“I’m sure there is. The Natural World and Midscape were once one world of the living. Before it was given to the humans, much of the land was occupied by elf, fae, vampir, mer, lykin, and who knows what other magical monster and beast roamed the early lands that we could only dream of now—like dryads or dragons.” Ruvan rounds to the opposite side of the table. He points at a tall building. I recognize it as the one Quinn had been staring at from my smithy window. “The academy is here. The museum is here. And of course you know the castle up on the mountain. My favorite place, though, in all the city is the tower of stars, over here on this ridge line. The Succumbed had overtaken it before my birth. But I saw pictures of it in books and I heard the stories of glass disks there that brought the stars right before your eyes, so close that no bit of the future could escape you.”
As Ruvan speaks, he points. I follow along, drifting through the museum at his side, absorbing as much of the vampir’s history as I can possibly fit between my ears. I learn more of the important things—I learn about how the vampir and lykin eventually split territories as a result of the lykin disagreeing with how the vampir approached the blood lore. The former believed that blood should only be drawn from animals, if ever, but the vampir needed blood deepened by experience to truly gain power from it. I learn of how half the city was built after the lore began, the speed and strength it afforded the vampir enabling them to build twice as sturdy, twice as fast.
I learn of important notes on history. His. Mine.Ours. That my home was once in the territory of the vampir. That the fortress the hunters have made their home was actually the far southwest gate of the castle and that is why the wall extends all the way to the sea, back through the Fade and toward the castle it was once a part of.
I have questions, of course. In the hamlet they say that the fortress and walls were made by the first hunter. But I don’t contradict Ruvan. I don’t want to do anything that would make him stop talking. His voice is delightful.
Moreover, the last time I was this curious about something was when my mother was first showing me how to make silver steel. But that was knowledge I had some inkling of. Everything Ruvan is telling me is new. I want to know it all. I’ve embraced him with open arms and now I want to try to also embrace the truth of our worlds as well—whatever that might be.
“What’s that way?” I ask, pointing to the right as we reach the T at the end of the hall we’ve been strolling through.
“That way…” He hums. “I think it’s armors from antiquity.”
I inhale sharply.Old. Vampir. Armor. I have to see it.
“Would you like to see it?” Ruvan reads my mind and holds out a hand with a warm smile. My heart does a skip.
“I thought you’d never ask!” I take his hand and yank him down the hallway.
He erupts with a laughter brighter than any I’ve ever heard from him. It matches the shimmering gold of his eyes and flawless platinum of his hair. “Do you even know where you’re going?”
“No, but I intend to find everything I can along the way!”
“I’ve unleashed a monster.” He keeps laughing the entire way as I tug him along, taking him from room to room.
“You’re wrong,” I say.
“What?”
I give him a small grin over my shoulder, taking in his ethereal face. The warmth of his hand around mine.How wrong I’ve been… “We’ve never been monsters.”
* * *
The sun is hanginglow in the sky and my stomach is roaring by the time we’ve finished scouring every bit of the museum. Ruvan and I have ended up in a rooftop sculpture garden turned winter wonderland. The silent statues peer with blank eyes through ice so old it’s turned blue.
Ruvan has gone ahead and now leans against the railing, giving me time and space until I’m finally ready to join him.
“You seem to have enjoyed yourself.” He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I’ve never been to a place like this before. I didn’t know they existed,” I finally admit. I had expected him to laugh at me for the confession, but he looks confused instead. He’s really going to make me spell this out. “There’s nothing like this in Hunter’s Hamlet. Even though we’re still a functional, living town, we have no museums, no academies, no concert halls or—what did you call it? That place Tempost had long ago, the one of many cages containing curious beasts of different shapes and colors?”
“A zoo?”
“Certainly no zooseverin the hamlet.” I laugh softly and rest my elbows on the railing. The frosty stone is biting cold and, oddly, it feels good. The sharpness is welcome. Between the cold and the fresh air, my head feels clearer than it has in years. “If we had many different types of beasts, we’d probably eat them.”
The wind becomes a third companion as it picks up, sweeping down the peaks to batter my face, as if the world itself is reaching out to cup my cheeks and whisper,It will be all right, don’t cry.
I’m not crying, I want to reply. But don’t for the lump that’s suddenly appeared in my throat.
His hand rests lightly on mine. “Tell me more about the hamlet.”
“Well, the master hunter is in control of everything. Underneath him is a small town council that helps manage day-to-day matters outside the fortress. They—”
“No, Floriane, tell me about the hamlet throughyoureyes. What was it like there for you?”
I meet his gaze, the lump in my throat only getting worse. I struggle for words. Croak. And loosen my vocal pipes with a bitter laugh.
“I was taken care of. I was.” I’m not quite sure why I have the need to emphasize that so much. “I grew up with the love of my family…but that’s the only love I ever knew. To the town I was always the forge maiden, the girl who would be married off shortly after she reached womanhood. I had all I wanted, but could never ask for more. Could never dream of it.” I look out over the decaying city. “There would be noise and life of the forge, but even there I was an outsider. My hammer moved for others.
