Page 10 of Blackthorn
“Papa—” With anyone else, she’d suspect a tactic to distract her with memories of her late mother, but not from Nathan Wodehouse. The man was sincere to a fault. A flaw they both possessed.
“You don’t need my permission or my approval, Charlotte. You haven’t for some time.” He pulled her into an embrace. “I will worry, and I will miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too, Papa.” Charlotte sank in the hug, feeling like a small child again, a feeling normally met with irritation. She found she did not mind so much this time.
Nathan stepped back and cleared his throat. “There are some suggestions that Draven’s mountain contains the remnants of the missing ships. It’s a fascinating idea. I’ll prepare a list of questions for you to pursue…” Nathan hurried to a writing desk, excitement adding a bounce to his steps.
“I’d expect nothing less.”
Draven
The Aerie
Draven crumpled the paper and tossed it into the fireplace.
Troops were amassing at Sweetwater Point. Again. The human military could be stubbornly single-minded about taking back the Aerie. Obsessive, even. In Draven’s day, the outpost had been nothing more than a camp for the workers building the railroad. Now it was the last stop on the rails, a trading outpost for those foolish enough to live in the West Lands, and a depot for military supplies shipped via the train.
Now his scouts reported that soldiers arrived on those trains, along with a concerning amount of munitions.
It seemed the military would try to take the Aerie again.
“I think it’s time to pay a visit to Sweetwater,” he said.
Charlotte
Boxon
Vervain Hall
“You need a bigger cart,” Solenne said.
Charlotte sat on a trunk. She had already agreed to leave half of her luggage behind. Leaving some clothing behind concerned her, but it was not a disaster. The weather in the mountains would be cold. Draven was…well, not quite human. Perhaps the cold did not bother him, and he kept his fortress in the mountains frigid. She would need layers, something Luis and Miles did not seem to comprehend. “I tried to pack light, but I have no idea what to expect. Your brother thinks I should bring one dress and perhaps a light shawl.”
“Plus, the mountains,” Solenne said with a nod, as if she understood Charlotte’s worry perfectly. “Reading material will be hard to come by.”
“Yes, you understand. There’s nothing worse than having nothing to read.”
Solenne raised an eyebrow as if she disagreed but said nothing. “I have a gift for you.” She handed Charlotte a medium-sized case.
“Oh, thank you,” Charlotte said, eyeing the size of the case. Surely one little case couldn’t weigh enough to break the cart’s axle.
“Well, it’s more of a necessary supply than a gift. Don’t let Luis convince you to leave it behind.”
Intrigued, Charlotte opened the case. Glass vials nestled inside a velvet-lined case along with a silver dagger, a small pistol, and a wooden stake. It was a very generous gift. Too generous.
“I can’t. The expense—”
Solenne made a dismissive noise. “Those old things? Just cluttering up the basement.”
Charlotte knew that was not true. Silver was a potent element against the monsters, and it was expensive to maintain a functional armory. Blades could be sharpened or even reforged, but bullets were often lost. Her friend handed her a small fortune.
“Solenne—” Charlotte started to protest but stopped when Solenne held up a hand.
“You would not say it is too generous if you saw the condition I found it in. Truly. Luis sharpened the blade, and Miles put the pistols in working order. Papa replaced the lining with a set of old drapes. Do you remember the ghastly pink ones from the drawing room?”
Charlotte brushed her fingers over the velvet lining. The pink drapes had once been a rich red but faded unevenly. “I thought the color was familiar.”
“So the only true expense is the bullets. If you must use them, use them well.” Solenne demonstrated how to load the pistol. “If you require more than six, I suggest running. If your aim is halfway decent, the vampire will be injured and slow.”