by Aderyn Wood
A thunk booms behind and I stop to peer back through the darkness. Someone has followed. My legs move so fast it’s as though I am flying, bounding faster with each stride. I grasp Michael’s waistband and lift.
“Emma!”
“Be still. Vincent is following,” I say through gritted teeth and we fly through the tunnel.
But footsteps follow. Vincent is gaining. The light changes ahead, and I smell the sea. The exit is close. I push my legs into longer strides and soon enough we bound outside under the stars.
“We made it,” Michael says.
I nod and release him. He doubles over, catching his breath. A beach shack stands before us. I walk to it; the stink of oil and petrol surrounds it. The door holds another padlock. I reach for it but the sound of new footfalls halts me. I turn in a flash to see Vincent standing by the tunnel’s entrance. I put my hand on Michael’s shoulder and move him behind me. “Control your fear,” I whisper.
“You killed my brother.” Vincent’s eyes are dark horrors, his voice a low growl and I sense his unpredictability; he wants retribution. His eyes glow red, and the veins in his face become hideously visible. “Return with me now and I won’t kill you both!” His teeth are long, a true monster.
“I can’t do that,” Michael says, his voice is too hostile.
I almost yell at him not to be so stupid, but he exudes no fear, and that is something.
Vincent has paused with his head up, sniffing. He frowns and stares at Michael. “You’re one of them.” He punches his arms out and flies towards us.
I scream and rush at him but he evades me in mid-air.
Michael holds something in his hand that he thrusts toward Vincent, and then Vincent – is gone, blood and dust.
Michael stands, breathing hard, and blinks at me.
“What did you do?” I ask.
He holds up a bloody wooden stake, a streak of silver runs through it.
I nod. “So it works.”
“Apparently.” He catches his breath. “She has vampires.”
“So it would seem.”
We stand for a moment longer, looking at the bloody dust that was Vincent.
“We must hurry. Amynta will find out soon enough, and she’ll come after us.” I break our silence.
Michael tries the door to the shack.
“Step aside,” I tell him and I kick the door. It falls off its hinges with a loud crack. Inside there is a boat and motorbike – Amynta’s getaway vehicles perhaps. “Can you ride?” I ask Michael. “I don’t know how.”
He nods but ignores the bike and stumbles over to the wall where riding gear hangs; he inspects them, holding the material up to the light of his phone.
“Michael, we need to hurry.”
“Put this on.” He says to me, grabbing a set of riding trousers and a jacket.
I shake my head. “I don’t need it, you might though.”
“Just put it on, and the helmet. You’ve blood all over you.”
I frown, but there’s no time to argue. I dress in the riding gear and put the helmet on with the visor up. “Ready?”
He nods, putting his own helmet on. “We’ll go back to the port and board a water taxi.”
“Yes.”
He climbs on the bike. “Where to from there?”
I look at him. “Egypt.” I slam the helmet visor down and sit behind him. “Let’s go.”
Michael kicks the engine into life and we’re off. His scent of sunshine fills the night air before me, and I smile as I breathe it in.
To be continued.
Want to know what happens next? Read on!
Thanks so much for reading The Earl’s Daughter. If you have a spare five minutes, it would be wonderful if you could leave a quick review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Reviews help me spread the word about my books.
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Happy reading!
Aderyn.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, thanks to Peter for his constant support and encouragement. I couldn’t do this without you.
Thanks to mum for reading and giving me the usual feedback, ‘it’s very good, dear’.
As we get older we come to value friendship more and more. Thank you, Danielle for your understanding and wonderful critique. A good friend is such a valuable thing, but a friend who ‘gets’ writing and all its frustrations is a double bonus!
Speaking of friends, thank you, Kirshy and Veronica for your critical feedback and warm support, and I apologise (again) for the ending. I promise to make it up to you in Book Three.
Thanks also to awesome critiquing partners D.A. Ravn and Elizabeth Davies, and editor, Pam Collings, for your invaluable feedback.
Final thanks go to Taire Morrigan for creating the perfect cover design once again.
Also by Aderyn Wood
The Viscount’s Son
The Viscount's Son tells the story of book conservator, Emma, and her online project - to transcribe an ancient and mysterious text. The trouble is, Emma's colleague, Jack, believes the medieval 'diary' is a fake. Emma decides to translate the text and leave it up to her readers to decide - so what will you think? Follow Emma's journey to discern the mysteries of the medieval memoir.
The Viscount's Son may or may not include a mysterious vampire - that's for you to find out! But all fans of dark vampire fantasy fiction will probably enjoy it.
The Raven – The Secret Chronicles of Lost Magic
When a foreign tribe attacks the peaceful Onan people, a lonely outcast is forced to reveal her secret Gift – but will such power bring acceptance?
It is the darkest time in winter, when suns, moons, and stars all wane from the sky. In the Wolf clan, a baby is born with a powerful Gift, but dangerous omens brand her an Outcast, and the Elders name her Iluna.
Iluna struggles to find her place in the proud and distrustful Wolf clan, and as her powers bloom, she discovers a mysterious friend.
Dark magic, war, and treachery soon jeopardize the life of every clan member; many suspect Iluna and her Gift.
Is this Outcast girl to blame, or is she salvation?
'The Secret Chronicles of Lost Magic' is a collection of histories that will take readers on a journey into a rich new fantasy world. Enjoy stepping into the dark days of time in this sweeping prehistoric fantasy. The Raven is the first Chronicle in a collection set in a vibrant new world by Aderyn Wood.
The Borderlands Trilogy
Dale has never felt a sense of belonging. She despises the bullies and snobs at school, and her family are difficult to like, let alone love. Rhys, a new boy at school seems to take an interest in her. But can she trust him? When the only friend she has ever had, Old Man Gareth, is murdered before her eyes, she is set on a frantic journey and a lonely adventure; the Borderlands beckon. But what are the Borderlands? Will she make it to them? And if she gets there, will she belong?
The Borderlands: Journey is a magical fantasy adventure that fantasy fiction fans, particularly older teens and the young at heart, will enjoy. It is the first book in the Contemporary Fantasy series 'The Borderlands'.
About the Author
From high fantasy to paranormal, Aderyn's stories cover the broad spectrum of Fantasy. Inspired from childhood by the wonder and mystique of Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising and the adventures in Tolkien's The Hobbit, her love of the Fantasy genre has been life long. As a writer, Aderyn brings characters and places to life in stories filled with magic, mystery, and a good dollop of mayhem.
Aderyn studied Literature, History and Creative Writing at university, travelled the world, and taught English before becoming a full-time writer. She is also a part-time farmer passionate about self-sufficiency and poultry. She lives in a cosy cottage on a small farm in Victoria, Australia with partner Peter, their dog, cat, and a little duck called Snow
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If you’d like to be informed of the next installment in the The Viscount’s Son trilogy consider subscribing to Aderyn’s newsletter.
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