limp.
"That's what I thought you said." The man had an English accent. He tossed aside Rapiarre like a rag doll and grinned down at Mavis. "He apologized for causing offense."
Mavis just wanted to shrink back into the altar and hide. As the man stepped toward her, though, she began to feel at ease.
The closer he came, the more she could see how handsome he was. His wavy red hair spilled over his shoulders, and his bushy red beard draped over his chest. Through all that foliage, his emerald eyes gleamed with fierce intensity; his hawkish nose and squared-off cheekbones looked as if they'd been chipped from flint.
He wore a long, brown shirt of rough cloth, tied at the waist with a length of rope. His pants were lighter brown in color, also rough, and he wore a pair of sandals on his feet. All together, the clothes looked to Mavis like a peasant's outfit from a fantasy movie.
But he wore them with authority. He radiated confidence and power.
He gave her the feeling that he was someone special.
"I'm Arthur." He reached for her. "And you're...?"
"Mavis." She took his hand, and he helped her to her feet. "Thanks for the rescue, Arthur."
"Good thing I happened by." Arthur hiked a thumb in Rapiarre's direction. "He was a bad one. A real troublemaker."
"Like I said, thanks." Mavis smiled.
"So what brings you to Lyonesse, Mavis?" said Arthur. "We don't see many strangers around here, you know."
"It's kind of a long story," said Mavis. "You haven't come across some friends of mine, have you? A guy with silver hair and a woman with black hair?"
"You're expecting friends?" Arthur grinned. "I love having visitors."
At that instant, Mavis froze.
This time, it wasn't because of an outside force. The only thing mesmerizing her was what she saw in Arthur's mouth.
Namely, fangs.
Blood for Arthur.
Now I get it.
Â
*****
Â
Chapter 25
Â
"Not again," said Mavis.
"What? What is it?" Arthur looked confused.
Okay, play it cool now, Pastor.
Mavis shook her head. "Oh, nothing. Just remembered something I forgot to do."
"I see." Arthur nodded. "Well, I'm sorry I haven't seen your friends. I can help you look for them, though."
"Sounds good," said Mavis. "We can cover more ground if we split up."
"Not a good idea." Arthur shook his head gravely. "Lyonesse is infested with Lampreyus like Rapiarre. You wouldn't last five minutes out there alone."
And that's worse than being alone in here with you?
"Then you can look out there," said Mavis. "And I'll look in here."
"You'll be safe with me." Arthur reached for Mavis' shoulder.
And she stepped back out of his grasp.
"What's wrong?" Arthur frowned at her with deep concern. "Why do you shy away from me?"
Then, Arthur either had a divine inspiration or just realized that Mavis couldn't stop staring at his fangs. His eyes lit with understanding, and he nodded slowly.
"Ahhh." Arthur tapped one of his fangs. "It's these, isn't it?"
Mavis shrugged. "I say live and let live. I just want to find my friends and go home."
"You have nothing to fear from me," said Arthur. "Unlike the soulless Lampreyus, I am a man of honor."
"Good for you." Mavis shook her fist in the air supportively. "Yay, honor."
Run for it. Get out of here while you still can.
"I've sworn a sacred oath," said Arthur. "I shall only take the blood of another if it is given freely. This is an oath that I have never broken."
"I'm glad to hear that." Mavis casually stepped to one side, eyeing her escape route past Arthur. Serpentine Rapiarre had been too fast for her, but she thought she could outrun big, muscle-bound Arthur.
It was a long way to the arched opening in the far wall of the cavern, but Mavis wasn't just going to stand around and wait for a bite.
"You don't believe me." Arthur sighed. "I guess I'll have to earn your trust."
Time to go. Do it before he freezes you.
Mavis' heart pounded, and the blood rushed in her ears. "What's that over there?" she said, pointing across the cavern in the
"That's what I thought you said." The man had an English accent. He tossed aside Rapiarre like a rag doll and grinned down at Mavis. "He apologized for causing offense."
Mavis just wanted to shrink back into the altar and hide. As the man stepped toward her, though, she began to feel at ease.
The closer he came, the more she could see how handsome he was. His wavy red hair spilled over his shoulders, and his bushy red beard draped over his chest. Through all that foliage, his emerald eyes gleamed with fierce intensity; his hawkish nose and squared-off cheekbones looked as if they'd been chipped from flint.
He wore a long, brown shirt of rough cloth, tied at the waist with a length of rope. His pants were lighter brown in color, also rough, and he wore a pair of sandals on his feet. All together, the clothes looked to Mavis like a peasant's outfit from a fantasy movie.
But he wore them with authority. He radiated confidence and power.
He gave her the feeling that he was someone special.
"I'm Arthur." He reached for her. "And you're...?"
"Mavis." She took his hand, and he helped her to her feet. "Thanks for the rescue, Arthur."
"Good thing I happened by." Arthur hiked a thumb in Rapiarre's direction. "He was a bad one. A real troublemaker."
"Like I said, thanks." Mavis smiled.
"So what brings you to Lyonesse, Mavis?" said Arthur. "We don't see many strangers around here, you know."
"It's kind of a long story," said Mavis. "You haven't come across some friends of mine, have you? A guy with silver hair and a woman with black hair?"
"You're expecting friends?" Arthur grinned. "I love having visitors."
At that instant, Mavis froze.
This time, it wasn't because of an outside force. The only thing mesmerizing her was what she saw in Arthur's mouth.
Namely, fangs.
Blood for Arthur.
Now I get it.
Â
*****
Â
Chapter 25
Â
"Not again," said Mavis.
"What? What is it?" Arthur looked confused.
Okay, play it cool now, Pastor.
Mavis shook her head. "Oh, nothing. Just remembered something I forgot to do."
"I see." Arthur nodded. "Well, I'm sorry I haven't seen your friends. I can help you look for them, though."
"Sounds good," said Mavis. "We can cover more ground if we split up."
"Not a good idea." Arthur shook his head gravely. "Lyonesse is infested with Lampreyus like Rapiarre. You wouldn't last five minutes out there alone."
And that's worse than being alone in here with you?
"Then you can look out there," said Mavis. "And I'll look in here."
"You'll be safe with me." Arthur reached for Mavis' shoulder.
And she stepped back out of his grasp.
"What's wrong?" Arthur frowned at her with deep concern. "Why do you shy away from me?"
Then, Arthur either had a divine inspiration or just realized that Mavis couldn't stop staring at his fangs. His eyes lit with understanding, and he nodded slowly.
"Ahhh." Arthur tapped one of his fangs. "It's these, isn't it?"
Mavis shrugged. "I say live and let live. I just want to find my friends and go home."
"You have nothing to fear from me," said Arthur. "Unlike the soulless Lampreyus, I am a man of honor."
"Good for you." Mavis shook her fist in the air supportively. "Yay, honor."
Run for it. Get out of here while you still can.
"I've sworn a sacred oath," said Arthur. "I shall only take the blood of another if it is given freely. This is an oath that I have never broken."
"I'm glad to hear that." Mavis casually stepped to one side, eyeing her escape route past Arthur. Serpentine Rapiarre had been too fast for her, but she thought she could outrun big, muscle-bound Arthur.
It was a long way to the arched opening in the far wall of the cavern, but Mavis wasn't just going to stand around and wait for a bite.
"You don't believe me." Arthur sighed. "I guess I'll have to earn your trust."
Time to go. Do it before he freezes you.
Mavis' heart pounded, and the blood rushed in her ears. "What's that over there?" she said, pointing across the cavern in the
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