Werewolf Knight 2, page 32
“You’ve saved all of us,” the cloaked hybrid figure who had tried to stop me before said. He fell to his knees before me and touched my boot. “I ask for your forgiveness, eternal protector.”
“He’s not only an eternal protector,” another voice boomed. “He’s the eternal savior.”
“Eternal savior!” the hybrid in front of me repeated and then looked up.
The King shooed away a group of cloaked figures who were trying to wrap him in several oversized towels and walked toward me. He looked and sounded stronger than he had just a few minutes before, and I sighed in relief that the injuries the ruler had suffered didn’t seem to be lethal.
“Henry the Baker of New Jersey,” the King boomed. “The eternal savior of Lupercalia!”
“Eternal savior!” the crowd cheered.
I looked around at all the hybrid royals, and a few women in human form who were also wearing cloaks. I looked down at Tabitha and Sybil, who were smiling up at me. They pumped their fists and cheered with the crowd.
Eternal savior of Lupercalia. I liked the sound of that.
Chapter 19
Sybil grabbed my left hand and squeezed it, and when I looked down, I saw that the ring had stopped glowing. The Moon Goddess had helped to guide us there that night, and I knew that we wouldn’t have been able to do it without her.
“Are you okay, Hank?” she asked in a low voice.
“Of course,” I said and smiled. “All my wounds are actually healing way quicker than I imagined.”
As the cheering faded away, someone remembered to light some lanterns, and a woman with gray hair was issuing instructions about blankets for the King. A young woman that I’d seen at the Palace a few times handed the King a steaming bowl that smelled like lemons.
“Here,” Tabitha said as she shoved my sack into my free hand. “You might be the Eternal Savior now, but somebody’s going to notice that you still have that knife in your hand in a minute.”
“Oh, right,” I said as I looked down at my right hand.
The knife was no longer glowing, but I couldn’t take the risk of scratching someone with it. So I started to dig through my sack for the cloth when I noticed the King wave everyone else away. Tabitha and Sybil were ready to stay by my side, but the King gave them a stern look that sent them scurrying after the robed figures as well.
“A truly powerful weapon,” the King said. “If you hadn’t found it in the Obsidian Temple, then I doubt that I would still be alive tonight.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” I said and looked at the knife. “I think the Goddess sent me to that temple, and I think the real reason was so I could find this blade.”
“I knew that the opal held specific magical powers,” he said. “But how did you know to cut the beast along the threads?”
The comment made me feel warm inside and proud of myself for the fight. Being complimented for my power by the King reminded me of the feeling of the speed juice, but less frantic. I felt like light was glowing out of my armor.
“The cipher told me,” I said. “The cipher who translated Wenderoth’s notebook. He told me about some of the magical properties that the opal dagger had. And it seemed strange to me that Wenderoth would keep such a weapon, so I wondered if Wenderoth had used it to kill some of their… unsuccessful attempts. When I saw the magic leave the body after I’d sliced off the arm, I knew that was the only way to kill it.”
“Vampires are tricky beings,” he murmured. “They’re always scheming about something, and we always thought they were stupid and scatterbrained because a lot of their schemes didn’t seem to make any sense. But you’ve proven to us tonight that vampires may be more intelligent than we believed.”
“This isn’t the end,” I said with a nod. “I left the notebook with the cipher so that he could see what else was in it, Wenderoth had written a great deal about opals and magic, and the cipher believed that this attack was only part of a larger plan, one they’ve been working on for years. But there was still a lot to be decoded.”
“You keep mentioning this cipher,” the King chuckled. “I remember you coming to me before the beginning of the festival with the notebook, and I told you to ask Sebastian. This cipher he directed you to, is it--”
“Melchior?” I replied. “Yes, it’s him. We found him.”
“All the way out there on his little island in Lake Gomul?” the King asked, and his eyes sparkled in the moonlight.
I squinted at the King. I was under the impression that the Palace only had a faint idea where Melchior had disappeared to, but it seemed like the King knew a little more than what he was letting on.
“Yes,” I said suspiciously. “But Sebastian didn’t give us much to go on. He claimed that no one really knew where the cipher had gone.”
“Do you really think a man who had read so many state secrets would be allowed to disappear without a trace?” the King asked.
“But…” I started to protest and then stopped.
“I knew before Melchior did that he was tired of the job,” the King sighed. “I may not have been much of a warrior, but I’ve always been very good at reading people. So, it wasn’t hard to plant the idea of a hidden island on Lake Gomul as the perfect hideaway. The harder part has been ensuring that the island doesn’t appear on any maps.”
“To keep him safe,” I said and nodded. “If his location got into the wrong hands, then it would be…”
“Disastrous,” the King said. “Melchior did a good job of disappearing, but it’s our job in the Palace to make sure he remains hidden. And not just for his knowledge of the inner workings of the Kingdom. I’m sure he told you about some of his alchemical experiments.”
“He did,” I replied.
“We’ve kept an eye on those as well,” the King explained. “He used to tinker with it when he was the Royal Cipher, but now he’s made it his life’s work. And the things he’s unlocked are not the kind of things that our enemies should know.”
“Tabitha wanted to make another map with the island on it,” I noted. “But I’ll make sure that it stays a secret.”
The King only nodded at me with a knowing smile, and he adjusted one of the blankets that had been placed around his shoulders. He rose to his full height and cleared his throat.
“Royal compatriots,” he boomed to the small crowd of people.
I heard a snicker in the audience, and the King raised his right eyebrow.
“Or shall I say,” he sighed and beckoned the small crowd closer. “Friends and family of the King.”
The group slowly shuffled back to us, and as I studied their faces, I saw most of them were looking at me with a sense of awe. One of the women even brought a small handkerchief to her eye to stop herself from crying.
“There, there,” I heard one of the hybrid figures whisper, and when I looked over he patted her on the shoulder. “Look, he’s alright. He was saved by Henry and the grace of the Moon Goddess.”
“Tonight,” the King started and cleared his throat again, “has taken many, many unexpected turns. And I think we can all agree that this was only possible because we refused to accept the truth. We clung to the belief that the vampires were simple creatures, even when presented with proof of their wicked plans.”
The royals all dropped their heads and nodded.
“We, as the royals of Lupercalia, have not committed an oversight this serious since the destruction of Ermine Village,” the King sighed.
A few of the royals looked back and forth at each other, and some of them even clasped hands. Clearly, this was a big deal.
I looked over at Tabitha, whose eyes had widened at the mention of the Ermine Village. I had no idea what it meant, but I thought back to the guards at the door who had said that certain divine interventions had been ignored in the past at great cost to the Kingdom. Maybe that was one of them.
“If we Lupercalian nobles refuse to listen to the very people whose lives we were given to protect, then we will weaken as a society,” the King boomed. “If we are weak, there will be cracks. And those are the cracks that the vampires use. That the undesirable creatures who crave destruction use. And that those monsters who want to kill our people and overturn our sacred society will use. Is that what we want?”
“No,” several royals responded while others shook their heads.
“Tonight we were lucky,” the King said, and his face softened into a smile. “Or maybe not, since the Moon Goddess found someone who would not turn a blind eye to reality. And in the face of our ignorance, the Moon Goddess has given us not only an eternal protector of Lupercalia, but an eternal savior of the Kingdom. Henry Baker of New Jersey, you will be rewarded with a horse-worth of moon silver!”
The crowd gasped and looked at each other in awe. I guessed it was a good thing, but I had no idea what that measurement meant.
Luckily, Tabitha did.
“Your Highness,” Tabitha exclaimed. “That means that…”
“That means that there will be significant extensions to your estate,” the King said. “And because of your prowess in the battle against dark forces, it seems only appropriate that you can also begin to forge your sword. You will have to think about the magical properties you want it to possess, and find the right gems accordingly. But you are now well on the way to becoming a decorated knight of the Kingdom.”
The whole crowd cheered, and one of the figures ran up to the King. They whispered something in his ear, and the King nodded and almost laughed.
“Something else has come to my attention,” the King said with a smile. “For Henry Baker’s efforts today, we would like to make an addition to his coat of arms to commemorate this event, which will surely go down in the history of Lupercalia as one of the most successful operations against the vampires. We would like to award Henry’s coat of arms with a flying fish for his bravery in Lake Wahaya.”
The royals all smiled and threw their fists in the air.
“To Henry!” Tabitha exclaimed.
“To Henry!” the royals shouted, and the drum started beating again.
The royals burst into laughter and conversation by the shore of the river, and the King turned to me again.
“Your Highness,” I said. “I can’t thank you enough for your generosity."
“Generosity?” The King laughed. “You saved my life, and therefore ensured the safety of the entire Kingdom. This is a prize befitting an eternal savior of the Kingdom.”
“Well, I certainly think it is,” Tabitha purred behind me.
I turned around and saw Tabitha was standing with her hands on her hips and a cheeky grin on her lips. Her platinum-blonde hair almost glowed in the firelight, and I fought the urge to run my gore-encrusted hands through the silky strands.
“Miss Tabitha Blueclaw,” the King said with a smile. “Your father will be beside himself with pride when he hears about your involvement in this historic victory.”
“I certainly hope to make him proud,” she replied with a giggle. “And we’re all very excited about the addition to Hank’s coat of arms. If anything, this flying fish will be the only consolation prize we get for missing The Fish of Blue Valley.”
I was slightly shocked by Tabitha’s confidence, but the King threw his head back and burst out laughing.
“Ah, Miss Blueclaw,” the King exclaimed and shook his head. “That poor squire Dromgoole won’t stop with that old pantomime. And yet, I always seem to miss it because I’m here receiving the blessing from the Moon Goddess. It’s truly a tragedy.”
The King winked mischievously at Tabitha, and she smiled back.
“I personally like The Fish of Blue Valley,” Sybil replied as she appeared out of the darkness. Her emerald-green dress billowed in the breeze, and she smiled at the three of us.
“Miss Foreman,” the King said with a smile. “You have represented your family and the noble village of Stock very well indeed in this venture. I cannot wait until Charles hears about your successes on this quest.”
“Oh,” Sybil started shyly. “We actually told Charles about the plan when we first got to the village. We were hoping to get his advice.”
“Oh, really?” the King asked and raised an eyebrow. “And what advice did he give you? Surely, he didn’t instruct you to interrupt the ceremony.”
“Rest assured,” Tabitha laughed. “He said that he believed us, but that he would have no part in our crazy plan.”
“Good man,” the King replied and laughed gruffly. “The perfect response. Now, usually when us royals finish with this ceremony, there is a feast back at the marble compound. We have many rooms in the compound, if you would allow me the pleasure of hosting you for the night?”
I looked between the girls, who both nodded vigorously.
“Yes, please,” Sybil added with a smile.
“That would be lovely,” Tabitha agreed. “I doubt there are any rooms left in the village.”
“We would love that,” I said, and the King nodded at me.
“Excellent,” the King declared as he turned away from me. “Morris! Morris, light the passageway!”
A shadowy figure nodded brusquely and ran up the incline toward the secret underground passageway.
“Oh,” Sybil murmured. “So there are lights in the tunnel? We didn’t see any.”
“Of course there are lights,” the King chuckled. “But only on the way back. The point is that we emerge from darkness to be purified by the light of the Moon Ceremony.”
“Makes sense,” Tabitha said.
The King headed back to the crowd of royals, and once again, it was just me and my two girls
“Not bad, huh?” I asked.
“Oh, stop it,” Sybil gushed, and her green eyes sparkled in the firelight. “That was insane. How did you destroy it?”
“I had to dismember it,” I said. “Every time I removed another part, it seemed to lose some of its magic.”
“That must have been that green light we saw,” Sybil said and turned to look at the lake.
“That’s what I thought,” I agreed.
“Well, the important thing is that you killed it,” Tabitha said as she placed a hand on my breastplate. “And now the Kingdom is safe.”
I wanted to believe her, even though I still had my sneaking suspicions that there could be more danger on the horizon. Wenderoth had kept an entire notebook full of tiny writing, after all, and I was sure the cipher would find more schemes to destroy Lupercalia buried in the coded messages.
But I would take the win.
Hell, I’d killed a twelve-foot undead beast in the middle of a lake. I’d saved the King and the whole kingdom of Lupercalia, and I’d managed to use the most powerful and deadly weapon in my arsenal to do so.
Yeah, I was pretty sure I could take anything these vampires had in store. And not only that, I had the most talented and sexy team a guy could wish for.
Sybil grabbed the other side of my breastplate, and I put my long, hybrid arms around both of them.
“I couldn’t have done it without you guys,” I said. “This is our success. All the magic, all the navigation, all the failed attempts at sweet-talking…”
I heard a low giggle come out of Tabitha.
“Sorry,” she purred.
“It’s fine,” I laughed. “What matters is that we won. And because of that, we’re going to have the best estate in Lupercalia.”
“Ava would be thrilled to know that our moon bean empire is expanding,” Sybil laughed.
“And don’t forget the moon silver,” Tabitha added.
“I can finally start on my sword,” I said happily. “This has been a freaking awesome day.”
I was so excited to forge my sword. Once I had a good grasp on the magical properties of each gemstone, I could easily become the most powerful knight in Lupercalia.
I mean, hell. I was off to a great start already.
Visions of my sword-to-be danced in my head, so it took a moment for me to realize that the drumming had stopped and most of the crowd was heading back to the tunnel.
“Wait,” an older royal called out. “The King still hasn’t received the blessing from the Moon Goddess. The Lake was dark the entire time.”
“What of the crops for the year?” someone else asked. “Will the fields fail?”
Others started to murmur, and a few of the braver souls started to walk back toward the water.
“Isn’t it clear?” the King laughed. “This year’s blessing came in the form of a saved Kingdom, and a saved King. We don’t need Lake Wahaya to shine to know that the Moon Goddess is protecting us. She has sent us Hank the Baker.”
Not everyone looked convinced, but the King turned his back on the lake and started to climb the steps toward the secret passage. The rest of the royals slowly fell into line behind him, and the girls and I followed at the back of the pack.
Now that the tunnel had been lit, I could see that the walls were made from the same white marble, but the ground was packed dirt. With all the people now moving through the space, the echos had become nearly deafening, and I had no idea how the royals could even carry on the conversations they seemed to be having.
“I can’t believe we navigated this entire tunnel in the dark,” I said.
“It’s not too bad with the lights on,” Tabitha replied. “Very noisy, but a lot less scary.”
“Just very dusty,” I chuckled. “It sort of feels like an abandoned subway station.”
“Oh, have you been in one before?” Tabitha asked.
“Maybe during my wild high school days,” I replied with a grin.
“You’ll have to tell us that story,” Tabitha purred.
“But before I tell you that one,” I said and looked down at Sybil.
“Yes, Hank?” She stared up at me as she batted her eyelashes, and I saw a naughty glint in her green eyes.
I felt my cock twitch in my armor. The walk to our room for the night was going to be a long one at this rate, so I tried to follow Homer Simpson’s advice and think unsexy thoughts to cool my blood.
“I was wondering,” I said. “What is The Fish of Blue Valley even about?”
Tabitha rolled her eyes, and one of the royals even turned around and scowled.
