Page 46 of Hunger & Harmony

The silence shifts. I swear, there’s a murmured curse before the crunch of leaves grows closer. I press myself against the front door and squeeze my eyes shut, wishing on every hidden star that they won’t catch me.

“Remember,” Selene suddenly says, and I tense. She sounds just a few strides away. “Tomorrow is different, but you know how the residents of Velhollow are. The night is yours.”

With that, she storms away. I haven’t even heard the back door of the main cabin close before Niko makes his move.

Something cold slices under my ribs when he stalks past. Like a guitar string snapping in my chest.

It leaves me breathless and clutching my heart. I swiftly turn from my door, acting without even thinking, following without rationality. I only have fragments of what’s going on. I don’t care anymore whether I do or not.

He’s hurting, and I refuse to let him suffer alone. Even if I can’t name it, I can feel how bone-deep his burdens sink. I hurry into the darkness after him.

Shadows envelop his form as he ventures deeper into the woods. He’s damn near invisible, especially wearing all black. While I want to call out, I keep my mouth shut. Surely he knows I’m following. Not that he’s stopped me. While it’s difficult to see him between the dense, gnarled trees, I follow the rustle of his footsteps and the string of wrong notes trailing behind him.

I break through the trees, turning to see him leaving the clearing to follow a dirt road. I continue to hang back, even when the grass turns to dirt under my boots.

Up ahead, a small town glows. If it could even qualify as a town. More like a single strip of buildings, including a two-pump gas station.

Dirt becomes brown brick. There’s nothing modern about this place, from the pristine gas lamps to the aged signage on the buildings. A bank, a post office, and even a quaint bookshop are decorated for Halloween and lit like they’re still open at this hour. It’s like stepping back in time, if different eras were smashed into one street.

Just as Niko crosses into the gas station’s lot, he stops under a flickering light. I halt in the shadows, not surprised when he addresses me.

“Are you not afraid?”

“Of you?” I laugh shortly. “Never.”

He turns, deliberately slow. Like he’s giving himself time to think of the right response.

“No one’s around.”

I don’t have to look into the bright gas station or even down the street to confirm. Because, despite the lights and displays, this whole street is vacant.

“I’ve noticed.”

Confusion passes over his features. He’s quick to correct his face to a more neutral expression.

“The people of Velhollow worship vampires,” he says. “Locals always respect the night when we’re in town.”

“They give you privacy and go home?” I ask, and he nods.

“There’s no one here.”

Maybe that should concern me. It does the opposite.

“Having the entire place to yourself sounds cool!”

A frown is his only response. I purse my lips awkwardly when I realize just how much I’m intruding.

“But, uh . . .I’m here.”

“You—”

“No, no, Your Majesty!” I say, holding my hands up. “You can tell me if you want me to go back. I’ll leave without a fuss, I promise!”

His lips press into a line. My hands start waving around as I try to assure him.

“You don’t have to talk! You don’t have to do anything, I . . .I just . . .”

My voice quiets, and my hands drop back to my sides.