Chapter 4. It's a New Day

Now he just found out he has mysteriously traveled back in time only to wake up to the mob of mysterious creatures with red pale skin waving flaming torches at him as they torch the stake to burn him. Luckily he was saved by Lacey and now he’s scared of seeing her go up in flames.

“Don’t worry James, the sun will not harm me,” she said as she displayed a ring on her middle finger. The ring was made of lapis lazuli stone.

“What’s that supposed to do?” James asked expressing curiosity.

“It protects me from the sun. As long as I have it on, the sun will not harm me. So you do not need to worry.”

Vampires who wish to walk under the sun without going up in flames will have to get a witch to enchant a lapis lazuli stone for them. They can wear it as a ring or as a necklace. As long as the enchanted lapis lazuli stone is on them, they will never be harmed by the sun.

“This is new,” James mutters. All his life of watching a series of vampire movies, he has never seen them not harmed by the sun. To satisfy his curiosity, “How did you do it?” he asked.

“I had help from a witch.”

“Witches are real too?”

“Yes, they are.”

“Oh my goodness. I thought all these aren’t real but works of fiction movies,” he muttered under his breath. First, it was one of his movies happening to him when he turned into a werewolf after being attacked. James lived a life of fantasy and now he’s in the world of fantasy. It’s no longer a movie but a reality.

As they were about to climb the back of the horse, they heard the crackling of a branch as though one mistakenly stepped on it. They could easily pick up sounds from a far distance with enhanced hearing ability. Both werewolves and vampires possess enhanced hearing.

“We are not alone,” Lacey whispered. She switched her gaze directly to the direction where she believed she heard the crackling of the tree branch. “Get ready for anything,” she whispered once more.

As a newly transformed werewolf, James spent most of his time learning how to switch his form. Although he can only transform fully during the full moon, he can fang out and pop out his claws outside the full moon. With his claws all popped out; he fangs out waiting for whatever walks out from the bush. “Who could it be?” James whispered.

“Not sure yet but stay close.” Lacey slowly headed toward the bush. She moved without making a sound to avoid signaling whoever that might be.

James followed her cue. But then something changed. They could hear horses from kilometers away charging in their direction. “Can you hear that?” asked James in a low tone.

They shouldn’t be worried about anyone peeping through the bush at them. They should be worried about the horses approaching.

Before Lacey could open her mouth to speak, she caught a glimpse of a man laying behind a shrub. It looks like the man was trying not to be seen by them. She moved toward the man faster than the eyes could see. From behind, she grabbed the man and lifted him above the ground. “Oh no!” she exclaimed. She could recognize who the man worked for by the man’s dress.

The man was dressed like a knight. He had a red cape and a sword strapped around his waist.

“You can’t kill me,” he scoffs at Lacey displaying his canine teeth that are extra pointy and extra sharp.

“Do you know him?” James asked. He could see the man’s pointy fangs from where he stood. It looks exactly like that of Lacey which made him conclude the man is a vampire too.

“Don’t be mute. Tell him who you’re and why you shouldn’t be around him.”

Getting Lacey angry isn’t the best thing to do. He’s only getting on her nerves. “Stop talking!” Lacey yelled as she flings the man. Switching her gaze to James, “We need to get out of here right away,” she said.

It’s not everything about her she told James. There are certain things she kept away from him. Unfortunately for them, before they could get back to their horse, horses surrounded them with their riders pointing their crossbows at them.

***

The leader amongst the riders climbed down from his horse and started making his way to Lacey. He was dressed like the first man Lacey flings away but the only thing different was that he had a white cape.

“My Lady,” he said slightly lowering his head as a mark of reverence.

“Oswald, take your men and leave at once and no one will feel my fury.”

With his hand placed on his sword belt, Oswald spoke up. “I’m sorry my Lady but I’m here on your father’s order.” He ensured he avoided eye contact with Lacey as a sign of respect for her indicating he isn’t challenging her authority over him.

“If you are here for James, you will not have him.” Lacey snarled at Oswald. “Take your men and go,” she added.

James didn’t say a word. All he did was watch as he stood closely beside Lacey. He doesn’t know who they are but the way the man with the white cape spoke with Lacey, means she’s from a noble family. Lacey never mentioned that to him last night. She never spoke of his father or where she came from. She only told him a few things about herself.

“Your father has commanded we get his head or he has mine,” Oswald spoke up with his head slightly lowered. He didn’t want to return without fulfilling his duties to his master. Failure to fulfill his duties will cost him his life. His head will be separated from his body and placed on the edge of a stake for humans to see.