And then she explained how she’d failed at all of it.
Chapter Twenty-four
They rode in silence for a long time. Riah’s thoughts were a jumble of anxious need and regret. She didn’t doubt that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a classic Greek tragedy that Ivy’s cousin Lura had stumbled into this world, but none of them could do much about it.
Yes, the Spiritus Group had come into being as a way to help innocents in a war against evil that most didn’t even realize existed. It was also true this was exactly that kind of situation they dedicated their lives to battling.
Well, not exactly. More like sort of. If it was just a case of preternatural evil, they were on board. The problem, as she saw it, was none of them were equipped for the Jules Verne type of scenario they were currently experiencing. No Captain Nemo would appear to help them escape. Out of their element in a big way.
It equated to their being in a whole heap of trouble with time running out. It didn’t matter that she’d actually been in this world once upon a time. She’d moved on with the times and was now a woman—vampire—of the twenty-first century, leaving her ill-equipped to deal with fifteenth-century violence. Particularly violence of Vlad the Impaler variety.
As much as she hated leaving someone behind, she didn’t see that they had a better choice. The Spiritus Group was on the road to an epic failure in this instance. If they stayed around, the crash would grow even larger as they were killed or destroyed.
Still, even given all those elements, the one thing that made her regret not staying was the sunlight. She hadn’t enjoyed full-on daytime exposure since she was a young woman, before Rodolphe and the endless years that followed. This world, where she and Ivy could walk freely in the daytime, was a dream come true.
Ever since she’d joined forces with Ivy and Adriana, they’d searched for a cure that would let Riah once more walk as a human. When Ivy was turned, the mission became even more important. She desperately wanted to give her friend back the human existence she’d been robbed of. Ivy had lost it only because of her friendship with Riah. That wasn’t right in any way, shape, or form, and she hoped that no matter what else happened, she could give Ivy what she deserved.
Going back to her own existence in the shadows was a small price to pay for saving her friends. She’d never forgive herself if anything happened to Ivy or Colin. She didn’t think she could go on at all if Adriana was taken from her.
She urged her mount to move a little faster. The sun on her face, the wind in her hair, and the woman she loved holding tight to her waist was something she would keep in her memories long after the sunlight was gone. Once they returned, the sunlight would once more be denied to her. This moment would not. No matter what else happened, no one could take this from her.
A groan made her turn and look. Not Adriana, not Ivy. Damn, it was Colin, and his pallor had gone from mildly pale to downright pasty. When they’d met up outside the castle, she’d been encouraged by the color in his face. The rest at Antoine’s as well as the wait in the stables seemed to have provided him with the break he needed to be steady on his feet.
A couple of hours on a horse in the cold Wallachian countryside, and what color had returned to him had drained away. He was as white as the snow being kicked up by the horses’ hooves. She reined in her horse and brought it up next to Colin and Ivy. Ivy’s eyes were full of the same concern that Riah felt. She noticed too.
“Colin, how are you feeling?”
“Does the term ‘Mack truck’ mean anything to you?” he said without much enthusiasm.
She nodded. Indeed it did, and more than once she’d had the same feeling of being run down by a speeding semi. “Why don’t we stop for a little while?”
He shook his head with more force than she would have believed possible, given his pale complexion and drooping body. “No, we can’t stay here. I have to believe those men we saw earlier were just the beginning. Between those guys and the action we saw while we waited in the stables, Dracula is getting ready for a fight. We don’t want to be anywhere near him when that happens. I’m pretty sure the guy embraces the take-no-prisoners philosophy.”
Her thoughts exactly, although she hadn’t wanted to put them into words and frighten the group. Colin, always the pragmatist, didn’t share her reluctance. “I’m afraid you’re right. He as much said so when we heard him speak to the guards outside our cell. He’s on a charge to retake control of the entire country. I doubt he plans to stop until he’s cleared any and all obstacles out of his way.”
“Yeah, and we sure don’t want to be in his path when he comes through. This,” Colin waved a hand out toward their surroundings, “is dangerous. Too wide open. I wouldn’t mind getting off this horse for a bit, just not here. Let’s ride on and see if we can find something a little more secluded.”
“We have to return tonight,” Riah said as she stared off into the distance. She didn’t dare look at Ivy’s face. The feeling of letting her down was so great, she simply couldn’t meet her gaze. It was a hard truth, though, and it had to be voiced.
Ivy reached across and took her hand. “I understand,” she said simply. “I hate it but I do understand. We’re at the point where we can’t risk the many to save the one.”
Riah raised her gaze to meet Ivy’s. It was in her eyes. She did understand. Without another word, she began once more to head south. Again they moved into the trees, and their journey was slowed by the need to travel under the cover of the forest. She wished they could make their way back to the road. Rough as it was by modern standards, the speed it would afford them would cut their time significantly. Dodging branches and fallen trees flat-out slowed them down. She hated the delay.
The risk was too great to do any different. They had to stay off the road and far from easy view. It didn’t matter which group encountered them—Dracula’s men or his enemies—they would be screwed either way. On the open road, it was a given that her half a millennia of existence would come to a halt at the bloody end of one those swords all the riders carried. They weren’t for decoration. Each and every one of the men who passed them by on horseback knew exactly how to wield those weapons. And though they carried their own small arsenal retrieved from their car before stepping through the stones, they were no match for the forged long swords.
They pushed on, pleased that at least some of the sunshine pierced the canopy of thick trees. The air was cool but not frigid, and for that she was grateful. Sometimes all it took was a little thing to keep spirits raised. Despite the cold winter weather, she was plenty warm in her cloak, and Adriana assured her that she was as well.
Warm or not, she wanted to get somewhere safe, let Colin rest, and then make one final push to those stones and hope against hope they could get back to their own time. Turning to make sure Colin and Ivy were close, she opened her mouth to ask how he was doing. But before a single word could pass her lips, Colin rolled from the horse and hit the ground at a dead run.
*
Nicoletta awoke slowly. Rays of light, red and gold, spread across her skirt. She was surprised, for that meant she had slept longer than she believed possible. Gingerly, she stretched her toes out, and the simple movement made her gasp. The pain was still sharp as knives, though the cool cloth did seem to help. Odd as it seemed to her at the time, Lura’s snow-soaked rag did a bit of magic on her ankle.
Lura was asleep, her head tilted back against the rock. In slumber, her features were relaxed and she looked much younger, much softer. Nicoletta recognized the pain in her eyes and understood that which weighed heavy on her shoulders. Many times, she had felt the same. Her family, her society, her God expected so much of her. The burden was at times too great.
For Lura, even living in a world so many years in the future, it seemed that little had changed. Husbands were expected, even if the marriages were no longer arranged. Appearances were everything. And, like her, Lura tried to be all that was demanded of her as a woman.
/> Like her, Lura failed.
How was it that two women born centuries apart could share so much? She did not understand how it could be so, but she did know how it made her feel. Pulling her cloak tight against the breeze and leaning her head against Lura’s shoulder, she stilled, her gaze steady on the setting sun.
This was a moment she wanted to remember when it came time for their paths to part. The thought of Lura leaving brought heaviness to bear on her heart. She did not want to dwell on that because she would have the rest of her life to do so. It was hard not to let the sorrow wash through her, yet with effort she pushed it away. For now, just being close to her, touching her, sharing the sunset with her was enough.
“What are you thinking about?”
Lura’s voice made her jump. “I did not know you had awakened.”
Her laugh was gentle. “I was enjoying being here with you.”
Nicoletta let a small smile turn up the corners of her mouth. “I too was enjoying our closeness.”
“How’s your ankle?”
Her smile turned to a frown. “It is not right.”
“I was afraid of that. I wish I had you in the office. You’d be patched up and ready to go in no time. Here? I’m worried everything we have to do will make it worse.”
“It is better now because of your ministrations.”
Lura shook her head. “I need to do more. I’ve got to get you to safety and to proper medical facilities.”
The calmness that slumber had given Lura was fading. Now, her eyes looked troubled and her face tight once more. Nicoletta wanted to make it go away and to restore the peace of only moments before. It was not to be. No matter what she said, it would not give her comfort. Of that she was most certain.
“We keep on with our journey.” If it were possible, staying here tucked into their own little shelter would be heaven. No one to bother them and no one to fear. It was like one of the beautiful stories her mother used to tell her at bedtime, only much sweeter.
“As much as I hate it, you’re right. Snagov Island isn’t getting any closer while we sit here. Do you think you can ride the rest of the way, or does the foot hurt too much?”
Using the rock face at her back, Nicoletta pushed her way up until she stood. With deep breaths, she put her foot down and flinched at the pain. The burning flowed up and made her frown.
“I can ride.” Riding upon her horse would be better, she was sure. It was the standing that was not pleasant.
Lura studied her, and Nicoletta shifted uncomfortably under her probing gaze. She did not know what she searched for or what she hoped to find by staring at her so. Nicoletta touched Lura’s face, her fingertips tingling when skin met skin.
“I can ride,” she said again. “I give you my word. We must not tarry.”
“I hate this,” Lura whispered. “I just want to keep you safe. This is all so messed up.”
It was a strange thing to be standing in a forest, snow all around, the Prince’s men surely searching for them, and her body injured while all the while feeling a joy that compared to none other. “I am happy just to share this day with you.”
Lura smiled, the shadows leaving her eyes. “I am thrilled to share the day with you too.”
Chapter Twenty-five
“Scouts,” Colin said, his chest heaving and his breath short. “The bastard sent out scouts.” At his feet two men lay motionless, their open eyes staring sightless at the winter sky.
Riah’s heart sank. She’d hoped for more time, but they were, as she’d feared all along, running out of it quickly. “It won’t take them that all that long to come looking for these men, but we’ll have at least a little time before they realize something’s happened to them. It’s not like our world with instant communication. Thank God for small favors.” She was grateful this was a time of no cell phones, radios, or any other type of voice notification. They could use any advantage they could get, no matter or large or small.
“How long do you think we’ve got?” Ivy asked as she helped Colin move the bodies deeper into the forest and then cover them with frosty leaves and brush.
“A couple of hours.” She hoped. Ivy and Colin did a good job of hiding the bodies, and it would take some serious tracking skills to see the evidence of tampering. She doubted anyone would be looking that close, thinking they’d be blundering through, leaving them a clear trail to follow.
“Well,” Adriana said as she stood holding the reins of two new horses. “At least we have a couple of new cabs.”
It was true that the men Colin intercepted had been riding beautiful horses. Adriana had deftly captured the animals, who seemed quite content in her hands. She had a way with horses, for sure. Who would ever have guessed? Might be a good skill to pursue once they returned to Spokane.
“We can travel faster with four mounts, and that’s certainly going to play to our advantage. They’re obviously on the hunt for us. Let’s give ourselves as much distance as we can and as little for them to follow as possible.”
“Have I mentioned what a pain in the ass this Dracula is?” Adriana screwed up her face in a mask of disgust. “He was a lot more palatable in Stoker’s novel. The real guy is just nasty.”
Leave it to her beautiful Adriana to paint a vivid picture with her words. She was a world-class researcher, a sorceress, and a call-it-like-she-sees-it beauty. Riah was proud of her every single day.
“Nasty is one word for it. I think he sees himself as a determined ruler who knows how to keep his people safe and his place on the throne intact…not necessarily in that order.”
“Whatever!” Adriana mounted one of the horses. “You know it doesn’t really matter. We just gotta haul ass out of here and get back to the Ponderosa, if you know what I mean. I’m pretty sure there’s a hot shower with my name on it. Oh, and a latte,” she said longingly. “Yeah, a latte…”
The latte, she could pass on. Not so with the shower. Adriana had the right idea. Riah turned to see if Ivy and Colin were ready to go. The fight seemed to have rattled Colin, even though he was the victor. He now carried one of the two swords appropriated from the fallen soldiers, and she carried the second. Even injured and half out of it, he was always thinking.
Still, despite the advantage of the newly acquired armaments, Colin’s skin tone was getting paler by the minute. His color was alarming, but she couldn’t do much about it for the time being. They were all going to have to toughen up and ride like they were born on horses if they hoped to have any chance at all of staying out of the path of Dracula and his men.
If Dracula tracked them down, they were dead. Her five-hundred-plus years would be done. She didn’t mind so much for herself, but she was really worried about the other three. They didn’t deserve to die, especially not here. While it might prove to be poetic justice in her case, it wasn’t fair to them.
She was going to get them home if it was the last thing she ever did.
*
This might be Nicoletta’s world, but Lura was getting a pretty good feel for navigation in the thick woods. Probably because right now she was highly motivated. She’d had enough of this place. She wanted to get home, and she wanted to take Nicoletta with her. After everything the woman had endured, she’d earned a whole lot of pampering, and Lura wanted to be the one to pamper.
The snow began to fall once more, lightly, tiny specks floating down slowly and landing on her lashes like the beat of tiny butterfly wings. Out here, far from the city, the scent of smoke no longer filled the air. It was clear and cold. Quiet.
Every so often, she’d glance at Nicoletta, keeping an eye on how she was holding up. To her credit, she seemed strong and alert. The ankle had to be throbbing terribly. She didn’t wince or whine or even let on that it was hurting her at all. She was a strong, beautiful woman, and that made Lura’s heart race.
Now, though, she wanted to push harder to get back to Snagov Island. She wished Alexandru was with them. For the brief time they’d spent in each other’s c
ompany, she’d felt comfortable, as if they’d been friends forever. Her BMF.
That they’d probably never know why Dracula had killed him pissed her off. She didn’t like loose ends, and she wanted to know what Dracula felt was so terrible that he had to take Alexandru’s life in such a brutal way. It was wrong on so many levels, and she’d miss him the rest of her life. Some people touch the heart deeply and forever.
Like Nicoletta.
Like Vic. What she’d done to him was wrong, and trying to rationalize it didn’t change a thing. Wrong was wrong. She should have been honest with him from the moment she’d finally gotten honest with herself. An honorable person would have. She spent so much of her life counseling others to take the high road, to reconcile their actions, and to make amends when they had harmed others. When it came to the physician-heal-thyself situation she was currently in, she pretty much sucked. The high road appeared to be under construction. She wasn’t anywhere close to reconciliation, and the chance to make amends with Vic was gone forever.
With Nicoletta, for the first time in ages, an opportunity to start over spread out before her. She wanted to be true to herself and to be a faithful, caring partner. In her head it was shaping up to be simple. Return to the twenty-first century, take Nicoletta with her, and start over. Nicoletta could get the care she needed, not just for the injury to her ankle, but for the baby coming as well. It didn’t matter that the father was a brutal, vindictive man from the fifteenth century. That wasn’t Nicoletta’s fault, or the child’s. What mattered was delivering a healthy child who would be given a happy, loving home. With happiness and love, anything was possible. She would make sure Nicoletta and the baby had both.
Vermilion Justice Page 21
