Cameo and the Vampire (24 page)

The young man opened up Opal's shoulder-pack and found the same things that he had given to Cameo when he met her in Shandow. Something he'd believed then to be a speech, but it was actually one of Bellamy's plays, and the wanted posters for Black Opal and Francois Mond. He smiled when he saw them, then repacked the bag.

"It's a play," he said, setting it down. "Unfortunately I can't read."

Alerkat looked at the lad thoughtfully. "You're planning on making your life here in Ponth?"

Kyrian nodded.

"Well, I think I can find the time to teach you."

He brightened. "You would?"

"Of course. You'll be helping out this community a lot if you're planning to do work as a healer—"

"Oh, you know ... I can't do that. The clergy would be against it."

"Yes, I know that is their official stance," the bald priest chuckled.

Someone knocked on the door, and Alerkat went to open it.

"Mr. Roberts, come right in. The young man is this way."

Kyrian stood up when he saw that it was the man with the horse that he'd healed.

"Mister ..." Mr. Roberts held out his hand to Kyrian.

"MacRoom, but call me Kyrian."

"Kyrian. The priest says you need work."

"Yes. I'm looking to—"

"Farm?" He grinned. "Right. Well, how does stable work sound to you? We could train you up, get you working with horses? I know we owe you more than that. Alerkat said you could stay here in the shrine with him."

Kyrian smiled thoughtfully. Out the corner of his eye he saw Cyrus standing beside him.

"Sounds exactly like what I'm looking for."

* * * * *

Cameo opened her eyes. She was lying in a bed somewhere. The walls were rough hewn, just wooden planks without any paint or wallpaper. There was a large wardrobe and a dressing table with a mirror, a washbasin, and pitcher. And as she looked across to the end of the room, there was Black Opal lounging on a patterned settee, reading a book. His long legs stretched out over the arm of the sofa, and he was eating a small cake. He seemed very engrossed in whatever it was he was reading.

"Where am I?"

Opal was instantly at her side, beaming down at her. "In a tavern. Something out of the way. You're quite safe now."

"Safe?" There was a grittiness as her teeth rubbed together. "Do you have any—"

"Whiskey?" He pulled the cork off a bottle and helped her into a sitting position.

"Yes, thank you." She swallowed it down and then shivered. "Ugh, yuck ...."

Opal took the bottle as she shoved it back in his direction.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Days."

"Oh," she nodded, thinking about her situation. She was in bed somewhere, in a tavern with Opal. "I destroyed Haffef."

"Yes." He smiled as he sat down at the edge of her bed.

Then she touched her face. Something horrible had happened to her in that fight. He had torn her face in half.

"It's healed, rather nicely if you ask me."

Cameo ran her hand over her mouth; the skin had knitted back together. How many days had she been there? "Where is Kyrian?"

"Oh, him. I did hear him say that he was going back to Ponth, but I wouldn't go looking for him if I were you. He still believes you're where he left you, I'm afraid, buried at the crossroads. Where all undead belong."

"What?"

"Sorry, my dear. I'm afraid I was forced to remedy you from that situation. It was a little gloomy, but—"

"I was in a grave?" She ran her tongue over her teeth; now that explained the grittiness. Her mouth was still full of dirt.

"Yes," he answered softly. "I couldn't live without you as it turns out."

An exciting revelation came to her now. She smiled at him. "Haffef is dead, and I am free."

"Where shall we go, my dear?" Opal asked, tilting his head to one side in interest.

"South?"

"South? That's your plan?"

She tugged his jacket off of his shoulders. "Do you have a problem with that?"

He grinned, "You know I'd follow you anywhere. Although, I do think a free Shandow should go straight to the top of our to-do list."

"Uh huh," she pulled him closer. "Or we could do as we please for the rest of your life."

"Well, now, that sounds like a plan I could follow ... with ease." Opal leaned in to kiss her.

She flipped him onto his back easily and pushed him down into the pillows beneath her, smiling mischievously.

THE END