Page 94 of Vengeance Becomes Her

The moonlight cast the woods in a blue glow. The air was damp and cold. When she dared look around Tristain was kneeling in front of her, gripping her arms tightly. Kyra looked especially concerned.

Tristain held her gaze, his brow furrowed and jaw tense. “What happened to you?”

Her eyes left his. “I don’t know. I must have fallen asleep or something.”

“Rhiannon…”

“It was nothing. I’ll take next watch.” She rose, taking Tristain’s spot as he reluctantly moved from his place by the fire. He hesitated before crawling into the structure, turning to her.

She shook her head and he laid down.

Every crack of a stick, every clump of snow that dropped from a failing branch, and every howl of the wind had Rhiannon straining her ears. She was waiting for something, but she didn’t know what. A sign that something was out there watching her or a sound to alert her to a potential attack. But none came. Between the two incidents that had happened in these woods, she didn’t think she’d catch another moment of sleep until they reached Wispombra. If she was ever able to block the horrifying visions out at all.

After several tense minutes she felt a shift in the air to her left. She was on her feet, blade in hand within seconds. But when she turned, it was only Kyra.

She placed her hand over her chest. “Why are you sneaking up on me?” Her anger melted away immediately.

Kyra gave her a sympathetic smile. “You feel it too, then.”

“Feel what?”

Kyra looked around, her gaze scanning the tree line for something. “That something isn’t right here.” She took a deep sigh. “Here in the north, we believe that humans are not alone in this world. That there are good and evil entities roaming amongst us.”

Rhiannon nodded, listening intently.

“We believe one such entity lurks in these woods, long asleep but now awake. Several years ago, there was a shift. While we always took care to walk cautiously through this region—respecting its resting place—we were never afraid to be here. But now, no one comes down here to hunt and travel. This path is avoided as much as possible.” She lowered her voice further. “There’s a prophecy that has been passed down for generations. It says that when it awakes, it will usher in a darkness like we’ve never seen before, one born of blood and death.”

They were silent for a minute. Rhiannon was trying to decide whether she believed such a thing was possible. While she’d never lent much weight to myths and legends, all of the things she’d seen over the last few months, including her encounter tonight, had her much more willing to believe it could very well be true.

“What is it called?” Rhiannon could feel her dinner trying to make its way back up.

Kyra lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. “The Volskruga.” The letters curled around her tongue. “They say that it thrives on the deep desires of humans.”

“But everyone desires something.”

“Yes, but it’s not just that. It goes after those who are susceptible to being reckless with those desires. People who are uninhibited by the rules of others. Those who will do almost anything to get what they want. People who will feed it in exchange for those desires to come true. Those are the souls he deems worthy ofhis devouring.”

She was lost in her own memory, trying desperately to remember what the monster had said to her.

“Your soul calls to me.”

The words rang clearly in her mind even now.

The crackling of the fire was the only sound as Rhiannon tried to make sense of the myth that she suspected was so much more than that.

Finally, she asked, “And how does it get them?”

“They offer themselves up. They must consent to the exchange. They allow it to take up residence within them, to provide it with sacrifices that feed its power, and it grants their deepest desire.”

Rhiannon was about to ask more about why anyone would agree to that when Samara startled them, getting up to relieve herself.

Rhiannon and Kyra both watched her closely as she made her way to the tree line. Her heart lurched when the darkness beyond the tree line started to swallow up her form, but Samara returned moments later rubbingher tired eyes.

“Why are you both up? I thought we were taking turns on watch?”

Rhiannon cleared her throat. “Couldn’t sleep.” She turned to Kyra. “You should go back to bed, I’ll stay here for a few more hours.”

Kyra began to argue but Rhiannon put a hand out. “I’m wide awake, there’s no way I’m going to sleep soon, so youmight as well.”

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