Page 13 of Theoden
CHAPTER FIVE
DRAGON’S BLOOD
There were plenty of curtains and furnishings I could set ablaze. I only hoped the flames would devour the blood drinkers as well. I reached up, taking one of the torches from the wall, and ran towards one of the Persian rugs lining the floor in the hall. If I could not take them on in combat, I would burn his palace to the ground!
“My King is waiting for you in his palace,” I heard Nolan say right before he came up behind me, grabbing the torch with one hand and holding me captive with the other. No matter how hard I struggled to break free, it was futile. He was far too powerful. “You are such an annoying human,” he said as he spun me around to face him, then I saw his fist, felt the painful and jarring impact, and then there was darkness.
***
I began to come to, I was groggy, but I felt myself being dragged along cold, hard floors with remarkable speed. I looked up to see it was Nolan who was dragging me. He looked down and began to laugh.
“Finally awake, apt timing,” he said.
“Release me!” I demanded as I squirmed, trying to free myself from his grasp.
“Not likely, human. You should be so grateful to be in my King’s palace,” he said.
Again, I tried to struggle to break free of his hold, but it was all in vain. His grip on my clothing was like a vice. I had no idea where I was, as this location didn’t look like the place I had been before I was rendered unconscious. We finally entered a room and I was tossed in roughly. I landed flat on my face and groaned from the pain of my body slamming against cold marble.
“I have brought him to you, Sire,” Nolan said.
“You have done well, my son.” That came from another man with a Persian accent. “You may leave us.”
“Yes, Sire,” Nolan said.
I looked up at the new man, then turned to see Nolan closing the door, leaving me trapped in the room with whom I presumed was Ara. I climbed to my feet and patted myself, searching for any weapon I might still have on me. I found nothing. I looked at the man, he was watching me; his gray eyes seemed to be taking in every inch of my body as if I were something exotic. While he was staring at me, I couldn’t take my eyes away from him. His dark, curly hair was cropped short with the ends curling around his ears and the collar of his expensive robe. He was shorter than I was, but the presence he had made him seem as though he were taller. Then there were his cheekbones, they were chiseled to perfection, and his lips would make the angels of heaven envious. My god, he… he was stunning! I was nearly lost in his sultry gaze when I remembered the danger I was in. I had to fight his seduction. He was evil and needed to be destroyed.
He laughed. “Is that so, young one?” he asked me in that same accent.
“Is what so, monster?”
“That I need to be destroyed?”
“Yes.”
“That will not happen, and certainly not by your hands or anyone your Church sends after me,” he said.
“I was tricked by your minion,” I stated.
He smiled and nodded. “Yes, you were, because in spite of what you think you know, you are gullible. You did exactly what I wanted you to do. I knew you were coming and I knew you would attempt your invasion during the day, thinking I would be asleep and easy to dispatch. I am afraid only young vampires suffer from such inflictions. Ancient and powerful vampires can rise and even stay awake for long periods of time during the day, as you have witnessed.”
Vampires?
“Yes, young one, that is what I am. Do you honestly believe we call ourselves ‘blood drinkers’?”
“I do not care what you call yourselves,” I said, though I was intrigued to have learned the term: vampire.
“You should become familiar with such terms as vampire andembrace,” Ara said.
“All I care about is what will destroy you. The sun can still kill you, I am sure,” I said, wanting desperately to test my theory. I looked at the window for the first time to see that the sun had set and darkness filled the sky.Just how long was I unconscious?
“Long enough for night to come,” Ara said. “It took a few hours for Nolan to travel with you to my Palace.”
“That other place—”
“Was only one of my palaces. My son, Karim, lives there… you will meet him,” Ara informed me.
“The sun… it will kill you,” I said, although I was questioning if it was possible.
