The Royal Series 0 - A Royal Archive

Chapter 6

"It certainly seems to fit the evidence." Yalena rose to her feet and crossed the short distance between the two female bodies and the one young man who lay dead, awaiting her examination. "There is no sign, as yet, that this boy has been harmed in any way but a single killing blow. See here," She pointed to a slash wound across the throat. "Perhaps the boy was with these two girls and the more cognisant partner of this duo eliminated him quickly and quietly, so as not to alert the girls to their presence. Then, with the young boy dealt with, he had free reign to terrorise these girls."

Eryk nodded out the corner of Braddock's eye, while Amil stepped to his side.

"Sir," he said, giving his jacket a light tug.

"Yes?" Braddock waited patiently to hear what the boy had to say, as they had brought him along for his knowledge of this land and its people.

"It is only that–" Amil stopped and swallowed nervously, before standing on his tip toes and whispering to him, seeming to forget that his companions were vampires and would hear every word. "Well, sir, there is a Lord who has a castle in the hills. It is said that he is crazy, because he has been alone his entire life, with only a castle monster as a companion. He once–"

When Amil stopped a second time, Braddock placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"Amil, no matter what you say, I am sure that it is done with the best of intentions. Tell me all you know and I will be careful to treat this man as innocent, until proven otherwise. I will not judge unfairly and none shall know that you led us to him, if that is what you fear," he promised.

Amil nodded and licked his lips. "There is a tale that we are told, as children, that when little ones played in the streets at night, against their parents warnings, the Lord came swooping down from his castle and took them away," he revealed. "It was a story to teach us to always heed our parents and to not play in the streets after dark. Then, when the vampires revealed themselves, the story changed so that he became an ageless vampire, with a monster made from children's nightmares."

"Hmm." Braddock raised an eyebrow in Yalena's direction and, surprisingly, she smiled at him. Her cheeks took on a faint flush, before she turned away, to continue examining the clothes of the victims for clues.

Amil's story sounded like nothing more than human tales of monsters under the bed. But, what he had said about the Lord's actions resonated with what they had found so far. The hill he spoke of could only be the Hoxha Toll to the East, which spread across miles. Short and flat on top, it had once been an ancient settlement, the foundation land for their entire community. Now, all that stood upon it was a lone castle, large enough to house a small village, but deserted, as far as Braddock was aware.

"Then we must investigate this castle," he decided.

Amil trembled, but did not speak up in disagreement. When the horses whinnied in protest, he ran to their side and instantly began to soothe them.

Yalena and Eryk watched him closely, both with fear in their eyes and Braddock could not help but wonder if they too believed Amil's tales. Did they fear the monster in the castle, controlled by a Lord who wished to take whatever young woman took his fancy? Or was the fear deeper than that?

Did they fear not the man nor the myth, but the very real danger that faced them: a monster with no fear of vampires, who killed only for sport?

***

An unnatural fog cascaded across the sky, when Braddock first set foot upon Hoxha Toll. Though the sun should have risen two hours ago, after a six hour ride to the Toll, there was no sign of it through the thick fog and cloudy sky.

Yalena dismounted, right behind him, as Braddock led his horse into the front gates of the castle grounds.

It was not until a scream of wind combined their opening that a small hand grasped his and Yalena pressed close to his side.

Braddock gripped her hand tight and looked back to Eryk and Amil, who both followed in a subdued manner. "Stay close and, if we are attacked, run to the horses and escape. I will not have you both paying with your life, for a mission that is mine alone," he warned.

When neither answered, he stopped and reached for Eryk's shoulder, to grip it. "If the worst should happen, swear to me that you will take Amil and Yalena and run," he demanded.

Eryk nodded, but did not speak.

He trusted that nod was answer enough.

When he resumed his advance towards the castle, he caught a faint but unhappy glance from Yalena, that suggested she did not enjoy being treated like a damsel in distress. But he would not be swayed on this.

Turning back to the castle, Braddock spotted a lone torch in a room in the castle tower. That was where he would go and that, he hoped, was where this nightmare came to an end.

He walked, one foot in front of the other, into the castle, along three corridors and up the main staircase, until he reached the single tower on the left hand of the building, where the light emanated from.

The entire way, Yalena clasped his hand and stayed close to him, with Amil and Eryk not far behind. The horses had been tied to a post just outside the front gates and it would take all of their vampire speed to get there unharmed, if this ended as Braddock assumed it would. With violence.

Stopping outside the door, where the light spilled through the gap beneath it, Braddock turned to Yalena and gently took hold of her shoulder. "In the time we have known each other," he whispered. "I have come to love, respect and admire you. The bond was not necessary, as it only confirmed what I had already begun to feel for you. Now, I must make it clear that I love you so fiercely that I would do anything to make you happy. Even if that meant we could not be together," he confessed.

"I know you are scared," Braddock continued, releasing her shoulders to take a lone hand in his. "but I also know that you are a stubborn woman and would not leave my side, even if I ordered you to. So I do not send you away, as your captain. I ask you – beg you – to leave, as your life mate."

Yalena opened her mouth to speak, but only a small squeak escaped her.

"If you love me," he said. "then I want you to leave this place. You have come this far and I allowed it only because I doubted my own thoughts on the validity of this lead. Now that it is true and my fate is before me, I cannot go further without knowing you are safe," he explained.

"Lady." Amil tugged at Yalena's shirt, his eyes wide and wild. "Please do as he asks. I do not wish to be here," he confessed, without shame.

When green eyes met his, he could tell she was torn as to her duties. No doubt, her heart pulled her to be by his side, her head told her to remain and fight this monster in revenge for her own attack and those on the young children she had been forced to tend to, and another part of her would wish to soothe Amil's fears by accompanying him to safety.

Braddock made the choice for her. Quickly, he cupped his hands around her slim neck and drew her forward into their first kiss.

Yalena responded instantly, sinking into his arms as fingers swept into his hair.

When he broke away, her full, beautiful lips were pink and pouting, while her eyes were full of shock and confusion. "Do not ever forget that I love you," he asked, before turning towards the door and opening it.

He used his speed to get inside and shut it behind him, so that no one could follow, then barred it with the nearest object: a small but heavy table.

Trapped, Braddock turned and faced the monster.