The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1) by Clay & Susan Griffith;Clay Griffith;Susan Griffith (32 page)

Greyfriar replied, "Not so far. But the day is young."

She laughed and noticed how his grip never lessened on his sword.
"Is that blade special to you?"

"It is exceedingly sharp. And it bites clean."

"I mean, does it have special meaning? Was it ... your father's
sword?"

"Oh no. Nothing like that. But the sword is such a remarkable creation. It's an extension of one's self. Unlike the pistol, which is clumsy
and impersonal. There is no skill to firearms."

"I agree with you. I learned how to shoot quite quickly. The sword
took a long time. I'm still learning."

Greyfriar leaned forward. "But don't you find the challenge incredibly satisfying? Using your hands." He extended his arm and worked his
gloved hand as if manipulating a sword. "I never tire of it."

"Yes, definitely. It was worth every aching muscle and reprimand."
She raised her eyebrows in mock conceit. "I was taught by a master
swordsman from Japan. And I fancy myself an excellent swordswoman.
Or I did until I saw you in action."

"No, don't think that. I've told you before. You are most
extraordinary."

Adele blushed.

Greyfriar said, "Your instincts are excellent, but your blade work
needs more control. That is merely a matter of practice."

Now she pursed her lips in mild annoyance. She hadn't been
expecting criticism.

He continued, "Still, I have spent many years among vampires, and
among those who wish to kill them. I have never seen anyone like you.
You sense the world around you in a way that is ... unnatural." He
laughed. "Like a vampire. You feel rather than see."

"I'm not sure that's a good thing."

"It's neither good nor bad. I marvel at you. I have from the beginning. I can tell you were born to it. With some final honing, you will be
fearful to behold."

Adele couldn't catch her breath at his words. "Well, I ... uh ...
thank you. I wonder why my teacher has never told me anything like
that."

Greyfriar replied, "Perhaps he doesn't know. Or perhaps he's afraid
that if you realize what you can be, he'll have nothing left to teach you."

"Well, who taught you?"

"I had a very poor instructor. Myself."

"What? You're self-taught? That's remarkable."

"Not so. My skill is merely a product of time. And I have time. I
spend a great deal of time alone. As you might imagine." He took a
breath. "It's a great pleasure to have you with me now."

Adele ran her hand through her tangled hair, frowning at its
wretched condition. "Thank you. I've told you, you can come to Alexandria and spend as much time as you like."

"That is unlikely. For my sake, I'd have you with me much longer.
For your sake, I'm sorry that I can't take you home immediately."

She felt an ache. "So can you tell me what is in the north for us?"

"Temporary safety. It will buy us time while Flay scours the south
for you. Do not worry."

"I'm just curious, that's all," Adele reassured him. "I do have an interest
in this affair. And I still know so little about you or your plans."

He nodded. "I think you will like it in the north."

The young woman accepted his deflection of her comment. For the
moment. She was happy to have a conversation that wasn't about pure
survival. "I've never been this far north. I've only read about it."

He paused a moment, and his voice grew rich. "Where we're going
is wild and rugged. It is a place of dark lochs and mountains covered in
heather. It's cold and it smells clean. I love it there."

"I figured you were the outdoors type."

He shrugged. "If it were up to me I'd spend all my time outside
rather than in the bowels of a building. To live as my ancestors once did,
off the land and traveling the open road."

"You're a romantic."

Smoke-covered glass turned toward her. "Is that bad?"

"No. Not at all. Quite fetching, actually." She smiled shyly at him.
"And you come complete with a dashing cape and sword. What's not to
like?"

"Are you a romantic, yourself?"

Adele considered, pausing a moment from the chore of bailing. "I'd
like to be. It's hard when you're a princess. I have an enormous amount
of responsibilities at court. It doesn't leave much time for being a
romantic. But when you were talking about the north, about how wild
it is, it reminded me of the open desert. I was always overwhelmed by
the desert, although I never spent much time there. Unfortunately."

"When were you last there?"

"Years ago. I went on a trip with my brother and Colonel Anhalt. And about forty members of my court staff. But one night, I slipped
away with only dear Colonel Anhalt as my bodyguard. He told me I
needed to experience the desert, to see its loneliness and its beauty. He
said it had much to teach me. He is such a wonderful man. A constant
presence in my life." She sighed, a bit melancholy, and gazed out over
the waves. "We rode to an oasis, where he named the stars for me. It was
so beautiful. So open and wild. The stars and the moon. The wind. I
can't even describe it. Have you ever been to the desert?"

"No."

"Colonel Anhalt told me that the desert is like a person. You can
never know it completely. If you think you do, you are playing a dangerous game. You can never trust the desert, because the minute you do,
it will kill you." Adele laughed. "I didn't really understand what he was
telling me. I think he was warning me that, as a princess, I could never
completely trust anyone. Or maybe he was saying I shouldn't be seduced
by the wild side. That I had to put girlish dreams aside. I have a duty
to my people, and I shouldn't even think about running off for a life of
adventure and romance."

"I'm sorry," Greyfriar said.

"For what?"

"That something you love can't be a source of comfort."

"It's the way life is, I suppose. There are some things you can trust,
and some you can't. You just have to figure out what they are. Listen to
me. I'm a philosopher."

The swordsman turned to the sea, almost melancholy. "Indeed."

Adele watched him start to withdraw. Desperate to change the
mood, she cast about for something new to say. "Do you know how to
fish? I might be getting hungry."

"No." His posture relaxed. "If I can't swim, what are the chances I fish?"

She chuckled with relief. "True. Fish were a staple of my diet. My
brother and I would go fishing with Colonel Anhalt when we were
younger, though that's a luxury we no longer have. Plus, Lake Mareotis
is too polluted to fish now."

"Did you enjoy it?"

Adele paused to reflect. "I enjoyed the time I spent with my brother, now more than ever." Her sad eyes turned to him, only to soften with a
small secret smile. "But I don't miss the fish themselves. They stink. I
don't know how cats stand them."

Now it was Greyfriar's turn to laugh. It was such an odd sound to hear.
Adele loved it. It was strong and low. Her skin shivered with goose bumps
at the sound of it. She immediately longed to hear it again.

"Of course," she said, "we don't smell so good either right now,
I'm sure."

"You'll be able to clean up once we reach our destination," he told
her.

"I suppose that will have to do." Adele sighed and watched the slate
coast. She knew Greyfriar was staring at her. She liked it.

He suddenly stood. "Take the tiller, if you will." He started making
his way forward.

"Is everything all right?" she inquired as she settled at the stern.

From the other side of the fluttering sail, he said, "Yes. I just want
to clean up a bit."

Adele smiled. He was doing it for her, most likely. She probably
shouldn't have said anything about the smell, but she delighted in the
fact that he was making himself more presentable for her. No man had
ever lavished such consideration on her except when there was an underlying reason for it, like her hand in marriage or a plea of forgiveness from
her father on a matter of state.

Greyfriar removed his tunic and shirt. Adele saw his arm dip into the
cold seawater. Biting her lip, she leaned over the rail a bit, angling for a
better view. Perhaps he had removed his mask. She just wanted to see what
he looked like. After all, she had followed him, a stranger, based only on
his word. It would be a small reward to place a face to the myth.

Greyfriar's back was to her, broad, muscled, and scarred. His flesh
was pale, not tan like she had thought. He probably spent far too much
time cloaked. Dried blood caked his skin, and Adele saw his wet hand
come away dripping red.

"Are you hurt?" Adele stood up abruptly, causing the boat to rock.

Greyfriar grasped the edge of the prow and almost looked at her, but
stopped. "No. It is not my blood." There was almost shame in his tone.

"Oh." Adele sat down and held the tiller steadier. "Do you need any
help?" she asked nervously.

His answer came back fast. "No." His voice settled after a few seconds. "I'm fine." He donned his clothes again, masking his identity from
her once more.

"I'm glad you're not hurt." Adele could not hide her disappointment that he had shoved her concern aside. But he was a warrior, and
proud. She knew his type from her time spent with Colonel Anhalt.

As another day, and then another, passed on their northward cruise,
Greyfriar studied the shoreline. When they camped ashore, he was restless. They were nearing their destination, and most likely he felt pangs
of worry that something would go wrong at the last minute. Adele
hoped he would confide in her, but by the next day at sea, he was still
silent.

"So," she said plainly, "we must be off the coast of Scotland by now.
Yes? I wonder that there is somewhere safe in Scotland. That's Prince
Gareth's territory."

Greyfriar started. "Yes, it is Scotland. But you have nothing to fear
from Prince Gareth."

"How do you know?"

"Didn't you meet him in London?"

"Yes. So?"

"What ... what did you think of him?"

The princess shrugged. "I don't know. He was odd. He seemed to
have an interest in human culture."

"Yes. He is not your enemy."

"Well, in any case, he certainly seemed better than Cesare."

"Thank you."

"What?"

"Nothing. Humans are safer in Scotland than anywhere in Britain."
Before Adele could ask any further questions, he pointed. "There. Turn
into that inlet. Careful. I'm told the sea is rough. We'll put ashore and
walk the rest of the way."

Adele obediently adjusted the tiller and trimmed the sail. She guided
the boat around a rocky promontory. There were signs of a town along the shoreline and the caustic scent of smoke in the air. After many minutes of careful and strenuous sailing, she coaxed the waterlogged old boat
to the shore. When they drew close, Greyfriar leapt into the freezing
water and wrestled the boat until it scraped onto the rocky bottom. Then
he gave a hand to Adele. The footing on the rocks was precarious, but
Greyfriar did not let go of her hand as they made their way dripping wet
onto the jagged shore and away from the sea.

Eventually the ground evened out and they crossed what looked to
be an old wagon-rutted road. Adele hesitated, instinct immediately
warning her to stick to areas not so well traveled, but to her surprise
Greyfriar shook his head.

"We will be safe enough. I know this area well."

Alarms were beginning to sound in her. How could a lone human be
so at ease so deep inside vampire territory? She saw the distant grey skyline of a city. A forest of smoke rose from many chimneys.

"What is that place?" Adele looked around with increasing distress.

"Edinburgh."

"Edinburgh? Are you insane? Why go there?"

"You must trust me, Princess. What I do is for your safety."

Adele stopped dead in her tracks. She could see clearly a brooding
castle rising in the distance, crouched on a bare rock face overlooking the
grey city. Its black stones hovered like shadows in the dispersing fog.
She knew what monsters lived there.

Greyfriar had hoped they'd be closer before he had to show himself.
They were still out in the open and therefore still vulnerable. But he
knew that the trust he had garnered with Adele was rapidly dissipating.
His shoulders slumped ever so slightly. "I once told you that your trust
would be tested."

"But this seems a trifle extreme," Adele snapped, glancing about for
the enemy. "How could this possibly be a safe haven? I'm no better off
here than I was when a prisoner of Cesare!"

"I'll explain everything soon. We just need to go a bit farther."

Defiant and fearful, she refused. "I want answers first. I've followed
you blindly long enough. I need to know what our plans are, right now!"

Greyfriar laughed quietly, but there was no trace of mirth in it. His chest rose and fell with a shuddering breath. The camaraderie they had
shared these last days ended now.

Greyfriar looked into her eyes, knowing that it would be the last
time he would see familiarity and warmth in them. He drew in one
more tantalizing breath of her subtle scent. Then with his arms he threw
back the cape and drew a sword. To her surprise, he handed it to her.
Adele's face was a painting of curiosity and shock, her mouth held in
that perfect 0 shape. He pulled his pistols and then his daggers. He laid
them at her feet. She held the sword with one end cradled in the crook
of her arm.

Completely unarmed, he reached out a gloved hand and slowly drew
down his mask, and with the other he pulled away the glasses from his
eyes to reveal himself as Prince Gareth, the heir to the vampire clan of
Great Britain. And in those few seconds her scent changed again. Sweetness gave way to acidic spice.

After a few heartbeats, Adele attacked him. His own sword whipped
at him with finesse and swiftness. He used his natural speed to slip her
strike, feeling the air as the steel sliced inches from his face. Her cry of
fury carried after, and it cut through him far more effectively than the
blade could.