I hurried to the kettle Tiara had propped up over warm lumps of coal. Using the long ladle, I filled a charger full and hurried back to Klyn’s side. Tiara guided the charger to his mouth and he swallowed all of the warmfluid.
Maybe he would wake and feel better since the drink got into his system quicker. I had no idea how long I had been lying in the woods before Klyn found me. And I had no idea how long it took for him to carry me to Tiara’s. I imagined a lot of time had elapsed before I drank this healing drink. Klyn only had my venom in him for a few moments before he was able todrink.
And now wewait.
“I will keep watch over him, dear. You go back and rest now,” Tiarainstructed.
I did feel better, but the moment I laid down, weakness had taken over and I drifted off tosleep.
* * *
“Remember,you know how to find me if you need me. I will be watching over you. As a way to say thank you for saving my brother’s life, I have cast a protective spell over Drishane. The town will seem to have disappeared to any vampires. It will remain dark and hidden to any witch or warlock that might be helping Lochlaan Mortas,” Tiara said before we left herplace.
“How come you always called my father King Quintas instead of Quintas?” I asked Klyn quietly as we walked back to Drishane’s Town Square. Even though I had not felt safe being in the forest, I felt safe withKlyn.
“It was out of respect. Calling him anything but King Quintas was unacceptable to me,” Klynresponded.
We talked the entire way about Carpe Noctem and its leader, Lochlann Mortas. Tiara told us that from what she had heard, Lochlann’s family, all had a family mark, or something similar to a birth mark. She had warned us not to be alarmed if we suddenly noticed the mark of Lochlann appear somewhere on ourbodies.
“What was the description of the mark Tiara told us about?” I askedKlyn.
“Three diamonds of some sort,” he said. “I will inform you if I spotit.”
“I will do the same,Klyn.”
The sound of a crow startled me and I grabbed Klyn’sarm.
“Relax, it is just acrow.”
“Sorry. I am a bitjumpy.”
“I understand. It will be alright. Lochlann will not be lurking in the forest,” Klyn reassured me. “Remember, Tiara said she cast a protective spell overDrishane.”
I nodded, and we walked in silence for a few minutes. We each covered our noses and mouths the closer we got to Town Square; the stench of the dead becoming too much to bear. The sound of buzzards and flies intensified, and for a moment I thought that it may have been part of the effects of being bitten. But then I realized that was not the case. Klyn and I stopped walking and stared at perhaps a hundred bodies that had been strung up in thetrees.
“Oh, God,” Klynmurmured.
We walked slowly past the first tree that had people dangling from branches. Crows had pecked at their eyes and faces. Some had an eye, or both eyes, that had dislodged from the eye socket and hung against their blood streaked faces. Trails of dried blood from behind their rope bound necks disappeared into their best dresses andshirts.
“All of these people could not have been ones that snuck off to the forest that night,” I said toKlyn.
“You are most likely correct,Queen.”
“Stop that!” I demanded and turned to face Klyn. “Stop calling meQueen!”
“It is what you are, mydear.”
“No, Klyn! My mother was the Queen. I am not! I am just a princess!” I exclaimed and realized that I had been crying as I tried to fend off my mother’stitle.
I allowed Klyn to wrap me up in his arms as Icried.
“You cannot be a princess forever, Octavia,” Klyn consoled. “I know this is not easy and you were not ready for it, but youarethe Queen ofDrishane.”
“I was not ready. I never expected this so soon. I knew that in time, I would take my parents place, but not sosoon.”
“I know, Octavia. I will be by your side as Drishane is rebuilt, and the Kingdom of Darick carries on,” Klynsaid.
“What will we do with all of the bodies, Klyn? We cannot just leave them. They deserve better than that. They all came out in their best attire to spend a night with myfamily.”
