The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1) by Clay & Susan Griffith;Clay Griffith;Susan Griffith by Clay, Susan Griffith;Clay Griffith;Susan Griffith Page A
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of laudanum. Now he
couldn't feel much of anything and the world was pleasantly fuzzy.
Anhalt turned from the window casement, and the lovely moonlit
view of the harbor crowded with small sailing ships and a few steam vessels. He was pleased to see the prince had movement in his upper body;
it was a good sign. The doctor had said that Simons back was not broken
and that he would likely regain much of the mobility in his lower body,
despite his rough and ready conveyance from the battlefield to Marseilles.
This relieved Anhalt's burden of guilt considerably on that matter.
Simon asked, "When are we leaving?"
"Soon. Messages have been sent to your father, the emperor." Anhalt
carefully eased his full weight back onto his injured leg.
"Won't you escort me all the way to Alexandria?"
"My duty lies with Her Highness, Princess Adele."
Simon's eyes welled with the first sign of tears since the battle and
loss of his sister. "If I were emperor, I'd make sure everyone was safe from
vampires."
"Do you wish to be emperor someday?"
The boy lay still, but his sniffling broke the silence. He rubbed his
cheek against the pillow. "Not really."
"Then don't worry. You won't have to. Her Highness, your sister,
will be fine." Anhalt clapped his hands behind his back and straightened. "Is there anything you want me to tell her when I see her?"
Simon thought. "No. I guess not." He grinned. "Tell her she was
stupid to get captured." He giggled. "All that training she does with
Mamoru and it didn't help." Simon paused, then said, "Mamoru scares
me. He was a priest in Java." Suddenly Simon stopped and looked
around. "Um ... I'm not supposed to say anything about that." He bit
his lip.
"Don't worry. Mamoru scares me too. But he is a man of honor and
discipline. Speaking of discipline, do you have any?"
"Why?" Simon now noticed that the soldier was holding something
behind his back. "Yes! I do! I do!"
Anhalt produced a sheathed dagger. He drew it out for Simon to see.
It was a nine-inch steel blade with a fine copper and ivory hilt, simple
and unadorned. "Do you know how to use this?"
The boy gasped at it, although he had countless fancier ones as ornaments throughout his imperial residences. "Yes!" He reached out. "Here,
I'll show you."
The soldier pulled the blade back. "No, no. I want you to have this,
but only if you'll be careful with it."
"Have you killed any vampires with it?"
"Yes."
The boy stared wide-eyed at the blade and breathed, "Deus
vobiscum!"
The soldier slid the dagger back in the sheath and handed it to the
boy. "It's yours. It's very sharp. Know this: the first time you cut yourself, I must take it away from you."
Simon carefully slid the blade from the sheath. "Thank you, Colonel
Anhalt. I'll keep it forever."
"Long life to you, Your Highness." Anhalt saluted and departed, his
boot steps echoing away down the corridor.
CHAPTER
H MORNING LIGHT had yet to make an appearance over
the eastern sky, so Adele kept her hand on Greyfriar's cloak as
he steered her through the forest. She prided herself at this point that
she was able to see branches and vines, and twist to avoid them. They
stayed in densely wooded areas as much as possible, which permitted
only the barest of light from the sliver of moon in the night sky.
Adele couldn't help but marvel at the man with her. His abilities
were uncanny, practically mystical. Much of what she felt toward him
was jealousy, since she craved his endurance, sense of direction, and
night vision. But in those small gaps between envy and ragged exhaustion, she wished to know him better. The skills he had mastered, the air
of nobility about him, demanded her attention. What had made him the
man he was? What harsh childhood had he borne which turned him
onto his current path? Certainly it must have been something epic to
make someone choose such a life.
Such maddening curiosity made Adele forget her misery, though
sadly it sparked
couldn't feel much of anything and the world was pleasantly fuzzy.
Anhalt turned from the window casement, and the lovely moonlit
view of the harbor crowded with small sailing ships and a few steam vessels. He was pleased to see the prince had movement in his upper body;
it was a good sign. The doctor had said that Simons back was not broken
and that he would likely regain much of the mobility in his lower body,
despite his rough and ready conveyance from the battlefield to Marseilles.
This relieved Anhalt's burden of guilt considerably on that matter.
Simon asked, "When are we leaving?"
"Soon. Messages have been sent to your father, the emperor." Anhalt
carefully eased his full weight back onto his injured leg.
"Won't you escort me all the way to Alexandria?"
"My duty lies with Her Highness, Princess Adele."
Simon's eyes welled with the first sign of tears since the battle and
loss of his sister. "If I were emperor, I'd make sure everyone was safe from
vampires."
"Do you wish to be emperor someday?"
The boy lay still, but his sniffling broke the silence. He rubbed his
cheek against the pillow. "Not really."
"Then don't worry. You won't have to. Her Highness, your sister,
will be fine." Anhalt clapped his hands behind his back and straightened. "Is there anything you want me to tell her when I see her?"
Simon thought. "No. I guess not." He grinned. "Tell her she was
stupid to get captured." He giggled. "All that training she does with
Mamoru and it didn't help." Simon paused, then said, "Mamoru scares
me. He was a priest in Java." Suddenly Simon stopped and looked
around. "Um ... I'm not supposed to say anything about that." He bit
his lip.
"Don't worry. Mamoru scares me too. But he is a man of honor and
discipline. Speaking of discipline, do you have any?"
"Why?" Simon now noticed that the soldier was holding something
behind his back. "Yes! I do! I do!"
Anhalt produced a sheathed dagger. He drew it out for Simon to see.
It was a nine-inch steel blade with a fine copper and ivory hilt, simple
and unadorned. "Do you know how to use this?"
The boy gasped at it, although he had countless fancier ones as ornaments throughout his imperial residences. "Yes!" He reached out. "Here,
I'll show you."
The soldier pulled the blade back. "No, no. I want you to have this,
but only if you'll be careful with it."
"Have you killed any vampires with it?"
"Yes."
The boy stared wide-eyed at the blade and breathed, "Deus
vobiscum!"
The soldier slid the dagger back in the sheath and handed it to the
boy. "It's yours. It's very sharp. Know this: the first time you cut yourself, I must take it away from you."
Simon carefully slid the blade from the sheath. "Thank you, Colonel
Anhalt. I'll keep it forever."
"Long life to you, Your Highness." Anhalt saluted and departed, his
boot steps echoing away down the corridor.
CHAPTER
H MORNING LIGHT had yet to make an appearance over
the eastern sky, so Adele kept her hand on Greyfriar's cloak as
he steered her through the forest. She prided herself at this point that
she was able to see branches and vines, and twist to avoid them. They
stayed in densely wooded areas as much as possible, which permitted
only the barest of light from the sliver of moon in the night sky.
Adele couldn't help but marvel at the man with her. His abilities
were uncanny, practically mystical. Much of what she felt toward him
was jealousy, since she craved his endurance, sense of direction, and
night vision. But in those small gaps between envy and ragged exhaustion, she wished to know him better. The skills he had mastered, the air
of nobility about him, demanded her attention. What had made him the
man he was? What harsh childhood had he borne which turned him
onto his current path? Certainly it must have been something epic to
make someone choose such a life.
Such maddening curiosity made Adele forget her misery, though
sadly it sparked
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