by Bre Faucheux
“That is why we must remain subtle.”
“Our eyes are violet, our teeth like that of a predator, and our skin paler than any man I have ever seen, and yet you believe that nightfall shall mask these features?”
“Would you rather cause a panic in a small village to spread everywhere?” she retorted.
“That would depend on where we are.” His desperation for instant gratification of blood was beginning to annoy her. She was equally hungry, but would never complain to simply dull the aggravation. She thought he should be more grateful that the thirst was not torturing him as it once had. But the same as any thirst for water she had ever craved, she needed her take of blood as badly as he did.
“You can control it, Jayden. Place the thirst to the back of your mind,” she said calmly.
A thin strip of grass lay atop the cliffs before them. White peaks of water began to drag them closer onto the the none-existent shoreline. They swam alongside the edge only meters from the tall cliff side. The precipices appeared to dissipate slightly. Madison could see lines of pastures. Darkened outlines of rock trailed across the grasses creating large squares in the landscape. It wasn’t farmland, but it was some sign that people must reside close by.
Reaching the pebbles from under the water, Madison stood for the first time in days. She couldn’t tell if her legs were relieved by the sensation of land or if the motion caused pain. She let out a sigh of relief and assumed that it was a welcomed sort of ache that her body was generating. She didn’t relish in the feeling of energy that the water once gave her as she trudged forward. The waters crashed against her back with a fierce strength that shocked even her small yet strengthened form. She reached the pebbled surface and finally let herself fall to her hands and knees. Bringing herself to a sitting position, Jayden sat next to her with equal relief in his breathe. Rocks protruded from the ground. She didn’t notice the discomfort. Being out of the water was enough.
“We became stronger near the end there. We gained speed,” said Jayden.
“Motivation from witnessing land,” she replied softly.
“Not that bit, the bit before. Last night as the night descended, we gained speed and strength,” he said. They had become stronger during nightfall. They had almost always run during the day. Experiencing their abilities at night was new and somehow refreshing.
“Perhaps the night holds greater possibilities for us. Thus why I suggest we satisfy our needs by night,” she said.
“Fine. But as soon as we are recovered, we search for any men we can find. I don’t feel strong enough now to be particular to exceptions,” his tone was desperate and somewhat spiteful.
Madison held her eyes back at the water. They emerged from the depths of the abyss that she had one held such reverence for and greatly feared. The land where they now sat was as strange to her as the one they had just left.
Although her thirst was controlled and she continuously kept her yearning for blood in check, she felt little sorrow for whoever they would encounter. As long as no lives were truly endangered by them, then she was accepting of her body’s needs. Her watch was better kept on Jayden’s yearnings than hers. He felt even less remorse than she did. In comparison, she was sympathetic for what she must do, but not remorseful. Jayden merely sought satisfaction and survival.
“Thinking upon what you have left?” he asked.
“No,” she replied quietly. “Thinking upon how we will live in years to come.”
“As gypsies perhaps, never settling. Is that what you fear? We can partake in any place we fancy and stay as long as we wish it.”
“I do not wish to settle anywhere again, not for any true length of time,” she said.
“Why is that?”
“My first and second homes were destroyed, and the third I left willingly. I do not think I could ever be happy in one place. And as you said, we will frighten anyone who truly sees us for what we are. If they were to know us for any length of time, dangers could arise.”
“For them, not for us,” he said.
“You don’t know that. Neither of us truly know of our limitations,” she said. She was not willing to believe just yet that they were truly impenetrable.
“Then we move by nightfall and feed at nightfall, as you said. We are agreed on a set path. We never stay in one place for too long, we move consistently, and we keep to the night for our physical needs.”
“Do you think you can wait that long at present?” she asked sincerely. The only thing she feared more than his aggression aimed at a nearby victim at this point was how desperate Jayden may become during his eventual feed. “I don’t want more blood spilt than need be. We must not leave a trail.”
“It will be difficult to mask discovery once we begin to feed upon people, mistress. Their wounds will all look alike. From that alone fear will spread, as you say,” he said.
“Perhaps we should feed upon people whilst they sleep,” she suggested.
“Don’t you think you would awaken from something such as that?”
“Our touch can calm people, Jayden. We witnessed it with the natives. Should we touch people while they take rest, they may continue to sleep as we take what we need. And only what we need,” she said sturdily.
He nodded his head in agreement. “They will still awaken to see wounds upon their body,” he said.
“By that time we must leave. No one the wiser, and for all anyone should know, they might have walked in their sleep and had an unfortunate accident. We must be discreet. Perhaps even by making small cuts rather than biting as we have in the past. Thus the marks are less traceable,” she said now looking at him.
A sly smile appeared on his face as she spoke to him. He seemed satisfied with this plan.
“We can do this,” she continued. “We can live like this if we are to remain hidden.”
The arrogant yet mischievous look crossed his face once more. She hadn’t seen it since they had left. She thought her violent action on the ship had bruised his masculine ego. But he appeared the same way he had when she first met him. Self-assured and eager, as though he was ready for any encounter should it come naturally or if he be the one to cause it.
“You still have the bag that the healer gave you?” he asked.
“Yes, it’s here.” She had been quick enough to tie it to her ankle and securely tighten it before the ship saw its final day. She loosened it and brought it to her lap reaching for the large jug inside.
“I think it is time we made use of the materials if it works as you claim the healer intended,” he said.
“Indeed. Here are the necklaces the healer gave us.” She revealed them and handed one to him. She had placed them in the sack just before their long swim, thinking it safer than wearing them. The pieces were colorfully beaded with strands dangling down from a single pouch attached. Jayden examined his and placed it around his neck. The pattern was distinct to the design he had seen around the native camp. The natives had placed it upon their weapons and their skins. The occasional tent was also painted with it to show the leaders of their tribes resided in a particular lodging.
“I took the liberty of placing more of the material the healer gave us inside, should either of us come across an unperceived enemy,” she said.
“You think the Vam-pyr-ei-ak spirits are among us, do you?” he mocked her.
“No, but the healer seemed to believe that we would need it. That is reason enough for me. Perhaps it will prevent others from suspecting our true form, or so he lead on.”
“Our appearance gives us away, mistress.”
“We’ll he seemed to believe otherwise,” she said. “If others exist like the healer, those who are intuitive and spiritual as he was, then we may be in danger of truly being discovered. Our appearance is not natural, this I know. But if we are to portray ourselves properly amongst others, they will have no true fear to reject us on sight.”
“You don’t know many Englishman, do you?” he sneered.
“I
t is only a precaution, Jayden. Neither of us can predict what we will come across or how many people will be taken back by our eyes or our pale complexion. For all they know, we are merely travelers.”
“Travelers, or gypsies, we will not be trusted,” he said.
“Then you agree with me, we tread softly. We do not create a huge stir, and we feed by nightfall.”
Madison knew that he could understand the seriousness in her voice, and the measures they needed to take to not appear mysterious in any way.
“Agreed.”
15
Night fell upon the grassy hills before them. It didn’t take great effort for Madison to listen out for any life within the region. Sounds of a tavern closing down and drunken men leaving to return to their clay and wooden built homes was one of many sounds Madison could clearly recognize. Drunken men stumbled about, barely leading one foot in front of another. She failed to make out their language clearly, but she knew enough by the scent of the tavern as she approached it to know that the men were not in any state to struggle. They would soon sleep from their take of drink.
It wasn’t until she traced them home, choosing one gentleman who appeared somewhat more unstable than the others, that she noticed something foul permeating the air. It was a scent she had grown accustomed to after Jayden’s pillaging of the Vam-pyr-ei-ak. But never had it been this profound or revolting. The smell took her back a pace and her face contorted. It was strong enough for even a mortal’s sense of smell to quickly grow disgusted.
Bodies. Death resided here. And it was abundant. Not certain if she wanted a closer look or not, she allowed herself to be guided to where the scent originated. Within yards of the neighboring meadow and only a distance from the tavern, lay a large hole in the earth. A man in a rank thickly oiled cloak and a mask of a bird beak stood before it, shoveling bits of dirt into a gaping wound in the ground. Madison approached it and peered inside. Bodies were stacked upon one another, arms and legs splayed in all directions. There lay at least twenty. Men, women, and children, all completely drained of life. Their complexions were as pale as hers with eyes wide open. The man filled the hole clumsily, throwing dirt in where ever it may land. She could smell their disease from where she stood.
The man turned and saw her. Flies flew around him as he moved. The bird beaked demon mask was suddenly staring directly at her. He shouted words she didn’t understand, and thrust his arms about for her to leave. His tone was harsh and forceful, although she didn’t need to be told to leave. She ran away faster than she had intended. Her speed left the man behind her in a daze. She reacted purely from instinct. The wind was littered with the stench as she ran. She understood what it was. She had only ever heard of it from stories of what had taken place in neighboring villages. Never had she seen it herself.
“Did you find their lodgings?” said Jayden as she approached. “Hopefully we can find a pair with suitable clothing as well. We cannot run around in these native clothes without being noticed as a bit… peculiar.”
He then felt her alarm strike his senses. It seemed almost violent as she drew nearer. “What is it, mistress?”
“A sickness. This village is dying. It has taken many already.”
“But you said you heard them in the tavern. They were having a grand time.”
“They are awaiting death, Jayden. They are merely drinking away their sorrows. Their loved ones are in a nearby mass grave. They lay completely lifeless,” she said.
“Then no one should suspect foul play as we take our drink as we need it. We drink from those who remain healthy and move onward,” he said. He was relieved to know that there was already a culprit of death in the region as it would cause less attention to be drawn to them.
“Their streets are filled with filth and rubbish like I have never seen,” she said.
“That is how confined villages are, mistress, dirty and unsightly. Grime often fills the streets from human waste. How did your previous village handle theirs? I doubt it was any different.”
“We were on the coast. The sea took such things away,” she said.
“Other villagers are not always as fortunate or near fresh waters.”
“But the sea here is only a mile away. They could easily do away with such things. The sea would take it from them,” she said, her disgust clearly showing in her expression.
“Maybe they cannot be bothered. Especially if they soon expect to meet death,” he said.
“There was a man digging a large grave. He wore a heavy cloth. It was dripping in oil. Flies were drawn to it. And his mask, how could it possibly ward away evil as he stood just above death,” she stated.
“Perchance it was not meant to ward away evil. Especially if you were approaching him,” he said with sarcasm.
“But then why would he wear it?” she asked, not bothering to respond to his lack of civility.
“If he were a grave digger, I imagine it was meant to ward off those who still live. And someone must rid this world of deathly corpses.”
He felt her doubts rising. It was no longer mere apprehension. “What of it? What affects you so?” he asked.
“It is as though we never left. We have been in lands completely unknown to us, and now sickness overtakes those around us again,” she said wearily.
Jayden looked at her sternly and walked over to her. “We take our fill of blood tonight after those men pass out from drink. Then we go far from here. This is a small village. If many have not travelled, and if the sickness kills quickly, we will find lands of healthy people not far away.”
Madison glared at Jayden, her gaze not leaving his. She suspected that he wanted her to remain calm. The thought of more sickness was clearly her weakness. He knew her thoughts lingered on Jamison.
“I know what you are thinking and you are wrong,” he said, stepping closer to her. He took her shoulders into his large hands, their width nearly covering the length of her. Her eyes did not falter from his.
“This is not our home. You are not to lose another home to fire, sickness, or death. We will move onward and continue doing so,” he said, taking the back of her head into his hand to bring her closer to him. She could feel his breath on her skin, and empathy in his emotions. “I will get you away from here,” he continued, his voice grave with each word.
Everything around Madison had turned silent. All she could sense was what Jayden was feeling and the heaviness of his hands upon her shoulders, his grip behind her freely loose hair.
“Come now,” he said. “Let us get out of these native clothes. They nearly put the stench here to shame.”
Madison walked quietly behind him. For the first time, she realized the true emotions coming from Jayden. She only felt it when he touched her. He had buried it so deep that she hadn’t noticed it before. Even when he caressed her shoulders and ran his thumb down the back of her hair as he let her go, it still wasn’t blatantly obvious.
Compassion. It was nearly tender, the kind of tenderness she only knew Jamison capable of. His indifference and cruelty were not there when his sentiments came upon her. There was only good will and a desire to have her near. But she knew better than to think that it would ever make itself pronounced. Or so she assumed.
“Just there,” said Jayden, pointing forward as they approached the tavern. Two horses stood sleeping with ropes restraining them to a metal bar on the outside wall.
“If they be dead soon, mistress, they will have no need of them,” he said, his sarcasm already returning.
“We can move faster on foot,” she said.
“Was it not you who suggested we remain discreet? If we ride, we do not appear of note,” he said.
Madison merely nodded in response. She walked to the animal before her and stroked its side. As she lifted herself upon him, she could feel the life coming from under her. It was a different feeling than what she found within the ocean. The ocean contained life. The horse thrived upon it. It was a creature that contained a whole new meaning for her now.
Before it had been a means of transport forced on her by Jamison. She knew them as an animal that ran too fast and they were often too tall for her liking. Now she knew she could relish in the animal’s strength.
16
Hours passed into the night after they left the small village, having taken their feed from the drunken men as quietly as possible. Drinking from those who slept proved the ideal method over the course of the following days.
Jayden always rode his horse behind her, just as he had when they ran or swam together. For a moment, Madison wondered if this was his way of insuring that she would encounter danger first as he had teased before. But something told her that it was quite the opposite. He wanted her within his sight.
Madison suggested that they keep to the nearby forest and away from pathways. There was enough of a dimly lit trail to follow through the woods and they both wanted to stay out of sight. A faint haze appeared over the grasses in the surrounding trees as they rode. The towering trees vaguely reminded her of the woods containing the Vam-pyr-ei-ak, but she brushed the thought from her mind. She began resisting the temptation to find similarities in every place she went to every place she had previously been.
A sound descended from the trees on both sides. Madison broadened her hearing expecting it was a herd of forest animals. But these on comers rode on horses as well. They had been silent up until they reached a certain point, as if they had been waiting.
“We are not alone, Jayden,” she spoke softly knowing he could hear her.
“I know. Slow your pace,” he said with equal stillness.
“Why? They are waiting for on comers, they cannot have good intentions.”
“And neither do we.”
It had been only a day since their last fill. Although she didn’t feel the need for blood, the desire was always there.
Madison slowed her horse to a walking pace. It could hear the others as well and wanted to draw back. Trying to gain control of the animal, she laid her hand on its mane. It seemed to calm with her touch almost instantly, but it was still uneasy at the prospect of strangers approaching.
