Chapter 2
2092 Words
CHAPTER TWO
I blinked at the pale figure who stood before us. There were the tell-tale signs, of course. The long fingernails, the extreme pallor, but I didn’t see the sharp fangs or the bloodthirsty red eyes.
Luca’s comforting arm wrapped around my waist. “I see. Is he one who desires visitors?”
Sfetnic chuckled. “I fear he might look forward to you, but we had a… falling out a century ago.”
Mia’s voice joined the conversation. “Is he in the registrar for vampires?”
Sfetnic grasped the book in his hands and shook his head. “No. The registrar was created after his turning, and he never bothered to include his name in the list.”
I looked around at all the shadowed faces about me. “‘Registrar?’”
Luca nodded. “A list on which every vampire who resides in the city is required to place their name. It encourages them to use magic-enhanced water to satiate their thirst.” He returned his attention to Sfetnic. “How soon can you find him?”
Sfetnic closed his eyes and leaned back his head. He was as still as a corpse for a long moment before a bittersweet smile slipped onto his pale lips. “I could find him immediately, but to intrude on his place of rest during the day would give us no answers from him.”
Luca sighed. “Then we wait until nightfall, and I ask that you lead us to him.”
Sfetnic clasped the book against his chest and bowed his head. “As you wish, Your Highness.”
Mia lifted her torch to the room around us and wrinkled her nose. “If our meeting is done, we should leave here. This place is not healthy for anyone with a working pair of lungs.”
We ventured out with Sfetnic bringing up the rear. I couldn’t help but cast a few curious glances over my shoulder at the pale gentleman, but his head was bowed in thought. At reaching the top of the stairs and stepping out into the brightly lit office, I looked behind us waiting for our pasty friend. He never came up.
Mia grabbed the top of the hatch to close it. I stretched out my arms. “Wait a sec! Sfetnic’s still down there!”
Mia nodded at something behind me. “He left while you weren’t looking.”
I turned to face the door and found the formerly closed entrance slightly ajar. Luca had a teasing smile on his face as he looped his arm back around my waist. “Sfetnic does that disappearing act to amuse himself, but we should be going. Tybalt is a patient man, but he is no doubt not enjoying all the attention from the museum visitors.”
We bid farewell to Mia and stepped outside into the bright light of the midmorning sun. I lifted my hand above my face as I blinked against the dazzling brilliance.
“Your Highnesses.” The low voice made me look down at the steps. Ethan still sat in his customary place with his sketches at his side. I noticed that there weren’t as many papers as usual. He stood and his eyes darted to the museum doors.
Luca led me over to our friend and his eyes, like mine, studied the short stack of sketches. Some of them were even only half finished. “A good day for drawing, but you don’t seem to agree.”
Ethan pursed his lips as he returned his attention to us. “Did you meet with Mia?”
I nodded. “Yes, why?”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s just… did you notice anything strange about her?”
Luca shook his head. “Not at all, but you have a different opinion.”
Ethan shrugged. “I don’t know what I have, but I do know that she hasn’t been easy to get a hold of lately. Sometimes even the staff have a hard time finding her. That’s just… it’s just not like her.”
I furrowed my brow. “Have you tried talking to her about it?”
He shook his head. “No. At least, whenever I bring it up, she changes the subject.”
Luca set a hand on our friend’s shoulder. “I’m sure she’s just preoccupied with increasing security.”
Ethan nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. We said our goodbyes and continued down the steps. The sun cast our shadows across the ground at our sides, and that brought a strange thought to my mind as we joined the awaiting guard, who was indeed being gawked at by the visitors.
I looked up at Luca. “So, if Sfetnic is a vampire how can he be walking around during the day? Or are vampire rules different in this world?”
Luca smiled down at me. “That would depend on the rules in your world.”
I lifted a hand and counted up. “Aversion to garlic, hates mirrors-” That got a lift of Luca’s eyebrows. “What?”
“Are the vampires in your world frightened of their own reflection?”
I snorted. “No, it’s because they don’t have a reflection and don’t want anyone else to know about it, either.” I paused and furrowed my brow as we were escorted back to the castle. “Now what else… oh yeah, doesn’t like holy images like a cross, can’t cross running water, and burns to ash if touched by sunlight.”
There was that curious look from Luca again. “Running water?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t really get that one, either. Maybe because it’s considered pure? Anyway, what are the rules for your vampires?”
“Vampires do have an aversion to strong odors due to their strong sense of smell, and they do abhor the sunlight.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “But not enough to be turned into fertilizer?”
He smiled and shook his head. “Not quite. The younger ones will be burned, but older vampires develop a thick skin of magic that protects them from harm.”
“And do they ever sleep?”
Luca nodded. “Yes. Even their unnatural life must find rest, though as with the sun, older vampires require less sleep than younger ones. For convenience they sleep during the day when the sun is brightest, and they are at their most vulnerable.”
I stared ahead and shook my head. “Dragon men, bird people, dwarves, and now vampires. What don’t you have in this city?”
He grinned down at me. “My city was missing a queen, but that position has been admirably filled.”
A slight blush tinged my cheeks, and I swatted his arm. That got a laugh from a couple of locals who stood in front of a shop. One of them, a burly gentleman with an apron over the front of his body, cupped a hand over his mouth. “She’ll be ruling the city in no time, Your Highness!”
One of the women beside him scoffed. “Not without an heir.”
My face fell at the abrupt reminder of my failure in my queenly duty, and my hand flew to my cursed stomach. Luca gave my waist a squeeze with his hand but kept a smile on his face as he bowed his head to his citizens. “A minor difficulty that will soon be remedied.”
“Good luck to you both!” the man called after us as we swept by at a quicker pace.
I stared at the ground as a tense silence fell between us. “So, everyone in the city knows what happened?”
He nodded. “Yes. The public attack couldn’t be hidden, and so I decided to tell my people the truth.” His face fell and his sorrowful eyes fell on me. “I’m sorry.”
After a moment I swallowed the lump in my throat and lifted my chin. “Nothing to apologize about. That’s the best choice you could have made, and they deserve to know the truth. I mean, the future of the city is at stake with your line, right?”
I had a hard time avoiding Luca’s gaze. “Yes, and no doubt whoever created the curse designed it for the public display to create such sentiments.”
“Well, we’ll just have to show them they can’t beat us by lifting the curse,” I insisted as we neared the castle. I lifted my eyes up to him and managed a smile. “And all we have to do is go ask a creepy old vampire about his magic. Easy, right?”
Luca drew me closer against his side and a sly smile appeared on his lips. “Provided he doesn’t eat us.”
My heart fell into my stomach and a little bit of color drained from my face. “Eat us? Your vampires don’t actually EAT people, do they?”
He laughed and shook his head. “There’s nothing recorded, but my old maid used to warn me that if I didn’t behave a vampire would climb the castle walls and slip into my room to eat me.”
I snorted. “I knew I’d like Maira the first time I met her.”
And speaking of the devil, as we neared the gate the short figure of Luca’s wizened old nurse stood beside the massive wood barriers. They were closed, and she was in a heated discussion with a gate guard. Another guard stood just behind his compatriot with a bemused smile on his face as he watched his commanding office spar with the spitfire.
“Miss Maira, everyone knows who you are, but you still haven’t received permission to enter the castle.”
She glared at him. “Since when do I need permission to enter the castle?”
He sighed. “The castle isn’t allowing visitors since Her Highness was attacked unless the king has called for them.”
Maira set her hands on her hips. “Now you listen here, young Johnny. I’ve spanked you before and I ain’t afraid of spanking you again.”
That got a hardy guffaw from the other soldier before his presiding officer shut him up with a look of warning. The lead guard returned his attention to Maira, and at that moment he caught sight of our procession. Relief filled his face as he bowed his head to us. “Your Highness, it’s good to see you back!” I detected a ton more sincerity in the greeting, especially as he waved at his fellow guard to open the gates.
Luca and I stopped before the dueling pair and Luca took a step forward and smiled down at his old nurse. “To what do we owe this visit, dear Maira?”
Maira crossed her arms over her full bosom and glared at him. “You think you can put me off?”
Luca blinked at her. “Put you off?”
She stabbed a finger at me. “By leaving me out of your pretty queen having a baby, and not even a whisper to your old nurse looking for help! I only just got the news from my girls, too! You should have sent for me immediately!”
Luca had to stifle a grin as he solemnly bowed his head. “My sincerest apologies, Maira. I had meant to inform you myself that she was with child-”
“Oh, I’m sure you did,” Maira retorted as she pushed behind him and grasped my hands in hers. She beamed up at me and her eyes twinkled with tears. “I heard about everything, my dear, and don’t you dare be letting it get you down, especially now that I’m here.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her kind words. “Thank you. Really.”
Maira sniffed a little and stuck up her chin. “Well now, let’s not be standing here all day blocking the road!” She grasped one of my hands tighter and pulled me into the courtyard. “Now let’s get you a big bowl of my special soup and see to the baby clothes!”
I was all smiles as the tiny woman led me into the castle with the bemused Luca following close behind us. Her funny kindness had made my week.
- Writer
