Irenbis was a few miles from the castle, and the forest opened to rolling green hills with the capital nestled among them. The spacious city sprawled over the rich landscape.
Thalia glanced over her shoulder as they left the tree line, finding the castle’s dark spires in the distance. She quickly turned back as Cassius urged his horse to the road.
Cobblestones echoed under their horses’ hooves as they passed the city’s watchmen. The Vampyrs all nodded to Cassius, a few whispering to each other when they caught her stare.
She didn’t know what to make of it. Nor did she know what to make of the city itself. It was laid out like an eight-pointed star, the roads and homes forming a grid-like pattern, all merging into what appeared to be a vast city center.
Thalia kept her jaw from dropping as they moved deeper, passing homes with ivy-covered walls and open storefronts, the scent of freshly spiced meat tickling her nose. The smells made her mouth water, and her stomach grumbled. Thalia didn’t think it was very loud, but Cassius looked over his shoulder with a smirk.
Thalia scowled as he turned back around.
But despite the richness that seemed to bleed from the buildings and the opulence of everything she saw, attesting to the full coffers of House Lorenzia, something was off.
No Vampyr was out in the city. No one shouted their wares; no children ran underfoot with their toys. It was quiet—still. Like someone had frozen the place and forgotten about it, leaving it to collect cobwebs and dust like an ivy-covered tomb.
“Where is everyone?” Thalia asked. She hadn’t whispered the words, but she felt as though she should have.
“Days like this are quiet in the afternoon; most don’t venture out until the night,” Cassius replied, stopping in the middle of the city center. A large fountain bubbled, the only noise as he dismounted.
“But there’s no sun.”
Cassius patted his gelding. “That doesn’t stop one’s instincts.”
Thalia glanced around. Shop fronts opened into the city center, and she could have sworn she caught someone peeking out behind curtains. She blinked and the shadow was gone.
Thalia dismounted, leading her horse next to Cassius’s. “So what does this city do?”
Cassius tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, there’s no ocean, or even river, from what I’ve seen. What are its exports?”
Cassius raised a brow. “Did you actually listen to all those lessons Domina Tullia taught you?”
Thalia rolled her eyes at the mention of her governess growing up. In fact, Cassius used to sneak Thalia out of lessons when the crone’s back was turned. They’d go off hunting wolves in the woods. Thalia never would have guessed that she should have been hunting Vampyrs instead.
“She did teach some rather important things.” Thalia crossed her arms over her chest. “Besides, it’s not as though I did nothing in my mother’s court.” Yet Agripa’s exports were far and few between, given the dangers of their shores.
Cassius smirked, also crossing his arms over his chest. Finally, he relented. “Irenbis has a number of exports.”
“Like?”
“Wine, and wool. Meat and grain from farms.”
Thalia’s eyes narrowed. “Who do you export to?”
“Other territories in Vaccarium, that and some continents across the sea. Our wine is particularly popular in Sula.”
Thalia knew of the small island to the east. The humans there had been the first to refuse aid to Agripa when her family was murdered. But the other territories … those could be the ones the Vampyrs were trying to ally with.
Thalia chewed the inside of her cheek, letting the information settle over her. Trying not to let the rage festering inside her gut take over. Agripa had tried for years to set up trade with the bordering continents. It was no wonder they hadn’t been successful, considering those continents profited from the very creatures Agripa was plagued by.
Thalia picked at the skin around her thumbs but stopped when she caught Cassius’s stare. “Why meat? I smelled something cooking earlier. Don’t you all drink …?” She waved a hand.
“Blood?” Cassius’s eyebrow quirked further.
“Yes, blood,” Thalia gritted out.
Cassius shook his head. “Did you not read any of the books Marcus gave you?”
