“You understand we can’t guarantee your safety if you stay,” Petre warned, running a shaky hand over the back of his scalp. “If you stay past dark, the chances of you leaving are slim.”
Morgan ignored Caedmon’s growl and nodded. “We understand.”
She just hoped she knew what the hell she was doing. If either of her mates suffered because of her decision?—
“Stop.” Atlas threaded his fingers with hers, pulling her out of her spiral. “If we weren’t here, you wouldn’t hesitate to help them. We are grown men and trained warriors. We can deal with whatever comes.”
He was asking her to trust him just like he trusted her.
No reservations.
No doubts.
She gave a sharp nod and squeezed his fingers. She could do that. “Then we better get moving. I don’t think I would enjoy being out after dark.”
She glanced at their dreary, nearly morbid surroundings and shuddered.
It was like something out of a zombie version of Wonderland.
No thank you.
It took them over an hour to return to the village. The vampires kept close, only venturing away to check traps. They only managed to catch three rabbits…if you could even call them that. They weren’t cute and fluffy. Instead, they looked like a cross between a rat and a bunny. Though they had long ears, their eyes were a disturbing blood red, and their protruding teeth were as long as her fingers. Blood stained the stringy tuffs of white fur that covered them. They had sharp claws and a whip-like rat tails that could no doubt filet flesh from bone.
When they hit the village, her chest felt like it had been pierced by a thousand needles, their despair making her heart clutch. There were nearly three hundred people present, some so rail thin, they were walking skeletons. About a third of them were vampires, but the rest were creatures across all breeds—fairies, dwarves, brownies, even elves, and so many more.
And they’d only brought home three rabbits.
Petre handed off their kills to a waiting elf. The woman accepted the food with a grateful nod, not a word of reproach escaping as she turned to prepare the food.
The village itself was small for so many people, the place crowded. There were no trees or vegetation of any kind, just bare dirt beneath their feet. The old and weak were given the job of sweeping with a modified broom. It looked like they were just moving around dirt, but they were so diligent in their task, she suspected it was something more serious.
“Follow me. We can discuss how you’d like to proceed.” Petre headed toward one of the stone buildings clustered toward the middle of the village. The whole village was surrounded by crackling fire, a thick ring of flames licking at the sky as dark smoke trailed in the air.
The heat had to be atrocious, but at least a dozen peoplemaintained each section. They had their shirts off, sweat slicking their backs. Soot stained their skins…what she could see of it from the fine coating of ash they wore.
“They maintain the fires to keep the forest from encroaching and crossing the barriers.” Kevin waited by the door, holding it open for her to pass. Instead of entering, he steered Bernard away, leaving Morgan to follow the others on her own.
More fires were lit inside the building, two on each side of the room, turning the air sweltering. Not that anyone seemed to pay it any mind. No one stood idle. People created pots, wove clothing, repaired tools and weapons. Even the children were kept busy, hauling around items for the adults.
Petre led them toward a corner that consisted of a half dozen large rocks. In the center was a flat stone that stood no taller than her knees.
Petre smiled at her look. “Nothing plant based in nature can cross the barrier—no wood, no grains, no plants or seeds. Everything must be cooked before we allow them across the barrier.”
Two women approached, one a vampire by the looks of the open sores and dark rot that forked its way under her skin. The other was a young dryad so thin, it looked like a strong breeze could blow her over. They both bowed toward Petre, their eyes lowered. “Are you hungry?”
At the offer, a tremble went through Petre’s hand where it rested on his knee, and he tightened his grip on his leg. He smiled politely at the girls, his eyes gentle. “Thank you so much for the offer, but I’m fine.”
Both women nodded and shuffled away, their heads lowered. As they passed, Morgan saw a sheen of bloody tears swim in the vampire’s downcast eyes.
Despite being starving, he’d sent them away.
Protected them.
Neither woman looked like they could survive much longer.
Another man entered the building, a small flask in his hands.He headed toward them and handed it over to Petre. “Your share of the blood from the hunts.”
Petre sloshed the contents in the flask and raised his brows. The man lifted his chin and scowled, refusing to cower. “We had a good day.”
