Blood Rage - A Paranormal Romance Novella Page 6

  Yet, still Illyan haunted her. She could not get him out of her head, no matter how hard she tried. Though she longed to keep kissing Richard, to follow him to bed and feel what she knew she could never have with Illyan, she could not.

  Suddenly, she broke away from the kiss and stood up.

  “I… I’m sorry, Richard. I can’t do this,” she said, her voice cracking.

  She ran out the door and disappeared in the night, with Richard standing in the doorway calling after her.

  “Come back, Esla! Please!” he shouted. But she did not return.

  In the darkness outside the house, Illyan had seen the entire scene unfold. He was torn. Part of him wanted to tear Richard apart for suggesting his wife run away with him, but more than that he wanted to follower her and bring her home. After struggling for a moment just a few feet away from Richard, he broke away, following Esla in the shadows, and leaving Richard languishing in the doorway.

  He followed her back into town, and he watched as she slipped into the burned-out remains of Abe Alver’s house. She curled up on the floor in a corner and fell asleep.

  Illyan wanted to burst in and carry her kicking and screaming back to The Manor. She was his wife, and he needed her gift. But he also wanted to know just how far she would go. Would she betray him to this human? Was Ayis right?

  He didn’t want to think about it. Instead, he headed back to The Manor and dined alone in the cellar on one of the captives. He didn’t have the heart to hunt that night.

  Chapter Nine

  The next day, Illyan received word that the Elders of the Twelve Clans all agreed unanimously to follow him in the war against the humans. This war had been a part of their lore for centuries. No one knew exactly where it started, but the Ancient Texts said a seer – a woman with foresight like Esla’s – had foretold of a great war between vampires and humans. In that war, a great leader and his seer wife would lead the Twelve Clans to victory against the humans.

  The Prophecy claimed the world would descend into chaos, facing nearly total devastation. And, on the eve of the death of humanity, vampires would rise against them and wipe them off the face of the Earth.

  Once the blood of the last human was spilled, the door to Hell would be opened, and Satan himself would rise from The Pit to fight against the forces of Heaven alongside the great leader.

  When God and his angels were at last defeated, Satan would turn on the leader, and that leader – with the aid of his wife’s foresight – would slay Satan and become ruler of the Three World’s – Heaven, Hell, and Earth.

  The Prophecy surmised that once vampires ruled, their thirst for blood would be eradicated, and humans would no longer be necessary for their survival. Finally, they would have a world where vampires could walk without the fear of being staked, and there would be no more disgusting humans sullying the planet.

  In the centuries since the Ancient Texts were written, there had been no seers. No other vampire had ever possessed the same ability, and thus no Elder could ever hope to fulfill The Prophecy.

  When Illyan turned Esla, he had already been married to Ayis for many years. Esla was supposed to be nothing more than a meal that night, but there was something strange about her. Illyan found himself drawn to her – unable to kill her, and instead, he turned her.

  Ayis was furious. Although Illyan was the only one in their Clan who could turn a human without permission, she didn’t want him to have another Follower hanging around – especially one who seemed to pine for him like a lost puppy the way Esla did. Although she had no love for Illyan, she felt possessive of him. He was hers.

  The longer Esla was around, the more contempt Ayis felt for her. Esla seemed determined to hang onto her human ways. She refused to feed on humans most of the time, instead subsisting on bread, and cheese, and other disgusting human food. When she did feed, she rarely killed her victims. Instead, she simply used her influence ability to erase their memory of the incident. She also seemed to cling to her feeble human emotions, and it made Ayis furious.

  One night when Illyan was out feeding, Esla was still at The Manor. She’d found herself falling in love with her master, and she’d crept into his room while he was away.

  Esla sat down on his bed and smoothed his pillow. She knew he rested his head there every night, and she wanted to lie in bed with him. But she was not his wife. She was only a Follower like any other.

  She picked up his pillow and breathed in his scent. She’d found the smell of him enchanting ever since the first night she’d met him, when he turned her. In that moment, she felt reality slipping away. She entered a strange trance, and instantly she began to see a scene from another place through some sort of hazy fog.

  She saw Illyan approaching a young woman with the intent of feeding on her. As he grabbed her, she screamed. Suddenly, out of the shadows, stepped a man carrying a stake. It was a trap! The man stepped forward and plunged the stake into Illyan’s heart, and he fell backward to the ground. Esla screamed and threw his pillow down in a panic. Although the scene was foggy, it was so real she just knew something was wrong. She had to act quickly.

  She made her way into town as fast as she could go, and she found the street she’d seen in her vision. Just as she had seen, Illyan was there, and he was stalking the young woman she’d seen. In the shadows, she saw the man poised and waiting with the stake clutched tightly in his hands.

  Just as Illyan grabbed the woman, the man began to step out of the shadows. In a flash, Esla jumped on his back and sank her fangs into his neck. He struggled as the woman shrieked in terror, and then he fell to the ground. Illyan’s grip on the woman loosened, and she ran away into the night.

  With blood dripping down her chin, Esla stood up and wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her dress. She ran to her master, throwing her arms around him. It was the first time she’d ever had the courage to do it, though she’d longed to do so for ages.

  “Esla, what are you doing here?” he asked, a bit confused by the events that had just unfolded and the fact that his Follower was hugging him as though he were some human.

  “Oh, it was horrible, my Lord!” she gasped. “I had a vision that you were staked, and it felt so real!”

  She buried her face in his chest and breathed his scent heavily. She was shocked at herself for having the audacity to do such a thing, yet she could not stop herself. She was just so glad he was alive.

  “A vision?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m certain,” she said, looking up at him. “It was hazy, but I could see you here on this street, and I could see you stalking that woman, and he stepped out of the shadows and…”

  She couldn’t bear to think of the rest. Again, she buried her face is his chest. Illyan stood there in complete disbelief. How could this woman who seemed so human and so weak be a seer? Could it really be true? Surely not. She was so… pathetic.

  Still, it was hard to ignore the evidence. How else could she have found him? He’d never hunted on that street before. And she could not have known the man would be there with the stake unless she’d really seen it, could she? That night, Illyan told Ayis what had happened. She scoffed in disbelief.

  “Her?” she laughed at the thought. “You must be joking. She’s a pathetic waste of space. She annoys you to no end. You’re better off just getting rid of her.”

  Illyan agreed with her… in theory. Esla was extremely annoying the way she was always following him around and bothering him when he wanted to be alone. She was so weak, and so human. But could he ignore The Prophecy if it turned out to be true?

  Over the coming years, it happened more and more often. Esla would have visions, and she would tell Illyan what she saw. She would piece together the scenes, like fragments of a puzzle, to tell him of things to come.

  Eventually, he could ignore it no longer. As a Clan Elder, Illyan was within his rights to choose a second wife. Much to the dismay of Ayis, Illyan asked Esla to be his second wife. Esla was overjoyed. She
thought it meant he had finally started to have feelings for her. She agreed, and they were wed immediately.

  Soon after they were married, Ayis cornered Esla in The Great Hall while Illyan was out hunting.

  “You know why he married you, don’t you?” Ayis asked Esla.

  “What are you talking about?” Esla asked.

  “He married you because of The Prophecy,” Ayis sneered.

  “Prophecy? What Prophecy?” Esla wanted to know.

  “Oh, that’s right. You haven’t been turned all that long, so I guess you don’t know,” Ayis said.

  That night, Ayis told Esla all about The Prophecy. She let Esla know in no uncertain terms that Illyan had married her only for her gift. He wanted to be the ruler of the Three Worlds, and he needed her gift to do it.

  “So the only reason he married me was to use my gift?” Esla asked.

  “That’s right, honey,” Ayis said, glaring at the pathetic girl. “I’m so sorry to have to break this to you. I know it must be difficult to hear.”

  Esla’s heart sank. She had saved his life and given him her heart, and all he wanted was for her to help him rule the world. She couldn’t believe it. When Illyan returned to The Manor that night, she confronted him.

  “My Lord, I must ask you something,” she said.

  “Yes, Esla. What it is?” he asked.

  “Ayis told me you only married me for my gift. She told me about The Prophecy. Is it true?” Esla asked.

  “I will deal with Ayis later,” he said, clearly irritated. “No, Esla. It’s not true. Your gift is helpful, but that isn’t why I married you.”

  It was a lie. Illyan still felt utter contempt for the little wretch who refused to feed on humans and showed such pathetically weak emotions. But it was enough for Esla. She threw her arms around him as she was wont to do lately, and he patted her on the head. It was so frustrating when she did such things, but he needed to keep her happy so she would help him fulfill The Prophecy.

  Now Illyan thought back to those days with regret. She had been nothing but kind and helpful, and he had treated her with scorn. It wasn’t that he felt remorse for hurting her. No, that couldn’t be it. He regretted that the way he treated her had led to her leaving him. He was worried she would run away with Richard or some other human and he would lose her… gift. He needed her gift.

  Trying to buy time, Illyan sent word to the Elders of the Twelve Clans that the time was not right. He said he would let them know when the right time was approaching. In reality, he just wanted more time to bring Esla home.

  Illyan certainly couldn’t let the other Elders know his wife had abandoned him. The only reason they had agreed to follow him into battle was that they’d all heard the tales of Esla’s unique gift. They all believed in The Prophecy, and they were certain Illyan and his seer wife were the ones who were meant to lead them to victory.

  The Elders would also see it as a sign of weakness that he could not control his wife. If they knew she’d been allowed to betray him without repercussion, they would find fault with his judgment, and they would not understand.

  Still, Illyan knew he couldn’t just force Esla to come home. To do that would risk chasing her away forever. Esla had become willful, even spiteful. Illyan could not understand why her behavior had changed so drastically, but he knew he had to play his cards carefully. One wrong move, and he could lose her gift – and his chance to fulfill The Prophecy.

  He hadn’t been sleeping well since Esla left. He would toss and turn, his stomach knotted with anxiety. He was genuinely worried that he might have somehow cost his race the chance to rule the Three Worlds forever.

  He knew he’d treated Esla in a reprehensible manner. She was his wife, and despite the scorn he felt for her detestable human emotions, as his wife, she deserved at least a modicum of respect. Not that he ever showed Ayis any respect, but she’d never done anything to deserve it. On the other hand, Esla had never done anything to deserve the despicable treatment she’d received.

  Illyan felt no guilt or remorse. He didn’t care about her feelings. All he cared about was that his behavior had chased her away, and it might have cost him everything he’d worked for.

  “I must bring you back,” Illyan muttered as he paced the floor of his room. “Just show me a sign you won’t betray me, Esla. One sign, and I’ll bring you home. Then we can fulfill The Prophecy together.”

  Chapter Ten

  “You know she’s off conspiring against us with the humans,” Ayis spat contemptuously. “I told you she would betray us, did I?”

  “Ayis, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Illyan argued. “She’s confused and emotional, but she’s not betraying anyone.”

  Ayis scoffed.

  “Oh, really? So she’s not off consorting with humans like I heard?” Ayis demanded.

  “We all consort with humans, Ayis. It’s what we do,” he pointed out.

  “Oh, please!” Ayis snorted. “She’s not hunting. She’s flirting! I heard she was walking arm in arm with a human like they were best friends!”

  “Have you or have you not flirted with human men in order to get close enough to feed?” Illyan asked.

  “We all have,” Ayis admitted. “But that’s different. We do it for the hunt, and nothing more.”

  “And so is she,” Illyan snarled. “She’s killed them.”

  “Oh, and you’ve seen this for yourself?”

  “As a matter of fact, Ayis, I have. I’ve seen her kill two with my own eyes.”

  “And what about the one Hailum saw her with last night? I heard he was spotted alive and well just before sunrise this morning, and he just happens to be that human she released from the dungeon!”

  “Ayis, this is not your concern. I’ll thank you to not meddle in affairs that have nothing to do with you.”

  “So you know about this?” Ayis gasped, her eyes wide with shock.

  “That man is not to be harmed. Not by you, not by anyone. Is that clear?”

  “Are you kidding me? You’re protecting a human, now?”

  “Ayis, do I make myself perfectly clear? Answer me!”

  “Yes, fine! But why are you protecting a human?”

  “He is part of a plan, if you must know. I cannot tell you any more than that.”

  “So now you’re keeping secrets from me?”

  “Ayis, I’m telling you that this is not your concern. But I have plans for the human, and I want to make it perfectly clear that anyone who harms him will answer to me. You’d better make that clear to everyone else, or I’ll hold you personally responsible for any harm that befalls him.”

  “Wow, so I’m his new guardian angel or something?”

  “Yes, you can think of it that way, if you like. But he is part of a plan I have that has to do with The Prophecy. So if any harm comes to him, it’s on your head.”

  “Hmph,” Ayis scoffed. “You protecting a human – and one Esla is consorting with, no less. I never thought I’d see the day.”

  “I’ve grown tired of this conversation, Ayis. Leave me. Make the others aware that the human is not to be harmed.”

  “Whatever,” Ayis muttered, and she breezed out of the room with her nose thrust high in the air, slamming the door behind her.

  Illyan shook his head and growled. He was tired of Ayis and her prying. Why couldn’t she just leave well enough alone? Every day she was meddling in something new, and he was sick of it.

  More than anything, he needed to figure out a way to bring Esla home. He thought the human man might somehow be the key to that, so he needed to make sure nothing happened to him. He needed to be certain Esla wouldn’t betray him to the humans, he needed absolute loyalty. Keeping him alive was vital, so he could test Esla’s loyalty.

  In the coming months, Illyan knew he would need to rely on Esla and her gift more than he ever had before. Her gift would be essential during the war, and he could only be certain of its usefulness if he could trust her loyalty.

&nbs
p; She had certainly been behaving erratically in recent weeks. At one time, Illyan would never have hesitated to say he trusted her implicitly. Now, he wasn’t sure what to believe.

  No sooner had the sun sank beyond the horizon than Illyan headed out to find Esla and follow her. Once again, he found her stalking patrons at the saloon, and he skulked in the shadows and observed.

  Esla stood outside the saloon, hiding within the shadows of her cloak. She listened carefully for a sign that would lead her to her next victim. She scanned several conversations, but nothing jumped out at her. She was just about to leave in disappointment when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

  “Hello, stranger,” he said.

  Esla whirled around and Richard winked playfully.

  “What are you doing here?” Esla snapped.

  “Looking for you, of course,” he answered. “You ran off so quickly yesterday that I didn’t get a chance to apologize.”

  “Apologize? For what?”

  “For my behavior. I shouldn’t have come on so strongly. I apologize wholeheartedly. It was totally unacceptable, and it won’t happen again.”

  “You’re right. It won’t happen again, because I’m never going home with you again.”

  “Come on, Esla. Don’t be like that. I said I was sorry. Can’t we just be friends?”

  “You don’t need a friend like me, Richard,” she said tersely. “Just go home and forget about me. Better yet, get the hell out of town like I told you to before.”

  “I can’t forget about you,” he said softly.

  “You will after a while. Now go!” Esla hissed, motioning with her hands for him to scoot off home.

  “Please don’t do this,” he begged. “I’m so sorry I came onto you so strongly. I swear to you it won’t happen again. Please. I’ve never met anyone like you, and I just really want to spend more time with you.”

  “Look, Richard. I’m no good for you. I can’t be the kind of friend you’re looking for. I’m damaged. I’m screwed up. The last thing you need in your life is the burden of dealing with my tainted world views. Please do yourself a favor and just forget you ever met me.”