A Shade of Vampire 84 A Memory of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,75

just as fascinating, and I was convinced Visio had treasures of its own in the animal kingdom. Because I was a dragon, a connection to Mother Nature and the beasts she bore had always been there.

“Here it is,” Kelara said as we reached the fork.

Splitting in opposite directions, the path gave us an option. If we took the left turn and followed the snaking trail up the eastern slope, we’d eventually reach the other side of the mountain and continue through other populated areas. But our business was to the right, where the path vanished between a rich underbrush of silvery and dark green ferns. The forest floor, much like the trees and the bushes, was covered in a thick layer of snow. There wasn’t a single footprint in sight.

In fact, the only thing that defined the trail toward Ramus’s cabin were the jagged stone markers that poked out from the pristine white blanket. This was an empty place except for the forest and the animals that considered it home. No one had been here in a while.

“Kailani’s team is headed east, deeper into the central mainland,” I said after getting a brief message from her via the comms system. “They’re following up on Lyriana Amos, apparently. Petra gave them a location for her, as well.”

“I just hope the high priestess is being truthful,” Trev replied, doubt etched onto his features as he checked our surroundings. “If Ramus is somewhere around here, shouldn’t there be a sign of some kind?”

“What, like footprints in the snow? I doubt it,” Amane said. “Remember, they use death magic to move around.”

Kelara took my hand, and I held Amane’s. Once we were all linked, she used her scythe to zap us farther up the snowy path and deeper into the woods. Soul was taking it easy in terms of death magic, since he was directly connected to the interdimensional pockets that held Valaine and the others. We’d use him in case of emergency, but Kelara was happy to handle the small stuff.

I’d never get used to traveling this way. The jump disintegrated me entirely, then put me back together somewhere else. It felt strange to be stripped down to atoms, only to be reassembled later, without a single hair in the wrong place.

“The cabin,” Amane murmured, staring ahead.

We could all see it rising from the snow. It had been built from some kind of dark wood. It looked sturdy, with a tall roof covered in gray shingles. This must’ve once been a clearing, since the house seemed fully integrated into its environment. Trees grew tall around it, and magnificently large shrubs guarded the corners. A set of narrow wooden stairs led up to the porch. The door was closed, and I didn’t spot any movement in the windows.

Trev’s nose picked up something. “Someone’s in there,” he whispered. “There’s an acrid stench of fear and adrenaline.”

“Maybe it’s Ramus, soiling his pants,” Soul quipped.

A thin thread of smoke rose from the chimney.

“Either way, we’re going in there,” Kelara said, making herself invisible. Soul followed suit, while Trev, Amane, and I swallowed invisibility pills and donned red garnet glasses. Moments later, we crossed the small open area, our boots sinking into the snow. My muscles were a little sore. I hadn’t done much winter hiking lately, and the mountain was not the friendliest I’d come across, even for the short distances we’d traveled on foot.

We reached the front door and spread out, checking each window as we went. Someone was indeed inside. A figure sat huddled in front of a small fire. Judging by the layers of velvet and fur he’d wrapped himself in, along with the many gold rings and bracelets he wore, we were definitely dealing with Ramus Malfas.

Soul revealed himself outside the door before nodding my way. “Care to do the honors?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” I replied with a smirk, eager to make up for my Dieffen fumble. Amane had repeatedly assured me there was nothing I could’ve done to create a better outcome under the circumstances, but I’d still gotten myself injured, and my ego required some satisfaction. Handing Ramus’s ass to him sounded like the perfect antidote to my lingering frustrations.

I kicked the door down, and it splintered into small pieces that flew across the room. Ramus yelped and jumped to his feet, stumbling backward to get as far away from us as possible.

“Morfuris,” I muttered, making myself visible. Trev and Amane appeared on either side, flanking him with their pulverizer weapons,