Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

We left the vampire to his work and continued our stroll down the beach. We reached the point where the earth sloped upward and curved toward the top of the cliff like a set of elegant stairs. The sand was replaced by tufts of grass and bits of rock, and a few trees crept from the inland and provided shade as we stopped at the point of transition.

I breathed in deeply the perfume of grass and wildflowers. "It's nice to have a new smell after that long beach. Is this as far as Lusio's property goes?"

Tegan shook his head. "Not quite. I think it goes for another few miles and encompasses the crypts the vampires use as their resting place."

I stretched my neck to catch a glimpse of that sight. "How far is that?"

"Far enough that we'd miss the first trial if we tried to see it on foot right now," he warned me.

My face fell. "So back we go?"

He grasped my hand and smiled. "We'll take the path between the dunes and the main road. We have that much time."

Tegan guided me away from the cliffs toward the open plains that stretched toward faraway lands. We had driven through much of that lush farmland on our way to the estate but the impending dread of our duty had kept me from enjoying the view. Now I took in the far-flung fields with its variety of plants with interest, even more so that there were no farmhouses as far as I could see.

"Do the vampires take care of the fields, too?" I wondered.

"They must," Tegan guessed as he studied the countryside. "The only house that seems to be around here for miles is Lusio's."

"So all the work is done during the night except if they're in the shade?" I mused.

He nodded. "And under the ground. We might be allowed to explore their catacombs if they'll let us."

I blinked at him. "Why would we want to?"

Tegan grinned at me. "I've heard they've made it into a small city beneath our feet. It could be worth a look."

I dropped my gaze to the grassy ground upon which we tread. "Are we talking about a big or little city? And should I watch where I step?"

He chuckled. "I doubt it stretches outside these plains and I hope we don't have to-"

I screamed as one of my legs was suddenly swallowed by the earth. Tegan grabbed hold of my arm in a flash but the ground had already consumed my leg up to my mid-thigh. I thrashed around like a trapped animal as my heart pounded in my chest.

"Up! Up! Up!" I yelped.

Tegan gladly obeyed and pulled me out of the hole. I fell against him and was glad for his strong arms around me. It took a few moments for me to catch my breath, but the moment I did I gave my captor a look of death. The hole was round and slightly larger than my foot, and a tall clump of grass had hidden it from view.

"Those vampires really need to watch where they're digging," I snapped.

Tegan drew me behind him and knelt beside the hole. He dug around with his fingers for a moment before a grin slipped onto his lips. "I don't think the builder of this hole will listen to you."

I crossed my arms over my chest and frowned. "Why not?"

He looked up at me with twinkling eyes. "Because it was dug by an animal."

My face drooped. "Seriously?"

He plucked something from the mouth of the chasm and held it up. "Animal fur."

I leaned down and glared at the offending tuft. "What kind of animal?"

He released the fur so it could float back down to the ground. "I'm not really sure myself."

A crooked smile slipped onto my lips as he stood. "So I've finally found it."

Tegan stood and blinked at me. "What?"

"Something you don't know about."

He choked on a laugh. "I'm not knowledgeable about a lot of things."

"Uh-huh," I replied as we continued on our walk.

I watched the ground for any more booby traps and was glad when we reached a trail that followed the border between two fields to the road. The path was empty but the ruts in the road told the tale of many a cart over many a year. The place was so deserted that I was glad when a figure appeared in the distance. They held an umbrella and I wasn't too surprised to find their face was pale.

The face was also familiar as Conrad walked up to us. He stopped and bowed his head. "Good morning."

"You're up a little early," Tegan commented.

A slight smile touched his lips. "I would say I am awake rather late. I was just going to see to the preparations at the longhouse along the beach."

"The one where Hugh is?" I guessed.

He stared at me for a moment with more than a touch of confusion on his face before recognition dawned and he nodded. "Just so. He has been kind enough to return to us after exploring the world and will be very valuable in preparing for the diving."

"Would we be in the way if we watched it tonight?" Tegan requested.

Conrad lifted an eyebrow and glanced between us. "Would you really care to? Your eyesight may not be up to the task of seeing very much."

Tegan smiled at him. "We'll manage, but may we?"

The vampire nodded. "You may if you wish. We should be glad for the audience, however feeble your eyesight is. The diving begins just after sunset but I would suggest you arrive shortly before that so our less self-disciplined aren't tempted by your travel along the roads."

My face fell. "What do you mean?"

He flashed me a toothy smile that showed off one particularly large canine. "Exactly what I say, miss."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and managed to squeak out a few words. "Short on donors?"

He closed his lips and nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. There are more vampires than mortals in this area and the supply does run rather low, leading to some returns to our old ways."

Tegan clapped a hand on my shoulder and made me jump. "We'll be sure to watch our step during the evening hours. Good day."

Conrad inclined his head to us. "Good day."

I was pretty glad to get away from the very blunt vampire leader and back on the bright sunny road. "Please tell me he was teasing me and I wasn't getting the joke," I spoke up to my companion.

Tegan shook his head. "I doubt it. Vampires take their sustenance very seriously and rarely joke about their supply for fear of offending them."

I cocked my head to one side and lifted an eyebrow. "Where do most vampires get their supply?"

"Families with whom they've made long-term contracts," Tegan explained as we sauntered down the packed track. "The family is given money in exchange for their blood which in turn allows them to have children and carry on the contract."

"And the vampires get a steady supply of the red juice," I finished as I wrinkled my nose. "I don't think I'd like to live like that."

"Nor would I, but the contracts do spread their wealth and keep them from growing too powerful," Tegan pointed out.

"Unlike the guy under our protection?" I mused.

He nodded. "Unlike him who has no heir and amuses himself with a bizarre set of games."

"Have you been to any of these trials before?" I asked him.

He grinned. "That's something else I don't know about. I've never seen any of them nor heard the particulars."

"You couldn't afford to get in?" I guessed.

He shrugged. "The temptation to see it was never great enough to go out of my way to this lonely place."

I swept my eyes over the area. Nary a bird could be heard nor was there any other wild animal in sight. A gentle but chilly breeze blew in from the ocean and raced across the fields. The wind swept over us, causing me to shiver. "I see what you mean. How far is it back to the house?"

"Not far."

"Good. Let's walk faster."