Chapter 4 Shadows in the Blood

Elaria's POV

The wind is really screaming through the open doors to the balcony. You can smell rain coming, but there's also this darker, wilder scent mixed in. Standing here staring at Aldric, my heart's pounding hard because his last words are still hanging in the air – and they feel like a bad omen.

Another attack. Way too close, this time. It happened just past the river.

I'm gripping the edge of this wooden table so tight, my fingernails are digging into the wood. I should've seen this coming. These enemies aren't just checking to see what our defenses are like. No, they're pushing forward.

Rowan walks up, and you can't read his face at all. Who got hurt? he asks.

Aldric's mouth turns into this hard, straight line. It was a small group out scouting. Two warriors didn't make it. One guy lived, but he's not doing great.

My stomach drops and twists into a knot. Where is he now?

The healers took him down to the lower levels. Aldric looks like he doesn't want to say what's next. Elaria, you might need to see this yourself.

The way he said that sends a shiver down my spine. I don't say anything, just walk right past him. My head's already spinning with what it all could be. Rowan's right behind me, which is good because he always makes you feel steady, even though things are awkward between us. Whatever almost happened back in my room, that's on hold for now.

The halls become a blur as I rush down the spiral stairs to the lowest part of the fortress. The torches are casting long, weird shadows against the damp stone, and the air's getting colder as we go deeper.

When we reach the lower levels, the smell of blood just hits you. The healer – an older lady that's a sharp one greets me with a serious nod and that nods to the side. Then, I see him. He's lying on the cot in the middle of the room.

You can barely tell it's a person lying there. He's covered in cuts and gashes, a mess of torn skin. His skin is, like, gray. He's breathing really shallow.

I walk closer. Has he said anything?

The healer shakes her head. Not anything that makes any sense, no.

Rowan kneels down next to the guy and touches the dried blood on his arm. These aren't wolf wounds, he says.

I look closer and my stomach jumps again. These aren't claw marks. They're too clean, like they were made by something really precise.

The guy on the bed suddenly tenses up, arching off the cot. He makes this horrible strangled sound, and then his eyes fly open.

They're completely black.

Aldric swears and takes a step back. My heart feels like it is going to jump out of my chest.

Hold him down! the healer yells.

Me and Rowan react at the same time; we press him back against the cot. He's strong, though. And his limbs are flailing everywhere. Then he starts speaking in this raspy voice that sounds like gravel. It makes my blood run cold.

They are here, he rasps.

The room goes silent. I can't breathe.

The warrior's eyes lock onto mine, and for just a second, this feeling rushes through me – like something ancient and mean is touching me through him.

What do you mean? I ask urgently.

He starts shaking, his whole body convulsing. The darkness... it moves... it sees you.

A terrible sound comes from his throat. Then, he just stops.

Too still.

I touch his neck to feel for a pulse. Nothing. He's gone.

The air gets heavy again. Aldric curses and rubs his face. Rowan takes a deep breath and clenches his jaw.

He knew something, I whisper, staring at the body. We don't know.

Rowan stands up, looking serious, "We need to find out what it is, and fast."

The tension in the meeting room is bad. All eyes are on me when I tell what happened. The elders get even more nervous than they already were.

These aren't just random, I say, making eye contact with as many people as I can. This is planned.

One of the elders, a man named Osric who has very sharp features, rolls his eyes. Are you saying this is some kind of magic?

I'm saying we have to think about the chance that we're up against something much worse.

People start murmuring.

Elaria is makes sense, Rowan says, making his voice heard over the chatter. It isn't just bad luck. There is someone orchestrating this.

Osric crosses his arms. So, what do you want us to do? Just hide?

Rowan kind of smirks. No. We find the person who's doing this, and we stop them before they kill everyone.

I nod. I'm taking a team out to the river, first thing in the morning. If anything's left behind, we'll find it.

Osric stares me down. You're the Alpha Queen. You can't be going into danger.

And I won't sit and do nothing when people are getting butchered. My voice is firm.

Everyone goes quiet, though they don't look happy about it. Osric sighs. Fine. But take extra fighters with you.

I nod again.

The night air is heavy with tension as Rowan and I prepare. In my chambers, the fire's crackling and the shadows are moving all over the walls.

I look over at Rowan. He's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He looks like he's a million miles away.

You don't have to come, I tell him.

He sort of laughs. You think I'd let you go into this alone?

I figured that's what he'd say.

I sigh and rub my forehead. This... thing, it's not normal. The marks, those black eyes...

We'll handle it, Rowan says, walking up to me. Together.

Something between us changes, the air thicker.

My heart's beating way too fast. I force myself to look away. Get some rest, Rowan. We're leaving when the sun rises.

He looks like he wants to say something else. But he just nods and takes a step back. Goodnight, Elaria.

After he leaves, I let out my breath, trying to shake of the bad feeling that's pressing down on me.

Whatever's waiting by the river... it's not something we can just fight with our teeth and claws.

And I'm wondering if I can even handle what's coming.