Thousands of different scents flood my nose, urging me to follow them. But there's only one I seek. Its sweet, enticing smell stands out amongst the others by the way it causes my throat to sear.
Trees pass me at lightning speed, but nothing is blurred. The eyes of birds blink at me from the bushes, my pale form barely flashing through them.
I wind through the forest, allowing my more primal vampiric instincts to rule for a while. Within a minute, I'm on the trail of a deer.
My movements are all but silent as I scale the side of a great oak. The deer keeps it's attention on the grass while it grazes, completely unaware of my increasingly tightening grip on the bark beneath my fingertips.
The pulsing of blood in the creatures veins fills my ears, alongside the steady beat of it's heart. Venom gathers in my mouth, my fingers finally caving in and crushing the bark of the tree I am clinging to.
Using this to propel myself, I ark through the air, and in one sweeping lunge, wrap my arms around the animal's middle, rolling into the dirt. My teeth sink into it's neck before the deer has time to register what has happened.
Once I have finished my snack, I wipe my mouth and lay the creature down in a natural position. No doubt another forest dweller will make use of the meat, but I don't want to disrespect the deer, as silly as it may sound.
Now my thirst is assuaged, my anger has gone down to a low simmer. But it could easily be brought to a boil again. I think it's probably a better idea if I go to the Cullens than back to the house.
My wandering steps are halted abruptly by a sound reaching my ears and causing me to freeze up. More venom coats my teeth in response to the prickling feeling of being watched crawling up my spine.
"Do not fear, Nala'si."
I turn around sharply, only to stumble backwards over a log in shock.
A large hand grasps my wrist to stop me from hitting the ground. It's grip is firm, but gentle as it pulls me onto my feet.
Before me stands a creature with the torso of a human, legs of a horse, and a great spear clutched in one hand. The piercing blue eyes are startlingly familiar.
I become conscious of my mouth hanging open, and slam it shut. The snap is louder than I intended.
"B-but you...I...centaur..." I babble, my eyes darting all over. Despite what Zara told me, I'm still shocked to find him in front of me.
"Apologies for startling you, Lady Scarlette," he says in a deep, gruff voice.
"Um," I clear my throat, shaking my head, "No, not at all. Totally my fault. So...is there, er, something I can help you with?"
The centaur bows his head, a great shaggy mane of dark hair falling about his face. "Indeed, Lady Scarlette. I have travelled a long way to speak with you."
"Please, call me Jordan," I say, scrunching my nose at the title, "What's your name?"
"Chief Tritan, my Lady," he says, his head still bowed.
"It's nice to meet you, Chief Tritan. I have to admit, you are the first centaur I've met," I say, not quite knowing what to do with my hands as I converse with him.
He is very tall, mostly due to his legs. But he also has a long torso, strongly defined and bare, although his hair lies over his shoulders. I don't imagine he is cold. This dark hair also cover a good portion of his face.
If he were human, I imagine he would be very popular amongst the female community. Then again, he probably is in the centaur community anyway.
"Then this is a great honour," he states, once again inclining his head towards me. "Although it saddens me your first meeting with my kind must he under such grim circumstances."
His words catch my attention immediately, snapping my eyes to his own. "What do you mean?"
Tritan's expression turns stony. "My Lady, there are some things I must explain first, so that you may understand what I have to tell you properly."
Despite internally screaming, I patiently wait for him to continue. His fingers tighten on the shaft of the spear and he exhales forcefully as he rakes contemplative eyes down it.
"I have not carried such a weapon since my youth, Lady Scarlette," he says softly, "But times are changing, and it is no longer safe for me to travel without one."
"Why?" I ask, furrowing my brow in confusion, "I mean, no offence, what in the world would think of attacking you? They'd lose a lot of teeth, at the very least."
A tiny smile lifts his lips as he shakes his head. "You are yet young, my Lady. There is much more you have to discover - about yourself, also."
I return his smile, even if it is a bit bewildered, over his insistent use of the title 'My Lady' as well as the subdued sorrow in his eyes.
He shifts his gaze around the area, losing his smile. "There are lots of things that would, and can, attack me. But it is not myself I worry for."
With his final statement, his eyes land on me.
I recoil, feeling my heart drop inside my chest. "Me? Why would you worry for me? In fact, how do you even know who I am?"
Some birds flutter past, drawing Tritan's sharp stare. He drags a hoof in the dirt and shifts his spear uneasily.
"In my culture, carrying a spear is a sign of war. We centaurs usually wield bows of yew, used for hunting more than anything," he says, examining it somewhat sorrowfully, "It is with great reluctance that I take one up again."
Understanding rushes through me as I study his eyes. I know that feeling. I've experienced it. Not to such an extent as he, clearly, but I am familiar with the feeling. It's like being pushed back to a place you thought you'd left, back to square one.
"You must understand, Lady Scarlette," he says, looking down at me, "I may be liken to an animal in your eyes, but I am not one. I have no love for war, but I do what I must to protect my people."
"I don't see you as an animal, Chief," I say, then laugh, "I mean, I'm half Vampire half Faerie. If you're an animal I'd love to know what I am."
He seems to appreciate my joke, as some of the cloud in his eyes disperses. "Then you are very unique for your kind. Faeries aren't always...the most accepting of my people."
"But...you called me Nala'si," I say, so many questions swirling inside my head that a phantom headache is beginning to form.
"Yes. I have lived within the Realm for most of my life. I speak their language, my own, and yours. I know a lot about you, my Lady." He smiles slightly.
I scratch the side of my head. "I think it's best you explain what you need to to me without allowing me to speak. I'll ask too many questions and we'll never get to the point."
Tritan laughs - one of the deepest, most booming noises I've ever heard come from a person. Even Emmett couldn't compare.
"That is understable. Of course, I will explain," he says, re-adjusting his grip on the spear, "When my people carry such weapons, others take it as a warning for bad times to come. The reason for this is because we centaurs have, for many thousands of years, studied the night sky."
He turns his eyes to the great expanse of blue above us, stretching out for miles and miles. The momentary amusement that sparkled across his eyes has vanished, the calm turned stormy.
"It is tradition, and a skill we have honed to near perfection. We know how to read the signs. Before the Great War of the Realms broke out, we looked to the heavens and saw what was to come, and were ready to defend ourselves. The Fae were also able to ready themselves somewhat due to our reactions."
"That is why I have come so far to speak with you, my Lady. We have once more read the skies, and for many weeks now, Mars has been brighter than any other when night falls. It has not been seen like this for a long time. Occasionally, we can even see it during the daytime. This does not bode well."
Tritan shifts, looking back down at me. Cleary, my worry shows on my face, as he sighs and frowns.
"I apologise for the abruptness of my arrival, Lady Scarlette. But it is important that you are prepared."
My head bobs in agreement as I chew my lip. While Astrology is not something I know much about, I'm not completely ignorant. Mars is the God of War in Roman mythology. No wonder it doesn't bode well...
"I understand, Chief Tritan. I appreciate it immensely. Going in blind is never a good option," I say, brushing a hand over my curling hair. "But, may I ask, how did you know to warn me? Why have you warned me specifically?"
The wood stands still, and I only now notice the silence blanketing the area. It was not this quiet when I arrived.
Tritan looks around us, a spark of fierce suspicion flaring in his eyes. He leans down close to me. "There are many things I wish to tell you, my Lady, but this place is not safe for the words that would pass my lips. You must be careful. Do not wander around these parts of the wood too often."
His tone sends cold chills down my spine, and encourages a pool of dread to grow in my stomach. The high from my kill has disappeared.
"I understand that you have many questions, some of which I cannot answer. For now, you must settle for knowing that I have come here for you because I have seen the Purple Star orbiting Mars. It can only be seen from within the Realm, and it is the symbol of a Nala'si."
"Surely...there must be others out there. How do you know its me?" I ask weakly, feeling my shoulders slump.
Tritan seems sorrowful as he bows his head toward me. "You are the last of your kind, my Lady."
A cool wave falls over me, cutting off any reply I would normally have. It's odd - the way his statement has brought about a sense of disconnect.
I thought there were others, at the very least, somewhere out there. Zara did sound surprised about it, but I never picked up anything else. The last of my kind...?
"How?" I splutter out, eyes wide as I stare up at him.
A troubled light appears in his eyes. "I don't know if I can properly answer that. You must know of the High Council's use of Nala'si's."
I nod half-heartedly, remembering Zara's disgusted expression. "Yes. They take their magic from them - their soul."
Tritan scrapes a hoof in displeasure. "Indeed, my Lady. It was a cruel practise. As far as I know, though, you are the first Nala'si to be born in under two thousand years."
Another wave of shock hits me, much harder this time. I freeze in place, my mind racing with all of this information, trying to make sense of it.
By becoming so still, my senses lock onto other things besides my reflexes. I notice that there is no wind, and I can no longer hear the distant flapping of wings. The very air itself is stuck, unmoving.
And with the way his hand shifts on his spear, Tritan notices it too. His eyes search the trees as his mouth forms a hard line. The only sound is his heavy breathing.
"I think it is best for you to leave now, Lady Scarlette," he says, beginning to move, "We will meet again soon. In the meantime, you must be careful."
His hoofs clump softly on the forest floor, bringing me out of my head. I race to stand next to him.
"Wait!" He turns his head to look at me beside him. "I don't understand. Why are you so on edge here? Is there something in the forest?"
Tritan sighs heavily, lifting the spear off the ground and holding it next to him.
"Faerie magic hides many things. Only those who posses it can see through the veil it creates. You are coming into your powers now. More and more things will become visible to you. Until then, I advise you steer clear of this area. I can watch over you near the vampire's home, but not out here. Be careful, my Lady."
With that, he breaks into a gallop, disappearing into the trees in a matter of moments. As the noise of his pounding hoofs fades beyond my hearing, I suddenly become aware of how exposed I am.
Cool wind brushes the back of my neck, and I spin round. Fear grips my heart, the Chief's warning echoing in my ears.
Without hesitation, I run towards the road. By following it, I will find the Cullen's house easily. But I swear, as I reach the Eastern part of the woods, something blinks at me from the undergrowth.