A Spark In The Shadow

CHAPTER - TWENTY FIVE

The days in Havenwood were now quiet, but in a tense way. You could still hear hammers and saws from people rebuilding, but it wasn't cheerful anymore. It felt like everyone was on edge.

The Dawn Watch hunters moved through the village like silent, dark ghosts, their silver weapons shining in the weak sun. Kael, especially, was always there, making Duskiel feel uneasy. His sharp, smart green eyes seemed to follow Duskiel everywhere, a quiet challenge.

Duskiel kept up his secret night patrols, moving like a shadow among the trees. The wild, clumsy vampires were now rare. He felt everything more strongly, sensing the subtle changes in the air, the cold whispers that spoke of something much more dangerous. The Shadescore in his pocket was back to a low, unsettling hum. It wasn't comforting anymore, but a constant reminder of the hidden threat.

The pain he felt when Brianna was near was a constant, dull ache behind his eyes. It was pulling at him. Every time she walked by, smelling sweet like wildflowers, the ache would get sharper, and the Shadescore would thrum with a deeper, more agitated vibration.

He instinctively kept his distance, finding reasons to be somewhere else, to avoid touching her. Brianna, always noticing things, sometimes caught his eye, her forehead wrinkled with quiet worry. He saw the questions in her eyes, questions he couldn't answer.

                                     ---

Duskiel was helping Mr. Gideon, the blacksmith, load heavy bags of coal. The air smelled of hot metal and sweat. Brianna was nearby, helping her mother fold clean clothes, their laughter a soft sound. Kael stood a few feet away, looking at a broken wagon wheel, but his eyes kept glancing at Duskiel.

Suddenly, a shadow broke away from the thick trees at the edge of the village. It wasn't the clumsy rush of a wild vampire. This was a smooth, silent glide, a chillingly effective creature. Its movements were so precise and fluid that it seemed to just melt from the trees and reappear closer to the village, a dark ripple against the sunny afternoon. It wasn't looking for a random fight. It was moving with a clear goal.

Duskiel felt a cold fear grab him. This was different. This was one of them. An elite fighter. One of Rowen's killers.

The assassin moved, a dark blur, heading straight for the well, where a small child was getting water. It was a planned attack, meant to cause big panic, to test the village's defenses.

Duskiel dropped the bag of coal. Its heavy thud wasn't heard in the sudden, chilling silence that fell over the square as the villagers sensed something was wrong.

"What was that?!" someone whispered, pointing. Duskiel moved before he even thought, a dark streak against the sunny stones. He launched himself toward the assassin, a silent, desperate prayer in his mind.

No! Not a child!

He stopped the assassin just as its long, pale hand reached for the child. The hit was hard, a rough crash of desperate anger and cold, old power. The assassin hissed, a low, snake-like sound, its red eyes flaring with surprise.

"The vessel," it whispered, its voice like dry leaves rubbing together.

"You're getting in the way. The King wants you. Unharmed."

Duskiel didn't answer. He fought with furious desperation, letting out the Shadescore's power, a cold, dark energy flickering around his hands.

"Get back!" he growled, a voice that wasn't entirely his own. He was faster, stronger than any normal human, but this assassin was different. It moved with chilling precision, blocking his hits, always trying to get past him, aiming for the child, then for Brianna. It wasn't about hunger. It was about a mission.