Of Gods and Goddesses: Book 3 (Lords and Commoners Series)

by Lynne Hill-Clark

  Elijah had to move in front of the horse and pat his nose to sooth him. “You have to remain calm in order to ride a horse. They know if you’re scared. I’m right here. This horse can’t outrun me. I’ll be here if you need me.” Elijah nodded with encouragement.

  Eva swallowed hard and nodded in return.

  “Gently tap John’s flanks.”

  “What’s a flank?” The panic crept back into her voice.

  “Tap his sides, with your legs.”

  This she did and Elijah walked alongside giving her further instructions. After an hour or so she and John galloped across the meadow. Eva laughing with delight.

  When the sun was high in the sky, it dawned on Elijah how long they had been gone. He stepped in front of John to stop him. He patted the horse for a moment and fed him an apple from his pocket. “Thank you friend,” he whispered. Then to Eva he said more loudly, “We have to be getting back.”

  “But did you see how good I’m doing — all on my own? This is so much fun — the most fun I’ve ever had!”

  “We’ve been gone a long time. Your family will be looking for you.”

  “But you’re my family and I’m with you, so it’s okay.”

  A child’s logic. Elijah spotted three dark figures flying straight for them. Soon he was face to face with a furious Teller, a tearful Valentina, and Abdullah — who shifted uncomfortably from side to side.

  Valentina scooped Eva up into her arms. “We were looking everywhere for you. I’m so glad you’re safe.”

  “Teller. I’m sorry. I thought we would only be gone for no more than an hour. Eva was doing so well and time got away from me …” Elijah tried to explain.

  Teller’s face had been stern but it softened as he nodded to Elijah.

  Valentina had put Eva down. Eva was telling her grandmother about her amazing day and all she had learned.

  “Eva.” Teller’s voice boomed.

  Eva shut her mouth and put her chin to her chest.

  “I don’t care how much fun you had. You must tell us where you’re going and who you’re with at all times,” Teller said.

  Eva was most likely too frightened to move, let alone speak, which was for the better.

  Teller knelt down on one knee. “Eva. Look at me. While you were having a great time, do you know what we were doing?”

  No response.

  “Eva?”

  She forced her head up and did the only thing her body would allow her to do, she shook her head no.

  “We were terrified. We thought something bad had happened to you. We asked everyone where you were. We searched the perimeter of the camp and finally caught your scent and tracked you here. While you were having a blast we were going through hell. We thought we lost you.”

  This haranguing made Elijah feel terrible. He could only imagine how the tiny girl felt.

  Eva sobbed as she clung to Valentina’s leg. They waited patiently for the girl’s crying to slow. It was all Valentina could do not to hold her and tell her that everything was fine. This was a lesson Eva needed to learn.

  “Next time you want to go running off what will you do?” Valentina asked.

  “I … I’ll let … you know …” the girl managed in between hiccups.

  “That’s my girl.” Valentina hugged her granddaughter tight.

  Elijah touched Valentina’s arm to get her attention. He spoke quickly and quietly, “This is my fault. I should’ve told you. I’m terribly sorry.” He doubted Eva could hear him.

  Valentina gave him a warm smile. This was good for her daughter. Now that she knew her granddaughter was safe, Valentina was pleased with this turn of events — Eva and Elijah bonding was good for the family. Valentina headed for the safety of the tunnels with her precious bundle in her arms.

  Chapter 64 South America 2034 A.D

  That evening while the last meal of the day was being prepared for the humans. Eva joined Elijah by the campfire. “Thank you for teaching me to ride.”

  “I’m sorry I got you in trouble.”

  “It was worth it.”

  Eva’s smile reminded Elijah of Val. An intense longing consumed him. “Well, next time we’ll go about it the right way.”

  The girl nodded in agreement. “It’s hard you know. My sister is so confident. She steals all the attention. I didn’t think anyone would even notice that I was gone. Vera is so … perfect. Everyone instantly loves her, but me …”

  “Well, I think you’re perfect.” Elijah gave her a gentle nudge with his shoulder. “Besides you’re a natural with horses.”

  “Do you really think so?”

  “I know so.”

  Eva leaned against Elijah’s shoulder.

  From the shadows of the tall tropical trees Val watched, in disbelief, as her most delicate flower seemed to be getting along well with her husband, if he was still indeed her husband. Her stomach heaved at this thought. What on earth happened while I was away? Then she looked to Elda at her side. Well, it’s not any more unbelievable than this. A lot can change in a short amount of time.

  “I can’t just go marching into your camp. They’ll rip me apart.” Elda said this as if being ripped apart was fine with her.

  Val nodded.

  They found a large tree not far off. Elda was to wait high up in it with Silvia, well, with Silvia’s petrified body. When Val entered the camp she was greeted by her daughters, her mother and Mari. They all expressed their relief at her safe return.

  Once the excitement died down she pulled her mother aside. “There’s something I have to show you.” Val took her mother’s sword from its sheath and leaned it against a tree.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I don’t want you to … act impulsively.”

  “I’m not impulsive.”

  “Not usually but … this is a very delicate situation … come, you will see.”

  She led her mother out of camp. Val glanced back. Hopefully no one will follow us. Val needed time to figure out what to do next.

  The instant Valentina saw Elda perched on a branch high in a tree, she reached for her sword and Val was glad she had disarmed her.

  “You led her to us?”

  “Mom, please, if anyone can understand, it’s you. Elda may be the only one who can help us.”

  Valentina studied Elda.

  “Mom, you don’t have to trust her but please trust me.”

  Valentina looked deep into her daughter’s eyes and took a deep breath. But then someone called Val’s name. It was a familiar voice and Val normally would have been overjoyed that he was looking for her. Her heart jumped as she turned to face Elijah. He landed gracefully on the branch next to her.

  Val stepped between Elda and Elijah in hopes of obscuring his sight.

  “Elijah!” Val said with alarm.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I needed to sort something out with my mom. What can I do for you?” This came out too harsh for a possible reunion or what Val hoped would be a reunion.

  Elijah was taken aback for a moment at Val’s odd behavior. “I’m glad you’re back. I was beginning to worry about you and I was hoping we could talk … alone.”

  “Elijah, I would love to but …” She stepped forward in a flash and took his sword from its sheath.

  “What are you doing?”

  “First there is someone you should meet.”

  “Without my sword?”

  “Yes, without your sword. We need her alive.” Val stepped aside to reveal Elda sitting on the tree branch with her friend’s lifeless body draped over her lap.

  “Is that who I think it is?”

  “Yes; Elda.”

  Elijah lunged for his sword in Val’s hand and she barely kept it out of his reach by tossing it out of the tree.

  “What are you doing?” he roared.

  Val stepped close to him and took his hands. He ripped them away. She stepped in closer until their bodies touched. “Please, Elijah. She’s here to help. She’s our on
ly hope. Together we may be able to stop John.”

  “What did you say — John?”

  Val nodded. “I’m so sorry Elijah. John has been helping our enemies for a long time and now he has overthrown Elda.”

  Elijah wavered and placed his arm on Val’s shoulder to steady himself. “No.”

  Val’s heart ached for Elijah. For the majority of Elijah’s boyhood he had been raised by John; John had always been by his side.

  Elijah flashed back to shortly after the war, when his father was killed. John had knelt before Elijah and declared, “I proudly served your father for many years. Now it will be an honor to be your faithful servant, My Lord.” Elijah’s face quickly changed from shock and sorrow as it hardened in realization. He turned on Elda. “How long did John help you?” but he did not give her time to answer. “He was the one who told Ramdasha that my father would be in the rear of the army in the battle of 1551?”

  “Yes, My King.” Elda spoke softly and slowly moved to kneel. “John worked with … us for a number of years leading up to the great vampire war. I’ll tell you everything, My Lord.”

  Elijah stepped forward, as did Val. But he stopped and clenched his hands into fists, as if it was the only thing he could do to keep himself from wrapping them around Elda’s tiny neck. “Like what? What use can you be to us?”

  “There’s another turncoat amongst your ranks.”

  Val had been intent on Elijah, making sure she could intercept him if he attacked Elda. But now she turned to Elda with wide eyes.

  “What?” Valentina asked.

  “Who?” Elijah demanded.

  “I don’t know. It was only recently that he came to us — to John really. John protected him by keeping the spy’s identity a secret. John claimed to hear from him only on rare occasions, as he was deep in your ranks — close to you. The last time John met with him the informant told John you were in the Amazon but would not say where exactly. John has had scouts searching the jungle skies at night for you. I assumed it was a protection spell that kept them from finding you.”

  “You don’t know the name or the identity of the traitor.”

  Elda shook her head no.

  “She’s of use to us — as long as she’s alive,” Val cautioned.

  Valentina had been standing back to see what would happen. “Elijah, she can be locked up until we’re sure we can trust her. She is clearly not an immediate threat. There’s no fight left in her.”

  “Very well, lock her up. Valentina, retrieve some shackles.” But Valentina was not a soldier Elijah could command so he added, “Please.”

  Valentina nodded and took flight.

  “Elijah, may I have your word that she will not be harmed?” Val asked.

  “There will be no need to harm her, as long as she cooperates.”

  “In exchange for her help, I offered to revive her friend.” Val pointed to Silvia.

  Elijah furrowed his brow. “What does it take to bring a vampire back from this state?”

  “Nine or ten pints of blood,” Val said.

  “That’s a lot of blood. We shouldn’t be so liberal with our rations.”

  “Please, Elijah. I gave her my word.”

  “You want to use our dwindling blood supply to bring back one of our enemies from the dead or whatever you call that.” Elijah pointed to Silvia.

  “Silvia has learned the art of magic over the centuries. She has become very powerful. She can help us to defeat John,” Elda pled.

  “The fact that she’s powerful does not make me want to revive her.”

  “Lock them up. Do what you must. But please give Elda a chance to prove herself to us.”

  Elijah studied Val and then Elda and finally gave the slightest of nods.

  “Thank you.” Val wanted to throw her arms around him and bury her head in his chest but she refrained.

  They covered Elda in a hooded cloak. She willingly let Elijah bind her arms behind her back. They wrapped Silvia in a blanket and Val carried her. They discreetly made their way into the tunnels.

  Once locked in a cell with solid rock walls and thick steel bars for a door, Elda told them of how John took over and how she used to have visions of the chosen ones. “They’re the key to restoring the balance and overthrowing John,” Elda ended.

  “What does that mean?” Val asked.

  “That’s what I’m going to help you figure out,” Elda said.

  Elijah leaned against an adjacent wall with his arms crossed. Val could tell he was barely listening to Elda. The storm raged in his steel-grey eyes. “How could John do this to me?”

  Elda pursed her thick lips in concentration. “Let’s see, when John first came to us in the sixteenth century, he said —

  Elijah flinched. “He has been working with you for that long?”

  “Are you sure you’re ready to hear this?” Elda asked.

  Elijah nodded. “Continue.”

  “Well, essentially he was bored. He said life was the same thing, day and night. He wanted change, if for no other reason than to see what would happen. He thought for sure, as we all did, that the Court would fall in the great vampire war. Him divulging your plans would give us the ability to win — so we thought. Most likely he had two motives. He wanted to be on the winning side, so no matter which side won he would still come out on top,” Elda paused. “I see now that his second motive was to become the supreme ruler of the vampire world. Over the years he often complained about how the Court was too powerful. He didn’t know how to defeat you. Vampires loved their queen and king and were faithful to you. So you proved to be much more difficult to overthrow. Yet, it’s clear that his plan all along was to take control. He didn’t want to be in your shadow any more — or mine, for that matter. I have a feeling that he worked hard this past decade to turn my men against me.”

  Elijah looked tired. He nodded slightly and walked out of the small room which held the cell in the back.

  “Elijah, I’m sorry,” Val said to his back. Val was not as heartbroken as Elijah. John had never been among her favorites. But he and Elijah had been very close. Val was angry about the betrayal and now even more indignant because of the pain it caused Elijah.

  Chapter 65 South America 2034 A.D

  The camp was abuzz at the news of Elda’s capture. It took several times for Elijah to get it through to everyone that their hiding was not over and that John had taken her place and was still very much in charge. “It’s still not safe to leave the tunnels,” Elijah yelled over the loud humans for the fifth time.

  Val guarded Elda’s cell and listened to the crowd outside. “I’m glad you’re in there, for your safety. It’ll make it harder for an angry mob to get to you.”

  Elda did not answer as she most likely didn’t care if an angry mob was able to reach her or not.

  Val slid down the outside of the bars and sat staring intently at the door leading to the tunnel and the sound of the chaos.

  “You gonna’ just sit there?” Elda asked.

  “Yep.” Val replied. There was no reply but Val could feel Elda’s stare so she turned to look at her through the bars.

  Elda’s large downturned lips mouthed, “Thank you.”

  The sound of someone running in their direction caused Val to jump to her feet and draw her sword.

  Teller slowed and held up his hands indicating that he had only his phone on him. “Is it true? Did you capture Neacsa?”

  “‘Capture’ isn’t the right word. She came willingly. Elijah locked her up.”

  “Thank God she’s here! For the past couple of nights, maybe even a week, Sergiu has been telling me … in my dreams…” Teller clarified, “that Neacsa is the only one who can help us. I was overwhelmed with the idea of trying to find her and now I don’t have to.”

  Teller approached the cell and Val raised her sword again.

  “Vallachia, I mean her no harm. I know as well as you do, that we need her alive if we’re going to save our daughters.”

  “
Save our daughters? I thought this was about restoring the world or at least defeating John,” Val said.

  “Our daughters are the key to accomplishing that,” Teller said. “The two are connected. Our daughters must be the chosen ones. That’s the only explanation for their miracle birth. Don’t you see, they’re the only ones who can fix this world?” Teller slid his finger across his phone to open it. “According to this …” he held up the image of the lost scroll to Val. “Well, you need to read it for yourself. It can help us piece everything together … I hope.”

  Val took the phone. She thought the text was Arabic at first but she could not make out most of the words. Next she tried Hebrew but it did not help; then again these were not her strongest languages. This was an ancient language, one that was no longer used. “Aramaic?” she guessed.

  Elda had turned her back on Teller but she could not help but turn in interest at what was on the phone. “Aramaic, the language of Jesus. I have studied many ancient languages, including that one.”

  “I’ve never learned it,” Val admitted. “What does it say?”

  Teller took the phone from Val and held it out to Elda through the bars.

  She quickly turned her back on him again, refusing to take the phone.

  “Neacsa, please, read it. Perhaps you can help us figure out why it was so important that a dear friend bothered to contact me from beyond the grave to tell me where it was hidden.”

  “My name is Elda,” she snapped.

  “There’s the fire I remember.”

  “I won’t help you.”

  Teller put his forehead against the bars. “Elda, I’m very sorry for who I was back then and everything that I did to you. I was young and selfish and cruel —

  “You were far from young. You were, what a couple hundred years old?”

  “Yes, well I’m a slow learner. But now I’m like you.”

  She snorted.

  “We’re alike because I too have lost the people closest to me. I lost my dearest friend and I lost my chance to be with Vallachia. Now I fear my daughters are in trouble. Every day I pay the price for my past. Just as you’re paying for your actions.”