7. A Dance with Vampires

7

A DANCE WITH VAMPIRES

(RIVEN)

W hen I regain consciousness the following morning, Rowena is sitting a few feet away from me, grinding some of the herbs she had brought into a fine powder. She has also made a small fire on which a small pot was boiling. The harsh lights of the fire cast a stunning glow over her face and hair, causing her to look ethereal.

My muscles are cramped, and I should take a short walk to get my blood flowing properly again, but I can’t bring myself to look away from her. Rowena is selfless, independent, brave, and, on top of all these, beautiful. Somehow, the thought of her being my friend is not enough for me.

“You’re staring,” Rowena suddenly says, not looking up from the herbs she’s pounding.

I sit up abruptly, embarrassed to be caught so blatantly. “Not staring. I’m just making sure you’re not poisoning our breakfast.”

“Breakfast?” She scoffs, glancing at me. “You think I’ll use my precious moonbeam herbs to make breakfast? In your dreams.”

“Then what are they for?” I rise to my feet with a big stretch.

“Protection potions,” she answers. “We’re walking into vampire territory in a few hours. You know how stealthy those creatures are. These potions will guard us.”

“That’s very thoughtful.”

She lifts the lid off the small pot boiling over the fire, and a sweet aroma wafts into the air.

“That smells really good.”

“I made it for you,” she answers with a small smile. “I figured you’d be cramped when you wake up. Come have some.”

I almost squeal with pleasure when she spoons some broth into a plate and slides it across the ground to me. I hungrily wolf it down, and Rowena pours me another plate. This time, I eat slowly. In the next hour, we pack up and continue our journey towards Solavien.

“I’ve been thinking about what Draco said,” Rowena says as we walk. “It just makes things more complicated.”

“How so?”

“He said finding the key is only the beginning. It should be the end. It makes me wonder what’s on the other side.”

I hum. “I’ve been trying not to dwell too much on it. This is the closest I’ve gotten to freeing myself of the curse; I won’t let his words deter me.”

“You’re probably right,” Rowena says. “We should take it one after the other.”

The moment we enter vampire territory, I feel it. Everything changes. The temperature dips to a chilling cold, and goosebumps rise all over my skin. Beside me, Rowena starts to shiver.

“How long until we’re out of this territory?” She asks.

“An hour.”

I stretch my arm to manipulate the air around me, but it feels like a veil covers my magic, and I can’t summon it. A distant rustle catches my attention, and I pause, grabbing Rowena and pushing her behind me as I unsheathe my sword. Something tells me that these vampires will not be as forgiving as Draco. I won’t even blame them because the Fae kingdom kills them like flies.

“What’s wrong?” Rowena whispers.

Before I can respond, a sharp crack echoes through the forest, accompanied by a wild gust of wind.

“Vampires,” Rowena whispers.

As if summoned by their name, they appear… tall, slender figures emerging from the shadows, surrounding us. As they enter the light, my gaze washes over their pale white skin and glowing red eyes. They walk like they’re floating above the air in an unnaturally fluid motion. I stand in front of Rowena, completely blocking their view of her.

One of these creatures steps forward, and when the others part, I know he’s the leader.

“Well, well, well,” he mocks, his fangs protruding as he grins. “Look who we have here.”

“Step back!” I swing my sword in his direction, and his grin widens.

“You’re the trespasser here, Prince Riven,” he says. “You and the witch. Both of you are so far away from home.”

I’m surprised he knows who I am, but I don’t let it show. I'm realizing quickly that I’m more famous than I thought.

“If you take one more step, I will slice your head off,” I threaten. “Stay back.”

“Brave words,” he snarls. “Let’s see how well you can back that up.”

The vampires lunge, their fangs and claws protruding as they attack. Without hesitation, I swing my sword at the first attacker, the blade glistening in the sun's sharp rays. They attack from all around me, and only the clash of steel and the snarls of vampires can be heard.

Rowena steps out from behind me and reaches for the small pouch on the ground. She snatches a few vials and releases the content into the air. A puff of white powder emits from the vial, sending some vampires scurrying back into the shadows with cries of pain. She continues to dispense the content of this vial into the air, sending the rest of these unrelenting creatures flying back into the forest.

Only their leader is left, and with the others gone, I can concentrate on my fight. I tighten my fingers around the gilded hilt of the sword, infusing it with a potent fae magic used to decapitate vampires. I don’t intend to kill him, but I’ll render him immobile long enough for us to leave.

As he pins me against the tree, his fangs ready to sink into my flesh, I drive the sword into his heart and twist it. His eyes widen, and he stumbles back, standing upright for a few seconds before crashing to the floor with a thud.

“Are you okay?” I rush to Rowena, who is staring at the man on the floor.

“I’m fine.” She nods. “Is he dead?”

“No. He’ll be up by tomorrow.” I yank my blade out of his flesh with a sickly pop and turn to Rowena. “Let’s keep moving. It’s not safe to hang around here.”

We continue on our way, and this time, my steps are more guarded. I don’t want these creatures springing up on us again.

“We still have the vial,” Rowena giggles. “You don’t have to watch your step.”

I laugh. “What’s in that thing anyway?”

“Silver dust. Garlic crystals. Holy ash.”

I glance at her. “That’s an odd mix.”

“My mother taught it to me.”

Rowena always manages to keep her family private, and I'm curious why. Yesterday, Draco had called her an ‘outcast witch,’ which makes sense because she lives alone in the Forest of Herbs, a place where other witches dare not stay.

Why does she live alone, away from her people?

I dare not ask these pressing questions because the last thing I want is for her to clam up and withdraw from me. On this journey, we need to be as close as possible.

In the evening, Rowena and I decide to stop for lunch. It’s a little risky because the cold tinge is still in the air, which means we’re still in vampire territory, but I notice Rowena’s steps are starting to lag a bit.

“Are you sure we should stop?” She frowns, looking around the forest. “I’m not comfortable here.”

“I know, but do you trust me to keep you safe?”

She meets my gaze, and for a moment, I hold my breath, waiting for her response. It seems like a big ask because Rowena has repeatedly proven she can hold her own.

“Yes.” She nods. “I do.”

“Good.” I shrug the bag off my shoulder and lead her to a raised tree stump.

“According to our map, there are two routes ahead of us,” I say as Rowena fishes through the food supply bag.

“Go on.”

“First, we can go through the magical forest on a two-day trip, or we can go through the little elven village of Aries that’s south of here.”

She looks up with narrowed eyes. “How long will that take us?”

“Four days.”

Silence descends upon us, and we stare at each other, our meal forgotten. She reaches for the map in my hands and reads it herself.

“What do we do, Riven? We hardly have four days.”

“I’d rather risk four days and be alive than take the magical forest where there’s no assurance we will get to the other side safely.”

The magical forest is full of weird and dangerous creatures known to hunt beings from every faction. They are neither elves, nor dragons, nor faes, nor witches, just malevolent beasts.

“If we go through the elven village, it’s a longer route that’ll take us a day in the small Aries village and two days in the major fae capital before we get to Solavien. It’s also dangerous, but at least we know who we’re up against, unlike the odd creatures in the magical forest.”

“I think we should go the longer route, too,” Rowena says. “Maybe we should limit how often we stop for food, and we may be able to make it.”

“Okay.”

We go back to eating while also paying close attention to our surroundings. Vampires are vindictive creatures, and I just maimed one of them; they won’t easily forgive that.

“Riven?” Rowena pops a nut into her mouth. “Do you think your parents are worried about you? You’ve been gone for almost two days now.”

The question pulls me into a despairing mood as an image of my mother comes to mind. I know she’ll be worried sick, but this is something I have to do on my own.

“They’ll be fine,” I answer. “There are some things that you must do on your own.”

“You’re right.” She nods. “Imagine their surprise when you return with the key to your freedom.”

“You’re very optimistic.” I glance up at her. “Why? I mean, it’s a great trait to have, but it’s unrealistic.”

“I don’t think so.” She shakes her head. “My mom used to say that every question has an answer. Every sickness has a cure. Every curse has a remedy. We just have to find it.”

“Hmm. Sounds like great advice, but it has no bearing in the world.”

“Are you sure?” She smiles. “There’s nothing my mother has never been able to solve. If she were still here, your curse would be gone.”

“My parents sought out all the witches in the coven. We couldn’t find any that could solve it.”

“That’s because you didn’t find my mom,” she says. “And the other witches deliberately kept her away. She was banished from the coven.” There’s a flicker of sadness in her eyes before she perks up. “Let’s eat quickly so we can get out of here. This place rubs me the wrong way.”

It’s an abrupt end to the conversation, but it’s obvious she doesn’t want to talk about her mother, so I let it be. A few minutes later, we pack up our satchels again and set down the path. Instead of heading north toward the entrance of the magical forest, we continue south to Aries.

The farther we walk, the taller the trees become and the narrower the path until we can no longer walk side by side. I let Rowena stay in front while I follow behind. The sky is darkening, and I hope we reach the village before nightfall. I’d hate for Rowena to be stuck in this forest alone from dusk till dawn.

“I hear the elves of Aries are more friendly than the elves of Solavien,” Rowena says.

“Where did you hear that?”

“I read it, actually,” she giggles. “In one of my books.”

“What else did you read about them?”

“It’s been a while,” she says. “They love to be on their own, but they’re friendly to visitors with a pure heart. I say visitors because they never let strangers stay with them for more than a day. They’ll kick you out.”

I laugh. “Thankfully. We’re just passing by.”

“And we have pure hearts,” she adds. “We’re not looking to harm them.”

“How would they know that?” I laugh at her na?veté. “I’m sure they’ll attack us first before they realize we have good intentions. We just have to be alert and prepared. No one is our friend.”

Rowena suddenly stops and glances back at me. “We’re at the edge of a cliff,” she says, as she parts the bushes ahead to step into a wide clearing. There’s a breathtaking view of a valley below, and nestled amongst the trees is Aries. The village is covered in shimmers, and Rowena sighs.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I wouldn’t say that if I were you. Elves aren’t the calmest creatures.”

Rowena nods and starts toward the valley. “Come on, Riven,” she says. “We’re in a race against time.”