Chapter 40
“Are you still hear?” Zaaman laughed. It had been at least 8 hours. “Yes. And I’m not about to give up” “You do realize you have no idea how big this cave is, don’t you?” “What do you mean?” “Well, one minute I could be right in your face” she felt a cool wind brush past her. “And the next, I could be behind you” he whispered in her ear pushing her lightly forward. She gasped and heard his laugh going down the cave back to the exit. “You butthead!!!” she shouted, rising from her sitting position. She raced down the hall, but stopped before she reached his home. She ducked down. Matthan and GAD had Zaaman and were binding his arms. “It’s your time,” said GAD. no, No, NO!!! She jumped out. “YOU can’t kill him!!” she screamed, running to him and holding him. “Step back, you fool!!” shouted Matthan, trying to pull her away. “NO! I won’t let you!!” GAD called him off. “Lygia, you don’t seem to understand. Please, let us show you” She looked to Zaaman. “Let them do what they must” He said, knowing his end was in sight. “I was no good for you anyway,” he laughed, rising, his hands still bound behind him. “I lost one girl long ago because of this terrible thing I have become. I am sorry I must lose you too” They led him out, Lygia still sitting on the floor. There was a long silence, only the sound of her sobs that echoed off the damp walls. Then was a piercing shout. He was in so much pain. She lay on the moist earth and tried to ignore it, tried to cover her ears. But the agonizing shouts rose and overflowed the whole cave from one end to the next. Then, suddenly, it just stopped. She was once again alone with her tears. For how long she lay there, she did not know. But ultimately, there came a hand on her shoulder. “It’s over,” said the voice. But this was neither of GAD nor Matthan. She looked up. Could it be so? But it was!! “Zaaman!!! How?” She threw herself into his arms, which he gladly received. “Ask them, for I know not.” She looked up to a smiling Matthan and GAD. “You two still live by old wives tails! A vampire dose not die when he is brought into the light. They turn back to humans!!”
Chapter 41
Striker was very content in his situation. He saw Lorri every day and that wall all he needed. But he did long for news of the camp and to see Hawkins. Oh, well. The wedding was in four days. He could last till then. He lay back on his bed one evening after his visit with Lorri. He smiled as he thought back to there time together. She seemed so much friendlier. She would just stare up at him with those blue eyes. But his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the window. “Now who could that be?” he threw open the glass widow and peered down. “Hawkins!!” he whispered in delight. He pulled up his friend up through the window, both trying to cover their laughter. “Hawkins! What brings you hear?” “Just a friendly messenger come to tell you the latest news” “Well, tell on!!” Striker sat him in the chair while he seated himself on the edge of the bed. “What news does the wind bring?” “Well, there has been much going on. For one……I am courting the young maid Dayna” Striker smiled. “I knew you would. But please, something of interest!!” he teased. The older young man smiled and continued. “The night Dayna and Lygia came back to camp, Dayna went to the river and was attacked by a vampire. Lygia stopped him and he ran. The next day they found him,” Striker nodded. ”So we have a knew member?” “Yes. And Lygia has taken quite a fancy to him. It seems love has hit every one hard these few weeks” “That it has!” Striker laughed, falling back onto his bed. “Don’t tell me! The lady Lorri has finally fallen for your roughish charm?” “Well, not completely. I fear she loves another and cannot decide whom she really loves. But, Oooo! How she smites me! I have never felt this way.” Hawkins nodded, empathetically.
Chapter 42
“It has been to long since our last meeting” Amy whirled around her room to find AJ sitting in the window, one long stem rose in his left hand, the right outstretched to her. “AMAZA!!” She jumped into his arms. “I have missed you, beloved,” he whispered in her ear softly. “And I you. It has been much is to long for true friends” she complained. “Ah, but just one more week, then we shall be together forever” “One week? I shall try to be strong. How go things in the camp?” He laughed. “Well, Lygia has picked up a new friend in the vampire Zaaman” “A vampire? I thought that was more of the man for Dayna,” she giggled. “Oh, no. She has fallen for the young clown, Hawkins” “Ah… I see. And Lorri with Striker. All we have left to play matchmaker with is Safire. She sees Lorri quite often and says the prince is kind to her, as well as the Baron to both of them. But then he will have a day or so when he refuses to see anyone. Lorri spied on him one of those days and said he spoke with a sinister looking man. He had the Baron in a trance or something and the wedding was pushed forward two days. She thinks the dark man knows of our plans and wishes to throw you off. The wedding is in four days, not 6.” “That is something. I shall have to report this when I return” “When must you leave?” “Ah, my love, our time grows short, for Hawkins and I leave within the hour. But please, do not think on it. The night is beautiful, though a little cold and I am with my beloved.
Come, sit with me and look at the stars. I can name most of the constellations” She sighed, happy he was hear, sorry for Safire. Tonight she would be gazing at those stars alone.