Princess Before Dawn Page 5
Annie was about to reply when she heard music coming from inside the castle. “The vampires are having another dance,” she said, hurrying up the stairs.
“I’ve heard these musicians before,” Zoë said. “They’ve played at some of my father’s parties.”
Annie was halfway down the corridor when she realized that Francis and Zoë weren’t with her. She glanced back and saw them standing in the doorway. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I can’t come in without an invitation,” said Zoë.
“And I’m not going anywhere without her,” added Francis.
“Oh, right,” Annie said. “In that case, please come in.”
Although Zoë and Francis quickly caught up, acting as if nothing unusual had happened, the incident had reminded Annie that Zoë was in fact a vampire. For a second Annie wondered if she’d made the right choice in bringing Zoë there. “She’s Millie’s friend,” she told herself. “And she’s here to help.”
The music grew louder as they approached the great hall and saw a cluster of guards standing just outside the door. Annie spotted Liam and Captain Sterling, and was hurrying over to talk to them when Squidge stepped in front of her.
“Ooh, are you in trouble now!” Squidge announced. “Liam was looking all over for you.”
“I left a note!” Annie exclaimed. “Didn’t he see it?”
Squidge looked away, no longer able to meet her eyes. “Yeah, about that. Someone might have been jumping on your bed with a cat and a hedgehog. And maybe the note fell on the floor. And maybe the hedgehog chewed it up. There are a couple of little pieces left, though. I can get them for you if you want.”
“Squidge!” Annie cried.
The little sprite shrugged. “I was trying to get the lumps out of your bed so I could take a nap.”
“Why didn’t you tell Liam about the note?” asked Annie.
“Like I read it! Plus, he was so upset when I saw him that he wouldn’t have listened to me even if I had tried to tell him,” said Squidge. “Did you know that little veins stand out in his forehead when he’s all worked up?”
“You said you had come to help us, but this was not helpful,” Annie said through gritted teeth. “I’ll talk to you later. Right now I have to talk to Liam.”
“Fine, be like that,” Squidge said, stepping out of her way. “No matter what I do, people always get mad at me!”
“Liam!” Annie called, hurrying to his side. “I’m so sorry I made you worry and I’m sorry I didn’t wait for you, but there really wasn’t time. Once I was sure I knew what those people are, I knew I had to hurry and find some help. I went to Greater Greensward to talk to Millie. I left you a note, but a hedgehog ate it.”
“What?” he said, looking angry.
Annie shrugged. “Squidge and his friends were jumping on our bed. I’ll tell you all about it later. I was hoping to be back before dark. Was anyone else bitten?”
“Not so far, although the night is still young,” said Liam. “You don’t know how worried I was. I had half the people in the castle looking everywhere for you. I understand why you went, but next time you’re using a postcard, please wait for me. There’s no telling what can happen when those cards take you somewhere.”
“I promise,” Annie replied. “Although it would help if you’d let someone know where you’re going so I can find you.”
“You have a point,” Liam said, and hugged her. “I’m just glad you’re safe. You said you know something about those people?”
Annie nodded and turned to watch the dancers. This time they were wearing elaborate masks and matching outfits, making them look like bizarre birds and animals. Although the same musicians were playing, the music and dancing were wilder and faster.
“Millie had mentioned them, and I looked them up in one of Father’s books,” Annie told him. “They’re vampires and can turn into bats. I went to Greater Greensward to find someone who can help us. Liam, Captain Sterling, this is Zoë and her husband, Francis.” Annie turned to gesture to her companions. “Francis is the son of Millie’s aunt. Zoë, Francis, I’d like you to meet my husband, Prince Liam, soon to be king of Dorinocco, and Captain Sterling, my parents’ captain of the guard.”
“It’s an honor to meet you,” said Francis.
“It is,” said Zoë, “but if you’ll excuse me, I want to see if I can find out what’s going on. I’ll tell you as soon as I know something.”
“Zoë is half vampire,” Annie told Liam as Zoë walked away. “Her father is a vampire prince and she says she knows the Duke of Highcliff.”
“Really?” said Liam. “Then maybe she can help. Do you think they’ll listen to her if she tells them to go home?”
Annie shrugged. “I hope that’s all it will take.”
“If not, I’m sure she’ll think of something,” said Francis. “Her father has taught her a lot about dealing with vampires.”
Zoë came back only a few minutes later. “I spoke with the Duke of Highcliff,” she told Annie. “They bought those postcards with the intention of holding a week of festivities in a new place. He said they’ll go somewhere else next year. When I told the duke that this wasn’t fair to the owners of the castle, he argued that the vampires were invited in. I asked him to take his friends and go, but he refused. I bet he’d listen if my father were here.”
“But they weren’t invited in, at least not by the owners,” said Annie. “This is my parents’ castle. They didn’t invite any of the postcard holders in. The witches let themselves in without an invitation, then one told the duke that he could come in, too.”
“And then he invited his friends in,” Zoë said, nodding. “I’ve heard of this happening before, but never on such a big scale.”
“Did you say they intend to stay for a week?” asked Liam.
“Or longer,” Zoë told him. “I know most of the vampires here. Sometimes their parties can get a little out of hand.”
“Are those the guards who were bitten last night?” Annie asked, pointing at two of the dancers.
“They are,” said Liam. “They woke as soon as it was dark and joined the vampires coming out of the cellar.”
“They’re vampires now,” Zoë told them. “And there’s no way to change them back.”
“Isn’t there anything we can do?” asked Annie. “We can’t have the castle filled with vampires for an entire week!”
“Or more,” Liam reminded her.
“Of course we can do something,” said Zoë. “But I need to talk to your parents.”
“They retired to His Majesty’s chamber along with half the staff just before dark,” Captain Sterling told Annie.
“I’ll take you there,” Annie told Zoë. “If we can end this, let’s do it now.”
Annie and Liam led Zoë and Francis up the stairs to King Halbert’s chambers. Once again the footman was reluctant to let them in until they’d identified themselves. When he finally did open it, Annie and Liam walked in first. Seeing two strangers behind them, the footman almost slammed the door in Zoë’s and Francis’s faces, but Annie got in the way.
“Do you remember Audun and Millie and how much they helped us when we were looking for a cure for you?” Annie asked her father. “These are their friends Zoë and Francis.”
“Then they may enter,” said the king, gesturing to the footman.
“Everyone is frightened,” Queen Karolina told her daughter. “It’s hard to trust strangers now.”
“But Zoë and Francis are here to help,” Annie replied. “Zoë knows what to do.”
“You mean you know how to make them leave?” asked King Halbert.
“It’s very simple,” Zoë told the king and queen. “Most vampires are extremely self-centered and don’t care about anyone else, but they do have a few rules that they have to follow. It’s built into their very nature to obey these rules, although they do try to bend them when they can.”
“And one of these rules can help us?” the queen asked.
“I’m ready,” King Halbert declared, squaring his shoulders. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make them leave.”
“Then go to the great hall and announce that they have to depart right now. Tell them that they are not welcome and cannot stay,” said Zoë.
“That’s it? That’s all I have to do?” asked the king.
“That’s it,” said Zoë.
“Then what happens?” Liam asked.
“You’ll see,” Zoë replied, and led the way out the door.
All the guards who had been stationed in the king’s chamber to protect him accompanied the royal family down the stairs. As they walked, more guards joined them until the king had a sizable group around him when he finally reached the great hall. Even Squidge joined their ranks, looking stern and determined.
The musicians were playing a frenzied waltz when the king stepped inside the room. None of the vampires seemed to notice that he was there. Francis was standing a good distance from Annie when he declared in a magically amplified voice, “Attention everyone! The king of Treecrest has an announcement to make.”
The music trailed off to a final fading tootle on the flute, the dancers stopped spinning across the room, and every vampire turned to face King Halbert. The king cleared his throat, held his head high, and said, “I am King Halbert, ruler of this kingdom and owner of this castle. Vampires are not welcome here. You must all leave now and never come back. Your unauthorized invitation has been rescinded. Now, get out!”
Annie heard the whistling of the wind before she felt it. Suddenly, it was whipping around the great hall, swirling the long, flowing dresses of the female vampires and blowing the musicians’ instruments from their hands. A moment later it was dragging the vampires out of the hall and down the corridor, even as it pushed the humans back.
“No!” screamed the vampires, unable to fight the wind.
“That looks like fun!” shouted Squidge. Running into the hall, he grabbed hold of a vampire’s leg and held on.
The door to the courtyard opened with a bang and the vampires shot out the door one after the other.
Annie was relieved to see them go and didn’t realize that anything was wrong until she heard Francis shout, “Zoë!”
Turning her head, she saw the slender young woman dragged across the floor just like the rest of the vampires. And then Zoë was out the door while her husband strained against the force of that very same wind, trying to follow her.
CHAPTER 7
“Zoë!” Francis cried again, struggling against the wind that held him back.
“I wonder if she knew that was going to happen,” Liam said to Annie.
“She didn’t look surprised, so I think she had a good idea that it would,” said Annie. “Yet she did it anyway. I like that girl!”
Suddenly there was another loud bang and the wind stopped. Francis staggered. When he caught his balance, he started to run toward the door.
“Stop him!” Liam shouted, and three of the guards jumped to restrain Francis.
“I have to go!” Francis exclaimed, trying to pull away.
“You can’t run after your wife like that,” said Liam. “The vampires are gone, but we don’t know where they went. It’s dark out and they could be anywhere, including right outside the door.”
“But Zoë is out there, too!” said Francis.
“And she’s a vampire. Do you really think they’d hurt one of their own?” Liam asked.
“But she isn’t, at least not to the more traditionally minded vampires,” Francis told him. “Her mother isn’t a vampire, so some vampires don’t hold Zoë in the same regard as they do her father. You should hear some of the nasty things they say about her. Even the ones who accept her might be angry. I’m sure they’ve figured out that she was the one who told King Halbert how to evict them. Vampires don’t like being thwarted, especially when they’re enjoying themselves. They’ll be mad now and will want to come in again. If certain vampires find her, they could threaten to hurt Zoë if we don’t let them come back in the castle. Don’t you see? I have to save her and bring her back.”
“Then I’m going with you,” said Liam. “But first we need to get ready. Going out there to face all those vampires unprepared could be deadly.”
“I’m ready now,” Francis declared.
“But I’m not,” said Liam. “We’ll both need suits of armor so they can’t bite us, and weapons to fend them off. We need torches to light our way and more people to help us or we won’t stand a chance against so many.”
“I’m going with you!” Annie declared. “I can wear the suit of armor that Snow White gave me. I never took it to Dorinocco.”
“Annie, you can’t mean it!” her mother exclaimed. “It’s much too dangerous.”
“Zoë came to help us,” Annie told her. “She knew that the wind would carry her out with the others and that was dangerous, too. Now it’s my turn to help her.”
“I’ll go as well,” Captain Sterling declared.
“As will I!” shouted the knights.
Soon Annie, Liam, and all the knights in the castle had run off to collect their armor and weapons, leaving Francis behind with the king and queen. Annie got a maid to help strap her into the small suit of armor that almost but didn’t quite fit. When she returned downstairs, her mother took one look at her and shook her head. “I really don’t approve of this. You’re about to become queen of a kingdom and here you are going out to fight vampires. How do you know that armor will even keep you safe?”
“I wore this armor when birds were attacking me,” said Annie. “I’m sure it will do just as well against bats. And no vampires will be able to bite my neck as long as I’m wearing this. Francis, look at you! I’ve never seen armor made of gold before. Isn’t gold too soft to protect you?”
“Not this gold,” said Francis. “I’ve used magic to enhance it. Just don’t come near me when we’re out there, Annie. I don’t want the magic to fade.”
“He conjured it out of nowhere,” said Queen Karolina. “I didn’t know he was a wizard.”
“And warrior,” Francis told her. “I’ve been studying magic and the fighting arts my whole life. Here, I can do something about lighting our way, too. Where I come from, these are called witches’ lights.” With a few words and gestures, Francis created one glowing ball after another. Some were the size of cantaloupes while others were bigger than watermelons, but they all gave off the same warm glow. As Liam and the knights returned to the room, he attached an invisible tether to each suit of armor. “Sorry, Annie,” he said when he was done. “There’s no use giving you one. It wouldn’t work around you.”
“That’s all right,” said Liam. “I’ll keep Annie close to me.”
“Before we go, everyone who is staying behind should know that the vampires will probably try to come back in,” Francis announced. “They’ll beg, wheedle, and threaten, saying whatever they think will get them invited inside. Ignore everything they say. Look the other way if you see one in a window or doorway. They can be very convincing when they want to be.”
“Spread the word throughout the castle,” Liam said to the people gathered around. “Everyone needs to know this or we’re all in trouble.”
“Everyone who is going with me—be as quiet as you can,” said Francis. “Vampires are attracted to loud noises.”
“I’ll do my best, but there’s no way I can be completely quiet when I’m wearing armor,” Annie whispered to Liam. “When I walk, I sound like someone is banging pots and pans together.”
Liam grunted and said, “We all do. This should be loads of fun.�
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Francis started out the door first, his golden armor shining like a beacon for everyone to follow. Liam kept glancing at the witches’ light trailing a few feet behind him as he walked, but when it didn’t get tangled or stuck on anything, he seemed to forget that it was there. Annie walked beside Liam, trying not to clank in the armor that pinched here and squeezed there. It had been made for a boy and fit like it. She wondered if she should get some armor made for her in case she was going to keep needing it.
Annie’s helmet made it hard to see much, but when Francis opened the door from the corridor to the courtyard outside, she peered around him, trying to see if any vampires were lurking on the steps. As far as she could see, there wasn’t anyone there.
“Take my arm,” Liam told her as they approached the door. “It’s hard to go down stairs when you can’t see where you’re going.”
“It doesn’t seem to bother you,” Annie said, holding on to him.
“I’m used to it,” he replied. “I got my first suit of armor when I was six years old.”
It was a moonless night, and with much of the courtyard dark, the only light came from torches mounted at intervals on the castle walls and on either side of the gatehouse. As the search party descended the steps, their witches’ lights followed them, creating moving pools of light. Liam’s light had gone out as soon as Annie took his hand, but the lights tethered to the other knights still made it easy to see.
When they reached Francis, he was standing in the middle of the courtyard, looking around. “I’m sure Zoë is here somewhere,” he said. “She wouldn’t have gone far because she’d know that I’d come after her. I’m going to look by the dovecote, if that’s what that is. It looks like a giant beehive.”
“It was a dovecote until yesterday. I forgot that one of the visiting witches changed it. I’ll have to see about turning it back tomorrow,” Annie told him.
While Francis made his way to the former dovecote, Annie turned to Liam. “I think Zoë will have gone somewhere sheltered, but not inside any buildings where she’d have to get an invitation. Let’s look in my mother’s garden. There are lots of places to hide there.”