The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1) by Clay & Susan Griffith;Clay Griffith;Susan Griffith (31 page)

The human cast his eyes to the forest's edge, and his throat lay
exposed in the moonlight.

"Close your eyes."

The human swallowed hard, and Gareth watched the man's Adam's
apple bob wildly for a second. Then Gareth took the man's hand, bared
his fangs, and sank them into the wrist. The man shuddered as his
energy and life's blood was siphoned. Gareth kept his wits about him,
monitoring the victim's heartbeat, taking only enough to see him and
Adele safely away. When they reached Edinburgh he could feed more
fully, spreading his hunger over more of his flock.

Finally the farmer's heart raced, struggling to pump his draining
blood supply. He grew limp in Gareth's arms. The vampire prince
released his hold and drew back his fangs. He took some blood and
rubbed it over his chest and arms to renew his olfactory disguise. Then
he lifted the unconscious human, entered the lean-to, and placed the
man in the straw meant for his cattle. The man moaned slightly as
Gareth closed the makeshift gate behind him to keep other predators
from the farmer.

Wiping the excess blood from his lips with the back of his hand,
Gareth strode back into the forest to his human clothes. Adele would
wake soon, and then they would move on. Soon he would have to reveal
himself to her, and he knew what her reaction would be.

His numb heart broke at that realization.

D SMELLED THE sea before it came into view. Greyfriar
led them to the coast, and for the first time the air tasted salty
like in Alexandria.

"It's wonderful," she remarked to Greyfriar, drawing a deep breath.

"You like the sea?"

Adele smiled. "I do. I live near the sea."

Greyfriar didn't reply, but he was relieved to hear such things. It
gave him hope for her tolerance of the next stage of their journey.

Adele asked, "How about you?"

Greyfriar merely regarded her strangely.

"The sea," she said. "Do you like the sea?"

He shrugged. "I don't have time to consider it, although I have a
home near the sea too."

"Really?" Adele exclaimed, delighted. "I think it's nice we have
something in common, in addition, of course, to hating vampires and
fleeing for our lives."

"I do also," he replied.

They followed the coast road for a bit. Greyfriar had an unerring
sense of direction, and it wasn't long before he veered abruptly down to
the water. In front of a shrouded grove overgrown with vines and thick hedges, he started hacking his way through until he revealed a fifteenfoot sailboat with a mast and moldy canvas inside.

"I've had it hidden here for many months. We must now travel by
sea."

"We'll be more visible to enemies in the air," Adele pointed out.

"Perhaps, but it will provide us a better opportunity to escape. We
need distance fast." With a few hard tugs the two of them maneuvered
the boat over the rocky beach to the water's edge.

"By the way, do you know how to sail?" he asked her.

The question took Adele by surprise. "Yes. Don't you?"

"Not really. I've never liked being on the water." In fact, he didn't
like flying over it either. Most vampires were plagued by uneasiness
when drifting over water. The thought of falling in and being weighed
down, and finally drowning was terrifying to them. "You will need to
operate the sails."

"How did you get from France to Britain? Fly?"

"No!" he retorted a trifle strongly. "I have allies in the underground
with boats."

Adele hid her small grin as they set the mast, grateful that she could
do something he could not. The man was almost infallible, and it
pleased her to be needed. They manhandled the boat into the slim surf,
and with practiced hands she raised the ragged sail. It immediately
caught the breath of the wind and puffed out as full and tight as the
mildewed old canvas could stand. They put out to a mercifully calm sea.

Greyfriar said, "We appear to be sinking already."

Adele scanned the scummy water sloshing at their feet. It wasn't
rising rapidly. She shrugged. "No. We're fine. You may have to bail
later. But we can stay ahead of it. We're lucky this old boat is afloat at
all. But I've seen worse. Trust me."

"As you say. Turn north when you can," Greyfriar informed her, still
eyeing the water in the bottom of the boat with some alarm.

From her place in the stern clutching the tiller, Adele playfully said,
"I realize you're no mariner, but the Continent is south. As is Equatoria."

"Small steps, Princess. We must go one way first to eventually reach
our goal. North. There is sanctuary there. Trust me."

"I do." Adele offered him a broad smile. As the sea wind buffeted
her, she relaxed for the first time in many weeks.

Greyfriar stopped looking at his water-soaked boots and stared at
her. It was almost a full minute before he responded. "That's good. I
might need that trust more before we're finished."

"You'll have it. You've always had it." She leaned forward and placed
her hand over his gloved one.

He imagined the warmth of her hand as she squeezed.

Alphonse sat in a chair as Nina cleared the dishes from their simple
meal. His worn pipe was in his hands, and his thick fingers gently
packed it with the last of his tobacco. He'd have to go and see whether
Maize had more in his storehouse that he might be willing to trade for
some of Nina's preserves. It was a foolish indulgence, he knew. But Nina
even claimed she liked the smell in the little hut. She said it covered the
stench of their existence.

The old woman cast a smile to her husband over her shoulder, and
he smiled back.

The door smashed open. Nina spun around with barely time to grasp
the edge of the table behind her before she was thrown to the floor next to
her husband. Three red-coated vampires stood over them. The hut filled
with stench as two snarling animals with elongated fangs entered, naked
and dirty, crawling on all fours. Taut straps of leather attached their
straining necks to the corded arm of a tall female dressed in the remnants
of royalty. Flay surveyed the room, then released the hunters.

The two things scuffled to the table, grabbed items, smelled them
briefly, and threw them to the side. They were going to find out. They
were going to know that the escaped girl had been here with Greyfriar.
The hunters touched Nina's thin white hair with their claws. They both
sniffed the base of her neck as she huddled over her knees. Her shiver
was a violent thing.

Their master said nothing, not even bothering to speak to the lowly
humans. She stood idly, waiting for the creatures to find a scent. The hunters could kill the elderly couple and the female wouldn't care. Her
total disregard for the humans cowering at her feet was chilling.

One of the hunters drew its gnarled hands over Alphonse, picking
at the edge of his shirt with its skeletal finger. Alphonse groaned as the
hunters scuttled to the door. He heard Nina weeping faintly as the two
things left the hut, followed by the other vampires. Alphonse's hand
slowly covered Nina's. It was inevitable that they would return. What
they searched for was outside.

Mere moments passed, and Alphonse experienced a shard of hope. Perhaps the creatures would find nothing. Perhaps the couple's efforts at
deception had been adequate. Then the hunters let loose a ghastly screech.

"They found it," Nina moaned.

"And if they did, then that is our fate. We will face it together and
know that we did the right thing."

Nina nodded, unable to speak in the face of her fear.

A vampire soldier entered the hut.

"Stand," he commanded, his unconscious hiss dragging out the word.

Alphonse assisted Nina, who barely had the strength of will to make
it to her feet. They followed the red-coated vampire outside and were led
directly to the pit where Alphonse had burned and buried the clothing
of the girl with Greyfriar. The hunters crouched in the middle of it, covered with dirt and ash. They were hissing and moaning, snuffling in the
ash. The vampire soldier shoved the two humans to their knees in front
of Flay.

Flay's lips broke into a cruel smile. "They actually believed they
could fool us."

Alphonse made no effort to respond. It was useless.

Flay slapped her thigh, and the hunters shambled against her legs
like pets. She caressed the beasts' heads with affection before quickly
grabbing handfuls of the hunters' hair and flesh. "Find the princess and
this entire village will be your reward."

The hunters licked their fangs, staring hungrily at Alphonse and
Nina, who both whimpered against their will. With a shriek, the
hunters shook loose and ran toward the northeast, the direction
Greyfriar had gone barely two days before.

Flay towered over the two trembling humans. Nina collapsed to the
ground, and Alphonse fell with her, grabbing Nina's arm tighter in a
vain attempt to give her his strength. Death was only hours away, and
there was nowhere to run.

Days passed with fair wind the whole way up the coast. It was fine
sailing weather, and Adele actually enjoyed herself. They put into land
a few times for food, water, and to camp for the night. They sailed by
day because it was still usual for vampires to prowl the night. Greyfriar,
though obviously uneasy about being at sea, grew more relaxed, or at
least Adele imagined him to be so. After several days, he offered to take
a turn at the tiller, for which she was grateful. The minute she stood, the
boat rocked and Greyfriar grasped the sides nervously.

"Sorry," she offered, moving forward.

Only when she had settled did he ease to his feet and inch past her.
It was odd to see the man who had faced vampire armies quail at the
thought of falling overboard. He reached the stern and clutched the
tiller with a relieved sigh. He unstrapped his longsword and laid it
across his lap.

Adele asked, "Is it possible you don't know how to swim?"

"Very possible indeed."

Adele grabbed the small pail he had been using to bail and began to
scoop water. "So swimming isn't considered a requisite skill for a master
swordsman folk hero?"