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The torches flickered, but nothing happened. “That’s not good…” Was I too late? Was everyone already dead from the sickness I could have stopped weeks ago? I dismounted the horse and climbed up the wall, pulling myself up to the ramparts on the other side.
There was no one there.
I looked into the city, seeing the torchlights down the alleyways and around the castle. Even with my enhanced night vision, I couldn’t make out the details of the village. Couldn’t figure out if it was even inhabited anymore.
I climbed down and opened the gate then retrieved my horse. I walked him through the gate and into the town. The stables had food in the troughs, so I secured my horse and filled his bucket with water before I continued forward.
My boots tapped against the cobblestones as I made my way down the main road. It was so quiet, every step audible. A strong breeze swept through and nearly snuffed out every torch. It made my hair dance in the breeze.
Then it died.
Instead of heading to the castle as quickly as I could, I took my time, looking into the dark houses and seeing no signs of life. The place felt abandoned. Everyone seemed to be dead or had moved on to somewhere else.
As I approached the castle, I saw signs of life. Guards were posted around the stone keep. The wall that surrounded the castle had men posted on the ramparts. The entire town seemed to be concentrated in this one area.
I couldn’t figure out why.
Everyone was so fixated on the other side of the wall that they didn’t notice me approaching the castle doors. Even the guards entrusted with the protection of the castle looked that way, so they didn’t notice me when I pulled on the locked door.
I knocked—and that was what finally drew the attention of the guards.
They rushed me, immediately charging me with their swords.
“Vampire!”
Four of them came at me at once.
I unsheathed my sword and stepped back, deflecting the first hit and then dodging the next. A fight against a human was far easier than one against the Ethereal or the orcs, so avoiding their blades was simple work. “I came here to speak with King Elias. I have a cure for the sickness.”
That made every single guard stop. They all stepped back and dropped their swords, looking at one another like one of their own would be able to confirm the truth of my words.
“I need to speak to him.”
One of the guards moved to the door and knocked, hitting his fist in different ways to create a specific tune. That seemed to be the password, because someone immediately opened the door.
The guard locked his gaze on me, his reaction the same as the other guards.
“I need to speak to King Elias,” I said. “Immediately.”
* * *
I was escorted to his study.
The very study where he’d fucked me over his desk. The one where he’d told me he would marry someone else. The one where he’d suggested an affair, so he could have his cake and eat it too.
I was a much different person as I stepped into that room again—and not just because I was a vampire.
He stood behind his desk and watched me walk in, his eyes empty at first then heavy. A deep breath expanded his chest and he opened his mouth to speak, but then he shut it, as if the words left him.
I knew I didn’t look the same. Not only was my skin paler, my eyes lighter, but my body had tightened from my change in lifestyle. Now I had muscles in my arms and legs. Now I wore armor and a cloak instead of old trousers.
He didn’t look the same either. He was thin, far too thin for a king.
I approached his desk, feeling like the superior one for once. “What’s happened here? No one’s in the town. Why are all the guards at this border?”
His mind wasn’t as quick as it used to be either, probably because he was exhausted…and starving. All he could muster was a single word. “Werewolves.”
“What?”
