Escape (Vampire King Book 1) (7 page)

“Good.” Samuel still
searched my body with his eyes as if he weren’t sure I would tell him the
truth. After he finished, we stood there in an awkward silence.

I twisted the bottom of
the shirt. “I’m going to keep heading down the tunnel by myself.”

“No. You’ll stay with
me.”

“Thanks for your help,
but I don’t need you to path find anymore.” I walked off.

He snatched at my arm,
but I backed away from him before he could grab it. “Ian may not have hurt you,
but others will. Some are older than him.”

“How old is he?”

“He told me he was a
hundred and fifty years old. Who knows if he is lying or not,” Samuel said.
“Why did you run off like that? You could’ve been killed.”

“Why are you all of a sudden
so concerned about me?” I wiped sweat off of my forehead. Grime clung to my
hair, plastering strands on my shoulders and back. “I won’t tell anybody about
you or your crew.”

I marched away from
him. There were enough rays of sun to see a little, although the candle had
provided much more light.

“I know you won’t tell
anybody.” Samuel came to my side and walked at my pace. With each step near the
sunlight, he ducked back into the shadows so it wouldn’t sear his skin.

“If you know I won’t
tell anyone, then why are you here?” I staggered forward.

“Oh, I’m sorry, domina.
Do you know your way out? Or how to get back to your home?”

“You said it was this
way.” I pointed in front of me and then lost my balance. Samuel caught me
before I fell.

“Thanks.” I blew out a
labored breath and got out of his hands. “Thanks again.”

“Why did you leave?” he
asked. “Why do you want to be alone now?”

Wiping my face with the
back of my hand, I sped up. “I left because those runaways would die if they
were caught with me. Or was
Victoria
over exaggerating?”

“She spoke the truth,”
Samuel admitted. “The guards would make an example of anyone who aided a domina
to freedom. Once, four guards captured a group with a domina, and they tortured
everyone except her and hung their bodies on the outside of the castle’s
gates.”

Something crept on to
my fingers. I shook my hand. “Then I’m really glad I left. I would never
forgive myself if something happened to innocent people and it was because of
me.”

We traveled through the
sewer for two silent minutes. I had to admit it. I was happy someone was with
me, even for a few seconds. I wished he could stay with me the whole time, but
surely the other humans needed him more than I did.

I
can’t be selfish.

“If you could tell me
how to get out of here,” I offered, “just to make sure I’m going the right way,
then you can go back.”

“Is that my only
option?” He flashed me a mocking smirk.

I’m
beginning to hate that expression on him.

“I’m sure the other
humans need you,” I stated.

A sigh left his lips. He
placed his hands on my waist and stopped me. “You need me too. Trust me. You’re
exhausted. You’ll only end up getting caught or killed if you continue on your
own.”

“Why do you care? You
were pretty annoyed with me several hours ago.” I faced him. His full lips
curved into a smile. His hands remained on me.

“I’m impressed you left
to keep everyone safe.” He tenderly massaged the area above my hipbone with his
right thumb. “I’ve seen vampire men cry and piss their pants after one hour in
the sewers by themselves. You’ve been walking most of the day and all alone.”

“Is it almost dusk?”

“Soon.”

My shoulders slumped
down and relaxed for a second. “How close to the opening am I? Could you show
me?”

“I’ll take you there.”
His right hand slid a few inches down my hip. I could hear his breathing
increase. My bottom lip quivered.

I stepped back. “What
do you want if you show me?”

He instantly removed
his hand and combed his fingers through his hair. “You already paid, domina.”

My hands toyed with the
end of the shirt, wrapping it around my fingers. “Please, call me Brie.”

“Okay, Brie.” Samuel
made a movement. “Wait.”

I paused as he jumped
in front of me.

“Stay close to me as
much as possible.” He held my hand and guided me around the corner. “There will
be more of those starving vampires ahead. When they’re in groups, they tend to
get a little more courage to defy me. As long as you stay near me, I can attack
them without having to worry about your safety.”

I glanced up. Hundreds
of wrinkled, withering bodies crawled above us. Most of their faces had sucked
into themselves, resembling old circular husks. Their gray skin stirred. They
constantly stayed in a sluggish motion, slithering from side-to-side like
snakes as if remaining still would cause them agony. Long fangs stuck out from
their gaping mouths. I gasped and clung to Samuel. Shivers of fear crawled up
my body.

“Can we taste her?” The
beggar backed away in the opposite direction, but his hungry eyes stayed on my
neck. “Please.”

Samuel’s body hardened
under my arms. “She belongs to me!”

All of them shrieked.
Within seconds they scurried away on misshapen legs and crooked feet.
If I had been alone, they would have just
dropped and feasted on me. No one would have known.
I hid my face in the soft
texture of Samuel’s skin and lost control of my emotions right there in the
sewer. I just snapped and cried into Samuel’s massive arms.

“It’s okay.” He patted
my back. “You’ve been traveling in this filthy tunnel all day. You’re probably
exhausted, hungry, and thirsty.”

I
don’t have time for this. What is wrong with me?

I wiped away my tears.
“I just need a minute and I can walk on.”

He chuckled and
squeezed my shoulder. “You’ll need more than a minute. You haven’t slept or
eaten in over twelve hours or more.”

“I’m fine.”

“You need to rest.” He
lifted me up by my waist and slung me over his shoulder.

“No! I can walk,” I
said with my bottom in the air. I struggled to get off his shoulder. “Samuel,
I’m serious. Put me down!”

“Just go to sleep.” He
gently smacked my behind. My flesh shuddered with the action.

“This is—”

“Quiet. If I haul you
to the opening, I can move faster. We’ll arrive outside the gates in an hour.”

“But you’ll be tired
and I can’t—”

He spanked my bottom
again.

“Don’t hit my behind
like that.” I battled to keep my eyes open. “It’s ridiculous. I’m not a child.”

“My apologies.” He
repositioned me so I was no longer on his shoulder but being carried in his
arms.
 
“You’re so stubborn and there it
was next to my face, so soft and welcoming.”

I yawned again. “Don’t
do it again.”

“I’m sorry. Did I hurt
you?” he asked. “Should I rub the pain away?”

“No.” I closed my eyes.
I’ll just rest for a few seconds and then
start walking. I’ll demand he set me down.

“So your husband and children
are in Zumaya?”

“Yes.” My muscles
loosened until my whole body went limp in his arms. “My husband and twin girls
are the reason why I couldn’t stay in the castle. I have to get back to them.”

Samuel loudly snorted.
“And what a great man your husband must be.”

“Is that sarcasm or are
you being serious?” I leaned against his chest and relished in the tingling
warmth that flowed from his skin. His herbed aroma blocked out the sewer’s
stench. I pressed my face into his flesh, gradually losing myself.

“I’m being sarcastic.
What type of man allows his woman to be submitted as a breeder to a ruthless
king?”

“A man who honors his
duties to his village.” I snuggled closer to Samuel. “My husband was Zumaya’s
treasurer. He also controlled the town’s food supply. During the last few years
I was there, we had a drought and then a food shortage. Many people died.”

Samuel increased his
speed to a pace I would’ve never reached if I’d been walking myself. “So your
husband gave you away because he couldn’t manage the town’s funds?”

“You don’t understand.
Our people were dying. My husband sent a message to the king and respectfully
requested aid. Guards came. Instead of bringing us food and supplies, they
examined the females.”

“They tested all of the
women’s blood?” Samuel growled.

“Yes. Three teenage
girls and I were the only ones with positive results.”

“And you couldn’t just
let the young ones leave?” Samuel asked.

“No. Of course not.” I
opened my eyes a little and saw him staring at me. “My husband was more than
willing to let the young girls go off with the guards, but I fought for them to
stay. It would’ve been wrong. Two of them hadn’t even turned fourteen. Plus,
I’d experienced love and childbirth the right way. I had my memories to keep me
sane when The Quiet King came to my bed.”

“And did he come to
your bed?” Samuel’s voice sounded low with a hint of anger.

“I’m untouched.
Remember.” I would have drifted off to sleep if it wasn’t for Samuel asking me
another question.

“Why did you decide to
escape the king?”

“I watched the guards
slaughter baby princes.” I tensed as those horrific images crashed into my
mind. The babies’ screams returned. “I’d rather die than watch my babies or any
other helpless person murdered.”

“I agree.” Samuel’s
body stiffened around me. “Go to sleep, Brie. You need your rest.”

Chapter Five

A black cape draped the
vampire executioner. No hair covered his head. A leather mask with the royal
seal shielded his identity from the onlookers. He laid each baby prince on a
gray slab that dripped with blood. The babies bawled and squealed. They
couldn’t have been more than two months old. Patterns of dark black lines
trailed up their tiny legs. Each child had their own unique design. The
princely marks started at their ankles and ended at their little hips. Only
princes possessed the marks and only The Quiet King knew why. Everyone else was
too afraid to ask. Instead, we just sat there powerless, witnessing the
infants’ deaths.

The guard raised his
wooden ax high above his masked head. “Go in peace, little ones.”

“Close your eyes,” my
maid whispered behind me, but I kept them wide open as the ax slammed down on
the first child’s neck. Boom! The tiny head rolled off the table and crashed
onto the floor. Red liquid coated the space in seconds and spotted my pale
yellow robe.

“I won’t close my
eyes.” Tears formed and threatened to spill over my eyelids. “The least I can
do is remember their deaths.”

The guard stepped to
the next screaming baby. The boy turned his wailing face to me. His little
copper eyes begged for me to save him. And then suddenly, his skin stretched
and formed into my daughter’s image, Lily’s. Auburn curls sprouted from the
baby’s bald head.

“Mama!” she cried.

“No!” I struggled to
get up, but I couldn’t move. It was like I was stuck in dried cement. “Not
Lily!”

“Brie! Wake up.” Samuel
violently shook me. My head bobbed back and forth with the force.

“I’m awake.” Blinking,
I opened my eyes to a night sky above me. The two moons were far apart from
each other, which meant dusk had just arrived. I lay on the cool ground. Grass
shifted in the breeze and scratched my bare legs.

“You were having a
nightmare?” Samuel kneeled over me. His blonde-and-black-striped eyebrows
furrowed. “What were you dreaming about?”

“It was a nightmare
about one time when I was forced to watch four prince babies be executed.” I
got up off the ground.