Page 7 of Shadows of Fate

Tonight’s home was a small room in an inn. A new city, thankfully leaving Coalfell behind in the blood and dust. I’d crossed the border of the Court of Wolves and into my new temporary home in the city of Darkmoor, one of the larger cities in the Court of Shadows. This city was easily one of my favorite places to be.

Standing in the bathroom, I lit some candles around the tub because ambiance was important when pampering oneself, and then turned on the faucet in the luxury-sized tub. Hot water makes its stunning appearance splashing below in the tub big enough for four of me. Thankfully they employed vampires endowed with fire magic who were able to heat the pipes for this exact purpose. The Fates blessed those vampires, truly.

Looking into the mirror, I ran my fingers through my long icy blonde hair. My light blue eyes stared back at me. My skin was as pale as snow, and the only darkness in my appearance I possessed was the scarlet coloring of my lips and the blush on my cheeks after I’d fed.

It was as if everything about my complexion matched my inherited magic and the frost of my bitter heart. At least that was the joke Cedar and I went with.

I didn’t mind, though. The old Silvie, from what I could remember, was weak and let the men of her life walk all over her. This version? Well, she didn’t. If my outer appearance matched the ice in my heart, that was fine. It was better for me that way. I was stronger, faster, more ruthless than I ever was before. I didn’t settle for men treating me like property, or any woman for that matter. It was nice to be in control of my life and body.

After everything that had happened, I needed that.

I smiled at my reflection in the mirror. Turned around, climbed into the tub, and sank down, letting the warm water wash over me.

* * *

I’d spent the last few days in the small inn on the edge of town, but I knew I needed to check out soon. I just needed a bit more time to collect my thoughts.

I’d spent the first few years of my rebirth alone. I enjoyed it that way after I found myself covered in blood on the snowy ground in the middle of those dense woods. I needed to find myself and figure out who I was beyond the bits and pieces I could remember. But when I met Cedar… Well, Cedar had my back in a way I didn’t remember anyone else having it.

He’d had a rough transition, and we bonded over the whole ‘my maker changed me and then bailed to let me figure this new life out alone’ thing. Apparently, from what I’d learned, that was not the normal trajectory of things. Most vampires only changed someone with a purpose. They were in love, they were making talented soldiers, they were friends and were creating their own family. They didn’t find someone dying, exchange blood, and then disappear without a trace.

However, most people could also remember their lives before their rebirth, including Cedar. So, who can even say that was what happened to me?

But Cedar and I had formed a bond through our trauma, and he kept me in check while also finding me odd jobs. Sadly, our currency didn’t just fall from the sky into our greedy hands. Cedar always found me jobs that helped quench the thirst for revenge I had never shaken off, while also being a brother and looking out for me.

I walked through the inn and handed my note to the barkeep, asking that it be sent off as soon as possible. Afterward, I headed out into the streets of Darkmoor.

This city had always been one of my favorites. As a vampire, staying out of the sun was high on the list of priorities, and Darkmoor had always made it easier than the rest of Kostbare.

The city had retained its original Gothic architecture throughout. The buildings were tall and made of gray, black, or brown stones. The streets were a combination of matching cobblestone and bricks throughout. But the weather stayed dreary and wet. Fog off The Black Sea always infiltrated the streets, and the sun rarely made its appearance known.

I walked until I came to the end of an unlit street. It didn’t have a sign or a name, but I knew it wasn’t well-known to most. That suited Cedar and me better with our line of work. We didn’t want more attention than necessary.

Walking up the stone steps of the second to last house on the right, I knocked three times before using a key to unlatch the door. Making my way inside, I took off my boots by the door and headed for the couch in the living area. He wouldn’t be here yet since I’d just sent the letter, but I knew it wouldn’t take the raven shifter long to arrive.

It was rare that Cedar and I met in person anymore. Not because we didn’t want to, but because he was on a mission to find his sire. A mission that had lasted him over a hundred years now. Normally, I’d send a letter that I tried to keep short and to the point. But it was time for a face-to-face meeting with my only family. I hated to confess it, even to myself, but I missed him. Something had felt off for the last few moon cycles. I needed a sense of familiarity right now.

After a short while, I heard the three-part knock on the front door and then the click announcing the door opened.

“Oh, Silv, darling! I’m home!” His deep voice rumbled from the front of the house.

A rare smile immediately lit up my face as I rose to greet him. Cedar was a tall man—easily two heads taller than me. He had tawny-colored skin, deep brown eyes, the color of chocolate, and a smile that lit up any room he entered. The only thing not completely perfect about his appearance was a scar that ran down the left side of his face from mid-brow to his bottom lip. Cedar was a rare gem in the pile of filth the Fates had handed me.

I stood up on my toes and tousled his shaggy ebony-colored hair. It was shaved on the left side, and he left the right side longer. It was almost to his shoulder now.

“Did you miss me?” I asked jokingly while he hugged me tight.

“Oh, absolutely, Silv. You know I was just dying to hear that sultry voice of yours after so long.” His tone was sarcastic but pleased. “But if you want honesty, yes. I was over with the birds when your letter arrived, so I flew the coop as quickly as I could.” He was referring to the Court of Ravens. With Cedar being a raven shifter, he spent a lot of time there trying to find any leads.

“Okay—out with it, Cedar? What’s new? My job in Coalfell was easy. I finished in less than a day and they expected me to take half a fortnight. Anything new rolling around out there?” My impatience was clear. Cedar knows how much I hate not staying busy with jobs. Anything to keep the nightmares at bay.

“Actually, yes. I’ve heard throughout some of the court gossip that there is a rebel group in the Court of Shadows. They’re calling themselves the Eternal Outcasts.” The tone of Cedar’s voice said it all.

“A rebel group? What exactly are they rebelling against?”

“They want to rule… as in truly rule. They’re turning humans against their will, Silv, and those they don’t turn, they’re using as walking blood bags.”

I stared at him for a moment, trying to wrap my head around what he was saying.

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