Read Online Vampire in the Woods (Merlin's Hoods Book 2) by Carl Waters - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carl Waters
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out.
“Go back to your rooms,” she told them quietly. “This does not concern you, yet, and I will not have either of you in danger.”
“Mother—” Adela began.
“Go!” Angeline snapped. If the vampire had come for her, she didn’t want the girls in the way.
And she certainly didn’t want them to see what might happen when she opened the door.
There was a slight mumble, and then she heard the girls’ footsteps retreating back toward the stairs. They stopped at the foot of the staircase, but she didn’t lecture them for disobeying her. Because the pounding had started on the door again.
She was, she realized suddenly, out of time. Why, oh why, hadn’t she been more careful? Why didn’t she keep more of her weapons here in the house, rather than outside in the shed that bellied up to the back of the cottage? Why hadn’t she worked harder to choose one of the girls? If something happened to her tonight …
Cutting the thought off, she reached forward and grasped the handle of the door. Second-guessing herself would do her no good now. She had but one choice: open the door and face what had come for her.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and threw the door open, ready to fight for her life.
To her surprise, though, she saw nothing on her doorstep but Louis, the very boy she’d sent home earlier in the evening, and Piers, the woodcutter.
“What? Why are you here?” she asked, confused but forcing her tongue to obey her. She reached forward and pulled the men into the house then turned back to the darkness outside and peered into the forest. Still full of shadows, and black as the pots in her kitchen. Whatever they’d come for, Piers and Louis had been fools to venture out while it was still dark.
She turned on them, suddenly furious. “What are you doing out of your homes? Louis, did I not tell you to stay indoors until the sun rose? Did I not tell you to light the fire, and avoid anyone that came to your door? What are you doing here?”
“My son has yet to return home,” Piers said shortly. “I knew he’d gone out with Louis, so I waited patiently until I could not stand it any longer. I journeyed to Louis’s house, hoping that Geoffrey was there with him, but found Louis alone but for his mother.”
“Geoffrey and I parted ways last night, just before sunset,” Louis interrupted, his young face both serious and worried. “He was very concerned about getting home before the sun set, to pass your message to his father. He was … ” Here he paused, as if he would say something else but then changed his mind. “He was very concerned. We parted ways, and I haven’t seen him since.”
Angeline narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what that silence had held, and what had passed between Louis and Geoffrey. Something important, perhaps? Had it affected Geoffrey, whatever it was, so that he’d done something stupid? Something like staying out after dark?
No, she realized quickly. Geoff was the most cautious boy she’d ever met, and the most practical. He wouldn’t flirt with danger for the sake of adventure. No matter how much Louis might have spurred him on. But that wouldn’t stop her from asking. Louis obviously had more information than he was giving her.
“I told you both to be indoors before the sun set,” she snapped. “What did you say to him? What would have caused him to stay out longer? Louis, where is he?”
Louis hung his head, chastised, but to Angeline’s surprise, it was Adela who spoke next.
“Louis couldn’t have known, Mother. He says they parted ways. Wherever Geoff is—or whatever happened to him—it happened after Louis and he left each other. There’s no point in lecturing Louis. We need to find Geoff.” And the girl was abruptly at Angeline’s elbow, taking control of the situation—giving orders and making the logical and rational decisions.
Just as a Red Hood would have.
“We will find your son, Piers,” Angeline said, following
“Go back to your rooms,” she told them quietly. “This does not concern you, yet, and I will not have either of you in danger.”
“Mother—” Adela began.
“Go!” Angeline snapped. If the vampire had come for her, she didn’t want the girls in the way.
And she certainly didn’t want them to see what might happen when she opened the door.
There was a slight mumble, and then she heard the girls’ footsteps retreating back toward the stairs. They stopped at the foot of the staircase, but she didn’t lecture them for disobeying her. Because the pounding had started on the door again.
She was, she realized suddenly, out of time. Why, oh why, hadn’t she been more careful? Why didn’t she keep more of her weapons here in the house, rather than outside in the shed that bellied up to the back of the cottage? Why hadn’t she worked harder to choose one of the girls? If something happened to her tonight …
Cutting the thought off, she reached forward and grasped the handle of the door. Second-guessing herself would do her no good now. She had but one choice: open the door and face what had come for her.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and threw the door open, ready to fight for her life.
To her surprise, though, she saw nothing on her doorstep but Louis, the very boy she’d sent home earlier in the evening, and Piers, the woodcutter.
“What? Why are you here?” she asked, confused but forcing her tongue to obey her. She reached forward and pulled the men into the house then turned back to the darkness outside and peered into the forest. Still full of shadows, and black as the pots in her kitchen. Whatever they’d come for, Piers and Louis had been fools to venture out while it was still dark.
She turned on them, suddenly furious. “What are you doing out of your homes? Louis, did I not tell you to stay indoors until the sun rose? Did I not tell you to light the fire, and avoid anyone that came to your door? What are you doing here?”
“My son has yet to return home,” Piers said shortly. “I knew he’d gone out with Louis, so I waited patiently until I could not stand it any longer. I journeyed to Louis’s house, hoping that Geoffrey was there with him, but found Louis alone but for his mother.”
“Geoffrey and I parted ways last night, just before sunset,” Louis interrupted, his young face both serious and worried. “He was very concerned about getting home before the sun set, to pass your message to his father. He was … ” Here he paused, as if he would say something else but then changed his mind. “He was very concerned. We parted ways, and I haven’t seen him since.”
Angeline narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what that silence had held, and what had passed between Louis and Geoffrey. Something important, perhaps? Had it affected Geoffrey, whatever it was, so that he’d done something stupid? Something like staying out after dark?
No, she realized quickly. Geoff was the most cautious boy she’d ever met, and the most practical. He wouldn’t flirt with danger for the sake of adventure. No matter how much Louis might have spurred him on. But that wouldn’t stop her from asking. Louis obviously had more information than he was giving her.
“I told you both to be indoors before the sun set,” she snapped. “What did you say to him? What would have caused him to stay out longer? Louis, where is he?”
Louis hung his head, chastised, but to Angeline’s surprise, it was Adela who spoke next.
“Louis couldn’t have known, Mother. He says they parted ways. Wherever Geoff is—or whatever happened to him—it happened after Louis and he left each other. There’s no point in lecturing Louis. We need to find Geoff.” And the girl was abruptly at Angeline’s elbow, taking control of the situation—giving orders and making the logical and rational decisions.
Just as a Red Hood would have.
“We will find your son, Piers,” Angeline said, following
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