Haven’t read Chapter One yet? Click here to read it!
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight

 

After Hillard had left the room, Sarah just stared at the door he had closed behind himself. He had provided her with very few answers – instead asking her more questions of his own. She mulled over those questions, trying to make some sort of sense out of what had just happened. Vampires? Germany? How were the two related? Germany was relatively close to Romania, but both were far, far away from Canada. Maybe she was not in some alternate universe. Maybe she was in some part of Germany. Maybe she had been kidnapped and taken half way across the world. To what end?  Nothing made any sense.

Adalaide came back into the room, carrying another bowl of soup. “How is your stomach? Is it ready for a bit more nourishment? We need to try to get your strength up,” she said brightly as she entered.

Sarah recognised that the soup she had eaten earlier was no longer making her stomach feel full. She could definitely eat again; her growling stomach was testament to that. She pushed herself into a more upright position, and was pleased to discover that the dizziness had abated.

Adalaide sat quietly beside Sarah as she ate. She looked as if she wanted to say something. After a few uncomfortable minutes of Sarah sipping on her soup and Adalaide simply sitting there staring at her, Sarah put down her spoon and looked directly at her hostess.

“What?” Sarah asked irritably. She knew that she should be nicer to Adalaide, who had helped to nurse her while she was sick, but she found herself annoyed by her just the same.

“I have never met a fog traveller before. What was it like? Did it hurt?”

Sarah just stared at Adalaide. “I have no idea. We were just driving. We drove through some fog. Sure, it was thicker than most fog, but it wasn’t like we fell through some wormhole and ended up in outer space. The only difference I noticed was that the road wasn’t paved anymore.”

Adalaide nodded, but from her confused expression, Sarah got the idea that Adalaide hadn’t understood everything that she had said. Adalaide had a thicker German accent than Hillard did and Sarah had the idea that she didn’t speak a lot of English. She made a mental note to speak in more simple terms with her and to be careful to speak a bit more slowly.

“Is this your house?” Sarah asked. She figured that it was, but it seemed polite to make conversation with someone who was feeding her and who had been apparently taking care of her for three days.

“Yes. I was born here. I have lived here all my life.”

There was a knock at the door and Adalaide looked up, with what looked like an expression of regret on her face at being interrupted while getting to know her guest. Hillard peeked in.

“Can I come in?” He sounded almost like a little kid, asking permission to come sit with the adults.

“Of course,” said Sarah. “I want to finish our conversation as soon as possible. I have to admit that I’m more confused now than ever.”

Hillard chuckled a little. “I’m not surprised. You’re the first person I’ve had this discussion with. I’ve seen other fog travellers, of course, and spoken to a few, but this is the first time I’ve tried to explain all of this to anyone. I don’t want to make things any more confusing for you than they already are.”

This surprised Sarah a bit. She wondered where he had learned to speak English. She had assumed that he had learned by speaking with other people like herself. She asked, timidly, “If you and everyone else around here is German, why do you all speak English?”

“Well,” he answered, seeming relieved to be asked a slightly less complicated question, “when the fog travellers come through, they don’t all speak German, of course. As children, we’re taught several of the main languages in school so that we can communicate. I’m pretty fluent in English and French, as well as my native German.”

Sarah was amazed that he knew so many languages. She had been forced to learn a bit of French in school as a child, but would never consider herself to be fluent in anything except English. Although she was curious about the type of schooling the children here received, she decided to turn the conversation back to what was really on her mind.

“So, have you come back with more questions for me,” she asked, unable to keep the note of sarcasm out of her voice, “or are you finally going to start answering some of mine?”

He nodded. “I know it hasn’t been fair to you. It’s just difficult to explain if I don’t understand the differences between our two worlds. I want to give you an explanation that makes sense to you.”

“Well, you haven’t done a very good job of it so far,” she exclaimed in frustration.

“Okay, let me just clarify a few more things. I promise not to walk away again without explaining everything, okay?” Hillard’s bright green eyes looked pleadingly into her own. She found it hard to resist his earnest expression.

“Okay. Fine. Does that mean you have more questions for me?” Sarah tried to remain patient with Hillard, but it was difficult facing the prospect of answering more of his questions when she had so many of her own burning within her brain.

“Yes. First, what do you know of the history of the country you call Germany?”

“Well, I know that they have been in a lot of wars over the years. In fact, they tried to take over other countries several times in the past. I know that they were the main cause of World War II and a leading player in World War I. I don’t know a lot about what happened before then, though.” Sarah wondered where this was all going to lead.

“Well, that’s a start. Our … Germany … here has had a long history of war with other … countries. About five hundred years ago, there were many small wars between different groups in that country. One leader came to the forefront, his name was Charles the Fifth. Do you know that name?”  Hillard looked searchingly at Sarah.

“I’ve heard of leaders named Charles in the past, but I have to say that I don’t have a lot of knowledge of history,” Sarah admitted.

“Well, our Charles the Fifth stood out in many ways. He fought many battles, always coming out victorious. What really made him famous, however, was the fact that he received many supposedly mortal wounds, yet always managed to survive. In fact, he quickly gained a reputation of being almost immortal.”

“The how of the matter is unknown now, at least it is to me. But Charles somehow became infected with vampirism. He essentially was immortal. No one was his match on the battle field. And it soon became obvious that many of his soldiers were obtaining his same abilities.”

Hillard paused for a moment and Sarah let her mind run back over what he had been saying. She found it interesting the way Hillard had said that Charles became infected with vampirism, almost as if it were a disease.

He began again. “Sarah, what do you know about vampires?” He looked almost afraid to hear her answer.

She waited a moment before answering, then began to list the traits that were commonly discussed when the topic of vampires was brought up. She felt kind of ridiculous, listing off a bunch of what she had always thought was superstitious nonsense.

“Hmmm.  They don’t like garlic. Holy water burns them. The sign of the cross scares them away. Their reflection can’t be seen in mirrors. And they can be killed by shoving a wooden stake through their heart, or by lighting them on fire. Sunlight will kill them as fast as fire. And, of course, they drink human blood.”

Hillard looked amused through the recitation of most of her list, but the last item caused a pensive look to pass over his face. He paused a moment, thinking before he spoke again.

“Well, most of that isn’t true. They have a history of war with the church, but holy water and crosses have no effect on them. They also have no problems with garlic. A wooden stake doesn’t kill them, but can paralyze them if placed properly, and if they catch on fire they will burn until nothing is left. Finally, while they can’t stay in the sun for long periods without becoming very weak, sunlight doesn’t kill them.”

Sarah stared at him blankly. “So what you’re trying to tell me is that vampires are real?”

He took a deep breath. “Yes, Sarah. And your sister is being held by one.”

She shook her head. She felt like her heart was beating too fast. She was also having trouble breathing and it had nothing to do with her cold. “I don’t want to hear any more of this. I think I need to rest. I just need to sleep for a bit.” She pulled the covers up to her chin and rolled over, her back towards Hillard.  She heard him sigh.

“Okay, Sarah. I understand. I’ll be in the other room if you want to talk some more. I want to answer all of your questions, but I understand that you need some time to process all of this.” She heard the door shut quietly behind him as he left the room.

Sarah tried to block her conversation with Hillard out of her mind. This was all just too much to deal with. How much craziness was one person supposed to be able to handle? How was she supposed to just accept everything at face value when it all went against everything she knew logically?

She lay in the bed for over an hour, trying to both block everything out and find the escape of sleep, but was successful with neither. Even though most of her mind resisted any idea of this being real at all, a tiny voice inside her head told her that she had to accept this, that it was real, and that her sister was depending on her.

Sarah thought about her sister then. If all of this were true, then Christine was in grave danger, if she was even still alive. Sarah knew that she had to get out of bed, pull herself together, and do something to help Christine – but to do that she would have to take a leap of faith, perhaps a leap into madness. She felt so weak and tired – both mentally and physically. If she weren’t still so ill, maybe she could think more clearly. It seemed like everything just fell apart all at once – the destruction of her marriage, her illness, the fog, the craziness.

Suddenly, without any conscious effort on Sarah’s part, her mind found a way to accept the unacceptable.  Perhaps none of this was real after all. Maybe she was laying in a bed somewhere, delirious from a fever. In which case, it didn’t matter if it were real or not, she could get out of bed and play along. Part of her felt like, no matter if this were real or not, she had to help her sister. She and Christine had been through too much together – their father’s alcoholism, their mother’s slow death from cancer – for her to leave Christine alone, even if this was just delirium.

Sarah made a conscious decision to play along with Hillard, no matter how unbelievable this all was and she finally sat up in bed and swung her legs over the side. So, vampires were real, were they? Well, she would be going in opposition to one to save her sister. She needed all of the information she could get to prepare herself. It was time to find her key source of information – Hillard.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Christine awoke the next morning back in the beautiful prison that was her room. She had a hard time remembering anything at all at first, but then the images of Lord Radek kissing [biting!] her neck came back to her all too clearly. He had drunk her blood! He’d been drinking her blood for days! That would explain her lethargy, her inexplicable weakness. She thought carefully over the events of the past few days. Last night had been the third time she remembered that [exquisite] kiss on her neck. A vampire! As if finding herself in another world were not enough! She had to find a way to escape from here. Gervis had seemed so eager to help her, but Christine hadn’t seen him since Lord Radek’s return to the Castle days ago. She hoped that he was okay, that Lord Radek hadn’t punished him too harshly. She decided to ask Giselle about him the next time she saw her.

Christine got up out of the bed and realized that she was no longer in her beautiful scarlet gown, but was now dressed back in the cotton nightgown she had been wearing since she arrived. She was happy to see that at least it was now clean and no longer smelled of old sweat. One thought struck her though – who had changed her clothing last night? Christine hoped it had been Giselle and not Lord Radek. The thought of him caressing her unconscious naked body nauseated her.

There was a brief knock on the door and then Giselle entered the room. This was the first time she had ever knocked before coming in and she seemed more subdued than her normally haughty self. Christine remembered the look of fear on Giselle’s face when Lord Radek had chastised her the night before. Perhaps Christine’s situation in the castle was improving. If Lord Radek was treating her differently than the other visitors he’d had before, it was possible that it could provide her with an opportunity. Perhaps, if she played her cards right, she could find a way to escape.

She looked thoughtfully at Giselle as she placed the breakfast tray on the dressing table and began busily making Christine’s bed.

“Giselle, I know you don’t like me, but I want to ask you a question.”

Giselle turned to her, a look of surprise on her face at having been spoken to. Just as quickly, the look turned to suspicion. “I won’t be helping you to leave this place,” she snapped at Christine.

Christine thought carefully before she spoke. “I don’t want to leave. I feel safe here. Lord Radek has explained that he just wants to take care of me. And I have everything I could ever want or need.”

“Then what’s the question you want me to be answering?” The suspicious look on Giselle’s face only increased.

“Well, I haven’t seen Gervis since my first night here. I know I mustn’t see or speak to him, but I want to make sure he’s okay. I don’t want to cause him any more trouble by asking Lord Radek.”

The suspicious look on Giselle’s face softened for a moment and then hardened again before she answered. “He’s getting better now. Lord Radek drained him near to death out of anger at his treachery. If it weren’t for the pact he has with Gervis’ parents, that fine young man would be dead right now, thanks to you!”

Giselle straightened the covers on Christine’s bed with a final, abrupt tug and then she stormed out of the room, first slamming, and then locking the door behind her.

Christine pondered this new bit of information. At least Gervis was still alive. But this meant she could not depend on him for rescue. In fact, she decided firmly, she would follow Giselle’s initial advice and avoid any contact with him at all. She really liked him and would deeply regret it if any lasting harm came to him because of her. It appeared that she was on her own.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Sarah opened the door to her room and peeked out into the rest of the cottage. Having been unconscious when she arrived, she was curious as to the appearance of the rest of the dwelling.

There appeared to be only one other room. It was bigger than her bedroom, with a makeshift wooden divider blocking a small part of the room off and the rest open. There was a wood-burning stove to her left, with a wooden shelf providing counter space beside it.  There was a comfortable-looking couch on the other side of the stove, made of wood and covered with pillows, and a wooden table, surrounded by four chairs, right beside a thick wooden door that appeared to lead outside. Sarah saw Adalaide and Hillard sitting at the table, deep in discussion. From what she could hear, they were speaking in German. The conversation broke off as Hillard noticed Sarah peeking at them.

“You okay?” he asked, concern on his face.

“Yeah. I have more questions,” she said, realizing that she had so many questions at the moment that she didn’t even know where to start.

“Want some more soup?” Adalaide offered.

Sarah nodded absently as she sat down at the table, still trying to wade through the myriad of questions swirling around in her brain. Adalaide walked over to the old-fashioned woodstove and spooned some soup out of a pot resting on top.

“Are you feeling any better?” Hillard asked, obviously aware that Sarah was not yet ready to begin with her questions.

“I feel tired and a bit weak, but better,” she admitted, trying still to maintain some of the illusion in her own mind that this was all some kind of fever delusion. She slowly sipped the soup that Adalaide had placed before her on the table.

Hillard spoke after a few moments. “Adalaide is going to go to the castle in a little while to ask around about your sister.”

Sarah looked gratefully at Adelaide. “Can I come?” she asked eagerly.

Hillard shook his head. “Not a good idea, Sarah. We don’t know how much Lord Radek knows about you. We wouldn’t want to have you trapped in there with your sister. Plus, in your weakened state, you’re in no shape for the walk there. Give it least a few more hours before you decide to run out to rescue your sister.” He smiled at her, reassuringly. “Don’t worry. I don’t think she’s in any danger at the moment. We’ll get to her before anything bad happens.”

Sarah felt some relief at his words and had to admit that he was right about her health, but her instinct was to jump up,  march over to the castle and demand that this Lord Radek release her sister immediately. She had to agree with Hillard, however, she’d probably pass out in the woods before she even got within sight of the castle.

“Who is this Lord Radek?” she asked.

“He is the self-proclaimed Lord of these parts,” Hillard explained. “He is the Vampire Lord. All of our cities and towns are ruled by vampires, but most are not as cruel, nor as crazy, as Lord Radek has proved himself to be over the years.”

“Your people are ruled by vampires?” Sarah was confused. This didn’t sound much like the stories she had heard about vampires in her world. Those vampires lived in castles, sure, but they avoided people for the most part.

“I explained earlier that Charles the Fifth was the first vampire and that he created a vampire army for himself, remember?”

“Yes.”

Hillard paused, and Sarah stood up as Adalaide appeared, ready to leave. Adalaide hugged her, slung a knapsack over one shoulder, and left the cottage. Sarah mentally wished her good luck as she watched Adalaide march into the forest through the window. She hoped that Adalaide would return with some good news about her sister. Then, finally tearing her eyes away from the window, she turned back to Hillard with a look of expectation in her eyes. After a moment, he continued.

“Well, over the next fifty years, Charles the Fifth managed to unite all of the German leaders under his rule. At the same time, other world leaders had become infected by vampirism. The king of France, Francis the First, and the King of England, Henry the Eighth, were the most notable. Those two had begun a war during the 1530’s that was beginning to rage throughout Europe, involving huge vampire armies.”

Sarah just sat quietly, listening to Hillard, enthralled by this alternate history.

“At that time, the numbers of vampires had swelled to enormous, nearly unsustainable proportions. One side, lead by Francis the first, felt that it was their right, ordained by God, to rule the Earth. They were starting to believe that they were gods themselves and that the humans were merely cattle for them to consume at will. The other side was lead by the more pragmatic Henry the eighth, who felt that religion held no part of the vampire existence, but felt that the Earth should fall under his leadership alone.”

“It was at this time that one of Francis the First’s high councillors, called DaVinci, decided that it was time to take matters into his own hands. He could see the devastation that was occurring as well as the inevitable outcome – the extinction of the human race.”

Sarah gasped in recognition. “Leonardo DaVinci?”

“Yes, you know of him?”

“Yeah, he was a wonderful artist and inventor in my world.  He was a vampire?” Sarah was stunned, but in a way she wasn’t that surprised. DaVinci was a very colourful historic figure, and he was known to be a dominant figure in many historical conspiracy theories. Being a vampire as well was not really that huge a leap.

“In this world DaVinci was converted to vampirism by Francis the First himself. Francis was intrigued by DaVinci’s ideas and inventiveness. But, somewhere along the way, that freedom of thought led DaVinci’s beliefs down a road that was different from that of Francis. DaVinci recognized that the vampires needed to develop a more symbiotic relationship with the humans, rather than one of pure dominance. He saw the only survival of the vampire race as coming from a culling of their numbers. He had a large number of followers himself, and joining forces with the army of Charles the Fifth, they determined to somehow cull the numbers and bring some sort of peace to the vampire race. The battle between the Symbiots and the Dictators lasted for nearly a century. DaVinci’s vision of culling the numbers of the vampire race was satisfied during the war, but at the expense of nearly all of his followers. Near the end, it is said that DaVinci fled into the mountains in the Far East.”

Sarah was so enthralled by the story that she hadn’t even realized that Hillard had stopped for a moment and was watching her face with a speculative look. She wondered how it must seem to him, telling this story to someone who had never heard it before. She wondered how he felt about her intense interest.

Hillard took a deep breath and continued. “You should know that the vampire race was not the only casualty of the Great Vampire War. The human race was also decimated in the process. Vampiric healing takes a great deal of energy, and humans were used as the main power source to continue the war. The rumour is that DaVinci, while working against the mentality of both Francis and Henry, saw the beauty of the vampire and did not want the race to be completely destroyed. On the other hand, he also knew the beauty of humankind as well. He feared that the human race would be extinguished and tried to find some way to increase their numbers. It was while DaVinci was in the eastern mountains that the fogs began. Humans came through the fog – not every time, but often enough to begin to replenish the numbers for a time – if the vampiric numbers remained low. These fogs occurred in places scattered all over the world, and on a fairly regular schedule. To this day, no one knows exactly what causes them – at least no one I’ve ever spoken to. All that is known is that the people who come through the fog are from worlds similar to our own, but they don’t always come from the same world.  That’s how you came to be here.”

Sarah just stared at Hillard for a moment. There had been a few disappearances on the road from Thunder Bay to the United States over the years. Of course, it was also a common route for drug runners, so not all of the disappearances would necessarily have been reported.

A thought struck her then. Had she and Christine been brought here as food?

“We’re supposed to be food?” she asked, unbelievingly.

Hillard smiled wistfully at her. “Not necessarily. You were brought here to replenish and strengthen the human numbers on this world. Some vampires see that as simply food replacement, but others see it as an opportunity to learn about other worlds and technologies.”

“How did DaVinci create the fog?” Sarah asked. She had never heard of any technology like that. She was a bit of a science fiction buff, so she guessed that the parallel worlds were something like those suggested in the old television series Quantum Leap – where infinite worlds existed in parallel to our own, the only difference being that at some point in time a different choice had been made. For example, in another world, she and Christine might have decided to drive to Winnipeg instead of to the spa in the United States. They would still be in that world, because they never would have encountered the fog. Or someone else might have come through the fog. If so, where were those other people? The infinite possibilities were giving her a headache.

“No one knows how he did it – or even if it was really him. He was just thought of as the most likely suspect because of his intense studies in science, magic, and technology, and his interest in replenishing the human race.”

Sarah stared into space for a few moments, trying to take it all in. Here was a world history very different from her own.

“And is DaVinci still alive?” she asked.

“No one knows that, either. The histories say that he never came down from the mountains. Charles the Fifth declared him dead after a year or two and declared himself to be the victor in the war. A few good things resulted from the Great Vampire War, despite the great destruction involved. First, the numbers of vampires were greatly depleted, leaving just over a thousand still in existence. Also, the human race was able to begin to grow again. Finally, both Francis and Henry came to realize that a more manageable power structure was required, because immediately after the Great Vampire War they began to explore the world. Other continents were discovered, with more humans to feed on. Charles the Fifth decided to form the Vampire Council – with him at the head – which would act as world rulers. Most vampires still saw themselves as gods, you see, and felt that it was their right to rule the world. The members of the Vampire Council are like the ultimate gods, to whom every other vampire must answer. The Council quickly decreed that the making of new vampires was forbidden without their permission. Any new vampires created without this permission would be immediately destroyed, along with their creators. In that way, Charles ended up fulfilling DaVinci’s vision.”

“So is there still a Council?” asked Sarah.

“Yes, and Charles the Fifth is still at its head. Other vampires have tried to challenge him over the years, but have failed, unable to match the power of the oldest known vampire.”

“Does that mean that they get stronger with age?”

“Apparently so. Although some also think that it’s related to the amount of blood consumed. For that reason, whenever someone challenges Charles, there is usually a human massacre somewhere in the world first. The Council watches for just such occurrences.”

“So human beings are just cattle for these monsters?” The story was starting to lose its appeal as Sarah started to focus again on the human role in this world.

“Not so. Over time, the Council developed methods to create blood sustainability. Blood is our main form of currency, measured in Geschenk – which originally meant ‘gift’ in German. Each vampire rules their own area – often a few towns or a city – and they collect yearly taxes from all of their citizens who have reached adulthood. Several people travel to a Blood Bank every day and provide blood there. The blood is then stored chilled in glass tubes, with a few herbs added to decrease the clotting effect, and the Lord consumes them within a day or so. Each citizen who owns land is required to make this sort of contribution once a year. They also have the ability to go to the Blood Bank to provide Geschenk up to three more times a year, which can then be used as currency to buy food, supplies, or whatever is available. Each Geschenk can be divided into one hundred Stück. Citizens use Stück to pay for food and clothing and other necessities. It’s the Vampire Lord’s job to keep his or her citizens happy and healthy so that the population is sufficient to provide for his or her needs.”

Sarah was amazed that an entire monetary system had been developed based on the vampiric need for blood. It didn’t sound nearly as evil as the vampire novels of her own world made it sound. In fact, it actually sounded as if there were no reason in this world for anyone to be homeless or to go hungry.

“It doesn’t sound as bad as I thought it would,” she admitted.

“It isn’t, if the Vampire Lord runs his land the way he’s supposed to, as set out in the Vampire Code. In fact, it can provide a comfortable existence for many. The problem here in Donner is that Lord Radek is not following the Code. He keeps a number of humans in his castle as a constant food supply. Instead of receiving his Geschenk as deposited in the Blood Bank, freely given, he often takes the blood forcibly from his victims.”

Sarah realized suddenly what Hillard was telling her. “So Christine is being held in the castle as his food?”

Hillard nodded grimly. “Yes, and we need to rescue her soon. Lord Radek’s victims rarely last more than a few weeks before they are too weak from blood loss to survive.”

Sarah abruptly got up from the table, walked over to the door, and stared outside for awhile, almost willing Adalaide to appear with news about her sister. She knew, however, that it would be hours before Adalaide returned.

“So,” she asked finally, sitting back down across from Hillard, “how do we rescue my sister from this monster?”

“I’ll think of something,” he said reassuringly. “Adalaide and I have many friends inside the castle.”

“Do you think Christine is being treated all right?” Sarah shook her head at the ridiculous question and then restated, “Well, aside from the fact that he’s drinking her blood?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen any of Lord Radek’s victims after they’ve been taken to the castle, and I’ve never asked anyone who works there. Sometimes it’s just easier not to know.”

Sarah looked over at Hillard in surprise. “Why are you helping me then? If you’ve never helped anyone before, why do it now?”

Hillard’s intense green eyes stared into her own for a moment and then he looked away quickly before saying quietly, “I like you Sarah.” He looked at her again and smiled. “I think it was the angry look on your face when you were beating on that car horn. You looked so determined and angry. I liked that fire you showed.”

Sarah blushed and looked down at the table. She was known for being as stubborn as a mule sometimes. She looked back up at Hillard and smiled back at him. “I like you too. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

Hillard felt very drawn to Sarah. In some ways, she seemed very fragile, and in others she was as stubborn as an old horse. He did like her very much, especially when she smiled at him like she was doing right now. He just had to remember to keep his distance. Above all else, he needed to keep her safe, and part of that meant not letting her get too close.

Trying to change the subject, Sarah asked, “Why does the Vampire Council let Lord Radek get away with breaking the rules?”

“Well,” replied Hillard, “the lands of different Vampire Lords are far apart from each other. Communication between different lands is rare.  There is some trade, carried out by independent merchant groups.”

“I guess that explains why my cell phone didn’t work,” Sarah smiled ruefully.

“Yes. I’ve seen other fog travellers carrying that kind of technology, but we have nothing close to it here. We can send letters and messages with the travelling merchants, but Lord Radek has an agreement with them. They are paid well to ensure that no negative messages about Lord Radek get through.”

Something struck Sarah strange at that point. “If the vampires live so far away from each other, how can the Vampire Council meet and tell the rest of the vampires their decisions, especially those across the ocean?”

“That is some kind of vampire secret, but I think it must be some type of mental communication. They have many mysterious powers.” Hillard didn’t like keeping things from Sarah, but he didn’t want to appear too knowledgeable about the vampires, in case that aroused her suspicions.

The mention of mysterious powers caught Sarah’s interest.  It would be important to learn as much as she could about the strengths of Lord Radek before she went after him.  “What other powers do they have?” she asked eagerly.

“The most important, and the most dangerous,” said Hillard, “is their ability to affect human emotion. They can’t control your thoughts, but they can implant false feelings of security in their victims – or increase their terror a hundred times.”

Sarah thought about that for a moment. No wonder the vampires were able to maintain control. Any time a human came near, meaning them harm, the threatened vampire could theoretically transform any feelings of hostility into safety.  “Can they do it to more than one person at a time?” she asked curiously.

“Yes, normally. As long as the vampire is not in a weakened state, they can control anyone within their range of sight. If they are weakened, however, by a need to heal or a prolonged exposure to sunlight, they could have difficulty controlling even a single person.”

“So that’s a weakness we could exploit,” Sarah suggested eagerly.

“Yes. That’s what I’ve been thinking. And we have a secret weapon, as well. For some reason, there are a few individuals who are immune to the emotional influence of the Vampire Lords.  I happen to be one of them.” Hillard felt uncomfortable telling Sarah this lie, even though it was just a lie of omission.  Again he told himself that was safer if she didn’t know. He didn’t know how she would react if she found out he was one of those ‘monsters’ they had been discussing.

Sarah’s eyes lit up. “Seriously? So we actually have a chance of rescuing Christine! This could actually work!”

Hillard tried to temper Sarah’s enthusiasm. “Just remember, Lord Radek is a very old, very powerful vampire. He has been ruling this Land for more than two hundred years and drinks much more blood than the average vampire.”

Sarah’s eyes widened. “Does he drink more than just the Geschenk and the fog travellers?”

“Yes,” Hillard replied grimly. “He drains any criminal. No matter what the crime – stealing a piece of bread or killing another man – the punishment is always the same.”

Sarah was shocked. “He would kill someone even for stealing food for their family?”

“Oh, yes. He sees it as one more excuse to increase his blood consumption.”

“He really is a monster! He needs to be stopped!”

“Yes, but that’s not an easy thing to do. It’s been tried many times and no one has ever succeeded. For now, let’s just focus on rescuing your sister.”

“I know. But what happens after we rescue her? Can we go back and wait for the fog to come again so we can go home?”

Hillard shook his head ruefully. “It doesn’t work that way Sarah,” he said, his voice thick with regret. “You never know which world you would be going to.  The only constant is that the fog always comes here.  If you tried to go back through it, you would most likely only end up trapped in another world that isn’t your own.”

Sarah thought about that for a moment. “But we could escape Lord Radek that way.”

Hillard considered that. “True. In fact, that would probably be the safest option for you two after we rescue Christine. The only problem would be keeping you safe until the next fog.”

“How often do they come?”

“Once a month, with the full moon. So, we would have to hide you for about three weeks. I have some friends who could give us food, but we’ll have to hide in the woods.”

Sarah could see their plan slowly developing. Now they just needed Adalaide to return with some information about Christine.

 

Read Chapter 10 next Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 . . .

 

Want to read more now? You can buy the book on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Barnes and Noble, Powell’s Books, Flipkart.com, Bookadda.com, Bookdepository.com, Booksygen.com, Thalia.de

 

Or you can get a signed copy or pdf version here. Right now the pdf version is only $0.99!

In the upcoming weeks, we will be adding mobi, lit, and epub versions.