The Jewel Read online

He sniffed the air delicately. “You did not tell me you have a daughter, Catriona. And such a passionate one, too.” The corner of his mouth curled upward in a lascivious smirk.

  “Leave her be.” Catriona’s voice, while low, resonated with power, filling the air around them. “She is of no use to you.”

  “I beg to differ,” the man said, his eyes narrowing on Gemma’s breast and the amulet resting there. “Tell me, young sorceress, of that bauble you wear around your pretty neck.”

  Gemma reached up to grasp the pendant protectively, feeling the thrum of his power fade as she did so.

  A small stone of black tourmaline, it looked wholly unremarkable. No one would guess its true purpose. Except, possibly this man, who seemed very much acquainted with magic.

  “ ’Twas a gift,” she whispered.

  His pale eyes glittered, holding her full and undivided attention. She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t.

  “A gift? From your mother?”

  Gemma nodded mutely.

  He thrust his hand out. “Give it to me.”

  “No!” Gemma blinked, effectively breaking whatever spell he had cast upon her, and stepped back.

  The man’s expression didn’t change, but the heavy sense of dark power around them grew until it became hard to draw a full breath, even with the amulet clutched in her palm.

  “Gemma,” her mother commanded quietly, “give him the talisman.”

  Gemma wanted to argue. It was hers! She had not gone a day without wearing it. Her mother had told her never to take it off, especially not around others.

  When she opened her mouth to say something, she saw a look on her mother’s face she had never seen before—genuine fear.

  “Yes, Mama.” Gemma lifted the stone over her head and placed it into the man’s outstretched hand. The energy in the room receded as quickly as it had come.

  “Excellent choice.” He rolled the stone in his hand, admiring it as if it was some great treasure. It was, to Gemma, but she did not understand how it would be useful to him.

  “Be gone with you now!” Catriona demanded, stepping between him and Gemma. “You have what you came for. Do not darken my doorstep again.”

  The man’s eyes grew dark, then he smiled and closed his hand around the stone. “As you wish.” He smirked, then made his exit.

  Gemma peered around her mother to watch the man’s retreating form, but between one heartbeat and the next, he was gone. Who, or what, could move that quickly?

  “Mama, who was that man? Why did you make me give him my pendant?”

  Gemma’s mother hurried to the back of their small cottage where she picked up a sack and began stuffing items into it: a change of clothes, a wrapped loaf of bread, a skin of mead, and a few coins.

  The tension in the air was palpable. Without her amulet, Gemma felt the full force of her mother’s distress.

  “Mama? What are you doing?”

  Catriona shoved the sack into Gemma’s arms, then placed both hands on her daughter’s shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. “Gemmalyn, listen to me very carefully. You must leave this place. Now. He will find out soon enough that the pendant is not the jewel he seeks, and then he will return. You must not be here when he does.”

  Her mother’s acrid fear and her own confusion kept her rooted to the spot. “I don’t understand. Why must I leave? And what jewel does he seek?”

  Pain and sorrow etched her mother’s features. “You, daughter. You are the jewel he seeks.”

  Gemma felt her knees go weak. “Me? Why me?”

  “Because, Gemmalyn, your gift is a rare and powerful one. Your ability to absorb energy means you can weaken others and take their strengths as your own.”

  “What?” Gemma suddenly felt sick and dizzy. “But I never—”

  “I know, dcera,” she said, her eyes softening as she spoke the word “daughter” in her native tongue. “The stone I bespelled served its purpose. I wanted to spare you the burden of such a heavy responsibility until you were ready, but we are out of time. It would not have lasted much longer, anyway; your powers grow too strong to conceal. You are your father’s daughter, Gemmalyn. And you are no longer safe here.”

  The unexpected reference to Gemma’s father was stunning, since her mother rarely spoke of him. “What of my father? What does that mean?”

  Catriona pushed her toward the back door. “There is no time, Gemma. I will explain everything, but not now. You must leave!”

  Gemma stumbled, her body reluctant to go and her mind swimming as she tried to make sense of everything. “But Mama, how did this man know about me? How did he know to come here?”

  “A seer, most likely,” her mother said gravely, “and dark magic. It matters not. He will be back, and you must not be here when he returns.”

  “Where shall I go? When can I come back?”

  They had reached the door, where Gemma’s mother pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You must go far away, beyond the forest, to the cave of magic stones. He will not find you there. Go directly; stop for nothing and no one. Hide well. I will take care of the vampire and come for you when it is safe. Do not dally, child.”

  “Vampire!” The word slammed into her chest, causing her heart to stutter. Vampires were the monsters of horror stories; they weren’t real! And yet, Gemma knew without a doubt her mother was telling the truth. She knew that the cold, dark energy she had felt had been that of the undead.

  “Aye, vampire, and a bad one. Now go! Run like the wind! Hide!”

  Catriona shoved Gemma out the door so hard she stumbled again. Regaining her footing, she took to her heels.

  Her mind tried desperately to make sense of what had just happened. A vampire had been in their home. A vampire who wanted her, because of something she had inherited from her father, who she knew nothing about!

  She ran across the craggy ground as fast as she dared in the fast-dwindling light, her breath coming in pants. She had to leave, had to draw the vampire far away from her home, from her mother, from Viktor.

  Oh no, Viktor! She couldn’t leave without telling him and warning him of potential danger. Better yet, she would convince him that he must go with her.

  At the edge of the forest, Gemma changed course and headed toward the fields.

  Chapter Four

  By the time Gemma reached the southernmost fields of Viktor’s father’s lands, the sky had become a rich, smoky black-gray. She found him there with a score of men, tying and hefting bunches of cut wheat onto the wagon by torch light. Fine, golden dust clung to his sweat-slickened skin, and tendrils of his long, dark hair escaped the leather cord tied at his nape. Even dirty and sweaty, her heart thumped at the sight of him. She couldn’t leave him, not now, not ever.

  No, if she had to flee, he had to come with her.

  But what will happen when he discovers why you were forced to flee? What will happen when he learns the truth?

  Maybe it wouldn’t come to that. Her mother had said she would take care of the vampire. All she and Viktor had to do was stay out of sight for a little while until it was safe to return. She would have to think of something, of course, to explain the sudden need to flee, but she would deal with that when they came to it.

  “Viktor!” she shouted as she ran his way, earning quite a few looks from the men working around him. Viktor stood and turned to face her, as well, surprise etching his features.

  He caught her easily as she ran headlong into his arms. “Gemma? What are you doing here? Is everything all right?”

  “I must speak with you at once. It is urgent!”

  “I bet,” snickered one of the workers, earning a round of laughter.

  Viktor scowled. “Carry on with the loading,” he commanded, then allowed Gemma to lead him to a small copse out of immediate eye and earshot of the others.

  He ran his hands up and down her upper arms while she tried to catch her breath. “Calm yourself, Gemma. You are shaking like a leaf! Tell me what this all about.”
<
br />   “I must leave,” she said, the words coming out in a rush. “Now. Tonight. And you must come with me.”

  His brows knit together. “Leave? Why?”

  Gemma understood his confusion; she was still struggling to make sense of it herself, but there would be time to puzzle it out later. The most important thing now was to get as far away from the village as quickly as possible.

  “Only for a little while. There is no time to explain. Just please, Viktor, trust me. Come with me.”

  Viktor stepped back, but continued to hold her shoulders. “What has gotten into you? I cannot leave in the middle of harvesting, not without good reason.”

  If he only knew how good a reason she had, but she dared not tell him. “You must! We must! Before it is too late!”

  “It is already too late.”

  The words came an instant after she had felt the surge of cold, dark energy. As uncomfortable as it had been before, it was doubly so now. Was it because she no longer had her amulet to shield her from the brunt of it? Or had he been hiding the true extent of his power back at her mother’s cottage?

  Fear wrapped around her heart like a fist and squeezed.

  “Who are you?” Viktor asked, shoving Gemma behind him in a protective gesture.

  The vampire was tall, but Viktor had the breadth and strength of a man who had been working in the fields most of his life. Human size and strength was no match for a monster, but Viktor couldn’t know that.

  The vampire seemed more amused than anything, as if he, too, knew he had the upper hand.

  As he had in her cottage, he lifted his chin slightly and sniffed the air. A knowing gaze accompanied his smirk. “Ah, so this is your lover. And the chivalrous type, too. Pity.”

  Gemma summoned her dwindling courage, pushing against the heavy dread all but stealing her breath. “Leave, fiend!” she commanded, stepping to the side of Viktor. “You have no business here. I’ve given you what you wanted.”

  “You would be wise to do as the lady commands,” Viktor warned.

  The dark stranger made a tsk-ing noise. “Come, girl. You did not think I would be fooled by a useless trinket now, did you?” He tossed the smooth stone at her feet, his eyes glowing in the darkness as he levelled his gaze on hers.

  The dark energy of the vampire swirled around them, cold and menacing, crackling in the air around her, and again, she was unable to look away.

  “I know it is you who holds the magic I seek, little jewel.”

  Her magic! What if she could take it and use it against him? But how? Absorbing energy was one thing, but harnessing and controlling it was something else entirely. Something she had never done.

  Viktor stepped in front of her once again, shielding her from the vampire. He kept his eyes on the stranger but spoke to her. “What is he talking about, Gemma?”

  “He’s mad, Viktor. Mad and dangerous.” Even as she spoke, she reached inward, calling upon the gift she had tried so hard to smother. It wasn’t difficult, the magic was always there, simmering just beneath her skin, always hungry and eager to be fed. But it was wild and raw, and she had no idea how to make it do what she wanted.

  “I grow tired of this game.” The vampire’s voice had grown stronger; the desire to comply was nearly a tangible thing.

  Gemma closed her eyes and took a deep breath, silently opening herself and calling to his energy. It came willingly, rushing to surround her in a blanket of icy darkness. The sensation was shocking. It felt as though she were suddenly being held beneath the surface of frigid water.

  Struggling against the invisible force, her eyes popped open, and she gasped for breath.

  The vampire’s features hardened, his eyes narrowing, as if he had guessed what she was doing. Unfortunately, her efforts didn’t seem to have any effect on him.

  “Come, before I lose my patience.” He extended his hand, jabbing it toward her.

  Viktor slapped it away. “She’s not going anywhere with you!”

  The air grew colder as the vampire smiled at Viktor, revealing glistening, sharp, white fangs.

  Chills ran down the length of her spine. Cold, she was so very cold.

  Once again, the dark magic grew in intensity until the air sizzled with it and her lungs felt close to bursting. His magic was running through her unchecked, weakening her with every passing moment.

  When his eyes turned back to her, they glowed with an unholy light.

  “I would beg to differ, but I never beg. And my patience wanes.” In the blink of an eye, the vampire had his hand around Viktor’s neck.

  “Release him!” Gemma cried, but her plea was ignored.

  With no apparent effort, the vampire lifted Viktor’s big body off the ground.

  Viktor grasped the vampire’s hand with both of his own in an attempt to break his grip. His dangling legs flailed, to no avail.

  “I think not,” the fiend said, tilting his head slightly and looking at Viktor as if he was examining wares at the market. As if he wasn’t holding a large, struggling man in the air. “He is a fine specimen, for a mortal. Perhaps I will make him my pet.”

  “No!” Vivid tales of cruelty and depravity flooded her mind, tales that, until now, she had believed were nothing more than scary stories to frighten children into being home before dark. Now she felt the truth of them in the air around her; saw it in the hungry, lustful gleam in those nearly colorless eyes, as he took in Viktor’s pleasing form.

  Awed and horrified by the sheer strength and speed of the creature before her, panic seized Gemma. Her magic, raw and untrained, was no match for his. Perhaps someday it would be, but at that moment, it was useless against him, and Viktor was in his clutches. Viktor might be brave and strong, but he was also human, and he wouldn’t stand a chance.

  She couldn’t let that happen.

  “No! Let him go! It’s me you want. I’ll ... I’ll go with you. Just ... spare him.”

  “Once again, you have demonstrated intelligence.” That quickly, the suffocating darkness eased. The vampire released his grip, and Viktor dropped to the ground like a sack of rocks, coughing and sputtering, attempting to fill his lungs as he rose to his feet.

  “Gemma! No!”

  With a flick of his wrist, the vampire sent Viktor flying backward into a tree. There was an audible crack, then Viktor crumpled to the ground, silent.

  “You said you would spare him!” Gemma cried. She attempted to run to Viktor, but the vampire caught her wrist easily and held her in place.

  “He is not dead ... yet. You hold the power of his life in your delicate hands, young sorceress. Did you mean what you said? You will do anything to spare his life?”

  Dread pooled in her stomach, but she didn’t hesitate. If it came to a choice between her life and Viktor’s, there was no question which she would choose. “Yes! Just ... please, spare him.”

  Still holding her in an unbreakable grip, the vampire used a razor-sharp nail to score Gemma’s wrist.

  The sudden sharp pain made her cry out. She tried to pull away, but it was impossible.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Ensuring you will keep your word.” He sliced his own wrist, as well, then pressed it to hers. “A blood vow is unbreakable. You willingly give yourself to me—say it.”

  The sensation of icy fire burned where their blood mingled, then began to spread up her forearm as his blood entered her veins and comingled with hers.

  “If I refuse?”

  Once again, those pale eyes met hers. “Then he dies. His family dies. Your mother dies. Everyone in this village dies in agony. And you will still be mine.”

  “You are evil,” she hissed, each beat of her heart drawing more of him into her veins.

  He laughed. “Little jewel, that was never in question.” His features hardened again. “Now say it.”

  Gemma looked at Viktor, saw he was beginning to stir. The vampire wouldn’t hesitate to use Viktor to sway her to do his bidding. She had no choice but to make the vow be
fore Viktor regained consciousness and tried to fight again.

  “My heart will never be yours.”

  The vampire lifted one shoulder in an elegant gesture. “I have no use for it; only your magic.”

  “And ... my body remains my own.”

  “You sorely test me,” he warned, but nodded. “Now speak the words before I change my mind.”

  She inhaled deeply, silently making her own vow that somehow, some way, she would find a way to destroy this monster and return to Viktor. “I willingly give myself to you.”

  “To serve and protect.”

  “To serve and protect.”

  “Through this binding of blood, our lives are now one.”

  She hesitated, her heart sinking at the words.

  “Say it!” he hissed.

  “Through this binding of blood, our lives are now one.”

  Gemma gasped as she felt the magic of the vow snap into place.

  “Excellent.” He pulled his wrist away then grabbed her roughly about the waist, securing her against him. Then he wrapped his cloak around them both and disappeared.

  Chapter Five

  “Viktor! Come on, son; wake up! ’Tis no time for napping!”

  As someone gave him a vigorous shake, Viktor awoke to a fierce pounding at the back of his head and a painful ache in his right shoulder. He pushed himself to sitting, fighting against the dizziness that threatened to purge his stomach of its contents. The light of a torch made him wince. It took several breaths before his vision cleared sufficiently enough to recognize Heinrich, one of his father’s men.

  “Come on, now. While you’ve been dallying with the girl, we’ve gathered up the rest of the sheaves and are heading back to the keep.”

  It took him a minute to remember where he was and how he had come to be crumpled at the base of a tree. Far above, the clouds shifted to reveal a full moon and a night sky filled with stars. The glowing, silvery orb brought to mind the eyes of the stranger in black, and just like that, it all came back to him.

  Gemma! He shot to his feet, forced to lean on the tree when his head swam and his body swayed. “Gemma!” he called out. “Gemma!” He turned to the other man and laid a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Heinrich, have you seen Gemma?”