The Count of San Francisco

by Lynn Sheridan

  The Count

  Of San Francisco

  Valiant Lineage, Volume 3

  Lynn Sheridan

  Published by No World Press 2018

  This is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.

  Valiant Lineage Vol 3: The Count of San Francisco

  First Edition. June 29, 2018

  Copyright © 2018 Lynn Sheridan. All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 978-1-7752820-4-4

  Written by Lynn Sheridan

  For Inigo

  Table of Contents

  1. Biting Insects

  2. Red Hoods

  3. Hot Baths and Soft Beds

  4. The Count’s Table

  5. Dinner is Served

  6. Go to your Room

  7. The Ambassador’s Type

  8. San Francisco’s Secret

  9. VIVA ESPAÑA!

  10. Time to Fly

  11. The Rock

  Author’s Notes

  About the Author

  PREVIEW - The Knight in Shining Armour

  CHAPTER ONE

  BITING INSECTS

  “Ha! Did you hear that, Dante? The Kid thinks he can fly.” A wide grin crept across Val’s face.

  The Kid clenched his jaw as she started to laugh. Dante continued without acknowledging them. Val kept laughing. She laughed so hard that she didn’t see the food cart rolling towards them until it was too late.

  CRASH.

  “That’s not what I said. We used gliders on my parent’s farm. I didn’t say I could fly.” The Kid glared at Val as he helped her back to her feet. He shook his head and brushed a knot of noodles off her shoulder. “And when are you going to stop calling me the Kid? I’m not a kid.”

  Dante rubbed his brow and puffed out his cheeks.

  “Hey, I’m not saying you’re a kid, you’ve proven you can handle yourself…” She stepped towards him, still grinning. “…as long as I have my clothes on.”

  The Kid shook his head. “Can’t you just keep your clothes on?”

  Val stared up at him. He was a full head taller with broad shoulders and a lean muscular body, but his face was soft and smooth like a kid’s. She grabbed the neck of his shirt and pulled him down to her level. His bottom lip quivered as she leant towards him, their noses almost touching.

  “Are you trying to tell me what I can and can’t wear?”

  “What?” The Kid gulped. “Dante, a little help here please.”

  “No Chance, Kid. You’re on your own.” Dante strode ahead, ploughing through the crowd.

  Val jabbed her finger into the Kid’s chest. “Well? What should I wear to make you happy?”

  The Kid leaned back. “What? No, no. That’s not what I meant.”

  “So, what did you mean?”

  “I didn’t mean anything.” He held up his hands as Val stepped closer. “I had four brothers. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, the more I see.”

  Dante groaned so loud that people around him stopped and looked at him.

  “You want to see more.” Val popped open the buttons on her jacket. “Shall I just take this off right now?”

  “Urrr…” The Kid looked beyond Val, catching Dante’s stare. “What is happening?”

  “Val! Leave the Kid alone.” Dante rubbed his temples, exhaling loudly. “It’s been two whole weeks of this crap. I’m a vampire hunter, not a bloody babysitter!” His black cape snapped in the wind as he strode away, leaving them standing in the middle of the torrent of people.

  “That’s why you’re the Kid.” Val grinned. “Now, come on. We need to catch up with Dante before we lose him.”

  The streets of San Francisco swarmed with people. Val took a deep breath and scanned the crowd. It was more people than she had ever seen in one place. They bustled back and forth, clothed in every colour imaginable, which made it easy to track Dante. He stood out like a sore thumb. Not only was he taller and broader than most, but he was also the only person clothed entirely in black.

  Val stared towards the palace, high above the city. A row of brightly coloured, canvas shops lined the street. San Francisco made Val’s home city look like a rundown cabin. Someone bumped into her back, knocking her off balance. She spun around as more people milled past her.

  Voices and sounds came at her from every angle. She spun again as someone else brushed past her shoulder. The noise grew louder, slowly merging into one constant drone. Val’s chest tightened. She spun around again. Blank faces hurried past, ignoring her. The drone began to sound like groans. Val placed her hand on her chest, gripping the amulet for reassurance.

  The crowd swarmed around her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Hundreds of dead, grey-green faces stared at her, dirty rotten fingers reaching up and grasping at her clothes. Another person bumped into her. She grabbed her sword.

  A gentle hand rested on her shoulder. “Val, are you alright?”

  Her grip on her sword loosened as she exhaled. Val opened her eyes and stared up to see the Kid. He looked back at her with concern. The stream of people flowed around them.

  “I’m fine.” Val could see that he didn’t believe her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing,” She looked past the Kid, searching for Dante. He was about a hundred feet ahead. “Come on, we’d better catch up.”

  They pushed and shoved their way through the tightly packed crowd. Every time a space appeared, the people naturally shuffled back together, closing the gaps almost instantly. Val peered over the crowd. Dante hadn’t moved.

  The Kid fell behind as buyers and sellers squeezed between them. Val looked back, but he waved her on.

  “I’ll catch up. Don’t worry.”

  She squeezed through a line of people, all waiting to sample the latest delicacy from across the sea. One woman stepped in front of her and bit into a syrup-smothered insect. It crunched between her teeth and a yellow goo dribbled out the corner of her mouth.

  Val shuddered, but couldn’t take her eyes off the woman. She ran into something hard, bounced back, and tumbled to the floor. Dante’s cape flapped in the air above her.

  “You won’t believe it, but I just saw a woman eating an insect. It was disgusting. Yellow ooze dribbled down her chin. I thought I was going to be sick.” Val climbed to her feet and brushed herself down.

  Dante didn’t move. He didn’t even acknowledge her.

  “Hey Dante, did you hear me. She ate an insect!” Val shivered as she said it.

  Dante stood still, staring over the crowd. Val turned and followed his line of sight. Another tall man stared back at them. A red hood hung over his head, hiding his eyes in its shadow. He grinned, the crowd swarming between them. Neither man moved. They simply stood, staring at one another.

  “Val, get out of here.” Dante’s gaze remained fixed on the Red Hood.

  “No chance.” She stepped alongside Dante, her hand resting on her sword.

  CHAPTER TWO

  RED HOODS

  The crowd surged through the marketplace, weaving around them as if they were rocks in a stream. The Red Hood’s smiled widened. He raised his long wooden staff into the air.

  Thwack. Thwack.

  The stream froze, all faces turning towards the Red Hood.

  “DANTE IRONCLOUD!” His deep, flat voice rolled over the crowd. He pulled back his hood revealing his thick white hair.

  “Ironcloud?” Val poked Dante in the ribs. “That is badass. You didn’t tell me your last name was Ironcloud.”

  “Not now, Val.” Dante gritted his teeth. “Get out of here.”

  Thwack. Thwack.

  The
crowd scattered, vacating the space between them and the Red Hood. Val scanned the faces of the expectant mob, mouths gawping and eyes glistening with a mix of fear and excitement.

  Val tapped the hilt of her sword. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

  “Dante Ironcloud. Come with me now, no one needs to die.” The Red Hood’s voice boomed across the void.

  “Yeah, you and what army?” Val took a half step forwards, tightening her grip.

  A smile swept across the Red Hood’s face. He raised his staff into the air again.

  Thwack. Thwack.

  A murmur swept through the crowd as more men in red hoods pushed forwards, lining the void.

  Val scanned the new arrivals, each standing at least six foot tall, broad and muscular. Red hoods obscured their faces. Powerful arms reached out from beneath their cloaks, holding a long wooden staff in front of them. A wry smile crept across Val’s face.

  The leader smiled back at her as he raised his staff into the air.

  Thwack.

  The others mimicked his action in unison.

  THWACK!

  Dante stared forwards, his jaw clenched.

  The leader swung his staff through the air and pointed it at Dante. “We are to take you alive, but if you resist, well, let’s just say it would be a shame if we had to kill your woman.” He glanced at Val.

  “Your woman?” Val ground her teeth together. Her muscles tightened and tensed until she couldn’t hold back anymore.

  The leader’s jaw swung open as Val flew past Dante and across the cobblestones. Without stopping, her sword flashed from its sheath and arced towards him. He stepped back as the blade hummed through the air. His wooden staff split in two and fell from his grip, bouncing off the cobblestones with a series of dull, hollow thuds.

  Val spun towards him and drove the butt of her sword into his gut. The crowd gasped. He doubled over, wheezing from the force. Val continued her attack, slamming her forehead into his face. He fell back, his feet slipping out from beneath him.

  Thump.

  Val stood over him, her blade less than an inch from his face. “I’m sorry, were you talking about me?” She tilted her head to one side.

  He stared back at her, hit left eye swollen shut, bruised and bloodied. The corners of his mouth tightened and then curled into a smile. “NOW!”

  A blur of red swirled into the void, staffs spinning and swirling through the air. Before Val could react, one struck her legs, sweeping them out from beneath her. She fell. A second staff whooshed over her head and drove her into the ground.

  She jerked her sword across her body in an attempt to block another attack, but a third staff cracked against her knuckles. Pain exploded through her hand and seared down her arm. She kept hold of her sword, refusing to let go. Without it, she wouldn’t stand a chance.

  Val rolled to one side as another staff smacked the ground where her head had been. Another blow caught her fingers and this time her sword finally slipped free. It clanged against the cobblestones, settling just out of reach. Val looked up as another staff arced towards her face. She raised her arms, bracing for the impact.

  She opened her eyes when it didn’t come. The staff hovered in the air above her arms. It looked like a twig in Dante’s hands. Seconds later a red blur shot over her head. She rolled backwards and sprung to her feet.

  “Are you alright?” Dante bent the staff, snapping it like a twig.

  Val wiped a trail of blood, dribbling from her mouth as she scanned the red hoods surrounding them. “Better than these jerks are going to be in a minute.”

  The red hoods closed in, encircling them. They stepped sideways, banging their staffs against the ground every couple of steps.

  THWACK.

  Val grabbed her sword and turned, pressing her back against Dante. “Have you seen the Kid?”

  “No.”

  “Maybe, he’ll fly in and save us.” Val chuckled.

  Dante didn’t respond.

  THWACK.

  “Who the hell are these lunatics?” Val turned, slowly following the men as they circled around them.

  “Blood Brothers, fanatical mercenaries. Basically, they’re not good news.”

  More red hoods emerged from the crowd, forming a larger circle around the others.

  THWACK.

  They moved in the opposite direction to the inner circle.

  “They’re making me dizzy.” Val rubbed her forehead.

  THWACK.

  The outer circle lunged forwards, thrusting their staffs between the members of the inner circle. Val slashed and parried, but failed to block them all. The sidestepping continued.

  THWACK.

  Another flurry of staffs shot towards them. Val gritted her teeth, blood trickling down her arm. She growled, swinging her sword at the inner circle, but they were too far away and easily deflected her attack.

  THWACK.

  Val’s sword was still down from her failed attack as one staff cracked against her shoulder. Another slammed into her chest. She ducked one destined for her face, but one last attack shot in, striking her foot.

  “Dante, got any bright ideas?”

  “Kick me.”

  “What?” She glanced up at him.

  “Kick me now!”

  “Alright, but you asked for it.” Val shook her head and spun, whipping her leg around her body and firing it at Dante’s face.

  He caught her ankle with one hand and pivoted on his heel. Val felt her body stretch as he swung her around and around like a hammer.

  “ATTACK!” Dante roared.

  Val strained against the force of his swing, gripping her sword with both hands. She swung it high above her head. With the combined force of her slash and Dante’s swing, Val’s blade cleaved through everything in its path. Staffs snapped, bones cracked, and blood splattered across the ground.

  “Get ready.” Dante planted his other foot and released her ankle.

  Val flew over the scattered remains of the inner circle and crashed into the outer circle. The crowd scurried back desperate to stay out of the way, but not too far away that they would miss the action.

  Val spun to her feet, whipping her sword across her body. People screamed as a crimson trail splattered them. Two more Blood Brothers slumped to the floor. Val took a step towards another, ready to attack when somebody rushed out of the crowd and dived on her, knocking her to the ground.

  A hand pressed down on her head, pushing her face into a puddle of warm blood. The cold cobblestones dug into her hips. She looked up, peering between bloody strands of hair as a wave of armoured guards clattered through the crowd. In a flurry of activity, they forced the remaining Blood Brothers to their knees.

  Val groaned as someone yanked her arms up behind her back. There was a click as the handcuffs locked together. She growled and tried to move but a knee pressed against her back, holding her down. Val watched, helpless, as five guards edged towards Dante.

  He locked his fingers together, cracking his knuckles. The guards hesitated as Dante clenched his fists and prepared to fight.

  Footsteps tapped over the cobblestones behind Val. She turned her head as a pair of brown leather boots stopped beside her. A hand reached down and picked up her sword. The boots moved on, heading towards Dante.

  “Ahem! Is this really necessary?”

  The boots strode across the opening. Val’s sword flashed in the sunlight as it swept through the air. The soldiers backed away, dipping their heads. A long gold and red cloak swept back and forth, hiding its wearer.

  He stopped and ran his hand through his short, black hair, his bronzed skin glowing against his white cuff. “Get these lunatics out of my city.” He glanced at Dante, before turning and staring directly at Val.

  She clenched her teeth together, glaring back at him. A short, well-groomed beard framed his regal face. He swished her sword through the air and pointed it back at her.

  “All but that one, I think.” He tapped a severed head wit
h the toe of his boot and glanced over his shoulder at Dante. “I assume she is with you! What is it with you vampire hunters? You always make such a mess.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  HOT BATHS AND SOFT BEDS

  Puffs of steam swirled through the air, lifting an errant bubble high above the bathtub. Val stepped into the water and slid down beneath the surface. Her head rested against the smooth, curved back of the tub. Mounds of bubbles bumped into the side of her face as the water lapped at her neck.

  Val chuckled to herself. When the handcuffs went on, this was the last place she imagined she would end. She lifted a hand through the bubbles and examined a dark purple bruise. It hurt, but not enough to distract her from the bath. Finally, some alone time. She closed her eyes and sank further into the water.

  The Kid had come through again. Maybe she would have to start calling him by his real name. Maybe. He did get lost in the crowd and wasn’t there when the Blood Brothers attacked, but then he did alert the royal guards. Although, by the time they had arrived, the fight was almost over. Val shook her head. No, still the Kid.

  The guards had marched them up the main street past thousands of gawping faces and into the palace. There, they were taken to separate rooms. The bath was waiting for her, steaming and bubbly. Val had undressed before the door had closed and was in the tub by the time they had locked it.

  Her clothes and boots lay scattered across the floor as bright beams of light poured through the enormous, paned window opposite. In the distance, she could just about make out the many colours of the market.

  Val stretched her legs, almost reaching the far end of the tub. Only her neck and head remained above the surface, and she could probably submerge those too if she wanted to. She closed her eyes and wondered how the others were getting on.

  A brief chuckle squeezed past her lips as the thought of the Kid sitting in his tub with his feet dangling over the end or his knees bent up, breaking through the surface. Another image popped into her head and she couldn’t hold it in any longer. Laughter echoed off the high ceilings and bounced around the room.