Chapter 5

Willow had a good idea of who killed the vampire in the tower, but it wasn’t her. She didn’t know whether to feel relieved or mortified. Relief came from the knowledge her father still watched after and protected her. The fear came from knowing his meddling actions made things worse. Instead of the blood hunter leaving Lakefalls, Adam planned to stay longer. It put her in a difficult situation.

She ducked her head and started to turn the corner, but the blasted blood hunter wouldn’t let her be.

“Miss Reid, I believe you promised to show me around town.”

She promised such a thing? She couldn’t remember.

She glanced out the nearest window and nervousness jumped into her throat when she found patches of sunlight breaking through the clouds. If she ventured outside, she risked getting burned, or worse, sun-ridden. Too much indirect sunlight gave vampires sunlight fever, and overexposure to direct sunlight killed them.

“Perhaps another day.” She curtsied and took a step away, but his piercing eyes froze her to the spot.

“Really, I’m not as frightening as you seem to think I am,” he said, casually leaning back in his chair as if to make him look less threatening.

She begged to differ.

“I couldn’t—”

“I insist.” He stood from his chair and took her hand. She tried to yank her hand away, but he held on tighter. Did he notice a chill to her skin a human didn’t possess? If he did, he gave no indication of it. “I’m afraid I would get lost on my own.”

Although she doubted that, she found it difficult to form coherent thoughts when he touched her, and it had nothing to do with the magic a blood hunter supposedly possessed but rather his proximity in general. In another world, she might have been tempted to toy with the idea of finally settling down with a mate. But even his handsome features couldn’t entice her. He would no sooner wipe her from the face of the earth. Besides, he terrified her.

Yet, she liked the danger he posed. It gave her a sort of thrill she hadn’t had the pleasure of feeling in a long while.

At long last, she nodded her head in agreement. “Fine. But keep your weapons away. I don’t like weapons.”

“I promise.” He dropped her hand and tucked away his dagger. That made her feel slightly more comfortable, but she knew she would never feel completely comfortable within a mile of this man.

Now came her next challenge—to find a way to avoid the patches of sunlight without giving her secret away. She started to mentally kick herself for not leaving the night before. Staying in Lakefalls was far too dangerous. But whether she ran or stayed here to try to maintain her secret, the danger would follow. Why did the jarl have to bring a blood hunter into town?

“You coming?” he called over his shoulder, and it wasn’t until then that she realized she had stopped in the shadows underneath the Silver Palace’s roof as she waited for the sunlight to become blocked by the clouds.

“My apologies, I was daydreaming,” she replied with a coy smile, following after him deeper into the town.

“Dare I ask about what?”

She couldn’t help herself. Challenging his stoic expression was too entertaining. “Why don’t you come over here and find out?”

No reaction. Not even a roll of his eyes or a raised eyebrow. Now she was beginning to question whether or not blood hunters were capable of experiencing emotions. Honestly, she wouldn’t know. She had never met one before.

“Well, aren’t you the lady killer.”

“I kill a lot of other things too.”

His cold eyes glanced her way, sending shivers down her spine. For a moment, she swore he saw straight through her, to the very essence of what made her a vampire, to the very fibers of her bloodthirsty being. She quickly reminded herself she had been careful. He couldn’t know her secret, and if she had her way, he’d never find out.

She clenched her fists, and she braced herself for a fight, her blood pumping through her veins. She felt her strength growing with each second, her fangs waiting to shoot from her gums. She planned it out in her mind. First, she would dodge his attack—he seemed like the type to make the first move—and after, she would feint to the right before digging her fangs into his neck. But then again, he might be expecting such a move, and she wanted to take him off guard. It would be risky, but the best course of action might be to steal one of his own weapons. Nothing iron, of course, but perhaps if he had a bit of steel or silver…

After what felt like an eternity of waiting in suspense, she nearly rushed forward to attack him but finally, he cast her an amused expression. “Stop looking terrified. I’m a blood hunter, but I don’t kill humans. Therefore, if you are a human, you have nothing to fear from me.”

She relaxed, but only slightly because she wasn’t a human.

Therefore, he gave her plenty to fear.

“You don’t mind if I make a quick stop? I need to retrieve one of my weapons from the blacksmith.”

“I will wait outside. Like I said, I don’t like weapons.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself. Do come inside if you get bored.”

Within moments, he disappeared into the blacksmith’s shop, leaving her outside with the precarious-looking clouds that appeared mischievous enough to dance out of the way at a moment’s notice. They were the only thing standing between her and death.

How long did he say he’d be inside?

One of the guards nodded his head in her direction before continuing to make his rounds. Although everything appeared normal, even the calmest person seemed to be on edge. A blood hunter entering a city was a big deal. And not the most welcome one, either.

Swimming in the depths of her own thoughts, she didn’t notice the clouds shifting, and a ray of sunshine broke through, hitting her arm directly. She hissed as the sun seared her skin and she quickly jumped backward, pressing herself further into the shadows as the sunlight spotted across the entire city. She felt trapped. To go forward was to face uncertain death. To go backward was to also meet uncertain death. Unfortunately, she decided to take her chances.

Having received Adam’s invitation to enter the shop, she slipped inside and was immediately met by the scent of rust, smoke, and the stinging stench of iron. The metallic stink in the air burned her nose, but it wasn’t enough to do any damage. She preferred to spend as little time as possible beside the forge.

He lifted an eyebrow at her entrance but otherwise said nothing more, still deep in conversation with the blacksmith.

“Aye! Business was getting a bit slow,” the blacksmith said animatedly. “But it’s beast attacks and wars that keep my trade going. I’m not saying I’m happy the lad met an untimely and gruesome death, but I feared I would go out of business. Watch your own and only your own. That’s what I always say. Everybody wants weapons after an attack, and I can’t complain. Keeps me busy. Keeps mouths fed.”

“The sword,” Adam reminded, apparently trying to keep the chatty blacksmith on track.

“Right. Never seen a finer blade in all my days. A beauty, that one. Crafted by a god, if you ask me. Now don’t move an inch. I’ll return swiftly.”

****

Adam held in the sigh that wanted to escape. He was already ten minutes inconvenienced, and he still didn’t have his sword. He had found it difficult to give it up to the blacksmith to unnecessarily sharpen the weapon in the first place, but he needed the excuse. It was the only sneaky way he could think of to check to make sure Willow had no reflection without her knowing he was doing it.

“I thought you didn’t like weapons,” he pointed out, leaning casually on the counter while staring back at Willow.

“I don’t. But I got curious. What does a man like you need at a place like this?”

His sharp eyes spotted the glaring red mark on her arm he felt sure wasn’t there before. Was it a burn?

As if sensing his gaze, she pulled on her sleeve in an attempt to conceal it, though she did it casually—if he hadn’t known what to look for, he might have missed it entirely.

“My blade sharpened,” he answered. “If I’m to go after the beast that killed the first beast, I want to be ready.”

“And what makes you think you’ll find the perpetrator here? Anyone smart enough would have disappeared already—moved on to the next town. You are wasting your time.”

“Perhaps,” he replied smoothly. He absently picked up a small throwing knife from the counter and inspected the rough leather hilt. “But I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Found it!” the blacksmith said as he walked into the room, reverently carrying a long silver sword wrapped in protective cloth in his arms. “I don’t suppose you need any more services? A shining, perhaps?”

“No.”

The blacksmith looked disappointed and hesitantly handed him the sword.

He gently grabbed the weapon by the hilt and pulled it free of the cloth, pretending to inspect it from the base of the pommel to the lethally sharp tip. “You did a good job. I’m impressed.”

“It was nothing, really,” the blacksmith said before he started gushing about his other accomplishments. He listened with half an ear and focused on Willow. She was surveying a rack of shields with her back turned to him. Perfect.

He tilted his sword as he “continued his inspection” and angled it to give him a clear view of Willow in the reflection of the metal—which was polished despite the blacksmith’s insistence that it needed a shine. The sword’s reflection gave him the perfect view of the shield racks, the only thing missing was Willow.

He tensed, and it took all his self-control to prevent himself from reaching for the iron knife hidden in his jacket. Willow was a vampire. He had been right.

Slightly turning his head, he looked at her from the corner of his eye. She indeed was a vampire, her lack of reflection attested to that. But he couldn’t kill her here. She would be on guard. He might not get within two feet of her before he found a pair of fangs protruding from his neck. But he needed to kill her. The question was how?

Or…

He considered his second option, one much riskier and at least a hundred times more difficult and dangerous. He could capture her instead. He needed a test subject. And soon.

He swallowed hard as he thought of his brother, held prisoner in his cellar. Zachariah needed a cure for his…ailment. And he needed a test subject. He didn’t want to put Zachariah in danger, but he was willing to sacrifice Willow without blinking an eye if it meant saving his brother.

“Very good,” Adam said with a nod, interrupting the proud blacksmith and sheathing the weapon in the scabbard on his back. He paid the blacksmith and turned to leave. It took everything in his power not to trounce on the vampire and cut her heart out. But he had to do this tactfully, and sooner rather than later, lest she escape before he got his chance.

He approached her, once again noting the red mark on her skin and realizing what it was. The sun had burned her. She truly was a beast of darkness.

She was bloodborn.

“After you, Miss Reid,” he said, gesturing to the door.

“And where exactly are we going?”

He pondered for a moment. Any city was like the other and Lakefalls was no exception. He certainly didn’t need anyone to show him around, but he did need to know more about the vampire before him. What were her strengths? Her weaknesses? He needed to learn more before the sun descended and he planned to make his move.

“The falls. I want to understand why they make this city renowned.”

“The falls?” she asked confusedly, raising an eyebrow at him. “I’m sure you could find them yourself. Follow the sound of crashing water.”

He looked at her pointedly and mimicked her expression by raising his own eyebrow. “Is it difficult to believe I actually enjoy your company? Humor me, Miss Reid.”

She looked surprised, but that surprise immediately melted into suspicion, which she quickly hid. He played a dangerous game. If he pushed her too far, it risked her attacking first. If that happened, he would have no choice but to kill her. His brother’s life depended on her successful capture, which meant he needed to choose every action and every word carefully. It was important not to spook her. Not yet anyway.

She continued to stare at him before she said, “I don’t believe it for one second. I haven’t known you long, blood hunter, but I am already acquainted with you well enough to know you don’t do anything without a purpose. What do you want? The jarl’s favor? Or perhaps you enjoy wasting my time when I have more important things to do.”

Smart, beautiful, and a little bit fiery. Oh yes, and a vampire. He would enjoy crushing her throat beneath his fingers. Capturing her would prove to be utterly dissatisfying in comparison.

“Tell me about yourself,” he said, ignoring her previous statement. His boots scuffed up the dirt path—he wasn’t the most agile or discreet, but he didn’t need to be as long as he relied on his strength, though he took note that Willow hardly made a sound as she walked—and he did, indeed, hear the crashing of water as they neared the falls. “How long have you lived in Lakefalls?”

An innocent enough question.

“Ten years,” she replied without missing a beat. “My father was a carpenter, he made simple buildings look lavish. But when he passed away, I knew I had to make a living for myself. I started working as a servant in the jarl’s household and worked my way up.”

Adam frowned. To anyone else not immediately suspicious of her, it would sound like a sob story with a happy ending. However, with a trained ear, Adam dug deeper into her words. The story was rehearsed. She was lying, which further concreted her position as a vampire.

“And your mother?”

He had expected another rehearsed lie, but what he didn’t expect was for her to miss a step and for sorrow to pass across her eyes—real, genuine sorrow.

“My mother died a cruel, violent death,” she whispered. “She has been gone for some time now, but I still remember her vividly.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

It took all his emotional strength to push away the guilt that sprouted inside him. He recoiled from his overactive imagination of how Willow’s mother died—though he had a good guess. He took in a deep breath and released it slowly. Vampires were heartless, bloodthirsty monsters incapable of human emotion. They killed. They destroyed. Without a flicker of remorse.

At least, he told himself that. Otherwise, he couldn’t do his job.

“Is this interrogation finished?” she asked with a skeptical eyebrow.

“Why do you assume I’m questioning you?”

“You arrived recently, and I haven’t seen you questioning anyone. Do you think I have something to hide? I had nothing to do with the attack.”

He mentally kicked himself. Had he lost his flair? Despite his best attempts, he was beginning to spook her. He didn’t commonly try to “make friends” of people. Although his blood hunter skills may be up to par, his social skills were another story altogether. He needed to rectify this before it was too late.

“I never said you had anything to do with it. Besides, it would be dangerous for a human to aid a vampire, and not just in a lawful sense. It seems like you have a straight head. You wouldn’t purposefully put yourself in harm’s way.”

Her shoulders relaxed, but only slightly.

“And what about you?” she asked, turning her head to meet his gaze. He hadn’t realized he had been staring, and it startled him to meet her intense green eyes.

He quickly shook away his stupor and shrugged. “I don’t like talking about myself. This is where our conversation ends.” Thankfully, they arrived at the falls, and it gave him an excuse to remain silent and watch the roaring water shoot over the rocks and plummet to the pool below, creating a steamy spray as it hit the surface.

The falls were…magnificent. They took his breath away, and not just from the vapor. Any painter would want to capture the view on their canvas. It was a scenery he would have wanted to paint onto his own canvas twelve years ago, but fate had had other plans for him.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked after a minute of silence. She stared at the falls with a faraway look in her eyes. He had often worn the same look when he relived the tragedy that befell his family. “It’s often where I come to think.”

“About what?”

She glanced at him, a secretive smile pulling on her lips. “Now, how is that fair? You know far more about me than I do about you. However, I’m willing to make a trade.”

Infuriating vampire. The sooner this escapade ended, the better.

“A trade it is. What would you like to know?”

Surprisingly, she asked quickly, as if the question waited on the tip of her tongue since the moment they met. “What made you want to become a blood hunter?”

He groaned internally. Any question but that one. But he needed her to keep talking. The more information he could glean from her words, the more he could prepare himself for her capture.

“I, too, have lost those I care for. Your turn.”

It wasn’t a detailed answer, but she didn’t protest.

“My next grand adventure.”

The vampire didn’t elaborate. She merely stared off into the distance, deep in thought, and if he wasn’t adamant on capturing her, he could kill her there and now.

Considering their location, he could whip out an iron dagger and stab her through the heart before she had a chance to plead for her life. After, he’d push her over the edge of the cliff and into the falls below, the current sweeping her away. If she still lived at that point, he would be waiting downstream with a torch in his hand as she attempted to crawl out of the water, quickly lighting her on fire. It would have been a foolproof plan.

However, it took every ounce of self-control he had mastered over the years to restrain himself. She was…different. She wasn’t like any of the other vampires he’d killed. She was careful. Very careful. And smart. Especially to have lasted this long without detection. Which meant he put her at the age of at least two hundred years.

She controlled her thirst in a town full of humans, and they didn’t even suspect. From what he could gather, the vampire had been doing this for a long time. Unfortunately for her, her next grand adventure would never happen. Instead, he planned to replace it with her next grand nightmare.

It was time to end this. Before he learned anything more about her. The little details would make her appear more human than she was, and he couldn’t afford the guilt it would bring.

He glanced at the position of the sun and frowned, feigning a sigh. “I’m late for something. I believe this is where we part.”

“That’s it?” she asked bluntly, pressing her lips into a thin line as she stared back at him incredulously. “You practically insisted I show you around town, but all I’ve done is follow you on your errands. Really, I have better things to do.”

“Oh, we’ll meet again soon,” he replied with an amused expression as he walked away, already plotting how he’d ensnare her. “I’m sure of it.”