Katrina, The Beginning (40 page)

“Speaking of Gunter, here
he comes.” I nodded in the direction of the approaching
Watcher.

“Happy birthday, Katrina,”
he said as he kissed my cheek.

“Thank you, Gunter. I’m so
glad you’re here.”

Just then Mother called
out, “All right everyone, dinner is served. Katherine, Katrina,
Rosalinda, Arletta, and Eleanor, please lead the way.”

“Happy Birthday, Katrina,”
Father said, while giving me a big hug. He had a huge smile on his
face, and I knew he was happy his family was together again, and we
could share this day. It was an important occasion, after all, the
last birthday vampires really celebrate, a rite of passage since we
age so slowly from then on.

The dining room was simply
beautiful. Delicate tendrils of wisteria in hues of purple and
lavender had been draped from candle chandeliers, from large floor
vases, and down the middle of the long table, filling the room with
the soft, sweet aroma of summer.

“What do you think?” said
Mother.

“You’ve outdone yourself
Mother; this is stunning,” Kate said as we all stood in the doorway
looking at the elaborately decorated room.

We all agreed it was
divine. We took our seats and had a wonderful meal. However, I felt
a current of tension; the closer it got to dessert, the more
anxious I was becoming. All too soon it was over. We were presented
gifts from our families, mostly jewelry and money for shopping in
Paris.

“Now for my surprise, we’ll
need to go outside,” Father said.

We all looked as each other
quickly and followed him into the moonlit night.

The fireworks started
immediately and everyone
oohed
and
ahhed.
The show was fabulously
loud.

“Katrina, suddenly I don’t
feel well,” said Mother.

“We’ll take you back to
your room, Mother,” Kate said.

“I’ll go with you,” said
Damien with concern.

“No, it’s okay,” I said
quickly. We’ll be back as soon as she’s in bed.”

“It’s just a headache. I’m
sure I just overdid it today,” Mother improvised
smoothly.

Quinn had appeared at my
elbow, and he escorted us away after informing Father of our
intent.

“It’ll be
fine; I’ll be right back,”
I told Damien with my mind,
hoping it was the truth.

Mother was holding her hand
to her head, playing the part perfectly, and Kate and I were on
either side of her, our arms around her waist. Once we got into the
entrance to the building we rushed to the end of the hallway, and
mother went upstairs. I pushed the stone and it pivoted open.
Before we went through it, I looked at Quinn’s face. He looked
frightened, but gave me a determined nod to go ahead. Kate and I
went in, rushed down the stairs, and ran through the passageway. We
entered the large chamber room and stopped.

“We forgot to meditate and
channel our energy. Quickly, let’s do it now,” I said, holding out
my hands.

We held hands and energy
again pulsed through us; we could see Allwain waiting for us in the
chapel above.

“Let’s go,” Kate
said.

And we ran up the stairs
and pushed the door open. Allwain had his back to us, but turned as
we entered.

“Come, stand in front of me
and meditate until we are all together. Hurry; there’s not much
time.”

A sound came from our left,
the other door opened, and in rushed Rosa, El, and
Letta.

I could still hear the
fireworks. Their lights danced across the chapel, making the
stained glass figures in the windows seem alive.

“Quickly,” called out
Allwain. “Form a circle facing out.”

The fireworks ended now,
but another sound was filling the air - thunder. Then lightning
flashed, in what, just moments, ago had been a clear starry night
sky.

“I charge you to think of
nothing but me, repeat everything I say, and don’t let go of each
other or open your eyes until I’m done. You won’t understand the
ancient language I’ll be speaking, but the forces of good and evil
will, so repeat it just as you hear it. Are you ready?” he said in
a loud voice. He was almost yelling now, the thunder was so
loud.

“I can’t stop it,” Letta
said.

“It’s all right, just close
your eyes and concentrate on me. Block out everything else,” he
said as he started to chant.

We held on with all our
might and repeated every word. We heard a loud noise and felt the
wind, a wind became so strong, I had to lean into it to stay
upright, but we held tight. Allwain was shouting the ancient chants
and as we shouted them back, the wind swirled around us like a
cyclone. We were determined to finish. The current of our combined
powers pulsed through us faster and faster as we continued to
chant, and even though my eyes were closed, I could see the
impression of lightning through my eyelids, as if it were inside
the chapel now. Finally the wind was so strong, I felt my feet lift
off the floor, but Allwain continued chanting and we kept
repeating.

Then abruptly he stopped
chanting. And then we heard,

“They are protected now and
forever, under the laws of all that is good and right in this world
and the next. Evil, be gone from here!” As we finished repeating
the last word the chapel went silent and we dropped with a thud to
the floor, still clasping each other’s hands, so tight we couldn’t
feel our fingers anymore.

“You may open your eyes
now. It’s over,” Allwain said, sounding weak and
exhausted.

I slowly opened my
eyes.

“Is anyone hurt?” I asked
anxiously.

“I don’t think so,”
answered Kate, looking around.

We all started to get up
and brush ourselves off.

“Wait until Sarah sees our
hair.” El was pointing and laughing.

We all laughed.

“How about you, Allwain?
Are you hurt?” I asked.

“I’m not as young as I used
to be, and it’s taken a lot out of me, but I appear to be in one
piece.” He answered good naturedly.

“Let us help you,” said El.
She walked over to him, placed her hands on his chest, and closed
her eyes, and we all joined her by placing our hands on her back,
to make her gift much stronger than if we just concentrated with
her. In a few minutes she pulled away.

“How do you feel now?” she
asked him.

“I…I…feel…
young!”
he said, full of surprise.

He looked younger,
too.

“Amazing, El. Good job,”
Rosa said, reacting to the physical change in Allwain.

Gunter, Simon, and Thomas
burst into the chapel, swords drawn.

“What’s happened? Are any
of you hurt? We couldn’t get in.”

“We’re fine,” I
said.

Quinn and Avery came
running in next.

“They’re fine,” Gunter
said. “Everything’s fine.”

“I’ll go and speak with
your mother,” Allwain said, as he left through the secret stone
door.

Our Watchers stood by
expectantly; I could see Gunter was asking for an explanation
without speaking the words. The silence grew and finally Gunter
gave me ‘the ‘look’ and then shrugged. The brothers knew if I could
tell them, I would.

“We’d better all go see our
families and tell them we’re all right,” El prodded.

Gunter was just about to
leave when he turned back and asked, “Was there thunder and
lightning in here?”

“Yes, wasn’t there
outside?” I said.

“No,” they all said
together.

“We had quite a wind as
well,” Letta added.

Thomas said, “Not out
there.”

“Amazing. I’m sorry we
can’t tell you more,” I said.

“We understand it’s safer
for all of us,” Gunter said.

Then, out of nowhere, Eric
came rushing toward me. He was so fast, the brothers couldn’t see
him, and so close I couldn’t get to my sword in time. His eyes were
like glowing coals.

“Die!”
he screamed, in a voice that wasn’t like
his.

Then I couldn’t see him
anymore, for Damien had jumped in front of me at the last possible
moment.

“Damien!” I screamed, and
grabbed his shoulders.

He slumped against me and
we both fell to the ground. Eric’s sword was protruding from him
just below his rib cage.

The brothers had Eric on
the ground, and Quinn with his sword raised was just about to
separate Eric’s head from his shoulders, when I cried out, “Stop!
It’s not his fault! Bind him and take him to Mother’s.”

I looked at Gunter. He knew
the man he had glimpsed in the chapel was there. Eric was so
strong, it took all five of them to hold him down and bind his arms
and legs, but when they were finished he suddenly went limp and
they carried him off to Mother’s.

Quinn stayed by my side. My
concentration was now on Damien.”

“We need to get the
bleeding stopped,
now!”
demanded El.
Looking up at Quinn she directed, “As soon as I get my hands next
to the wound, pull the sword from him as quickly as you can,
Quinn.” She said to the four of us urgently, “Help me.”

I hoped we had enough
strength left to save him. She put her hands on Damien, and Quinn
quickly pulled the sword from his ribs. Damien screamed, and passed
out, blood gushed from the wound, soaking his shirt and covering
El’s hands.

“The sword pierced an
artery,” she said, as she closed her eyes. Just like before, we
placed our hands on her back and concentrated with her.
“
Heal,
heal,”
I
concentrated as hard as could, “
please heal!”
I felt hot,
the energy draining from me to El and, I hoped, to Damien. After
what seemed like hours, but probably was only minutes, El pulled
back and I opened my eyes.

“I healed the wound, but
he’s gone dormant, because he lost so much blood. He’ll recover, I
think; I just don’t know how long it’ll take. We’ll try again
tomorrow, when we’ve regained our strength. There’s nothing more we
can do for him tonight.”

Quinn called for guards,
who were standing close by.

“I’m not leaving you,”
Quinn told me, and Thomas agreed; so the guards took Damien to his
quarters.

“There’s nothing you can do
for him tonight, but go back and rest, so you’ll have enough
strength tomorrow to help him. I’ll have Avery stay with him all
night. Where’s his Watcher anyway?” Thomas said.

“Damien sent him ahead to
take care of business in Paris for his trip,” I said.

I was weak, dazed and in
shock from what had just happened. “I feel a little dizzy,” I
said.

“Me too,” said
El.

“We need to get back to our
rooms. Gunter left Crimson for us earlier, remember?” I said,
thinking it took a lot of effort just to speak.

Quinn and Thomas helped us
get back. Of course Sarah was frantic, wondering what had happened.
She poured us each a cup of Crimson, which we gulped down; then she
filled our cups a second time, and again we gulped them
down.

I felt better - not
perfect, but better. “I’m going to see Mother,” I said and tried to
stand.

“Not until tomorrow you’re
not,” Sarah said sternly.

“I should go and sit with
Damien.”

“No!”
everyone said at once.

“You’re going to bed right
now, all of you. Now scoot,” Sarah said. “And what in heaven’s name
happened to your hair?”

“Ohhh,” we all groaned, and
rolled our eyes.

Elizabeth
Loraine

About the Author

I always knew I was
supposed to write a book someday but as my family grew; my artistic
bent was fulfilled through interior design, painting and garden
design work. Now, as my son and daughter left home and I left
commercial design and painting, I found I had more time on my hands
for ignored creative desires.

I have been a lifelong
fantasy fiction fan and for years devoured books that depicted vast
worlds, populated by heroic characters. But a particular focus of
my reading enjoyment for many, many years has been vampires and
vampire lore. My passion for the subject, you could say, has
spanned the ‘Bellas’; from portrayals of them by
Bella
Lugosi to books about them featuring
Bella
Swan.

Although I found their
world exciting, filled with romance and adventure, somehow at
‘The End’
, I always wanted to know more. Vampires,
after all, we know are long lived; where had they come from; where
had they been; what had they done; what had then seen? I longed to
know their timeline and history.

From that curiosity and
those questions, my creative side picked up a pen, a notebook and
out came
The Royal Blood Chronicles
. These
books feature young, strong, self-reliant, intelligent, interesting
woman as lead characters. No wimpy women victims allowed
here.