The Return (The Witch Hunter Saga)
Page 23
Anna was the name she went by in this life. Aeriaya, Aericura, Anastasia, Anwyn. She'd had many names over the thousands of years she'd walked the earth. There was this thing she had for the letter A.
It had been an exciting time in Paris, along with the human revolution, there had been a lot of witchcraft that had captured her attention. After all, it was why she continued living. After dealing with the abuse of power, she remained in the city, to see what would become of the uprising. It wasn't long before she knew that they we close again. Her old enemy was at her heels once more.
As Anna stood in the crowd waiting for the first scent of blood, a vampire came to stand with her, just as eager for the guillotine as she was. She didn't have to look to know her silent companion was a female and one she had met before. Glancing out the corner of her eye, she saw the woman was wearing too much finery for a public execution post-revolution, but the poorly dressed common folk that surrounded them paid no attention. If they could truly see her, then she would be beaten, robbed and stripped of her fine dress.
"I know what you are," the woman said, not tearing her eyes off the gruesome sight ahead.
"I know," she replied, her gaze falling on the basket at the foot of the guillotine, where the first head of the day had fallen, much to the delight of the crowd. "I also know who you are, Victoria."
The woman known as Victoria stiffened slightly, but corrected herself quickly, but not before Anna noticed.
"Tell me," she continued, "were you disappointed when you were turned to find that all your power was gone? That you were no longer a witch?"
Victoria smiled, but remained silent. She'd hit a nerve, but had to give the Englishwoman a little credit for not taking the bait.
Just then, the crowd became excited, making Anna's skin tingle. The main spectacle was about to begin. The reason that so many people had turned out to the square. A cart was approaching from the street behind them, followed by a strong contingency of guards who pressed the crowd back to allow them passage to the guillotine.
She watched without emotion as the cart came to a stop at the foot of the stairs that led up to the high platform. The woman they'd brought to be executed stood proud, despite her fate. Her long tresses had been shorn off close to her scalp, her plain white dress meager compared to the finery she had once worn. Anna remembered her from the few balls she had attended at Versailles. It was hard to forget the once Queen of France, Marie Antoinette.
As she rose to the platform, the crowd began calling for her blood and she stumbled slightly, treading on the foot of the executioner. "Monsieur, I ask your pardon. I did not do it on purpose," came the delicate, yet proud voice of the fallen monarch. The executioner merely pushed her down and fastened the metal clasps of the stocks.
As the blade of the guillotine fell, the crowd let out a blood thirsty cheer. She didn't look away as the head of Marie Antoinette was severed, blood gushing from the open wound. It landed with a soft thud into the wicker basket and the once queen was gone.
The lady Victoria still stood at her side, her grin most obvious. But she knew she was smiling at the think scent of blood that lingered in the square, not that a greedy, treasonous member of the royal family was dead. Such was the curse of a vampire.
As the crowd jostled around them, she asked, "How is dear Regulus?"
Victoria stiffened momentarily, not expecting that she knew the name of her maker and commander of her heart. "He is as well as can be expected."
Anna grinned, "I would expect nothing less."
The mob around them was beginning to disperse, the show over for the day. Madame guillotine would resume her duties in the morning with fervor. Without looking, she knew that the square was littered with vampires amongst the common folk, vampires in league with her old adversary Regulus. He was learning, at long last, how to corner and overpower her. In all the years they had been hunting her, she had not been captured and didn't intend to break the cycle.
For the first time, she turned to Victoria and smiled. "Please give my regards to your maker." In one fluid motion, she was behind the young vampire, her head in her icy cold hands. There was a snap as she twisted her head around, breaking her neck. A woman beside them screamed, pointing at the now dead Victoria who had crumpled to the ground, but Anna had vanished into the crowd as if she had never been there. Then, all hell broke loose in the crowd of human commoners. Shouting and shrieking as human soldiers roughly pushed their way through the throng towards the dead vampire.
It was all the distraction Anna needed to slip unnoticed from the square, the hidden vampires never noticing her departure. They were too busy rushing to Victoria's aid. Recovering her body was more important than following her. If they didn't, then their kind would be exposed.
Aya looked back over her shoulder as she slipped into the nearby Jardin des Tuileries. Catching sight of a familiar dark form perched on the platform that held the guillotine, she cursed under her breath. Regulus' eyes locked with hers briefly, his furious gaze chilling her to the bone.
Before he could move, she disappeared into the manicured gardens, bound for Calais.
To be continued... in The Shadow’s Son (#3)
I have seen empires crumble and kings and queens fall.
I have seen mountains of fire and the bowels of the earth as it was ripped asunder. I have seen plagues of death claim good along with evil. I have seen war and strife take men, women and children. I have seen the earth decimated by nature and by man. I have seen the blood of your ancestors run through my fingers.
I have died a thousand deaths and lived a thousand lives. I have been called countless names, but only one has followed me from my tormented birth.
I am the devourer of worlds.
Take a deep breath, my friend, because it will be your last.
Are you afraid?
You will be.
the AWAKENING
Book 4 in the Witch Hunter Saga
Coming 2014…