#WIPWednesday teaser - Adam #vampires

#WIPWednesday - Adam

This is a little sample from his origin book.

From a work in progress:




Vittore wanted to keep Juliet far from me, but he also was under her command. I could not trust her to remain distracted from revenge. She would only move on to other pursuits if she got bored with causing me pain.


To that end, I made the long journey north from Roma to Ferriere. My family had long roots in the triangle of Genoa, Piacenza, and Parma, a region currently under Habsburg rule. Ferriere was in the center, in the mountains. In my letter to Mother, I had told her to flee Genoa and seek refuge with her brother. I hoped she heeded my warning whether Father agreed or not. They had to have gotten word of poor Serafina by now. Though there was no body, the amount of blood and the dead infant had to have convinced those in Parma she was no longer alive, too.


When was the last time I saw my mother? Before vampirism healed my eyes, I spent many years completely blind, and several years before that with limited sight. I would know her voice anywhere, though. She visited the monastery several times after Father shunned me for being an unsuitable heir, bringing lots of stories. It was only for her that I risked being on the road like this.


Spring brought longer days and shorter nights, a vampire’s bane, especially at my age of one year turned. Juliet and Vittore were old enough to risk cloudy days, but I would burn like paper. We normally traveled by coach, but I needed the speed of horseback, and so I rode from sunset to sunrise every night. May turned into June by the time I arrived.


Ferriere sat in Val Nure, higher than a hill but lower than a mountain. There were many vineyards. Trade occurred along the Abbot’s Road. I took a room, inquired where the house of my uncle was located, and retired for the day. The inn provided a fine supper with excellent wine.


My wretched state denied me the sight of immense beauty. While I saw better in the dark than a mortal man, it was still with a palette of shadows. Shades of dark blue, gray, and black. I longed for colors and the whole valley would be green this time of year. So I dreamed what I was not allowed to see, aided by my other senses. Vampires were predators like the wolf, scenting their prey, and while that heightened sense was not always a blessing, the ability to take in the nuances of the flora around one’s self was beyond what I could have ever imagined. Every scent came together to weave a tapestry rivaling the greatest art known to man.


Even as a boy, I always dreamt in sunlight and vivid color. Waking came with disappointment as a blind man, and now as a demon.


The valley contained eighty “castles” in various states of repair. The area had a long history of contention and fortresses were needed for protection. Some were little more than ruins now. My uncle lived in a stone manor house, what the French might call a chateau. The evening was warm, so the windows were open and people still milled about the property. I could not let anyone invite me in. I only wanted to hear my mother’s voice. To know she was all right. So, I skulked in the shadows like a thief, watching, listening…hoping.