Of Lords and Commoners: Book 1 (Lords and Commoners Series) Read online

  “I was not happy at home. I wanted to see what else was out there.” This would have been exceptionally rare but was not entirely impossible. Besides, what else could I say? I’m a nomadic vampire?

  “It is no secret, we could use the help. What will you work for?” the old man asked.

  “Room and board would do,” I stated.

  The woman appeared open to the idea.

  But the man eyed me for a bit longer. “Allow me to discuss this with my wife.”

  I nodded. They retreated to the kitchen, which was only partially portioned off from the main sitting area. I turned my back and sat down. I could still hear them perfectly even though they were out of human earshot.

  “I don’t know; I don’t like her. She is hiding something,” the old man said.

  “Please, dear, she is a young woman who needs our help. She is out there all alone! We could use the help and we have the extra room upstairs.” Her plea was answered with silence so the woman continued, “We do not want her to have to become a lady of the night, now do we?”

  “If she is not already, wandering about by herself.”

  “Either way, God would want us to help her.”

  The man sighed, “Very well, we will give her a try.”

  The lady was beaming when they returned.

  “My name is Anna and this is my husband, Paul. Welcome to Bucharest! This is the Dancing Stallion.”

  That explained the horse rearing up on its hind legs on the sign outside. I had never heard of Bucharest before.

  Chapter 23 Bucharest 1260 A.D

  “Let’s get you settled into your room.” Anna led me up a narrow wooden staircase.

  “Thank you,” I said with genuine relief.

  Anna showed me to a modest room. I did not seem to need much sleep, so I was up cleaning the kitchen for hours the next morning before Paul came down to start cooking. The place was in need of a good cleaning and there was plenty to be done. I was grateful for this, as being busy kept my insatiable thirst under control. I worked all day and into the night. I stopped to eat only when Anna was convinced that I would drop dead if I did not. I never tired. Even when the tavern was slow, I found many things to do, such as cleaning the mice nests out of the cupboards, bringing in wood, washing laundry, sweeping cobwebs and dirty floors — to name a few. It was wonderful to be so busy, as it also kept me from thinking about home or the next time I would need to feed.

  Anna appreciated all the help. She complimented me frequently and made sure I was comfortable in my room. She repeatedly asked if I needed anything, which I did not.

  The husband was not so easily won. Their room was not far from mine and I could hear them when I should not have been able to.

  “I don’t trust her. Something about her is … not right,” Paul said to Anna one night.

  “Don’t be silly. She is a polite, hard-working young lady. Besides, I think she has been good for business. More and more of the young men in town have been coming in and I don’t think it is just for your good cooking, dear.”

  “Well, I think she is trouble. When she is near I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.”

  I put the pillow over my head, trying to block out the conversation that I was not supposed to be hearing, not to mention, all the other noises of the town. The pillow only slightly muffled them.

  I had often felt that same way around Lord Chastellain. He made the hair on the back of my neck tingle in warning. I had even been afraid of Elijah at times. Now I knew why. They were monsters. I thought of other times I had felt that way, like after Teller and I had kissed in the woods for the first time. It dawned on me that Elijah or perhaps his father must have followed us. That was how they knew that Teller and I had made plans to marry. I remembered them discussing Teller the night Chastellain had turned me.

  Apparently, I had been able to sense that they were a danger, as Paul could sense it in me. He was right — I was trouble, trouble that was inevitably coming. It was only a matter of when. I would hold out from feeding for as long as I could.

  I would often go for a walk after hours. Anna would discourage it, as she was worried about me. Little did she know that it was not I she should be concerned for but rather, the townspeople. I would reassure her that everything would be well. Eventually, so that I would not worry Anna, I would wait until their breathing was heavy with sleep before leaving through my window.

  I was slowly learning to adjust to this new life — one of being furtive and constantly thirsty. The night became my favorite time. Going for walks on warm summer nights had always been enjoyable. Now that the cold did not bother me, any night was a wonderful time to be out. The fresh air was the only break I could get from the constant hunger when humans were near.

  The tavern was full most evenings, since I had come to town. Many young men seemed to be attracted to the “mysterious new girl.” Unfortunately, I was that girl. Some would stop me while I was serving food and try to make conversation. I tried to ignore them, or I would tell them that I was too busy to talk. Some even heckled me as I walked by. These men — or boys, rather — I ignored entirely. They wanted my attention and I was not going to give them the pleasure.

  One particularly crude fellow went so far as to grab my arse one day when I walked by. I kept walking, as I did not want to lose control and hurt the man. Thankfully, Paul saw what had happened and came to the rescue.

  “William,” he said to the crude man, “if you cannot control yourself and act like a gentleman in my establishment, then we will have to ask you to leave … permanently.”

  Paul and Anna were well liked and Paul had several friends who came to stand beside him.

  “Very well, as you wish,” William replied with slurred speech and a mocking bow.

  I was grateful for Paul. He was a good man and I liked him despite his not liking me. I admired his courage to stand up for others. He was also insightful and intelligent.

  The next morning, I was up chopping vegetables and meat for the day’s cooking when Paul came down. “Thank you for yesterday — with William,” I said.

  “Aye, he is a bad drunk and has caused trouble before. We may have to boot him out someday,” Paul replied. “You do not seem interested in any of the young men who approach you. Why is that?”

  A vision of Teller came to mind. He was the reason that I did not care for any other suitors. I did not know what to say to Paul. Luckily, Anna came in, interrupting our conversation. She appeared ill. “What is the matter?” I asked, glad for the change in subject.

  “It’s nothing, dear. I did not sleep well, that is all. I had a horrible dream.” She paused. Her eyes looked as if her mind was far away. “It was about a murderous beast. He was large with dry-gray skin, bright yellow eyes and horribly long teeth.”

  I frowned, as the image of Elijah flying above me came to mind. It was an exact description. Perhaps Anna was insightful as well, like her husband, yet in her own way.

  Paul studied his wife with concern. “It was only a dream, my dear. Why don’t you go lie down?”

  “It did not feel like a dream,” Anna said. When she turned to head back upstairs, she knocked a clay pot off the counter.

  Forgetting my slow human pretense, I shot across the room to catch the pot before it hit the floor.

  Anna did not fully see what had happened; she turned toward me. “Oh, thank you, dear. What good hands you have.”

  However, Paul had been staring directly at me. We looked at each other for a long moment. His eyes were wide and then they narrowed. “Yes, good indeed.” He placed his hand on his wife’s back and walked her out of the kitchen.

  Oh no, I thought. I will have to be leaving soon. Living with people was difficult, to say the least. I constantly had to fight the urge to feed and having to move so slowly at all times was cumbersome. Part of me wanted to break out — to be able to move freely and quickly.

  Chapter 24 Bucharest 1260 A.D

  I was truly fond of Paul a
nd Anna. They were good people. I feared I would hurt them. Perhaps I should move on. The need to feed could overtake me at any time. I will stay only a couple more days. I had no idea where I would go but I had best be on my way.

  Paul largely avoided me for the rest of the day, after witnessing my unnatural ability to catch the pot before it shattered on the floor. He only spoke business, such as informing me of when a guest’s food was ready. This was good, as I had no answer for him as to how I was able to move so quickly. Anna came down that afternoon and seemed more herself.

  After closing the tavern that night, I headed up to my room. Two sets of new dresses were neatly sprawled across the bed. They were simple and beautiful. Anna must have gotten them for me. How kind and thoughtful. I sighed.

  Paul’s voice could be heard from his room. “How can she work so tirelessly? I’m telling you, something is wrong with her, she is not … human, or she is super … human. I don’t know.”

  “Not this again, dear. She is a blessing, like the daughter we never had. She is helping us so much. Don’t you like all the help?”

  “Yes, she has made our lives much easier. She is perfect — too perfect. I have the feeling she will be moving on soon. Please do not get too attached to her, Anna.”

  “What? Moving on!” Anna’s voice rose. “Surely she would not leave us. Where could a lone girl possibly go?”

  Once again, I was amazed by Paul’s canniness. He somehow sensed that I had plans to leave. I did not want to hear any more. In a flash, I was out my window and walking in the clear night air. My heart felt as if it weighed twice what it should. Not only was I putting Anna and Paul in physical danger by living with them but I was also going to break Anna’s heart when I left. She thought of me as a daughter. Stay and I put them in mortal peril; leave and I hurt them. No matter what I did, it was wrong.

  Not for the first time, I wished I had taken Elijah’s advice. A large city would be better for a vampire. We could keep our distance from humans and be more anonymous. I cannot move from town to town, leaving behind people who care about me. It was decided — I must head for a city. If I continued southeast I would eventually end up in Constantinople. The thought of seeing the Queen of Cities was exhilarating.

  It had been almost a month since I had first fed. It was a relief that I had been able to endure this long. However, I could feel myself getting hungrier. The pain in my throat was getting harder to ignore. It was the next night when I felt that horrible beast start to stir inside. I did not know how long I had until it took complete control. I quickly excused myself from work, saying that I did not feel well and must lie down.

  I hardly paused in my room before I was gone out the window. Anna would probably check on me and I would not be there. But that did not matter. I had to get away from them! I did not want to hurt them or cause an uproar in their tavern. I was going to have to be discreet this time. I did not want to be recognized. Hopefully, there would be a lone person wandering the streets.

  In no time at all, I was at the other end of town. The night was still young. I could smell and hear all the humans around me. The stealthy predator inside slowly consumed me. Luckily, the monster did not want to be seen either. It instinctively wanted to protect itself by staying hidden. This time I did not fight it as much. I understood that it could not be stopped and I succumbed.

  We, the monster inside and I, walked the streets, looking for the right opportunity. We spotted a man walking by himself and the monster attacked. In a flash, we were on him and eventually I felt the monster slip away as the delicious blood soothed my burning throat. Again the beast left me with a dead man in my arms.

  I ran swiftly into the forest and knelt by a stream. Plunging my hands into the water I tried to wash the blood away. Tears rolled down my face. I cannot live like this! Again I wished for death.

  I stayed by the stream for quite some time until I could gather my wits. Should I hide the body? No, the man’s family deserves to know that he is dead. It was the least I could do for them. I left him where he lay.

  Back in my room, I packed the new dresses Anna had given me and grabbed my precious cloak for day walking. I left a letter for Anna telling her goodbye and thanking her for everything, though I knew she would have to find someone to read it to her. The townspeople would soon be rallying and I did not want to be around for that, trying to play innocent. There would most likely be a meeting to discuss who could have killed a man like that and why. I had to move on before I did any more harm. With my leaving the same night as the murder, some might suspect me but I did not care. Why should I care? They would be correct in their accusations.

  I walked out of town, ignoring people I passed and disregarding the commotion that was forming around the dead man left in the street.

  “And where do you think you’re go’in?” a man’s voice came from behind me.

  I turned to find William following me. I glared at him and kept walking.

  He caught up with me and grabbed my arm. “You think a little lady such as yourself can make it on her own out there?” His mocking tone was grating.

  I should have disappeared in a blink and left him standing alone in the street but something stayed me. I wanted to test him, to see how much of an arse he truly was. Would he hurt women? If so, perhaps I could cure him of that. I looked around quickly and could see, smell and hear that there was no one else nearby. William was most likely aware of this as well. He had followed me waiting until I was alone. Good. I thought.

  “What do you want?” I said in a soft voice, trying to sound scared as I pretended to try to get out of his grip on my arm.

  “Oh, I think you know what I want.” His smile was sordid. He pressed himself against me, pushing me into the wall of a nearby building. His breath reeked of spirits. He moved one hand toward my breast and the other started pulling up my skirt.

  That was the evidence I needed. Anger flooded through me. How many women had he done this to? How many more would suffer his unwanted attention? I grabbed his hand at my breast and twisted. His arm made a loud cracking sound and he fell to his knees with a pain-filled yell. I had meant only to hurt him enough to get his attention and make him stop, not break his arm. Humans are so fragile! I was still not used to this new strength. I picked him up by the neck of his tunic until his feet were dangling above the ground.

  “Please, let me go,” he pled.

  “Would you have let me go if I had begged? You think women are simply your playthings!” I felt the pain in my jaw as the fangs formed. “I hope you think twice about how you treat women because next time you do something like this, I will do more than break your arm.”

  William’s eyes were wide with fear.

  It was an empty threat but he did not need to know that. I heard someone coming, so I dropped him and disappeared. Once William had told the townspeople what he had seen, they would know it was I who had killed the man tonight. I had to get as far away as possible by daylight.

  Chapter 25 Constantinople 1260 A.D

  I made my way to the southeast, leaving Bucharest far behind. My thoughts raced with me. A new feeling had come over me. While I felt horrible for the man I’d left lying dead in the street, I had also done something good. Perhaps I could give back to people somehow. I knew it could never make up for what I had to take from them but it was a start. Maybe this was my way of justifying being a killer. Yet for the first time in a month, I felt a small glimmer of hope. There was a little spark of light in the darkness.

  Well into the night, a couple of hours before dawn, I saw a faint glow up ahead. Stopping at the forest’s edge, I surveyed the land. There were expansive fields largely of wheat sprawled out before me. The fields ended abruptly at a thirty-foot-high wall. I had heard stories of great walled cities but never could have imagined that walls could be this tall. The wall extended in either direction as far as the eye could see — even vampire eyes. Evenly spaced guard towers were situated atop of the massive wall. From the shadows of
the forest’s edge — concealed with my dark cloak — I watched the imperial guards and studied their patrol pattern.

  As soon as the sentries were out of sight, I sped to the wall and jumped to the top. The view was overwhelming and I momentarily forgot about avoiding the sentries. The outer ring of the city was left in shambles. Only a few of the numerous buildings were occupied and in good repair. Most of the buildings were burnt ruins. Many had been torn down — most likely for firewood — leaving only the faint remnants of foundations. In some places small fields or gardens grew where there had once been a flourishing city. My heart sank into my stomach as I surveyed the destruction. Father told me stories of the devastation of the last crusade and how prosperous this city had once been. How could Christians do this to other Christians? I wondered.

  In the distance I spotted another great wall, which rose even higher than the one I stood on.

  “The Wall of Constantine,” I whispered.

  I heard a guard shuffle loudly toward me, so I leapt down into the city and disappeared quickly into the shadows of the ruined buildings. Within seconds I was at the city’s second protective layer. I stared up at it, uncertain as to whether or not I could jump that high. The wall extended at least forty feet into the night sky. I decided it would be safest to get a running start before jumping. Thankfully, there were fewer guards on Constantine’s wall. I ran full speed and jumped with all my might. I managed to catch the top of the wall with my hands. I was surprised to find that I could easily swing my legs up onto it. I scrambled to the top and looked around. Not even bothering to whisper this time, I said, “Dear Heavenly Father!”

  There was a sea of rooftops, all different shapes and sizes, including round rooftops similar to the ones in Chastellain’s paintings. It seemed so long ago, as if a couple of lifetimes had passed since I first set foot in his halls. What had it been? Only a few months, I supposed.