The Lost Duke

by Kristen Gupton

  The guard noticed them going, but with the courier off of the animal, he knew they wouldn’t get particularly far. She was probably just making sure he was out of earshot.

  Keiran had dismounted Porter, remaining hidden in the darkness behind his massive black horse. When he saw one of his Royal Guardsmen nearing with the courier, he crouched down and moved around the horse, still obscured at any distance by the underbrush.

  The guard stopped at the edge of the road and looked toward Keiran, hearing him move. When he got clear sight of his king’s face, his shoulders slouched downward in relief. “My Lord, it is good to see you.”

  “Aye, and you as well. Are the others with you doing all right?” he asked, his voice hushed but harsh from exertion.

  “We’re all fine,” the guard replied. “Are Kanan and Jerris with you?”

  “Aye, they are, but back at camp.” Keiran dared to straighten up. “Everything this woman has told you is true. We are all in terrible danger and need to get out of this country as quickly as possible. Travel as fast as you can. We will be moving east off of the main roads.”

  Mari looked back over her shoulder, feeling her heart rate pick up. “You need to get back to the others now. Our watcher is getting suspicious.”

  The guard nodded and looked back at Keiran. “I’ll let the others know I have seen you.”

  “Good, now go. Get on the other side of this country’s border, and stay nearby if I’m not already there. I’ll find you,” Keiran said, moving and vanishing into the darkness.

  Mari went to her horse and pulled her way back up into the saddle while the Tordanian returned to the camp. She went closer to the Alerian guard again as the Tordanian disappeared amongst the others.

  “They won’t give you any trouble,” she said, forcing up a smile despite the headache her stress gave her.

  The Alerian nodded and glanced at the Tordanians. “Very well. I’ll have the border sentries date their travel document when I deliver them. I should hope that will suffice as evidence for earning the bonus you mentioned?”

  “That is exactly what she asked me to tell you to do,” Mari lied. “Take it straight to the palace when you get back to the capital, and you will be paid. With Stepan removed from the guard, there is a fair chance you may even receive a promotion in rank if you keep these damn Tordanians from causing our queen any trouble.”

  This pleased the guard, and he gave a nod. “They won’t be any trouble at all. Tell Queen Adira I will have them out as soon as possible.”

  Mari turned her horse to move away, not giving him another word.

  * * *

  Upon returning to their camp, Mari spent a fair amount of time grooming her horse and getting it situated for the night. Afterward, she made sure all of the other horses were healthy, checking over each one carefully before she was willing to turn in.

  Once she was satisfied, she returned to where everyone else was already sleeping. Garhan hadn’t moved from where she’d last seen him, and she went to his side and carefully moved beside him. She remained propped up on one arm for a long while, staring at him. Everything since he’d shown up on her porch had been a blur, and it was her first real opportunity to look him over.

  He’d definitely aged since his imprisonment, though, she knew she had as well. The amount of weight he’d lost exaggerated the fact, his features more angular that they’d been.

  Still, a smile came to her lips. No matter how rough he looked, he was the best thing she’d laid eyes on in decades.

  Garhan moved to turn onto his side, one of his eyes cracking open when he felt someone beside him. As he focused on Mari, a tired grin appeared. He draped an arm over her waist, pulling her in close against him. “We’ve got some catching up to do and some time to make up for.”

  She gave a quiet laugh, not wanting to wake the others or draw attention to them. Her hand came up to his cheek, stroking lightly. “I never forgot about you, not for one day.”

  In his exhaustion, his eyes closed again, and he nuzzled at her hand. “You were all I thought about, too. I tried to escape that damned house many times over the years, but I wasn’t strong enough.”

  Mari remembered how ill he’d been when Adira had locked him away. She’d let Garhan have her blood on several occasions, both of them hoping it would help him recover, but the effects had been minimal. While he was still obviously debilitated, his attitude and ability to keep up during the day had shown her he was much, much better than before.

  “You’re stronger now, though,” she whispered, letting her fingertips graze across his lips.

  “I am, yes.” His smile widened, his grip around her tightening. “I’m going to be fine, now. Once we’re able to get a little privacy, I’ll show you just how much better I really am.”

  Mari felt her face go hot, a long-dormant side of her perking to attention. Another laugh escaped her as he gave a deep growl, and she cuddled in against him.

  Garhan kissed her forehead and let his smile remain as he drifted back off to sleep.

  * * *

  Keiran startled and opened his eyes. It was still dark out, and someone was standing close, nudging him in the shoulder with one of their boots. He sat up and drew in a gasp, struggling to get his mind working.

  Garhan looked down at him with a tired expression. “Get up. It’s time to start moving.”

  “How long have we been sleeping?” he asked, standing up but having to take several steps to the side as his sense of balance wasn’t yet working. “It doesn’t feel like I’ve been out long.”

  “You haven’t, but the sun will be up shortly. I’ve already looked down by the road, and your men are on the move, so we ought to go as well,” Garhan replied, tipping his head toward their horses.

  Keiran looked, seeing that Garhan and Mari had already gotten all six horses saddled up and ready while the rest of them had continued to sleep. “Did you two sleep at all?”

  Garhan gave a small shrug and quickly turned away. “Slept enough. Let’s get going. I can’t imagine that Adira hasn’t figured out your men have left the capital by now. Surely, she has someone on the way to find out where they intend to go.”

  The vampire nodded, knowing that was most likely the case. He went over and woke Jerris and Kanan.

  When they were ready to get underway, Stepan came over to the three Tordanians. “There will be someone coming up behind your men to tell the guards they were given unofficial orders. Once that happens, I don’t know if they will turn on your men or what, but we have to assume they will be intercepted within the next day. Adira won’t just let this go.”

  “I’d imagine it also clued her in on the fact we’re not dead,” Jerris added.

  “Most likely, yes.” Stepan looked over at Kanan. “I don’t know if you want us to keep pace with the group now or if you wish us to continue pushing ahead to get your king out of this country as quickly as we can manage. Mari votes for the latter, but…”

  “Those are my men, and I’m responsible for them, but Keiran is also my concern.” Kanan shook his head. “This is a bad position to be in.”

  “How many Alerians are watching our group of men?” Jerris asked. “Fewer now that a known vampire isn’t in the group?”

  Stepan turned his attention to the redhead. “Garhan said he only counted six with them. Most of the guards went with us to the palace. It would seem none of them went back once you were imprisoned.”

  “Our men could easily take that many guards down,” Keiran said.

  “But there has to be Alerian guards with them, or they won’t be allowed through the checkpoints. While I can easily forge up another travel document with the supplies Mari brought, we cannot send them unescorted,” Stepan replied.

  “I don’t like this.” Kanan looked over at his son and Keiran.

  Jerris frowned and let his gaze settle on the old man. He realized what his father wanted to do. “I know what you’re thinking, and while I can keep Keiran safe if Mari continues to lea
d us through the forest, I’m not letting you take off to go give our men the order to take down their guards.”

  “He wouldn’t have to do it alone,” Stepan added, pulling his horse in closer to the group. “If I go with him, the guards at the checkpoints all know who I am and will let me get your men through. They won’t yet know I’ve fallen from Adira’s favor.”

  Keiran shook his head, not wanting to split up the group. “I’m not sure I like that idea. I think we should all stick together.”

  “What if I went to your men by myself?” Stepan asked. “I could do it alone if you wished. The guards wouldn’t suspect anything if I showed up. Then, I can keep an eye out and let your men know when, or if, they need to act.”

  “No, you can’t. Those guards know you were imprisoned,” Mari replied, overhearing the conversation. “I had to tell the senior officer with the group of your fate in order to gain his compliance.”

  Stepan frowned deeply, his brows knitting together. “Damn.”

  “Look, we don’t need to decide this right now, do we?” Mari asked. “We can discuss it further after we get going. The others have already pulled ahead of us. Let’s think on it, but let’s do so while we’re actually moving, all right?”

  * * *

  Adira sat in her carriage as it rattled along the road. The team of eight horses pulling it was being run hard, but the queen had little sympathy. She was determined to catch up to the group of Tordanians or intercept them at the border—even if it meant buying new teams of horses along the route to ensure her carriage didn’t stop moving.

  The ride was uncomfortable, but she was willing to take the abuse of being jostled within the coach. She was too lost in her own mind during most of the ride to care.

  Her anger at the Tordanians getting away from her and at Garhan’s escape had sent her into a rage like she’d never known. Her head spun with emotion, her words jumbled together as she’d given orders to her men.

  Now traveling, she had calmed down slightly, though a sickness still lingered in her over the turn of events. Victri, for all of his flaws, had been absolutely right, and she hated it. Killing Garhan long ago and ordering Keiran to be assassinated afterward would have spared her a considerable amount of trouble. She’d thought she’d been doing the more compassionate thing, but now it had all spun out of her control.

  Though it was likely Keiran would simply take his men and Garhan out of Aleria, never to be heard from again, she couldn’t let it go. What if Keiran decided to take revenge on her and send more of his kind into Aleria? What if he opted to start another vampiric infestation? While the young man hadn’t shown any real abilities like the legendary vampires of old, she feared much of it had been an act.

  Adira couldn’t help but think her life was in danger. She’d had a nightmare several times in her life of a vampire attacking her when she was alone as had happened to Ilana. For now, being in the carriage and constantly moving kept that scenario from any possibility of playing out.

  Runners had been sent ahead to bring back word of the Tordanians’ progress and to see just how far they’d managed to get before she’d taken chase. She’d not yet gotten word back from them, but they had received validation along their route the Tordanians had passed already. Adira was on the right trail, she just had no real concept of how much longer it would be before they were intercepted.

  The carriage crested a small hill, giving her a better look over the landscape. There was a break in the trees, and she scooted closer to the window to look out. The air was clear, and she could see out for several miles, but what caught her eye was a raven flying close by.

  Adira watched the slow flaps of the bird’s broad wings as it kept perfect pace alongside the carriage not far away. Ravens were curious animals and seeing one swoop down beside a coach to check it out wasn’t unheard of. However, this one kept pace for an unnaturally long time.

  There was something about it that reeled in her attention completely, and the tension she’d been feeling in her stomach began to worsen. Something about the bird wasn’t right. Her hands came up to grip the lower edge of the window, her fingers wrapping around the sill tightly.

  The noise of the carriage’s wheels clattering along the paved road and the relentless sound of the horses’ shod hooves striking the ground were at odds with the serene, slow beats of the bird’s wings. Its lack of effort in keeping up with her seemed mocking, and she began to sink back into the anger she’d been trying to push away.

  She looked around the interior of the coach for something to throw at the bird. The first thing her eyes fell upon was her silver hair brush, and she grabbed it before hurling it through the window.

  Her effort was laughable. The brush missed the bird by such a large margin that the raven didn’t startle or deviate from its path. The only response it gave was to turn its head to the side, fixing one of its ghostly teal-colored eyes onto her.

  Adira caught her breath, realizing the bird was looking back at her with a measure of intelligence she wasn’t comfortable with. She recoiled from the window, though she was unable to look away. Her heart rate shot up, and Adira wondered if she was slipping into madness.

  “A demon,” she muttered to herself, her right hand twisting up into the fabric of her dress’s skirt. “You’re not real. You’re Keiran trying to make me think I’ve gone insane.”

  The raven turned its head away from her and gave something that sounded nothing like a raven’s natural guttural caw.

  It laughed.

  The bird remained beside her coach for a few more seconds before sweeping upward and out of her sight.

  Adira moved to stick her head out of the window, feeling compelled to see if the bird was now going to follow her overhead.

  It wasn’t there, though.

  She slid to the other side of the carriage and looked out that window as well; however, the bird was gone. With the sky free of obstructions, she couldn’t imagine where it had gone in such short order, but it was absolutely nowhere to be found.

  She moved to the center of the bench along the back wall of the coach and fixed her gaze down onto the floor. Something was terribly wrong, but what it was she had no idea. Whether she was losing her mind or honestly being toyed with by Keiran, she couldn’t determine. Queen of Aleria or not, she suddenly felt extraordinarily powerless.

  * * *

  Thana made her way down the steps into the dungeon under the castle. It was only the third time she’d ever gone down there, and this time it was giving her the same sensation of uneasiness as before. There were lanterns hanging along the wall beside the steps, illuminating her way with a dim orange light.

  At the bottom of the stairs, she was only a few paces away from the cell her mother was locked in. Thana hadn’t gone out of her way to be cruel to her mother. In fact, she’d had a proper bed and other necessities brought down for the old woman.

  Sorna hadn’t been impressed with it, however. While other prisoners were usually given just a thin straw-filled mattress to lie on and a bucket, her cell was not unlike the average inn room one could find in Tordania.

  Thana moved before the bars of the cell and looked within. Her mother sat on the edge of her bed, working away at a small piece of needlework.

  Sorna looked at Thana without lifting her head, frowning. “To what do I owe the honor?”

  Thana reached out with her hand and took a hold of one of the bars. “I felt I should check on you to see if there is anything you need?”

  “You’ve locked the woman who raised you into this filthy dungeon. Don’t pretend you’re now having some crisis of guilt over doing so,” she replied, lowering the bit of fabric she held to her lap.

  “What was I supposed to do after finding out you’d sent that demon after me?” Thana asked.

  “If you aren’t going to let me go so I can get back to work on the farm,” Sorna replied, “or you don’t have some vital information I can’t live without knowing, I’d appreciate being left in peace.
”

  Thana sighed and rested her head forward against the bars, not letting her gaze drift from the older woman. “Well, I don’t know if this is something you even care to hear or not, but Father Beezle has been brought to the castle. The church’s healers did all they could for him, but his condition has worsened. Laron is now treating him, but he has his doubts regarding his recuperation.”

  Sorna gave a small nod. “It was his choice to get involved. I’m sorry he’s in such a bad way, but it all could have been avoided if you’d not defied me to begin with.”

  Thana’s mouth opened, but no words came out for several moments. “You are absolutely incapable of ever admitting your own wrong doings! You caused Father Beezle’s injuries by calling that demon out!”

  Sorna lifted her needlepoint piece and started to fuss with it once more, dropping her eyes away from Thana. “You may go, now.”

  * * *

  The group of Tordanian soldiers had made a good deal of progress during the day, being slowed down only by the Alerian guards escorting them. The guards were getting tired of the break-neck pace their own leader and the Tordanians were determined to keep. However, the guard in charge wasn’t willing to let them slow down. He was extremely motivated by the bonus he thought he’d earn.

  Unfortunately, Mari knew exactly how far the larger group had gone because Kanan had become increasingly adamant throughout the day that they wouldn’t run ahead in case there was trouble. The courier had been upset with this, concerned only with getting Garhan out of Adira’s reach. However, Garhan agreed with the Tordanians, so she’d eventually acquiesced and let them keep pace with the others, paralleling the main road as they went along.

  Everyone was on edge, knowing someone would soon show up with word from Adira. It was inevitable, and no matter how fast they decided to travel, there was simply no way a group that large would outrun the queen’s influence.

  Had they known how close the queen herself was getting, their ability to rest at all would have been eliminated.

  They’d moved further back from the road after seeing the larger group stop for the night. All of them were exhausted, and they sat around a small campfire to eat the rations Mari had stopped to purchase earlier in the day.