Beyond the Veil (Book 1 of the series, Beyond Valwood)

Chapter 4 ~ Huntress ~

The darkness of the strange place suffocated to Natalya's senses, and she half wondered if she was mistaken.

The amulet has never been wrong before. Though she took no comfort in the thought, Natalya felt reassured slightly by the pendant's power. She had never felt so alone or foreign as she did now within the Ruins... Celestial Hold's border, she reminded herself. She felt isolated and completely cut off from her people. The buildings were shabby and imposing as the broken windows leered down at her from either side. She seemed to see eyes that would disappear as soon as she focused on them or hear the muffled growling of wolves. Nearly identical already in their uniform infirmness, the mist that had rolled down from the distant peaks now bathed the buildings in a dense fog that served to further obscure her vision.

There was light in the wreckage that fought feebly against the pressing darkness; and streetlamps that weakly illuminated the roads through a layer of encrusted dirt that clung to their outer glass.

Fatigue too lapped at Natalya's heels. She pressed on, her gait stilled by her lack of horse, and she slowed further. Besides speed, Methea had lent her strength and height, and she felt especially vulnerable without the added protection the mare had provided. And although the beginnings of sleep pulled at her eyelids, she could not surrender to the urge, close as she now was to catching her quarry. Nervously, she shot furtive glances behind her at each rustled movement, though caused by innocent vermin or armed enemy, she knew not the difference. She grasped her stake in her hand and slung her bow over her shoulder.

The vampire's footprints were followed easily enough, having been set deeply into the layers of dust and dirt that littered the street. The monotony of the task allowed Natalya's thoughts to wander as she followed the meandering curve of the vampire's path.

As she walked, she thought of the werewolves. The three had been terrifying in their newness; she had never seen one before; let alone defeated one.

Though the secret of her trespassing had died with them, she had never enjoyed killing, even the vampires.

The leader of the three had been frightening enough in stature, but it had been his stubborn resolution to destroy her that had shaken her the most. She felt justified in her feelings towards the werewolves until her thoughts drifted to Voren. How different he had been from the other three. He had unnerved her with his raw honesty, and she had not been prepared for it. His presence stood in such stark contrast to the savage image she had stored in her mind, and it made her question everything she had thought she knew about them. He had seemed nearly human, and though Natalya's mind rebelled at the thought, she could almost pity him in his worn clothing and destroyed city.

He killed one of his own. A voice that had been listening at the back of her mind interrupted her thoughts, and Voren was relegated back to savage status.

That werewolf had tried to kill me, she reminded it, and the voice raised no more objections. He was dangerous she knew, but he had protected her when he could have easily killed her.

Natalya had come to no conclusions when the foot prints ended. The last two were clearly imprinted into the dust, and she circled the ground around them, searching for another pair. The earth was settled, giving no signs of displacement or a struggle. The path the vampire had been following continued to meander into a wide bend, but there was no sign that he had continued on this route.

Natalya raised her head to the buildings that surrounded her. Any one of them seemed a fitting lair for a hiding vampire, and her feelings of foreboding increased. Her eyes struggled to penetrate the thick layer of grime that shielded the insides of the buildings, and she was all too aware of the shortcomings of her own senses. The amulet had deepened in color to almost black, and Natalya's heart began to pound in anticipation. She knew she was close now.