A Shade of Vampire 80 A Veil of Dark - Bella Forrest Page 0,23

his hands in a defensive manner. “I don’t know, but they’re terrified of us. Of Aeternae.”

“That must be it.” I scoffed, then raised my voice. “We mean no harm to anyone! We’re just passing through!”

The Rimians didn’t look like they were anywhere near ready to put their weapons down. They’d been able to kill deer with those arrows. I had a feeling they could poke a hole or two in me before I disarmed them. Peaceful discourse seemed like a more rational approach at this point. These were all good and simple people, only wanting to defend their way of life and their families.

“Who are you?” another Rimian asked. I caught the glimmer of a blade hanging from his leather belt.

“I’m Lord Kalon Visentis, and this is my friend and partner, Esme Vaughn. Please lower your bows.” His tone made it clear—he would not ask them again.

The first Rimian exhaled sharply. “Lord Visentis. What brings you all the way here?”

“Lower your bows, and I will gladly answer that question.”

I had to appreciate his stern reply. Kalon commanded respect and attention, while offering the same in return. He just drew a line when weapons were pointed at him.

“My apologies,” the first Rimian said and put his bow away. He motioned for the others to do the same. Soon, I was able to let a sigh roll out, the atmosphere slightly more relaxed. The Rimians approached us with their weapons safely stored on their backs. “We’re wary of strangers.”

“We’re Aeternae. You shouldn’t be scared by us. Well, I’m Aeternae. Esme’s a vampire, but the difference is of no interest to you. What is your name?” Kalon replied.

“Jayan, milord,” the first Rimian said.

“You’re the leader, aren’t you?” I asked. “They all look to you for guidance.”

Jayan nodded. “Yes, milady.”

“So, what is it that’s got you so scared?” Kalon inquired.

The Rimian women came out, some going into the woods to fetch the children. It was an obviously practiced protocol. They had done this before, and my heart ached to think that they lived in such crippling fear.

“Raids, milord,” Jayan said. “They come at night. They kill those who try to fight them.”

“They take our young ones, and we never see them again,” one of the Rimian women added, joining the men on the edge of the road.

“Who?” I asked, my blood running cold. Somehow, I was already guessing the answer, based on the previous villages and their people’s reactions to mere inquiries from Kalon.

“Darklings, milady,” Jayan replied.

The blood drained from Kalon’s face. “You know about Darklings?”

“Know about them? We’ve been dealing with them for as long as this village has been around. How are you not aware of this issue?” Jayan asked, frowning and crossing his arms in what looked like sheer disbelief. I was inclined to agree with him.

“If this has been going on for so long, surely the palace would’ve heard about it,” I suggested, waiting for Kalon’s reaction.

“We all wrote to the chief councilor, Zoltan Shatal,” Jayan replied. “Repeatedly. He assured us he would resolve the issue, but the raids intensified. Now it’s once a month, close to the full moon. Masked riders storm through the village, break down our doors, and take our young daughters and sons.”

“What for?” I mumbled, unable to imagine living with such a horror.

“Blood slaves, milady,” the Rimian woman said.

“Oh dear,” I breathed.

I’d heard this term before. Blood slaves. Rimians and Naloreans bought as slaves from Darkling traffickers. It was their main way of funding their operations. Rich Aeternae paid a lot of gold to have a source of fresh blood in their own homes, from whom they could drink whenever they wanted.

Kalon and I had finally come upon one of the sources. A small village named Tromb, where the Rimians tried to live in peace, only to have their homes raided and their adolescent children taken away from them.

Only a few hours out of bed, and I was already getting one hell of an intel payout.

Esme

“How did Rimians come to live in these parts, away from the Aeternae?” I asked Kalon. The villagers accompanied us into the square, which boasted a simple but elegant fountain made of black marble. Spring water gushed from its center, and I could see dark mineral sediment forming on the bottom. “I thought you conquered them.”

“We did conquer them,” Kalon replied. “We also allowed them to settle on Visio, should they desire to do so.”

“Truth be told, our ancestors were brought here shortly after the Rimian conquest,” Jayan said, settling