Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Stumbling through the forest, my senses were making me feel woozy. Every step was met with a wobble. Every sway pulled me into a sharp bush. It was as if I was intoxicated. I admit, I panicked and fled the scene. The entire mission was to find a Night Flower, and at that moment, I had to put distance between it and the grove. All I need was to be safe. I wasn’t about to try my hand at dying a second time and desperately hoped nothing else went bump in the night. I needed to get back to the city, back to safety.

I didn’t even bother trudging through the woods this time. If someone saw me, at least they could help protect me. I found the road as soon as I could and followed it back toward civilization. Hours passed as I traveled. Each gap of darkness between the torches made my body tense as I sprinted through it. The incident kept replaying in my mind with clarity. I wasn’t going to linger long knowing what was lurking. The Lightbringers had placed their runic torches strategically down the road to push back the fog as best they could. For once, I was thankful for the choices of the Lightbringers.

I wasn’t even thinking when I ran and left my pack behind. Scaling the wall back over wasn’t an option, and I wasn’t about to go back to the grove in the dark. I’d just have to make a plan to visit it during the daytime, when the monsters were in hiding and the misting darkness was gone. I knew the flower bloomed, and apparently even glowed, at night. There was no need to visit in the evening again. No need to put myself in danger again.

The city walls came into view, and an overwhelming sense of horror slammed into my senses. The Lightbringers were willing to throw anyone into the dungeons that they thought looked different. How was I going to explain the situation? My entire body was covered in filth and blood. I looked like a walking bloody bog. I was the perfect example of a suspicious character that deserved to be thrown into said dungeons. When two guards ran up to me, I was trying to formulate an excuse in my head.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” A younger, eager guard was the first to ask.

I looked down at my outfit, a decorated disaster. Looking back up at them with my best shocked expression, I let my eyes water. “I couldn’t save them.”

“Save who?” The other guard’s hand fell to the hilt of his sword.

“The dogs.”

Both men’s tension dropped out of their shoulders. I didn’t want to say there was another human out there. They may go looking for them if I did, but I needed an explanation for the blood and mud on my clothes. Thinking that women were altruistic and kind hearted was the only angle I could think of pushing.

“I was foraging for herbs when I heard a yelp. I went to check and there were these dogs. One was bleeding a lot, something attacked them. I tried to use all my knowledge to help the creature, but as you can see, it was useless.”

The younger man stood up straight and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Why were you out foraging at night, ma’am?”

“Well, it wasn’t dark when I left. I hadn’t realized how late it got and then I was trying to help the poor creature. I….”

The older one took up the same suspicious posture. My tale wasn’t working. I gritted my teeth.

“And what happened to the other dog?”

I knew I was losing them. I took a shaky, performative breath and said, “whatever got the first one came back for the second!”

“You saw something?”

“No, I heard it! It was making this guttural, wet growl off in the thicket. I couldn’t make anything out, but the dog companion raised its haunches and started growling. I can’t fight anything like that! Look at me!”

Their posture changed again, responding to the description of the threat. As I shook my head, I tried my best to look like I was remorseful. “I left them and ran. I’m a bad person. I let them fight it without my help.”

They shared a look as I let the tears fall and squeaked out a quiet sob. It clearly made them uncomfortable to see a woman cry. I was hoping the notion would gain me the advantage. Men these days could never handle a crying woman and would do anything to get them to stop.

“I got lost in the woods in my panic. I’m just trying to go home. I just want to go home.”

The younger one shifted his weight nervously. “Ma’am, we can’t just let you in. You’ll need to be vetted.”

“What?” I knew nothing about any vetting. “I live here though.”

“We don’t know that,” said the older one in a firm tone.

Crap.

I cranked up the tears as a few more guards started coming our way. Just as I had guessed, most of them were getting extremely uncomfortable with my crying, and I was going to use that to my advantage. I needed to get home and get to safety.

I restated the tale again to another few guards, focusing on my regret and the fabled creature that was attacking. I didn’t know what a vicious hollow looked like, but I remembered what I was told when I failed to save that victim. The man had been an important lord, and they all desperately wanted him to live. No amount of money could save him. The creatures could kill in such a gruesome fashion, they found that terrifying. All I knew is that they fed on man and vampire alike with no discrimination. A hollow was the ultimate evil. I was trying really hard to convince them that’s what attacked the dogs without outright saying it.

The crowd was growing around me. The guards really had nothing to do that evening, I had been correct. This must be the most exciting thing in a long while. A white-haired, massive, towering man pushed through the crowd and my face dropped. His piercing blue eyes lit up when he recognized me.

Bazak.

“My dear sweet Sylvia. What are you doing out here?” He said with an enticing yet unnerving voice.

He took my hand, and I wanted to pull it out of his grasp, but I knew that in that moment, despite how much it pained me to admit it, that I needed him. The surrounding men snapped to attention. He was their commander, the commander of the western Lightbringer order.

I tried to swallow my pride and faked a sniffle before saying, “I got lost and—”

“Sir, this woman fled from a hollow attack.” The original young guard saluted Bazak as he was proud at interrupting me from reiterating my pathetic tale again. I had to push down the urge to smirk that my attempt at convincing them it was a hollow was fruitful.

Bazak eyed the soldier, and I could see the young man visibly deflate. Even I knew it was rude to interrupt someone, much less someone the commander had asked a direct question to. He nodded at me to continue, and I told my tale once more.

Silence echoed between them all, only my occasional sniffs interrupting.

“This woman runs the greenhouse. Of course, she was out foraging for more plants. Let her inside. She is one of us.”

He waved them away and chastised them for being away from their posts. His hand settled on the small of my back as he walked me through the gates. It made my skin crawl for him to touch me that way again, but I needed inside the city. After we cleared the gate, I could detach myself from his claws.

A crowd was gathering inside as well to see what caused the commotion. Some faces were familiar, but most I didn’t recognize. The people I normally dealt with day-to-day wouldn’t be out at that hour. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with my normal customers looking as filth covered as I did.

At the back of the crowd, near the houses, were familiar eyes that already haunted my thoughts. Both vampires stared at my entrance as they tried to blend into the crowd of onlookers. Fear shot through me, striking my strength with an icy touch. I abruptly stopped and Bazak turned his attention to me with a look of confusion.

Swallowing hard, I took a deep breath, letting it fill my lungs. Fear taking control in that moment would be the last thing I needed. I couldn’t point them out without giving away that I had been lying. The Lightbringers would assume I was working with them and got cold feet. That whatever this distraction was, it was directly tied to actual vampires entering the city. That wouldn’t save me. They’d haul me off and put me on trial for harboring vampires.

Vampires were the one thing that preyed on humans and had the ability to create the horrible hollows we were all so afraid of. I knew they were here, that they were looking to do what they had done to me, to some other innocent soul. I knew this and yet I couldn’t will myself to offer my life up as a sacrifice when I only just got it back. Bazak would not control my fate, not again.

Flexing my jaw, I said, “I didn’t expect a crowd.”

“You are making quite the entrance. Come back to the keep with me. I need to know more about this attack.” His hand was still on the small of my back as he pushed me forward. It was an unwanted heat burning into my soul.

Twirling my body away from his touch, I bowed. “Sir, it’s been a long and terrifying evening. I don’t have much more to tell you. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t locate them again. I’m tired and exhausted. If we could just discuss this later, I’d appreciate it.”

He stepped forward, trying to get me near again, but I managed to skip away. I thanked him several more times before quickly walking toward a major street. I waited to hear his or the soldier’s footsteps behind me, but they let me go.

My eyes flicked toward where I saw the two vampires and they met his. The silver eyes that entranced me before were staring back at me through messy strands of glimmering hair. He had a bewildered look on his face while his friend was shaking his head in a laugh. I saw him snap at his companion, but was unable to hear what they said. The friend shook his head as he laughed again, but ultimately nodded a confirmation and left.

Dawn was coming. If I just stuck to the streets, the populated areas, I could successfully dodge the man. The morning light and runic torches were my only safety. I just needed to get home, get to my wards, and I’ll be safe.

I just needed to get home.