“A different creature?” Thalia’s mind flashed back to the Nestos. Its scythe-like hands were perfect for dicing up flesh. But she’d never even heard of that sort of creature before traveling to Vaccarium. Not to mention she had been deep in the forest when it appeared. Thalia would have received word from someone, anyone, if there were other creatures leaving the Scarecrows.
Either Cassius didn’t know, or he was lying. And Thalia had a sense that it was the latter. For some reason, the thought of him lying sent a sour note through her stomach. He didn’t owe her any truths, and gods knew she was lying to him too. There was too much betrayal between them, too much anger and hurt.
Before Thalia could ask anything more, her stomach grumbled loud enough that Feryena jerked her head up from where she’d been drinking her fill.
Cassius glanced at her stomach, then back to her face. Anger still lined his blue eyes, but he just handed her his horse’s reins. “I’ll find us something to eat.”
He didn’t glance back as he walked back down the path that led to the area where she’d first smelled the cooking meat.
Thalia huffed out a breath, pushing aside the hair from her face. Fine. If he wanted to be an ass, so be it.
The sound of a door creaking open in the quiet center had Thalia’s head perking up. She didn’t see anything as she scanned the area, the storefronts quiet, their curtains drawn. Then, there—
A shadow moved down an alleyway.
Thalia glanced at the horses, then to the retreating figure. After a split second’s hesitation, she dropped the reins. She moved on silent feet, heading after the figure who seemed so eager to remain unnoticed, and she intended to find out why. Perhaps she could figure out what sorts of secrets the Vampyrs were hiding in their capital city so she could report back to her mother.
With no sun to chase her, the gloomy sky tracked her as she slunk down the alleyway, keeping at a safe distance. She drew Cassius’s dagger from her hip, the worn hilt comforting as she followed after the creature.
The shops gave way to homes, and Thalia journeyed deeper into Irenbis. Yet the Vampyr she stalked kept going, occasionally glancing over its shoulder, a satchel gripped tightly in their hands. They moved with an urgency that bordered on panic.
Finally, after what felt like eternity, the Vampyr stopped at an unmarked house on the very outskirts of the town. The homes were a bit more run-down than those near the center, though nothing like those in the slums of Corithian.
Thalia watched from the shadows of an abandoned store as the Vampyr gave the wooden door a few quick knocks. It opened into darkness, and the Vampyr slipped inside.
Thalia counted to thirty in her head before she peeled off the building, sneaking to the door. The windows of the home were boarded up, but the glass must have been removed, because she heard soft murmuring from within.
Thalia pressed against the building, her ear against the wood.
“This won’t help him!” someone inside exclaimed, followed by a loud crash of glass.
“This is all we have!” another voice whispered harshly.
“Well, it’s not fucking good enough,” responded the first person— a female. Her voice cracked.
“It’s the prince’s fault,” the second voice snarled.
“You can’t speak like that, Julian,” the female pleaded.
Julian.
Thalia’s eyes widened. What the hell was Lord Adrian’s son doing all the way out here?
“I can do whatever the fuck I want, Francesca,” Julian growled. “If His Highness wasn’t so set on marrying that human bitch to try to cover up this whole mess, then we wouldn’t be in this position.”
Thalia flinched at the words, at the disgust coating Julian’s tone.
“He’s looking for a cure.” Francesca tried to placate him.
Another soft crash echoed. “Bullshit. He’s doing nothing while we have to suffer. While we have to watch our loved ones succumb to this madness.”
Madness?
Thalia’s brow furrowed, and she pushed closer. But the two of them seemed to be moving deeper into the house, their voices drifting away.
She pulled away, her mind spinning. Lord Amadeus had mentioned something about madness in the forest. But that didn’t make any sense. They must have been talking about the Mages’ wards failing. But that didn’t make any sense either.Does being in sunlight cause Vampyrs to become mad?
Too many questions spun in Thalia’s mind, but right now, she needed to get back before Cassius realized she was gone—
