by Gayla Twist
“I’m afraid you’re going the wrong way,” Lord Vagnar said, advancing on us from across the room. “You’ve turned away from the dining room and I know you said your fiancée said she was famished.”
Chapter 17
“I am famished,” I said, turning toward Lord Vagnar and smiling brightly. “But I thought there was refreshments being served on the patio.” I gave Jessie a quizzical look. “Isn’t that what we overheard that lady with all the blonde hair saying? That there was divine refreshments on the patio, or something like that?” I referenced a woman with blonde hair because quite a few of the female guests were blonde with a vengeance.
“Oh.” Lord Vagnar frowned. “That could very well be true. But she probably meant…” he cleared his throat. “She probably meant live refreshment. And that wouldn’t be on the patio. Plus, from my understanding, the Vanderlinds are a bit squeamish about such delicacies.” He met Jessie’s gaze. “I mean, you’ve built your family fortune on blood banks, after all.” Then he turned his eyes back to me. “But your fiancée might not be so delicate. She might actually relish a meal with a little kick to it once in a while.”
I felt Jessie tense by my side. Vagnar had obviously intended to tweak his ego and I had a strong feeling that he might have succeeded. “Very true,” Jessie began. “Blood banks have enhanced the Vanderlind wealth. But fortunately for everyone under this roof…”
“Excuse me, Lord Vagnar,” Yvette said, smoothly inserting herself into the conversation from out of the blue. “I hate to bother you, but there is a little problem that I think deserves your attention.”
Vagnar looked annoyed. “It’s not what we talked about earlier, is it?”
Yvette affirmed his question with a long blink of her eyes.
“Good grief,” the lord of the manner grumbled. “Why must I constantly have to address every little thing?”
I suppressed a nervous giggle at the expression he’d used. I’d only ever heard “good grief” before while watching Peanuts specials on TV.
Lord Vagnar turned on his heel and stalked back toward the ballroom, Yvette trailing in his wake. She glanced at me over her shoulder and gave a quick wink. I fought back another giggle. I couldn’t tell if Yvette knew of our plans and was trying to aid us or if she was just a friend of couples in love who wanted to be left alone, but either way, I was grateful.
“We’d better exit through the patio,” Jessie said, hurrying me along as Vagnar disappeared from sight.
“Won’t he think to look for us there?” I asked.
“I think that’s the last place he’ll look,” Jessie said. “At least I hope it is, but we’ve got no time to waste.”
Jessie led me down a hallway and I marveled that he had any idea how to navigate the faux castle. A vampiress with a crown of golden hair appeared out of the shadows. “Jessie,” called a soft voice. I knew in an instant that she was Daniel’s old flame. I automatically glanced at her hands, wondering if she had another drink cocked and ready to go, but she held nothing. “Are you leaving?” she asked, her voice was clear and musical, like someone was ringing a crystal bell.
“Yes,” was Jessie’s reply.
“You don’t have much time. It’s almost sunrise. Where will you go?” she asked.
“You tell me,” he said. “I don’t know the area. Is there a cemetery nearby that would suit our needs?”
Rebecca nodded. “There’s quite a large one only a few miles from here, but I’m afraid Vagnar would find you instantly.” She glanced up and down the hall to make sure she wouldn’t be overheard. “But I know of a family graveyard on an estate nearby that I think is discrete enough to be overlooked. There’s a crypt; I know that for sure.”
Jessie nodded. “That sounds like our best shot. Where is it?”
Giving it some quick thought, Rebecca said, “If you leave by the patio doors, then fly directly east. You’ll pass over three or four farmhouses. And then you’ll see a chateau made out of red brick. There’s a path behind the house that leads to a little copse. That’s where you’ll want to be. But you’ll have to hurry.” She looked at me. “I hope you’re a strong flyer.”
My mouth popped open. No, I was not a strong flyer. In fact, I could barely levitate without crashing into something. “I…”
“I don't know how to thank you,” Jessie said to Rebecca.
She shrugged her slim shoulders. “Don’t get cooked.”
Grabbing my hand, Jessie began running down the hallway, which was thankfully free of party guests. “You’re going to have to focus, darling,” he said as he hurried me through the door to the patio. “I need you to try your hardest to fly.”
I couldn’t fly. Even with a pack of wolves biting at my heels, I doubted I could float more than a few feet in the air. “Jessie, we need to stop and think for a moment.” I said, pulling against his grip. “I know Braxton warned us that Lord Vagnar was up to no good, but do you really think whatever he has planned is so awful that it’s worth risking our lives?”
Jessie pinched his lips together, thinking it over before saying, “Yes. I do.”
“Oh.” That wasn’t the reply I’d been expecting.
“Aurora, Karl is a very good friend to my family and he knows Lord Vagnar better than anyone alive or undead. If he felt the need to warn us, then we have to take him seriously.”
“Then you need to go without me,” I told him. “You know I’m horrible at flying. You’ll never make it to this family plot with me dragging you down. You go and I’ll find someplace in the castle to hide.” An idea occurred to me. “I’ll find some corner of the dungeon. I’m sure they’d never think to look for me there.”
Jessie shook his head quite vigorously. “Do you seriously believe I’d leave you?” He was quite adamant. “I’d rather face the dawn than abandon you. Can’t you understand that?”
“I know,” I told him. “And I love you for that, but…”
“Aurora,” he said, wrapping his arms around me. “There isn’t any time.” And with that he lifted me off my feet and whisked me out the patio door, launching both of us into fading night.
At first I was furious that he would just muscle me into doing what he wanted rather than discussing it. But I quickly realized that there was no time for my outrage. I needed to focus whatever skill I had for flying on actually doing it, so that Jessie wouldn’t have to struggle with my dead weight. If we were committed to getting to this family plot, then we had to get there as quickly as possible and hope that no mourner was paying respects to a departed loved one.
As we soared over a few farmhouses, I did my best to fly with Jessie, even though he still kept me wrapped tightly in his arms. “Am I helping at all?” I asked as I saw a peculiar expression cross Jessie’s face.
“Actually,” he said, giving me a stern look, “all that wiggling against me is rather distracting. I really need to become a better teacher if that’s what you think you need to do to fly.”
“I’m sorry,” I yelped, feeling my cheeks starting to get hot. But there was no time to be embarrassed. The sky was getting lighter and I knew dawn was only moments away. Things would get very unpleasant for us very soon. And once the sun peaked over the horizon, our skin would start to sizzle and burn.
“There’s not enough time,” Jessie said, scanning the land below us for the red brick chateau. “We waited too long.”
“Maybe we could hide in a barn,” I suggested, looking for anywhere we might be able to shelter ourselves for the day.
“There,” Jessie said. “There’s the manor.” Spying the old mansion helped revive his speed.
“There’s the path behind the house,” I said, pointing at a thin line in the grass barely discernable from lack of use. The warmth from the sun was getting hotter and hotter on my face, like I was standing in front of the open door of a baker’s oven. It was almost sunrise.
“I hope we don’t have a problem breaking in,” Jessie said and I could tell he was starting to grit his teeth.
J
essie swooped over the line of the path and followed it toward a cluster of trees. I can’t say that I felt relief when we saw the small, family graveyard with the modest crypt because the first rays of sunrise were striking us and I was trying not to cry as my flesh was super-heated. We were flying dead east and the pain was growing more excruciating with every second. I wanted to turn and flee — as if there was anywhere to run — but Jessie had me clamped in his arms.
As he flew up to the crypt’s door, Jessie unceremoniously released me. I was so surprised that I temporarily forgot that I could actually levitate and crashed to the ground. There wasn’t time for him to gently set me down; our bodies were beginning to smoke and I could see that his hair was catching fire. The agony was almost too much for us to keep functioning, but we had to get into the crypt. The door was locked and made out of some kind of metal. There was no way to break through it, especially with our skin starting to bubble. Fortunately, the building itself was constructed of a limestone that had grown soft with age. Jessie began applying his shoulder to the door. He was making a loud thumping noise as he threw himself against the metal again and again, but that was the least of our worries.
My face was burning to the point of madness. I wanted to scream and throw myself on the ground like I was on fire and needed to snuff the flames. But I knew that with every second the pain would only get worse. Jessie and I were moments away from being piles of smoldering ash that some groundskeeper would find and wonder about.
But that couldn’t happen; I wouldn’t let it happen. Not when we’d come so far. Not when we could finally be together. With a wild shriek, I rose up into the air and hurdled myself at the door to the crypt, smashing into it with all my might.
The door burst open and I tumbled inside, the pain of my searing skin lessening immediately. Quickly I scrambled to my feet, reaching for Jessie just as he managed to stumble into the dark, little room. Together we slammed the door shut, but a small amount of light still filtered in from around the edge of the door, where the lock had given way. Jessie immediately ripped off his jacket and tried to seal the cracks, but the fabric was too thick. In another second he had stripped away his shirt and was stuffing it into the holes. I ripped away reams of the skirt to my dress and helped seal the room. After several moments of frantic scrambling, the room was dark and our agony was at an end. At least temporarily.
Jessie slumped to the floor, catching his breath as his skin started to heal. “I guess I should have let you hide in the dungeon,” he said.
I sunk down next to him and leaned my head on his smoldering shoulder. “I guess I shouldn’t have delayed us by arguing about the plan.”
Leaning his cheek on the top of my head, he said, “It doesn’t matter now. We’re safe, at least for the day.”
“Do you think anyone from the chateau heard us banging on the door?” My skin felt weird, like there were miniature snakes crawling underneath it. The sensation wasn’t so much painful as it was strange. I knew instinctively that it was just my scorched skin regenerating itself. I’d somehow thought that healing as a vampire would feel itchier, like when mortal skin sloughs off a scab.
“I hope not,” Jessie told me, his voice sounding grim, “for their sake, as well as ours.”
“What do we do now?” I asked, suddenly feeling beyond exhausted.
“We wait until dusk and then try to sneak away before anyone at Lord Vagnar’s realizes we’re missing,” Jessie said, his voice also sounding weary.
“Should we bar the door?” I wanted to know.
“With what?” Jessie asked.
I turned my gaze to the interior of the crypt. There was a marble coffin in the center of the room with a reclining angel carved in relief on the lid. To the left and right were shelves made out of some utilitarian wood, which held a variety of urns. If we were to bar the door with anything, it would mean destroying either the lid of the coffin or one of shelves. We’d already broken into the family’s private crypt. Trashing it seemed beyond rude. Leaning to one side to peek around the coffin, I saw that there was a large wooden cross, hanging on the far wall. The piece was made of a dark wood with a bit of fancy metal work covering the end of each arm. It gave me a little start for some reason, even though I knew that vampires weren’t actually burned by symbols of the cross. Really, it just made me feel like more of a jerk for breaking the lock to a place that was obviously very personal for one family; a place where they came to grieve.
“I guess there’s nothing we can do, but wait for tonight,” I finally said.
“You go ahead and lie down,” Jessie told me. “I’ll guard the door.”
It was a sweet offer, but there wasn’t exactly any place to stretch out. Plus, if someone was going to come around during the day to check who had been messing with the family tomb, it would be better if there was two of us to keep the door shut until dark.
“I’d rather sit with you,” I told him. We scooted over so that both our backs were propped against the door. “Besides, it’s more romantic this way.”
Jessie gave me a sideways glance. “Yes. We can pretend we’re on our honeymoon.”
I released a little snortle, and then a sigh.
“Where would you like to go, by the way?” he asked, after a few seconds of silence.
“Pardon?” He’d lost me. “I thought we were staying her for the day.”
“I meant on our honeymoon,” he said, patiently. “It is tradition to go somewhere, you know.”
Closing my eyes, I released a small giggle. “I don’t care,” I told him. “Anywhere with a beach.”
“That’s right,” he said, leaning his head back. I imagined he closed his eyes as well. “What do we care as long as we have sun, surf and each other?”
The next thing I knew Jessie was getting to his feet. “What time is it?” I asked with a yawn.
“Nightfall,” he told me. “We’ll have to make a move very soon.”
“Where are we going?” I asked, immediately getting to my feet and dusting myself off. My burst of speed the previous night had convinced me that I really could learn how to fly, if properly motivated. And what better motivation was there than fleeing for my life with the man I loved?
“I’m not sure what we’re up against with Vagnar,” Jessie admitted. “I need more information. I think the best thing we can do is find a place to conceal ourselves for a few nights while I reach out to friends and see what information is out there.”
“Where?” I asked again, trying to keep any fear or impatience out of my voice. I knew Jessie was improvising as we went.
“I’ve been giving that some thought and I remembered that the Csorbos have a network of caves under their house in Budapest that can be accessed through the sewers. We can hide there while I make contact with the family.” Looking down at his feet and shaking his head, he added, “I hate to drag them into this, but I have nowhere else to turn.”
“Okay.” I dusted the dirt from what was left of my dress and stood up straight. “I’m ready to focus on flying. Do we have any idea which direction we should head to get back to Budapest?”
Jessie shook his head again. “I’m afraid we’ll just have to find a main road and then try to figure things out from the signage.”
“That’s fine,” I told him. “Fortunately, we have all night. So, let’s get started.”
Giving me a radiant smile, Jessie took my face in both of his hands and kissed me.
“What was that for?” I asked, once he’d finally pulled away and I was able to catch my breath. His kisses still had the power to leave me dizzy.
“Because I love you,” he simply said. “Now let’s get started.”
We pulled the tatters of my skirt from the door, along with Jessie’s shirt, which he slipped on. The buttons had popped off when he’d removed it, but he straightened his collar and did his best with what he had. As I looked at the bare skin of his chest, I felt my libido starting to rise, but — with supreme effort — I forced it back d
own. I wondered if that’s what it meant to be a mature vampire, the ability to contain your incredibly strong impulses.
“It’s a shame about your dress,” Jessie said, eyeing me. “You did look rather dazzling in it.” And then he winked at me. “Still do, but in a different way.”
I looked down and ran my hands over the tattered remains of the skirt. “It was so pretty,” I said with a sigh.
“Don’t worry,” Jessie told me. “I promise I’ll buy you a hundred pretty dresses once we’re clear from all this mess.”
With that he wrenched the door open and the night air came pouring in. I took a deep lung-full and let the dark envelope me. It was amazing how comforting the night had become. I was beginning to truly understand what it meant to be a creature of the night.
As we stepped cautiously over the threshold of the crypt, out into the modest graveyard, Jessie said in a low voice, “I saw a larger road as we were flying over here. I guess we just follow it and see where it leads.”
“But what about Lord Vagnar and everyone at the party?” I asked, also keeping my voice to just above a whisper.
“Don’t worry about us,” Lord Vagnar said, swaggering forward from behind a tall headstone. “We’re already here.”
“Surprise!” dozens of voices cheered as members of the undead popped out from behind trees and grave markers.
Chapter 18
There was instantly a raucous party swirling all around us. “Happy wedding night!” various revelers shouted in our faces. Jessie and I were both so startled that we staggered back a step, bumping into the crypt’s door.
“We thought we’d better bring the party to you,” Lord Vagnar said in a very offhand way as he leaned casually on a walking stick. “Didn’t want you to miss out on your own nuptial celebration.”
“That’s very kind of you, Lord Vagnar,” Jessie said, literally having to brace himself against the variety of men slapping him on the back and elbowing him in the ribs while making sly remarks about the wedding day. Their lascivious jokes confused me for a moment until I remembered that it was the vampire version of the wedding night. Dodging some of the more vigorous attempts at congratulations, Jessie went on with, “But you’re being far too generous. We’d really rather not take advantage of your hospitality.”
