Page 1 of Elegy of Twilight
1
LUCIA
Beads of cool water kissed my skin as Wilcox tied my hands behind my back. Coarse rope wove around my waist, binding me securely to the rough wood of the birch tree.
“Not too tight,” called Captain Elroy, hand on his blade as he scanned the glade once more.
Weeping willows grew alongside the pool, and a waterfall cascaded from above like a giant pouring out a basin of water. Flowers grew along the bank like a cluster of ladies-in-waiting, blush and lavender blossoms uplifted as if in worship to honor the sky and water.
“It is done,” said Wilcox as he finished tying me up. He squeezed my shoulder. “We won’t let any harm come to you, milady.”
He was one of the younger knights, shy and good-natured but a bit overzealous when it came to knots. I bobbed my head, not trusting my voice. I hadn’t exactly agreed to this, but I’d had little choice in the matter.
“Let’s take our places,” Captain Elroy instructed, his deep voice stern. His dark eyes held mine. “Be brave, Lucia. We’ll attack as soon as he appears.”
Rising to my full height, as best I could while tied to the tree, I lifted my chin.
The two knights disappeared into the surrounding wood, and I was seemingly alone. But I knew the truth. The Knights of Veilix—vampire hunters—were determined to catch their latest prey: the vampire king himself. I was the bait. Once he appeared to taste my blood, the knights would attack and free the village from the bloodthirsty tyrant.
I’d be lying to myself if I claimed I wasn’t afraid. Because I was.
The sun set.
An itch settled just under my ears, and I craned my head, unable to give myself relief. Before the evening meal, Lord Elroy had approached me with a demand and a secret. I was to be the bait, but I couldn’t tell anyone, especially not the Head Priestess,for she would never agree to put the life of one of her wards in danger.
But I wanted to help, and I knew why I’d been chosen. I’d been abandoned, left on the steps of the abbey when I was a baby. The Head Priestess never said why, but I guessed it was because of the strange silver runes on my skin. Like a birthmark, they were blemishes on my skin that embarrassed me. I wore long sleeves to keep them hidden, but the runes on my face and neck were not easy to hide.
I waited, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, wishing my arms weren’t tied behind my back. Captain Elroy said it had to look real, as though I were a sacrifice to the vampires, a symbol of goodwill to ask them to leave the village in peace.
The light faded from the sky in hues of azure, blush, and peach. A numbness spread through my bones as a light breeze picked up, ruffling the ends of my dress and stirring the fabric against my legs. If I’d known I’d be spending my evening on the mountainside, I would have worn something warmer.
Goosebumps prickled on my arms, the thin material of my sleeves doing nothing to keep me warm. The neck of my dress was open, on purpose, because I was a sacrifice to tempthim.
Darkness came, every blade of grass sharp likehorns, the trees creepy shapes that might emerge into the monster I waited for. And then came a sound like the rush of wind blowing over strings.
It came again, a haunting melody gaining volume as the player strummed with boldness. It wove around me like fingers, and a warmth filled my body as it grew louder. Every inch of me tingled with anticipation, and my breath went shallow. I expected him to appear at any moment, but I didn’t recall any tales of music being associated with monsters.
My eyes adjusted to the gloom as a shape walked into the glade. It was tall, limber, walking on two legs like a man, and as it approached me, ice-cold fear made me shrink away as best I could.
He was here. The vampire king. He’d fallen for the trap. He’d come to devour me.
Slowly, methodically, he approached as though he had all the time in the world to spare. I waited for arrows to fly, distracting him, while the hunters sprang out of their hiding places to capture him.
But nothing happened.
The vampire crept closer, and my limbs trembled.
I pressed my lips together, terrible thoughts twirling through my mind. What if it wasn’t a trap, but I truly was a sacrifice? Had Captain Elroy lied to me?
Panic came over me, and I yanked at the rope, but it was too tight and too late. The vampire stood before me. I forced myself to think. The vampires that haunted the land were vicious and violent, murderers who ripped their prey apart. But perhaps I could talk to this one and convince him to let me go free.
I faced him and a chill swept through me, for he appeared like nothing I’d imagined.
He stood a head taller than me, with piercing blue eyes that cooly assessed me. Rumpled black hair curled around his neck and ears, as though he’d recently run his fingers through it. A shadow of a beard crossed his powerful jaw, and his lips curved back in an amused smirk at what he beheld.
His open shirt revealed a smooth chest, and hooked across his back was a stringed instrument, likely the same one I’d heard earlier. Leaning closer, he sniffed, and when he spoke, his low tones sent a blend of ice and fire through my veins. “Hello, little feast.”
I screamed.
