A Shade of Vampire 84 A Memory of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,85

scorching heat and sudden temperature drops at night are enough to deter anyone from trying to find me,” Night said. “Everything smells or bites here.”

“What do you care? It’s not like you have to actually smell or sense a bite anyway. Only if you allow it,” Widow muttered.

“I’m just trying to put myself in the head of an Aeternae, that’s all,” Night replied.

“Well, either way, we need to move. Ridan’s team hasn’t checked in on the comms system yet, and I’m not liking that one bit. Let’s get Lyriana out of here and head back. Something tells me we’ll be needed, especially with Petra still in Roano,” I said.

We knew Lyriana had a shelter in one of the small villages deep within the mangrove forest. We also knew that she wouldn’t be alone, since she always traveled with personal guards, uniformed Aeternae trained to kill anyone who tried to touch her. By that logic, we didn’t expect this encounter to be easy, but I was confident with three Reapers and my white werewolf by my side. Something had to give.

Making our way up the wetland’s coast, we inched closer to the forest to get a better view. I could see the lights flickering across the wooden cabins, and the silhouettes of people moving around. A slender system of bridges connected homes above the water, and a couple more served as paths into other villages. This was not a friendly environment. Everything had been built to keep strangers out.

“Time to zap on over there,” Widow announced, reaching out to me.

I was about to take his hand so the Reaper might help us get closer to the village when several boats left the small islands. They were headed toward us, and I wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“Kale, what are they doing?” Hunter asked, his brow furrowed as he watched them. “I’m counting twenty.”

“Five per boat,” Widow added. “My guess is they spotted us.”

“From there? They must’ve been watching, then,” I said. “They must’ve known we were coming.”

“How could they have known? We were careful on the way here,” Dream replied. “Nah, something else is going on here.”

“Well, if they were Darklings, surely they would’ve used death magic to get here faster. The boats don’t make much sense,” Nightmare said.

As they drew closer, the boats gave me a strange feeling—an uneasiness that latched on and refused to let go. Chills traveled down my spine, ice crystalizing in my veins as I realized none of the Aeternae on the boats were moving. They were less than a hundred yards away now, and I had no idea what made the boats move, since none of their occupants were rowing. I didn’t hear any type of engine, either.

“What is going on here?” I mumbled, trying to find an answer before it might be too late. The uneasiness built up inside me, pressing down my stomach as beads of sweat covered my temples. “Something feels off.”

Hunter gripped my hand firmly, and I was compelled to look at him. “We’ve got this,” he whispered. It prompted a scoff from Nightmare.

“Do you, though?”

The boats reached us, and they were even stranger from up close. Carved from a bluish type of wood, they were long and slim, their bottom curves dipping into the water. The twenty Aeternae in them were dead, their hearts torn out through gaping wounds in their chests. They hadn’t died that long ago—the blood had yet to congeal. Their clothes were drenched in crimson.

“Oh dear,” Dream murmured, her galaxy eyes widening.

“What the hell is this?” Widow croaked.

The Aeternae had been bound to spikes mounted in the boats, giving the impression of standing, living people for those watching from afar. That wasn’t even the worst part. The water rippled behind the boats, so I looked closer until I spotted a Knight Ghoul. There were four of them, one for each boat.

“Ghouls pushed the boats over,” I said with a gasp, terror nearly suffocating me.

The fiends hurriedly swam away, leaving their cargo at our feet. Upon a second, more detailed inspection, I spotted the boxes at the Aeternae’s feet. Fifteen wooden boxes, each carved and painted with familiar-looking runes.

“Death magic,” Nightmare said. “Not the good kind, either.”

Suddenly, the runes began to light up red. I had a feeling something would happen once they were all activated, and that it wouldn’t end well for us. Without warning, Dream grabbed me and threw me back.

I tried to scream in protest, but the loud, eardrum-crushing bang that followed rendered