Katrina
The Beginning
A Royal Blood Chronicle
By
Elizabeth Loraine
Royal Blood Chronicles Book One
Copyright © 2010 by Elizabeth Loraine
We are named in every ancient culture.
You speak of us in every written language.
We have walked beside your ancestors,
just as we walk beside you.
What you don't know protects you.
Those you fear will save you.
I sat very still, staring straight ahead. Sitting for a portrait for the Sanctuary’s grand library was a great honor. My name is Katrina Von Dracek, and I can’t believe it’s been - almost one hundred thirty years. This is the chronicle of my journey, from the beginning.
PROLOGUE
“You’re not my Watcher tonight. Not tonight.” The raven-haired beauty moved closer.
His beautiful vampire charge was as alluring as ever. She opened her arms, and a knowing smile curled across his lips. The pleasures she offered him were beyond comprehension, and tonight she would bestow the ultimate gift.
Kissing and then holding him tightly, she breathed deeply, relishing that she’d caused him to sweat. Now trailing her tongue over the throbbing vein on his neck, savoring the tangy salty taste of his smooth tanned skin, she felt her incisors lengthen and her mouth fill with saliva. She sank her fangs in deeply this time and when the first flood of thick, warm, coppery fluid flowed over her tongue she moaned. Wasn’t it ironic that what gave humans life, also gave it to Vampires, and the taking of it, for this human would mean death. A death necessary for his re-birth.
She adjusted her bite, sinking her fangs deeper into his neck. He gasped and began to thrash, but her strength was no match for him. Her eyes blazed red as the moment of his death drew near. She felt his heart pounding faster and faster as they both felt his life force leaving him and still she continued. His heart began to beat erratically, then fluttered and beat again once, hesitated, and with one half beat stopped forever.
She looked into his dull and lifeless eyes as he sagged down across the cot. Her head tipped back and with a crazed expression she released a demented laugh that echoed throughout the jagged rock tunnels of the cavern and into the chambers beyond.
Within hours, his heart would surge to life once again, and he would begin his ageless life as a Vampire. He would serve her now in a different way. Together they’d build an army, a force which would put them in power. With an army behind her she meant to end forever the rule of the useless Vampire Council.
She licked the remnants of blood from the corners of her lips. It had begun.
CHAPTER ONE
From my favorite vantage point inside the castle’s west turret, I could see the entire valley. The breeze was cool, no longer holding any threat of winter.
What would the rest of my life be like, I wondered? I grew tired living of life whose main focus was only the constant, long hours of training and now longed for broader purpose. I knew I should be patient, since during my lifetime I would live many of life’s callings. A long life was assured, for a Vampire’s life could stretch over several millennia.
I appraised my surroundings. The night was breathtaking. The star-filled black night looked down across the jagged, sentinels of snow capped peaks, and twinkled across the glassy surface of the lake below and to the thick forest beyond. Even though there was no moon, my enhanced vision made the darkness as clear as the day. I drew a breath and using my Vampire gift detected a stag in the woods nearby.
I’d studied our history. It was true the earliest known members of our race could not tolerate the sun or control their lust for blood. However, like all creatures, the Vampire race, for their species’ survival, evolved, and through the centuries most have overcome their debauched lifestyle and learned to control their bloodlust. And, although some of the clans preferred, as they called it, to stay true to their heritage and continued to hunt and feed on humans, they are a small minority these days, and shunned by most other Vampire.
These days, Vampires are mostly born, not made. Our cravings are satiated by drinking the blood substitute we called Crimson. This life-giving fluid was created by our most gifted alchemists centuries ago to be our lifeblood. With the consumption of Crimson coupled with the hunting of animals our baser urges are satisfied allowing us to evolve as a species and when our women began to breed, our children were also Vampire and Vampire became a race like any other. Free to live their live with the expectancy of peace to raise our families .
These days Crimson is made in a lab, but with the aid of magic. Small amounts of blood is willingly donated from our human Watchers, mixed with an ancient elixir and volumized by magic. The same magic protects the chemical bond and making Crimson immune to bacteria and thereby giving it an unlimited shelf life.
As I turned to leave, I saw a shadow flash across the meadow. Too fast to be human, it streaked across the field toward the front gate. Alarm tightened in my stomach. I had been up on the wall for hours, and my Vampire perceptions had neither seen, nor heard anyone leave the castle.
“I need to find Quinn,” I whispered into the darkness.
Quinn, my Watcher and my friend, was one of seven Voss brothers who attended my family. Watchers are the personal guard of the Vampire; human men who have dedicated their lives to the well-being of their vampire families and none were more loyal than the Voss brothers.
I rushed to the stairway leading to the entrance courtyard, but stopped as Quinn emerged from the doorway.
“What’s happened?”
“A courier has arrived. The entire Council has been called to meet in Salzburg, and each family has been directed to include their best young royal representatives in their party. You will be joining your father. The servants are packing your things. See that you have enough for at least a ten day journey and a two week stay at Council.” He gave me a push. “Hurry. Your father’s wishes to leave immediately and the staff is in a flurry with preparations. The journey is long and the Council is set to meet in just fourteen days.”
At Quinn’s urging, I immediately set out to my quarters. As he’d always done, he was seeing to the needs of our family.
He and I had grown up together. In fact, in the last few years we had been inseparable, becoming so close my father had actually warned: “Katrina, Quinn is your Watcher and must remain as such.”
Bristling, I’d retorted, “Quinn was also my friend, Father, my best friend.”
Later I wondered if it was still the truth. Had I started to feel something more? No, I reassured myself; Quinn was my friend, and of course I cared for him. Yes, maybe even loved him, but I wondered if the love I felt for him as my friend, as the member of our family had morphed into something deeper.
I guessed I would need to sort this out, but it would have to wait, because tomorrow we were leaving on a journey that would take us north and east; a journey which could hold danger. I grew more and more excited at the prospect. The unknown is always both the most frightening and the most exciting part of any new adventure.
My head swam as I realized the size of this gathering. Our retinue would be large enough, and if you multiplied our number by the number of families called to attend, each with a line of wagons filled with provisions in caravan, you could see the impact of Council’s directive was enough to fill a small city.
Father would insist I oversee the packing of our wagons carrying bolts of cloth and boxes of gifts for the other clans and their leaders, especially those for the High Regent.
As I looked down the road and off into the distance, Quinn’s voice broke my reverie. “Katrina, you look weak. When was the
last time you fed? Did you drink anything today at all?”
My eyes widened, Quinn was right. I hadn’t had Crimson or been out to hunt all day, preferring to concentrate on the development of my gifts and military skills. I thought back now, I hadn’t fed since the day before or maybe longer. I realized, I surely was near dormancy and could have gone into that state had I fallen asleep. Dormancy, is a slowed metabolic state, a hibernation which saves us when we need to hide from danger, heal, or survive when food is either not available or tainted for some reason. This dormancy can last hours, days, weeks, or even years. Now that Quinn had brought it up, I did feel weak, too weak to hunt. Why hadn’t I paid more attention? My vision faded, and my temples began to throb. I leaned against the wall to steady myself from an overwhelming dizziness, and then everything went dark.
When I awoke, Quinn was wrapping a cloth around his wrist.
“You must be more responsible,” he chided. “I can’t be in charge of your feedings too!”
He was angry, so angry his face was flushed, and though I had never bitten a human, the bulging vein on his neck was making me feel something I had never felt before - blood lust. It didn’t help that Quinn was so handsome, and as he kept ranting on about how I was ignoring my training, my studies, and everything else, I couldn’t help admiring the ruggedness of his jaw and the way his dark brown hair flopped onto his face; his beautiful face.
“Katrina, Katrina! Are you even listening to me? Have you heard anything I’ve been saying?”
Snapping out of my reverie felt almost painful; I would have liked to remain there a bit longer.
“Katrina?” his inflection changed as he strode toward me.
As he neared, my body warmed, my fingers actually longed to feel the texture and heat of his skin.
I stiffened, holding my arms tightly against myself. It was all I could do to resist the urge to throw them around his neck and kiss him passionately. I had never felt like this before, what was going on?
“Come to your senses, Katrina. We have no time for your daydreaming.”
I spun away to gather myself, and tears filled my eyes. I am not someone easily moved to tears, and had to wonder, what was wrong with me? A jolt surged through me when Quinn placed his warm hands on my shoulders and turned me to face him. At the sight of my tears, the fierceness in his eyes and the tightness of his jaw relaxed. His eyes widened and I saw something new there, but it was gone in an instant. His features hardened again, he frowned, dropping his hands from my shoulders and stepped back. “You must be more careful.”
He strode away. I felt abandoned. The need to have him close rose and I was filled with a strange longing.
In a fog of emotion and spinning thoughts, I made my way down the stairs and through the familiar passageways of my childhood home. I sought the refuge of my room. All I wanted to do now was to sleep.
The door to my room had never been so heavy. Once inside, I was thankful to see the bed turned down and a meal of sweet bread, butter, and a glass of Crimson on the table. I sighed in appreciation. Sarah, my handmaiden and confidant, responsible for the bed, the food and the Crimson, had been with me since I was a child. I had never known my mother and for me, Sarah had always occupied that place in my life and in my heart. Over the years our relationship had grown to one of mutual love and respect and I’d found I could always count on her calm good nature, wry humor, and wise council.
I wolfed down the food, then kicking off my boots, I climbed onto my bed, propping myself up with the pillows at its head. From this comfortable position I drank the Crimson, taking my time to enjoy the coppery scent of it. Choosing to savor it’s sweet, and salty taste as it lingered on my tongue before I took another sip. I finished the entire goblet, but my thirst was still not satiated.
Then, too exhausted to ask for more or even put on the dressing gown left out for me, I slid down. The last thing I remembered was picturing the fleeting look in Quinn’s eyes and wondering what it meant.