The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1) by Clay & Susan Griffith;Clay Griffith;Susan Griffith by Clay, Susan Griffith;Clay Griffith;Susan Griffith Page B
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little else. To her shame, she was lost. Their direction
had changed so frequently that she no longer could tell where they were
heading. The brief snatches of night sky through the branches, though
brilliant with stars, did not give her the time to check constellations.
She was at Greyfriar's mercy.
To her relief, Greyfriar slowed his pace. His masked face turned
slightly toward her. Surprisingly, a sheen of sweat was on his brow and
his breathing was actually laboring. She wasn't sure if that was a good
sign or bad.
"We're close," he said.
"To what?"
"A human settlement. We should find shelter there."
Relief welled in the young woman. They were safe finally. "How
large a settlement?"
Greyfriar paused to listen to something she could not hear. Then he
answered her question. "Several hundred souls. They call it Riez."
"Let's go." She strode forward.
"Slowly, Princess," he commanded. "There is open ground between
us and the town."
Adele frowned at the swordsman for a split second for his tone, but
quickly relented. He had not led her astray yet. Also, she noticed
instinctively that he didn't use the proper "Your Highness" as befitted
her position, and she found it irreverently amusing. With a gesture of
her hand, she said, "After you."
She imagined a flicker of amusement, as if he smiled beneath the mask.
"This way."
Adele saw pale lines of smoke rising from numerous chimneys
beyond the clearing and smelled the delicious warmth of wood smoke.
The small frontier town was a decrepit shell of what it had once been. It
was now reduced to overgrown medieval structures and a few poor
farmers going to and fro beginning their daily chores. It looked picturesque and peaceful. Adele thought it was the most beautiful sight in the
world.
She raised her gaze to the sky as Greyfriar was presently doing, scanning the cobalt blue above them for signs of vampires.
"Clear?" she asked.
He drew his gleaming sword. "If something happens, I want you to
run toward the village. Scream."
She raised her eyebrows defiantly.
Bemused at her pride, he added, "To attract attention. Don't look
back and don't try to help me. Do you understand?"
Adele's heart raced, pounding with such force it almost hurt. "Yes."
She looked around the woods, almost afraid to ask, "Are they here?"
"Possibly. Flay would know this is one of the closest settlements. She
could have been here before us. Waiting."
"I'm ready." It was a lie. If it were left to her, she would stay right
where she was for the rest of her days. The thought of walking across an
open field while malicious vampires waited to strike made her knees so
weak she doubted she was going to be able to follow Greyfriar. But she
knew that she had no choice.
"Quickly now," he bade her, and they ran.
Greyfriar slipped through the high grass, aiming for a worn path
that ran to the village. His eyes scanned about him, watching for
ambush. Clouds of dust billowed up at his pounding feet. Adele was
beside him with dagger in hand.
People from the village noticed them and paused in their morning
toil. Adele lifted her arm, but had no breath left to call out. A few
farmers started walking toward them with implements in their hands.
But nothing horrible erupted from the treeline and nothing
swooped down from the morning sky. They were going to make it! Perhaps Greyfriar overestimated Flay, Adele thought with excitement. Flay
was just a vampire, after all. Cunning, perhaps, but only in the way a
savage beast was cunning.
Greyfriar's attention had already turned to the farmers.
"Greyfriar!" exclaimed a tall gaunt man with a scythe in his grasp.
"It's the Greyfriar!" he shouted to the others with excitement.
Adele could only watch, stunned by the enthusiastic greetings of
these people for the man beside her. A bearded man in rough twill work
clothes grabbed her as her legs trembled and finally failed her.
"What has happened?" the thin man asked Greyfriar in
had changed so frequently that she no longer could tell where they were
heading. The brief snatches of night sky through the branches, though
brilliant with stars, did not give her the time to check constellations.
She was at Greyfriar's mercy.
To her relief, Greyfriar slowed his pace. His masked face turned
slightly toward her. Surprisingly, a sheen of sweat was on his brow and
his breathing was actually laboring. She wasn't sure if that was a good
sign or bad.
"We're close," he said.
"To what?"
"A human settlement. We should find shelter there."
Relief welled in the young woman. They were safe finally. "How
large a settlement?"
Greyfriar paused to listen to something she could not hear. Then he
answered her question. "Several hundred souls. They call it Riez."
"Let's go." She strode forward.
"Slowly, Princess," he commanded. "There is open ground between
us and the town."
Adele frowned at the swordsman for a split second for his tone, but
quickly relented. He had not led her astray yet. Also, she noticed
instinctively that he didn't use the proper "Your Highness" as befitted
her position, and she found it irreverently amusing. With a gesture of
her hand, she said, "After you."
She imagined a flicker of amusement, as if he smiled beneath the mask.
"This way."
Adele saw pale lines of smoke rising from numerous chimneys
beyond the clearing and smelled the delicious warmth of wood smoke.
The small frontier town was a decrepit shell of what it had once been. It
was now reduced to overgrown medieval structures and a few poor
farmers going to and fro beginning their daily chores. It looked picturesque and peaceful. Adele thought it was the most beautiful sight in the
world.
She raised her gaze to the sky as Greyfriar was presently doing, scanning the cobalt blue above them for signs of vampires.
"Clear?" she asked.
He drew his gleaming sword. "If something happens, I want you to
run toward the village. Scream."
She raised her eyebrows defiantly.
Bemused at her pride, he added, "To attract attention. Don't look
back and don't try to help me. Do you understand?"
Adele's heart raced, pounding with such force it almost hurt. "Yes."
She looked around the woods, almost afraid to ask, "Are they here?"
"Possibly. Flay would know this is one of the closest settlements. She
could have been here before us. Waiting."
"I'm ready." It was a lie. If it were left to her, she would stay right
where she was for the rest of her days. The thought of walking across an
open field while malicious vampires waited to strike made her knees so
weak she doubted she was going to be able to follow Greyfriar. But she
knew that she had no choice.
"Quickly now," he bade her, and they ran.
Greyfriar slipped through the high grass, aiming for a worn path
that ran to the village. His eyes scanned about him, watching for
ambush. Clouds of dust billowed up at his pounding feet. Adele was
beside him with dagger in hand.
People from the village noticed them and paused in their morning
toil. Adele lifted her arm, but had no breath left to call out. A few
farmers started walking toward them with implements in their hands.
But nothing horrible erupted from the treeline and nothing
swooped down from the morning sky. They were going to make it! Perhaps Greyfriar overestimated Flay, Adele thought with excitement. Flay
was just a vampire, after all. Cunning, perhaps, but only in the way a
savage beast was cunning.
Greyfriar's attention had already turned to the farmers.
"Greyfriar!" exclaimed a tall gaunt man with a scythe in his grasp.
"It's the Greyfriar!" he shouted to the others with excitement.
Adele could only watch, stunned by the enthusiastic greetings of
these people for the man beside her. A bearded man in rough twill work
clothes grabbed her as her legs trembled and finally failed her.
"What has happened?" the thin man asked Greyfriar in
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