Vampire Princess of New York (Arnhem Knights of New York)

by Susan Hanniford Crowley

  “If they run from you, how do you know anything about them?”

  “The Arnhem Knights of La Maison Rose of Paris tell me.”

  Donovan nodded. “I see. I promise only when I’m fully trained will I take Noble to Paris.”

  “I know you are searching for your mother again, Bless, and I know that can bring you into dark places where the vampires dwell. Be on guard.”

  She nodded.

  Max drank a glass of blood and poured one for Evie who had nearly finished sipping her Shuma Moot. “You two have been extraordinary, as vampires go. You’ve done things no vampire has even done.”

  “Like what, Father?” Noble asked.

  “Vampires are sterile and humans do not get them pregnant. Now Mina has to work on a birth control for our people, because you’re having a baby without using Shuma. What if it isn’t just you two?”

  “Oh, I see what you mean.”

  “Also Bless, you’ve done something I can’t do. I don’t know of any Ancient or any vampire anywhere that can teleport a person to them. You saved Donovan and Laura’s lives by doing it.”

  “I don’t know how I did it? I was looking through Donovan’s eyes, saw the danger, and said, ‘Come here now.’ Then they were both in my arms.”

  “They would have been crushed to death and lost to us. I cannot bring back a vampire crushed by stone. Have you tried to replicate it?”

  “Replicate teleporting someone to me?” Noble asked.

  Max nodded.

  Donovan jumped up. “I’m going to the other room. Teleport me, okay?”

  Before she could say a word, he was out and the door shut between them. She stood there a moment, baffled, not knowing what to say.

  “Come to me now.” Nothing happened.

  Shaking her head, she threw her hands in the air.

  “Try again,” Max encouraged her. “Try to remember and replicate how you focused on Donovan.”

  She stood still and for a moment, all she thought about was her lifemate. “Come here now.” Her arms reached for where she hoped he would be. In a blink, he was there in her arms.

  “Yay! Let’s do it again.” Donovan kissed her and rushed out of the room.

  Noble stood, concentrated, and said, “Come here now.” Donovan appeared in front of her.

  Max and Evie stood up applauding. “That’s amazing,” Evie said.

  “That’s what we need for the Arnhem Knights,” Max said.

  “I don’t understand.” Noble was just as surprised as everyone.

  “Bless, you are the best teleporter I’ve ever seen. I don’t want you patrolling the streets. I want you teaching every Arnhem Knight to teleport. Most don’t know how. They need to have that advantage to come home safely to us. After you’ve taught them, and they’re grounded in teleporting, I want you to train them in teleporting a person to them. I want you to teach me too.”

  “I want to learn too,” Evie said.

  “Can Donovan be my assistant?”

  “At the beginning, but I want him on the street with Laura and David. I want him to be toughened up before he goes to Paris.”

  Noble walked over to Max. “You’re really worried about us going?”

  He hugged her. “I am. God knows what would happen to the Parisian vampires if they made you mad.”

  Donovan laughed. “Pity those poor vamps, if they get Noble going.”

  “And I don’t want your heart broken, if you cannot find her grave. I’ve tried for years, hiring all the best researchers, without gaining a clue. Each time you got your hopes up. I don’t want you to be hurt if it turns out the same.”

  “Well, this time will be different. This time I will be in Paris, and if nothing else I’ll get to see all the sights and honeymoon with Donovan.” She moved out of her father’s arms and into her lifemate’s, who was standing right behind her.

  “Remember, Father, I was a patriot.”

  Max smiled. “I will always see the warrior in your eyes.”

  Chapter 19

  David burst into the room. “You know how we put a tent over everything so the elves could work. You’ve got to see this.” He ran back out again, and they followed until they reached the dining room downstairs.

  Veritas, King of the New York Elves, stood there with some of his men. They pulled objects out of their sacks and placed them on the table.

  “We are grateful that you’re assisting us in this endeavor to recover as much of our heritage as possible.” Max offered his hand to the elven king, and Veritas shook it.

  “We are glad to do it. No one was killed there. The energy is clear. It’s just a matter of levitating all that rock and debris into trucks. Your knights were clever enough to erect the tent to shield our efforts from human eyes. We found some items that may be of special interest to you and your family.”

  He handed a broken piece of wood to Max. “The writing on it remained clear and untouched by the splintered wood around it, so we thought it to be a sacred relic of yours.”

  David peered around Max’s arm. “It’s mine. It’s my Babe Ruth autographed bat, or what’s left of it. Thank you. I’m so glad to have it back.”

  “It’s a baseball miracle,” Laura remarked.

  David ignored the giggle in her voice. “It sure is.”

  An elf stepped forward holding Donovan’s spear. “And this is very ancient and survived completely intact.”

  Donovan stepped up to retrieve it. “Thank you. It’s very important to me.”

  “What is its purpose?” Veritas asked.

  “It kills demons. A friend loaned it to me, and now I can return it. Thank you for finding it.”

  “Ah. My reason for asking is that one of my warriors was scratched by it, and the wound healed almost immediately. It is truly a wondrous weapon that destroys evil and heals the innocent.”

  Two elves brought in a small piece of furniture that was broken. “David asked that we look for this. It’s a small writing desk, but I’m afraid it’s cut in half,” Veritas said.

  Noble rushed over to it. The two edges were frayed.

  “I can have a restoration expert work on it,” Max said.

  Noble examined the parts, turning them over and over in her hands. “What’s this?” Something dark stuck out of a broken underside of a drawer, as if she hadn’t discovered all the hidden compartments. It was a little book bound in black leather. Pulling it gently released it from its confines of hundreds of years.

  Every eye fixed on her as she sat in a chair and opened the book. She began in French. Then shook her head. Not everyone there spoke French. Many of the resident Arnhem Knights came in to see all the excitement.

  “It says, ‘These are the words of Marie Antoinette. 1787.’”

  After scanning several pages, she continued, “My friend and the governess for my children, the Duchesse de Polignac, has been away in England. My sweet baby Sophie grows more and more ill with each passing day. Elisabeth stays with me and is my comfort. I do not remember my other children having such pain over cutting teeth. Sophie grows weaker each day, and the Royal Physicians say there is little they can do.”

  “Who is Elisabeth?” Veritas asked.

  “She was the sister of King Louis XVI.”

  He nodded and Noble continued reading. “It was Elisabeth who noticed a maid in the royal kitchen who many say had experience as a healer. Madame Marie Aquilla became my Sophie’s devoted attendant, but in the end even her care was not enough.

  “Sophie, who should have been my friend, is gone. My heart cannot speak of the sorrow that squeezes the very breath out of me. The world has grown dark and my tears will not stop. How can I part with my baby?”

  Noble went from page, to page, to page before she spoke again. �
�The queen is quite broken hearted and mourning. Here. ‘I am again stricken to learn that dear Madame Aquilla is now afflicted. I have paid Jacques LeClerc and his sister to make sure the sweet madame’s last days are in comfort. Such a dear woman. I think of her caring for my tiny angel and weep once more.’”

  Noble turned through more pages. “I have received word that Madame Aquilla has died. I will pray for her.”

  Looking up at everyone surrounding her, blood tears stained her face. “Queen Marie Antoinette was writing about my mother. My human mother.”

  Donovan sat beside her and pulled her into his lap, carefully wiping away the tears with a moist handkerchief thoughtfully provided by Queen Evelyn.

  She smiled and kissed Donovan. “Now I know what happened to my mother.”

  Donovan was just happy that some good came out of their battle with evil.

  People smiled all around them. The door opened and Lily Snow came in, hobbling on crutches and followed by her husband Hank.

  She limped over to Donovan and bestowed a kiss on his cheek. “I could not leave without thanking you for coming to rescue me.”

  “I wasn’t the only one that rescued you.”

  “You were the only one I could not thank until now. I want you to have this.”

  Hank handed him a very old leather bound book, thick with protruding paper.

  “Isn’t this the one you stuffed in your shirt that day we carried you out?”

  “Yes. It’s the oldest book in existence on the topic of lifemates. The folded up sheets on every page are the translations. I had just received them from an expert on Babylonian. I want you to have it.”

  “I’m sure everyone would like to read it, and I’ll make it available right after Noble and I finish reading it. Thank you, Lily. Recover soon and come back to us.”

  “I will.”

  “Lily Snow,” Veritas said, “we have made fine progress in rescuing books and documents from the ruins. As you requested, they have been sent on to the VMeer Industries headquarters.”

  “Thank you, King Veritas.”

  He nodded.

  “Lily,” Max said, “I want you to relax and get well, and don’t think at all about the library. Take as much time as you need to recover. Remember it is all paid time. Don’t worry about anything. I’ve assembled a team that is using your card catalog in the cloud to index and organize all the materials found. When you come back, you’ll know exactly what we have and don’t have. We would like you and Hank to come back for our Yule celebration. I’m hoping to have the new building up by then.”

  “That’s very fast,” Lily said.

  “The companies I’ve hired to rebuild the Arnhem Society are very good.” Max smiled, revealing his fangs.

  Quickly reading Hank Snow’s mind, Donovan suppressed a laugh. The man thought, I’m in a room filled with vampires and elves, and no one would ever believe me. They’re all acting so human. All I want is my Lily home safe. I miss her.

  Hank Snow cleared his throat and everyone turned to him. “I want to say that I’m grateful that Lily is alive, and beside me. Thank you.” He shook hands with everyone. Vampires from around the room went to hug them and shake hands. Max hugged Lily and shook hands with Hank.

  “Please, let my chauffeur drive you home.”

  “I left my car in New Haven and took the train.”

  “Well, to New Haven then.”

  “Thank you,” Hank said. Max walked out with them.

  The elves kept taking items out of their sacks and the Arnhem Knights were happy to retrieve lost jewelry, journals, and the odd memento here and there. A teddy bear that required sewing also survived. Cassandra put it into her coat pocket and went out on patrol.

  Noble clutched the little book to her heart. Donovan handed her his book then lifting her into his arms, carried her out of the room. Once back in their bedroom, they sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace for a long time not saying a word.

  She smiled and nibbled his ear. “How are you doing, Sha, being a vampire?”

  He stroked her hair. “It was fun reading Hank Snow’s mind.”

  Noble giggled. “Yes, I’m sure it was. Humans don’t usually go around hugging and kissing vampires. We’re special.”

  He laughed then reached into his pocket for his phone. “I have to call a friend. Then I can devote all my attention to discovering how special we are.”

  He punched in the number. “Hello, Father Frank.”

  “Donovan, is that you? I’m so glad to hear from you. I saw the whole thing about the Arnhem Society blowing up. I hadn’t heard from you, so I’ve been praying.”

  “Thank you, Father. I’d like to come by and bring back the spear.”

  “It survived?”

  “Yes, and it sent a demon back to hell.” They both laughed. “So I’d like to come over and give it back to you, and ask a favor.”

  “What’s the favor, my son?”

  “I would like you to marry Noble and me. There may be a few guests.”

  “How many?”

  Noble whispered, “Enough to fill his church.”

  Donovan laughed. “Noble says enough to fill your church.”

  “I heard her.” The priest laughed and added, “I’m looking forward to this, but you know it can’t be a legal marriage. I can’t legally marry you to a vampire.”

  “That’s okay. Noble is Roman Catholic too, and we want the religious ceremony. It matters to us.”

  “I understand.”

  “And Father, I was going to wait until I saw you, but it’s probably best you know. I did not survive the battle with the demon. I was mortally wounded.”

  Donovan heard silence on the phone.

  “I understand what you mean. You have a new life now.”

  “Yes.” Donovan wasn’t sure what the priest was feeling. He couldn’t tell over the phone.

  “Tomorrow at eight p.m. I will be honored to perform the marriage ceremony for you and Noble.”

  “Thank you, Father. Bye.”

  “Bless you, my son. Bye.”

  Donovan hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

  Noble snuggled against him on the sofa. Donovan moved until his head was in her lap, so he could gaze on her lovely face.

  “What’s wrong?” She caressed his cheek.

  “Probably nothing. My priest has known me for several years. Now I’m afraid things will be different.”

  “You told him I was a vampire?”

  “Yes, I did, and I knew my secret was safe.”

  “But still you’re worried.” Noble wound a lock of dark hair in her fingers into a curl.

  He laughed. “Don’t curl my hair. When I was a small boy, my mother would cut it short and it would curl. I was teased horribly at school. Just another reason why I didn’t fit in.”

  “Oh, no!” Noble leapt off the sofa, tumbling Donovan to the floor.

  “What? It wasn’t that traumatic,” he said standing up.

  “You don’t understand. We’re getting married tomorrow night, and I don’t have a wedding gown.”

  Their crisis was interrupted by a persistent banging on the door.

  Noble opened it. Evelyn and Max stood there. “I wasn’t doing the knocking.” Max walked past them into the room. “Donovan, come with me.”

  “What?”

  “Planning a wedding is a woman thing.”

  As Donovan followed Max out, Betsy Stenwood and Laura rushed past them into the room.

  “What is it?” Noble asked.

  Evelyn walked over to her closet. “When Max and I were in Paris, I saw this gown and wanted to buy it. He said that I already had a wedding gown. I said I needed it anyway. I’ve never worn it.” She pulled it
out of the closet, still in its garment bag and handed it to Noble.

  “Let’s see it,” Laura said.

  Carefully, Evelyn helped Noble untie all the ties on this particular bag revealing a beautiful, long, white lace gown. The bodice was a beaded, appliqued strapless corset that flowed into a full skirt of Organza ruffles.

  Noble trembled. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “Yay! It’s yours. You’re the one meant to wear it. Now we need flowers and a veil.”

  “Do you want a veil?” Betsy asked.

  “I don’t know. Do I have to have one?”

  “I see your beautiful black hair up in a twist and pearls. Maybe a little crown?” Evelyn asked.

  Noble nodded.

  “Noble, what’s the name of the church?”

  Her eyes widened. “I don’t know. Donovan knows.”

  Donovan laughed as he sat at the bar downstairs with Max and David.

  “What is it?” Max asked.

  “Noble wanted to know the name of the church?”

  “What church is it?”

  “Saint Cecilia’s.”

  Max drank down his blood and poured another for Donovan. “I know that church. What time is the wedding?”

  “Eight p.m. What do you think is going on up there?”

  Max and David laughed and shook their heads. David said, “You don’t want to go up there, until Noble gives you the all clear. I imagine they are figuring out the wedding gown, bridesmaids’ dresses, flowers, and where to have the reception afterward.”

  “That’s a lot to figure out in such a short time,” Donovan said.