by Logan Keys
Andrei came back with the knife and took Stephen’s place in the carriage. Before he made the first cut, he probed with his long, slender, yet strong fingers. The herbs must be working. I felt the pressure, but the pain had mostly gone.
I stared at my husband, memorizing his handsome face with its familiar, sharply defined features, his big, dark eyes. I wanted to make sure I remembered every detail in case I didn’t survive.
“Close your eyes, my love.” With a tired sigh, I followed Andrei’s directions, and he made the cut.
It was the weirdest sensation, I could feel the skin peeling apart, but it didn’t really hurt. Until Andrei started probing deeper.
I jerked and moaned, my eyes flew open.
“Put more herbs on the wound to numb it more,” Stephen suggested.
“I’ll need something to grab the bullet,” Andrei said, obviously recognizing that the silver would burn him as well.
While Andrei held the herbs onto the open wound, I heard Stephen digging in his bag again.
“Hold on, my love. It will soon be over.”
Stephen appeared back at the edge of the carriage with a piece of cloth. A cravat? A kerchief? I couldn’t tell.
In a few moments, Andrei went back to work, his hands sure and steady. The pain had disappeared. I closed my eyes again.
When I awoke, the morning sun was a glimmer, sending shimmers of dappled light through the trees.
“You’re awake, my love,” Andrei said. “Feeling better?”
I took a moment to assess myself, still lying across the carriage seat. Thankfully, the burning was gone, but I felt very weak. “I do believe I am better.”
“Stephen has gone hunting. Hopefully, he will find a deer which will be big enough to sustain us all for a while.”
We preferred humans, of course, and we did try to target the criminal types, which were easy enough to tell as I could read their thoughts. It was our way of helping society. While not as optimal, we could survive on animal blood when necessary.
I nodded, still feeling too weak to talk.
Andrei, who understood me so well, knew I was too weak to talk. “Rest, my love. I’ll awaken you when he is back.”
The next time I opened my eyes, the sun was well in the sky now, although very little of it reached the ground because of the density of the trees.
“Has Stephen returned?” I asked in a voice that sounded weak to my ears.
“No, love, not yet.” A worried look haunted his dark eyes.
“We should leave soon,” I said. “If they’re following us, we’re a sitting target.”
He brushed his hand across my head, smoothing back my dark hair from my face. “I agree,” he said, “but we’ll have to go on horseback. I’d rather you have sustenance before we leave.”
“I’ll just have to make it,” I said, attempting to rise. Surprisingly, I fell backward, too weak to sit up.
“Not likely,” said Andrei. “I can go off hunting myself. I can at least find a rabbit, I’m sure.”
I closed my eyes. For some reason it was harder for me to eat animals than humans. Something about their big beautiful eyes, I supposed. Whereas there was darkness in the eyes of the humans we killed.
But this was survival, and there was still a beating heart in my vampire body, as well as the drive to live, so I would do what was needed to stay alive.
At that moment, we both heard the sound. It was still quite some distance away, but we had superior hearing, likely better than any wild animal, which helped make us such good hunters. That and the ability to run faster than our prey.
“I do think Stephen is approaching,” my husband said.
Ten minutes later, yes, we could hear that far, Stephen walked into our makeshift camp. By now, I had moved to a pallet under the carriage, where I could fully stretch out. I peered from my makeshift shelter at Stephen approaching.
He had a struggling doe across his back, her feet were tied so she was at least manageable.
He laid her down. “Sorry, I took so long. I circled back to see if I could determine if we were followed.”
“And…?” asked Andrei.
Stephen nodded. “They are moving slowly, but they have a tracker, and they will find us,” he promised. “But they’re still a half day away. Maybe more.”
“We should leave soon, then,” I said, struggling to scoot out from under the carriage.
Stephen looked from me to Andrei as he helped me from under the carriage and into a sitting position.
“She’s still so weak,” Stephen said.
“Food should help revive her,” Andrei answered.
The poor deer. But it was her, or me. Still, I closed my eyes.
And it was true, feeding did help. “I do feel better,” I said. “We better get the horses saddled and move.”
“I’ve been thinking,” said Andrei. “Lily, my love, you might feel better, but you are still weak. I think we should split up. You and Stephen go one way, and I lead them a trail away from you.”
“No,” I protested, my heart seeming to rise to my throat. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“If we all go together, you might slow us down and we’ll all have to fight again,” he pointed out.
He made a good point, but still, Andrei and I hadn’t been separated in a hundred years at least. “What is to assure they follow you and not us? I asked, even though I already knew what he would say.
“Stephen is adept at moving stealthily, he can cover your tracks. I, on the other hand, will leave such a clear trail that a child could follow.”
“It makes sense,” said Stephen. “Where should we meet?”
“You head back into Texas. I will find you.”
Stephen shook his head. “Texas is a big place. Should we go to the Comanche?”
“Not yet,” Andrei said. “Stay closer to the border. It would be harder to find you since this is the time of year the Comanche are moving and hunting.”
“No,” I protested, not liking the direction of their plans at all. “Even if we stay close to the border, how can you find us? Texas is so big.”
“It might take a while, my love, but we have not been apart for a hundred years. You are the other half to my heart. Even if it takes months, I will find you,” he promised and gave me a short, fierce kiss before he went off to saddle the horses.
Months? I thought in despair. At the moment, months sounded longer than a lifetime.
—2—
We had four horses from the carriage. Andrei took two and Stephen and I each were on one. When the hunters discovered we split up, they would be less likely to know which two to follow. Of course, a good tracker like Stephen could tell that the two horses heading west toward Texas both had riders, whereas the two heading north, only one horse had a rider. But we had one thing to our advantage. We were in a heavily wooded area in the fall and dead leaves littered the ground. That made it more difficult, but not impossible, to read the signs. The other advantage was that Andrei planned to leave a broad, obvious trail, and we hoped that Pierre Fontenot and his posse was in such a hurry, that would plunge forward after Andrei without bothering to think about splitting up or looking for our trail.
Of course, if they did split up and part of the group came after us and part after Andrei then that reduced their strength. And even in my weakened state I was stronger than an average man. Whereas Stephen’s body had recovered to full strength.
And if they took the bait and followed my husband’s trail, I wasn’t too worried. He knew they were coming; he had fed, albeit on a deer, but even that less than adequate sustenance would keep up his strength and last him for days. So he had ample time and opportunity to overcome the hunters should they find him. Of course, knowing my Andrei, it was likely he would find them first. Set up a trap, surprise them. That was the most likely option. If he found a good place for an ambush, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
Stephen and I traveled for days on very little rest. Once we cross
ed the border into Texas, we basically followed the train tracks that had been carved out between the piney woods. During midday we veered into the trees to briefly rest. Although our medicine pouches protected us from the sun, the relentless constant exposure to the sun’s heat drained on our energy. And I needed the rest.
By the third day, my energy reserves were absolutely depleted, and I needed more than a few hours rest. I also needed to eat again.
Stephen found us a grove of trees that dipped down into the valley. Using the blankets and cutting off some tree limbs, he constructed a makeshift tent. We rested during the day, and as dusk approached, when the animals began to come out of their lairs, he left me a fire for protection so I could continue to rest and not be bothered by curious or hungry wild animals, and went off hunting.
Full darkness had fallen when something crashed through the trees. I came awake immediately. An animal?
“I told you I saw a fire,” a man’s voice said.
Ah, an animal of the two-legged variety.
“Yer right, someone’s out here,” came a harsh whisper. “Maybe they got some food.”
More than one human then. And one was injured. I could smell the blood from here. What were they doing out here? One injured, bound to be up to no good.
What would they do when they came upon what they thought was a lone woman? Likely, what any human male would do. The injured one might be too weak, but the healthy one would likely think I was fair game. I concentrated, trying to focus on their thoughts.
I wondered if I was strong enough to handle two men and hoped Stephen returned soon so I didn’t have to find out.
They came close enough where I could see them, but still far enough they couldn’t see me. And too far for me to read their thoughts. I could just make out their forms beyond the light of the fire, maybe a couple of hundred yards out. Soon, they would be upon me.
I decided it was better to hide and surprise them. If it turned out they were good men, then I would let them go on their way. Although the need to feed was intense and tempting.
I darted into the woods, far enough in the dark they wouldn’t see me, but close enough to watch the fire.
The men rode up. “Looks like the camp is abandoned. Where d’ya think they are?”
“Dunno.”
They stopped their horses. The saddles creaked as they dismounted, warily looking around.
Both had shaggy hair, unshaven, and gun belts with two gun-holsters. There was also a third horse that was packed down with supplies. They were definitely on the move.
“I need to rest,” said the injured one. “You stay up and keep watch. Let me rest for a while.”
Stephen came up behind me. “Ah, flies in the spider’s web.”
I’d caught hold of their thoughts. “It would appear so. Train robbers,” I whispered. “On the run.”
No sooner than I said that, then one said, “We’ll stay long enough to eat, and you can take a nap. But the sheriff is likely rounding up a posse.”
“Promising.” Stephen whispered.
I nodded.
“What about the people who set up this camp?”
“Yeah. We need to find them. Likely they’re hiding. Hey,” he yelled out. “Where are you? We won’t hurt you. Just want to share your fire for a while.”
I looked at Stephen. “They’re lying.”
“Dinner,” he said.
I agreed. We’d be doing the sheriff a favor.
“I’ll go first,” I said.
I walked out, coming into the firelight. I turned on my alluring power, sure to stun them, no matter that I was sick and weak and not looking my best.
One nudged the other. “Lookee here. Hello, pretty lady, what are you doing out here all on your own?”
Their minds had immediately gone to sex as I’d intended. I couldn’t always read thoughts clearly, but I had no trouble with theirs. I repressed the need to shudder.
I didn’t answer, but kept walking. Their eyes widened. Perhaps they got a sense of impending peril.
In my peripheral vision, I saw Stephen circle around to come up behind them.
“What …?”
Too late, they recognized me as a threat. The uninjured one drew his gun out of the holster but before he could get off a shot, Stephen was upon him. I took the weaker one.
Later, after Stephen dragged off their bodies, we went through their things.
“I’m glad they came along,” Stephen said. “All I’d caught was rats.”
I shuddered. Worst food ever.
“Look at this,” I said. A saddlebag full of money.
“Train robbing can be profitable,” Stephen said with a grin.
“Deadly, too,” I said, adding, “It’s quite convenient to have this money. We can survive until we meet up with Andrei again.”
“You rest now,” Stephen said as the fire burned down. “We’ll travel more tomorrow.”
Feeling sated, I felt my body continue to repair itself. Sleep would help.
I nodded and climbed under the makeshift tent and slept.
We traveled for the next three days until we came upon a small east Texas town called Piney Grove. Since there was a two-story hotel, we decided to get a room. I was feeling normal, but decided to stay in the room and relish the feel of a feather mattress. Stephen, on the other hand, the more amiable of the two of us, set off to explore the town the next day. His report that night made me think this would be a good place to stay until Andrei found us.
“The saloon owner is desperate to sell,” Stephen told me. “A certain Mrs. Broadbent keeps hassling his customers. I figure we could take that money we got from the train robbers and buy the saloon, set up shop until Andrei makes his appearance. Heck, even then, we could stay awhile.”
“You know we can never stay in place for long. We need to feed. While animals are fine temporarily, we can’t go indefinitely without human blood. This town is so small they’d definitely notice if people start missing.”
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that, too. We could always track down an enemy tribe. There’s Lipan south of here. But here’s another idea. There’s a train depot about five miles north,” Stephen said.
“So? Are we just supposed to show up at the depot and pick off passengers?”
“Something like that,” Stephen said. “Something like that.”
Intrigued, I listened to his plan.
—3—
A few days later we were the proud owners of the Piney Grove Saloon, creatively named after the town itself. I didn’t figure we would be here long enough to bother changing it, so we left the name.
I spent the first three days going over the books and the suppliers list, and learned that either we’d have to make homemade brew, or order from back east. Ordering supplies was a good excuse for us to be gone every couple of months or so, as Stephen had suggested, without raising too much suspicion. Oh, eventually, I’m sure someone would get suspicious, especially if that woman Mrs. Cynthia Broadbent—the temperance marcher that everyone warned Stephen about—watched us closely. She was eventually bound to connect that the train robberies would coincide with our trips out of town. If she had any brains at all. Although to hear the men talk, she was definitely lacking in the brain department.
I realized that those men could be bitter pills talking and so I would reserve my judgment until I actually met her.
The meeting with Mrs. Broadbent and her daughter Virginia came sooner than I hoped. I was still in the back wrangling with the books when I heard a commotion up front.
Curious, because Stephen had the ability to threaten any troublemakers to silence with nary more than a look, I made my way through the storage area up to the bar.
And saw Mrs. Broadbent and her daughter brandishing signs. In Virginia’s defense, she didn’t look nearly as enthused as her mother. But Mama Broadbent was definitely waging a verbal war on my customers.
Or on Stephen, rather, as he’d obviously tried to intervene
.
Mrs. Broadbent was wielding her sign like a weapon and whacking Stephen about the shoulders. Having years to develop into a southern gentleman, and that a gentleman did not retaliate against a lady, no matter how loosely that term might be applied—unless it was for meal purposes, of course—Stephen seemed at a momentary loss how to handle the attack. But I could tell from his expression that soon the Comanche warrior was going to make an appearance. Southern manners be damned.
And once I got close enough to hear Mrs. Broadbent’s thoughts, I realized talking would do little good.
Her daughter Virginia’s thoughts, on the other hand, revealed that she definitely didn’t want to be there but years of being bullied had made her compliant. Poor girl, I could see I’d have to take her in hand, show her a different side of life.
I would have to take matters into my own hands. Literally.
Marching up to Mrs. Broadbent, I grabbed her by the shoulders and ushered her toward the door. She was a bigger woman than me, used to bullying people, probably because her sheer size intimidated so many, but it was clear she was surprised by my strength.
“Madam, you will have to take your protests outside,” I told her, pushing her out the door, no matter she was digging her heels into the wooden floor, futilely trying to resist my efforts.
I escorted her clear to the dusty street in front of our establishment. “This is a free country, of course,” I told her. “And you can protest all you want out front, as long as you don’t hassle or hurt my customers. You cannot, however, set foot in my premises with the idea of running me out of business. It won’t work.”
Virginia slipped out behind me and headed off down the wooden sidewalk, wisely distancing herself from me and her mother.
I wiped my hands together as if knocking off a piece of bothersome dirt and turned to go back into the saloon amidst cheers from our customers.
From the thoughts battering Mrs. Broadbent’s head, I half-expected her to charge after me, but in a huff, she turned and marched off in the direction after her daughter.
Maybe she had a brain after all.
—4—
The summer days were quickly melting into shorter days of approaching fall. Stephen and I had been to the train depot once to pick up supplies and learn the train schedule. We’d also scouted good places for a hold up. We’d been surviving on cow’s blood and an occasional deer, but I was beginning to feel weak and needed to feed on human blood. It wasn’t something I was fond of, but it was an overwhelming survival instinct. Using my talents of being able to sense the thoughts, especially of evil people, I felt I justified killing. There usually was at least one evil person within a crowd.
