A Shade of Vampire 80 A Veil of Dark - Bella Forrest Page 0,26

the whole day hunting, so they can have supplies out there, while the rest of us hold down the fort here.”

“If the adults stay behind, won’t you all be possible targets, too?” I asked.

Jacinda nodded. “Yes, milady. But it’s better if they take one or more of us, and not our children. I’ve already lost a daughter to these bastards. Jayan has been left without both sons. We’ve reached the end of our wits here.”

“And you said they usually start their raid from Mamie’s tavern, up north?” Kalon asked.

“Yes, milord. It’s a mile from here. You’ll see the wooden building rising on the curb of the road. The forest is thick and dark behind it. That’s where the Darklings usually emerge from,” Jayan explained.

“Out of sheer curiosity, from what you’re telling us, the Darklings must know these woods rather well. Is it safe to send your children there, especially with the night upon them?” I asked.

Jacinda smiled, nodding at the fountain. “We cover them in black mineral. The Aeternae can’t catch their scent.”

Kalon seemed stunned by this revelation. “Black mineral?”

He walked over to the fountain, carefully analyzing the water and the sediment at the bottom. Jayan chuckled, clearly pleased to have surprised Kalon about this. “It’s a secret among our people out here,” he said. “We discovered the properties of black mineral a few decades ago. Only the Rimians and the Naloreans living in these areas know about the springs’ sediment.”

“How does it work?” I asked.

“It masks our scent,” Jacinda replied. “We’ve learned to control our breathing and heartbeat, too. We use forest herbs to help keep the children calm. It makes them practically invisible to the Darklings, especially when they’re hiding up in the trees.”

“The kids love climbing all the way to the top,” Jayan said. “It’s how we’ve managed to hold out for the past few years. Otherwise, our village would’ve been empty by now.”

I would’ve imagined the Darklings showing some form of restraint in these monthly raids, so as not to deplete their blood slave resources. Obviously, they weren’t inclined to think that far ahead, but the Rimians had adapted. I had to give it to Jayan and his people. They’d learned to survive despite the harsh conditions.

“Let’s have a drink at the tavern, then,” Kalon said to me. “We might have some fun tonight, after all.”

Some fun? What sort of fun did he have in mind? My cheeks blushed. I could feel the redness spreading, my skin feeling hot, almost incandescent. My heart performed several somersaults as we walked back to our Visions, a plan already drawing itself in our minds.

“Jacinda, Jayan, I suggest you do what you usually do,” Kalon added as we mounted the horses. “Send the children away, and use some of that black mineral on yourselves, too. If you have basements or cellars, use them. Hide. Don’t let the Darklings take anyone tonight. Esme and I will wait for them at the tavern. Hopefully, this will be the last time that Tromb has to deal with them.”

“Shouldn’t we send word for the gold guards to come up here and assist us?” I asked, worried I would not be on top of my game since I was still recovering.

“They won’t get here in time,” Kalon replied. “Besides, between the two of us, I reckon we’ll be able to take them down.”

“Oh, the tavern people will definitely help, as well,” Jayan added. “Once they see Aeternae like yourself, milord, standing up for us, I’m sure they’ll willingly pitch in.”

I had to agree with Jayan’s theory. I also hoped the adrenalin of such an encounter would dim some of the pain in my leg. Glad to have Kalon by my side for this, I allowed myself to feel pure excitement at what was bound to be a most troublesome covert operation. The Darklings played foul. But, in spite of my injury, I had some aces up my sleeves too.

It was about time that they got their asses handed to them.

Esme

With everything I’d learned about the Aeternae so far, I had to admit, there were more shades of gray than I’d initially expected. In a way, it made sense. After all, this was an old civilization, with millions of years spent learning, developing, making mistakes, mending them, then making new mistakes. It seemed like a constant process of self-discovery, and I had a feeling they had yet to find their limits.

I would’ve liked to visit one of those elderly sanctuaries, just to fully grasp exactly how