Authors: Casey Knight
I saw them first. There were two men headed
toward us. They looked like they were going to replace the sentries. I signaled to Trevor that I had the one on the right. We waited for the men to pass us before we pounced. I stunned mine with a blast from my bracelet and Trevor tackled his. They rolled around a few times before Trevor choked him into unconsciousness.
“No fair,” he whispered and pointed to my bracelet.
We dragged the two men further down the tunnel in the direction from where we’d originally come. The man Trevor choked began to cough. We tied his hands behind his back and lifted him to his feet. The man I’d stunned had not regained consciousness. We rolled him into a dark corner and turned our attention to Trevor’s captive.
I took my knife from my boot and put the tip under the man
’s throat. “You will tell us what we want to know, or I’ll skin you alive.” He spat in my face, and I cut off his left ear. Falling to his knees, screaming in pain, he writhed in agony. I wiped the spittle from my face and began again.
Trevor pulled him to his feet. “I
’d tell her what she wants to know before she clips more than your ear.”
“How many men do you have in these caves?” I asked as I wiped my knife on his sleeve. The color drained from his face, and I thought he would faint on us.
“There are thirty men and more on the ship.”
“Where is Ragnar? Is he here or on board?” I jabbed him lightly to keep him motivated.
“I wouldn’t lie to her. You can plainly see she is crazy.” Trevor said.
The man
’s eyes darted from Trevor to me before he answered. “He and his son are here.”
“Do you have any prisoners?” I croaked.
“Yes, they are being held in one of the smaller caverns that have been sealed off.”
“Good. Now you will take us to where we can find Ragnar and if you make one mistake, I
’ll kill you. Slowly, painfully, am I making myself clear?”
The man stumbled forward, he was afraid to take his eyes from me. Trevor and I walked on either side of him. Our weapons were drawn and we had them trained on our captive. He led us back
the way we had come. Turning a corner, we nearly ran into the general and his men. Not stopping, we motioned for everyone to spread out behind us. Then the man started to slow, and he motioned to a tunnel on our left. I shoved him ahead and we followed. It wasn’t long before we heard voices. I signaled for everyone to halt, and we listened. It sounded like we were interrupting breakfast. Weapons drawn, we pushed the man into their eating area.
“Don
’t move and we may let you live.” I shouted as the general and his men fanned out behind me. There always has to be one idiot who doesn’t listen. I shouted and aimed my bracelet at the nitwit. A burst of bluish light leaped from the bracelet and incinerated the man on the spot. Kill one and the others usually fall in line.
“
Anyone else here that can’t follow directions?” No one moved and I motioned for the men to start disarming the Vikings. I watched as the general and his men confiscated their weapons. “Tie them up and get them out of here.” I yelled. “Which one of you is Ragnar?”
No one spoke. I felt a little sorry for them. They really were be
tween a rock and a deadly hot place. If they spoke up Ragnar would kill them, and if they didn’t I would. Sighing I raised my bracelet and took aim at the nearest Viking.
“Stop, I
’m Ragnar.” The voice came from a big man at the back of the room.
“Bring him to me.” I turned to look at General Wingo who moved over to stand by me.
“Is this man who he claims to be?”
The general stared hard at the man as he was pushed forward. “He is and I would like a few minutes with him when you
’re done.” The general snarled and griped the hilt of his sword tighter.
“You can do anything you want
to him once I’m finished with him. Let’s take him somewhere with a little privacy to question him.” I walked back the way we’d come. Trevor and several of his men escorted Ragnar from the room. They followed me as I searched for a place to question our prisoner. I finally found what I was looking for. It was a small room being used to store supplies.
“Bring him in here and tie his hands and feet. You can attach his hands to the ring set into the stone.” I pointed at the ring in the corner of the room. There were bags of grain and dried nuts
stored underneath where I pointed. Trevor bound Ragnar, tying his hands to the ring behind his back. We formed a semi-circle around him, alert hands on our weapons, while beads of sweat popped up on his forehead. Still, he said nothing.
I stepped forward and pointed my bracelet at Ragnar
’s heart. “You will tell me what I want to know or I’ll make sure you die a slow, painful merciless death. We are looking for Prince Traygen and we have reason to believe that you have him.”
Ragnar didn
’t answer my question, but a smirk spread across his face like the sun breaking over the land at dawn. Bad idea, I could see he would need some convincing. I aimed my bracelet at his feet and fired. A jet of bluish light leaped from the bracelet, setting his boots on fire. He did a fair rendition of the quick step before begging me to put out the flames.
“I
’ll tell you whatever you want. Put out the flames,” he cried.
I nodded for one of the men to stomp out the flames, and I d
id mean stomp. These men all loved Traygen. When the flames were finally put out I moved closer to Ragnar. He flinched as I approached. He was a quick learner. I’ll give him that.
“I
’m only going to ask you one more time. Tell me what I want to know, or I’ll roast you slowly over an open flame.” I tapped my bracelet for emphasis. His eyes darted around the room, the realization that he was truly a ‘Ratnar in a trap’ slowly dawning on him. I could see him struggling with what to say and how to say it. Nausea threatened to engulf me and I struggled to breathe.
“I don
’t have him. The…”
I raised my bracelet and aimed it at his head.
“No, wait,” he screamed. “We did have him, but the vampires took him. I swear. He was alive the last time I saw him.”
“Which vampires? Where did they take him?”
“I don’t know which vampires or where.”
I raised my arm and set his hair on fire. He yowled in pain, twisting violently at his restraints.
“Lauren, stop or you’ll kill him. We need answers.” Trevor shouted as he put out the flames.
“That was my intent. Now Ragnar, I
’m going to give you one last chance to tell me something that will persuade me to let you live.” I glared at Ragnar, fighting to gain control of my anger.
“I don
’t know who has him now. However, the vampire that controlled the Einherjar ordered me to surrender him. I wanted to hold him for ransom, but the vampire threatened to turn the Einherjar against us. I had no choice. We could not defeat them.”
“When did this happen? Where did they take him?”
“It was just before the last full moon, and I swear I don’t know where they took him. It was night and we didn’t know they’d gone until the next day.”
I started to raise my arm, but before I could kill Ragnar
, Trevor stopped me.
“How did you find this vampire in the first place? Did you know about Einherjar before the vampire told you about them?” Trevor asked as he put himself between Ragnar and me.
“The vampire contacted us. I never trusted him but, we were losing ground. I knew without the help of the Einherjar we would have been defeated.”
“
And you didn’t think it strange a vampire would contact you for no reason at all? Do you often associate with vampires? You need to do better than that, or I’ll have no reason to let you live.”
Ragnar
’s eyes darted from my face to Trevor’s. He wasn’t the brightest crayon in the pack. His ass is in a sling, and he is trying to figure out whom to approach. I could eliminate one option - me.
“Ragnar, the only rational person in this room is Prince Trevor. You may as well make your case with him because my mind is made up. Tell me something I want to hear or your dead.”
“All right, all right. We have sided with the vampires from time to time. I guess you could say we have similar aims and objectives. Still, I swear I never knew who the vampires worked for. Our two groups always work independently for obvious reasons. Even with the Einherjar, they had vampire handlers.”
Trevor stepped forward and held up a hand to silence Ragnar. “Describe what these vampires looked like? What did they eat
? Tell us anything that might help us figure out who they are.”
Ragnar cleared his throat and hesitated before spea
king. “They looked like royalty and kept to themselves. Oh, and when they fed they didn’t kill their prey.”
I motioned for Trevor to join me. We left Ragnar under heavy guard and moved down the tunnel out of earshot.
“Lauren, what do you make of that? Do you think you know who might have taken Traygen?”
“Yes and no. They sound like vampires from the white court, but white court vampires would not attempt anything of this magnitude without help. If they did take Traygen
, then they are working for another court. Perhaps, they owe someone.”
“Any ideas about what court could have wanted to kidnap Traygen?”
“Trevor, I honestly don’t know. The Whites are the least deadly. They couldn’t handle Traygen unless he was hurt. That leaves the herbivorous, carnivorous, and omnivorous-otherwise known as the Jade Court, Black Court, and Red Court. I don’t honestly think the Jade Court would have much of an interest. My money would be on the Black Court or Red Court. They’re both deadly and nervy enough to try something like this.”
“I
’m glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor. Do you know where these vampire courts are?”
“No, it
’s not like they advertise their existence. It is rumored the three courts have islands somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. I’ll have Jason contact the council. They’ll have some ideas. Meanwhile what do you want to do with the Vikings?”
“Take them back to the kingdom to stand trial. I
’ll have the men transport them back. It is time for me to return and start rebuilding the kingdom, at least until my father regains his health. You know I’d rather come help you find Traygen but, we don’t…”
“Don
’t say it Trevor. I understand you have to stay. I’ll get help from the council, and I’ll keep you informed. I just can’t give up on finding Traygen alive. Can you spare a dragon to return me to the castle? I want to find Jason and get started. Besides if I hang around here, I may kill Ragnar before he stands trial.”
“Lauren, I understand, and I
’ll fly you back. General Wingo can manage this without us. That will give me time to prepare for the prisoners. I will also need to speak with my father. I’ll go talk to General Wingo and then we can leave.”
Chapter Two
Trevor had us airborne within the hour. It seemed like it took us much longer to get back. Maybe
, I just missed the adrenaline rush. All I’m certain of us is that I missed my twenty-first
century creature comforts. I would kill for a hot shower but, I’d have to settle for a tepid bath. When the young woman drew my bath, I was nearly asleep on my feet. Luckily, I didn’t doze off in the tub.
Once I cleaned up and poured myself a glass of wine, I curled up in front of the fire. There was no sense in contacting Jason until daybreak. He g
ot crankier than normal if I got him out of bed for anything short of death. I took the time to try to figure out my next move. I’d need more help than Tokem could provide. As much as I hated to admit it, I was The Bionic Woman without her Six Million Dollar Man. I just couldn’t believe that Traygen wasn’t at my side.
A hesitant knock, at my door woke me
some time later. It was Trevor checking to see if I was all right. I assured him I was fine and I was going to contact Jason for help and advice. I dressed in a hurry, not bothering to put on makeup, which is something I’m loathed to do. Time was of the essence. I put on my bracelet and summoned Jason. Then I sat down to wait. It didn’t usually take long but, he could be anywhere in several universes.
Next, I put out a call to Tokem. I
’d need the little guy’s help, and I knew he’d never forgive me if I went without him. He popped in several minutes later.
“What took you so long? I thought you
’d left without me.” He said as he settled on my outstretched hand.
“Are you kidding, I can
’t find Traygen without you.” He beamed from head to toe, which was only about six inches.
“I didn
’t really think you’d leave me. What have you learned since I last saw you? Any news about Traygen?”
“We tracked the Vikings to the Isle of Man and convinced them to tell us what they knew. They don
’t have him and they claim that vampires took him.”
Tokem marched up my arm to
look me squarely in the eye. “Do you believe them? It isn’t as if the Vikings or the vampires are trust worthy.”
“Let
’s just say I gave Ragnar every reason to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth. He claims he doesn’t know which vampires, but his description sounded like the White Court. ”
“That is a little rich for their blood isn
’t it, err no pun intended. A full-grown dragon is out of their league. Unless he was hurt or bound so he couldn’t change. They know he would eventually get free.”
“My thoughts exactly. If it was a White Court vampire then they are working for someone else. I c
an imagine them as a go-between, but beyond that they are in over their heads with Traygen.” I was interrupted by a flash of light, which announced Jason’s arrival.
“Lauren, Tokem, is there any knew news about Traygen?”
“A little. We found Ragnar and the Vikings on the Isle of Man. They claim Traygen was taken by the vampires that trained the Einherjar. Ragnar claims he doesn’t know who they are or where they took him. He wasn’t lying.”
Jason didn
’t say anything for several minutes. “I don’t know if the two are connected or not but the council is on high alert. It seems they have reason to believe the Black Court is planning a major assault. The details are still coming in.”
“What would kidnapping Traygen do for the Black Court? I know the Black and Red Courts have warred with the council over the centuries.
Why on earth would they be starting something now? I’m not aware of anything that has set them off.”
“Honestly, we have no idea either. There are members of the council working on it. I just thought you should know if you are planning on dealing with the vampires.”
“Jason, do you or anyone at the council know where I can find the vampire courts? I know the four courts make up the Lazarian Court. Yet, I don’t know how to find the locations of their various courts.”
“That
’s probably because you wouldn’t have any reason to visit. Wizards are not generally welcome guests. Our dealings with the vampires are usually to remove a rogue sect. But, there are members of the council whose job is keeping an eye on the various courts. I’ll check into and get back to you.”
“Jason, before you go, I need another favor.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“No seriously. I intend to go after these vampires until I find Traygen. Tokem and I could use some help. This is one task, we can
’t handle alone.”
“Did I hear you correctly? You want help
? I never thought I’d live to see this day.”
In response to his question,
I threw a book at his head.
“Don
’t get yourself in an uproar. I think it is a good idea. You can’t take on all four vampire courts by yourselves. I’ll think about it while I speak to the council. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go get started.”
“Jason, thank you.” I
’m not sure if he heard me, he had already vanished.
“Lauren, we had better get some rest while
, we await Jason’s return. It may be the last time we get a chance for a while. Besides, we can’t plan anything until we know where we are going and what we are up against.”
“Tokem, you are correct as usual. Get some rest and I
’ll call you when Jason returns.”
Tokem flew off to sleep, and I paced. I
didn’t like having so little control. Traygen was my world and I wasn’t comfortable relying on others to save him. Worrying wouldn’t make anything better. I might as well try to sleep. I was mercifully able to fall asleep and I awoke feeling rested. I dressed and went to see if Jason had returned. I roamed the castle and encountered no one. It was still several hours before sunrise. Breakfast wouldn’t be for another hour or so, I decided to do some reading. Maybe the castle had some information on the vampires. It was worth a try. A couple of wrong turns later and I found the library. Where was Map Quest when you needed it?
Hav
ing no idea where to start, I wandered up and down the aisles skimming titles until I found reference to vampires. There were a surprising number of books on them. I guess I shouldn’t have been shocked. These people were changelings. So they would have books on other supernatural beings. You wouldn’t find any mention of them in the L.A. County Library system, except in fiction. However, in this universe knowledge of vampires would be essential for their safety and survival.
I grabbed a few books and headed to the nearest table and chair. Pointing my bracelet at the nearest candle I sent a small
surge of energy at the wick. It instantly burst into flame bathing the area in a golden glow. Damn, that might be great for reading menus on a romantic date, but not serious reading. I conjured up a glowing sphere and ordered it to illuminate the area. Ah, that was more like it. I was now bathed in a bright white light. Hell, I could read the titles across the room. Hopefully, my light wouldn’t wake up the rest of the castle.
I skimmed the first couple of books and didn
’t find much. Then I opened a book on the kingdom’s wars with the vampires. Interesting, Traygen never mentioned that his kingdom had battled the vampires in the late 1800’s. No wonder he understood their strategies so well. He’d had practice. It seems members of the Jade Court teamed up with the Sidhe. According to this tome it was Traygen’s kingdom that drove the Sidhe fairies into the underworld at Knockma. Well, banning the fae to the underworld gave the Sidhe a motive. However, it still wasn’t clear to me why the vampires got involved. I kept reading until I found the connection.
The
practice during that time and for centuries before was to build passageways or catacombs to other worlds. Remnants of theses tombs can still be found all over Ireland, Great Britain, and in parts of Germany. Today theses tombs were thought to have been mainly ceremonial. Yet, the supernatural realms know differently. These tombs were often used by fairies, vampires, wizards, and others to travel between worlds. Samhain and Beltaine are especially busy times in the spirit and supernatural realms. These holidays celebrated the end of the harvest and the beginning of spring. Today theses holidays would be equivalent to Halloween and May Day. The spirits take advantage of these times to move between worlds. It seems the vampires and fairies aligned against Traygen’s kingdom after the Sidhe were banished to the underworld. The Sidhe needed an ally to help open the portals and to protect them from the dragons of Traygen’s kingdom. The dragons guarded the portal to prevent the migration of supernatural creatures between worlds. The vampires from the Jade Court aided the Sidhe in slaying the dragons that guarded the portal tomb in Knockma. Maeva the Queen of the Sidhe fairy is buried in a cairn there.
It wasn
’t much to go on especially, when you consider that members of the Jade Court look human when they are in this universe. They are just like dragons and fae when they cross over into this world. They assume a human looking form. Great, this area could be full of Jade Court vampires and no one would know. Not a comforting thought in a kingdom full of changelings. The only other mention of the fae was the warning wail of the banshee. The banshee is a Sidhe fairy, which keens or wails foretelling of imminent death.
I started to pick up another tome when a popping sound startled me. Turning
toward the sound I saw Jason appear.
“I hope I didn
’t startle you. I knew you’d be eager to hear from me.”
“Yes, what have you
learned? Does the council know where to find the vampire courts?”
Jason crossed the room and sat in
a chair next to me. “The council believes the White Court is unlikely to be involved and that you should skip them. The Jade Court has had some involvement with this kingdom. They conspired with the Sidhe to attack the kingdom after the Sidhe were banished from this world. The Jade Court’s primary reason for involving themselves was to keep their trade routes open. It seems Traygen’s kingdom has denied them passage over Ireland.”
“Tell me something I don
’t know. There is a detailed account of that skirmish in their history.” I tapped the large volume in front of me.
“I see you still haven
’t cultivated any patience. But, to answer your question the Red Court and Black Court vampires are rumored to occupy the Isles of Paradise. There was no consensus on exactly where the islands are located, but our guess is somewhere in the Hebrides. The Gaelic tradition believes the islands are home to ghosts and demons. We believe they are too.”
“It
’s a start. Can they narrow the search down any? My geography is sketchy, but I think there are almost a dozen islands in that chain.”
“Not bad. There are the Inner and Outer Hebrides. The council thinks the best place to begin is the Outer Hebrides.”
“Now that we know where we are going, did the council send someone to help me in the search?”
“It took us awhile, but yes we did. With wars waging on several fronts resources are scarce.
The council recommended a man who is familiar with the Red Court vampires. His name is Zane and he has worked for the council since before you joined us.”
“How soon before he can get here? I want
to get this search under way. Time is of the essence.”
“He
’ll be here as soon as I send for him. There are things you need to know about Zane before, I summons him. He’s methodical, logical, and thorough. Lauren, he is your total opposite which in this case is a good thing. You cannot afford to rush into this. These vampire courts are deadly, and you are entering their domains or trying to. No one has ever come out alive from those islands, except Zane.”
My head almost spun around in a circle, a real Exorcist moment. “What did you say? Zane has been there. What are we waiting for? I
’d follow him into the depths of hell to find Traygen.”
“It isn
’t that simple. Zane lost his family to the Red Court vampires of those islands. It nearly killed him and he hasn’t been the same since. You need to tread lightly. Can you do that?”
“I
’m sorry for his loss, but I’ll do whatever it takes. You have my word, I’ll do it. Now will you call him?”
“I
’ll call him, but you let me speak to him first. Alone. I’ll send Tokem for you when we’re ready. Lauren, don’t even think of arguing, or I won’t call him at all. Do I have your word?”
I glared at Jason. Then I turn
ed and stomped from the room, slamming the door behind me.
Tokem glided over and landed lightly on Jason
’s shoulder. “That went well. Don’t you think?”
“Tokem, I
’m going to need you to keep these two from tearing one another apart. They’re going to clash hard on almost everything. Still, I believe if they can put their differences aside they’ll make a great team.”
“No worries
, I’ve handled worse. Truthfully Traygen and Lauren didn’t exactly hit it off the first time or two as I recall.”
“Right you are. I
’d almost forgotten. Now I’d better call Zane and explain the assignment. He isn’t going to like this.” Jason said as he summonsed Zane.