Page 13 of Vampire Solstice
Desperation fuels my next move. I draw on the magic deeper within me, summoning a burst of energy that crackles at my fingertips. The light grows brighter, hotter, until it feels like it might consume me.
“Move!” I scream, and Fen dives to the side just as I release the magic.
The light arcs across the cavern, striking the beast with the force of a lightning bolt. It howls, the sound shaking the very stone, and stumbles back, smoke rising from its charred fur.
For a moment, it falters, its massive body trembling. Its glowing eyes dim, flickering like dying embers, and I think it might collapse.
But then it lets out one final, deafening roar, and disappears into the shadows.
The silence that follows is deafening, broken only by the sound of my ragged breathing and the faint drip of water from the cavern walls.
Fen is at my side in an instant, his hand steadying me as I sway on my feet. “Are you all right?” he asks, his voice sharp with concern.
I nod, though my limbs feel like lead and my chest aches from the effort of using so much magic. “It’s gone,” I whisper. “For now.”
He nods, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of the beast. “But it’ll be back. We need to get out of here and return to the village. I have a few questions for our gracious host.”
Chapter 6
The Villagers
The sun is close to setting and the village is in turmoil when we arrive. A cacophony of shouts, the clang of rusted metal, and the dull thud of boots stomping through the snow greets us as we step back into the square. The air is thick with tension, sharper than the cold that bites at my face.
“What now?” Fen mutters, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword. His gaze sweeps the scene, and I follow it to the source of the commotion.
A mob has formed near the central statue of the Midnight Star. Torches flare, casting flickering shadows across the villagers’ angry faces as they swarm toward a single figure. Myra stands at the base of the statue, her arms spread wide as if to hold them back, though she looks impossibly small against the encroaching crowd.
“This doesn’t look goods,” I whisper, quickening my pace. Fen keeps close, his presence steady beside me.
“Enough!” Myra’s voice cuts through the noise, surprisingly strong, though it’s tinged with desperation. “You can’t go after him! You don’t understand what you’re dealing with.”
“We understand enough!” a burly man with a pitchfork shouts, his face twisted with fury. “That beast has taken toomuch from us already. We won’t stand by and let it happen again.”
“She’s defending it!” a woman cries, her voice shrill. “She’s always defended it. Just like she’s defending them!” Her finger jabs in our direction, and I stiffen as dozens of eyes turn on Fen and me.
“You brought the Midnight Star into our midst,” the man snarls, his grip tightening on the pitchfork. “Where has she been all this time? Why did it take her so long to come? It’s because of her we’re cursed in the first place!”
The words hit me like a blow. “What?” I say, my voice faltering. “That’s not true. I—”
“Don’t act ignorant!” another villager shouts. “You’re the reason we’ve suffered for centuries. The Midnight Star brought this curse upon us, and now she’s here to… what? Gloat?”
“Stop this!” Myra cries, stepping forward. “You don’t know what you’re saying. She’s here to help us. She can end the curse.”
The crowd surges forward, shouts of derision rising like a tide. “She’s done nothing but bring more suffering!” a woman yells.
Fen tenses beside me, his eyes narrowing. “This is getting out of hand,” he mutters.
I take a step forward, raising my voice to be heard over the din. “Enough!” I shout. “ Let us—”
“This isn’t your business,” someone shouts back. “Go take a hike in the woods, Midnight Star, and leave us to deal with our own problems.”
Anger flares in my chest, but before I can respond, two men seize Myra by the arms, dragging her toward the small stone building. She struggles, her protests drowned out by the crowd’s jeers.
“Wait!” I shout, but no one listens. The heavy wooden door slams shut behind her, and the mob begins to disperse,their energy redirected into sharpening weapons and gathering supplies for a hunt they don’t understand.
I turn to Fen, my hands clenched into fists. “We have to talk to her,” I say.
He nods, his expression grim. “Let’s go.”