Page 6 of Shadows of Fate

“Talk about what?”

“Whatever has been bothering you lately,” he replied. “You’ve been off for a while now, and nothing seems to be working. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’ve just felt… off for the last few moon cycles. I truly can’t explain it. I just feel as if something is coming, and I’m not quite ready yet.”

We continued down the street in silence. When we walked past a small inn, I stopped. A scent making me pause.

“Do you smell that?” I asked Micah.

“No? What is it?” He started smelling the air with me.

“Raspberries and honey,” I whispered.

But as quickly as it was there, it was gone again. I shook my head, and we continued back home.

Chapter5

Thirst for Revenge

Silvana

“I want her. The silver-haired one,” the male said. He wasn’t as tall as Father, but he had a strange aura about him. As if he were someone to be wary of, someone not to trust. I wondered if Father felt it too. It seemed Mother did, I could tell by the way she was fidgeting, but she wasn’t speaking up.

“She isn’t free, you understand? She isn’t even sixteen yet,” Father grumbled to the male across from him.

They were seated at a table, the male across from my parents. Cora and I were supposed to be in our bedroom, but instead we were sitting by the door listening into the conversation. I wasn’t going to, I tried to respect what Father asked of me, but Cora said we should listen in—that this could be important.

So here we were. On the floor in our nightgowns, listening to this stranger speak to our parents about me.

“He’s talking about you,” Cora whispered. I ignored her, mainly because I couldn’t think that way. Surely Father wouldn’tgiveme to this male without even talking to me first.

“I know exactly how old she is, and I want her. Name your price.” The male sounded too confident. “You know who I am, I’m sure you can assume why I’d want her. She’ll be well taken care of, I assure you.”

My mother cleared her throat and the male glared across the table at her, but she was looking at my father. “Why don’t we ask Silvana if this is something she’d be interested in, darling?”

Father stared at her and I could see the male growing angry, but I wasn’t sure my parents noticed. Cora gripped my hand tightly, and I knew without even watching the conversation unfold she could feel the energy shifting in the room.

“Five years’ wages.” Father’s voice left no room for argument from Mother, I knew that tone all too well.

The male smiled then, and it had my dinner souring in my stomach as my anxiety rose. “Deal.”

* * *

Iarrived home later than I wanted to. Apparently cleaning blood out of your hair takes a bit of extra time when the water pressure in your victim’s house isn’t up to par with what you’re used to.

I’d been able to sleep the rest of the day away in Buttercup’s house without being bothered, though, and when the sun set, I set off to find home for the evening. If I was being honest, I didn’t have a ‘home’ in the normal sense of the word. I had places I enjoyed and stayed for a bit, and then I moved on. Something about staying in one place for too long made me anxious.

Nowhere ever felt safe or nice enough for my soul to stay—assuming I had a soul still, it wanted luxury. That was hard when you refused to stay in one place for a long time.

In most towns and cities, if a vampire killed a human unprovoked, they were punished by the local covens, sometimes even the court rulers. We had plenty of places to drink from willing humans, and we’d figured out ways to store blood for those who didn’t wish to drink directly from the source. Most vampires wanted to live in peaceful coexistence with humans. I wasn’t opposed to such things—honestly. It just… well it didn’t really mesh well with my ideas and constant thirst for revenge.

I didn’t walk around looking for these pathetic men, they tended to find me, and I couldn’t just sit by and watch while doing nothing about it. So, I acted, and I left after I knew the survivors were safe and looked after.

Was it a simple existence? No.

Was there another way? Not that I cared to find. Yet.

So, I lived with the consequences. If one day I was found out? Well, I’d deal with that then.

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