I smiled and reached for the hunter’s box.
Before my hand could take the handle, Roy stood and placed a hand atop the box. “Although I’ve fashioned this as instructed, understand that by accepting it, you are bound to the life of a vampire hunter. There’s no turning back from the calling. Ever. Only death separates you from your burden. You still have a choice without consequence if you don’t wish to accept the box.”
This had been another test, as a true hunter could never deny his calling. There were great consequences for not accepting. I felt it in my soul and even in the dim lighting, I read it in his eyes. A sly smile tugged at his lips.
I grabbed the handle and slid the heavy box off of the table. “It is my duty. It is my calling. I know I’ll never have rest if I don’t accept it. I’ve known for some time, and destiny has yielded its light for me to behold what I truly am. You’re right. There’s no turning back. I accept.”
Chapter Fifteen
When Roy unlatched the iron door to his dark library, my father and I ascended the stairs. Rose stood on the top step with her hands clasped at her waist. Sadness furrowed her brow, and tears moistened her eyes as she gazed at the hunter’s box in my hand and then stared into my eyes.
“You had a choice, Forrest,” she said softly.
I nodded. “And I chose the correct path.”
“Indeed,” she whispered.
She stepped aside for my father and I to leave the stairs.
My father glanced at me and smiled. “I’ll be in here. I saw some candles your mother might like.”
The moment he turned away, Rose gripped my left hand. Her desperate eyes searched mine. All I could do was smile at her.
“Forrest,” she said in a near whisper. “I saw something in the crystal ball right after you left. Something horrible. I tried to get to you before my father took you inside his chambers.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I’m afraid I cannot bear to tell you the news.”
“Why not?”
“I cannot hurt you in such a way. Besides, it’s too late.”
“What is?”
All the beauty she beheld on her face was twisted and oddly shaped as her sorrow took control. She sobbed and suddenly wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me in a fierce embrace. I was surprised but also overjoyed at being so close to her.
“Be vigilant as you return home,” she said. “That’s all I can say. I’m so sorry.”
She bolted down the narrow hallway. Her fancy shoes kicked off as she ran. Her tight, long curls bounced down her back.
I hurried down the hall in long strides. I entered the room where my father was looking at the candles. He gazed at me with strange curiosity.
“What did you do?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Nothing, I swear.”
“Clearly, boy, she is quite upset.”
“Not my doing, Father. I think we should find Fane quickly and get home.”
“Why?”
“She saw something in her magic ball. I fear we may have had problems at home during our absence.”
Father’s eyes widened. He set down the candles and followed me into the next room. I looked at the table where I had met Rose. She wasn’t there. Her cards and the glass ball were where she had left them.
“Rose?” I called, looking around, hoping for a response but received no reply.
Grabbing the doorknob, I pulled open the door. Father walked out before me. The strangely decorated people were still trying to call the passersby toward them to pickpocket. I glanced around.
“What is the quickest route to return to the market?” I asked.
“We were to meet Fane at Dyre’s Tavern.”
“Where is that?”
He pointed past the entire extravaganza, in the direction we had not come. At least the streets and walkways were smoother than the slum shortcut had been. But the amount of people milling around in the streets was far greater, presenting an obstacle of its own.
I pushed my way through the colorful painted, creepy faces, never pausing whenever they attempted to stop my stride. Only once did I have to forcefully push a man out of my way. He crashed to the ground as his hand slipped from my empty coat pocket. I held no wallet, so his attempted theft did him no good. My father limped to my side and became ever mindful of what few valuables he carried.
About a block later we were past the would-be thieves and blended into the crowd as they sought different wares. With winter past, and the cold spring upon us, it didn’t really matter to most of these folks if they bought anything. The expressions on their faces revealed their happiness of finally get outdoors after being stuck indoors during the brutally harsh blizzard and the frigid winds that had followed.
“So, Father,” I said while walking and not looking toward him. “Tell me how you knew about Roy and his workshop? The detail on the box I’m carrying is far different than yours. I take it that he didn’t make yours?”
“No, son, he didn’t.”
“Who told you how to find him?”
“Before the baron had tried to kill me, I asked around at the pubs.”
I laughed. “Asked around? Father, certainly that placed immediate attention upon you.”
Father frowned and his face reddened. “I wasn’t asking for a box maker. I wanted to find another vampire hunter to kill Bodi because I didn’t want to have that kill on my conscience for the rest of my life. A man told me about Roy, that he occasionally spoke with hunters. At the time, I had no knowledge he crafted tools for vampire hunters.”
“Did you speak with Roy then?”
“I sought him out. He said that he couldn’t help me.”
I looked into his eyes, not pausing in step. “Did you mention me to him?”
“I did not!”
“But you and mother knew. Why not solicit his advice?”
“I still hoped that it never became necessary for you to become one.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand how at times you wish for what I am to remain a secret, and yet, back there, you were overly proud of what I am chosen to do.”
Father gasped and limped harder, trying to keep pace with me. I slowed slightly. “Until you have children—”
“I doubt that’s in my future.”
He pointed a stern finger at me. “Should you ever have such a blessing in life, then you will understand why your mother and I have had mixed feelings about your destiny. We love you, as parents rightly do, so in our eyes even though you’ve grown so fast, we feel partially robbed. Eight years and you’re already a man. At times, seldom anymore, I see the child that you are. Just that brief glimmer in your eyes, and then it fades. We want you safe, above all else. That’s why I held back, but we couldn’t suppress the truth from you forever. Fate made certain of that. I hope that you understand.”
I placed my hand on his shoulder and smiled. “I believe I do. It’s not been easy for me, growing at such a rapid pace. I’ve felt as an outsider to the others my age, and without doing a single thing wrong, I was forced out of the school, even though I’d have rather stayed. But, it’s not only the school where I didn’t fit in, it’s life overall. I don’t think I’m not meant to find a stable home. I’m different so I have to keep traveling and hunting to places where my services are needed. I don’t have any other choice.”
“I know. I don’t begrudge your gift, none in the least. I only wish I could do more.”
We walked in silence for a few city blocks. I walked. He hobbled. There were things he wished to say to me. I could tell by the look in his eyes. Why he held back, I didn’t know. He was stubborn sometimes, like my mother had often accused him. In spite of his evident pain, he didn’t complain. He continued trying to keep pace with me.
Ahead, the large wooden sign hung over the walkway. The carved letters were burnt and black, to make the words standout from the surrounding wood.
Dyre’s Tavern.
“Do you see him anywhere?” Father asked me.
“No, sir.”
“Probably still in the marketplace.”
“Then we should head there."
My father looked longingly toward the bar. I’d never known him to drink in taverns, but I never ventured into town with him.
“Father, we need to hurry.”
He nodded. “I’ll be quick.”
He hobbled to the bar, pulled his billfold from his inner vest pocket, and said, “Double shot of plum brandy.”
The barkeep turned and poured his brandy into a thick glass. My father set some money on the bar and quickly down his drink. He nodded at the keep. “Excellent!”
I opened the door and let him pass through first.
After a few minutes, he immediately appeared more jovial. He smiled and greeted people in passing. I noticed he walked a bit easier, too.
“Is all well, Father?”
“It’s better now. That numbs my pain somewhat. I’d have bought another but you’d have had to carry me.”
I grinned because I knew I was capable.
My mind reverted back to Rose as we pressed our way through the crowds, heading toward the marketplace. Seeing the future, as she had said she was capable, had to be a curse of its own at times, too. After all, terrible things occurred in life and seeing them beforehand wasn’t necessarily a great thing when it wasn’t something she wasn’t capable of preventing in someone else’s life. What had she seen that disturbed her so badly about my life? Whatever it was had disturbed her so much that she could not face me.
I held up my left hand and studied the lines on my palm. I thought of her holding my hand and the strange warmth that had come to my chest. I shook away the feeling and looked hard at the lines. They were different than others she had read, but even more disturbing was whatever had surfaced in the clear glass ball. I didn’t understand her mysticism, but there was no mistaking her fear.
I wanted to run, but I knew my father wasn’t capable of doing so. The vampire box I carried was quite heavy. I was able to tote it, but even at my size, the weight seemed to increase the longer I carried it. Burning pain tugged at my right triceps and shoulder, but I forced myself to continue. I understood why my father had never packed his with him when he had gone hunting. One needed to travel light so he didn’t wear himself out before he encountered a vampire. No need giving your adversary a keen advantage before the fight ever ensued.
Finding Fane and persuading him to head home would save us some valuable time, and I looked forward to resting my arm before it completely went numb. Besides that, Father needed to sit and rest. This was the most exercise he had endured since he was able to walk again. He was pale and covered with sweat. Ahead, a wooden arrow with ‘Market’ painted on it directed us properly, so we headed in that direction.
Chapter Sixteen
We found Fane with his wagon fully loaded. He gave us what money he had received for selling our animal hides, but he refused to head back until after he had drunk several rounds at the tavern. No amount of pleading or money from my father convinced old Fane any differently.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I told you my plans when we arrived, and I’ll be happy to let you ride back once I’m done.”
For a moment I entertained the idea of telling Fane that we had a possible tragedy at home, but I cast aside the thought. His first question would have been, “What makes you believe that?”
I didn’t know Fane too well, but I was certain he’d not change his mind because a palm-reading fortuneteller had told me to be vigilant when I returned home. What exactly did she mean by the statement? He wouldn’t know, and I was still partially trying to figure it out.
If I were simply to be on the lookout for a problem, Rose wouldn’t have been overly upset. At least I didn’t think she should have been. Ever since the night of my father’s attack, I had been vigilant and waiting, ready to act. Nothing had ever happened.
The sky was a brilliant blue with no clouds at all. The brightness of the sun made colors snap in full vividness all around us. Even walking on foot, we’d get to our cottage well before sundown, so we didn’t need to worry about the vampires. And yet, pressing at the back of my mind was urgency unlike ever before. We needed to get home.
“I happened to hear your problem,” a man said. “Where do you two wish to travel?”
He was dressed in light brown farmer’s attire and his dark eyes studied my hunter’s box with keen interest. He wasn’t a big man. In fact, he was thinner than my father and perhaps an inch shorter. Tiny in comparison to me. He fashioned a goatee on his chin, and his skin was tanner than most of the other people around us. He wore an odd hat on his head. I wasn’t certain what nationality he claimed.
Bucharest was in an economic transition. Immigrants flooded the city in droves, bringing with them their skills and added money. Businesses and factories were being assembled. I suppose as the city had attracted outsiders, it had also invited undead vampires within their numbers. But in the beginning of industrialization, so came opportunists in the line of thieves.
The man smiled, trying to be friendly, but the shape of his goatee and the contrast of his smile didn’t work in his favor. Instead, he acted like a person with something to hide. The shiftiness of his eyes bothered me the most.
My father gave him the directions to our cottage, before I had a chance to persuade him otherwise.
“My horse and cart are near the water gardens,” he said, pointing. “I live on the other side of the forest and use the narrow road to travel. Be happy to offer you a ride.”
I was at the point of simply declining, but my father readily accepted. The way he shifted his weight from foot to foot indicated his legs were bothering him and the temptation not to have to walk any farther was too great to resist. He had placed a lot of strain upon his legs, and he looked relieved to be able to sit down for a while. I understood, so I followed behind him and this man.
“What is in the box?” the man asked as we left the bustle of the marketplace.
“I’d rather not say.”
His eyebrows rose with greater curiosity. “No?”
“No,” I replied with an even frown.
“It is an odd box,” he said. “Quite unusual.”
“I agree.”
“Is it for traveling?”
“You might say that.”
“Ah,” he said, smiling. “You travel often?”
The water gardens were coming into sight. I didn’t see a horse and cart parked anywhere near the gardens as the man had told us.
Without replying, I took my father’s wrist and slowed our pace. Father looked at me, surprised.
The man also turned with a perplexed expression. “Is there a problem?”
“There’s not a horse and cart near the gardens,” I replied. “What is your reason for lying to us?”
My father looked ahead, stepping on tiptoe. He frowned, realizing the same thing. He looked at the man. “What scheme are you playing?”
“No scheme.”
“You offered us a ride,” my father replied. He grew angrier because his mind had already accepted that we had a ride where he could rest and maybe take a nap along the way. I also thought that maybe he was hungry, too, because his temper often got the best of him when he had not eaten in a while.
“I offer you a stern warning instead,” he said, his eyes growing fierce and darker.
“And what would that be?” I asked, moving the briefcase to my left hand and placing my right hand upon the hilt of my dagger.
His eyes shifted to my hunter box and then to my dagger, before finally resting on my harsh glare. His Adam’s apple bobbed. The first crack in his attempt to intimidate me had appeared, making him hesitant. “The baron . . . demands your blood.”
&
nbsp; “Does he now? And who are you?” I asked, pulling my dagger from its sheath and stepping closer.
“His servant,” the man replied, shaking.
I sensed a faint wave of the baron’s power, weaker than the afternoon when we had stood face to face, and I knew this man wasn’t lying about this. The baron controlled him but from a great distance.
My eyes narrowed and my hand tightened upon the blade. “In the daylight? How can that be?”
He shook his head. “I’m not a vampire like he. Just his servant.”
I scowled intensely. He backed away. “Where is the baron? I wish to pay him a visit.”
“Forrest,” Father said, in a near whisper. “Don’t make a challenge. The time isn’t right.”
“He has forbidden me to give his whereabouts,” the man said.
“Even if I cut you?” I made the threat only because this man had confessed to having a direct tie to the baron, and I knew it was true, which made this man my immediate enemy. Although I had never drawn blood from another person, if it became necessary to protect my family, I didn’t have a problem doing so.
His eyes nervously regarded the knife and then gazed into my eyes. He read the seriousness of my intent and nodded. “I cannot disobey. None of his servants can abandon his command. You could torture me until death and the information will still not be given unto you.”
“What does he mean, he demands my blood?” I asked.
“He issues you a final warning.”
“I’m listening.”
“After he butchered the two vampire hunters you sent to kill him, he has countered. His warning is for you to never threaten him again.”
“Or?”
“He will drain your father’s life and then yours.”
I read the fear in this man’s eyes as he spoke. He didn’t want me to hurt him. As a servant, he was here delivering the baron’s message when he really wished he were elsewhere. He didn’t appear to have any weapons, but I kept my knife out anyway. I don’t know why, but I wondered if this encounter was what Rose had warned me about. Had I not noticed he was lying about the horse and cart, would this man have killed us?
Forrest Wollinsky: Vampire Hunter [Book One] Page 12
