Dragon's Oath: A Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Romance (House of Quercus Book 1) Read online

  “That must be what you are - hiding and alone? Join me for a cup of the best mead in the village, and whatever beauties that can be bought,” he said, and began walking out.

  “I would rather die than drink and share pleasantries with a blood-sucking killer,” I answered.

  The footsteps stopped abruptly.

  “A Female?”

  He laughed heartily as he clapped his hands.

  “A female Fallen? Forgive my coarse language, my dear, for the only Fallen I have ever had the opportunity to cross paths with were Male.” he chuckled, and his footsteps moved back towards me again.

  I prepared to fight.

  “No, my dear, do not do that! I don't wish to fight you.” he protested.

  I heard the rustling of his clothes as he moved, then the loud clink of a purse of coins.

  “Here, I believe this may be of use to you,” he said. His voice sounded apologetic.

  “It is not much, perhaps enough for a morning meal, and a night's lodgings, should you choose to spend it in that way,” he said.

  He stopped at the door and whispered one last thing as he was leaving, barely loud enough for me to hear.

  “Not all blood-suckers are evil beings as you have been conditioned to believe. Some of us dare to even believe goodness lies within us. The Incorrupti Knights have not been seen in this province for many months. But, that is no reason to fool yourself into thinking this is a good place to be, Fallen. It only means that more Knights will come this way, soon,” he cautioned.

  “They hunt us in this place?” I asked.

  As strong as my hatred was for Vampires, it was even more intense for the Incorrupti Knights.

  They were vile humans, of a sect divided from their religion's church. They were condemned soundly by the mother church for being too bloody.

  They took pride in hunting, torturing and killing any who were not “Pure” human. They were enemy to the Angelic Guard as much as the Fallen, or even the Vampires. I knew of many Angels who met their ends at the hands of a Knight.

  In truth, if the Angelic Guard and the Vampires would set aside their civil war, they could join forces to remove the Incorrupti Knights once and for all.

  But, the number of Knights grew daily, and their doctrine even more malevolent.

  The horse whinnied into the darkness.

  “Yes. They hunt us all, everywhere,” he said.

  “There are many like you and I, Other Natured, that roam these lands. Not just Fallen Angels or Vampires, either. There are shifters, Mages, Sorcerers. I've even met a Giant once. In fact, I am meeting two of your kind tonight, who journey to a safe-haven. You should consider joining us this evening. We’ll be dining in the inn. Come to hear what they have to say. After all, my dear Fallen, these are not safe lands for you to travel alone.” he warned.

  With that, he was gone.

  The door to the inn opened and closed a moment later and I knew he would be hidden within its walls until twilight.

  I looked down to the floor below and saw a leather pouch, brimming with coins. He had left enough coins for me to probably buy the inn, never mind lodge for a night.

  Why?

  What would it benefit a Vampire to give a Fallen he'd never met such a sum of money?

  I wasn't in a position to question and jumped down quickly to retrieve it. The pouch was heavier than I'd expected. I smiled to myself, perhaps I wouldn't have to steal my breakfast after all.

  I allowed myself to doze until daybreak, and then chose my moment to leave the stables. I hid most of the money under the loose floorboards where I had left my Angelic Guard uniform. Hopefully if someone discovered the stash, they'd steal the money and leave. The uniform would not be as attractive to a thief as the coins.

  I slipped out of the stable and quickly crossed the street. The inn was a little distance away from the other buildings in the village, but I guessed that was probably because it seemed to have originally been a dwelling, with the additional rooms built later on. The village was not rich; the houses were small and each had a small patch of land, with a vegetable garden or some sort of livestock.

  The tempting smell of bread wafted towards me, and my stomach growled in anticipation.

  The scent brought me to a house where three humans, a male and two females, were chatting easily whilst kneading another batch for their oven.

  “Good morrow,” I said politely.

  “Good morrow, Miss,” the man said, as the women nodded their heads.

  “Would it be possible to buy one of those small loaves? They smell delicious!” I asked.

  Of the coins I'd brought with me, I had hidden them in different pockets of the clothes I'd stolen last night.

  “Of course, Miss. Would you like the loaf or the barley bread?”

  The man's wife spoke this time, her round face flushed with the exertion of hard work.

  “Which is better?” I asked her.

  “I believe the barley bread, Miss, but my husband here just loves the loaf,” she replied, her smile wide and her face honest.

  “Then, I'll have the barley bread, please.”

  She handed me the bread.

  I paid quickly, but as I was about to leave the other female, who I could now see from the resemblance to both the man and the woman must have been their daughter, piped up.

  “Please, Miss, you can eat with us if you wish. You'll be needing butter for your bread,” she said.

  “Why, thank you kindly,” I replied.

  I took the offered butter, slathering a good helping of it onto the barley bread. As it melted, I salivated with anticipation at how delicious it would taste.

  As I was about to start eating, the woman insisted that I tried some of her spring apricot jam, producing a pot of it, and setting it in front of me.

  I gratefully accepted, knowing that the extra sugars would give me more energy.

  We ate in their parlor while the family told me that they had been the bakers in the village for generations, selling their wares at the market, and also to the inn.

  The man's face grew serious as he spoke about the inn, saying very little except that he always delivered the bread, and that he had forbidden his wife and daughter to venture near it unaccompanied. He looked me straight in the eye and, with a stoic face, said that I should be careful if I decided to visit the inn.

  He added that if I were to lodge there that I should set a cup of water against my door before going to bed, an old trick that would alert me should anyone try to enter my room.

  He'd also said that there were no other lodging places in the village.

  The next closest was a full day away by horse.

  I thanked the bakers for their hospitality and left.

  People were starting to rise and go about their daily lives. I found a quiet spot to sit and watched the humans while contemplating my next moves.

  I sat in the morning sun, reflecting on my fortunes.

  I'd been attacked by four soldiers of the Angelic Guard.

  I’d been Cast Out, and made a Fallen for something that was not my fault.

  I was only defending myself!

  Now, I’d hid in a stable for fear of discovery. I was forced to steal clothes to hide my identity.

  A cryptic conversation with a Vampire commenced.

  He was the first of their kind that I’d met and hadn't killed.

  The past day had been interesting, to say the very least.

  The next thing I realized was that two human women were marching over to me.

  “That's my blouse!” one of them accused. She had blonde hair.

  “This hussy is wearing my blouse. She's stolen it.” she said, grimly.

  “Master will know what to do with her.” the second woman said, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet.

  I could have swatted her like a gnat, but by now there were too many people going about their morning, and they would have noticed me breaking free. In fact, a small crowd was already watching th
em drag me away.

  “I can't believe someone would dare to steal my clothes.” the blonde whined.

  “If you’d brought your laundry in when you were supposed to...” the other woman muttered beneath her breath, too low for the blonde to hear.

  I bit my lip to stop a smile betraying me.

  We'd just stepped into the inn when the blonde rushed off.

  “Father! Father! Come quickly! I have caught a thief!” she shouted.

  I heard a curse from the back of the building, and from my surveillance last night, I knew her father was in the kitchen.

  His belly cleared the doorway before the rest of him joined it.

  “What's that Winifred? A thief you say?” he shouted back at her.

  His booming voice was breathless; clearly this man needed a couple of weeks' training with the Angelic Guard.

  “Yes, Father.” she beamed. “I caught her and brought her back for you to decide what we shall do.”

  His eyes roamed over my body, even as the other woman still held me by the arm.

  “What did she steal?” he asked, leering at my breasts.

  He licked his lips, his tongue like a slimy worm, or a slug, slowly wetting them.

  “My clothes, Father. Look, that's my blouse!” she said as she walked around me.

  She pointed.

  “And my good breeches.” she said, and straightened, smiling.

  “Shall I fetch your whip, Father?” she panted.

  The landlord looked bemused.

  “You bother me about a woman stealing your clothes, Wini? I have more important things to attend to than that. Has she stolen food or ale from here?” he asked the girl.

  Red rose up Winifred's neck.

  “None of which I am aware, Father. But, she's a thief. I want my clothes back.” she cried, and actually stomped her foot.

  The landlord waddled towards me.

  “I see, daughter. And, you shall have them.”

  A sickening smile played over his lips when he addressed me.

  He stared at me, his eyes dropping again to my breasts.

  “Well then, you've heard my daughter. Give her back her clothes, wench.” he commanded.

  I could see why the workers last night despised this man.

  “Am I to remove them now?” I asked coolly.

  At that moment a group of travelers came into the inn, chatting and joking amongst themselves.

  His eyes flickered between the group and my body. I felt sick, and it took all my concentration not to put him, his daughter and her rough-handed friend all on their asses before making my break for freedom.

  A tense moment grew before one of the travelers shouted to the landlord, “Terrin, have you acquired another new wench?”

  His friends laughed, and I heard a few bawdy comments that couldn't have been about anyone else but me.

  My stomach churned, and I grit my teeth.

  He smiled easily to them.

  “Yes, Borin, this is our newest girl. She'll be over with you in a moment, sir!” Terrin, which I assumed was this foul creature’s name, all but bowed to the man.

  Clearly, Borin and his friends spent quite a lot of money in this wretched establishment.

  Terrin turned to me, his face changing from the pleasant smile he'd offered Borin to a sleazy smile that made my fists clench.

  “You will repay the debt you've brought to my house. You will return my daughter's clothes... a deed I would very much enjoy overseeing, but I have paying customers to which I must attend.”

  He nodded to the woman who still held my arm.

  I'm sure she thought I was in a vice-like grip; but really, even the newest recruit in the Angelic Guard would have more strength.

  “Ryia here will ensure that you complete your duties. When you repay your debt, I will decide what will become of you. The Magistrate is not sympathetic to thieves,” he added.

  “And what if I wish to be punished by the Magistrate now, rather than do your bidding?” I asked.

  My eyes focused on his, and he saw my intent.

  His eyes widened at my insolence, but the surprise was quickly replaced with smugness.

  “Do you wish to be hung today, then? As that's what the Magistrate does to those who steal. Our village is too small for thieves to be allowed to flourish, so he punishes them harshly...” his eyes trailed down the buttons on my blouse.

  “Such a waste of a pretty thing like you. The penitence I am allowing you is far... more... favorable,” he said, licking his foul lips again.

  Bile rose in my throat.

  Tactically, I would agree to working in his inn for today at least.

  I'd been thinking about the Vampire's suggestion and was curious to see if there really was another Fallen in this area.

  This would provide me that opportunity.

  “Lead on, then,” I told the man.

  He grinned, and it took a mighty helping of self-control to not just knock his fetid teeth from his skull.

  Chapter 3

  The Human Realm, 1714

  “I will work for you, for today,” I said, my head held high. “These clothes are of poor quality, and are of no more worth than a day's work.”

  I heard his daughter scoff at the comment. I may have offended her, but it was still the truth. My uniform was of far, far better quality.

  “Feisty,” he murmured, loud enough for just me and Ryia to hear, who was still gripping me even after I'd agreed to work for the day.

  “I'll enjoy putting you in your place, girl.”

  He turned to Ryia.

  “You can let her go now, Ryia, but keep a close eye on her. If she tries to leave, you have my permission to drag her back by her hair... but don't bruise that sweet little face, it will bring in more coin if it is unblemished.” he ordered.

  Ryia pushed me towards the table of travelers.

  “Ask them what they want, and whatever it is, give it to them, wench. Do you think you can remember to do that?” she asked.

  The rest of my day was spent serving the various people who came to the inn.

  Thankfully, one of the kitchen porters slipped me a plate of cold meat to eat after the lunch trade had passed.

  There patrons were a mix of locals, given that they all knew each other. A number of travelers came and went, too. Some had lodged the previous night, and some were just passing through.

  The Vampire appeared later in the evening, sitting alone. He smiled a knowing smile when I approached his table.

  “Hello, Fallen.”

  His tone was matter-of-fact, not caring that anyone would overhear.

  “Do not call me that.” I whispered, annoyed at his slip.

  “Fallon?” Ryia said as she passed.

  “I did not bother to ask your name, but it is useful to know. Not that it matters, of course,” she said.

  I rolled my eyes.

  I'd been patiently ignoring her attempts at insults all day.

  The Vampire barely concealed a snigger.

  “Well, Fallon,” he emphasized my new name, “What brings you to be working here?”

  “A long story,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  Then, I told him I was caught having stolen clothes from a line, and the punishment was working here. Leaving was not possible without drawing attention to my true nature.

  “Why didn’t you simply offer to pay with the…” then, he stopped himself, looking me over.

  “No matter,” he said as he finished the cup of mead that was in front of him. “It is a pleasure to meet you, face-to-face as it were, compared to our conversation this morning.”

  I felt both Ryia and Terrin staring at me.

  “What do you want, the landlord is staring,” I said, impatiently.

  “I'll have another one of these, please,” he said, as he pushed the empty cup towards me.

  “For now,” he added slyly.

  He gave me a cheeky wink.

  Bastard Vampire!

  Half an hour
later Terrin pulled me aside.

  “That traveler has an interest in you,” he said.

  He reached over and flicked the top two buttons of the blouse open, before licking his lips, and opening a third button.

  I clenched my jaw as I re-buttoned.

  “That is not yours to touch. And, if you value your hands, you'll do well to keep them to yourself,” I said evenly.

  By now, I'd seen exactly how Terrin worked. The landlord was a bully, pure and simple. The women who worked for him feared him.

  Actually, I think he must have used some sort of blackmail on each of them, to gain their compliance.

  He grabbed my wrist and twisted.

  “Listen, girl. You'll do as I say, or I will take you to the Magistrate myself.” he warned.

  Fire licked at my insides.

  I could break his neck right here and no one would notice.

  Except I wasn’t a sanctioned cold-blooded killer anymore.

  I was not a member of the Angelic Guard, and was not under the command of a superior officer, with the immunity that granted.

  He opened the buttons again with his free hand.

  “If that blouse is not as I have left it, there will be trouble.”

  After he walked off, I felt the vampire's eyes upon me, his voice as clear to me as if I was right beside him.

  “Careful, Fallen. These people will burn anyone who they think is not like them...” he said.

  I nodded.

  “But I will happily drain the fool, for you, if you wish,” he added.

  “I know how you Fallen can have a conscience about killing for your own desires.”

  I would have reacted except at that moment the inn's door opened and I knew that the two male Fallen Angels had just entered.

  “Don't react, Fallen. I will introduce you when the opportunity arises,” the Vampire spoke quickly, his tone low, before rising and greeting the two travelers with a hearty handshake.

  I took a moment to look at them.

  I'd seen male Angels before, but these two did not look like the uniformed, pristine males I'd ever seen at any choosing ceremony. Like me, they were dressed as humans: one seemed to give the other orders. Clearly their disguise was as a Lord and his squire.