Myths & Magic: A Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection

by Kerry Adrienne

  The demon stepped closer and simply laughed. “I will admit that it was clever of Seth to use garlic to mask your scent. I would have found you sooner if not for that.”

  As Beon rose from the bed and moved away from it, hoping to draw this fiend away from Sophia, Sir Percy continued, “The stake will not harm me either, in case you’re thinking it will.”

  When Sir Percy turned his face to look at Sophia while she slept, Beon lifted both weapons above his head and stepped forward.

  Before he could take another step, the door flew open and smashed against the wall so hard, the handle broke through the plaster and got stuck in the wall.

  In a blur of motion that was impossible to track with his eyes, Seth engaged Sir Percy. Wishing he could be of more help, Beon remained aware of the fact that Percy had found them so fast, he wouldn’t likely have had time to make the turn anyway.

  The vampires crashed into the wall, cracking many of the stones with the force. Bits of rock thumped to the floorboards as Beon searched his mind for some way to help Seth.

  Sir Percy threw Seth toward the opposite wall of the chamber, causing just as much damage and waking a shocked and horrified Sophia in the process. Of course, how could he expect anyone to sleep through a clash of vampires right in their own bedchamber?

  With her jaw-dropping and her eyes widening, it was clear it hadn’t taken her long to grasp what was happening. “Don’t look at their eyes,” he warned when she looked toward the scuffle.

  “Took you long enough,” Seth said, as he and Percy circled each other like wolves.

  Only because they’d paused in their fight did Beon see that Seth’s clothes were tattered from battling with the vicious vampire.

  “Sophia, stay there,” Beon said when he noticed that she was taking up the second stake hidden beneath their pillows.

  Sir Percy laughed darkly. “I’ve come for my revenge, and I will have it.”

  Eva appeared in the open doorway, and Beon wanted to roll his eyes. Couldn’t these women understand the level of danger here? Beon made shooing motions with his hand, urging her to get to safety, but it seemed as though the silly woman was too shocked even to move.

  Sir Percy regarded all four of them before finally addressing Seth, “I make you into this great warrior, and this is how you repay me?”

  “You never knew me if you thought I would go along with your plan to build an army of monsters like yourself so that you can rule the world with terror.”

  “What a disappointment you turned out to be, Sir Lyndon. You know, the Great Mortality presented a most unique opportunity for us to reign over vampires, as well as men. Perhaps the entire magical world.”

  “You don’t actually think I’ll let you get away with it, do you?”

  “You don’t honestly think you can stop me, do you?”

  Percy turned his eyes on Sophia and said, “Your father was extremely foolish to think he could attack me.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, looking down at the silver stake in her hands, clearly remembering the magic within his gaze and that she must avoid it.

  Beon didn’t have time to process what happened next until it was too late. He simply blinked and Sir Percy was there, directly in front of them, transfixed on Sophia as her fingers tightened around the stake, knuckles turning white. “Your father promised you to me,” he said as he reached out and touched the ruffled edge of her nightshift. The fact that he dared even touch his wife while she stood beside him made Beon’s blood boil.

  Wanting to cleave the demon in two, and wishing he had his sword at hand, Beon thrust the dagger into Percy’s chest, only it didn’t do any more damage than tear a hole in his shirt. With blinding speed, Sir Percy delivered a terrible blow to his head, and he went down, dropping the stake as he tried to catch himself. It took him a moment to gather his wits, head bursting with so much pain it blurred his vision, Beon staggered to his feet.

  Thunder rumbled in the distance, the flash of lightning illuminating the sky with a flicker of white.

  In a blur, Seth captured Sir Percy and slammed him into the bed. The wood splintered, and the substantial piece of furniture was demolished in an instant. Again, both men tussled with such speed that Beon couldn’t follow their movement until Seth was sent crashing through the wall and Sir Percy immediately lit off after Sophia once more.

  Beon could tell she didn’t know what to do when Sir Percy clasped onto her chin and blew into her face. But she didn’t collapse like he thought she would have. Confused as to how she had resisted the power of that dark magic better than he had, Sir Percy began to chuckle. “Clever lady, you held your breath.”

  Seth returned and engaged Percy once more. The two vampires wrestled, neither one of them making any progress over the other.

  Beon gaped in horror when Sophia lifted the silver stake high above her head and brought it down onto Sir Percy’s back. Again, the stake failed to pierce the man’s body, proving yet another one of their theories false. Was there truly no way to destroy the devil? As he’d watched this battle carry on, however, Beon had come to understand that if Seth had not been alone in this fight, they would have easily prevailed. As it was, they were too evenly matched. If two vampire knights of such caliber, fighting for life and love would have been enough to protect three mortals, then an entire garrison of such knights would be unstoppable.

  Another flash of lightning lit up the chamber, the storm drawing closer as Beon looked on feeling utterly weak and human in this moment.

  Sir Percy was able to send Seth flying into the chair beside the hearth, and he again turned toward Sophia. “I knew you were a feisty little wild thing...worth every bit of trouble, I’m sure.”

  Recovering as fast as he had before, Seth took the stake from Beon’s hands and thrust it into Sir Percy’s back. It sank in and pierced the man’s heart.

  Percy howled in pain and tried to pull the stake from his back, but his arms weren’t long enough to reach it. Another flash of lightning flashed across the sky. The stake reflecting the light as it flickered.

  As Percy’s knees failed him, Seth lifted him up and threw him toward the window. Beon watched as the man’s body crashed through the glass and fell to the ground below. They all rushed to the window to peer out. But to everyone’s dismay and horror, his body was nowhere to be seen. “He could not have survived that, could he?” Beon asked.

  “He must have,” said Seth, sounding utterly astounded.

  “He won’t come back, will he?” asked Sophia.

  Beon turned to face her and drew her up against his body when he thought she might collapse. “I certainly hope not.”

  “This means you’re going to turn into a vampire as quickly as possible doesn’t it?” she murmured against his bare chest.

  Beon was about to respond to that when he noticed Eva still standing in the doorway, her eyes wide, her face drained of color, and her lips trembling.

  When Seth saw her, he rushed to her side, gathered her up into his arms, and carried her back to bed.

  Chapter 24

  An Order of Mythical Knights

  “There’s something very different about you,” Beon said as the morning sun bathed the chamber in a golden hue. She and Beon were lingering in bed as they often did, both of them lying on their sides facing each other.

  “What do you mean? Is this a good ‘something different’ or a ‘bad something different?’”

  He laughed. “It’s definitely a good something. Hmm...I’m not sure how to describe it, though.”

  Beon studied her as he pondered it, his fingers running through her hair.

  A month had passed since Sir Percy had found what Seth and Beon were now calling ‘Order Headquarters,’ but he had not returned. The two men frequently speculated as to the reasons why. They all feared he was still building an army and that it was only a matter of time before he arrived with hundreds of vampires rather than confronting them on his own again.

  Because of this co
ncern, they were building their own army. In that month, their garrison of knights had grown to a hundred and fifty-two. Beon was not yet numbered amongst them, however, much to Sophia’s relief.

  She was quite aware of the fact that she was the only one who remained relieved by this, however. The fact that it was a great sacrifice for Beon to wait was not a kindness she would forget. He was doing it all for her...or really for them, so they could have a family before it was no longer possible. She’d seen how he watched the vampire knights practice in the lists at night when their powers were at their strongest. She could tell Beon was dying to join them and eager to be that powerful. So not only was she relieved that he had waited, but she wrestled with a mixture of gratitude and guilt over it as well.

  Having seen how Seth was able to take on Sir Percy fed the guilt she was feeling. As the threat of Sir Percy remained, she knew Beon could protect her without aid if he too were a vampire. The sense of bliss they had enjoyed fed the gratitude because it was like none Sophia had ever known.

  “The rays of sunshine are casting a halo of fire around your head as it touches your auburn hair,” he said.

  “Is that what’s different about me, a halo?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “And I’m always reminded of strolls along the beach when I peer into your eyes.”

  “I’m not used to you being so sentimental. What is this about?”

  He laughed again. “I still haven’t sorted it out. It’s almost as though you glow.”

  “Are you sure it’s not just the sunlight making me ‘glow?’”

  With a chuckle still rumbling within him, Beon rolled, rose from the bed, and began getting dressed. “I’m sure it’s not the sunlight.”

  Sophia did the same. “You do realize you’re not making any sense, don’t you?”

  Once they were dressed, he reached a hand out to her and said, “Shall you we go down for repast?”

  Taking his hand, she said, “It does feel a bit odd with only the two of us seated alone at that enormous table for each meal.”

  “As the only mortals here, I don’t see that changing.”

  “And when you become a vampire, it will be only me.”

  “I’ll sit with you and pretend to eat.”

  Sophia wasn’t sure how to respond to that as she tried to envisage it.

  “And you will be joining me at some point, won’t you?”

  Knowing he meant that she would also become a vampire, she sighed and said, “Yes, for you I will.” As they made their way to the great hall, she imagined drinking blood and knew it would be a struggle, but she felt it only right that she be willing to make the same sacrifice for Beon that he was going to make for her.

  To pass the time, Beon carved every shrub on the premises into varying shapes of topiary art. Over the years, he’d found that working in the garden was always something that helped clear his mind. He was able to strategize, theorize, and look to the future of what this new order of knights could mean to the world. He’d pondered the design for their coat of arms, what colors it should be, and the motto they should hold themselves to.

  He’d mentally debated what animals should represent their order. When he’d sculpted one shrub into a lion, an image had begun to take shape. As the king of beasts, portraying undying courage, Beon felt a heraldic lion perfectly suited an order of vampire knights.

  Considering the shrub beside it, a fierce drake came to mind, its teeth bared and its talons raised. Once he’d finished sculpting the dragon and stood back to consider his work, he’d known this creature represented them as well. The mythical reptile symbolized a guardian of treasure, and Beon immediately thought of Sophia. But not only was their goal to guard the lives of those they cared about, but protect all mortals from creatures bent on using their unfair advantage to gain power over the helpless.

  As the time for supper neared, Beon sat before the fire in the great hall and sketched out what he was envisioning for their crest, imagining the rings, banners, and tapestries they would have crafted to signify their order of knights.

  Seth came up from behind him and read aloud the motto he’d just scripted along the bottom in Latin. “‘Shame to him who evil thinks.’”

  Beon watched as Seth moved around and sat in the chair facing him. “What do you think?”

  His comrade bent forward and propped his elbows on his knees. “I think it perfectly suits the Order of Curse-Bound Knights and I can’t wait to see it woven into a tapestry and hung above this very hearth.”

  Silently Beon added two swords criss-crossing in the center to symbolize power, freedom, and purification. It wasn’t likely the Order would be able to eliminate all the vampires like Percy who would do harm in the world, but with the rise of such a ‘plague,’ the knights would save as many mortals as they could.

  “I’ve been instructing the men to call you Lord Beon rather than Sir.”

  Lifting his eyes from the paper, Beon looked at Seth with surprise.

  “I need them to respect you as much as they do me,” he continued.

  “But...I’m not a vampire yet and unless—” Beon couldn’t ignore the fact that he was again waiting to progress as others moved ahead without him. Of course, the reason he’d spent so many years as a page was different than why he was remaining mortal.

  “You will be soon enough, and we’re starting this undertaking together.”

  Would it be soon enough? Beon wondered. Sophia wanted children, and as far as he knew, she wasn’t with child yet.

  As if the thought of her conjured her presence, Sophia entered from the kitchens as she wiped a white substance off her hands onto the pair of trousers she was wearing. He opened his mouth to comment on her boy’s attire, but closed it when she held up her hand and said, “You’ve already teased me adequately for donning the male clothing...it just makes cooking so much less distressing.”

  “How so?” he asked with a laugh as she sat down beside him. “And why are you toiling in the kitchen when we have a cook to do that now?”

  She brushed a lock of hair out of her face, leaving a streak of white across her forehead, and then gave him a sheepish look. “It’s so enjoyable for me, I just can’t seem to resist.”

  “And?”

  “And I enjoy making delectable things for you to eat.”

  “You forgot to explain the distressing bit.”

  Sophia bit her lip and shot him a guilty look. “Oh, well, it’s less distressing to wear trousers because I don’t need to worry about my gowns getting soiled.”

  “Do I even want to see what the kitchens look like this time?”

  “Probably not.”

  Finding this silly side of her charming as well as amusing, Beon looped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to her cheek, taking in the fact that she smelled of cloves, nutmeg, and sugar. “Who will you cook for when we both become vampires, my lady?”

  Her eyebrows drew together, and she pouted. “Are you saying that will happen soon?”

  “I’ll turn first, as we discussed.”

  “I don’t know if I’m ready to avoid being close to you at night like Eva is always complaining about,” she said rather sadly.

  Beon glanced at Seth before returning his eyes to Sophia. “Not to worry, my aim is to honor your wish, we’ll wait until we have a baby.”

  “Speaking of nighttime,” interjected Seth. “I feel the sun setting.”

  “You can feel that?” Beon asked.

  “Well, I’m not sure if that is the best way to phrase it. It’s more like I know the sun is setting because I can feel the curse magic awakening.”

  “That sounds alarming,” said Sophia.

  Seth considered them for a beat or two before tipping his head to the side and considering Sophia more closely. “I can hear something different about you, my dear.”

  Sophia’s eyes rounded. “That sounds even more alarming. What do you mean?”

  “Your heart...I’ve noticed it beats...strangely these last few
days.”

  “What?” Beon asked, also growing alarmed at this information.

  “It’s muddled...or faster. I don’t know...”

  “You can actually hear it now?”

  Seth nodded. “Not perfectly just yet. As it is still daylight, or dusk rather, I believe I could hear it more clearly if I set my ear against her chest. But as the magic rises, I can easily hear it from a distance.”

  “If it sounds irregular to you, does that mean I’m about to die of some heart malady?” asked Sophia sounding a bit panicked.

  “I won’t let that happen,” said Beon, unwilling to even imagine how he would cope at the loss.

  “How could you prevent it?” she asked.

  “I would insist Seth turn you into a vampire to save you.”

  She shot a horrified look Seth’s way at that.

  The man chuckled and said, “I think you two are getting a bit ahead of yourselves. As I said, the sound is faint at the moment. Let’s have a proper listen once the sun fully sets to put your minds at ease, shall we?”

  Sophia linked her fingers with Beon’s a bit frantically as they waited.

  Seth dropped his eyes to the floor as he sat before them in silence. After a few moments had past, in which the only sound to Beon’s ears was the crackling of the fire, Seth gasped in surprise and raised his head abruptly, an unusual look on his face that Beon couldn’t interpret.

  “You’re making me nervous. What is wrong with me?” demanded Sophia.

  “I hear three heartbeats, not two,” he finally announced.

  “Three?” Beon asked.

  “That’s right.” Seth pointed. “One heartbeat within you, and two within Sophia.”