Blood Bound

Lucky Survivor

"Level two, maybe. But manipulation in this scale? Only pureblood can pull this kind of trick. But she did say there's no pure blood, Mrs. Bestow." 

Bess agreed. "Where do you think they go?" Bess and Brook automatically turn to look at the field that connected with Savarah mountain.

"Who lives up there?" Brook asks.

"Why you answer my question with another question?" Bess asks back, her eyes squinting, trying to make the best view of the mountain.

"You also answer my question with another question. Do you think there are purebloods there?" Bess looks at her brother, but he's still scanning the mountain.

"I'm not so sure, but my guess? Yes. They have a low body temperature, if they want to live comfortably cold they have to look for a place with cold weather. Mountains are a good place."

Brook lifts his shoulders. "You know my specialty is lunatics, you're the one who always deals with nightwalkers." The sentence sounds more like a question in Bess's ear.

"Yeah." Bess turns around, and continue to walk the way towards the gate, Brook follows behind her. They're getting closer to the gate, Bess can even hear Henryk's breathing. The kid must be sleeping by now, Bess thinks.

"You know, Brook. My feeling's off these days." Bess stopped walking when they reached the house where Henryk is. They both are sure enough there is no other person left except the Bestows mother and daughter.

Brook hums in agreement and sits on the veranda.

"Is this about the blackmail?" 

Bess sighs, "What is it about? I mean, we never touched the purebloods and dead slayer isn't just Redhound." 

"The numbers of dead slayers is starting to decrease, Bess, especially on those small clans like Orion, Ragdoll, Fennec. I heard Ragdoll and Fennec have been murdered and gone. Orion is left with two slayers."

Bess shivers. She knew a Ragdoll. Is she dead?

"You know what caused that?"

Brook hesitates, but then he answers.

"Some said, they were attacked by some nightwalkers, before then gone."

Bess shivers again. It's so similar, to this one. Or is she just paranoid?

"Yeah, but I mean... Redhound is not the only deadslayer left. I'm sure big clans like Raven, Boiga, and Bluebottle would be hard to be murdered to extinct." Brook sighs. "Also supported by the facts I just met Matthew Boiga and his father in Serbab when I pass the market on my way here." 

Bess just lifts her eyebrows as an answer as her thoughts went back to the nightwalkers. Redhound and Boiga were never really on a good term since that happened and Bess never wants to go to that corner of her memory.

"So what do you think made them turn against us? I mean they have rights to be mad because we killed their kind here and there without asking, but I supposed that would benefit them too."

Brook stayed silent for a few moments, Bess also thinks. The sky slowly turned orange, and Bess feels better. She hates passing the night in the quiet village. But that feeling comes again, Bess heard footsteps, near the gate. Two people. Bess quickly turned around facing the gate and lift her arrow gun, aiming it to the slightly agape gate.

Bess waits, and waits. Brook stayed still behind her, watching. He knows well, whoever it is, Bess would be able to handle them. They're just two people and from the weight of their steps? They're human enough. Not as light as nightwalkers', and not as heavy as lunatics'.