Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

A s we approached the exterior of the forge on the clan's property, I felt a rush of trepidation, knowing what we would find inside mingled with a sense of awe. The large stone building transported me to another era, and the swaying trees surrounding the ancient structure reminded me of a time when craftsmanship and dedication were valued above all else. The forge stood like a guardian of tradition, its weathered fa?ade regaling countless stories whispered by the wind. It was beautiful in an industrial sort of way.

The building itself was a testament to a bygone era. Its timeworn walls were composed of pitted stone and timber. Both bore the scars of years beneath a hot sun and vicious storms. The rich scent of aged wood hung in the air, mingling with the smoldering embers from within. Vines crept gracefully along the edges, as if nature itself sought to pay homage to the craftsmanship, but there were signs the natural foliage had been cut back recently.

The entrance was framed by an intricately-carved wooden door. It enticed me to step into a world where the clang of metal against metal and the rhythmic hammering of skilled hands echoed through time. But the lack of sound reminded me why we were here, and I wondered if this sacred smithy would be silent forever. There was a unique symbol branded into the wood above the door. It was worn but represented the legacy of the man within.

Small, square windows punctuated the walls, allowing flickers of amber to illuminate the night. It gave the impression of glowing eyes in the middle of the woods, as if the forge's fiery heart burned with a fierce intensity. I could see only a single overgrown road and assumed that it was a supply trail and nothing more, but there were no vehicles in the area. The moon cast an enigmatic aura, caressing the edges of the ancient stones, in contrast with the surrounding woods.

The forge itself appeared as a centerpiece of this ancient sanctuary, and was a marvel to behold. It was surrounded by the quiet majesty of nature and made me curious about the long history of our clan. It carried a legacy of those who traveled this path before, and reminded me I had the potential to forge my own way, just like the skilled artisans who once harnessed the flames in the majestic building before me. I hadn't met the blacksmith and now, I never would, but I would find his killer and help set things right for the clan he worked so diligently for.

Rene led me silently to the large wooden door before I stepped into a room that felt suspended in time, a plethora of traditions amidst the modern world. The air inside was thick with the scent of burning wood and the faint tang of metal. The quiet was interrupted by the subtle breeze as if it mourned for the loss of the immortal blacksmith.

The interior was a throwback in history. The stone walls, chiseled by hands long gone from the world, exuded a unique coolness that contrasted with the warmth radiating from the smithy. Moonlight streamed through small, wood-framed windows, casting white streams onto the worn wooden floor. The glowing centerpiece of the room was the forge itself. Like an eternal entity, it blazed with a fierce, primal energy. The lava-like heart, a cauldron of fire that danced and crackled, sending flickers of light over the room and emitting a steady warmth. The sturdy anvil sat as a sentinel of production and bore the marks of countless creations. Every strike of the blacksmith's hammer left an indelible imprint on both the metal and the soul of the forge.

Tools of various shapes and sizes hung on the stone walls. They were all meticulously organized, as were the racks of weapons stacked next to the forge. There was a small table with tongs, hammers, and chisels. The implements of the blacksmith had been used countless times and were marked with subtle scars.

There were shelves lining the smithy. They held jars of vibrant pigments, precious minerals, and intricate molds that hinted at the multifaceted nature of the blacksmith's work. There were pieces in various stages of completion on a large table, revealing the alchemy that transformed raw materials into masterpieces.

My eyes roamed around the room of wonders. "Who was this guy?"

Rene sighed. "Sergei was revered for his mastery and has trained several of our current blacksmiths."

Cass swore under her breath. "Thorin will go ballistic. If he weren't in Moscow training another apprentice, he would be down here hunting for the killer."

Rene shook his head. "Thorin must adhere to protective protocols. I allowed him to stay in Moscow to continue the apprenticeship, but if he leaves Shadow Ghost, then he will be remanded to his own clan."

I frowned. "Who is Thorin and what clan does he belong to?"

"Thorin is our oldest weapons master. He trained Sergei and is as good with a sword as Constantine, but prefers to create rather than fight. He is a member of Shadow Phantom, but he has a skilled apprentice in his home clan and has been in Moscow for the last forty years, training another apprentice."

Cass led us to the man lying on the floor by the forge. The blacksmith, a figure that seemed to belong to another era, was frozen in a moment of vulnerability and strength. His stone skin was similar to the very walls he was entombed in, and I hated the end that had befallen the diligent craftsman. The air was heavy, as if time itself had conspired to cast a veil over the grisly scene.

His form was sprawled out amidst the tools and debris of the forge, like an unlikely tableau. His brown leather clothes and apron bore the smudges of labor, and his hands were calloused and scarred. They spoke of a life lived through the heat of the flames and the rhythm of the hammer's dance. One that had endured since his time as a human. Vampires did not display such symptoms of hard labor unless they occurred prior to transition. His face was serene despite the circumstances, as if he had given his all to the craft that he loved.

The forge seemed to be watching over him. Its fiery heart having been the source of both his creations and his victories. The hearth was cooling but still bore the marks of its fiery dance. The tools that surrounded him, each meticulously cared for and imbued with history, spoke of a devotion that went beyond mere craftsmanship. A monument to man and his art.

"This is a travesty," Quinn whispered.

I glanced at the array of weapons on the shelves and hung on the walls. "He made all the weapons in the training facility, didn't he?"

Cass nodded. "We also have an armory, but it is locked down unless we are at war. The silver spears utilized by the seniors were before Sergei's time, but he made the rest."

I looked for a velvet pouch, but there was nothing on any of the tables near the body. "How was he infected?"

We all moved to various shelves and weapons, but none of us could find any hint of the deadly compound that turned the vampires to stone.

Cass stood with a cell phone she picked up from underneath one of the shelves. It looked completely out of place in the room, but then so did we. "He dropped his phone. Maybe he was trying to..." She opened the screen and hissed.

"What is it?" Quinn asked.

"Traitor in the woods. That's what he typed before he dropped the phone."

Quinn knelt down beside Cass. "If he saw who it was, he would've told us. He's an older vampire. Perhaps he was infected outside, and that's why we can't find a velvet pouch. He made it back to the forge before he died. Sergei hated technology, so the phone would've been inside if he were checking the surrounding area."

Cass stood. "Let's check the woods. If he was infected outside, he didn't have a lot of time to make it back here. The source of the attack has to be close."

We exited the smithy in silence. Rene pointed in several directions. "Raven will stay with me. Fan out and search the surrounding area. There are multiple sets of tracks, but Sergei liked to walk the woods when a new weapon was cooling."

We each chose a set of tracks leading from the forge, though once inside the dense woods, I couldn't see any sign of anyone wandering through the foliage.

Rene appeared to see something that I did not, as he pulled me along as he passed several young trees, reaching for the heavens. Pine needles rushed against my clothes and the earthy scent of the breeze was refreshingly soothing.

Quinn shouted and Rene turned toward the sound, leading me through the forest as if he did daily treks in the overgrown area.

I was expecting to find a scuffle or some other signs of a fight when we exited the brush, but Cass stood beside her death dealer, looking down at the strange garden that shouldn't exist in the forest.

Rene glanced at the manicured foliage. "What is this?"

Cass shrugged. "I have no idea. If this were a human property, I would say it's a grow op but I don't recognize the plants."

I released Rene's hand to walk around the garden. Several plants were familiar and hardly rare, but one was the complete opposite. "That is Star Canyon. The seeds are extremely rare. The high priestess had me growing them for the coven when I was human. Well, when I was still an owner of Powerful Petals."

"Why would it be here? What does this plant do?"

My eyes roamed over the area full of plants. Individually they were harmless, but as my mind added each ingredient together, my hand went to my mouth. "Oh, no."

Rene moved, so he was next to me. "What is it? What do these plants do when combined?"

My eyes met his. "I think we are looking at the ingredients for the compound that turns vampires to stone."

Rene's eyes flickered with red. "A traitor in our clan is growing the necessary ingredients on our property?"

I nodded. "The other plants are common, but Star Canyon is extremely difficult to source. Honestly, I thought that you needed to be a member of the coven to get seeds in this quantity."

"You suspect Ursula?" Rene asked.

"I don't know anyone else who could get their hands on the seeds needed to create this garden. Unless there is another supplier I am unaware of. I heard there are some black-market seeds, but these plants are of the highest quality." I motioned to the forest. "This isn't an ideal location to grow the plant. They need more sunlight, so I'm guessing that a witch with similar magic to mine is... encouraging the plants to grow in less-than-optimal conditions."

Rene growled. "This traitor has access to security measures. How else would he keep this hidden?"

I shrugged. "It could be a woman."

Cass shook her head. "I am the only female in Shadow Bone with access to all aspects of security. It has to be a senior in the clan."

Quinn rubbed his chin. "It could be an aide. The seniors all have one. They give their aide access to their information to perform daily tasks."

"Is an aide like a secretary?" I asked.

Cass nodded. "Basically. All the seniors have one, but they are fully vetted. We are diligent about security. Though I never believed any vampire would conspire with a witch."

"Excuse me?"

Cass sighed. "I don't mean you, honey. You aren't a witch to me. You are an empowered vampire."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

Rene shook his head. "No. You have shown no loyalty to your coven, and with good reason. They had every chance to secure your favor, but treated you as a second-class citizen when they should have cherished you. I will not make the same mistake."

I felt a twinge of regret at his words. Part of me still wanted the coven to accept the woman I was when I was alive. That moment had passed and there was no future for me with my empowered sisters. "You are right, and I do appreciate all you have done for me. It's easy to forget that I am just as unusual in your world as I am in the coven's."

Cass grabbed her phone when it rang. "Hey, Manu." Her voice lacked the enthusiasm it usually held when speaking with the antiquities dealer.

Her eyes snapped to Rene. "Manu found something. He thinks he may know where the next page of the prophecy is."

Rene glanced around the forest. "Quinn station someone at this garden going forward, but have them stay hidden. I want to know who comes to visit this location."

Quinn moved away to make arrangements as Rene turned back to Cass.

"Ask Manu if the page is in Shadow Bone territory."

She nodded. "He thinks he has narrowed down the location, though."

"Tell him to meet us in the conference room. We will be there shortly."

Cass relayed the information as we started walking back to the mansion. The silence was interrupted by the thud of my boots on the fallen branches, but neither Rene nor Cass made a sound.

I ignored the hushed glances and trepid stares as we entered the foyer. While the clan may not know who had been killed, they were aware something awful had happened and likely had an idea that another vamp was murdered.

Manu was sitting at the long table and his head snapped up as we entered. "This is very exciting." He turned the scroll he was reading around and pointed to a passage as Cass neared him.

Rene and Cass stared at it, but I was unable to read the script. "What does it say?"

Rene frowned. "Manu has found a scroll pertaining to Magda. This suggests she did not have magic but some kind of human abilities. Different from that of the witches. They call her a... gypsy. For lack of a modern translation."

"She had the same ability I do. The mental thing."

Rene nodded. "That is my guess. There is no way to be sure unless we follow her instructions."

"What instructions?" I asked.

Rene pointed to the scroll. "She wrote this, and it says she hid the page located on Shadow Bone property herself. It appears she was quite adept at fooling those around her regarding her skill, and I assume she had the ability to connect with them in some way. Perhaps her gift was stronger than yours and she could... influence anyone she came in contact with. We have instructions, but not a starting point. Manu has further work to do."

I shivered. "She could control people's minds. That's a scary thought."

Rene nodded. "It is. I would like to discuss the gift you possessed in life with Jana, since you no longer have the ability."

My eyes widened. "You think Jana has it?"

"Possibly. But we need to know either way. Even if she doesn't, she may have an insight that we no longer possess."

I sighed as Manu and Cass stared at me. "Okay. I will call her."