise. But the feeling was not shared by Marcus. There was a knowing in his eyes and fear for his second in command but he said nothing.
I looked into Richard's eyes desperately wishing he would allow me to read his mind. I would not dare attempt it without consent out of respect and because as a race the lycans strongly defended their privacy. Still I wanted to know why he suddenly felt that way. Perhaps, Nathan was right and he had all along. I wanted to know more but I did not have the time to ponder on the matter. I made to move again but once more he was to push me back hard against the wall.
'Do I have to remind you that you and your power are the only thing keeping this sinking steamship afloat,' he informed me in a deep angry tone holding my gaze to stern attention as he pinned me against the wall. 'If you go to him, he will be able to find a way to stop you then all of the humans will die anyway. You owe it to them to stay free.'
'I don't know how long I will be able to hold it upright on the water. The effort is draining energy from me. If I go to him and give him what he wants . . .' I protested trying to wriggle free from his tight unrelenting grasp.
Richard's hold tightened making me cry out. 'Do not push me any further with this nonsense, Juliet. My temper will not take it,' he told me in a dark, deep menacing voice forcing my wayward tongue to silence. 'Concentrate on keeping the ship afloat and drifting towards land as you have been doing. He has not been able to stop you doing that for some reason. Let Marcus and I worry about Galen and his army.'
I moved once more with frustration, conflicted in my plight, my own temper threatening to erupt. My resolve was sound to my mind. I would see no more die.
'Leave me Lycan or I will make you more aware of my power,' I shouted with my own menace.
But Richard would not be deterred.
'Do your worst Queen of Talus. I am not afraid. It will do no good. I will not let you sacrifice your life,' he leaned close to me his dark golden eyes firing with an orange red glow. He was so close and the way he studied my mouth, I thought for a strange moment that he might kiss me. I intensified my struggles and considered using my power against the lycan. But I refused to resort to violence even though I sensed the lycan would confusingly relish the experience. Triumphant that I had backed down, Richard seized his chance to make me capitulate.
'There is only one way to deal with such obstinacy and stubbornness in a woman, human or otherwise,' he informed me, quickly bending his form and winding an arm around my legs to lift me up into the air and swiftly over his shoulder. I gave an indignant cry but he was to pay it no heed as he ran after Marcus and carried me down the stairs.
We ran past some humans hurrying the other way. Galen was near for the humans fell to the ground with a cry, dead before they hit the carpeted floor. I let out a sob, screaming for Richard to put me down, beating my fists at his back as I watched their helpless forms fall like marionettes in a heap just as I had witnessed before. He ignored me and picked up speed as we completed two flights of stairs and headed out into the corridor that led to the first class cabins. But we were to be thwarted. For at the end of the corridor Galen's handsome tall form emerged with a wide grin. Richard and Marcus stopped dead.
'I think you have something of mine, gentlemen. Now be good chaps and hand her over or bear the torrid consequences,' I heard him say in an eloquent English voice. 'Remember, you have seen what I can do.'
Richard's grip on my form intensified and I knew he would not give me up without a fight, perhaps to the death. I could not let him do it. I begged him to let me go but he resolutely refused.
'You know, it isn't just the humans who can be affected by my power so can the lycans and the vampires of this sorry little world. I may not be able to kill you but I can cause you severe tormenting pain,' Galen said amused.
I heard Richard give a sudden growl of pain. Marcus followed suit. Richard dropped to his knees, still carrying me over his shoulder. His free hand rubbed at the intense pain in his head. I tried to move but he held on to me with shaking hands. I pleaded with Galen to let them go. Richard tried to lunge for me when he began to fall to the floor loosening his grip on me involuntarily. I rolled away from him and stood casting my eyes down upon him with concern and pity. He begged me not to give up my life as the devil beckoned with his hand and a beguiling smile for me to come to him like a child.
I looked upon my lycan companions including the helpless children, all in severe pain with horror. I made my choice without further hesitation. I went to the devil and took in the hopes of finding a way to stop him. I did not know what I was to endure before I found a way but I prayed God would give me strength to endure it. We were defeated. As I walked to Galen and took his hand, I did the only thing I could do in my present state. I opened my mind to Nathan and pleaded for his help on behalf of my friends, for the humans. I did not ask for myself. He believed I had betrayed him. I believed he would not find me worthy of saving.
Chapter Three
The demon ran towards me at full tilt but this time I was prepared and blocked every punch he aimed at my body. It was to be an endless and fruitless struggle to gain the upper hand. We tussled down into the snow and rolled over and over each one of us desperately trying to subdue the other. But the demon was to make more progress than I.
I lay prostrate upon my back in the cold wet snow. The demon sat upon me taking out his vicious anger against my jaw and cheekbone with each punishing blow he rained down upon me.
‘You will not have her,’ he spat at me. ‘You are weak. You allowed Sebastian to rape her, the witch to take her power and allowed her to leave us for the company of the lycans. You are unworthy of her love.’
My vision began to blur and I began to lose power in my strength. Blood poured from my bruised nose and mouth.
‘Nathan, how much longer is the disagreement with yourself going to take to resolve?’ Cadell asked dispassionately. ‘We have work to do.’
My eyes rolled upwards and to the side to view him. Snow was beginning to fall heavily from the dull grey sky and he was putting up his umbrella and drawing the collar of his wool coat tight against his neck. Was he to offer me no assistance? To my amazement he must have heard my thought because he shook his head as I attempted to summon the last of my strength to gain an advantage over the demon.
‘I am sorry, Nathan but I am afraid on this matter I cannot help you.’
He did not sound sympathetic. His tone was factual, barren of any emotional involvement.
‘You have chosen to separate your identity and it is your responsibility to rejoin your opposites and find a way for them both to live in harmony. I cannot tell you how you must live your life. That is your choice alone. I can merely show you the consequences of choosing to disassociate yourself from the reality of your being. I suggest you fight harder or your demon will win and you will lose your fair Queen.’
I gave a roar and banged hard on the demon’s chest with my fists. He flew back through the cold biting air to fall backwards in the snow. I jumped to my feet as he began to recover and knocked him back down into the snow. Enraged by the demon’s words I pounded my fists against his body and face as though I meant to kill him with each blow. I was enraged by the truth of his words. My mind was in turmoil. I wanted to banish the truth and the pain of them with the demon and his tormenting accusations.
Not far from where we fought there was a lake covered in ice. I lifted off the dazed and bloodied demon and caught his foot. With malicious anger I lifted his foot and began to drag him to the lake ready to commit more torture upon his body before ripping his head from his shoulders.
Cadell followed me.
‘This is not exactly what I meant, Nathan,’ he said gravely looking down at the wretch as I dragged his limp body to the lake.
I ignored him. The only way to deal with the demon was to kill him. He would forever stand in my way making my passage through life a unruly and reckless one. The snowfall was now a blizzard. I wiped at the blood and snow on my mouth and face with the sleeve of my morning coat. I was wet through but not as wet as my demon was about to become I mused to myself with sarcastic amusement.
When I reached my destination I dropped his leg and took hold of his hair, dragging him down the sandy bank. He dug his feet into the snow trying to gain a grip in the snow so that he may have gained some leverage to pull himself up and away from me but the ice underneath prevented him from gaining a foothold. Kneeling in the snow I hung his head over the ice covered lake and with fervent anger I broke a hole in the icy cover with the demon’s head. I drowned the sound of his angry cry of pain by plunging his head into the freezing water and holding it under.
‘Juliet is mine. She was meant for me not you,’ I shouted as his hands fought to stop me. I watched his head toss from side to side under the water as he gurgled his words in protest at me. I wanted to kill him. ‘I did everything I could to protect Juliet. There was nothing I could do to stop her being raped. Stop judging me for something I couldn’t prevent. I would give my life for her in an instant but I couldn’t save her from that. I failed but I can’t keep punishing myself for it. I’ve let you drive Juliet away and now she is in danger once again. I am not going to let you stop me protecting her this time.’
It took me sometime to realise that my face was not just wet with melting snow but my own unexpected tears. I hadn’t cried so strongly since being told my parents were dead.
‘I am going to end this. It’s you who drives her away,’ I shook the demon ferociously as he thrashed his arms about trying to grip my own in an effort to raise himself from the water and my grip. Lost in my anger, blinded by reason I dragged him from the water and forced his head into an arm lock and prepared to pull his head from his shoulders.
‘Stop,’ Cadell instructed in a loud voice.
I looked up to find him bending over me looking down at the demon with a piteous look.
‘This is not the way to resolve your dispute with yourself, Nathan.’ He waved his hand in the air in a hopeless gesture. ‘You cannot simply kill off a part of yourself. You must learn to live with your dark side. Juliet will not accept one without the other. She loves all of you not just the part you wish to show her. Quite rightly, she will not accept anything less than your whole being loving her.’
I stared at Cadell long and hard.
‘He’s right,’ the demon strained to speak, still trying to pull at my arm around his throat. ‘You need me. You need my fire and strength to help you protect her. Kill me, human and you will never protect her. She will die without us both at her side.’
I turned to stare down at him. My anger fought against reason in my mind. I knew he spoke the truth but I hated him. My grip on his throat tightened.
‘Nathan, you cannot exist without him. If you try you will never be the same. You will only be a paler shadow of the person you could be. Your life will never be full and your spirit will be empty and Juliet will be lost. Be who you are and embrace your identity. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are loved for who you are not who you want to be,’ he told me with great empathy in his tone.
It struck a chord deep within my soul. I had approached my fight in the wrong manner. Slowly I stood pulling the demon with me still in my arm lock. I moved my mouth close to his ear and told him firmly.
‘You are defeated. Accept my mastery.’
Without hesitation I moved his body backwards by his throat in one sharp violent movement and forced his body backwards into my own, swallowing him whole. The rejoining was painful causing me to cry out in unison with the demon but I was determined to complete our amalgamation. I turned to look upon a smiling relieved Cadell, a bloodied wet mess but whole and one with my nature. He covered my sodden head with his umbrella and opened his mouth to speak to me but I was unable to hear his words. A sudden sharp searing pain entered my head sending me groaning onto my knees. A female voice in terrible pain cried out loudly in my mind calling for my help. Juliet.
Chapter Four
I would waste no further time in pursuing Juliet and the stricken vessel, The Adeline. However, procuring a ship at such short notice proved a difficult task. But I managed to secure passage for us all on a iron steam lighte
r ship. It was a rather lowly small cargo ship. I had never been on such a boat and never cared to again. It smelt of fish and stale tobacco so much so my stomach heaved when I and the rest of my knights boarded. I could see I was not alone in my discomfort but it was to be endured by all of us without complaint.
The curious fellow who served as the ship’s captain went by the name of Thomas Bell And he served with a crew of four other sturdy weather and life beaten men. He was a large stout man with a great black bushy beard that was greying around the sides. He smoked a pipe profusely and when he wasn’t he was smoking cigarettes by the dozen. He seemed to be a man in need of something to do with his hands when he wasn’t commanding the ship’s wheel. He would idly sit barking orders at his small crew who consumed liquor in large quantities never heeding the hour of the day. But our Captain was good hearted and content to please and keep our destination quiet to others when I furnished him and his crew with a plentiful bounty of remuneration for their trouble.
Juliet had shown me all that had happened on The Adeline but when I had desperately tried to communicate with her I was met with a disconcerting silence and closed vision of her mind just as before. I could feel her immense power and strength fighting Galen’s relentless attempts to break its life saving hold on the the Adeline and sink it. A sense of confusion and anger spilled forth from Galen’s mind into Juliet’s that she would not simply break to his will.
He had only ever encountered such a show of will, bravery, sacrifice and such potent power in a female once before. Juliet reminded him of the only woman he had truly loved many centuries ago when he had lived upon the earth as a mere mortal. It made him all the more determined to bend Juliet to his will and possess her. He awaited my arrival and our duel with fervent impatience.
I shared the events psychically with the knights in my Army as we sat around on the small coastal steamer heading away from Southampton out to sea. I stood up and paced the deck in between my them as I listened to them murmur amongst each other about Galen and the troop of demons that followed him called The Shadow Army.
Queen of Swords (The Vampire Swords Book 3) Page 3
