AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It takes me five minutes to trek far enough away to satisfy my worries. I’ve found a densely hidden thicket of briars to lay my people to rest. In the center of the outcropping of thorns and dried vines, a barren landscape large enough to lay them side-by-side presents itself.
Their bodies thud to the ground, lifeless and empty.
Without deliberation, I depart from the site, returning as quickly as I can to collect the child.
Thea is in the same spot I left her, and to my relief, her eyes are no longer sad. One hand is filled with fruit, and her other is busy holding a stick with a tiny, green inching bug. She raises her brows at me, gesturing with the stick. “I’ve named him Cattie!”
“Very nice, my light.” I smile politely, backpedaling as I move toward the remaining corpse. Thea turns away, giving me enough time to snatch the dead into my arms and rush away, hopeful she doesn’t see and become upset again.
Once I’ve returned to the burial spot, I position the three dhampir together. The adults are both middle-aged females, and I place the child in between them. They could have been a family before the famine struck, and as such, I imagine they’d prefer to be together in death.
The thorns surround them, cocooning them together like a well-crafted casket. A single, withering flower blooms along a still-green vine near their heads.
It’s the best I can do.
I don’t say any last farewells. I never knew the dhampirs in life, so there are no fond memories to speak of or happy times to recall. However… seeing them together, side by side and freed from the rage… It sends a peace I hope they now feel into my heart.
A faraway jingle catches my attention as I turn to leave, the sound originating from the opposite direction I came in. The chime lasts for only a few seconds, but its ring is loud enough to beckon me forward.
Three strides lead me to a break in the trees, and beyond it, an expanse of brick and glass.
Streets, buildings, and a tall bell hanging from the arch of a single structure. The bronze metal glints as it sways in the breeze, forcing another melodic ring from its hollow center.
It’s another human settlement, this one conquered like all the others. The shattered, reflective glass and red-stained pavement are nothing much to see, not anymore. Maybe if I had been myself when I first entered this plane, I might have seen the beauty in this great architectural city.
But not anymore, not while it lies crumbling to dust with nothing to inhabit it but bones and vermin.
I turn away, sights set on my awaiting mate.
She’s the new natural wonder of this planet, and her greatness is expecting my swift return.
8
Thea
OnceRenreturns,Irelease my new inch-worm friend onto the bark of our curved willow, wishing him farewell in his travels. Then I purge all lingering sadness from my heart with the grace of forgiveness and grab my vampiric companion's hand, prancing into the shadows of the forest with him in tow behind me.
“Where are we going?” Ren asks, his tone laced with laughter.
The wind blows against my face, whistling through the trees’ branches and flattening my dress to my bodice with its force. My eyes close as I inhale deeply, breathing in the morning and the renewal it represents.
“I’m not sure,” I reply, tossing him a sultry stare.
Though I haven’t forgotten about last night, I also haven't decided if exploring the experience further is a good idea. I have a full life to live, one I’m determined to enjoy, yes… But I’ve also just arrived, and I have alotof repairs to do. Distractions aren’t in the equation, no matter how good they feel.
Ren’s hand in mine is warm, clasping me with a firm hold. Perhaps it’s naïve to cling to the first male I’ve met since arriving here, but I canfeelhim. His presence is like a breath of fire wrapping around my form. Spicy, comforting, familiar like home.
Exploring all this flesh entails doesn’t seem like such a bad thing with him by my side.
Mother, if I am right, give me a sign.
“My light, look.” Ren’s hold halts my stride, and I turn facing him.
He’s bent on one knee, his hand beneath a fern as it blooms from a moss covered fallen tree. As he retracts his hand, I see the wiggling mass of black scales and tiny legs rowing wildly against his grasp.
A skink.
A verylargeskink.
