Olivia.”
“That Vampire you were with last night?” Verity moved away from him and continued to walk along the avenue of elm trees. “She allows you to call her by her first name?”
She heard him sigh behind her. “Before I tell you more I need you to swear to me that none of this will ever be passed on.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Even to my family?”
“Especially not to your family.” He hesitated and came up alongside her. “If you cannot keep that promise, tell me now and I will think of another way to explain about Olivia.”
Verity considered his words. “I swear to keep everything to myself.”
“Thank you.” Rhys looked relieved. “Olivia is Christopher Ellis’s half sister.”
Verity stopped walking. “How can that be? Christopher isn’t a Vampire. Rosalind would never have married a Vampire.”
“Christopher’s mother became a Vampire just after his birth and made a new family for herself with her lover. Olivia Del Alonso is the result of that union.”
“But it is extremely rare for a Vampire to create a child.”
“I know, but Olivia exists, and she is related by blood to Christopher.”
“And he knows of this?”
“He met Olivia last time he was at court. She helped us defeat Anne Boleyn.”
“Yet another Vampire who fights against her own kind and deserves your gratitude,” Verity murmured. “What does she want with you now?”
Rhys fiddled with the hilt of his sword. “I know not. She said she wanted to help us.”
“Help you , more like. I saw the way she looked at you.”
Rhys met her gaze. “How did she look at me?”
The way I do, as if I want to uncover every inch of your glorious skin and kiss it. She couldn’t say that, even if it was true. “As if she likes what she sees.”
Rhys made an impatient movement away from her. “She’s a Vampire.”
“Does that mean she cannot feel desire?”
“I . . .” He glowered at her. “She is far too innocent.”
“To accept what you want from her?”
He went still. “I want nothing from her.”
“Even in your dreams?”
Pain flickered in his hazel eyes. “I have no dreams.” He visibly collected himself. “If Olivia wishes to help Elias Warner, I cannot stop her.”
“That is true.”
He cast her a sidelong glance. “But you’d rather she didn’t.”
Verity shrugged. “I’d rather find out what is happening to the queen and deal with the matter ourselves. I’m not at ease dealing with Vampires.”
“Neither was I, at first, but I came to value them.”
“And yet you are considered one of the finest Vampire slayers of all time.”
“Life is never simple, my lady.” Rhys tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and resumed walking. “Surely you know that. The very fact that you are here at court attempting to save the queen must be a surprise to you.”
“Jasper was horrified at the idea. He still sees me as a weak and worthless woman.”
“You are scarcely that.”
Verity smiled up at him. “I’m glad to hear you are revising your opinion of me, Sir Rhys.”
“I’ll revise it even more once we have a couple of training sessions together.”
Verity’s smile died. “Do we have to?”
“Aye, we do.” He released her hand and bowed. “I’ll see you back in the chapel caverns tonight at twelve.”
Rhys left Verity and walked on until he reached the main training grounds. Groups of men stood around watching others at sword or dagger play, merrily offering advice or criticizing each other’s form. In the near distance the sound of horses being trained for the joust made the ground tremble. Rhys headed toward a group in which he recognized at least two of the men as Druids.
“Good afternoon, Sir Rhys.” The older of the two men bowed. “Do you wish to train with us?”
Rhys bowed in return. “I would be honored, Master Davies. I am feeling rather out of practice since my return to court.”
“Well, we can’t have that.” Sir Dafydd Morgan
“That Vampire you were with last night?” Verity moved away from him and continued to walk along the avenue of elm trees. “She allows you to call her by her first name?”
She heard him sigh behind her. “Before I tell you more I need you to swear to me that none of this will ever be passed on.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Even to my family?”
“Especially not to your family.” He hesitated and came up alongside her. “If you cannot keep that promise, tell me now and I will think of another way to explain about Olivia.”
Verity considered his words. “I swear to keep everything to myself.”
“Thank you.” Rhys looked relieved. “Olivia is Christopher Ellis’s half sister.”
Verity stopped walking. “How can that be? Christopher isn’t a Vampire. Rosalind would never have married a Vampire.”
“Christopher’s mother became a Vampire just after his birth and made a new family for herself with her lover. Olivia Del Alonso is the result of that union.”
“But it is extremely rare for a Vampire to create a child.”
“I know, but Olivia exists, and she is related by blood to Christopher.”
“And he knows of this?”
“He met Olivia last time he was at court. She helped us defeat Anne Boleyn.”
“Yet another Vampire who fights against her own kind and deserves your gratitude,” Verity murmured. “What does she want with you now?”
Rhys fiddled with the hilt of his sword. “I know not. She said she wanted to help us.”
“Help you , more like. I saw the way she looked at you.”
Rhys met her gaze. “How did she look at me?”
The way I do, as if I want to uncover every inch of your glorious skin and kiss it. She couldn’t say that, even if it was true. “As if she likes what she sees.”
Rhys made an impatient movement away from her. “She’s a Vampire.”
“Does that mean she cannot feel desire?”
“I . . .” He glowered at her. “She is far too innocent.”
“To accept what you want from her?”
He went still. “I want nothing from her.”
“Even in your dreams?”
Pain flickered in his hazel eyes. “I have no dreams.” He visibly collected himself. “If Olivia wishes to help Elias Warner, I cannot stop her.”
“That is true.”
He cast her a sidelong glance. “But you’d rather she didn’t.”
Verity shrugged. “I’d rather find out what is happening to the queen and deal with the matter ourselves. I’m not at ease dealing with Vampires.”
“Neither was I, at first, but I came to value them.”
“And yet you are considered one of the finest Vampire slayers of all time.”
“Life is never simple, my lady.” Rhys tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and resumed walking. “Surely you know that. The very fact that you are here at court attempting to save the queen must be a surprise to you.”
“Jasper was horrified at the idea. He still sees me as a weak and worthless woman.”
“You are scarcely that.”
Verity smiled up at him. “I’m glad to hear you are revising your opinion of me, Sir Rhys.”
“I’ll revise it even more once we have a couple of training sessions together.”
Verity’s smile died. “Do we have to?”
“Aye, we do.” He released her hand and bowed. “I’ll see you back in the chapel caverns tonight at twelve.”
Rhys left Verity and walked on until he reached the main training grounds. Groups of men stood around watching others at sword or dagger play, merrily offering advice or criticizing each other’s form. In the near distance the sound of horses being trained for the joust made the ground tremble. Rhys headed toward a group in which he recognized at least two of the men as Druids.
“Good afternoon, Sir Rhys.” The older of the two men bowed. “Do you wish to train with us?”
Rhys bowed in return. “I would be honored, Master Davies. I am feeling rather out of practice since my return to court.”
“Well, we can’t have that.” Sir Dafydd Morgan
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