A Den of Tricks (A Shade of Vampire #54)

We got back onto our horses and rushed over to the south side, where the narrowest of the gorges awaited. Caspian was right—the ravine was stuffed with large trees and shrubs, perfect for us to move through without being detected.

I stayed at the front as we entered the Valley of Screams, with Caspian by my side. Jax and Hansa stayed behind us, followed by Caia and Blaze. I briefly scanned the area and noticed a cave opening about fifty feet away in the right wall. The wind whispered past our ears, carrying with it the promise of darkness and rain. Birds chirped from the tree crowns stretching overhead, and I caught glimpses of deer and boar-like animals shuffling across the path ahead.

“There’s a cave there.” I pointed toward the west. “We can use it for the horses.”

We reached it in a matter of minutes, our mounts trotting cautiously as we inspected every inch around us. I wouldn’t be able to see the daemons, but I could capture movement in branches and shrubs whenever it happened and trace it back to a wild animal. If there was nothing to trace it back to, it would mean we had company.

For the time being, however, we were okay. We got off the horses, and I guided them into the cave, while the others watched. I took hold of Caspian’s horse and looked into its beautiful, sapphire-blue eyes.

“All of you stay here,” I said softly, stroking its neck. “Do not flee unless you’re under attack. Stay hidden, out of sight. Protect the others. Only come out if the coast is clear, and if you need to feed. We’ll be back soon.”

The stallion neighed and shook its head in response, then nuzzled my face with a huff, making me giggle.

“I have to say, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of watching you do that,” Caspian said. I turned around and found him gazing admiringly at me.

“Thank you… I guess,” I murmured with a modest shrug.

“Okay, let’s move forward now,” Jax said, and we continued on foot.

Not ten minutes later, we came across a creepy but good sign that we were in the right place. Imen skeletons were scattered between the tall pine-like trees, the bones cleaned and yellowed by the passage of time.

My stomach tightened as I got closer to one, realizing that I was looking at what had once been the body of a teenage Iman girl, judging by the shape of the hip bones and the locks of brown hair beneath the skull.

“There are definitely daemons in these parts,” Jax muttered as he stared at another set of bones. Strips of clothing were still wrapped around parts of the skeletons, and moss had grown on the sides of their skulls.

“They’ve been here for years.” Caspian frowned. “No one bothered to take them away, or bury them. Judging by their clothes, they don’t belong to the same group or tribe. My guess is that this is a feeding ground for hunter daemons without caves.”

“So there will be some lurking around, you think?” I asked, then shuddered as a chill ran down my spine. I moved closer to the middle of the road, and closer to Caspian, who nodded.

“We’ll need to move forward a little and get to the clearing I showed you. We can lay a trap there, but we’ll need bait. An open wound, something to spark their interest. They are drawn to the scent of blood, in general, like any other predator,” he said.

Several moments passed as we looked at each other, until Hansa slowly raised her hand.

“I’ll be the damsel in distress,” she said with a smirk, making both Caia and me chuckle.

“Oh, please, you’re neither a damsel, nor ever in actual distress,” I replied.

“You’re a freaking warrior,” Caia added.

“Come on, I can do it,” Hansa shot back, amusement flickering in her emerald-gold eyes.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Jax frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hansa rolled her eyes, then slowly shook her head and stared ahead.

“You keep underestimating me, Jaxxon Dorchadas,” she retorted. “How much more will it take for you to understand that I’m not someone you can try to ‘protect’?”

“I’m only expressing concern for—”

“Don’t,” she interrupted Jax. “I’m perfectly capable of acting as bait, and you know it.”

Something strange happened—something I’d never seen before. Jax didn’t fight her on this any longer. His shoulders dropped as he conceded, his gaze fixed on her. The dynamic between them had changed. It was all there, particularly in the way they looked at each other. There was muted affection and a sliver of resentment.

“Okay, it’s settled then,” I replied. “Hansa will be the most unconvincing bait we’ve ever had, and that’s it.”

I walked toward the clearing, followed by the rest of our team. Caspian kept himself close to me, and I occasionally stole glances at him as we moved between the trees. The sky darkened above as evening gradually descended upon us with cool winds, nocturnal insects buzzing all around.

“How are you faring after last night?” I asked him after a couple of minutes.

“I’ll be fine,” he replied, keeping his eyes on the path ahead. “Half of my household died in the explosions, but there is no time to mourn. All I can do is keep pushing and help you bring those responsible to justice.”

“I’m… I’m truly sorry,” I murmured, an invisible string tugging at my heart. “Were they friends, family?”

“They were both,” he sighed. “Some were cousins of mine, but most were servants. They’d been with my House for years. Few people know what it’s like inside House Kifo, but one thing I can guarantee is that no one wants for anything in my house. I look after my own, and their extended families. They’re irreplaceable, and we’ll all have to learn to live without them. But we will live. No matter what.”

I nodded slowly, but there was something in the way he spoke that made me think there was an underlying statement there. Caspian was so full of secrets, I had a hard time not picking up on the details he slipped into his every sentence. He was trying to tell me more about himself and his world without actually saying anything. That had to be quite the feat, and I knew by that point that he would eventually open up to me.

His aura was a mixture of gold and green whenever he was close to me, and, while I’d yet to figure out exactly what that meant, it felt positive and… nice. The looks he gave me were different, too. There was warmth in the jade pools of his eyes. The tension between us was gradually subsiding, replaced by something else—a thickness in the air that I wasn’t sure how to interpret, for the time being. Caspian was a creature who required some patience to fully understand; that was the one thing I was absolutely certain about.

And I had already decided that I would take my time and let him come to me. He wanted to share his secrets, and I’d made it my mission to earn his full trust for this. It turned out that Jax and Hansa weren’t the only ones whose dynamic had changed…





Harper





(Daughter of Hazel & Tejus)