Black Blood
Chapter 36

We walk past a piece of land with many smaller tents next to each other. Here and there a child walks out of a tent. These are the tents of the children whose parents are unable to care for them.

‘We have many children found here.’ Again, I am surprised by the way things are done here. I would say that there are about ten tents here. Somehow it is logical that children are changed and lose their parents, or the parents don’t know what to do with a vampire child.

A little boy of about eight years old runs past me. His hair is pitch black, which reminds me of Elien. I can only hope that my father will stay away from Elien. I can only hope that Christiaan will stay away from me forever. My body is eternally in a dilemma between returning to the castle to get Elien and using my mind to figure out how to do that first without getting killed.

We walk a little further along the path. The tents seem to be getting bigger here and further apart. When I look further over the grounds, I see that the tents are being replaced by small houses.

‘When you come to live here, you start in a tent, building a house is your own responsibility.’ I nod understandingly. It’s funny to see how a different society works.

‘What are the jobs here?’ I ask interested. Novak puts his hands in his pockets.

‘We don’t have jobs as you might think, not for money anyway. Everyone has a job here and that’s how they keep the camp running. Women who are good with children look after the children, men who are good at building help with the houses and so on.’ The castle couldn’t be further away.

Just when I want to ask what he, Timon and Sara are doing, I am startled.

‘Novak!’ I turn my head and see Timon standing a metre away from us. Startled, I take a step backwards and almost fall backwards into the grass. Novak just manages to grab me by the waist to keep me upright. Timon laughs at my clumsiness. I look down at the ground with red cheeks in shame.

What did you expect Celeste? You’re in a camp full of vampires with supernatural speed. Maybe after this morning I didn’t realise Timon was a vampire, he’s not the stereotype described in the books. They often talk about muscular and dark men with a dominant character, that is not what Timon seems to me at first sight.

Then I notice that Timon has a newspaper in his hand. The half-opened thing is hanging along his body in his right hand.

‘What?’ Novak asks in an uninterested tone. Timon almost pushes the newspaper into Novak’s hands.

‘Read.’ Novak’s eyes glide over the slightly creased paper. With each sentence he seems to read, his facial expression becomes heavier, to the point that his startled eyes focus on me.

‘I think you’ll want to read this.’ Novak holds the newspaper out to me. In doubt I take the piece of paper from his hands and let my eyes slide over the front page. Immediately I lower the paper and close my eyes, a nausea rising. I cannot and will not look at that photo, I cannot and will not. That picture is a new image that is forever engraved in my mind.

I push the paper back into Novak’s hands and start walking back towards Rave. I have to leave here and I have to leave now. It is my fault, all of this is my fault. If I had the courage to stand up to my father, to kill him or stop him, it would never have happened. Nora would still be alive, her dragon would still be alive and Elien would not be sitting alone with my father.

‘Maria wait.’ Novak’s voice echoes behind me through the trees. My stride is fast but I will never beat the speed of a vampire. So Novak suddenly stands in front of me and I almost run into him. I try to get past Novak, to push him away, but it doesn’t work. He grabs me by my shoulders and looks at me with his blue eyes, worried.

‘What happened? Is that why you are so hurt? Were you a prisoner?’ Novak spits out just about every question he can think of. Somewhere I was a prisoner, I tell myself voluntarily. As soon as I want to answer vaguely and tell a cock-and-bull story, the picture shoots past my eyes. I grab my hand to my mouth to stop myself from vomiting on Novak’s shoes.

‘Take a deep breath in and out,’ Novak instructs me. Subconsciously I do what he says, in my nose and out my mouth. My breathing seems to calm down and my nausea fades. I had imagined what they would do to Nora’s body, seen all the scenarios before me, but that picture was so hideous that I don’t want to and can’t comprehend it.

’Did you know her well? Novak is careful with his question this time, almost seems afraid to ask it. All I can do is nod. I look at the ground, my breathing still slightly hurried.

‘Were you a prisoner of the castle?’ I don’t know how to answer this question, I don’t see myself as a prisoner since it was my own will to stay there. You could say I was a prisoner because I wasn’t allowed to leave the castle. I decide to shake my head, partly to avoid multiple questions.

‘You’re in danger, fled, aren’t you? The king is hunting for you and the two others?’ It sounds more like an observation than a question, but his questioning eyes still signal that I should respond. I nod.

‘The article said you are wanted criminals, there is a price on your head. Anyone who knows or sees anything will be forced to hand you over.’ I knew that my father had opened the hunt, not that there was a price on our heads. Novak tries to pin his eyes in mine, but I avoid his gaze.

‘Do you know where the other two are?’ I shake my head, if only I knew. I don’t know how honest I should be with Novak. I haven’t read the article and don’t know if my real name was in it. If my father replaces me, I am dead. It’s a bit of a relief that there was no drawing of me in that article, for as long as I could see it.

‘I don’t want to ruin this romantic interlude, but am I crazy or can’t this be done. Night riders are immortal aren’t they?’ Again I’m startled when Timon stands next to me. He has a point. It’s the question I don’t get an answer to either.

‘That’s what the stories say indeed,’ Novak answers dubiously. I think and try to get all the points in a row. But it doesn’t work. I can’t replace a pattern or an explanation.

‘I don’t get it either. I have... I have seen her lying.... I saw her body lying on the ground, lifeless,’ I admit with difficulty. Thimon looks at me with pity.

‘Maybe we should let it rest for now. As long as Maria stays under the radar and we keep watching, we’ll be fine,’ Novak tries to reassure us. I sigh deeply and nod. Then Thimon seems to remember something.

‘There was another reason why I came, apart from the newspaper. Your father wants to meet Maria.’