Love Bite Obey

Chapter 13: Raiders

"Rahlan, you can't be serious," I say. "Once your sister's safe, there's no reason to hurt the people living in Dinore."

On his mount, Rahlan doesn't look down at me. His new horse continues forward while I walk backwards trying to reason with him. He's leading his new army through the woods to Dinore, on his way to rescue his sister and slaughter everyone else.

I hurry in front of him, staying just out of the path of his white warhorse. "You know they're good people. You've met them. Zaray and Lazarin helped us escape those guards while knowing nothing more than my name. They aren't allies of their king any more than the villagers of Litton are allies to King Groel. Single out the ones you find responsible for keeping Mia and take your revenge on them, but leave the innocent out of it. The farmers, traders and innkeepers have done nothing to deserve your wrath."

He glances down at me, and my heart jumps. Am I finally getting through to him? This is the first time he's looked at me since he accused me of not caring about his sister, as if I'd be happy to let someone die.

"Theron," Rahlan calls.

The gray-haired vampire steps forward from the mass of soldiers marching behind him. "Lord Rahlan?"

"Take the human somewhere out of my ear," Rahlan says.

My mouth falls open. The human? He didn't hear a word I said.

Theron's hand wraps around my arm, and I instinctively try to rip it out of his grip. Unlike when Rahlan held my arm earlier tonight, Theron has no intention of letting go so easily. Despite my struggling, he pulls me back between the rest of the men.

Tall vampires march on either side of me, brushing up against me as Theron weaves us towards the back of the group. The little light the moon provided is blocked out by the massive figures that surround me. Being vampires, they have no need for torches. Unable to see, I stumble behind Theron. He's not like Rahlan. He won't allow me even a moment to find my bearings. If I fall, he'll simply drag me.

A cold pair of red eyes pass over me, and a shiver runs down my spine. I'm pulled passed the figure before I'm able to get a better look at them, but with that slim build and black hair, I'm almost certain that it was Ella. Rahlan's mother has come along, and with her whispering in his ear, things can only get worse.

Soon we reach the back of the group, and I glare at Theron until he releases my arm. We passed at least fifty vampires – a force too small to attack a castle, but more than enough to slaughter a village of humans.

Theron doesn't meet my gaze, but I know that he's keeping me in his peripheral vision. He won't allow me back to Rahlan, and trying to sneak around him will only result in his hand remaining locked to my arm for the rest of the journey.

How can Theron be content with killing innocent people? For a moment I consider trying to convince him to not participate in this plan, but then I remember that the only thing I know about him is that he was part of that conquering army which Lord Soran formed to plunder the last human city in my country. Rahlan at least was on a mission to avenge his father, but this man's only purpose for joining that group was hunger for money and fame, either of which he is happy to sacrifice humans to acquire. These vampires are professional soldiers. Destroying human lives is what they do.

* * * * * * * *

We reach the farm clearing around Dinore at dawn. The vampires put down their bags and begin wrapping themselves in leather armor. A horn blares from behind Dinore's walls, and the human women who went out in the early morning to draw water have abandoned their pails to run back inside the village, only just making it before the doors close. There's a vampire army gathering outside their home, and they're trapped. I know the fear in their hearts – the same fear that pushed me to flee from my own village.